OCR01500 - Tales of Phantasia 'The Koan of Drums'

[djpretzel]

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

[Mewtation]

I like this piece. It's very atmospheric. The beat is amazing, at times being very techno-esque, and others, being very tribal-sounding. Great stuff, djp.

[The Xyco]

This is assuredly very djp-ish. It's smooth and full of atmosphere, the strings sounding very familiar.

I read "Yuki Kajiura" in you're writeup and immediately grabbed my headphones. Having been an old fan of her work, and you being the one originally suggesting her music, AND this being the big 1500, I knew I had to have it.

Here's to another 1500. Long live djp!

[Crazyonr1]

Great Job DJP, both on the mix and everything you've done the 7 years up until now. I've always liked checking out music from familiar games, to see what unfamiliar artists will do with a source. By the same token, I've enjoyed taking artist I've heard, and critiquing their work on an unfamiliar source tune. This source is a first for me, and it seems a flawless first for you as well.

The first few listens of this song, and A theme seems to keep popping out. I really liked the, yes, Yuki Kajiura influence (I'm a sucker for .Hack//sign) But the parts that really stood out to me were the bassline buildup, starting from about 00:26, and then suddenly shifting to a faster pace at around 00:50. The baseline continues until the end of the first violin solo, around 02:38, and after that, its tribal full force, until the volin comes in at about the 3 minute mark, but without the pulsing baseline, with everything coalescing back into the theme at 03:36. All in all, its a very solid piece, and would encourage me to get the full album if all the tracks are on par with this one

Here's to another 7 years, and the 30,000 mark :wink:

[Laughy]

Great stuff DJP as always. I'm sure yuki would be proud ;) Your string, flute, and drum orchestration was highly developed and thought out. I think, however, that the techno chirpy high hat should have been toned down a bit: it prevents me from listening to this song on my headphones without wincing in some parts.

[John Revoredo]

8,5/10. I like the flutes and instruments stuff. Man, i love these samples. The hi-hat sounds a bit retro-loud. You should havbe tried to Breakbeat-ize the song, like revival day impoetus, which is one of your best songs.
Nice percussion solo. I only miss some breakbeats (lol).

[CE]

This is awesome stuff. I always enjoy songs that try to mix techno-ish beats with orchestral intruments, or any other kind, like this mix does. Great job with the strings. And great job on getting OCR to 1500! Keep it up!

[The Orichalcon]

My type of music. I like this a lot. Background atmospheric music for reading articles on the web and just generally chilling out.

[Txai]

OCR01500 is marked with a western 1980s pop music. Nice composition to help clear things up. Best wishes for next songs on this site and beyond.

[avaris]

wow that was the best writeup off all time haha, seriously though 1500 is here!!! Let me grace it with a quote from Butthead "I have seen the top of the mountain and it is good."

All kidding aside this mix was awesome. The mixing of natural and synthetic instruments was done quite well. The whole mix has originallity written all over it. The instrumentation includes some of my fav instruments. This really has me looking forward to the tales project now.

[Navi]

yay for 1500.

[Bummerdude]

Woah, this is some pretty amazing stuff. It's pretty dynamic, considering that it starts out with some heavy drums that grabs you attention right away. The overall asian feel I get of this, blended together with good beats and electronic synths, I'm kind of without words here.

The detail I must have liked the most must be the big variety of instruments that this remix contains. My hopes started to increase when I read your writeup about this one, and I'm definitly not disappointed. As I said, it grabs your attention, but it doesn't let go of it either. The part that began at 2:38, where practically all drums got into a cool jungle beat. Awesome.

Been some time since I've listened to a new pretzel piece, I will listen to the project when it comes out too. This is a remix worthy of the place 1500.

[mDuo13]

My hopes got pretty high when I read "Yuki Kajiura" in your writeup, but I ended up being pretty impressed with the remix anyway - I love the mix of dynamics between the powerful drums, soothing wind instruments, and the gentle picked ones.

It's always good to hear a new djp mix.

