OCRA-0020 - Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening: Threshold of a Dream

[Bahamut]

Post your thoughts on the album here!

NOTE: As it says in the Read Me: Lossless versions were not available for "Lucidic," "Villa," and "Eagle Tower." Hence the MP3s in the FLAC folder to fill in the gaps.

[KyleJCrb]

I'm enjoying the first half of the first song RIGHT NOW!

[The Joker]

... I'm totally not on the Artists page :(

Other than that, I"m super stoked!

[Chernabogue]

Yeah, enjoying the first song now! Congrats to prophetik and other artists for the release! :nicework:

[djpretzel]

... I'm totally not on the Artists page :(

Other than that, I"m super stoked!

Don't know how that happened, I used what I've got. You're associated with the album in our database, FYI. If you can get me a bio ASAP, that'd be rockin'...

[KyleJCrb]

This album is very relaxing. Not the direction most people think of when they think of Zelda, but I think that just makes the project all the better.

[urdailywater]

On the 4th song so far. This is sooo good. So freakin good!

Thank you so much all the artists involved. Thank you so much.

[The Joker]

Don't know how that happened, I used what I've got. You're associated with the album in our database, FYI. If you can get me a bio ASAP, that'd be rockin'...

Hm. Prophetik had the bio... I have no idea what I originally had on it. I guess, just put "Made track 7" as my bio.

[KyleJCrb]

Steal the bio from the SoS site: http://tales.ocremix.org/staff.html#joker

[prophetik music]

Don't know how that happened, I used what I've got. You're associated with the album in our database, FYI. If you can get me a bio ASAP, that'd be rockin'...

durr, i got your bio, and thought i'd put it in the list. don't know how that happened. forward what you had to djp and he'll get you in.

dave, is it in the bios.txt file that i included in the original .rar of everything?

that said, hooray! finally!

[Calebyte]

... I'm totally not on the Artists page :(

Just checked the bio file. Totally my fault, I just forgot to add it to the artists page. I don't know how I missed you. I'm so sorry. :(

Should be an easy fix though!

[Hylian Lemon]

The album has a very cohesive sound without getting boring. Lots of interesting soundscapes. There were a few surprises in there, too. Congrats on the release, finally! :)

(Brad, you're not allowed to think the final battle theme is pathetic)

[RDX]

i bet its good

[LordPhillock]

FINALLY! I dance in joy and delight at this release.

[ZeldaStrife]

I am in the process of putting it my iTunes, and I am so excited. I love albums, and this is just too much--we had DKC2 earlier in the semester, just a few months ago, and now not only is this a new album it's a ZELDA ALBUM, my favorite video game series. SO looking forward to this.

Thank you so much to all who worked on this sure-to-be-beautiful album.

just put on the first track and I am loving this already. totally brings one in the surroundings of Koholint Island. I am not as familiar with LA as I am with other Zelda games, but the music has always intrigued me.

I am applauding all of you who worked on this. Worth the wait.

Thanks!!

[redshojin]

Bad ass... on the second track now. It's going to keep going this strong, I just know it, and that's a very good thing.

[BLUamnEsiac]

Finally, it's out! Currently copying it over to my iPod as I type this. Great job you guys!

[BardicKnowledge]

Congratulations to everyone involved! Going to listen to this while I'm at work today.

[Rexy]

I'm so glad to see it all come together at last! Don't think I'll be able to make the listening party tho, but I shall still check out the album tonight. For now, way to go everyone on a job well done :D

[AMT]

Sweet! Downloading now, can't wait to hear this :D

[SubNormal J3]

w00t!!! This is gonna be amazing.

[OA]

Classy website - props to Caleb! :-)

[liquid wind]

oh snap OCR's duke nukem forever actually came out

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE

j/k I love this so far, good shit everyone. happy to see zelda finally get a finished OCR project

[avaris]

Nice work dudes! ;)

[prophetik music]

=D wertfqjertwert

[Daniel Rydell]

Some of the files in the torrent under the FLAC folder are MP3's.

Edit: You know that. My bad; don't listen to me.

[Ten19]

Really enjoyed working on this and the other tracks are absolutely fantastic. I think the desired atmospheric result was definitely achieved.

Big thanks to prophetik and the other artists and staff for finally getting this awesome project to completion :smile:

[prophetik music]

Some of the files in the torrent under the FLAC folder are MP3's.

=) all just related to how old some of the files are. most people didn't think about lossless five years ago on this board.

[KyleJCrb]

The website really is nice, though I'm not sure how I like the content being stuffed off to the extreme right on a widescreen monitor. It'd probably be fine if I had a standard monitor, but it looks weird on my setup.

[Dhsu]

So hey this Mabe Village piano arrangement sounds pretty familiar lol.

[evktalo]

All right, I finished the first listen-through (sans bonus tracks), and I liked it! I enjoyed most of the tracks, and the genre/mood frame was very successful. Thank you for the album! I will be listening to it.

--Eino

[prophetik music]

The website really is nice, though I'm not sure how I like the content being stuffed off to the extreme right on a widescreen monitor. It'd probably be fine if I had a standard monitor, but it looks weird on my setup.

minimalism.

[ebuch]

This is good stuff.. thank you! :-)

[jmr]

I'm only part of the way through my first listen now, but... wow. Just wow.

Did you hear that thunk a few moments ago? That was the sound of my jaw hitting the floor.

Way to knock this out of the park, guys. I'm very impressed.

[ebuch]

Great stuff! Glad to see OCR's first Zelda album! :grin:

[RDX]

i bet its goodim on the first song so far, and damn, man. as someone said somewhere else, um, this is good.

final impressions will come in approximately one hour

edit: holy wow animal counterpoint. this album is making me dislike many previous ocr albums i was mostly indifferent to. hell this album is defining what an album really should be.

wow

minor grips so far:
threshold of a dream should've been first
i dont think prophetik should've put up descriptions for each tracks. personally i would've just laid the track out to the listener and let them think of it for themselves. but that's just me.

[Swann]

Thank you so much. I know I'll enjoy this for years to come.

[prophetik music]

edit: holy wow animal counterpoint. this album is making me dislike many previous ocr albums i was mostly indifferent to. hell this album is defining what an album really should be.

wow

listen to that one on repeat for an hour or two. it gets really, really, really trippy quickly.

minor grips so far:
threshold of a dream should've been first
i dont think prophetik should've put up descriptions for each tracks. personally i would've just laid the track out to the listener and let them think of it for themselves. but that's just me.

i felt that theophany's track set the tone of the album the best. and i felt bad making my track first when i had five of them, plus a bonus, plus having major input on development on another two or three, on the project already.

as for descriptions, i've always wanted to do that. not everyone can attend the listening party. and you can just not read it, too =)

[Benjamin Briggs]

downloaded, seeding, and itunes'd

:D

[RDX]

yeah i ended up not reading them eventually (im still not done with the album, im halfway through)

call me odd but i totally got a dark side of the moon vibe from certain parts of the album. and one thing i love about dsotm is that you can technically take some of the trippier songs on that album and interpret it in your own fashion. there's an official interpretation for each track, but it's interesting to read and hear what people think each track and the ordering of the album was supposed to convey. but that's just me. im probably the only one who was reminded of dark side.

[Geneson]

edit: holy wow animal counterpoint. this album is making me dislike many previous ocr albums i was mostly indifferent to. hell this album is defining what an album really should be

Ditto to all three points here. This album is a gem. Most surprising is how consistent the quality is throughout even though some of the tracks are separated by several years.

The tracks that made me go 'wow' on first listen were Lucidic, Animal Counterpoint, Spare Key, and House of Frogs. But it's meant to be listened to as a whole, and I will indeed save it for a pensive rainy day. Thanks for making this!

