ReMix:Kingdom Hearts "New Beginnings" 4:14

By NoTuX

Arranging the music of one song...

"Deep Jungle"

Primary Game: Kingdom Hearts (Square , 2002, PS2), music by Hikaru Utada, Yoko Shimomura

Posted 2005-03-07, evaluated by the judges panel


Third time's the charm for Damon Campbell, alias Blue Magic, whose tertiary submission in recent history is the first to be posted. The ReMixer writes:

"It is a remix of the "Deep Jungle" track from Kingdom Hearts. It's kind of a jazzy/ambient(ish) mix. I was experimenting with the drum pattern and I thought it turned out pretty nice."

A mellow latin percussion vibe intros, with a gradual crescendo on the acoustic guitar (sounds like a twelve-string or steel, not straight nylon) pattern that buttresses most of the track. Solo flute with a distinct vibrato that sits in the alto range covers the melody as ensemble strings, piano, and even ensemble brass build up around the basic motif. There's excellent drum work around the second minute, when a rim shot comes in with something that's about as close as a rim shot can come to having a solo - excellent syncopation and one of those details not everyone would even consider in the course of constructing a mix. Quoth Shariq:

"Sounded a bit similar to the original when I first heard it, but I went back and I listened to the original again, and I can see the variation. Lots of nice percussive work here; subtle and dynamic. It really accentuates the piece. Piano is nice, even though it's not there much. This is really chill."

Gray also gave props, specifically to the instrumentation:

"Instrumental selection is wonderful. Great use of strings, panflute and flute, guitarlike stringed instrument, nature fx to create an enchanting atmosphere. The range of percussive instruments is also handled very nicely. The rock kit, ethnic hand drums accentuate the piece perfectly."

"Enchanting" seems like the perfect word to me to describe this mix, which has a folksy, human feel to it, dashed with a bit of island exotica. Sample quality was an issue for some, but for me the only eyebrow-raisers were perhaps the ensemble string and brass patches, which are always sorta hit or miss. Here they're used very selectively and very effectively, and most of the time blend enough to cause no umbrage. Drums are the highlight though, and do much via their layered, ornate wholesomeness to counter aspects of production - the somewhat mono nature of the underlying acoustic guitar, for example - that aren't as compelling. Great instrumentation choices, though, and a good sense of development. Involved and yes, enchanting stuff from Blue Magic, who's got a good ear for an interesting percussion track, amongst other talents. Looking forward to whatever's next.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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paradiddlesjosh
on 2024-01-25 21:23:04

I love the flute and brass textures in this track, which help contribute to chill vibes with the rhythm section, though I am a little disappointed by the machine-gunning in the percussion.

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DarkeSword
on 2024-01-25 21:22:45

TBH I'm not sure how I feel about the more relaxed energy on this one. There's a lightness to the source that I really liked, but there's a bit more heaviness on this one in texture. Some nice sounds though.

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derezr
on 2024-01-25 21:22:37

I love this remix. That flute lead is great, and I love the supporting brass and hand drums. Very chill, but also a really interesting arrangement.

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Dyluck
on 2024-01-25 21:21:24

Very panpipey and flutey, laid-back introspective take of the original, before guitar really kicks in. Reminds me of the night time portions of the jungle level. Brass section is a little strong in its flourishes but gives that climactic oomph that the piece requires. Chill out with this one in your treehouse overlooking the waterfall sometime.

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MegaMixtape
on 2024-01-25 21:21:23

Sexy stuff! I absolutely love some of NoTux's later DKC remixes, and while this is not quite up to par, it was a great start.

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pixelseph
on 2024-01-25 21:20:59

Love the bass groove against the drums for the first 2 minutes, and then the drums come in with some sidestick chops! Chill pad and tasteful pipes throughout; I dig the brass hits, even if those samples haven't aged as gracefully as the rest of the piece.

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Liontamer
on 2024-01-25 21:20:52

Still as chill as when we posted it. Solid stuff from NoTuX that's more about subtle textural changes once the mood's established. :-)

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Xaleph
on 2024-01-25 21:20:39

I like the flow - has a great relaxed rhythm and some good plucked sounds to offset the panflute. The percussion work adds some nice depth to the piece with it's well placed movement and panning. Many of the sounds are dated but the arrangement carries well.

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DragonAvenger
on 2009-02-01 22:33:02

I never liked the original source, or the area in the game, but this mix gives the song an entirely new flavor that I can appreciate, even if I’m not overly crazy about it. A nice, breathy, flute takes the melody, and the guitar work in the background is a great fit. Brass/orchestral hits sound a little fake, but they are passable. Drum work is mostly background, but in a good way, nicely done on those.

The slower tempo makes for a more contemplative feeling which I like. I would have liked more dynamic variation overall; there wasn’t much change going on. Especially around 3:15 or so when the flute goes into the second part of the source. A crescendo into that would have been nice.

Good work, not my favorite source, but still an enjoyable listen, and a good change from the original.

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Ryu2Wolf
on 2009-01-06 21:02:48

Nice how your opening phrase changed in mood once the melody came into play. You guys are great! Thanks, really made my day!

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MechaFone
on 2008-11-19 18:36:04

We need more Kingdom Hearts remixes! That being said, I'm fond of this one. I enjoyed the music to Tarzan's world, and this remix captures that melody in it's own unique way.

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OA
on 2008-04-04 09:37:00

Completely fantastic soundscape at the beginning; I love the guitar/dulcimer along with the drums. The flute samples were a little weaker overall, but nothing too offensive to ruin anything. Even the jungle effects were cool, and the percussion, though at times mechanical (the rim hits in the double time section specifically), is well layered and interesting.

The brass punctuation and a lot of the syncopated hits were well used, and added some nice contrast and power.

I always thought most of the Kingdom Hearts music was well executed but overly vanilla, so something like this that throws on some chocolate sauce and whipped cream is definitely welcome. :-)

Nice work Blue Magic. :-)

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lady zelda
on 2006-04-09 18:45:41

I'm loving this. Very serene as if you are sitting beside a waterfall in the warm summer heat enjoying the silence as well as the beauty of the landscape. It's very mystifying throughout. Keep these coming!

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Xx~~Zangetsu~~xX
on 2006-02-02 15:57:29

SO AWESOME MORE KH REMIXES PLZ!!!!!!! :!::!::!::)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!:)!!

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DCAlexis
on 2005-10-05 13:58:17

Incredible mate, absolutely incredible. I dislike the techno/disco remixes, and so this one was just great. Nice job again mate.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Kingdom Hearts (Square , 2002, PS2)
Music by Hikaru Utada,Yoko Shimomura
Songs:
"Deep Jungle"

Tags (4)


Genre:
New Age
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Acoustic Guitar,Piano,Woodwinds
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Kingdom_Hearts_New_Beginnings_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,149,261 bytes
MD5:
f2e1db7dbd51f82199113ea00cfcf0d9
Bitrate:
128Kbps
Duration:
4:14

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