[anne amère]

i like this

[Top Gun]

I've never even heard of, much less played, this game, but the second I started listening to this, I was hooked. The drums were absolutely fantastic, particularly that bitchin' solo around 2:45 or so. The use of all of those Eastern instruments was instantly apparent and very well done, and I agree that it's reminiscent of some of the tracks from .hack. Nice job, djp. This will join a very small collection of ReMixes that I regularly listen to despite not owning the game. :)

[DragonAvenger]

The drums are awesome in this, but I can't say I like the arrangement. It's not that there's anything bad with it, it just doesn't suit my personal taste. The melody just doesn't seem right in this setting to me. I'm so used to the sad (desolate) feeling of the original, and this is certainly an interesting direction to take the piece, just not my favorite. As I said, though, drums are indeed very sweet.

Congrats on 1500!

[spineshark]

RULE.

Finally there's a really good ToP mix on the site...no offense, really, because i liked Thor and Morlia a lot, but...

Anyway, I love djp forever now. After Twoson I wondered when his next would be, and...

[KyleJCrb]

RULE.

Finally there's a really good ToP mix on the site...no offense, really, because i liked Thor and Morlia a lot, but...

Trust me, there's more on the way. ;)

Congrats on 1500 djp, and thanks for helping out with the project. :)

[zircon]

This is my all time favorite djp mix. Brilliant arrangement, great concept, fantastic production. I'm especially fond of the percussion, from the dance drums to the hihats, to the taiko breakdown (it really IS, badass, Dave).

Awesome job and congrats again on 1500!!!

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Fuck you, Dave. You have to release what sounds like it's probably an awesome mix when I can't listen to it.

Hopefully I'll have my setup back together tomorrow and be able to listen.

[Ness757]

I've never even heard of, much less played, this game, but the second I started listening to this, I was hooked. The drums were absolutely fantastic, particularly that bitchin' solo around 2:45 or so. The use of all of those Eastern instruments was instantly apparent and very well done, and I agree that it's reminiscent of some of the tracks from .hack. Nice job, djp. This will join a very small collection of ReMixes that I regularly listen to despite not owning the game. :)

I agree with you 100%.

This remix gets a 10/10.

[Broken]

I'm quite familiar with the source material here, seeing as ToP is one of my favorite games for any system. That makes this mix pretty important to me.

Love the percusion work here. It really adds to the ethnic vibe I get from this piece. I can still feel the meloncholoy melody of the original through the strong, pulsating rhythm.

The overall production is solid. I can't find anything to complain about instrumentation wise. I originally thought everything was a little too loud, but then I realized I had my headphones on......

I'm glad I got to hear this sneak preview of the upcoming project. This allays any fear or doubt I had about this thing getting completed.

[Audity]

Hearing Yuki Kajiura I was also anticipating greatly. It has a pretty unique atmosphere after listening several times. It was pretty hard to get into, as the melody seems pretty sparse and non-recognizable. The progression is pretty elongated too, requiring multiple listens, for me anyway. One main complaint is that I don't like buzzy string sample at all. I can try to get over it, but I'd rather have something that isn't so buzzy. It's probably actually a really good sample for what it's trying to emulate, but yeah.

I've played through this game once or twice but I don't recognize this tune. Also I have no idea what a Koan is. Ah what a strange experience of music.

[Sinistral]

I've listened to your music for a long time and now I've finally registered to thank you for your beautiful music.

This song is already one of my favorites. I really like the Eastern instruments and how you arranged them. Thank you for yet another beautiful song!

[Azure Prower]

I too have been listening to a bunch of your tracks Dj.P. Some I like, some I don't.

But this one kicks ass. Love it. Glad you can still pour your heart and soul into your mixes.

P.S. Is it just me or is the site lay out a little messed up?

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Haha, I remember when Kyle came to me asking me to do a mix of this song for the project. I must say, after hearing this, I'm glad Dave got it; this mix is absolutely amazing.

[Majin GeoDooD]

Since the t-shirt thread is locked, and you mentioned it in the writeup, I guess I'll mention it here..

Good choice with Starland for the shirts, Dave. I went there all the time as a kid back when I lived in Annandale. I haven't been there since probably 2000... old school indeed.

Also, nice mix :D

[Nec5]

Another solid release. I'll just go ahead and agree with most of the previous points. The only annoyance in the piece are those little "squeaks" that start up in the background around 2:00'. I'd recommend ditching those. In any event, they're a small matter and don't do enough to hurt the song's overall appeal. Nicely done.

