Unlikely combinations of otherworldly sounds abound in my longest mashup to date, at 29 minutes and 24 seconds. Various genres and eras are represented here, from pop and hip-hop to rock and even jazz, with plenty of surprise appearances from video game soundtrack pieces. Worldbuilder's world celebrates musicians of all ages, backgrounds, and traditions, because at the end of the day, all that matters are keys and chords.
The idea for this mashup came about when a few Final Fantasy XIV-loving acquaintances of mine introduced me to an excerpt from the game's soundtrack which became a meme within the players' community. "Civilizations", used as background music for a mysterious and dangerous forest area, features a chant in a fictional language created for the game. This mantra's meaning is unknown, except for the first two words: "la hee", meaning "wake up". Because of this, the piece is widely known as "La Hee" by fans of the game. When FFXIV's lead composer, Masayoshi Soken, introduced this piece at a live concert in Japan, he addressed the audience in English: "Do you know 'La Hee'? I will play 'La Hee'." (Naturally, I had to use this voice sample.)
The first time I heard "Civilizations (La Hee)", I immediately noticed similarities with several songs I knew, including the alternative rock band Guster's hit "Fa Fa" and the genre-bending musical collective Dave Matthews Band's "The Best of What's Around", which ends with a chant of "hey la, hey la". From there, the mashup's concept and title were born!
CONTENT WARNING: This mashup contains explicit lyrics.
Here's a complete list of all the audio sources I used:
Tobal No. 1 - Hills of Jugon (Kaltechno Remix)
Final Fantasy XIV - Civilizations (La Hee)
Bad Lip Reading - Yeti
Guster - Fa Fa (Never Be the Same Again)
Bangles - Walk Like an Egyptian
Lucas Secon - Lucas with the Lid Off
Outkast - Rosa Parks
Soft Cell - Tainted Love
Dave Matthews Band - The Best of What's Around
Vertical Horizon - Everything You Want
Rihanna - If It's Lovin' That You Want
Tobal No. 1 - Hills of Jugon
Secret of Mana - A Bell Is Tolling
Seal - Fly Like an Eagle
Rihanna - Pon de Replay
Secret of Mana - Still of the Night
Santana and Rob Thomas - Smooth
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones featuring Branford Marsalis - The Drift
Pilotwings Resort - Hang Glider
Ben Folds Five - Army
Yoshi's Island - Opening
Tears for Fears - Break It Down Again ("Worldbuilder" Soundmark)
