Powerful. Crisp. Entrancing. An assortment of rich sounds and noises from the crunching of leaves, eerie giggles, flapping wings, chimes, neighing horses, the crashing boom of drums, feet stomping on saturated forest ground – the list goes on. Your body will be covered in goosebumps and you’ll be left in awe, minutes into the first track – “Back to the Beginning.” This album is an absolute work of art. It transports you into another world. Places you where your imagination has taken you as a kid, and leaves you utterly captivated. The range of emotions one might feel as Theophany takes you on a journey of sound.

Though it is promoted by the artist as a “remix”, Time’s End II: Majora’s Mask Remixed certainly has a style of it’s own yet still remains true to the Zelda universe. The album which was created by a talented artist who calls himself Theophany. His real name is Jason, according to the Reddit AMA. Last name unknown. He works directly with Ember Lab, a studio that created the visually inspiring fan short “Majora’s Mask: Terrible Fate, as well as the original short-film Dust. The lot grew up together in Orlando, Florida as childhood friends before moving out and working together as partners in Los Angeles.

Theophany had full control over the arrangements, creative direction, production, and sound design of the music for the fan-made film. He even created the music for Ember Lab’s Dust. Can you say musical genius? The process from beginning to end has not been easy for him. Time’s End II (yes, there is a first installment) has been in the works since 2012. Here’s what Theophany had to say, in response to Redditor Solsaere’s inquiries:

Tbh [sic] it was a little stressful, especially because with every year I delayed it felt a bit like I was letting people down. And as thankful and relieved as I am to hear you and so many others loved it, I think I was totally prepared for the worst. Just accepting that the second album is going to be different, and has to be its own thing to have any hope of being good–and that no matter what I could live with people not liking it. Once you realize it is impossible to please everyone it’s actually liberating.

Theophany continued by saying, “It came down to just taking the time, doing my thing, and getting as much feedback as possible. Whatever happens, happens.” He also mentions, later, that trying to complete and achieve his visions have been “difficult to crack on so many levels.” Nonetheless, it is very apparent that Theophany is humbled by the overwhelmingly positive response to his work, as well as “Terrible Fate.”

I am enchanted and struck with fondness. I’ve always had a penchant for the Zelda franchise, and was terribly disappointed to find out that the new Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild won’t be debuting alongside the Nintendo Switch. Still, I cannot deliver enough praise to Theophany or Ember Lab for the work they’ve done – made and driven by their own admiration for the franchise. Truly made by fans, for the fans.

If you’re interested in checking out Jason’s album – you can choose to download it for free or donate an amount of your choosing. Wondering about the future of their partnership? Fear not. The director, Mike Grier, is looking forward to more opportunities in collaboration with Theophany. In response to another Redditor’s question, he states:

We’ve been working on game inspired projects with our friends since we were in middle-school. Our careers landed us both in LA where we continue to work together at Ember Lab. After the release of Theophany’s first album we came up with the idea of created a short film leveraging the awesome team of artists we have at Ember. The project was a huge team effort. Jason’s sound design really puts it over the top. We are all looking forward to working on more projects together!

Interested in checking him out? You find out more about Theophany on Facebook, YouTube, and Bandcamp! Both EmberLab and Theophany hosted a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), which you can check out here! They answer questions regarding software used for the fan film, the creative process, thoughts and ideas, and many other inquiries.

What do you think readers? Have you listened to Time’s End II since taking a gander at this article? What are your thoughts on their “Terrible Fate”? Let us know in the comments below!