[BardicKnowledge]

I listened to the entire album once today by Audiosurfing it, stealing all of the Pro high scores with my favorite "car", Vegas. Woot!

Seriously though, playing tracks that are mostly uphill and high traffic is awesome. You get a sense of flow when playing audiosurf that isn't immediately apparent otherwise.

Great great work to everyone involved again!

[WillRock]

I gotta say, when I first saw the genre restrictions in place for this album, I was very skeptical. However, you guys have come up with a pretty solid and enjoyable album, altho its not without its down points.

I've gotta say that I particularly enjoyed the first 4 tracks, fish and prophets collab, and bens tal tal heights mix. Other were good, some were meh, and overall an inconsistency of remixer experience levels and some tracks being considerably older than others did hurt the overall package slightly.
Overall a solid album tho, and very well done to the people involved, and to prophetik for directing it :D


One thing I've been wanting to ask about this however (separate to my thoughts on the album as a whole) - there was some tracks where I didn't here the sources of the tracks at all, and I know the OST better than any other. One that I found particularly to be far from the source was prophetik's animal counterpoint - which while it was a cool minimalist/additive experimental track, I didn't hear anything relating to that theme at all... I wondered where the source in that track was prophetik, because it sounds like you just recorded some random sax ostinatos, layered them together and stuck the animal village name on it, which doesn't really constitute as a remix in my book :P

[Dhsu]

As far as I can tell the source doesn't become recognizable until 2:05 -- it's the sax panned to the left.

[evktalo]

I can't comment on the source, but came to post that I think Animal Counterpoint is crazy awesome!!

--Eino

[liquid wind]

yeah i ended up not reading them eventually (im still not done with the album, im halfway through)

call me odd but i totally got a dark side of the moon vibe from certain parts of the album. and one thing i love about dsotm is that you can technically take some of the trippier songs on that album and interpret it in your own fashion. there's an official interpretation for each track, but it's interesting to read and hear what people think each track and the ordering of the album was supposed to convey. but that's just me. im probably the only one who was reminded of dark side.

I wasn't specifically reminded of it but I could see it. I was really reminded of relics of the chozo here, although it doesn't go as far as to fade in/out tracks, it's stylistic consistency creates a similar sense of being a single entity rather than a random collection of remixes, very nice.

[prophetik music]

One thing I've been wanting to ask about this however (separate to my thoughts on the album as a whole) - there was some tracks where I didn't here the sources of the tracks at all, and I know the OST better than any other. One that I found particularly to be far from the source was prophetik's animal counterpoint - which while it was a cool minimalist/additive experimental track, I didn't hear anything relating to that theme at all... I wondered where the source in that track was prophetik, because it sounds like you just recorded some random sax ostinatos, layered them together and stuck the animal village name on it, which doesn't really constitute as a remix in my book :P

not quite. i'm actually a little offended that you think that i'd do something like that. just because it's not blatantly obvious what the remix melody is doesn't mean that i just made something up.

i practiced something called additive minimalism in this piece - also known as pointillism. basically, the melody isn't in one specific instrument, but it swings between lots of different instruments, each playing one or two notes. so, while the melody is played in full by the first soprano sax right before the chords come back in - eighths D A, 16ths D E F# G eighths A D, one measure of 3/4, basically - it's played by the first three soprano saxes right as soon as they come in and play their section of the ostinado fully.

if you'd all like, i can post an annotated score that explains where it's coming from, and where the melody shows up. but rest assured - if animal counterpoint was in 3/4, this is what it'd sound like. it's only one bar of 4/4 music repeated endlessly in-game, anyways.

like i said to some other people - LISTEN. this project wasn't meant to be like other projects, where a five-year-old can listen and pick out the tune. it's meant to be more introspective, requiring active listening. i thought that i was actually a little too obvious with the theme in AC, so if you're not picking it up even then, i guess i was wrong :<

[Bahamut]

I really like what has been done here - this is the artiest album done in the community so far, and I think it does it quite well. The flow is excellent, and the slow ponderous moodiness really comes through just right.

Great job by everyone here!

[liquid wind]

speaking of art I've already posted a few places that I love the music but the artwork is nice too, using one of the wallpapers that came with it : )

[nebyoolae]

The Steve Reich-inspired piece really threw me for a loop the first time it came on. More minimalism needs to be harnessed for video game remixes.

[DarkeSword]

Moved all the comments from the press release thread to this thread.

Great job on the album guys. Some real gems, specifically Ben Briggs's stuff.

[prophetik music]

The Steve Reich-inspired piece really threw me for a loop the first time it came on. More minimalism needs to be harnessed for video game remixes.

pressure does build creativity =)

[Mustin]

Fuck dude I JUST NOW realized that prophetik = the prophet of mephisto = Brad Burr

Just use your names, holmes! It has two Bs and that's tight!

Anyway, listening through the project and it was this Face Shrine track that made me figure out who this is.

Cool beans.

[Mirby]

Haven't heard it yet, but when I do listen to it there'll be a review written.

[WillRock]

not quite. i'm actually a little offended that you think that i'd do something like that. just because it's not blatantly obvious what the remix melody is doesn't mean that i just made something up.



Sorry I offended you, that wasn't my intention, but there is no need to be offended if I say I can't hear the source in one of your remixes. I just stated what it sounds like to me, I never said thats what you actually did ;)

You shouldn't be so defensive, i'm not trying to discredit you in any way :P

That said, even with your explanation I can't hear the source, even when I'm looking for it, and I assure you I've listened to this quite extensively. I know you used additive minimalism, I don't need to be told what that is, but I don't hear the source in any of your recorded sax parts, together or not. Might be the 3/4 (6/8? hard to tell where the accent on the beat is) time sig throwing me off as well. It doesn't bother me too much because its a cool track, I just wish I could hear the source that you insist is in the mix, because its a sweet track that imo could have been sweeter with clearer source usage :)

[PROTO·DOME]

Fantastic, cohesive album. You could've had either chippy happiness or the dreamy quality you went for and, IMO, this tributes the game's vibe perfectly. Really exploits the potential those simplistic three-track tunes had to offer. This album will hopefully influence others for years to come.

Also, Brad, enviable sax playing man.

[Dhsu]

By the way I feel I should elaborate on my earlier post. I don't know if Xenon Odyssey discussed his track with anyone, but it was based off of a short WIP (http://ocremix.org/forums/showpost.php?p=520796&postcount=1213) I posted in the project thread. I did explicitly give permission for anyone else to expand on my work, but I guess I assumed it was implicit that I would be given credit.

I don't want to make this a big deal (because it isn't IMO), but mainly I don't want to be accused of plagiarism when I actually finish my WIP. :P Xenon and I discussed it a little and figured the appropriate thing to do would be to change the artist tag on the MP3 to include me. I realize that it would probably be a giant hassle to actually fix the torrent, but I'd appreciate it if I were credited at least in the track notes and direct download MP3s. Hopefully that's not too much to ask.

[Mustin]

Yeah, that took me out of the moment because I loved Dhsu's WIP and then I heard some if it in a track on the project and I had to look down and see what it was.

anyway


WHO IS MIKU? CAN I COMMISSION A WHOLE PROJECT FROM HE/SHE/IT?

Hands down my favorite track on the album.

[Dhsu]

http://ocremix.org/artist/4583/miku

Also made a Majora's Mask arrangement I really liked but unfortunately never got accepted.

Edit: Dude you're wrong this sloopygoop track is one of the best things I've ever heard.

[ZeldaStrife]

WHO IS MIKU? CAN I COMMISSION A WHOLE PROJECT FROM HE/SHE/IT?

