Glass Wall, back page
Haven Intermediate, 2015
It is no coincidence that Glass Wall is the first song that one would listen to when listening to my things chronologically. While it is not the first song I ever wrote, of course, it is quite possibly the most dear to me, as its motif is basically acting as Bonfire Realm’s main theme.
I generally really like using leitmotifs and patterns, so if you hear similar melodies in various songs, I assure you it is all planned. In particular, Glass Wall’s melody is reprised in the last song of the album, Yet Another Attempt, but it is also hidden in a song from the next album as well. Go and find it! There’s your challenge for the day. It will most definitely also pop up in future songs.
Glass Wall was written in 2012, around the time I used to play the, then newly released, Final Fantasy XIII-2, whose soundtrack is honestly spectacular. Naoshi Mizuta’s contribution with his unique and catchy tunes, in my opinion, contrasts and complements Masashi Hamauzu’s more cinematic and orchestral musical approach. “Yeul’s Theme”, composed by Naoshi Mizuta, is actually the song that was the main inspiration behind Glass Wall.
This version of Glass Wall that made the cut and was put in the album is in fact its third iteration (not counting a strange Christmas version of the song I performed at school, shocker)! I must admit that I had so much free time back in high school, enough for me to record it three separate times, each more refined than the previous. The last version, though, was also the only one that I recorded vocals for, as it took me a while to get the hang of recording my, all in all, not all that talented voice.
The lyrics are a particularly noteworthy part of the song because they set the stage, in a way, for the overarching thematology of Haven, as it very explicitly describes this mysterious figure that sits on a throne within this strange dimension called the Haven Intermediate, where they go through their memories of a recent adventure, only to loop back to the beginning once they reach a point of self-awareness. The Glass Wall itself is the boundary that separates this realm from the rest of the world, and they can only faintly see through it. Will they ever leave this place? How will they achieve that?
♫