[Kholdstare]

I gotta say. This mix is solid. I love the drums. When djp said he wanted a good mix for 1500, he didn't lie. It was worth the wait.

[Zutnunzor]

I really like this mix, When I listen to it, I just don't want it to end. It does use a good array of sounds and makes it feel unique, I just want a version that goes in a continous loop. Very nice ToP mix.

[KyleJCrb]

Haha, I remember when Kyle came to me asking me to do a mix of this song for the project. I must say, after hearing this, I'm glad Dave got it; this mix is absolutely amazing.

We could probably still fit you in somewhere, y'know. :P But this is truly some of Dave's best work yet, so I can't argue there.

[Hale-Bopp]

Very nice, djp! After hearing everything else on this project up to this point and loving every minute of it all, this track is some very tasty icing on the cake.

I never thought I'd be at this point myself, being among such great company, making enjoyable music, but here we are. This project (and this track in particular) rocks and that's all there is to it.

Thanks again for the props on my song, btw. The feeling is most definitely mutual.

[PlastikBag]

Here's hoping the rest of the ToP/ToS remix project is as awesome as this and Hale-Bopp's tune. This is shaping up to be a pretty awesome project. Anyway, I really enjoyed this. The drums are friggin awesome, and the arrangement is incredible.

[Aninymouse]

First off, we have my two favorite traditional RPGs together in one glorious OCR amalgamation. THis alone would be enough to get me excited.

However, Pretzel really has outdone himself with this one. Granted, I haven't heard all of his ReMixes (or even most of the older ones... he does have over 60 total), but of the ones I have heard, this one stands out as the best produced. So much energy, vision, and the movements are spectacularly timed! Booster Tanrantino and JethroAndVashAtTheFair were both also wonderful, but it's great to listen to them and then this mix and really get a feel for just how good you've become even in that short span. To say nothing of the days of Singing Pretzel ;)

I can do nothing but shower praise on this mix, and patiently await the rest of the project. Downloading HaleBopp's track as I type this.

If I may, one slight issue: that high-hat really is mixed a bit too loud for my tastes, but trust me, once that taiko solo kicks in I forget about it pretty damn quick.

Crank the bass up on this one, kids.

[Ghetto Lee Lewis]

This is probably the first remix I've downloaded since torrent 1000-1250. It must have been at least a year or two since I've downloaded any songs individually. However, this song interests me for several reasons:

1) Tales of Phantasia was in my opinion one of the best RPG's ever, SNES-style graphics or otherwise. Gameplay, graphics, storyline, music were all fantastic. It's a shame there was never a U.S. release, but I'm thankful for emulators and translation patches.

2) I remember DJP almost since he started this site. Long before I started posting on the forums, with OC Remix 1.0 with the ugly orange colors I was fascinated by videogame remixes. It was probably during the days of Napster that I discovered this concept. I figure it's about time that the man himself remix this awesome game.

3) I had remixed my own song from this game, which was one of the first Tales of Phantasia remixes on this site. It's always nice to hear more people contributing to this awesome soundtrack.

Anyway, on to the review.

I like the Taiko drums in the beginning. However, that first high percussion thing (I think it's a wood block) sound seems a tiny bit loud. That flute that comes in sounds nice, but it feels really weak to me. The attack seems too low (it needs to sound sharper), it needs more volume, and I don't think it's expressive enough either.

The transition to techno at :14 seems weak to me. I can understand maybe djp is going for an old school techno feeling, but to me it doesn't really work. I would rather hear a more powerful sounding kick, but introduced by a more developed percussion section (don't get me wrong, the percussion sounds good but I wish it were more developed before going into a new part of the song). There is an airy sort of sound in the background, but to me it sounds like noise. I think it detracts from the song. The high hats during this section don't sound good to me either. I think they're too loud and don't balance well with the rest of the song. In fact, all of the techno-style drums sound like there is too much going on with the high frequencies. I long to hear some lower frequencies giving this song some energy.

:29 - The sound that comes in here sounded to me at first like part wind instrument, part viola. However, it sounds more like a viola. The sample to me sounds like it is missing something; more specifically, the attack is extremely weak even though the the instrument has a nice expressive finish.

:48 The transition here seems completely out of place. The atmosphere that the song had established thus far just dies right here.