Hands down my favorite track on the album.

Holy pink pagodas, Batman, I know! I looked at the artists when I put it in iTunes, and when I got to Miku, I was like, "Never heard of you, but okay." and then I heard it and I was blown away! So, yeah, Miku, wherever you are, do more stuff!!

Edit: upon seeing Dhsu below comment, another alias that Miku has is Kimchi. He/she did another remix from LA: Secret Seashells. it's here on OCR.

[prophetik music]

That said, even with your explanation I can't hear the source, even when I'm looking for it, and I assure you I've listened to this quite extensively. I know you used additive minimalism, I don't need to be told what that is, but I don't hear the source in any of your recorded sax parts, together or not. Might be the 3/4 (6/8? hard to tell where the accent on the beat is) time sig throwing me off as well. It doesn't bother me too much because its a cool track, I just wish I could hear the source that you insist is in the mix, because its a sweet track that imo could have been sweeter with clearer source usage :)

i'll have to post an image at some point. i took out beat 4 from the original one-measure thing, which gives me the melodic phrase i used for this piece. i raised the first beat up an octave to condense it into one octave. then i broke it up and spread it out between the first three saxophones to enter - all soprano saxes.

an image will make it make sense, i think. but this is the point where i point out that it's not supposed to me a mix that beats you over the head with the (really terrible) source. it's supposed to be subtle. if you don't like it, well, that's why the whole album isn't this kind of minimalism :<

Fuck dude I JUST NOW realized that prophetik = the prophet of mephisto = Brad Burr

Just use your names, holmes! It has two Bs and that's tight!

Anyway, listening through the project and it was this Face Shrine track that made me figure out who this is.

Cool beans.

=D sorry for the confusion, man.

also, miku and sloopygoop's tracks were fantastic. i was so disappointed when miku wasn't able to finish his arrangement due to extenuating circumstances.

sloopygoop is a guy i went to college with. totally just pulled that track out of nowhere. i had no idea he was even into chiptunes =)

[Liontamer]

By the way I feel I should elaborate on my earlier post. I don't know if Xenon Odyssey discussed his track with anyone, but it was based off of a short WIP (http://ocremix.org/forums/showpost.php?p=520796&postcount=1213) I posted in the project thread. I did explicitly give permission for anyone else to expand on my work, but I guess I assumed it was implicit that I would be given credit.

I don't want to make this a big deal (because it isn't IMO), but mainly I don't want to be accused of plagiarism when I actually finish my WIP. :P Xenon and I discussed it a little and figured the appropriate thing to do would be to change the artist tag on the MP3 to include me. I realize that it would probably be a giant hassle to actually fix the torrent, but I'd appreciate it if I were credited at least in the track notes and direct download MP3s. Hopefully that's not too much to ask.

BAH! That does blow finding that out afterward, but when I have more time, I'll look into it. audio fidelity had a skip in the FLAC for his Teen Agent track that we had to fix, it's nothing new. Bummer though.

[prophetik music]

BAH! That does blow finding that out afterward, but when I have more time, I'll look into it. audio fidelity had a skip in the FLAC for his Teen Agent track that we had to fix, it's nothing new. Bummer though.

i only just found out about it as well =(

[Dhsu]

Thanks guys, and sorry it came up so late. I appreciate your understanding.

[Benjamin Briggs]

not quite. i'm actually a little offended that you think that i'd do something like that. just because it's not blatantly obvious what the remix melody is doesn't mean that i just made something up.

i practiced something called additive minimalism in this piece - also known as pointillism. basically, the melody isn't in one specific instrument, but it swings between lots of different instruments, each playing one or two notes. so, while the melody is played in full by the first soprano sax right before the chords come back in - eighths D A, 16ths D E F# G eighths A D, one measure of 3/4, basically - it's played by the first three soprano saxes right as soon as they come in and play their section of the ostinado fully.

if you'd all like, i can post an annotated score that explains where it's coming from, and where the melody shows up. but rest assured - if animal counterpoint was in 3/4, this is what it'd sound like. it's only one bar of 4/4 music repeated endlessly in-game, anyways.

like i said to some other people - LISTEN. this project wasn't meant to be like other projects, where a five-year-old can listen and pick out the tune. it's meant to be more introspective, requiring active listening. i thought that i was actually a little too obvious with the theme in AC, so if you're not picking it up even then, i guess i was wrong :<
yeah, the whole "you guys are deaf" argument isn't doing it for me here :P

I mean, I believe you, but seriously it's impossible for me to pick out the theme no matter how many times I "actively" listen to it

that being said, I really like the track... it just isn't nostalgic for me at all

[prophetik music]

yeah, the whole "you guys are deaf" argument isn't doing it for me here :P

:< LOL!

not all arrangements have to be nostalgic. music can be written for the sake of writing music, not just to appeal to the masses.

honestly, i wish that there were more higher-level remixes rather than the midirip+groovebias stuff that often ends up on albums to fill the holes.

edit: i do know what you're talking about, though. the remix is note-for-note - but because i reduced it, changed some octaves, and used something as weird and non-traditional as pointillism on it, it's hard to hear. i promise you'll hear it if you plunk those notes i listed out on a keyboard, though.

[JaDE ARaN HaRuNo]

Enjoying the album so far... I just wanted to ask... How could Mokram's song not get posted? That's just insane and it blows my mind.

[Xenon Odyssey]

Larry I sent you a PM about the Dhsu credit thing so since it's been posted here (which is another thing I didn't think about...clearly the end of the semester is rotting my head), you can ignore it when/if you ever get around to looking through your inbox.

also, hopefully i'll get around to listening to this thing! can't wait

[halc]

honestly, i wish that there were more higher-level remixes rather than the midirip+groovebias stuff that often ends up on albums to fill the holes.

that's a generalization. all of the most recent albums (FF5, DKC2, FF4), have had plenty of 'high-level' arrangements with detail and depth that reimagine the song in a totally different way but still manage to keep the tune recognizable to those who may be familiar with the material. if anything, I feel like we see more liberal stuff than super-conservative groove bias, but maybe that's just me. :/

anyway, listened to the album last night. loving Full Moon Cello, Threshold of a Dream, and Voices of the Deep, as well as Ben's tracks, of course. oh, and sloopygoop's chiptune was epic :D

[Dhsu]

that's a generalization. all of the most recent albums (FF5, DKC2, FF4), have had plenty of 'high-level' arrangements with detail and depth that reimagine the song in a totally different way but still manage to keep the tune recognizable to those who may be familiar with the material. if anything, I feel like we see more liberal stuff than super-conservative groove bias, but maybe that's just me. :/
But they don't have enough SAX. :D

[halc]

But they don't have enough SAX. :D

hahaha. true dat. :P

[Liontamer]

:< LOL!

not all arrangements have to be nostalgic. music can be written for the sake of writing music, not just to appeal to the masses.

honestly, i wish that there were more higher-level remixes rather than the midirip+groovebias stuff that often ends up on albums to fill the holes.

edit: i do know what you're talking about, though. the remix is note-for-note - but because i reduced it, changed some octaves, and used something as weird and non-traditional as pointillism on it, it's hard to hear. i promise you'll hear it if you plunk those notes i listed out on a keyboard, though.

I'm with Dhsu. At 2:05 once all the pieces are (finally) in place, the theme is basically 1-for-1 sans the last note of the phrase. The theme also overlaps with itself, which also might be throwing you off.

honestly, i wish that there were more higher-level remixes rather than the midirip+groovebias stuff that often ends up on albums to fill the holes.
As halc mentioned, that's not even remotely accurate.

