Undertale - Bonetrousle [Revision]

Happy almost Halloween! Here's this month's revision track. (Of one of my top 5 most popular arrangements to date!) Occasionally when I offer a revision like this up to vote for I get a little intimidated - since this is such a well known track I feel like the pressure's on to do something special. For this breakdown I'm going to compare and contrast my new arrangement and the version I made in 2018. You can listen to the old one here! 

0:00 - My preferences for space and positioning have changed a lot over the past 5 years. In Bonetrousle 2018 it sounds much more like it was performed in a larger hall, while the 2023 version sounds much closer. Aside from my current preference of closer mic'd instruments nowadays, I'd argue that this ensemble of solo winds, plucked instruments, keys and drums are much better suited for a cozier live performance, versus something you'd hear in a hall on a big stage. The truth is, back in 2018 I didn't pay much attention to VST mic choices at all. :p 

0:06 - I've changed up the instrumentation too - Bonetrousle 2023 still features a lead Clarinet, but it's now doubled with a Soprano Saxophone to beef it up a little. You can tell that these new instruments handle legato much better, and can perform agile passages more convincingly. To be transparent, another reason why I doubled the lead melody with the Soprano Sax is because I'm not a fan of my go-to Clarinet's lower register. I think the Sax has a much better tone when it dips into that range. An evergreen rule that I always have when arranging - play to your strengths! Arrange around your instruments, don't force them to fill in a part when you know it'll sound bad. 

0:13 - On the second half of the first phrase I doubled the lead with a Flute/Glockenspiel too for a bit of interest. 

0:19 - In this new section Bonetrousle 2018 added some strings to double the melody, and I did something similar here but instead with a solo Violin (to keep up the theme of a close, sparse ensemble). I also included some some Celeste in the background this time around.  

You can also tell in this section that my new instruments are allowed to be much more malleable and expressive - I'm able to program in bends and specific vibrato parameters instead of relying on the pre-baked tone of samples. I don't know how I survived back then. ;_;

0:32 - For the loop I bumped up the intensity by adding a few more instruments: A close-mic'd Timpani leads us into the loop, while a solo Trumpet and Flute matches the lead line. (I am so happy with the Trumpet tone in this!!) To add some skeletal flair, a woodblock and xylophone join in too. The 2018 version simply loops at this point. 

0:57 - Now we get to the actual "Bonetrousle" section! Back in 2018 I had much more of an orchestral focus, so when it cam to ramp up the intensity of a track I only had those tools at my disposal. Back then for this section I doubled the lead line with some strings, Xylophone, and some aggressive Celli & Basses to emphasize the the pedal tone in the bass. The drums (in my opinion) lacked a lot of personality in the 2018 version, and seemed to mesh poorly with the rest of the ensemble. 

For today's version I've gone a different direction and played more into the hybrid/electronic styles I prefer now. I've added Bass, Guitar, Synth Leads, and Organ to beef up this section, and a variety of electronic percussion to kick things more into a battle vibe. And hey! Since I opted for a closer ensemble in the beginning of the track, those instruments can play much nicer with the guitars and synths now!

1:17 - This time around I had much more of a chance to do some unique part writing, so for this verse I decided to throw in some goofy Woodwind & Xylophone backing tracks. 

1:30 - Every instrument shows up for this final section! All the leads played the lead line, and all the supporting instruments played offbeats and arpeggiations. In the final repetition of this section I added in the Timpani again to give it a marching sensation. The 2018 version doesn't stray too far from its regular instrumentation. 

1:49 - In both Bonetrousle 2023 & 2018, this final section cuts out all the intense instrumentation and returns to the original ensemble (which thankfully can be used to safely loop back to the beginning of the piece). I always liked this section because I feel like undercutting an intense and cool section with a goofy ending is very in line with Papyrus' character. :p

That about wraps it up! Doing such a direct comparison like this kinda makes me proud of how much I've improved. I hope you all can hear it too! As always, if anyone has any questions about this piece feel free to leave them in the comments! Thanks for listening! <3