This post is going to be a deviation from the norm. I want to talk about a short interlude track from Final Fantasy XIII that has struck a chord with me since I first heard it called “A Brief Respite” composed by Masashi Hamauzu. This song is potentially a track that is unknown to many Final Fantasy enthusiasts that in contrast I frequently remember and want to listen to.
Final Fantasy XIII follows female lead protagonist Lightning and her particular story. Unfortunately I have not played this game in over 10 years so I can not elaborate any further on this story from memory–I’ll need to pick up the controller and relive it whenever I can make the time for it. This game, like all of the Final Fantasy games, has its many moments of action and adventure. In contrast, it also includes brief moments where instead, the story takes the lead. These are the times where you just may hear “A Brief Respite.”
The track flows in 6/8 time signature, and I commonly use the adjectives “light” and “whimsical” to describe it. It is an orchestral track lead by strings and soft woodwind instruments with piano backing, and is only around a couple minutes in length although I’m used to listening to it on a loop since that’s how a lot of video game music works when actually playing in game.
When I was younger I recall that I often relished the times in role-playing games where you are no longer traversing the deep dark dungeons or scaling the highest mountains. Sometimes you just want to take some time out in the local inn and chat with the local villagers. This brings me to another similar song which I frequently come back to called “Fisherman’s Horizon” from earlier title Final Fantasy VIII.
“Fisherman’s Horizon” is a track from the legendary Nobuo Uematsu that was originally composed as a 16-bit digital MIDI track. It was also covered by a full orchestra on the album Final Fantasy VIII FITHOS LUSEC WECOS VINOSEC, an absolute pleasure of a listen. The track is wonderful in how it evokes ideas of sitting on a dock overlooking the water, simply listening to the waves washing against the shore. The song is very peaceful, and I have enjoyed listening to it ever since my first encounter with it in the early 2000s.
Sometimes it really does a world of good to just take a moment in your life, forget about all of your responsibilities, empty your mind, and just enjoy the simple things. Perhaps in the future I will buy a truck and a boat so that I can go for such an excursion to smell the sea air, listen to the waves, and feel the breeze…