[prophetik music]

As halc mentioned, that's not even remotely accurate.

my definition of midirip + groovebias is undoubtably different than yours, considering three of my rejections were note-for-note transcriptions that got the "too liberal" nod. and yes, i was talking projects as in OCRA-0001 through 0019, not necessarily recent projects only. i thought ff4 did a good job, particularly, of avoiding that issue. but let's not get off track :<

thanks so far for all the positive feedback, folks =) it's great to hear that people are really enjoying the concept of this album.

don't forget that there's a listening party coming up on sunday!

[Liontamer]

my definition of midirip + groovebias is undoubtably different than yours, considering three of my rejections were note-for-note transcriptions that got the "too liberal" nod.

Orly? Rattle 'em off and PM me some MP3s. :-P

[Rexy]

Depending on the time, I *might* make the Sunday party. :)

But yeah, managed to listen through to the whole set twice so far. Though, yesterday I was informed that Pepsi, one of my cats, had passed away in her sleep; assuming that Aetherius originally invisioned the album as "something to listen to on a rainy day", the aftermath was used as the backdrop for the second listen.

And let me say right here and now; "House of Frogs" at the end was the one that *finally* got me moved. I may have thought some of the solos in the middle might've killed the mood slightly, but if the tailends of the track got me to crumble, then it was obvious that Brad and Fishy managed to pull off something really pretty for the most part. Well done to both of you :)

[POCKETMAN]

Awesome work guys! Been waiting for this one for awhile :)

[Swanky]

Took me a while to listen through the album a few times, but all I can say is... wow. This is a very cohesive and well-made album in all regards.
There are a lot of stand-out tracks and moments, like the flute / orchestra clash in the woods or the extremely laid-back saxophone passages in the house of frogs. There are probably lesser appreciated tracks on the album as well, but that may be because of the source tunes. All in all nicely made, easy to dive in, atmospheric music. Thanks a lot! :)

[J_Darnley]

NOTE: As it says in the Read Me: Lossless versions were not available for "Lucidic," "Villa," and "Eagle Tower." Hence the MP3s in the FLAC folder to fill in the gaps.

How is that possible? I thought you guys got wave files for submissions

[prophetik music]

those three tracks are either too old (lucidic's computer got run over by a car before the wav was rendered, villa's files got stolen with my computer 2007) or weren't recorded in wav (miku's track).

stuff like this happens with really old tracks. it's unfortunate, but at least we got all but one primary track in lossless =)

[Calebyte]

lucidic's computer got run over by a car before the wav was rendered

Woah....that's a bummer.. :shock:

[Mirby]

DISC 1 - MAIN ALBUM

1. Theophany - Full Moon Cello (The Tail Cave) 5:49
Peaceful at first, befitting the intro track to the album. Bells or something come in at about 0:20, and then the main intstrumentation at about 0:28. Strings at 0:46 elaborate on the basic rhythm already created. More strings at about 1:09. The mood is set quite beautifully by the strings and bells. Quick breakdown like in the source at about 2:10. Drums come in at about 2:25, along with bass a few seconds later. More breakdown at about 3:00, this time distinct from the source. Main melody returns at 3:40 for a second, then violin comes in at about 3:45. The melody takes a life of its own at about 4:09 with a beautiful fashion. At 4:28 all the instruments come in for a truly beautiful buildup to the finale, which begins at 5:10 or so. It all ends suddenly and only bells and bass remain at 5:29 to end.

2. Benjamin Briggs - Lucidic (Koholint Island) 3:23
The artist formerly known as chthonic makes his mark known immediately. Buildup until 0:32, when some nice peaceful and semi-ethereal instrumentation come in. Briggs' basic style comes in at 1:16 or so, and demonstrates his love for this soundtrack (seriously, listen to It's My Turn to Dream and you'll see what I mean). Main melody returns at 1:50. Breakdown at 2:10 or so, with more of his style and touch. True remix comes in at 2:38. Fadeout beginning at about 3:05, with spacey instruments to end.

3. Level 99, prophetik - Threshold of a Dream (Title) 3:14
Stevo's acoustic sexiness begins the track immediately, with a rain sound effect backing at first. Violin comes in at about 0:48, adding to the beauty. Shakers at about 1:10 add to the atmosphere, and the guitar evolves into an electric one at 1:29 to truly amp up the listening experience. Drums appear with it, and a nice remix breakdown comes in at 2:09 or so. A truly atmospheric and beautiful peace, with the finale beginning at 2:57, consisting of the rain and the violin.

4. Iggy Koopa - Oceanfront View (House) 2:23
Piano begins immediately. A beautiful track, reminiscent of Shnabubula's work on Voices of the Lifestream, is found here. A short one, but a classic.

5. prophetik - Animal Counterpoint (Animal Village) 5:00
Here there be electronica; reminiscent of an odd 80s space movie soundtrack, part of the melody comes in at 1:24, after an odd effect that repeats. The instrumentation chosen is eccentric, but it fits the village the source tune plays in. It keeps building slowly but surely, until 3:25 when it starts to get a bit intense. This track is a bit strange, but in a purely enjoyable fashion. The source is recognizable, but it's hidden under all the bizarre music. The song ends suddenly at 4:57.

6. Ten19 - The Wind Outside (The Egg) 4:20
A bizarre and creepy source track gets an upgrade here, with spooky sound effects that sound like they came from the Shadow Temple in Ocarina of Time and ambience that chills the spine. 1:11 starts the main melody. 1:52 brings in a break with heartbeats or something... 2:11 heralds the return of the main melody. More melody comes in at about 3:15. Ambience from 3:50 to end, with melody.

7. The Joker - Evigilo Inserpatus (Dream Shrine) 4:26
A beautiful soundscape comes in here, with echoing piano at about 0:25. Drums come in at 1:04, complete with echoing. Powerful ambience comes in at 1:20 or so, creating a dreamscape with the soundscape. Somewhat haunting effects are interspersed within the track to accompany all the music to give a complete package here. Breakdown at 2:50, shattering the dream, albeit momentarily. Everything returns at 3:17, bringing with it a dark feeling that ups the ante considerably and gives the song itself that much more emotion. Breakdown at 4:00 until end.

8. Benjamin Briggs - Climb My Mountain, This High (Tal Tal Heights) 3:40
Chth's second track on the album (he changed his name, I'm still calling him that) is just as great as the first. Giving a mellow feel to the track with his champion chiptune expertise, the music comes in right away, and explodes at 1:03 with raw chippy power. A pretty sweet breakdown begins at about 1:22. The song has its own energy, infectious in its old-school style and sound. Briggs took the source, got an idea, and ran with it. Good thing too; this track is awesome. The main rhythm comes in at about 2:45. The music is drowned out by the bass from 3:15 to about 3:35, when it stops.

9. Sound Test - Spare Key (Key Cavern) 3:55
A haunting track, consisting of piano and space age sounds. Main melody comes in about 0:50. There are some nice breakdowns along the way, with what sounds like the boss theme thrown in at about 2:10. It sounds like a bunch of radio sounds are thrown in too, which adds to the atmosphere. Raw power comes in at 3:10, and ends suddenly right on time at 3:52.

10. Dj Mokram - Fierce Melancholy of the Woods (Mysterious Forest) 4:30
What sounds like a pan flute starts the track with the famous Zelda theme, and then piano comes in with what sounds like the Ballad of the Wind Fish. Strings come in at about 0:48 with what sounds like Tal Tal Height's main rhythm. The flutes come in at about 1:10 with the main mysterious groove of the forest. At 1:35 the flutes come in, and there's a beat that adds drama and energy to the track. The strings come in with force at about 2:10, with another melody at 2:30. The same raw energy he showed on Essence of Lime is present in this track. Peace comes in at 3:20. A cool rhythm comes in at 3:55 or so, and kicks off the finale of the track. The end begins at 4:20.