:50 The bassline that comes in here adds a whole new level of cheesiness that the song hadn't had until now. I'm very disappointed in this transition and even more disappointed by the direction this song has taken. At :58 the viola finally gets the attack it need, but that note is entirely too loud and sounds out of place. At 1:04 same thing. Some of the velocities need adjustments when the attack is increased because it sounds un-natural. In fact the entire viola section does not sound remotely close to live playing. 1:10 - I thought I heard a mastering problem here. More instruments are added here and the high frequencies sound like they clash with each other. It seems like djp is trying to add too many things at once to this part of the song, and they don't really work with each other that well. The Taiko drums just don't seem to work with the mood established during this section (the cheesy techno mood).

1:25 - This is the best transition I've heard in the song so far. I'm actually very relieved to hear it. The flute articulation thing sounds totally awesome. The song also picks up a lot of energy here. I get the feeling that things will be taking off from here.

The section after this has a lot more energy and a lot of sounds that balance each other and keep things interesting (and add some emotion). However, I'm hearing a few mastering problems also with some of the frequencies. All in all though, the mastering issues are minor enough that I still enjoy this part of the song.

1:58 - This transition is nicely put together. I like the arrangement at this part. However, the rattling sounds badly mastered. There seems to be a lot of warmth missing (mids and lower mids) The arrangement at this section seems pretty strong though. The song seems to be breaking down a bit (sort of a bridge I guess). Around 2:05-ish, the song seems to be building energy. However, the flute/viola at 2:11-ish seem to break the mood. At the least they sound too loud. Around 2:18, the flute sounds too loud, even though the placement itself within the arrangment seems to be pretty clever. 2:28, I liked the articulation (the exaggerated airy vibrato) on the flute. It sounded really nice. 2:33, the flute sounded too loud again.

2:38, I liked the concept of having the Taiko drum solo here. However, I would have liked the drums to sound a lot bigger; maybe cutting the other percussion and pumping up the volume and velocity of the drums, making them meaner. Well, at 2:46 they sound pretty mean. This is a great part of the song.

At 3:03, the song drops into a really sweet section. It sounded like piano to me at first but after listening again I realized it was a koto or similar instrument. This part is very originally and cleverly arranged, how the viola, flute, Japanese ethnic instruments and massive percussion section are put together. Even if no other part of the song were worth hearing, this section definitely is.

3:22 - back into techno with the viola lead; nothing really special here. Same things that were heard earlier in the song. 3:56, the kick drops out, and some Taikos help the song transition to the breakdown/ending.


Overall impression, final thoughts:

While some of the instruments sounded cheesy, this arrangement was very cleverly put together. I think a lot more work should have been put into mixing, mastering, and even balancing some of the instruments together. Some parts of the song stood out as being really awesome sounding. However, some of the transitions seemed disruptive to the moods that were being created, and were even disruptive to the entire song as a concept. I might recommend this song as long as you turn the highs way down on the equalizer, maybe play it in the car or something. I wouldn't recommend playing it on a system that has a high amount of treble though.

Mixing: 4/10 - While parts of the song were balanced, this song had way too much high end on just about everything. There was not very much bass presence at all, especially on the kick drum where it needs to be. I'm sure the idea of having a weak kick would bring out the Taikos, but there are different ways of working them around each other. The synth bass was extremely cheesy and pretty much killed most of the atmostphere and emotion in the song. Some of the frequencies conflicted; some of the notes were too loud, and other notes were too soft. A lot of samples could have used more attack and needed some other tweaking to make them sound more natural. The good things were the articulations on the flute and violin. During parts of the song these things sounded super sweet.

Arrangement: 9/10 - This song was very cleverly put together. The use of Japanese instruments together to keep the song going and make it spicy was very well done. Probably the most outstanding thing about this song was the concept. I just would have liked to see better implementation.


Emotion: 5/10 - would get a lot more points, if it weren't for the bad techno percussion and bad techno bass. The mix of ethnic instruments in this song though was awesome.

Catchiness: 3/10 - I don't remember this particular melody from the game; maybe it just wan't that memorable. DJP should have maybe changed the melody from the original song or have added some catchy material of his own to make up for it.

Complexity: 9.5/10 - Some of the song there just seemed to be too much going on that different things seemed to conflict. However, certain sections had a lot of different instruments bouncing off each other doing something different that kept the song interesting.

