We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.
/

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more. Paying supporters also get unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app.
    Purchasable with gift card

      name your price

     

  • Buy the Full Digital Album

about

This medley begins with "Start Demo", the standard Ready Player None opening track, mixed in with some sleigh bells as a general parody of podcasts and shows that simply add a jingle bell layer over their regular theme song. The melody is soon overtaken by part of "Jingle Bells", subverting the audience's expectations, and thereby pushing the Capcom track into a fair use parody. Or at least that's what I'll tell my lawyers.

The opening track needed a good sense of momentum, hence the omnipresent motif of bass and vamping chords on the piano. You'll notice throughout this album a general trend of pairing a solo instrument with a polyphonic backing instrument.

The original intent for this track was for it to be "Deck the Halls" right the way through, but at a five minute runtime, that would test anybody's patience. I had the Outset Island theme from The Wind Waker in the back of my mind somewhere, and how that goes through various different phrases due to you spending so much time doing tutorial things in that area during gameplay. So I mixed it up a little, adding in sections that reintroduced the sleigh bells and featured a note on every quaver to simulate the mechanical nature of Cline's printing presses. "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" is briefly alluded to as Marley's leitmotif. And, since it was already part of the same track earlier on, I brought back the melody of "Jingle Bells" when Fred enters to provide a sense of variety. A later track also repeats part of this section, unintentionally giving "Jingle Bells" a kind of association with the act of going around people's houses to spread Christmas cheer in the episode.

credits

from An RPN Christmas Carol – Original Soundtrack., released January 18, 2023
Original arrangement of “Deck the Halls” – Trad.
and “Jingle Bells” – Composed by James Lord Pierpont
with brief interpolations from
“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” – Trad.
and “Start Demo” – Composed by Tamayo Kawamoto

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

TheLastGherkin image

TheLastGherkin England, UK

I'm Gherkin

contact / help

Contact TheLastGherkin

Streaming and
Download help

Report this track or account

If you like TheLastGherkin, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring interviews with LA music scene pillar Kamasi Washington, and new London-based duo Mrcy.

listen now