11. Artem Bank - Liftin' Them Pots (The Bottle Grotto) 4:10
Ambience kicks the track off, and the main rhythm on bass comes in at about 0:32. Piano comes in at 1:20. Guitar comes in at 1:57, adding to the atmosphere of the track. More intstrumentation comes in at 2:30 or so, building the raw emotional energy already present in the track. Some cool guitar comes in at about 3:00, and continues until about 3:35 when the music calms down and the ambience carries the track to its end at 4:05.

12. prophetik - Facies Templum (Face Shrine) 4:50
As with other tracks on this album, ambience kicks the track off, this one interspersed with strumming. At 0:39, saxophone comes in. 1:18 shows the start of the main track. Mr. Burr demonstrates his skill with the wind instruments. 1:58 shows some piano that really elaborates on the feeling of the source, which always was a bit melancholy and somewhat spooky. Sax returns at 2:38 or so. A very mellow listening experience can be found here, beautiful in its elegance and simplicity. More atmosphere comes in at 3:50, and even more at 4:08. Tears almost started to flow; bravo, Bradley Burr. Bravo.

13. Dafydd - Sköldpaddsklippan (Turtle Rock) 4:07
The track begins immediately with the main rhythm. Drumbeat comes in at 0:30. The track continually builds up until 1:17, when some power appears behind the basic rhythm. Bass beats back the track up. The bass vanishes at 2:30, but the main rhythm remains intact. Strings come in at 2:40 or so, with a building sense and then piano at 2:57 or so to show off the main part of the track. 3:28 brings back the part of the track the played for the majority of it and plays that until the final ten seconds, which add a finishing touch to the track.

14. Xenon Odyssey - Sunrise in Mabe (Mabe Village) 4:08
A basic piano rendition of this beautiful source. This mix is just as beautiful as said source, so something was definitely done correctly. The Ballad of the Wind Fish appears here as well, starting at about 2:10. Fitting for this album, as that was basically the main musical theme of the game.

15. Lashmush - Beneath (Shadow Battles) 3:30
The final battle mix starts out with menacing ambience. Some nice beats come in at about 0:50 that do nothing but add to the menacing feel. 1:58 brings in more menace. The ambience present in this track actually reminds of a few tracks from the Crash Bandicoot soundtrack. 2:40 brings in more feel to the track. 3:20 brings in a roar that is just scary..

16. Rexy - The Feather's Reflection (Eagle's Tower) 5:19
A nice piano rendition by Rexy, the thing she is known for the most. 1:28 brings in more of the source. 2:28 shows another part of the main rhythm. The track continues to build and expand into something more awesome and more beautiful, just like with Mario's Hazy Beach Holiday. It slows down at 4:03 or so. It goes back to basics at about 4:40.

17. prophetik - Voices of the Deep (Catfish's Maw) 3:09
Bells come in at 0:20. Ambience plays throughout, and whistling comes in at about 0:50. More instrumentation comes in at about 1:10 or so. Everything keeps building, just like in the previous track. A very mellow track on the whole here.

18. Sound Test - The Vision of the Wind Fish (Ballad of the Wind Fish) 6:09
A very odd beginning, with vocals and crazy ambience. The sounds used for the main melody (one of my all time favorites) is ethereal and awesome. There is a lot going on here, and it's all good. A drumbeat begins at about 1:55 and carries the track a bit further. 2:27 brings in a different style of music, reminiscent of Joshua Morse almost. There's even a running water sound effect that's present in two of his tracks (that I know of). His voice comes in at 3:35 or so, and describes the game's finale. Some awesome electronic sound effects accompany this, and bring the ballad back in. 4:50 or so shows the credits theme in a chippy happy rendition. More vocals at 5:40, heralding the coming end of the track. They end at 5:57, and the water sound effect comes in with seagulls cawing.

19. prophetik, Fishy - House of Frogs (Richard's Villa) 3:48
Some pretty beautiful guitar starts out the song, along with some nice saxophone. A nice ending to the album; great collaboration between Burr and McCormack. Cain breaks out a solo at about 1:50 that just sounds awesome, with Brad accompanying in masterful fashion. Some awesome double woodwind action at about 2:45 or so. These play until about 3:19, when simple acoustic guitar takes over until the end.

[Mirby]

(continued from previous post)

DISC 2 - BONUS TRACKS

1. Sound Test - The Beginning of the Tail (The Tail Cave) 4:21
Our second Tail Cave remix comes from Sound Test, who quickly became the zyko of this album. It's pretty nice, and mellow. Drama starts to build at about 0:59. It calms down at 1:37, and more odd instrumentation comes in. Everything starts to build again at about 2:33, and is replaced by more ambience. Crazy music comes in at 3:20. It crashes at 3:50, and ends suddenly at about 4:15.

2. sloopygoop - I Don't Know Who I Am Anymore (Player Select) 7:56
The longest track is, quite fittingly given the game of origin, a chiptune. Great work considering the short source. The ZELDA activated salsa remix comes in at about 0:50. 1:18 brings on sloopygoop's own take. 1:35 adds more to the track. 1:57 throws in another style, and 2:00 brings in a very odd take on the track, which is quite dramatic. 3:00 brings in a circus version in its happiness and eccentricity. The director's comments are quite accurate in that this is "generally just eight minutes of awesome." 4:15 brings in yet another style, after demonstrating it in waltz tempo. 5:06 is the mark for yet another change of style, once again using the salsa remix already present in the game. It calms down at about 5:45, with an almost straight copy of the source, and 5:57 expands it once more. 6:28 brings about a return to the source. It slows and stops at 6:45, and is silent until 7:03, when it kicks back in with a very basic and simple remix of the source that plays until the 7:40 when it starts to fade.

3. Obtuse - This Cave Is Creepy (The Tail Cave) 3:56
The final Tail Cave remix is from Obtuse, alias Andrew Struve. The rain sound effect works, and the instrumentation works for the creepy vibe that the title portrays. Thunder roars at 0:50, and some violin comes in to back up the creepy feeling. The tension continually builds up until about 2:09, when everything pretty much stops, and more of the melody is explored. More thunder at 2:57, with basic melody explored thereafter. Violin returns at about 3:20, and the song ends with a high note at 3:47 or so.

4. prophetik, PriZm - Villa (Richard's Villa) 3:37
The original version of House of Frogs is right here. As with the remade version featuring Fishy, the beginning starts out beautifully. PriZm's guitar solo at 1:36 is definitely different than Fishy's, but classic PriZm instead. Very reminiscent of his work on Summoning of Spirits; certain parts of Final Destination, in particular. The dual woodwinds at about 2:35 are just as beautiful. Very basic guitar at 3:10 until the end, just like in Fishy's version.

5. Mustin - Inception (Shadow Battles) 4:06
The title of this track no doubt refers to the connection between dreams and the recent film of the same name. Very funky; would fit in on an album with Mysterious Groove on it. Excellent work by Mustin; no surprise there. Chiptune sounds at about 1:11 work with the track. A phenomenal remix right here. A bit of a solo begins at about 1:40. 2:20 brings in The Egg's melody for more elaboration. The funkiness is prevalent throughout the track. Some ambience comes in at about 3:05, but only for a few seconds. It returns at 3:15, and vanishes again at 3:22. It returns once more at about 3:26, and fades for a quick false ending at 3:37. The song ends suddenly at 3:56.

