OCR03326 - *YES* Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim 'Those Inkblots Are Pandas!'

[Emunator]

Really abstract stuff, I don't think I have any frame of reference for anything like this. It's very weird, but I think I like it! ~ Emu 

 

Track Vitals:

 

Remixer AND real name (whoa): Ross Kmet

E-Mail:  

 

Game Arranged:  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Original Song:  "The Streets of Whiterun"

Source on Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzwXbf-oYRA

Composer:  Jeremy Soule

 

Name of Remix:  "Those Inkblots are Pandas!"

Remix:  

 

Hey OCRemix!

 

It's been quite some time!  I've recently been going through old files and folders, cleaning and organizing, and I came across alot of my old vgm projects.  That helped me remember making this little gem a few years ago, and, I have to say, I was rather sad that I had never shared it with anyone!

 

So, long story short, I return with this current submission, an IDM remix of the Whiterun theme from ES:V Skyrim.  Pretty calm tune, nice contrast between the smooth ep and bass, and the very crunch digital drums and synths.  I remember loving this theme, because of its simple, quiet power.  I remember wanting to caputre that feeling as much as possible.

 

Otherwise, I honestly don't have much to say in the way of the creation process, it was written about 4 years ago.  I was about 21.  Pretty sure alcohol is clouding my memory of that period.

 

Anywho, a little late to the party, but I had to make sure that I sent this to you guys.  Hopefully I'll be a bit more regular around here again.  Thanks for listening!

 

[Sir_NutS]

Regarding the production, this feels a bit dry.  The drum sequencing feels too loopy for the genre.  Bass synth stabs are too exposed and dry.  The mix is balanced overall though, but the song cuts off abruptly in the end.

The arrangement has a few issues.  I hear some notes that sound off and are not present in the original, i.e. in the ep section at 0:30.  The arrangement is very repetitive and sticks too close to the original melody, as well as to the same progression throughout the song.  Every section we hear is based in that progression so I would've liked to hear a change in that regard at some point. Most of the transitions are pretty abrupt, and I didn't feel the full stops for the bass synth stabs worked as they should've.

I think more needs to be done in regards to the arrangement here for this to pass.  The artist tried to shake things up a bit by using tempo changes but that's not enough in my opinion, since we have a fairly long track based on a very static base.

NO

[Clem]

Very nice. Good ear on the production. Reharmonization in the theme is cool. Percussion timbres are fresh and punchy. Really raw distortion jumps in on the chorus, yes. The synth layers building the harmony got soul. Stirring interlude into beat development is sick. Outro is sick.

 

YES

[Liontamer]

Ha, always love hearing the soundset of Dune: Spice Opera. Weird stuff that takes getting used to, including the one change in the melody that sounds "off" but is actually fine once you listen more than once.

I disagreed with NutS on the arrangement; there's some repetition, yes, but the textures and leads of the melody subtly but constantly evolve, plus the way the Whiterun melody is handled was transformative in its own way via the new instrumentation changing the tone and mood of the song. Structurally similar doesn't mean it's an automatic NO on arrangement grounds, and that's not a concern for me here.

This piece had a ton of ear candy, and the glitching starting at 1:45 was well-done as well. I didn't think the soundscape was too dry either; I don't doubt there could be some good adjustments made, but all of the parts had room to breathe, and I could hear everything in play. The jazz cameo at 4:29 was a pleasant surprise. Though the ending was a cutoff, it was fine to me.

There could be some more pronounced dynamic contrast here, but what's here clicks. Again, it's an odd sound, so IMO this isn't something you can judge off of one listen. Let it play through two or three times and see if you think the pieces fall into place.

YES

[DaMonz]

Well, this is definitely unusual, and very creative. Both on the arrangement and production fronts.

I think the dry mix is a cool design choice that suits this particular arrangement and sound design very well. The syncopation, the breaks, the detail work in the overall progression, all add to what I think is an ambitious but well-crafted piece. The altered "weird" harmony in the theme was off-putting at first, because I'm so used to hearing the source, but after a few times I thought it was a very interesting change. And those jazzy drums in the end were a super awesome surprise! The only crit I have for this track is the abrupt ending, which I think is very close to requiring a conditional pass, just to let a few more seconds of release/reverb/etc instead of chopping right after the last note like this. Although, I feel like everything else fits so well together, so I wouldn't mind overlooking such a small detail.

I think this is one of those "special" tracks for which no specific genre guidelines can really apply. And I think it's brilliant work.

YES

[Emunator]

I've had to sit on this for a long time before I was even able to pass objective judgment on it. Ross' approach here is, as always, very abstract and holds little regard for the desires of your average casual listener, or fans of strictly-conservative remixes... which I think is pretty rad!  The world needs a bit more weirdness like this.

The re-harmonization of the Whiterun theme is very clever and surprisingly, really catchy - I've found this stuck in my head at random times throughout the last week. The arrangement leans heavily on the same core melody for most of the duration, but the overall dynamic curve never sits in the same place for long. The way the beat subtly progresses towards a 4-on-the-floor rhythm, or how the lead grows more heavily distorted over time are just a couple examples of how this piece develops without needing to introduce new melodic content.

It's definitely not for everyone, but I'm definitely on board. Welcome back Ross!

YES