OCR03256 - *YES* Super Mario Land 'Seven Pipes to Heaven'

[Chimpazilla]

Hi folks!

 

Remixer Name: Nostalvania

Website: https://soundcloud.com/karmus24

User ID: 47981

Name of game arranged: Super Mario Land (GB)

Name of individual Songs: Birabuto Kingdom, Muda Kingdom

Source Links: http://youtu.be/I1X9blkjFdo?list=PL67291BDCD76884B2 and http://youtu.be/cZUeLOAqRgE?list=PL67291BDCD76884B2

Link to Remix: 

 

My comments

Here is my piano trio version of the Birabuto and Muda kingdom themes from Super Mario land. I mixed the two sources together, added some original writing and reharmonisations.  I also changed the time signature to 7/8. The genre is jazz with some gospel influences.

The mixtitle is actually a reference to the jazz standard Seven Steps To heavenwhich also is the title of an album by Miles Davis.

 

Source Breakdown

 

0:00 - 0:50  Birabuto Kingdom

0:51 - 1:33  Original writing

1:34 - 2:24  Muda Kingdom

2:25 - 2:50  original

2:51 - 3:12  Muda

3:13 - 3:36  Birabuto

3:37 - 4:26  original

 

[Chimpazilla]

I think this is the first time I've paneled a Nostalvania track instead of giving it a DP.  As usual, this is a super-sounding piano mix, and Markus has given us more wonderful 7/8, wow Markus you are really a skilled jazz musician.  I have two issues with this track though, the first issue is that I'm not sure how well these two themes blend into a cohesive overall mix.  The transitions are really well done, but even so, these two themes aren't wowing me as one song.  The two Birabuto sections sound pretty similar, and the source is easily identifiable, but the Muda sections were much harder to place for me because they are so different from the original.  The Muda is a big problem for me because in this mix, Markus plays Muda with some unique chord backing, and then relies on that chord backing as he goes into solo territory.  I'll detail below with my own source breakdown:

 

0:00-0:47 Birabuto, easy to hear 47 seconds

0:47-1:30 original writing

1:30-2:11 Muda, fairly easy to hear 41 seconds

2:11-2:47 now we are into original writing territory, but using the chord backing Markus has established (not in the source tune though... if there IS source here, it is in the bassline maybe, someone help me)

2:47-3:09 I don't hear Muda here, someone let me know if you do and I am missing it!

3:09-3:34 Birabuto, easy-peasy 25 seconds

3:34-4:26 awesome, yet original

 

So I get 47+41+25 seconds = 113 seconds, out of 266 seconds total is 42%.  Other judges, please check me on this, because I hate the thought of rejecting a Nostalvania mix.

 

edit 9-29-15:  Thank you Larry!  Onward to a well-deserved

 

YES

[Emunator]

I'll try my hand at a source breakdown here... I wasn't quite as generous with the timestamping as Markus but I found the section from 2:49 - 3:02 in addition to what Kris marked.

 

0:00 - :47 (Birabuto) [47s]

0:47 - 1:30 (Original)

1:30 - 2:11 (Muda) [41s]

2:11 - 2:47 (Original, but using the same bassline and chord progression with a few very liberal hints of Muda.)

2:49 - 3:02 (Muda) [13s] (this comes from :15 in the Muda source, but I'm only hearing it up til  3:02)

3:12 - 3:35 (Birabuto) [23s]

3:35 - 4:24 (Original)

 

124s/264s = 47%

 

Tough call. I have to give credit where credit is due here, becuase you did a pretty great job of fluidly transitioning in between sources and original material, and there's never too long of a stretch in your arrangement where you stray entirely away from the source. I'm not one to necessarily mince over percentages at the end of the day, I feel that there's substantial interpreration and creativity present here. The bassline connection during some of the original parts makes this an easier call, but at the end of the day I'd likely sign off on this anyway counting just the overt source usage.

 

Not much more needs to be said, Markus is great at what he does, and this is another solid entry in his catalog that carries a distinctly-unique gospel character that separates it from his prior work.

 

YES

[DragonAvenger]

Siding with Wes here. I feel like the arrangement really is quite creative, and I think that carries it over the line regardless of the 50% unwritten rule. I do agree that the two sources aren't the best mix, though I think it does work out in the end. Can't wait to hear your next mix!

Yes

[Chimpazilla]

I'd love for Larry to weigh in on this.  If I'm being too strict on the source use, I'll gladly flip to YES.  Need Mr. Stopwatch's opinion.

[Liontamer]

For a 4:26-long track, I needed at least 133 seconds of overt source usage for the source material to be dominant in the arrangement. I didn't agree with Markus's timestamps exactly and thought some of the credit to flourishes was too generous (and that some of his timestamping was off), but it wasn't a big deal:

:00-:46.75, 1:30.75-2:13.25, 2:14.75-2:28, 2:48.5-2:55, 2:57.75-3:00.25, 3:09.5-3:33.75, 4:12.5-4:15 = 138.5 seconds or 52.06%

I counted the bassline from 2:07-2:28, which had already been in play earlier behind the Muda melody and was taken from Muda and adapted for the time signature, but held the same basic rhythm. When I stopwatch, I just need some direct and overt connection to the source tune in play, and the bassline there was a close enough match for me, where I recognized the adaptation of it. Close shave, but count it.

Arrangement-wise, I can understand the complaint of the sections not weaving together 100% smoothly, but I didn't have any problem with these transitions. Smooth work overall, and IMO an effective combination of two classic Mario Land themes that comfortably connected with the original writing.

YES