6. Miku - Eagle Tower (Eagle's Tower) 3:44
A beautiful piano rendition similar to Rexy's work on the album proper. The main melody comes in at 0:22. The source is continually built upon in elegant fashion. The main source returns at about 1:50 in all its beauty. Everything slows down at 3:10, and continues in the same manner until the end at about 3:39.

CONCLUSION
Given the album's long history (having originally begun in 2002 with an attempt to remix all 96 tracks present in the game's sound file, then dying shortly after, coming back again again in 2005, dying again in 2007, and reviving one last time in 2008), one would think this album might never have been completed. Instead, it has become the Zero of OCR's albums, persevering even through death to come to its completion. And it's a good thing it has; the 19 tracks on the album are phenomenal, all staying within a restriction and doing it with style and aplomb. A phenomenal listen; all tracks are covered equally and in grand fashion. The six bonus tracks are a real treat, as they give an insight into the album's history with two tracks that were replaced in the update, two that competed for the first track spot, and two that didn't meet the restrictions but were too damn good to leave out. This is a must listen for both fans of the game and the soundtrack, for fans of the musicians, and for fans of remixes in general. Stellar work from all involved, whether they're OCR regulars or total newcomers to the scene. It's an album full of firsts, and all involved have made their mark, and much like Neil Armstrong's footprint on the moon, it's not going away any time soon.

[prophetik music]

5. prophetik - Animal Counterpoint (Animal Village) 5:00
Here there be electronica; reminiscent of an odd 80s space movie soundtrack, part of the melody comes in at 1:24, after an odd effect that repeats. The instrumentation chosen is eccentric, but it fits the village the source tune plays in. It keeps building slowly but surely, until 3:25 when it starts to get a bit intense. This track is a bit strange, but in a purely enjoyable fashion. The source is recognizable, but it's hidden under all the bizarre music. The song ends suddenly at 4:57.

thanks for the awesome writeup, mirby, for the whole album =)

just a point - this was actually recorded live, by eleven saxophones. SSSSAATTTBB, if you want to know the instrumentation. it might not necessarily sound that way, but i worked my ass off to make the recording as realistic as possible - and as close to the original New York Counterpoint, written for eight soprano clarinets and three bass clarinets, which have way more dynamic contrast available to their instruments than saxes do.

edit:
the 17 tracks on the album are phenomenal

huh? do you mean 19, or are you counting two out?

[Mirby]

thanks for the awesome writeup, mirby, for the whole album =)

just a point - this was actually recorded live, by eleven saxophones. SSSSAATTTBB, if you want to know the instrumentation. it might not necessarily sound that way, but i worked my ass off to make the recording as realistic as possible - and as close to the original New York Counterpoint, written for eight soprano clarinets and three bass clarinets, which have way more dynamic contrast available to their instruments than saxes do.

edit:


huh? do you mean 19, or are you counting two out?

erp, typo. NINJA EDIT TIEM!!

[Dj Mokram]

DISC ONE Review ~ part I


01 - Full Moon Cello:

The album starts off with this beautiful and very cinematic piece from Theophany.
An appropriate use of the bells swiftly conveys the feeling of loneliness.
The strings carry the main melody with eloquence, and the underlying emotion is adequatly chaneled through the cello.
The percussion elements, in conjunction with the smooth bassline, hit the mark and keep things linked and in motion throughout the entire piece.
Clever use of the trademark 'secret' jingle in the second half of the song, which adds an extra layer of suspense and mystery, making for a pretty diversified listening experience.

02 - Lucidic:

A peaceful and mesmerizing piece, sporting a unique sound design and an intricate composition that shows a lot of though went into its creation.
Featuring an assortment of pleasant sounding synthetizers, a sweet rhodes piano, some subtle atmospheric pads and a variety of effects, the arrangement slowly manages to develop a dreamworld of its own.
Drums are also an important part of the equation, and through carefuly crafted groove, tight sequencing and precise timings, Benjamin Briggs successfully set the stage for this tribute album to link's most surreal adventure.

03 - Threshold of a Dream:

If there is a song defining this project and encapsulating its message, it's without the shadow of a doubt this collab between Prophetik and Level99.
Threshold of a Dream is probably the most moving interpretation of the main theme from the Legend of Zelda that I've ever heard.
Not only it is a magnificent tribute to one of the most iconic melody in the history of gaming, it's also a superb acoustic performance sure to captivate listeners and capture their imagination.
A tearbringing, yet truly heartwarming piece, likely set to become a monument of nostalgia among remix enthusiasts and zelda fans alike.

04 - Oceanfront View:

A short yet quite enjoyable piano arrangement from Iggy Koopa, with a distinctive touch of romantism to it.
As the piece progresses, it triggers a gradual (and monochrome) recollection of fond memories from interacting with all the wacky NPCs/support characters who made this trip to Koholint so lively and memorable.
A song that slowly but surely brings a little smile on your face, similar to the one you get while remembering good times spent in the company of old friends.

05 - Animal Counterpoint:

One cannot possibly grab the whole meaning behind a painter's masterpiece in one glance. I believe that Brad's Animal Counterpoint is one such piece.
It is possible to miss the point of this song entirely, if you only listen to it superficially, or wait for the source to be rolled in verbatim.
You just have to let it develops and maturate, give the time to all the pieces to come together, let your ears and mind get used to the taste, like a good wine.
It's a very reflective song, one that require patience, like the many trials of life that leave an indelebile mark in your memory afterwards.
A very unorthodox and truly unique gem, which is also one of the most innovative and audacious work that I've had the chance to listen to since joining the VGremix community.

06 - the Wind Outside:

With such a dramatic and sinister source (and stage), one would think that things couldn't get much shadier. Well, think again, as Ten19 manages to delve even deeper into the dark reaches of the human subconcious with his arrangement.
It's slowly building a tense atmosphere, successively adding then substracting elements, making you feel uneasy and lost (much like when you're in the Egg).
Everything seems the same but is in fact slightly different when you pay attention.
It's an interesting creative process that forces you, as a listener, to find new waypoints as the mix devellops, because it's as if the whole aural floor, ceiling and walls are constantly switching places.
The arrangement has a survival horror flair to it, and it's definitely thrilling to be able to explore yet another emotional venue.
A dark and moody piece that is certain to leave you unsettled.

07 - Eviglio Insperatus:

In a quasi Akira Yamaoka-esque melodic-ambient style, this latin named arrangement of Dream Shrine by The Joker is taking us for yet another ride down the memory lane.
With its soothing piano and angelic pads, the song begins by painting a heavenly sky filled with giant clouds and dreams.
But before long, the track switches abruptly through a tortured scream to an alternate/darker soundscape, evoking the nightmare that, unavoidably, awaits Link at the end of his quest.
Meanwhile, the industrial drums are slowly growing restless and their core sound is evolving along with the flow of events and emotions, much like the "Arm Mimics" inside the shrine, mirroring your every move.
The fractured nature of this piece and its omnipresent allusion to duality, imo marks the frontier between the world of dreams and the reality to which our hylian hero must return.
A strongly symbolic song, which should resonate with the ambivalence present in each and every person.

08 - Climb my Mountain, this High:

One of the most revered source in the entire soundtrack subsequently comes with skyhigh expectations.
But as true as no mountain is too high for Link to climb, Mr Ben Briggs (previously known as chtonic) is here to prove that no bar is set high enough to stop him.
This arrangement is a fusion of multiple genres that stylishly and seamlessly blend technicality with art the same way you can take several small gold pieces and blend them into, say... one big solid gold bar.
This song will bang you on the head with the thunder drum, throw you with one heart left from the top of Mt Tammaranch, catch you on the way down with a grappling hook, then toss you back into the sea while the Wise Owl and everyone in Mabe village call you THIEF! :D
I invite all personel to cease their current activity and succumb to the insidious groovy infection therein.
Please quickly get atop Mt Briggs to witness for yourself this thing called artistic maturity.

