*NO* Donkey Kong Country 2 'HeatWave (Radio Edit)'

[djpretzel]

Greg2k - HeatWave

Contact Info:
Remixer name: Greg2k (notice the lowercase 'k')
Real name: Gregory MacGregor
Location: Madrid, Spain
Age: 21
E-Mail: greg2k@gmail.com , greg2k@greg2k.com
Website: http://www.greg2k.com (under construction at the moment)
Forums userID: 13327
ReMix info:
Game remixed: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Remix name: HeatWave
URL: (id3v2 tags filled out)
Song remixed: Lava theme
Genre: Progressive Trance
Soundtrack:
Personal comments: I don't think there's a single song from DKC2 I'm not willing to remix some day. And the lava theme was the first one I decided to do, obviously in the only genre I think I'm somewhat good at: progressive trance. So this is a progressive trance remix of the lava theme, with little variation to the excellent melody except a few original patterns here and there, with a kick-ass beat and bassline to go along with it. There's a longer, 'Club Mix' version over at VGMix ( http://www.vgmix.com/song_view.php?song_id=4232), but since many were put off by the near-8-minute original, I decided to make a shorter one and post it here at OC ReMix too. Made in FLStudio 4 with quite a few VST instruments and a lot of patience in around a month, this is my take on the fantastic tune which most DKC2 fans still whistle/hum wherever they go. Now they can club to it, too!

[Liontamer]

http://www.snesmusic.org/spcsets/dkq.rsn - Hot-Head Bop (dkq-14.spc)

Liontamer: "Cool, original, eh Ari?"
Protricity: "Yes, master."

You know me, I'm not a big fan of the generitrance adaptations. Some quick references to the original were right there in the intro, but nothing really arrived melodically until :59. Beatwork changed up a little bit at 1:26. Pretty simple stuff still. I liked that synth sparingly used from 1:51-2:13. There was another change in the texture at 3:27, but nothing changed too significantly within the 4:42-long track.

Overall, the groove was pretty basic & repetitive, the synths were generic, and nothing interesting was done with the melody. Ultimately that sells the mix short, because a modicum of effort was put forth here in terms of providing some relative level of variation that's not found in other trance/electronic subs we get. But that doesn't discount that fact that this was style over substance. Thinking of "progressive" material, much more creative and dynamic work comes to mind.

NO

[Sam Ascher-Weiss]

3:30 was cool for a second there. I'm glad you said progressive in your e-mail cause that way when I condemn the lack of creativity in this song I can't be accused of genre prejudice.

Mellow stuff around 2:00 was nice. Strongest point in this mix according to ME is rhythimcally stuttered notes starting at 2:23 but by then my brian is just SCREAMING for some stimulation so a little goes a long way*.

Thinking of "progressive" material, much more creative and dynamic work comes to mind

That about sums it on up. Ain't nothin progressive about this whole mess. From your comments though it seems that you're pretty satisfied with your work here, and that's a real accomplishment. Seriously keep that mind set. I know alot of great musicians who hate their work. THEY'VE GOT NOTHING ON YOU MENTALLY!

No

*I realize I accidentally wrote brian instead of brain so it appears as though I am referring to how my "life partner's" appetite is easily satisfied by my inferior equipment. My bad!

[Harmony]

Not horrible, but a very standard trance adaptation here. There are a few goodies scattered around to keep things interesting. I like the EQ change at 1:29-1:51 as it gives the kick at 1:51 a good amount of impact by contrast. The supporting synth with the cut/res automation that’s introduced at 2:21 is a cool addition to the soundscape and of course the biggest variation in the mix, 3:27, is welcomed indeed.

I wish this had a better variety of sounds and arrangement however. In terms of development and creative ideas, this feels more like a 2-3 minute mix. Once the synth that starts a build at 0:06 gets going at about 0:27, it barely stops for 3 minutes. That wouldn’t be so terrible if the lead synths were more interesting and dynamic than the static stock trance sounds that we have here.

Keep working at it Gregory. Experiment with the percussion more. Scrap the 16th/32nd note snare fills and pull an original fill pattern out of your hat. Try a new synth or effects chain. Go nuts! It won't all be pretty but when that’s done, take the best of it and mold it into something wonderful.

NO

[DarkeSword]

Lead sounds are really thin, but other than that, everything is mixed quite nicely. There's a very clean sound, so kudos for that.

Unfortunately the entire arrangement is standard trance fare. Dn't get me wrong, I love trance, but this really needs something more creative brought to it. I'm not saying hyrbid genres either; but melodic breakdowns and more interesting percussive ideas will really help this piece. Right now it's pretty repetitive (which I understand is a tenent of the genre, but this piece is too repetitive).

Needs more ideas.

NO