OCR01332 - Super Mario World 'Grand Valse Mario'

[djpretzel]

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

[Liontamer]

B-Unit!

[Zeroshadow]

B-Unit!

Que? Anyhow, I believe that this "remix" is performed quite well. I dunno if its just today*mainly becuase of our winterpercussion competition* or something else, but I have been noticing that dynamics play a great key role in music. It can make the difference to a song qualifying it for third or first *the sad fate that happened to me and my compadres when we competed last week.....we played in FF/FFF the whole time.....it killed our score dropping us to third....but back to the topic*. I believe that this song really illustrates the contrasts in dynamics, which makes this song really catchy/great in my eyes. The dynamics really set the mood. At times its really soft, setting a calm mood, then suddenly crushendoing *sp* to a louder more upbeat "jolly" mood. All in all a really good mix. I say goodjob and keep up the good work!

*sorry for the horrendous formatting of the above paragraph, but Im watching tv and listening to the song at the same time, so I really am not loooking at how I am typing, let alone caring of the format*

EDIT: Ohhhh B-unit....I get it now....

[Crazyonr1]

wow.... would have never expected something like this, but hey I'm a n00b, and thats what OC is all about right? what do I know though? This is definitly going into my OC playlist, my only gripe might be the length, but hey, it got the point across, and with plenty of power to spare

9.7 outta 10

if there might be any sheet music, might you have it scanned? I'd really like to check it out

[Brim]

Superb. A piece with varied playing styles and dynamics, and the first piano piece that I actually feel is being played DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME OMG.

But seriously, its insane.

[SosusOCR]

Koji Kondo remixes are hardly ever average let alone bad and this one reminds me of a nicer time when dewdrops are glistening in the sunrise of a cold December morning…

Enough of the Iron Chef references, this remix is a lot of fun

[Insane2757]

Oh Em Gee, folks. Download this. If you like piano, download this. If you like Mario music, download this. If you like music, download this!!!

... ins hort, this remix is all kinds of awesome.

[debeerguy007]

To sum my thoughts up on this remix in one word...


Sweet. :)

[Txai]

What the hell is happening with some comments? :|

I listened this song on VGMix. It's probably one of my favorite songs from bladiator. Also, bladiator ever is the piano man in my opinion. Is enough to listen "Chopinesque Kirby" (http://www.vgmix.com/song_view.php?song_id=2464) or "A Dangerless Road" (http://www.vgmix.com/song_view.php?song_id=3525). This ReMix is lovely. I love it. The new melody is too creative. The elaboration of the piano sounds well. And yes, a good piece. Solid stuff, nice work.

[bladiator]

I'm drunk as crap, but I'm still posting because I'm really glad that you all appreciate my remix so much.

~Karl

P.S. I had to backspace a lot on this post.

[Impassioned Havoc]

Right off the bat, this remix is striking and catchy. I like the aggressive take on the water theme, it's well suited to piano, and generally well executed. The sound quality is just a wee bit suspect at times, but it hardly detracts from the piece as a whole. Excellent work as usual, Bladiator.

Please do try not to hit the bottle too hard, save that brain for more remixing!

[rd125]

Well it's a nice score, well written, with good extrapolations. But maybe it coold have been better performed( the keyboard is hit a little hard). Nice idea to use only the piano. In my opinion, it lacks a little in the treble tones. The original tone was very much in the trebles, the use of violin may have been a good idea.

[Kadosho]

One of the most memorable tunes in SMW. Gotta admit, this tribute is very well done. *why didnt he release this piano solo sooner!?
8)

[Zenth Relin]

Well... I don't usually like solo pianos, but I must bite my tongue for this. Very nice still has that nice rhythm, and a lot more energy.

(PS: 5 away from remix 1337 o.o! *hopes for a super collab, a man can dream >.>*)

[Theowne]

Yay, I love piano solo re-incarnations of music so much, and I don't know why, but this is so excellent it's not funny. It's got energy, originality and is just all around nice to hear.