09 - Spare Key:

Key Cavern is notorious for two things: lots of keys and crazy ominous arpeggios! ;D
In his arrangement, Sound Test explores this in great detail as he expands on the oppressing feeling that you may run out of spare key at anytime and meet an horrible fate...
The direction makes this interpretation way crazier than the source, and the overall tone is also definitely more menacing.
The low piano in its craze is joined by some mad bass drums, ethnic percussions and a couple of random (and at time dissonant) sounds clips that are sure to give you the creeps.
You never know what to expect in the next couple of measures, and this feeling of being chased by the music rather than chasing it (by actively listening) is possibly one of the cooler concept I've experienced.
This piece has an undeniable experimental side to it that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time.

10 - Fierce Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya ~ T.o.a.D. brigade:
...
So, I have one really important question here: who the fuck let this noob ruin my childhood?!
Brad, I want my rupees back. All of them! xD

11 - Liftin' Them Pots:

Bottle Groto is, I believe, a variation on the dungeon theme from ALTTP, mixed with the regular LA cave music, which makes for a somehow bland source.
But boy oh boy: Artem Bank here sure knows how to raise the bets and turn odds in his favor.
While the track starts up relatively slow and dark, fear not, for as soon as you hear the sweet sound of the fender, greatness is about to be bestowed upon your ears.
And sure enough, that bluegrass rickenbacker style guitar comes from nowhere to kick you in the nut and get you to respect its authoritah!
This totally unexpected twist gives the arrangement a kind of rebellious feel that would almost make Link look like a cool kid... if he wasn't totally tripping about some whalefish with wings hidden in a giant ostrich egg that he have to wake up using the Kontakt 4 library. ;D
This right here is the most badass Bottle Grotto has ever sounded. Loved this trash, 'down in the mud' take on the source.
Very visceral and masterfully crafted arrangement.

12 - Facies Templum:

Here's a great exemple of how to add emotion to a fairly straightforward source.
The original Face Shrine was a dark tune containing a subtle reference to the dungeon theme from the first Legend of Zelda, which was constructed in a static way that followed a very mechanical pattern.
This arrangement shifts the focus to a much more natural and unpredictable approach, with beautiful piano phrases, peaceful strings and brass section support, and some unforgettable solos, making the best of Prophetik's instrument of choice: the saxophone.
While the song retains an underlying moody atmosphere, it now possesses this touch of melancholy and uniqueness brought forward through the effort in humanizing and harmonizing all th element of this small orchestra.
It's a moving and very personal piece that blossoms at an even pace, shining by its simple beauty, and bringing along just the right dose of nostalgia to let your mind wander while watching the raindrops rolling down the window.

13 - Sköldpaddsklippan:

This arrangement is well suited to evoke the dream aspect of the game, with its airy synths and blurry strings forming a suitably foggy soundscape. A nice round bass comes in to sweeten the deal, while the fastpaced drums accompany the listener through its oniric voyage.
The piano break coming near the end is a real treat and adds a nice layer of emotion, grounding the piece in the earth rather than letting it roam in the sky.
And this is made even more appreciable by the fact that the song had been eluding reality many times, creating this emotional void by staying above the tree line.
The date at which the remix was produced might, at first, give the impression that it would have had a hard time fitting in with more recent addition to the project.
But to the credit of both Dafydd and Prophetik, this is surprisingly not the case here.
This arrangement, much like the game, has proudly stood the test of time to see the light of the day once again.

14 - Sunrise in Mabe:

Mabe Village is yet another iconic tune that has a lot to live up to.
Xenon Odyssey, continuing the work of fellow pianist and remixer Dhsu, delivers an hommage worthy of every Links Awakening fan's praise.
The piece has a nice and distinctive jazz flavor that fits the theme like a powerbracelet, and that I personally find very compelling.
For a little over four minutes, you will drown in a whirlpool of nostalgic memories.
From the moment you had this long talk with Marin (and probably didn't realize you were playing the first portable dating simulator), to the time you thought Bow wow was going to eat you for lunch, and even that time when you walked toward the shop with the firm intention of getting a bow...despite having only 38 rupees in your pocket. :D
It will all come back to you as the arrangement takes you through a day in Mabe.
A peaceful and evocative interpretation, that will have you feel like you were there, watching the sun rises over Koholint while listening to the echoing sounds of the ocean nearby.
Best served on a cold day with a nice cup of cofee to reminisce about the fourth time you saved the world.

[Dj Mokram]

DISC ONE Review ~ part II

15 - Beneath:

Allright, so first off the Nightmare Battle is my favorite tune from the game.
It was very upbeat and entrancing, appropriately making you feel you were facing your worst nightmares.
Well, if this album was the soundtrack to the next gen remake of the game, you could look forward to stain your undies while this remix plays in the background.
Lashmush came back from the otherside with a single, powerful feeling that will engulf you and leave you an empty shell: FEAR.
As the song unfold and the tension rises, you start feeling the weight of the drums bellow you, while the ominous piano hits, as if it was shattering glass at times.
The song give birth to the uneasy sensation of being followed by something you cannot identify, feeling it as it gets closer, before suddenly vanishing.
And amidst the overwhelming darkness, something seems vaguely familiar...that's probably because it's your own shadow.
Way to play with the listeners psyche by having them face their own demons and reflect about their own fears.
Fantastic and unexpected take on the source. Very atmospheric/cinematic and definitely as sinister and haunting as one true nightmare can be.

16 - The Feather's Reflection:

The Eagle Tower was a simple tune that succeeded in building the right atmosphere slowly and consistently.
Now, nearly 20 years later, an artist armed solely with a piano and her boundnless creativity, capitalizes on the formula to make sure that this tower rises to reach new highs.
After subtle and clever cameos from other iconic tunes, the arrangement slowly moves on to the main event, and eventually ends up growing into an entity with a life and a story of its own to tell.
One that you need to sit down and listen to carefully if you don't wanna miss the important details.
What set this piece apart, is how Rexy succeeds in drawing you in, and keeping you interested through the whole piece, making you experience a rich panel of emotions in the process.
You might get lost wandering in the tower, but you'll certainly emerge from this song anew, and with a feeling of fulfillment.
It's a piece that adresses the very heart of man, with simple and utmost sincerity.
In a word: majestic.

17 - Voices of the Deep:

I've longed to listen to this arrangement ever since I first heard the tidbit included in the trailer for the album.
The remix opens with an appropriately aquatic soundscape that brings you one step closer to the ocean floor.
It has a unique atmosphere coupled with a gentle pacing that makes you feel as if things are progressively slowing down and entering a suspended animation for the duration of the song.
The interpretation is seemingly liberal but follows a straight path containing a few cool DnB/trip-hop excursions.
I love how Prophetik managed to recreate the feeling of behing underwater, with careful attention to sound design, making you feel as disoriented as one human can be while not in its natural environnment.
It's a very moody, downtempo take on Catfish's Maw, which has this incredible propriety to calm one down. I've found this piece particularly helpful to focus/do some deep thinking.
If your mind is a little fuzzy at the end of the day, but you still need to solve a few problems, listening to this one might very well do the trick. It sure did for me. ;)

18 - The Vision of the Windfish:

This arrangement, much like the Windfish itself, is a beast.
Be ready to take on the musical quest of your life with the talented Sound Test.
It's a great blend of orchestral and electronica, which slowly becomes more complex and diversified as the song progresses.
The remix subsequently features some more ecclectic moments borowing from genres such as jazzfusion or straight ballad. Everything is well composed and well integrated into the package.
At some point, you might even start hearing some words too. Do not be afraid, for it isn't a side-effect of listening to the album. :D
The artist simply decided to venture into storytelling midway, which thankfully, was to great effect.
This piece has something very organic to it, that you see evolving gradually and becoming this huge creation. You might have to take a few steps back, and give it a few listens before all the pieces start coming together.
But once you do, you'll come to one realization: what you've just listened to was definitely different, and for the most part awesome.
Props to Sound Test for being able to create such a massive yet cohesive tribute song. Despite seeming very confusing and fragmented at first, everything makes perfect sense in the end, exactly like the story of the game.

