OCR00977 - Final Fantasy VI 'Kefka Goes Carnival'

[djpretzel]

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

[GreatLeo]

Great take on da famous Kefka theme definately one I shall remember for a long time. This one kinda brings an image of him actually running his own carnival with circus freaks (him included) and magic tricks.
Crazy yet very creative job you've done here Noppz

[DaleNorth]

NoppZ holds true to his title in my mind: still one of the greatest of the 'new generation' of remixers.

I love this shit! SO Creative. Its a definate pick-me-up from my tired state, this is fun as hell. I was doing some whacked out dance the first time I listened- I won't do it again because it will scare everyone.

I think the reverb is a little cheap sounding (muddy), but other than that i wouldn't change a thing. Well, maybe some yelling and handclaps.

Noppz, keep kicking ass please.


Dale
dale@oneupstudios.com

[Protricity]

That section at 2:05 sounds totally off key to me. Maybe its just me, but as usual it stuck out like a sore thumb.

Nice and uppity, but far too repetitive for my tastes.

[Psycrow]

Aw darn, I was expecting creepy circus music :P Why would Kefka have a happy/upbeat/lighthearted mix? Why would he go to a carnival, unless it's an EVIL carnival (dr. evil voice)? Oh well, still fun :)

[wethamster]

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW i love this. we need more latino style here at OCR, this jumpy beat makes me wanna dance, even though i cant dance.

[Pander]

Aw darn, I was expecting creepy circus music :P Why would Kefka have a happy/upbeat/lighthearted mix? Why would he go to a carnival, unless it's an EVIL carnival (dr. evil voice)? Oh well, still fun :)

Well, I think he was aiming more for the celebratory carnival, like the kind you see in South American countries and some European countries, rather than the American Circusy kinda carnival. Works well, reminds me of McVaffe's Cutman Sonata, much faster paced than most FF6 remixes. Fits the theme perfectly, though. Nothing seems too oustanding, but everything works well, like the horns and steel drums. I love the solo around 2:30, it really works well to top off the piece.

Well done. This baby's going in my 4 star folder :P

[CirrusStrife]

Well, I think he was aiming more for the celebratory carnival, like the kind you see in South American countries and some European countries, rather than the American Circusy kinda carnival. Works well, reminds me of McVaffe's Cutman Sonata, much faster paced than most FF6 remixes. Fits the theme perfectly, though. Nothing seems too oustanding, but everything works well, like the horns and steel drums. I love the solo around 2:30, it really works well to top off the piece.

Well done. This baby's going in my 4 star folder :P

Indeed. I feel Carnival is referred to in the same manner as you, specifically bringing to my mind the festival and season of Carnival, which ends with Mardi Gras. This is definitely, if not Zydeco, then close enough to make me remember the fun times I had in New Orleans these past few years.

Cirrus Out

[Bahamut]

Whoa, I missed this at first for some reason :lol: . Another Kefka remix NoppZ? You must love this theme :P.

Anyway, I find this interesting, I wasn't sure what the title meant by carnival at first, until I started listening to it. Well done, I like this quite a bit, although as Protricity does mention, it is kinda repetitive. Not unexpected of a techno-type of piece, but still, I kinda wished for a little more variety.

[Xplo]

Heh.. it's funny someone mentioned steel drums, because I was listening to this and thought, "wow, this would really kick ass with some good steel drums", because to me it sounds more like a soft piano with a lot of reverb or something, whereas steel drums have a distinctively different sound.

For me this really brings the track down.. not because it's bad (in fact, I like it a lot and made sure to save myself a copy) but because in my mind it came that close to perfect and missed the mark.

[Nobbynob Littlun]

Has a salsa rythmn to it. I definitely can see a number in Cirque du Soleil with this music - it's too repetitive for my taste though. Same percussion pretty much the whole way through. The orchestra hits are pretty obviously looped also. I rather like that whistle blowing in the background, and the salsa-style keeps the melody moving very nicely. Overall, a fun song, but nothing I'd call impressive.

Though, I haven't exactly done better myself...

[Mustin]

NoppZ! This shit is the bomb, man!

Keep it up!

Glad to see that some people are still creative.

[M@]

Heh. This is fun to listen to; it's very imaginative and creates a lot of imagery through the instrument choices appropriate to the style and addictive rhythm. My only real gripes come about 1:28~1:42 and 3:03~3:17 where I feel the melody is a little drowned by the dominant, although highly enjoyable, Mardi Graesque chords and bass. It seems less prominent than, say, the melody that’s first heard 0:44~0:58. I like the way you wove the battle theme into this, too. It’s very subtle and very effective, adding a little variation whilst maintaining the party feel of the piece.