[Nineko]

good work. I had the same idea some time ago but you're faster than me.

[chthonic]

This is amazing, as per usual Blad's work. Crazy bastard. I have virtually no complaints.

Anyway, the Chiisai mirror is 404'd.

-chth

[jordex]

Aha it's finally here! I've been waiting for this song to be posted here ever since it first went vgmix. Blad's posting these mixes one after another, I can't wait to hear his next

I've noticed that both his piano pieces are in 3/4, both very waltzy

I really like the rhythm alternation at 0:49

Very impressive, I wish I could play piano like this

Awesome job, Blad!

[Hammer#]

I was excited to see a new Bladiator mix when I opened up the front page. :) New stuff by Blad is always good, and this didn't disappoint at all. The translation from the original mix to piano worked very well, and the switching around of the rhythm among other things make it very enjoyable, keeping the feel of the original. Great mix, recommended. :)

[Navi]

Karl karl he's our man, if he can't do it, no one can.

edit: I just realised OCR 1337 is coming up.

[Flare4War]

That was excellent. For some reason this mix struck my funny bone. I started laughing when I heard the main tune. Maybe because there was a very in game feel. It made you remember Super Mario.

Nice arrangement.

[nodspaw51]

Congrats to Blad for another sweet mix in his name. I really enjoyed listening to this piece, and kind of liked it slower than normal. The chords were all very nice and fitting, making it a very fun piece in general. Nice job, Blad!

[BBB]

awesome. pretty similar to chopinesque kirby, but that song kicked ass, and so does this. i only wish it were longer.

[kablammyman]

This is some nice work, I just wish it was longer. :D

[Coucou]

Composition (and/or improvisation) is excellent,
with a little taste of Debussy and a big taste of Gershwin.
[Edit2: and, of course Chopin...]

Performance (interpretation) is even better.
Blad'iator is indeed a crazy piano Blad'stard.

Edit1: the recording quality is also very good.

[jorgandar]

Fabulous work! Being a piano composer myself i can tell this piece incorporates some real talent. It's more appropriate for a melody & tempo like this to be a short "minute valse" rather than lengthy. The composer was right on.

[Chrono721]

This is one of the better super mario remixes I've heard. Usually, I don't associate Mario with piano, but You've done a stupendous job on this. Just one request. Notate this so that I can enjoy playing this as well. ^_^
-Chrono721

[sephiroths_true_evil]

Great REmix, nice flow to it though i prolly stand alone in this it reminds me a great deal of the opening song from the older 80's childrens show MR.Dress up 8O

[ckain]

Is this anyhow different than the VGMIX version?

[bladiator]

Is this anyhow different than the VGMIX version?

There are just a few notes that are tweaked, and a few notes that were wrong in the other VGMix version that I have got fixed in this one. But they are essentially the same.

[muffadal1980]

This remix kicks ass. I love your stuff Bladiator, you play the piano so passionately and your remixes are so good they could be passed off as original piano compositions. Kudos to you man, can't wait for your next remix. Any chance you might take a shot at the Zelda series?

[Hitman]

the way the piano solo blends so perfectly in the song is so awesome

[mecca]

Terrific. Perhaps its how the buoyant piano floats, bobs and sifts along, but this remix gets full marks from me. Uplifting and energetic, this is a superb addition to the OCR library.

Nice work blad!

[Super Metal Mario]

I loved it, it was a great remix you should keep remixing mario songs. It's a great mix i love it you should keep this up.

[metal_conker]

You get my vote for the second nicest thing I've heard today. Only after that cool Jazz remix from SMB2. But that would be hard to beat wouldn't it?

I love your messed around melody. And your major thirds are just so well implemented. It sounded perfect, and I would love the sheet music to play this on the piano.

Your ending is VERY strong and I commend you for that.

Congrats.