19 - House of Frogs:

The arrangement starts off with a short guitar riff that sounds great, but for some reason seems to have been added on top of an existing song.
It kinda tricked me into thinking that the track was going to begin one way, but then faded unexpectedly. No biggie, just a little surprised is all.
After that, things get pretty serious as Brad is back in business with the firm intention to bring some tears to your eyes.
Upon hearing the breathtakingly beautiful sax performance, you're guaranteed to feel chill run through your spine.
As the song goes on, things start getting progressively more intense, and the piece becomes truly moving.
And when the saxophone is later joined by Fishy's guitar, you're in for a treat as the soaring duet takes care of any last doubt anyone could have concerning the ability of this album to make you feel real emotions.
Both artists deliver here a jawdropping conclusion to this Link's Awakening tribute, leaving a mark not only in your ears but also in your heart.


CONCLUSION:

Threshold of a Dream is a carefully crafted tribute, made possible by the continued effort and dedication of artists coming from all over the world.
It's a very cohesive album, that manages to be extensively varied despite the genre-specific requirment of the project.
A plethora of different emotions are conveyed through an ecclectic display of talent, resulting in songs that you do not simply listen to, but can feel as well.
A memorable experience for anyone with an open mind and a love for music.


review of Disc Two coming up early 20XX...

[Emperor Charlemagne]

So I'm listening to this for the first time, and I get to the track Animal Counterpoint. Already the title is sending up red flags.



Did someone REALLY just do a Steve Reich tribute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sX4jqylYDU) in video-game form? Everything, right down to the abrupt ending?

Am I in heaven?

I don't think too many people appreciate what just went down here.

[prophetik music]

So I'm listening to this for the first time, and I get to the track Animal Counterpoint. Already the title is sending up red flags.



Did someone REALLY just do a Steve Reich tribute (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sX4jqylYDU) in video-game form? Everything, right down to the abrupt ending?

Am I in heaven?

I don't think too many people appreciate what just went down here.

yes, i did. if you read the notes on the website, you'll see that it's based on the first movement of New York Counterpoint =)

[Mirby]

STUFF

MORE STUFF

COPYCAT!!

But it was good though. :P

[Emperor Charlemagne]

i'd shake yer hand if I could prophetik.

[WiiCube64]

I am a man of few words, so I will keep this short and sweet... Here I go... MM HMM HMM HHMMHMM HMM MMMHMM

HOLY SH**!!!!!!

[prophetik music]

thanks, man =) also, nice name :< i went by PSWii60 for a while myself on a few online games.

[Chernabogue]

Here I go... MM HMM HMM HHMMHMM HMM MMMHMM

Is Morshu your second name? :lol:

More seriously, I listened to the album a couple of times and I love it. I was not familiar with every source but tracks are amazing. Great work to everyone!

[Aaron Marshall]

Wow, lots of great tunes on this project guys. Great job.

I think my favorite was Benjamin Brigg's Lucidic. That was the stand out piece to me. I'm probably biased because I love that song so much.

The website looks amazing. It has so much class. Great job Caleb Winters.

Outstanding work on this project to everyone involved.

[PriZm]

after so long, i was kinda worried that the album would be rushed towards the end, just to get the fucking thing out

i was wrong

amazing work out there

and i wanna say thanks to fishy for taking my place in the house of frogs track, he did an amazing work (much better than i could have) and did not change stuff too much, even in the solo :)

thanks

[Dafydd]

I'm still not listed among the arrangers... :|

[KyleJCrb]

You won't be 'til you get a posted remix.

[The Joker]

You won't be 'til you get a posted remix.

True story.

[Emunator]

Really? I'll bring that up to the proper people and see if there's anything we can do about that from a backend perspective.

[prophetik music]

Really? I'll bring that up to the proper people and see if there's anything we can do about that from a backend perspective.

larry had a page long before he was a remixer thanks to the FF7 project. i think it's a glitch, not a feature.

[Liontamer]

larry had a page long before he was a remixer thanks to the FF7 project. i think it's a glitch, not a feature.

http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01313/

Currently, we just have posted mixers only in the database.

[prophetik music]

http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01313/

Currently, we just have posted mixers only in the database.

at the time that the FF7 project came out, though, i remember you mentioning that all remixers on the project got into the OCR artist database as a result. i know that your mix for DKC got posted later, but i remember looking at your page and seeing "Remixes: (0)" after FF7.

[KyleJCrb]

That's because Larry had a remix posted from a certain Madden game years ago.

Note that there also a lot of artists that were on SoS that aren't listed on the Arrangers section of OCR's album page: Andy Jayne, Jazon Phantoms, JustChris, M-H, Nick Tam, Paragon, pu_freak, and silas. None of them have remixes posted.

[Mini-Me]

I'm not as familiar with the music from Link's Awakening as I am with music from other Zelda games (or other remix albums), but I have to say that this just might be the most polished and professional album project yet. From the beautiful tracks to the album art to the website, the entire project maintains a consistent personality, atmosphere, and style that's just overflowing with quality from all sides. I'm not a synesthete, and I'm not on drugs, but when I listen to this music and admire the album art, it feels like I can nearly taste them.

This album greatly exceeded my expectations, and I really hope to see more done in this fashion. Combined with the artists' and web designer's talents, prophetik's direction and well-defined concept made this album into something truly special. It's a shame it didn't get the chance to spend a longer time in the front page limelight, but everyone involved should feel immensely proud.

[Dafydd]

Currently, we just have posted mixers only in the database. I wasn't aware of this rule. Thanks for clearing that up.

[fishtiger]

In the official torrent, some files are missing FLAC versions.

Disc 1/Track 2: Lucidic
Disc 2/Track 4,5,6: Villa, Inception, Eagle Tower

Is it possible to reupload the torrent with lossless versions of these files?

[prophetik music]

i appreciate you downloading this stuff!

as noted on the website, those tracks are simply too old, and don't have lossless versions. lucidic's computer got run over by a car, villa's computer was stolen, inception...should have a lossless version, but it's a bonus track so whatever, and eagle tower, the mixer moved so he didn't have access to a piano.

[Rexy]

I guess I'm also realising long after the album's release that *I'm* the only person that never posted a bio. I'll get on it tonight. >_>

[KyleJCrb]

They should have just stolen it from the SoS site.

[prophetik music]

They should have just stolen it from the SoS site.

PLAGIARISM, i say!

[KyleJCrb]

PLAGIARISM, i say!

Well, we stole half of them from the FF7 project site, so...

[Monobrow]

Oh wow, that's what I get for not listening to the bonus.

ANYWAY GREAT ALBUM!

[DimeTower]

...about Fierce Melancholy of the Woods, my favorite song of the entire album and the best version of the tune I've ever heard. Absolutely 5 starts. Love the effort and execution!! Well done!!!

[paxl13]

WOW, just wow, I'm on my 4th listen of the whole thing and I must say this album goes right to my heart !

Thank you VERY VERRY MUCH for this work
paxl13