Palpable Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 needs a title - palp Your ReMixer name Djbjra Your real name Brett Jones Your email address Your website bjra.newgrounds.com Your userid 29653 =========== Submission Information =========== Name of game arranged Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Name of individual song(s) arranged Jazz Castle Link to the original soundtrack here is a youtube video to the original song Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc. This is my second submission to OCRemix. It has been about 6 months since I submitted my first song. Although that song is not up yet, it has been approved, so I decided to go ahead and work on a new video game remix to submit. This is a remix from a game I played in my childhood and have those fond nostalgia memories of. I think i really captured the feel of my favorite song of the game in this remake. I downloaded the game, listened to the first song, felt inspired, opened my program and a few hours later I had this. Enjoy it! =========== The song is attached to this email. Please let me know if the attachment does not work and I will upload the song to a file sharing site and/or resend the file ----------------------------------------------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Really cool take on the source, it's got a bit of a mazedude vibe to the synths that I really like, and some nice backing elements that give it some additional class. The production and sound choices are all solid, no issues there. Arrangement is pretty close to the source, though. A lot of instruments are changed, and the feel is distinctly different, but the synths, and main melody and structure are kept close really similar. There are some extended passages. It's a tough call, because it's clear that this isn't just a sound upgrade, as the flow and build of the track feels a lot different. The breakdown helps this was well, but still it's cutting it close. Production I dug. The strings didn't sound realistically articulated, but the intent wasn't realism, and they provide a very interesting texture. THe beats are good, and everything balanced well. The only possible issue is those strings, but i feel they are clean enough and used as more of an effect. Overall i've been thinking on this one for the better part of a day, but I feel that it's a well produced arrangement that is unique enough to pass, and the fact that it's a great source track doesn't hurt. Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonAvenger Posted August 8, 2010 Share Posted August 8, 2010 Not much to add to Andrew's assessment. The production on this is fine; I'm liking all the sounds you used, and they work together very well. I can see what OA is saying about the strings, but they personally aren't bothering me. The actual arrangement of the melody is a bit lacking, although there is still development, and this really does have a different feel from the original. It would be nice to see some more original sections, and some more done with the melodies to expand on them further. I think there is enough here to pass, but I hope that your next submissions expand out more on the arrangement aspects. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted August 11, 2010 Share Posted August 11, 2010 Nice beat and lead synth programming. This reminds me of some older Rellik or sgx mixes, which is a good thing. Cool production overall, though the first lead is maybe right on the border of being overused. I appreciate that you switched it up around the middle! The level of energy throughout is fairly consistent, with the groove basically not changing up much at all, and that is probably my biggest problem with the arrangement. I can skip around the piece and have NO idea whether or not one section is in the intro, the middle or the end. There aren't really any dynamics and the groove is very consistent throughout. The piano/string break at the very end was nice, but why not have that earlier? Why not switch up the drums more with some cool fills and processing? I would have loved to hear more layering, too. When the first lead comes back again later, it's pretty much just a reprise of earlier. There's ample room for some unique synth solos which didn't happen. Lastly, the very end is a copout. I think I would have preferred almost anything to a simple, abrupt cut to a major piano chord. How about a reverse cymbal with reverb and delay? Even a fadeout would have been better. Seems like I'll be in the minority opinion here, but I don't think this is quite at our bar. While the production is cool, the interpretation is relatively straightforward, and that is made problematic by how stagnant the arrangement is. With some additional polish this could pass though, so please resub! NO, resub Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillian Aversa Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 Yeah, this is borderline too close to the orignal, but the fact that your production is actually good - not just passable - pushes me over the edge. The bass is just awesome! I do understand dear husband's point of view on the lack of dynamics; it's pretty consistent throughout. The ending is also a bit of a copout, true. But I dunno, neither of those things bother me enough to give this a NO. I would just keep all these comments in mind if/when you work on your next mix so you can keep improving. Especially if you're more careful about balancing source with arrangement, I think you'll have direct post potential in the future. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palpable Posted August 18, 2010 Author Share Posted August 18, 2010 I'm feeling Andy's concerns, and I have to admit this doesn't have a lot of replay value for me. Sections are reused, the melody holds very closely to the original. The beat repeats a lot, but it has some cool details in it to keep it interesting - repeated snares, a cool dropout. What's working for it is the production. Great synth leads, nice string accompaniment, infectious beat. Piano was a bit plain, melodically and sonically, and I think more could have been done with that. I'm on the fence here, but I don't think it's a mistake to pass this so I will. It's interpretive, it's catchy, it's on the level of some other songs on the site, and that's good enough for me. On future subs, I think there's a lot you could do to improve and I hope to see you keep getting better. YES (borderline) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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