OCR02056 - *YES* World of Warcraft 'Les Gnomes Exotiques'

[Palpable]

Gonna need help breaking it down... -palp

Remixer name: Uboichi
Real Name: Uub Jacobson
Remixer ID: 10339

Game Arranged: World of Warcraft
Songs Arranged: Gnomeregan Theme (gnomeragon01-zone, gnomeragon02-zone), Tinker Town Theme (tinkertownintro-moment)
Composer: Derek Duke
Source:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqlaoBlnKaI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUKupRz9-Xc

Well, this sure was a weird project of mine. For quite some time I've been wanting to do a remix in 20th century classical music style. But most modern composers write atonal music and most game music composers don't. Also I've been wanting for about as long to do a remix of the Gnomeregan theme from World of Warcraft, but I didn't have a clue what to do with it.

Then one evening while hearing the Tinker Town theme I thought I could use the ostinato chords from that work to build a base for the Gnomeregan melodies. At first I wanted to make a full orchestral work, but decided that the sound I wanted was that of a small ensemble instead of a full orchestra. So after deciding to use a woodwind choir, some percussion instruments and a piano, I set my goal to creating the weirdest classical style arrangement in the history of OCR.

Heavily inspired by Messiaen, and to a lesser extent by Schoenberg, I started writing . But after listening several different cadenza's for Hungarian Rhapsody no.2 by Liszt I wanted a cadenza for my work too! So I finished the arrangement, but left a space open for a cadenza. A couple of weeks after finish, I started writing on the cadenza. I had never written a cadenza or someting similar to it before, so I didn't have a clue how long it would take me to write. To my surprise I was done in only 2 days!

I don't expect a lot of people to actually like this arrangement. Modern classical music is not for everyone. It can be beautiful if you are able to listen it, but most people just aren't used to it. But this is simply my ode to both modern classical music and game-music.

Uub.

P.S. Though Inpsired by modern classical composers, everything written is based directly on the sources given and in no way I tried to quote those composers I mentioned earlier.

[OA]

The first source is basically comprised of several motifs that play and repeat over some chords- there are 5 specific ones:

(timestamps from the source)

1 - :03 clarinet
2 - :13 bassoon sixteenths
3 - :26 flute rise/fall run
4 - 1:13 variation on motif 1
5 - 1:25 super rise/fall run

The Tinkertown track is a lot more straightforward and is easier to piece out, despite the mixed meter.

Arrangement is definitely inspired, but it frequently uses either a motif straight up or slightly altered. The piano in the cadenza makes references to motifs, but feels like a decent amount of original material mixed in. Stopwatchwise, even if the cadenza was 100% original (which it isn't), 2/3 of the mix is dominant gnomes.

Production is clear and clean, good samples, and a nice room sound. No complaints here.

I wouldn't bump this in my car, but it's a good track, and a style I haven't heard in awhile. Nice work on this, especially with WoW music being pretty difficult to remix. Do Wintergrasp next please! ;-)

yes

[big giant circles]

Yikes. Very ambitious source music, and even more so the remix.

Pretty fantastic writing, I'd say. Uub sounds like a pretty talented fellow, and very well trained too. More trained than I am, I'd pretty easily admit :)

In an effort to not risk sounding like I know more than I don't or less than I do, I'll simply say that I believe the amount of source usage sounded intact to me and I'm highly impressed at the outcome. It takes a solid amount of skill to tackle a remix of these songs in the produced style, and especially to do it well.

I am impressed, and I believe this could very well be a first for OCR. I can't really think of any other remixes that tackle the "modern classical" thing.

MAKE IT SO

[CHz]

You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this. Nice nod to Messiaen in the mix title, by the way.

The arrangement is intelligent; the motives from the sources are still very recognizable despite the modifications and all the original material dancing among them. I especially like the section after the cadenza, starting as a canon in the woodwinds before being built up with other material. I'd love to have heard this performed by a real ensemble, but no major gripes with the sequencing. A job well done, sir.

YES

[anosou]

Note to self: Don't ignore the music of World of Warcraft. It's awesome.

As a Musicology student I want make love to this arrangement. The only thing I think is holding it back is that even people like Messiaen (and ESPECIALLY Schoenberg) had more dynamic variation in playing and the shape of the arrangement. That's extremely minor though and as a standalone arrangement (if you hadn't referenced previously mentioned composers) it's certainly a fantastic piece.

The style is unique and the sources are well adapted to the new modernist setting, that's no small feat. Definitely one of a kind and a great addition to OCR.

YES