Overall: 6/10 - This song to me sounded like a great idea, but it sounded too much like a WIP. I don't think DJP understands how to produce electronic music, as the electronic/techno-style parts of the song were what made it sound weak. A lot needed to be done on eq'ing and mastering. I'm wondering how this was passed off as a finished work when the eq'ing was so completely sloppy. I even thought I heard clipping in a few sections. That could have been fixed easily with a limiter or compressor or even just turning the master volume down. I was impressed overall with djp's arranging skills, but dissappointed by the overall presentation. I have heard other songs from DJP that I enjoyed more than this one.

All in all, I think DJP should focus more on developing a song as one genre, namely non-electronic genres. Either that or I think he should research how to make electronic music sound good.

[djpretzel]

All in all, I think DJP should focus more on developing a song as one genre, namely non-electronic genres. Either that or I think he should research how to make electronic music sound good.

ROFLTASTICS... Well, you're entitled to your own opinion; zircon liked it well enough, so I guess he doesn't know anything about "making electronic music sound good" either.

I strongly disagree with just about everything you wrote, and don't find much insight, except for the arrangement comments, which are more subjective (and positive :D ). I think the song's mastered fine, and frankly I find the melody pretty damn catchy, especially with the alteration. I've talked with people that have looped it ad infinitum, as I have, and I know I've caught myself humming the chorus several times the last month or so.

Bottom line is, thanks for the suggestion to not pursue further electronica mixes, but I'm going to have to completely ignore it. You can claim that people are just "kissing my ass" when they like this piece easily enough, but Andy for one has no reason to do so, and the judges are the ones who vote on mixes, so kissing my ass doesn't really get anyone very far - that type of reasoning is as muddled as you apparently think my EQing is.

[Ghetto Lee Lewis]

I'm sorry if I came across as too harsh. I may not be hearing things correctly since I'm very tired due to working full time and going to college, compounded by the fact that I am way behind on sleep and have been under a lot of different kinds of stress.

ROFLTASTICS

I'm quite shocked by your response. It sounds almost like something Protricity would say. I don't mean to be unreasonable at all.

If you truly believe your song is solid enough that my criticisms were irrelevant, then why dignify it with a response? I made an honest effort to objectively review your song as best as as I could, and at the end give my conclusion.

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.
I'm sorry that you disagreed so strongly with my opinion, but isn't that the purpose of this thread that I can post my opinion? I approached mine as seriously and as thoughtfully as I could, but instead of an equal response, or no response, you mocked it. ROFLTASTIC?

I may not be the best critic, but if you really want an objective, professional opinion, I would recommend Prophecy. He works in a recording studio as a record producer.

[The Orichalcon]

If you truly believe your song is solid enough that my criticisms were irrelevant, then why dignify it with a response?

To let you know that it was irrelevant.

[djpretzel]

I'm quite shocked by your response. It sounds almost like something Protricity would say. I don't mean to be unreasonable at all.

Wow, I'm... almost offended by that. Save that in this case, it was justified. I've *no* problem with your feedback on the mix, however incorrect I believe it to be, but you begin your review by saying you haven't downloaded anything in a year or two (point one), indicate that a single mix somehow represents how I've developed (point two), and then talk about how more people should check your mix (point three). Then there's the implication that the positive reviews to date are simply people sucking up - as if your disagreeing must mean that they *actually* agree with you but are too afraid to say so.

Everything else was fine, and I actually commend longer, more elaborate reviews. In this case, I respectfully disagree, but nevertheless... it was the "sucking up" (as if people couldn't have opinions of their own) and other aspects that seemed, well... ROFLTASTIC.

[Ghetto Lee Lewis]

you begin your review by saying you haven't downloaded anything in a year or two (point one), indicate that a single mix somehow represents how I've developed (point two), and then talk about how more people should check your mix (point three). Then there's the implication that the positive reviews to date are simply people sucking up - as if your disagreeing must mean that they *actually* agree with you but are too afraid to say so.

Everything else was fine, and I actually commend longer, more elaborate reviews. In this case, I respectfully disagree, but nevertheless... it was the "sucking up" (as if people couldn't have opinions of their own) and other aspects that seemed, well... ROFLTASTIC.

