Many people are quick to forget that, beyond its intermittent ambient tunes, Breath of the Wild has some of the most beautiful compositions in the entire series. The “Korok Forest Theme” is one of my favorites in particular. Not only does it remind me of those adorable little Koroks with its playful melody, but it also has a real comforting warmth and coziness about it.
I experienced these same wonderful vibes when listening to musician Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu’s flawless cover. I felt like I was right back in Hyrule, back in that forest playing with those cheeky Koroks, feeling completely safe away from the outside world.
Apart from Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu’s absolutely pitch-perfect violin and viola playing — which is honestly mesmerizing to watch and so calming to hear — her creativity with percussion really made me smile. To replicate those background clacks and maraca rattles from the original piece, she had to utilize items she could find around her house. The result: a tin of tea leaves and tube of vitamin C tablets.
As she says in her video description, “I woke up that morning, shook and beat everything around the apartment to find the right sound.” I honestly didn’t realize this at all when first listening to her cover, as they sounded so authentic to me. But I love the creativity of it. It goes to show what musical talent can achieve with as little as things you’ll find in your kitchen cupboard.
What I also really like about this cover is that, despite the inclusion of these makeshift instruments, her cover is a little more reserved than the original in terms of background percussion. I think this helps to make it her own and allows the piece to concentrate on the chirpy-yet-relaxing melody played by the violins and violas.
By focusing on the fundamentals of the tune, rather than replicating everything in her cover, she achieves a really impactful and crisp melody, which is then only occasionally complemented by a shake or rattle. After all, less is often more.
If only the Koroks and Hestu agreed about that for their seeds.
