Editing Float Islands (theme)

{{Infobox-Music
|title=Float Islands
|track=
<tabs>
<tab name="Kirby’s Dream Land">
[[File:KDL Float Islands Sample.oga]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby’s Dream Course">
[[File:KDC Float Islands Sample.oga]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby’s Dream Land 2">
[[File:KDL2 Ripple Field Sample.oga]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby Super Star">
[[File:Kirby Super Star Float Islands Sample.oga]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby Air Ride">
[[File:KAR Float Islands Sample.oga]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby: Canvas Curse">
[[File:KCC Collapse Castle Float Islands Section.oga]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby: Squeak Squad">
[[File:KSqS Smash Ride Float Islands Section.oga]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby Super Star Ultra">
[[File:KSSU Float Islands Sample.oga]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby: Planet Robobot">
"Industrial Laboratory":
[[File:KPR Industrial Laboratory Sample.oga]]
"StreetPass wins (Normal)":
[[File:KPR Streetpass Wins Normal Float Islands Sample.oga]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby’s Blowout Blast">
[[File:KBBl Float Islands Sample.oga]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe">
[[File:KRtDLD Smash Ride Sample.oga]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby’s Dream Collection Compilation Soundtrack">
[[File:Kirby's Dream Collection Electro Kirby Float Islands Section.oga]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby Memorial Arrangements">
[[File:Kirby Memorial Arrangements Big Band Kirby Float Islands Sample.mp3]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby Pupupu Train">
[[File:KPT Float Islands Station.mp3]]
</tab>
<tab name="Kirby 30th Anniversary Music Festival">
<!--{{center|Get Pumped Up! Sub-Game Medley}}-->
[[File:K30MF Float Islands sample.mp3]]
</tab>
</tabs>
|caption=Various arrangements of '''"Float Islands"'''.
|game1=''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'' (1992)
|lastgame=''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'' (2023)
|game=<small>''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]''<br>''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]''<br>''[[Kirby Super Star]]''<br>''[[Kirby Air Ride]]''<br>''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]''<br>''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]''<br>''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U|Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]''<br>''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]''<br>''[[Kirby's Blowout Blast]]''<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''</small>
|composer=[[Jun Ishikawa]]
}}
'''"Float Islands"''' is the name of a musical track composed by [[Jun Ishikawa]] which first appeared in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', accompanying the stage it is named after. The track is iconic to the [[Kirby (series)|''Kirby'' series]], and has appeared in several subsequent games in various forms.

==Composition==
[[File:KDL Float Islands screenshot.png|thumb|left|160px|Taking a stroll in Float Islands.]]
The original "Float Islands" theme is in the key of F major and has a modestly energetic tempo of around 130 beats per minute. The theme starts with the intro, which is a few seconds long and establishes the main chord progression: I–ii–iii–ii. The chord consistently changes after every two beats, giving a consistent harmonic rhythm. By starting with the root (I) chord, the theme firmly establishes itself with a chipper major key, but because the dominant (V) chord is not present, it does not clearly resolve and thus still has a sense of motion and energy. Avoiding clear resolution is a common technique in jazz, and the composition as a whole is reminiscent of Latin jazz genres such as calypso or samba with its syncopated rhythms (particularly in the bass and drums).

Another jazzy element to the song is its use of seventh chords, both major and minor. Seventh chords are very common in ''Kirby'' music, due to the lack of available sound channels on the Game Boy meaning that harmony had to implied through arpeggios rather than full chords. Nearly every chord in the song is a seventh; the main melody, for example, plays on top of the F major seventh, G minor seventh, and A minor seventh chords.

The first part of melody is defined by sustained notes, which resemble that of a flute or other woodwind instrument. The lead melody feels as though it is "out of time", playing at its own free pace, which contrasts with the steady accompanying rhythm and fits the tropical feeling of the song. It begins with the dominant note, C, and then descends to the tonic, F, before rising back to the dominant. It goes up to the tonic in a higher octave before returning to the dominant. 