I don't want to be misunderstood. There's no way that one song can represent what this site has to offer, or even what djp has to offer. others. I'm sure there's a lot of other music I'll really enjoy. I've always admired djp's work on this site. He really shows an open mind to more different types of music than most people, and it reflects in his style. That's definitely a good thing.

I'm sure the music on this site has changed in a lot of ways, for better or worse, I really don't know. I can't make that judgement until I listen to most of the new songs.

I really don't care if people listen to my remix or not. I was only expressing why I was interested in this song. This is a community, afterall.

I agree with a lot of what you said. The comment about people sucking up was uncalled for. It's neither none of my business nor is it even relevant.

It's difficult sometimes to correctly interpret the context of what's being said on an internet forum. I'm not going to judge who's right in this, but I'd like to get this thing resolved so I'll be editing the post that started this thing.

[Trapical]

Excellent remix, I love the transition at ~1:25.
Anyone have the original MIDI?

[Cyanide cr MK]

"good techno?" whats awesome in one sub genre of techno isnt necessarily awesome in others. sucking up? what would be the point of sucking up to a moderator of an internet website? what would you get out of it?

onto the mix. i loved it, shakuhachi is one of my favorite instruments. its inclusion immidiately scores points in my book. i thought this mix flowed very well from start to finish. overall it sounded like a lot of thought was put into it, as opposed to just layers on top of a beat (although dont get me wrong that can be quite sick)
:D

im sure if i put my mind to it i could nit pick a zillion little things out of the mix, or any mix for that matter, but i have better things to do with my time. great mix.

[Rellik]

this is truly some of Dave's best work yet

I like the mix too, but I couldn't just leave this here without objecting - have you even heard some of his other work?!

It's a very catchy mix with a few especially awesome sections (although it's hurt a bit by sample quality, and I agree with some of the comments I've read on the mixing earlier in the thread), I don't see how you can compare it to some of the more truely outstanding tunes djp has showered upon us (both electronica and non-electronica).

It's great stuff, very GrayLightning-esque (not only in terms of the Asian and stringed instruments but also the unusually simplistic electronica elements and the heavy reverb and high frequencies), but I guess I'm just wondering whether you were serious when you said it's some of his best work yet, or maybe you just kind of said it without thinking - there's no rule that says you're a failure if you create a mix that might not be quite on the same level as one(s) you've created before... there would be no music, since everyone would be too scared to make what they want, and not just what they know they can do well already. I seem to be going off on a tangent in regards to what I quoted, but I think it may be relevant to this thread/this mix.

[KyleJCrb]

this is truly some of Dave's best work yet

I like the mix too, but I couldn't just leave this here without objecting - have you even heard some of his other work?!

It's all a matter of opinion.

[djpretzel]

this is truly some of Dave's best work yet

I like the mix too, but I couldn't just leave this here without objecting - have you even heard some of his other work?!

It's all a matter of opinion.

And, apparently, objecting to other people's ability to have one :wink:

For what it's worth, of my 67 mixes, yeah, I'd put this in the top fifteen, possibly higher. So in my *own* opinion it's at least some of my "better" work yet.

I guess maybe it's instrumentally similar to some of Gray's stuff, or more recently Andy's Fei Long mix, but I think the arrangement sounds like one of mine, and I'm personally happy with it.

[Rellik]

this is truly some of Dave's best work yet

I like the mix too, but I couldn't just leave this here without objecting - have you even heard some of his other work?!

It's all a matter of opinion.

And, apparently, objecting to other people's ability to have one :wink:

For what it's worth, of my 67 mixes, yeah, I'd put this in the top fifteen, possibly higher. So in my *own* opinion it's at least some of my "better" work yet.

I guess maybe it's instrumentally similar to some of Gray's stuff, or more recently Andy's Fei Long mix, but I think the arrangement sounds like one of mine, and I'm personally happy with it.

Oh no! I've been misinterpreted! - or at least have fallen victim to the ambiguity of facetiousness (a wink can be just a wink or an extra-spiteful :"roll": depending on context).

I don't have a problem if Kyle (or anyone else) regards Koan in such a manner - at the time of my posting, Kyle's comment seemed to me unbelievable, and I asked (and found out) whether he truly meant it. Is there such a problem with being curious enough and regarding djp's work seriously enough to engage in conversation with someone of a different opinion regarding its comparative merits? I went to great lengths not to be misinterpreted, but I realize that I may have implied something erroneously, so I'll apologize for that.

