*NO* Chrono Cross 'Still a Dreamer'

[Gario]

ReMixer name: LcsDorneles
Real name: Lucas Dorneles da Silva
Email address: 
Website: https://soundcloud.com/lucas-dorneles
Userid: 34018

Submission Information

Game(s) arranged: Chrono Cross
Name of arrangement: Still A Dreamer
Name of individual song(s) arranged: RADICAL DREAMERS ~The Jewel That Has Not Been Stolen~

 

Mp3 File: 

 

Edited April 20, 2017 by Liontamer
closed decision

[MindWanderer]

Oh, man, I really want to love this one.  There are some gorgeous soundscapes in some sections, when you have the pads, bubbly arps, and harmony all firing at once.  Very Tangerine Dream.

That said, those sections are few and far between.  There's a lot of subtractive styling going on, where one or more elements are intentionally missing.  That's a great technique for emphasis, but it's used to excess here, leaving much of the mix feeling thin and empty.  The end of the intro (0:26) is especially jarring because you drop out the kick two beats before the melody starts instead of just one, so it feels less like a riser and more like a disjoin.  (And it's a shame that kick never comes back; I rather liked it and wished it made it into the main arrangement.)

The saw lead jumps dramatically in volume at 0:53.  It's a little too quiet before, but it's much too loud and biting after.  And while it's a perfectly appropriate choice for a lead in a retro synth arrangement like this, it really can't be the only lead.  Even in a short arrangement, you need to switch it up a little, and at least rotate it with one other lead from time to time.

There's a lot I like here, but it feels incomplete.  Flesh out your soundscape through more of the piece, watch your balance levels, and vary the lead a little and I think you'll have a winner here.

NO (resubmit)

[DragonAvenger]

MW pretty much said everything I wanted to say here, but there's a couple things to add. At 0:53 the backing pad that comes in on the beat is very mechanical and feels a little too marching for what is going on otherwise in the track. Softening that section, or using that idea a little more sparely would allow it to fit better into the track or just be used to emphasize one section. I'd also like to emphasize that the lead feels like it's placed on top of the track instead of balanced in with the other parts. A lot of that stems from the fact that there is a sparse texture throughout, but a little more work balancing would help it feel more gelled with the rest of the track. 

There is good work here, but it still need some more. I'd suggest using our WIP boards to get some more feedback and resubmitting after that

NO (resubmit)

[Gario]

Pretty tough to follow up both of those reviews, as they're both correct. I love the sound pallete created in this one - those new age arpeggios and simple lead work sound great, and even the plodding pad works well. It just feels incomplete, though - where's the bass? Any percussion? This is such a tease, since what IS here is great, but it's not enough to hold the track up on its own.

The popping lead at 0:53 is definitely a surprise, and not in a good way. Be more subtle in your approach to mixing leads above the rest of the soundscape; a leap like that is jarring.

Yeah, for the most part I'm repeating what the others have said, but they're right: this sounds incomplete. Give us a bass to tie it together, don't be afraid of some backing harmonies to act as glue to keep the arrangement together. While it's a good idea to drop elements out and bring them back for the sake of variety, if there are only two or three elements in the entire track it's difficult to justify dropping them out like that. Bring in other instruments that fulfill their roles and flesh out what you have here!

NO