The second part of the song borrows chords from the relative minor, D minor, which gives the melody a slightly more bittersweet tone. The rhythm of this section changes, with a call and response between the lead and the harmony, and the chords change every four beats rather than every two. The melody uses chords and arpeggios which imply more harmonic instruments, such as horns or strings. It begins with a repeating IV–iii progression while the melody outlines the mediant (A) and the subtonic (G). After repeating this, the chords rise to the VI and the v while the melody outlines the dominant (C) and the subdominant (B flat). The woodwind-like instrument returns to rise to the dominant C, then the tonic F, before returning to the dominant; the chords go from the minor VI to the major V, setting up the resolution to the I through the loop back to the first section.<ref>[https://vgmisbadforyou.blogspot.com/2013/04/kirby-super-star-05-float-islands.html VGM Is Bad For You: Kirby Super Star — 05: Float Islands]</ref>

Several later sea stage themes in the ''Kirby'' series use the same chord progressions and other musical ideas as "Float Islands". In particular, "[[Sea Stage]]", "[[Bountiful Star]]", and "[[Abandoned Beach (theme)|Abandoned Beach]]" all use variants of the I–ii–iii–ii and the IV–iii–VI–v–VI–V progressions; "[[Ripple Field: Ocean Waves]]" bases its main melody on the IV–iii progression, and "[[Aqua Star (theme)|Aqua Star]]" also features the IV–iii–VI–v–VI–V progression. The latter half of this theme is also often remixed as the "[[Rest Area (theme)|Rest Area]]" theme, which likewise follows a IV–iii–VI–v chord progression.

==Game appearances==
===''Kirby's Dream Land''===
"Float Islands" makes its first appearance in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]''. It plays in the [[Float Islands]] stage as well as the "Float Islands" portion of [[Mt. Dedede]].

===''Kirby's Dream Course''===
In ''[[Kirby's Dream Course]]'', an arrangement of "Float Islands" plays in Holes 5-7 on [[Course 1]], and in Holes 1-4 on the [[Whispy Woods Course]]. It was arranged by Hirokazu Ando.

===''Kirby's Dream Land 2''===
"Float Islands" appears again in a largely unaltered state as the main theme of [[Ripple Field (Kirby's Dream Land 2)|Ripple Field]] in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 2]]''. It plays in its stages whenever [[Kirby]] is by himself.

===''Kirby Super Star'' / ''Kirby Super Star Ultra''===
A different arrangement of "Float Islands" plays in ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' and [[Kirby Super Star Ultra|its remake]]; it has a faster tempo and plays three tones lower, being in C major rather than F major. In addition, the end of the first segment is altered a bit; when entering the second section, the chord progression is I-ii-iii-VI (with the last VI being an A dominant seventh flat ninth, or A7-9).

The theme plays in the [[Float Islands]] portion of [[Spring Breeze]] and also plays in [[Illusion Islands]] in [[Revenge of the King]]. There are very minor differences in instrumentation in the music between ''Kirby Super Star'' and its remake.

{{main|Rest Area (theme)}}
The [[Rest Area]] from [[The Great Cave Offensive]] features an acoustic arrangement of slower pace, simply named '''"Rest Area"''' ('''"Rest Spot"''' in the British English version of ''Kirby and the Rainbow Curse''). This version also plays in the secret [[???]] planet in [[Milky Way Wishes]], and in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'' exclusively, this track also serves as the music for The Arena's rest area and the checkpoints in-between [[Meta Knightmare Ultra]] levels. This arrangement has since appeared in many other games.

===''Kirby Air Ride''===
In ''[[Kirby Air Ride]]'', a rearrangement of "Float Islands" appears as the alternative music for the [[Water (course)|Water]] course in [[Top Ride]], unlocked by finishing a race on the course at least 5 seconds ahead of 2nd place. This remix has a much faster pace and uses an electric guitar. It's arranged by [[Hirokazu Ando]].<ref>''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]'' [[Jukebox/Kirby: Planet Robobot|Jukebox]]</ref>

===''Kirby: Canvas Curse''===
''[[Kirby: Canvas Curse]]'' features a unique rearrangement of "Float Islands" in a minor key using electronic instrumentation, titled '''"Collapse Castle"''' and playing in [[Collapse Castle|said stage]].

===''Kirby: Squeak Squad''===
A rock-styled arrangement of the theme appears as the music for the [[Smash Ride]] sub-game in ''[[Kirby: Squeak Squad]]''. It was arranged by [[Jun Ishikawa]].<ref>''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'' [[Jukebox/Kirby's Return to Dream Land|Jukebox]]</ref>

===''Super Smash Bros.'' series===
The original track from ''Kirby's Dream Land'' appears in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U|Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'', where it is available on the Dream Land stage. It returns in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' as part of the "Kirby Retro Medley", alongside "[[Green Greens (theme)|Green Greens]]", [[Castle Lololo (theme)|Castle Lololo]]", "[[Bubbly Clouds (theme)|Bubbly Clouds]]" and "[[King Dedede's Theme|Mt. Dedede]]".

===''Kirby: Planet Robobot''===
In ''[[Kirby: Planet Robobot]]'', a remix of "Float Islands" plays in [[Overload Ocean - Stage 3]] and on the Best Times screen for [[Meta Knightmare Returns]], featuring an extended melody. It can be found as track 023 in the [[Jukebox/Kirby: Planet Robobot|Jukebox]], and is arranged by Hirokazu Ando. This version is named '''"Industrial Laboratory"''' in [[Kirby: Planet Robobot Original Soundtrack|the game's Original Soundtrack]].