Well done.

[mv]

original take on kefka's theme to say the least, the battle theme reference was nice as well.. that piece reminded me of 'carnaval de paris', but isn't quite as impressive or catchy.

the piece lasts for over 3 minutes without really having distinct breakups or highly memorable spots, which could not be a problem for that kind of piece if it was produced flawlessly or had an unique feel or addictive trait to it. the constant piano lines and beat don't provide much variety or entertainment on the long run though, and the tune got old very fast for me in consequence. i don't think it can last a decent amount of listens, i found it quite repetitive, in the wrong way.

however this was a daring track to do, and the production is respectable; i have to agree with dale about the reverb being subpar though, and the kick could stand out more, also some drum samples such as the clap sounded kind of weak.

bonus points for the effort but not a keeper as far as i'm concerned. makes you wonder how some other daring, deeper pieces get rejected as of late :)

[Psycrow]

Well, I just meant I had trouble applying the mix to Kefka himself. I kinda like those mixes where you can imagine something to do with the character-- like AmIEvil's "Death on the Snowfield", ya can't help but imagine Terra having lost someone close to her, and if the title were a little different, it could also be seen as an interpretation of Terra's personality-- a sad, cold girl, searching to find out what "love" means. When I can relate it to something in the game, it gets an extra point for good concept :P I was going to make a post in General to mention something like this one time, but it would probably just be flamed and misunderstood :P

[The_Clover]

I love kefka's theme.

Thus if a remix on this site is down well enough with a theme I already love, then I'm going to love it as least just as much.

Images of a crazy pyscho Kefka pop into my head, moving to the crazy, stompin' latin beat, marracas in hand. (Mind you these would be maraccas of immense power and death causing) Livin' La Vida Kefka coulda been another good title for this what with the latin feel of this piece. I love the trumpets. Being a trumpet player myself, I go crazy when I hear some good jazzy or latin mariachi-like beats.

This piece isn't perfect, but it's definitely going down on my list of FF songs I predominantly listen to. The reverb was a bit weak and the percussion was really heavy and could've been countered with the actual melody being played stronger or less out there percussion. As stated earlier, a few good melody parts are underplayed because of this. As for the the repetitiveness, I didn't mind. The battle theme looped in there kept in fresh and flowin' enough to keep me interested enough in the end with a loop to replay it over again.

Muy Caliente, Senor NoppZ.

This song takes both Enrique Inglesias and Ricky Martin, turns 'em over, and gives each a swick kick to the rear.

Ass-kickin' the Desperado way!

(Sorry for all of the latin references. Couldn't help myself!)

[NeoPhoenixTE]

..this is Kefka? Is it even FF6? It's hard to tell. Kickin song, but, feels more original than remix to me.

If it weren't for that piece of FF6 boss music in there and the fact it has Kefka in the file name, you can't even tell this is even a FF6, let alone Kefka, mix!

Don't get me wrong, it's a well made song, it just feels as though the original has been lost in all this.....but hey, it makes the playlist cause it's got quite the beat to it and, again, isn't too bad a song. Recommended jes to chill to. :)

[Ryan8bit]

I'm sorry, but this sounds just like a glorified MIDI with reverb to me. I read Carnival and I got excited, but this isn't Carnival at all. It's just Latin music with some chromaticism here and there. An interesting take on Kefka's music, but it is not to my enjoyment.

[LotusChild]

to quote...
"I'm sorry, but this sounds just like a glorified MIDI with reverb to me. I read Carnival and I got excited, but this isn't Carnival at all. It's just Latin music with some chromaticism here and there. An interesting take on Kefka's music, but it is not to my enjoyment."

...Well, Ryan, there's more than one style of carnival.. although the spelling is different. In Brazil, they hold a VERY large festival for a week(or month? not sure) called "Carneval". As you can see, this sounds like something that could originate from that. Perhaps carnival can be referred in other ways than the american version...

...Although it just might be that I live in mini-brazil, itself, Framingham, MA. -shrug- either way, over here it doesn't sound like a glorified MIDI..

[Psionicist]

This thing is GREAT! It's the perfect take on Kefka's theme really. One of my favourite mix that's for sure (out of 675 and counting)

[Shhteve]

Hmm, it sounds pretty catchy at times, but I don't think Kefka's theme should ever be remixed in such a way. It's not a very good song to remix I guess, as it didn't really catch my attention very much in any way. I'm sorry. :cry:

[Kamikaze Noodle]

!ME GUSTA BAILAR!! Tu madre es gorda y tu padre es tonto. !El perro y el gato tiene hambre! Mi queso no es su queso, y las maracas son muy caliente. !Yo tengo tu familia! Tu hermana es muy bonita...

