History Music / OwenPallett

Michael James Owen Pallett (born September 7, 1979) is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. He's known in the music industry for being a prolific strings arranger and a session musician, whose resume includes work with Music/ArcadeFire, Music/GrizzlyBear, Music/SnowPatrol, Music/TaylorSwift and many others. He has also co-composed the soundtracks for the films ''Film/TheBox'' and ''Film/{{her|2013}}'' with Win Butler of Arcade Fire. Indie music fans, however, know him for his solo career under the name Final Fantasy (named after [[Franchise/FinalFantasy you-know-what]]) and later on as Owen Pallett. Owen's music is a violin-centered, mostly guitar-free sort of Baroque Pop, occasionally peppered with electronic instruments and rife with allusions to geek lore.

In 2008 Pallett released an EP named ''Spectrum, 14th Century'', which introduced an eponymous fantasy land through songs that glorify said land's supreme deity - Final Fantasy himself. These songs served as exposition for the story told in Pallett next album, his most conceptual and grandiose yet - ''Heartland''. The album features the Czech Symphony Orchestra and the story it tells is of a "young, ultra-violent farmer" named Lewis who at first serves and then rebels against Spectrum's tyrannical narrator-god (Yes, it's still Owen).

Heartland was the first album by Pallett to be released in Japan, which explains why he chose to drop the Final Fantasy moniker and release the album and all subsequent releases under his real name.

His most recent album "Island," a violin-free and guitar-heavy departure from his previous albums, was released in May 2020.

** The moniker he began his career with is an obvious one. He doesn't consider any of the games in the series as one of his top 20 video games though.

** "The Butcher" includes the line "[[VideoGame/ZeroWing All their bases belong to us]]".

** "He Poos Clouds" makes some references to Legend of Zelda games - Link's grandmother from VideoGame/TheWindWaker, the secret seashell side quest from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'' and Link's Shadow from ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink''. It also mentions the White Witch from Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia.

** "He Poos Clouds" makes some references to Legend of Zelda games - Link's grandmother from VideoGame/TheWindWaker, the secret seashell side quest from VideoGame/LinksAwakening and Link's Shadow from [[VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink The Adventure of Link]]. It also mentions the White Witch from Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia.

Michael James Owen Pallett (born September 7, 1979) is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. He's known in the music industry for being a prolific strings arranger and a session musician, whose resume includes work with Music/ArcadeFire, Music/GrizzlyBear, Music/SnowPatrol, Music/TaylorSwift and many others. He has also co-composed the soundtracks for the films Film/TheBox and {{Film/Her}} with Win Butler of Arcade Fire. Indie music fans, however, know him for his solo career under the name Final Fantasy (named after [[Franchise/FinalFantasy you-know-what]]) and later on as Owen Pallett. Owen's music is a violin-centered, mostly guitar-free sort of Baroque Pop, occasionally peppered with electronic instruments and rife with allusions to geek lore.

Michael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. He's known in the music industry for being a prolific strings arranger and a session musician, whose resume includes work with Music/ArcadeFire, Music/GrizzlyBear, Music/SnowPatrol, Music/TaylorSwift and many others. He has also co-composed the soundtracks for the films Film/TheBox and {{Film/Her}} with Win Butler of Arcade Fire. Indie music fans, however, know him for his solo career under the name Final Fantasy (named after [[Franchise/FinalFantasy you-know-what]]) and later on as Owen Pallett. Owen's music is a violin-centered, mostly guitar-free sort of Baroque Pop, occasionally peppered with electronic instruments and rife with allusions to geek lore.

Michael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. He's known in the music industry for being a prolific strings arranger and a session musician, whose resume includes work with Music/ArcadeFire, Music/GrizzlyBear, Music/SnowPatrol, Music/TaylorSwift and many others. He has also co-composed the soundtracks for the films Film/TheBox and {{Film/Her}} with Win Butler of Arcade Fire. Indie music fans, however, know him for his solo career under the name Final Fantasy (named after [[FinalFantasy you-know-what]]) and later on as Owen Pallett. Owen's music is a violin-centered, mostly guitar-free sort of Baroque Pop, occasionally peppered with electronic instruments and rife with allusions to geek lore.

->And of doomsday, the end of the century
->In accord with prophecy
->Put all your fear, your fire, your family
->Into the mouth of Final Fantasy

Michael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. He's known in the music industry for being a prolific strings arranger and a session musician, whose resume includes work with Music/ArcadeFire, Music/GrizzlyBear, Music/SnowPatrol, Music/TaylorSwift and many others. He has also co-composed the soundtracks for the films Film/TheBox and {{Film/Her}} with Win Butler of Arcade Fire. Indie music fans, however, know him for his solo career under the name Final Fantasy (named after you-know-what) and later on as Owen Pallett. Owen's music is a violin-centered, mostly guitar-free sort of Baroque Pop, occasionally peppered with electronic instruments and rife with allusions to geek lore.

