Haha, that's a pretty good trick, no? Very kind of you to say, BlueOceans! I had a lot of fun making this track for the Deserted Island contest, and I am completely blown away by the overall number of listens and positive response. Perhaps I should make more tracks out of samples like this...

Many thanks for the review! ^__^

Many thanks, Cyberdevil! I'm a little surprised at the overall popularity of the track, but it does seem to possess that certain je ne sais quoi. Basically, it's one of those tracks that started out trying to be one thing, then transformed itself into something else entirely. In fact, most of the instrument samples I started out with ended up being scrapped and replaced over the duration of the project. Kind of like how a really good story almost writes itself, you know?

This track definitely had a mind of its own, and I could hardly be happier with the end result. I'm glad that you enjoy the music, and I really appreciate that you took the time to leave a review. A toast to your good health, matey!

I'm really happy to hear that you enjoy the music so much! Not only was it made with a computer using FL Studio, but it was even created from low-quality versions of the orchestral samples that were used specifically for this contest. Somehow that serves to make it an even better track, and hey--it ended up in a tie for 2nd place, so--bonus!

To be honest, it's kind of amazing how popular this particular track is. But I love it too, so I probably shouldn't be too surprised. All the elements I chose just really came together in my mind's eye, and Called to the Sea was the end result of that vision.

Thank you very much for the lovely review and even adding me to your favorite musical artists here on Newgrounds! ^___^

Many thanks for the review, N-B! It's always incredible to know that such dynamics are appreciated, and it is always a true honour to be compared to such a legendary composer. Sakuraba-san's name came up in one of my 'What Lies Beyond' reviews, so I feel doubly humbled and thrilled by a second compliment in the same vein!

I really had a strong sense of what I wanted to do with this track. Not that I had everything planned out the instant I started working on it of course, but the idea of peace and tranquility as my musical bookends was ever present, as well as the more exciting and adventurous central motif. After testing out each of the NGDIC samples we were allowed to use (50, all told) and making my instrument choices (up to 25), it all just kind of came together. I practically feel as though the track wrote itself, if that makes any sense at all. Things just clicked, and the funny part was that I had started out with an almost completely different set of instrument samples!

Glad to share a bit of musical horripilation! That's one of those things that always tells me that I've been unequivocally transported by a fantastic composition. Goosebumps, shivers up my spine, and the like. So glad that you enjoy the music! ^__^

Aw, that's okay! Hope you had a fantastic vacation and concert, Lucid. ^___^

Wow, thank you very much for such an encouraging review. I really enjoyed the challenge of using these samples, and the contest idea itself was just plain fun. Not sure why you hate to say it, but I do know that having any portion of my music compared to the great Nobuo Uematsu is an incredible honour. Taking 2nd place in the contest was quite a surprise, actually! A very pleasant one, at that.

Many thanks again for offering up such nice feedback! I'm still kind of in awe that this track has been moving up the charts like it has...