I loved this remix to no end. I always thought Kefka's theme had a latin flavor to it, and indeed I was not the only one, as we now have TWO Latin Kefka remixes at this site. I've heard some people call this beat "salsa" and "mambo" but really it's more of a soca (read:soul calypso) beat. At least, the snare is playing a total soca rythym. I found the brass hits got on my nerves a lot, but other than that, I really liked this song. Great jorb Noppz!
!La pelicula es picante!

[Elex Synn]

I'm with NeoPhoenixTE on this one... This feels more like an original piece then a remix. But hell I like it.

To be honest, I was a little weary at first to check it out because the last few "Kefka" remixes I got from here, I absolutely did not like. Just not my thang.

... This though, I do like. I swear the quality of music around here is getting better and better. First 'Battle Rocks' now this. :D

[paddym]

Oh well. This remix is all right. But it was a different carnival than I expected. Especially when it seems like Kefka would be just the sort of ringmaster you could expect to find at any sort of evil carnival/circus.

[Proffessor_Scissors]

Don't listen to this at high volumes. It feels like someone's kicking your ear. Not that the song is that bad, but the drums are hell on headphones. Maybe it's me. The song is alright.

[Crono3of3time]

Well I was feelin kinda down untill I heard this remix!! Man, did that ever put some zip in my step!! Ooohh a nostalgiac blend of FF music, peppy beat, and it came just at the right time also! Ah!! I was a bit down before because I'm behind in my schoolworkz... (sigh...) but now.. I think I can manage it.
Thanks For The Great Remix!!

[Lucan]

Fine piece of art!
Was an interesting twist to turn Kefka´s Theme into a Samba-Remix - interesting, and well worth the download, though - IMO - there could have been more fills (drums etc.) or breaks/turns in the song. But nonetheless a well-worked-out remix.

[Paco]

Great job Noppz. Excellent stuff... very upbeat and lively. Keep it up.

[sgx]

Very very tight. Very original and different. Diggin it.

[Temporal]

Clearly, a lot of people love this mix, so the following is only my own personal opinion based on my own music tastes: I hate this mix! It's horrible! It causes pain in my head! It's almost as bad as the April fools mixes! AAAAAAHHHHHHH!

hehe, don't take it wrong, NoppZ. You can't please everybody. ;)

And to whoever said they can't hear Kefka's theme in here: get your ears checked. :P

[neostormx]

I enjoyed this remix, but i have some gripes with it. When i first heard it i thought it was going to be samba/house, because of the synthetic sound but it wasnt. the beat never really developed from there. This would have been much better if it was live/organic, but since it sounds synthetic it almost gives it a midi feeling. I just think, if it sounds synthetic, it would have been much better as samba/house. Its still a good job though, and a very cool idea. (although i would have chose from a mega man theme for this genre)

[Fandango]

Favorite song ever.

[Rodin]

Pretty nice remix :) Overall enjoyable.

One thing though....I think the name should be changed to "Kefka hits the Riviera!" :lol:

Nice change of pace!

[AgentRdy]

::Drools while listening:: The piano rocks incredibly. Wow... this actually makes me want to dance. Unable....to...find...words...to...express... excellence of song...

[Scrapmetal Simon]

holy [FECAL MATTER]-stix!! This song is ri-[GOSH DARN]-diculous!!! I'm gonna need new PANTS!!! Immediately after hearing this sweet ditty, I passed out from sugar shock because this track was so [HAVING SEX]-ing sweet!!! After I graduate with my degree, I'm going to donate money to Noppz instead of my University. 8O

[Rapyer2986]

Kefka with cotton candy at an amusement park is how I describe this jingling melody. It's so happy and fun-filled! Dancing in my seat with this mix!!

[Dj Orange]

I'm no expert, but I know enough about music to state that this song doesn't deserve the rave reviews it's getting. I'll come right out and say it: the samples SUCK! Unless your making a house song, stay away from synthetic claps! Please!

I'm with neostormx...

I enjoyed this remix, but i have some gripes with it. When i first heard it i thought it was going to be samba/house, because of the synthetic sound but it wasnt. the beat never really developed from there. This would have been much better if it was live/organic, but since it sounds synthetic it almost gives it a midi feeling.