[Rexy]

Heck yes, everyone loves Bladiator :) And as far as i'm concerned, I too grew to love it when I first saw its release. Although on a different method of recording his performance this time around he has been able to develop a cleaner recording than Chopinesque Kirby while at the same time still maintaining much of the character that made it possible.

This mix gets the VGmix Revisited™ treatment from me:-

Production setup
Just like his Kirby contribution, we are brought straight into a piano waltz interpretation. There is shown to be evidence on some wide stereo panning, which can help to vary upon the scope of the instrument as a whole. I understand that this is a piano sound font rather than a proper instrument, but even so it's been processed to a very high realistic quality. The sound levels have also been firmly realized and do well to add to the expression. So even though the sample can be shown to be synthetic I have noticed that it's at a strong enough quality to impress the listener through the duration of the arrangement.

Composition sequence
The track begins with a grand waltz-like intro, which has been shown by some strong high dynamics to begin with, before leading towards a gentler riff from 0:04 onwards. It's good to see the basic chord progressions for the original be reflected by 0:19, to slowly add some familiarization for the listener. Although the dynamics could have been a bit sudden for some, I've been intrigued by how they created a dramatic introduction.

At 0:16, the melody manages to show up, almost resembling the playing progressions for the game's underwater theme as such. What has been shown in this section is a lot of playing around the original theme and creating a more majestic variation; some improvisational highlights could be noted at 0:28, 0:36 and 0:41 among others. Even though some of the moods could be seen to be a bit sudden for some, they still manage to work well enough to create a strong and energetic arrangement for the listener to take in.

1:24 starts to add in some change in progressions; here, the chord structures are kept almost the same, but I have noticed the right hand melody has provided some fast improvisations from 1:31 onwards. It's here that the dancing feel of the piece has been closely reflected to help keep a lot of further interest satisfied. Returning back to references to the source material at 1:55 may sound a bit brief, but it has managed to work well to slowly bring the listener back to the main riff before the ending.

2:03 is where the basis for the finale as established - a lot of tension holding within the tremolos on the right hand has done well to settle the occasion to begin with. And this is soon let out by the use of some faster note progressions at 2:17, leading through to a supposedly energetic ending sequence. I see that the track mainly finished with some left hand progressions, although personally I think the scope should have been broadened to provide a more powerful punch to the listener - maybe some similar progressions on the right hand about an octave higher? Either way, it still manages to have its place in the arrangement.

Going towards the judges' thoughts on all this they seem to be rather ecstatic over the contribution; I feel for them, although I would have thought that the rather synthetic piano sound would have ended up throwing a curveball towards them in terms of mixing quality. But I have to agree with them that there's just as much character as there was in his Kirby debut here, which I feel has essentially granted Blad with his deserved title of "Friendly Neighbourhood Piano Bastard". ;)

Well done Karl, and don't give up in making Paige fall for you!

[Liontamer]

Well done Karl, and don't give up in making Paige fall for you!
BAH, U THINK I'M NOT WATCHING U! GRRRRR!

Karl with a K, I'm watching u. U2, Bev with a B.

[bladiator]

Well done Karl, and don't give up in making Paige fall for you!
BAH, U THINK I'M NOT WATCHING U! GRRRRR!

Karl with a K, I'm watching u. U2, Bev with a B.

No you're not, I'm standing right behind you.



Bwahaha, just kidding. But seriously, I was.

[Cyan_Ide]

Well done Karl, and don't give up in making Paige fall for you!
BAH, U THINK I'M NOT WATCHING U! GRRRRR!

Karl with a K, I'm watching u. U2, Bev with a B.

*ponders the thought of alternate spellings of Bev that don't include a "B," and still remains baffled.*

Great mix, Blad, you are a piano god.

[Bobwillis]

Gershwin is alive???

[The Orichalcon]

Karl's still the man. Been listening to this one a lot recently. Loving it more now than before for some reason.