The ''Kirby Air Ride'' rearrangement is also reused, playing in certain sections of [[Overload Ocean - Stage 7 EX]]. It can be found as track 117 in the Jukebox.

An arrangement of the theme titled '''"StreetPass wins (Normal)"''' plays when viewing the player's best scores from [[The Arena#Kirby: Planet Robobot|The Arena]]. It can be found as Track 140 in the Jukebox, and was arranged by Jun Ishikawa.

===''Kirby's Blowout Blast''===
An acoustic re-orchestration of the Float Islands theme plays in the main stages of [[Kirby's Blowout Blast - Level 2|Level 2 (EX)]] in ''[[Kirby's Blowout Blast]]''. This re-orchestration is very similar to the "StreetPass wins (Normal)" arrangement from ''Kirby: Planet Robobot''.

===''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe''===
A remix of "Smash Ride" from ''Kirby: Squeak Squad'' is included in the remake for the sub-game in ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]''. After beating the initial [[Mission (Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe)|missions]] for it, the original version of the track is unlocked. In addition, a new version of "[[Sub-Game Menu (theme from Kirby Super Star Ultra)|Kirby on the Draw - Title]]" features a whistle over the usual instrumentation of the theme that is based on "Float Islands".

==Other appearances==
The original track was featured as track 07 in the CD soundtrack album ''[[The Very Best of Kirby: 52 Hit Tracks]]'', along with "[[Green Greens (theme)|Green Greens]]" and "[[Welcome to Dream Land]]".

Track 43 from the ''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition Compilation Soundtrack]]'' titled "Electro Kirby" features a [[wikipedia:bagpipes|bagpipes]]-sounding remix of the tune in background from 1:13 to 1:31.

On the ''[[Kirby Memorial Arrangements]]'' album, the first track, "Big Band Kirby", includes a slow-paced jazz arrangement of "Float Islands". The arrangement is very similar to that of "[[wikipedia:La Mer (song)|La Mer]]", a famous jazz standard. This version was arranged by [[Megumi Ohara]].

A short remix of this theme was featured in [[Kirby Pupupu Train]], and it is included on the ''[[Kirby Pupupu Train Eki-melo Collection]]'' under the title '''フロートアイランズ駅''' (''Float Islands Station'').

The ''Kirby: Squeak Squad'' remix was performed live at the [[Kirby 30th Anniversary Music Festival]] as part of the "Get Pumped Up! Sub-Game Medley", along with "[[Samurai Kirby (theme)|Samurai Kirby]]", "[[Mid-Boss Battle]]" from ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'', "[[Checkerboard Chase (theme)|Checkerboard Chase]]", "[[Tilt-and-Roll Kirby (theme)|Tilt-and-Roll Kirby]]", and "[[Congratulations!]]".

==Trivia==
[[File:Lolo II Float Islands soundalike.mp3|thumb|right|Music from ''Adventures of Lolo 3'' (reused from a Japan-exclusive game under the Japanese release title of ''Adventures of Lolo II''), with a striking resemblance to the Float Islands theme.]]
*The original theme is partly based off Jun Ishikawa's previous arrangement for ''[[wikipedia:Adventures of Lolo 3|Adventures of Lolo 3]]'', playing during [[strategywiki:Adventures_of_Lolo_3#Table_of_Contents|Underworld Levels]] stage maps. The "Smash Ride" variation in particular sounds nearly identical to this theme.

==Names in other languages==
{{names
|ja=FLOAT ISLANDS<br>フロートアイランズ
|jaR=Furōto Airanzu
|jaM=Float Islands
}}

{{ref}}
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[[Category:Music in Kirby's Dream Land]]
[[Category:Music in Kirby's Dream Course]]
[[Category:Music in Kirby's Dream Land 2]]
[[Category:Music in Kirby Super Star]]
[[Category:Music in Kirby Air Ride]]
[[Category:Music in Kirby: Canvas Curse]]
[[Category:Music in Kirby: Squeak Squad]]
[[Category:Music in Kirby Super Star Ultra]]
[[Category:Music in Kirby: Planet Robobot]]
[[Category:Music in Kirby's Blowout Blast]]
[[Category:Music in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]
[[Category:Music in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]
[[Category:Music in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]
[[Category:Music in Kirby Pupupu Train]]
[[Category:Music in Kirby Memorial Arrangements]]
[[Category:Music from Kirby 30th Anniversary Music Festival]]