[AnotherOneBitesTheDust]

I agree on the samples being rather loud/MIDI. I haven't noticed bad samples in a NoppZ mix yet (not even in The Endless Search), but they detract from what would be a great arrangement. I'll still listen to it, though. It's as if I want it to sound better with each listen.

[Ryan8bit]

I'm glad a few people agreed with me on that.

[OverCoat]

Who cares if the samples suck? it's arranged well, and as much as I am hesitant to admit it, I was gettin' my groove on!

Nice work, NoppZ!

[Thorny_Elements]

IMO The "bad" samples give it a different feel than if it had high-quality samples. I mean, I have no gripes about the samples as they are now. The song has a fun feel to it that the samples kinda add to. It wouldn't sound right with high-quality samples. It's a great song.

[ZenDadaist]

Fun and catchy salsa-and-chips! This gets my vote. 8)

[Thorny_Elements]

edit: i just posted this in the wrong thing... oops

[Ashgad]

I think "infectious" is the best word to describe this mix. But then, "awesome" would suffice as well. Either way, I love it :). Just can't seem to keep my toe from tapping while it's playing...

[The Berserk Fury]

you silly billy this is great in mymind this is way better than kefka goes west are you going to make any more remiexes of kefkas theme

[oldtimer]

I'm no expert, but I know enough about music to state that this song doesn't deserve the rave reviews it's getting. I'll come right out and say it: the samples SUCK! Unless your making a house song, stay away from synthetic claps! Please!
Boo hoo. It's not the samples that make this song. It's the great arranging. Sorry, we can't all own GigaStudio.

[Frictional Antidote]

it's funny how many people are taking the extremes with this song. Most people enjoy it or are disgusted with it. I personally feel that the song is awesome. Just last night I took some salsa dance lessons and the song is soo perfect for dancing to. Really this song is very well made. I only wish that there were more latin styled songs on OCR. In any case, well done and keep up the good work.

[RedTigrr]

I gotta say, I thought this was a fun remix to listen to. I know some people that actually lived through many a Carnivale and they couldn't help but tap their feet and dance to this. This along with Aeris' Theme Samba remix are a couple of my favorites from OC. I'd actually like to hear more songs remixed in this style or even a Dancehall/Raggae beat.

[RedTigrr]

Just last night I took some salsa dance lessons and the song is soo perfect for dancing to. Really this song is very well made. I only wish that there were more latin styled songs on OCR. In any case, well done and keep up the good work.

To add to that list for good songs to Salsa off of:

FF7 Aeris Summer Samba Remix
FF7 Fantastico Chocobo
MegaMan 3 Gemini Salsa Remix
MegaMan 3 Needles OC Remix

If I could salsa, I'd definitely be dancing off of these songs as well.

[Atomic Dog]

You know.... once it gets started... this is actually a pretty golly gosh darn good song!

The first 30 seconds are just garbage.... but it's like a twinky. If you can get past the icky yellow exterior, that gooey middle is just pure pleasure.

This IS a good song. It makes me dance about my apartment in my underwear - and that's always a good sign (don't tell anyone).

I like it. She's a keeper.

[Dectilon]

This is what I'm talking about! This is a ReMiX! Instead of being a ruined piece or something other than the piece in question this manages to make a new song out of the old, without the trademark dissonance that remixes often suffers, and still retain the feeling of the old tune. Simply the best!

[traviswedding]

this is kinda funny if you'll notice the anthology videos. in this paticular example Kefka is dressed and looks like a freaking CLOWN. thus making the carnival theme fit perfectly

[Lyrai]

Played this at a new years party that had 98% old farts who didn't know Video Games existed.

100% of the people loved it.

This IS something you feel compelled to dance to. I recommend against driving while listening to this, as it may cause you to try and make your car dance to it. WHich is bad.

[Ticadrius]

Catchy as hell. Creative as hell. I seriously enjoy this one. And at only 3'30", it doesn't get old or repetetive. A must-download. Once again, NoppZ does not fail to please.

[darkarchonisme]

the technical term for the emotion this track inspires is as follows:
WWWWWHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

[Stalwart Jester]

the technical term for the emotion this track inspires is as follows:
WWWWWHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

...What he said. :lol: I wanted to dance to this, seriously, but the first time I heard it I was wasting some free time while in Webmastering class...

...Dancing randomly in class might embarass you, you know. :roll:

[analyticalchemist]

FUFUFUFUFU....this is totally fun!!!! The motif is excellent. Motif, that's right.