Doo, doo doo. Love that ending.

[Mariofreak]

I'm quite certain I hear a bit of Bergmuller at the beginning, I think it's the C major(?) chord followed by the three 16th note Cs. Very good though, I've always loved waltzes.

[ContinueTheEnd]

I recently heard Bladiator's "Super Mario World Grand Valse" remix; I think it's a very well done piano mix, probably one of the best I've ever heard. I'm curious about one thing, however: is that an actual piano playing the song, or is the piano sound synthesized? It certainly sounded like a real piano to me, but I just want to make sure. I'd prefer if Bladiator himself could answer this for me since it's his work, but if anyone else knows what it is, feel free to speak up. Thanks.

[zircon]

I've been having trouble getting in touch w/ Karl lately... I think this mix used sampled piano, but it doesn't really matter. He played it in live (as opposed to sequencing), and piano samples are so realistic these days that it doesn't really matter what you use IMO.

[ContinueTheEnd]

Alright. Well, thanks for telling me what he used - like zircon said, it doesn't matter THAT much, since he performed the piece live and it still sounds relatively real, especially compared to other mixes. I tend to be super-picky about music; basically, the less synthesized something is, the more I'll like it. That probably stems from the fact that I play all my music using actual instruments rather than synthesized sounds and arrangements. Again, though, that's just me - I like music to be as close to the actual thing as possible; it just feels more "real" to me that way. Thanks again.

[bladiator]

I love all you guys.

Yeah, it's a keyboard.

[Tensei]

This is pretty much THE song (together with Chopinesque Kirby) that brought me to start learning to play the piano, and also the reason I feel like I'm progressing really fast (been playing for a month and a half, and almost got Chopinesque Kirby nailed). These two songs really hold a special place in my heart for the simple reason that they're some of the very first OCRemixes that I've heard and that were able to leave me awestruck at the amazing arrangement, and the skillful and emotive use of dynamics and playing in general. To sum it up, Bladiator, you're a god on piano, and thanks for introducing me to such a fine instrument. =P

[Lucentas]

Alas, I too am of the frothing hordes of rabid piano aficionados; I have no alibi, but I also have no regrets.

I absolutely love this piece, and often find myself inadvertently pretending to play it.

[42]

Holy Cow...
I tried following along with the sheet music for this one and wow... Not only is this aurally interesting but visually interesting too. Up and down, back and forth, slow and fast, loud and soft.
The simplicity of a piano arrangment allows not only for the highlighting of a theme but also amazingly easy access to the manipulation of the dynamics (not specifically how loud or soft a sound is but any technique used to make a piece interesting to listen to) of the song. I stand in awe...
Oh, and as far as Mario and piano arrangments go, this is amazing; go check it out.

[OA]

A very fun arrangement with a lot of personality and some very cool variations that are completely unique but still grounded in the source. An excellent build to a super finale, this is ridiculously well thought out, and is one of the best piano mixes i've heard in awhile, as well as one of the best Super Mario World mixes i've heard. Combine those 2, and it's pretty obvious that this is a classic.

[namekuseijin]

all hail crazy piano bastard and his truly imaginative valse spin on the Mario theme. Well, if I remember correctly, the tune got its valse spin itself in the aquatic levels, but this one is sweet full of vigorous variations... :)

[moosegg3]

A year ago I printed off the sheet music for this not realizing how hard it was going to be...
Within 3 months I had the whole thing memorized and could use any piano to practice it without the sheet music.
I'm just barely now getting the crazy run in the middle up to speed.
You are an amazing pianist Karl! If I had waited until I was better at the piano it wouldn't have taken me a year to learn (I already knew how to read music from a different instrument so starting at the piano was fairly easy, so I attempted something fun), but if you put in enough work, you can do anything, right? I've put in countless hours to learning this song (No joke, if I go for too long without practicing I lose some muscle memory and have to go backwards), and though those in my household don't agree, I still like this song!