OCR00541 - ActRaiser 'Fill More Funk'

[orkybash]

Actraiser 'Fill More Funk'

Well, maybe I'm not familiar with the funk genre, but for the most part this didn't sound as funky as it could have (though there *are* exceptions throughout the song). Still, it's a really fun listen, and something we don't normally hear from DJP. Recommended.

[krispy]

I must admit I liked Mcvaffe's version better, but thats not saying this one is bad. When I think of funk or hip-hop I think of po!, and when DJP takes a crack at it, it doesnt sound right to me (but thats just me =0!). Although fun to listen to on other levels, it feels to me like a techno song trying to be funk, although as Orkybash put it, it does take you there sometimes. Check it out for an interesting take on the Actraiser song. I give it a 7/10.

[Xaleph]

This defintaely has that swing to it, or that funk. The patches used sounds a bit out of date, great rhythm, and is fun in general. I'd give this one an 8/10.

[AnotherOneBitesTheDust]

Very good variation. It took several listens over a stretched pariod of time to get in the liking, but now has become one of my favorites. A friend of mine also likes it, who is a lot harsher critic than I am. Maybe not a pure funk piece, but to my ears it's 100% funkiness! Not repetitive at all (in the sense of massive loops) which is true about nearly all of djp's mixes...to me anyway.

[Orange Pylon]

The sounds all seem to work well together and the arrangement is very well done. Definitely one of my favorite DJP mixes. Good job!

[DruManIaC_714]

I have no idea what any of you are talking about!!!!!

this remix is completely amazing, 6 out of 5 stars. the drum track was very sophistacated and withheld a enough a pattern to keep the song amazing. the light flute in the backround at times also added a nice touch. also the bass track is quite amazing. major props to DJPretzel for making such an AMAZING remake. this definetely follows the funk pattern along with the drums and especially the bass. one drawback is the repeative-ness but for that actraiser is to blame. this is definetely in my top 3 greatest VG remixes of all time

keep up the good work DJPretzel

[The Berserk Fury]

This is like old school techno. But its not my favorite but its good.
My favorite part is 0:52.

[zircon]

Very cool. While the sample quality seems to be a bit low (perhaps that was intended to make it sound 'funky', which it does), the arrangement is superb. There is plenty of variation in both the melody and instrumentation. The drums are well-programmed, though not as awe-inspiring as those in Actraiser - Freestyle. I actually shouldn't compare the two remixes, as this remix is in a considerably different style than Freestyle- a style that is quite refreshing to hear.

I suppose my one gripe would be be the general 'noise' level, which is slightly high. Nothing a change in my equalizer can't fix, though.

[Durinthal]

It's a nice piece, if a bit loud. Not too much funk, but it's there - and the melody's quite varied, as others mentioned before. Nice bass and drums, which seem to be the highlights of the song regardless of which instrument has the lead.

Not my favorite, but it'll probably make it to my regular playlist.


Edit: Over time this has become one of my favorite remixes (probably my favorite non-orchestral); when I first reviewed it I had only listened to it a few times, but now this song is permanently on my playlist.

[Lunevalkyrave]

Man this tune is awesome!! Its so catchy it makes me think of crusing music or something.. Anyways one of the ones thats going to be put on my MP3 player...permanently. Good job DJ. :D

[Al Capwn]

I could NOT believe what i was hearing..Pretzel this shit is a classic. I love it i can't stop listening to it. In fact my dad is really big into funk and i played it for him and he thought it was some stuff from HIS day. Now that is a very good compliment. MAJOR MAJOR PROPS!!!!!

I feel this is the best OCR the site has to offer

[HumpteeFree]

This remix sounds intelligent, I like what DJP did with the flute, it's as if it was taunting you.The soloin' break from the melody is very cool, and I don't find the song repetitive at all due to the attention to the little details. It does take a couple of listens before even liking it, but I prefer this one to Mcvaffes's.

[MrNemo]

Quality work, as expected from the webmaster. I found the flute to be the most exciting part of the tune. Somehow the synth-guitar didn't sound annoying, and was actually very cool! I really liked the intro, the drum break around 1:40, and the guitar at the end. Pretzel is the Motif master.