[Red Light District]

I love this remix! Although it's hard to tell it's kefka's theme for a while, This is incredibly catchy and all of my girlfriends love it. You could pick up chicks with this.

[Zero_]

http://img39.exs.cx/img39/5547/heyterra20si.gif

The perfect definition of this song. Reminds me of old Megaman/X songs.

[Nine Ten Doh]

Awesome remix. Along with Kefka Goes West, this is a mix I regularly listen to if I need an energy boost. I start out with West, then move onto Carnival, and soon I'm bouncing off the walls.

Oh, and that picture somehow reminds me of those Project A-Ko movies...

[Bummerdude]

I´m a little tired after dancing around my chair, but I´ll try review anyway.

Great remix, Kefka is one of FF´s baddest guys I know, this remix prooves that he after all just was a bully that actually has a funny side of himself. It sounds like it´s from Rio da janeiro, a touch of brazil that gets this remix moving all over the place, even inside my leg. It won´t stop moving! 8O

Some complaints over the samples and quality in this song. I don´t care. Why?
1)Whatever the quality is or what stuff it´s made from, it still sounds great, it´s another happy remix that gives you something to smile about.
2)IT´S CARNEVAL!!! :tomatoface: :tomatoface: :tomatoface: :tomatoface: :tomatoface: :tomatoface: :tomatoface: :D

[Kojius]

I had to create an account just now, specifically for the purpose of addressing this remix. I believe I can do so with but two words; bloody hysterical!

Like most of you, I was a little thrown by the title. Naturally I expected Kefka ~ Painted like a clown ~ Clowns = Circus ~ "Circus Carnival". Typical.
The results proved to be considerably more amusing than anticipated.

Kefka himself has always been comic relief for me. It's nigh impossible to take him seriously, and it becomes evident (particularly due to the fact that this is not NoppZ's ONLY Kefka title-) that the remixer agrees.
Noppz has an excellent sense of humor in his remix, and it rarely fails to crack me up.

I've noticed comments pertaining to it's repetition. It IS, to a degree, but no more so than it needs to be. I feel that not only does it work in this case, but it's absolutely necessary. (Consider how repetative many 'techno remixes' tend to be.)

Hold onto the humor, NoppZ.


-Koji

[siven7]

Yeah! Montuno piano always gets me going... teamed with the Kefka theme... awesome! It's fun, playful, still got a little bit of darkness from the Kefka theme - but that's what the original theme is, you know? I really dig this, you've captured such a great spirit in this work! Amazing job!

[Shining Mirage]

A highly interesting piece. A friendly reminder of how annoying it was to actually fight Kefka, along with a playfully complex theme that is... Kefka. Noppz, you did one hell of a job on this one.

[42]

http://img39.exs.cx/img39/5547/heyterra20si.gif

the technical term for the emotion this track inspires is as follows:
WWWWWHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

^ What these people said.

Wow... this feels so much like Mardi Gras. And knowing Kefka.... lol. Picture that in your minds for a moment as you listen to it.
This mix just makes a lot of sense cosmically, don't it?

This is just a pure fun and amazing to listen to mix. Loud and proud and not to fancy. One can't listen to this mix and be in a bad mood. Go check it out.

*dances along to the mix*

[OA]

Some really cool ideas, I love how the melody gets relentless and does a lot of really interesting shifts in order to always be doing something. The samples aren't amazing, but the arrangement holds up really well, and all the enthusiasm for the track in the review thread is pretty well deserved. :-)

[Marmiduke]

Interesting treatment on a pretty heavy theme. I do like how it makes what is a pretty complex piece of music quite simple and effortless to follow. That's worthy of commendation in itself. While the arrangement succeeds in that area, the downside is that the diversity is somewhat off-balance. I wouldn't describe this mix as repetitive, as it's much too short for that. But it's perhaps a little disappointing that the cycles of the melody fail to evolve at all.
I'm not a fan of the overly manufactured sound of the mix, and I thought the hits of percussion and the brass could have had some more punch to them, but in all, this mix does its job and still has a lasting impression. More flawed than I would have wanted, but there's some enjoyable material here regardless.

[Sansato]

I actually liked the execution of this mix better than the idea behind it. Kefka's Theme isn't really a song that I'd look at and think it would sound great in a carnival style. I think the end result is superb, so kudos to NoppZ for a job well done.

[ZapRowsdower]

My brain: "Why am I submitting myself to this?"

My toe-tapping foot: "Yeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaw!"

My foot and my brain will meet for a musical conference later this year. Until then I'll just keep listening to this song, and worse, inflicting it on others...

...joyfully.