Final Fantasy's second album, carrying the charming title ''He Poos Clouds'', was released the following year. It featured richer instrumentation and more complex composition, showing influence of romantic and modern classical music. The album gained additional attention for its loose concept that connects eight of the tracks to the eight schools of magic in TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons. ''He Poos Clouds'' has won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize.

Nick Thornborrow's mostly wordless 58-page comic ''The Songsmith's Heartland'' is an adaptation/interpretation of the concept behind ''Spectrum, 14th Century'' and ''Heartland''. (Page 18 is corrupted, but it can be found whole in [[http://nthornborrow.deviantart.com/art/The-Songsmith-s-Heartland-Page-18-291177797 Nick's DeviantArt]].)

** The moniker he began his career with is an obvious one. Oddly, he doesn't consider any of the games in the series as one of his top 20 video games.

** "He Poos Clouds" makes some references to Legend of Zelda games - Link's grandmother from VideoGame/TheWindWaker, the secret seashell side quest from VideoGame/LinksAwakening and Link's Shadow from VideoGame/TheAdventureOfLink. It also mentions the White Witch from Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia.

Michael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. He's known in the music industry for being a prolific strings arranger and a session musician, whose resume includes work with Music/ArcadeFire, Music/GrizzlyBear, Music/SnowPatrol, Music/TaylorSwift and many others. He has also co-composed the soundtracks for the films TheBox and {{Film/Her}} with Win Butler of Arcade Fire. Indie music fans, however, know him for his solo career under the name Final Fantasy (named after you-know-what) and later on as Owen Pallett. Owen's music is a violin-centered, mostly guitar-free sort of Baroque Pop, occasionally peppered with electronic instruments and rife with allusions to geek lore.

* ItsPopularNowItSucks: The song "This Is the Dream of Win & Regine" is about the cold reaction Arcade Fire got in their hometown of Montreal when they became famous.

* OneOfUs: In addition to the shout-outs described below:
** "An Arrow In The Side of Final Fantasy" uses the melody of the Star Maze level of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. Koji Kondo is credited as the song's composer in the album.
** "Arctic Circle" is about nerds who hide their passions from the people they're dating.
** "He Poos Clouds" seems to be a love song of a gamer to his player character, or of a reader to a fantasy story's protagonist.

** "The Butcher" includes the line "[[VideoGame/ZeroWing All their bases belong to us]]".
* TearJerker: E For Estranged. Amidst a collection of bombastic songs about high adventure and battles, that fragile piano ballad about a troubled father-son relationship stands in quite a contrast.
* WordOfGod: Owen often explains the intended meaning of some of his songs in interviews. This includes the concepts behind ''He Poos Clouds'' and ''Heartland'', which aren't mentioned in any official material.

* NonAppearingTitle: It's easier to count the Owen Pallett that have an ''appearing'' title.

* RageAgainstTheAuthor\/RageAgainstTheHeavens: The second half of ''Heartland''.

* TearJerker: E For Estranged. Amidst a collection of bombastic songs about high adventure and battles, that fragile piano ballad about a troubled father-son relationship stands in quite a contrast.

Michael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. He's known in the music industry for being a prolific strings arranger and a session musician, whose resume includes work with Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, Snow Patrol, Taylor Swift and many others. He has also co-composed the soundtracks for the films TheBox and {{Film/Her}} with Win Butler of Arcade Fire. Indie music fans, however, know him for his solo career under the name Final Fantasy (named after you-know-what) and later on as Owen Pallett. Owen's music is a violin-centered, mostly guitar-free sort of Baroque Pop, occasionally peppered with electronic instruments and rife with allusions to geek lore.

Final Fantasy's second album, carrying the charming title ''He Poos Clouds'', was released the following year. It featured richer instrumentation and more complex composition, showing influence of romantic and modern classical music. The album gained additional attention for its loose concept that connects eight of the tracks to the eight schools of magic in Dungeons & Dragons.

* OneOfUs: In addition to all of the shout-outs described below:

* RageAgainstTheHeavens/RageAgainstTheAuthor: The second half of ''Heartland''.

** The title of "This Is the Dream of Win & Regine" alludes to Dntel and Ben Gibbard's "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan" and includes the names of Owen's old colleagues from Arcade Fire. The lyrics of the song allude to the [[ItsPopularNowItSucks cold reaction Arcade Fire got in their hometown of Montreal when they became famous]].
** "He Poos Clouds" makes some references to Legend of Zelda games - Link's grandmother from TheWindWaker, the secret seashell side quest from LinksAwakening and Link's Shadow from TheAdventureOfLink. It also mentions the White Witch from TheChroniclesOfNarnia.
** "This Lamb Sells Condos" takes its title from the infamous ads of Toronto realtor Brad J. Lamb.
** "The Butcher" includes the line "[[ZeroWing All their bases belong to us]]".