[Viceroy]

Definitely one of the best Actraiser remixes to date so far! I also have to agree with a previous poster that I enjoy when it best at 0:52 . Great work!

[jordex]

I prefer McVaffes version of this but this one has alot of great sections

[watkinzez]

Whenever djpretzel does something funk, you can always expect some impressive material. This is no different. The drums, said many times before me, are very well done, though they take over the sound scape a bit too much during the solo in the second minute. Speaking of solos, pretzel's forte doesn't disappoint here- great work.

[meccaneer]

Good arrangement and tone programming. I really like this remix; very funky and fun.

/me tries to think of criticism... I'll get back to ya on that.

[Keiseth]

The funk is with you, DJPretzel. No complaints, even tiny pointless ones. I *really* dig 1:49 onward, especially. Excellent arrangement and just overall groovy. And funky.

Glory to Actrasier. Now how about a GBA release?

[DragonFireKai]

Wow, it's definitely got some funk on it. I love the whole addition by subtration thing you do at 1:31.

[Liontamer]

Back in summer '02 when I listened to all the mixes from A-Z, this ActRaiser mix was one of the very first ones to gain my attention. It helps that the source material was excellent, but djp's old school style was really standout at the time versus OCR's other artists. While managing to have a writing style and range of sounds where you could pretty much tell when a track was his, he usually had some ultra-funky results that ended up not sounding too similar. This one in particular was excellent.

[bladiator]

Yet another review on my way to 1000, this is one of the first ones I got to that finally opened up a breath of fresh air and made me sure I wanted to keep going. Great beat, fresh funkiness served up djp style.

This with its counterpart "Fill More Freestyle" by McVaffe really showed an early different perspective on the same tune.

[uthlu]

I rather like this for the "chill" feeling if nothing else. I can definitely identify the source material, but there's just enough variation to keep the listener on their toes (or the ear equivalent -- earlobes perhaps?).

[OA]

I wish the lead was a little louder, though the second lead that comes in had more body to it. Percussion was good, and a little dirty. Can't have funk without some dirt, imo. Mixing is a little muddy though in some spots. Dirt good, mud, not as good. ;-)
The B section was a little sloppy too, but there are some nice original riffs (especially in some of the transitions) giving this a personalized spin beyond the genre adaptation. A pretty nice solo too, leads into a bongofied breakdown. The section next that keeps teasing with the first 3 notes of the melody is easily the best part of the mix though. I love when mixers take a snippet of the melody and create something new around it, and it is one of the cooler instances of the technique i've heard in awhile.

A few rough spots, but overall a good listen, and some excellent ideas.

[SubNormal J3]

Great djp piece with lots of human elements and improvisation. 0:35 I love how the rhodes come in here to add more flair to the chorus. 1:05 the modulation on the bass is really cool.

[Monobrow]

Drunk Review # 1... I will probably not number them all but what the heck!

Filmore is basically a great stand-alone video game song that you can always refer someone to, regardless of whether or not they played Actraiser.

I like this remix a lot, in fact I have never listened to it before now, but my first impression is that it's a definite keeper.

It's a spazzy funk song that has a lot of good flow to it. I actually can't believe this was posted way back in 2002.

The guitar synthy lead is actually quite nice and subdued... But in a good way, as in, it doesn't need to compete with the other instruments to stand out. The bass guitar has a nice funk to it, the lower rhodes also adds a very nice drop in the bottom that keeps the song nice and filled, that the real bass doesn't have to fill out in the spectrum. Teamwork.

That flute has nice random stabs... And it's timing really adds that just needed pinch of... well whatever it is, to open the spectrum a little more and even with all tiny stabs, helps the atmosphere a lot. Good choice. Overall you can tell there was a real good energy in the creation of this song. Things fell into place. Everything is in sync, and there's nothing awkward.

The drums/bass really work well with the rest of the other instruments, making the song more than just a sum of it's parts. I especially enjoyed the breaks, and the solo at around 1:25.

This song has a lot of good energy to it, it also makes me think of Castlevania.

Also I <3 rhodes forever. I'm not gonna do a number rating or anything. MERRY CHRISTMAS! DRUNK!