Emunator Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 RebeccaETripp Rebecca Tripphttp://www.crystalechosound.com/ID: 48262Game: Ocarina of TimeSong's Remixed: Water Temple (dropbox link:Song Title: Holy Water TempleHere is a YouTube link: Source: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emunator Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 Very cool approach - the Water Temple is such a tough source to remix, but it's also instantly recognizable so I'm glad to see a solid effort to this. You adapted the source to a much more fluid structure, the light hand drums really give this a whole new quality. The key changes are integrated really well, I enjoyed that quite a bit. The original source worked pretty well, in my opinion, because the dissonant flute/plucked melodies are kept relatively segregated from the more tonal, beautiful opening part of the song. The downside that I'm hearing with your remix is that when you try to juxtapose the dissonant melodies the way you have here, they just don't sound good. Not sure how else to say it, but I found the flute in this track to be extremely distracting most of the time. Part of the reason for that, I think, is that your flute sequencing makes almost no attempt at realism - it sounds like you loaded the patch onto a MIDI keyboard and jammed over the original track without really getting anything to fit properly, tonally, or timing-wise. I hate to rag so bluntly on that aspect of the track, but it really feels sloppy and takes me out of the vibe you crafted. The rest of the track is a lot more pleasant, but it also rides the same tempo and groove for the full length of the song. The hand drums don't change up much and there isn't much identifiable structure to the song once they come in. The plodding structure works in theory, but some more variations to the backing instrumentation would have been nice here. I probably sound like I'm coming down really hard on this, but in truth there's actually a lot to like here, I just don't think certain elements are clicking at all. Sorry NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpazilla Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 The intro is indeed beautiful, although the harp plucks are very rigidly sequenced. The flute sequencing is interesting and detailed, but Wes is right, there is no attempt at realism, this flute player does not breathe. The hand drums are nice but the pattern is repetitive. The biggest issue is the dissonance. Dissonance has to be used carefully for effect, and I don't feel like it is working here. The flute melody and countermelodies are all over the place, stepping on each other, playing notes that are dissonant from each other and from the backing elements. The fact that the backing arp sounds so mechanical, and that it never changes, really amplifies my feeling that the dissonances don't work here. It's like one aspect of the writing attempts to be very experimental (the dissonances and extensive soloing) while another prominent aspect (the simple, mechanical arp, and even the repetitive hand drums) remains constant. I have to agree with Wes, there is a lot to like here and some solid ideas, but they aren't clicking in this form. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 I like the soundscape you have created across this mix. I enjoy it when a remixer challenges themselves by working with material using a method of execution that isn't completely predictable. I like to hear people taking chances. The arabic flute playing is very nice, but it certainly feels robotic. A great way to add realism here is to drop a note here and there so the "performer" is not on an infinite breath. The melody line self is nice, but does conflict with your backing elements on some notes. If you feel something is clashing, it doesn't hurt to slightly deviate from the source tune to reduce dissonance - be it changes to the main melody or any backing elements that require it. I think your backing elements could do with some general humanisation so they fit in better across the board. I felt the arrangement was a bit samey most of the way through too, mainly because it maintained the same pace, and never really broke down and built up again. It would've been nice to year a bit of variation there. Production is relatively solid, and I didn't have any major deal breaking issues with your mixing. I think this is a solid foundation to build from, you could go far with this one with some more work. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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