The String Revolution and Tina Guo Drop A Mash-Up You May Not Believe
The unreal guitar trio, The String Revolution, joins forces with Tina Guo to create something so unique and different that it's borderline brilliant. This is a track that works kind of like a mashup.
Now, this is not your average mashup, per se, as, of course, a guitar trio joined by a mind-bogglingly talented cellist is already an outstanding combination, but what really hits hardest about this release is the fact that it blends together the world of video games and mainstream pop music while utilizing only guitars and cellos the entire time.
You might be wondering how exactly the world of video games is brought into play here. Well, if you've ever played Plants vs. Zombies—and who hasn't, really?—you'll be happy to hear that this single blends together elements of the video game's soundtrack, particularly "Crazy Dave's Theme," with Billie Eilish's "bad guy."
Yes, you read that right. Billie Eilish and Plants vs. Zombies come together by way of some insane guitar work and breathtaking cello that all come to life, and this is such an amazing atmosphere that you get wrapped up in the entire thing pretty quickly.
The track starts off with a little bit of a slow burn as the cello and guitars work their way up to the melodic sections of the song, and once everything hits full swing, it's an incredible thing to hear. Some of the guitars are used as percussion as the song wheels and wails, giving off an almost haunting undertone that comes through sort of quirky, a little colorful, and very theatrical.
As the song opens up, the guitar work gets really brilliant. There are sweeps, arpeggios, and all kinds of outstanding performances that take you by surprise, all crammed into this 3-minute-and-30-second piece of work that is absolutely riddled with that blend of themes from both counterparts, video game and Eilish.
What a cool concept and what an amazing execution they pulled off.
I honestly have no idea how they brought this to fruition or where the idea even came from, but it works so well.
There's something undeniably fantastical about this. It's not just a piece that sits there. It is alive and breathing, and it's got character all the way through.
I think that's one of the most fun aspects about it. It's not just about the blending of melodies and progressions between the two pieces that they're bringing together, but it's the way that they do it.
The guitars complement the cello amazingly, and vice versa.
All of the performances have that vivacious sort of approach. You can't turn away from it once it's begun. Once it gets into the swing of things, you are sort of transfixed.
The energy levels sort of rise and fall throughout it, and all of the melodies are completely nailed.
One of the other things that really comes through brightly about this track is the rhythm changes. There are elements about the track that seem to kind of jam out as it progresses and changes rhythm here and there, giving you an almost ever-changing approach.
Again, this is probably because they're bringing together two different worlds, but someone, somewhere understood the vision of bringing them together. Someone heard parts of these two completely different pieces of music and realized that they can fit them together like puzzle pieces.
There are chunks of the song that give off layers of different rhythms at once, and you can hear all of these different rhythmic patterns sitting on top of each other and fitting in with complete perfection.
Tina is just awe-inspiring. That cello adds such an incredible texture to the piece, and this is just something that sort of blows you away a little bit.
Even if you're unfamiliar with one or both of the compositions, even if you've never played Plants vs. Zombies and have no idea about the soundtrack, or have never heard Billie Eilish's "bad guy" before, this is still an amazingly fantastical and enrapturing piece of work.
I think that's really what gets me. I happen to know Plants vs. Zombies, as one of my daughters and my wife actually used to love playing that game. Of course, I know plenty of Billie Eilish's music as well, as she's incredibly popular in the world.
However, if I erase both of those things from my mind, this piece would still hit just as hard and be just as amazing.
This is a perfect example of how extreme musicians can bring a concept to fruition when they put their minds to it.
This is like listening to a classical piece of work in terms of what it brings to the table, from arrangement to layering and composition.
These are masters of their instruments, and it showcases how the right fit can create something special.
So, whether you've heard the songs, played the games, or not, do not miss this track. It is absolutely something that you want to soak in.
So wait no longer. Jump into this track right now and remember where you heard it first.
Comments