Better to not post at all than to engage in conversation and run the risk of being misinterpreted or offending on an internet forum, right?

[KyleJCrb]

It's cool, Rellik. I might have a slight bias, anyway. :P This track is still good, though, on any level.

[PriZm]

Truly creative and ingenious use of the samples at your disposition. The mixes that impress me most are not the mixes that have the technical perfectness to sound professional, nor those with live instruments that are nearly impossible to play, but those that have arrangements that couldn't have been thought of by anyone else.

I think this is a very unique, and effective, interpretation of the theme, so 10/10 for inspiration and creativeness. The instrument all work together to create a complex but cohesive atmosphere while being complex enough to sustain attention through repeated listens.

The pads and bass sound absolutely gorgeous, but I have slight issues with the drums and violin lead.

The drums all sound fairly good, except the hi-hat which sound a little mechanical in my opinion (maybe too loud or not varied enough in terms of velocity) and the bass drum sounds very thin, especially compared to the taiko drums. Btw, the taiko solo is amazing, even comparable to McVaffe's ultimate drum solo in Kaoss.

The violin sounds a little thin for a lead instrument, especially since the shakuhachi sounds so full, so it's a little underpowered. Shakuhachi (and strings, be it koto or shamisen) sample quality and use of samples is flawless.

The transition at 3:59 where the bass simply cuts off sounds a little awkward and the ending a little rushed.

However, aside from this nitpicking, this is indeed a stellar rendition of the Desolation Road theme and, what is most important, a piece of work you can call your own.

[DJ Magotrox Brazil]

Hi DJP,

I liked the arrangements. I always like remixes that seems to fit themselves on the original game atmosphere. It´s a hit.

Good to see you back to the origins. Also, is good to know that things are going right to the OCR. Keep it up!

[Yhoko]

Excellent track! Although I'd appreciate a little less drum & beat, but more flute, violin and guitar instead. :-) Any chance of getting a non-beat version of this song?

Yhoko

[spineshark]

I still love this mix. djp's mixes, especially in my opinion, these last few (Twoson, "Town Life" and this one) are some of the most emotive on the site. It's something I forget about too much when I'm listening to...most of the stuff I listen to. Haha, just looking over the list of his mixes I'm remembering all this brilliant stuff I freaking forgot about, but I think this is still my favorite djp mix.

I really have to agree with the comment about how well the mix fits the mood of the game. For some reason most of my favorite games make me feel pretty melancholy (except Landstalker lol) and ToP is no exception.

Haha, love the title on this too.

[Martin Penwald]

Nice song, but I think the taikos are way too quiet/thin, except for the solo beginning at 2:45. Taikos are powerful instruments that are loud; they make your heart beat to their rhythm (at least when you listen to them live), but in this mix, they somehow drown in the other instruments.

Also, the techno-esque bass drum just didn't really fit in there, but that's my very personal opinion.

[Nobbynob Littlun]

This song is really emotive and energetic! Oddly enough, it evokes much of the feeling of Donkey Kong Country. Laying something slow and solemn over a fast'n'furious electronic bass line does that, I suppose. Particularly the first 40 seconds, and the stretch from around 2'00-2'40.

I don't think the electronic "bow-nene-bow" that starts at 0'50 fits though.

EDIT: Weeks later I came back to say that this song has one of the best intro sequences evar. Figured I should post as much after the umpteenth time rewinding just to hear that first minute again.

[The Instrumental Light]

The percussion instruments along with the symphonic tune made an outstanding remix, the best remix by djpretzel yet! Good work,Dave! P.S. what is up with all the language being used this isnt a profane language party!

[Snowbound Rhino]

Initially I was kinda put off by it. The time between the 'big moments' was setting me on edge with the breaks caused by the high hat.
Turns out with some tweaking of slider settings (turning the 12 and 14khz slider way down, and bumping the 60-600 up a bit) its one HELL of a track. It was causing my poor (abused) one-way headphones to dump everything so all I heard was the 'tic tic tic' of the hat. Once I burnt it to disk and put it in a good system (3 way /w a 12" sub) it was far and away better and didnt need any tweaking.

Personally Id have liked the Taikos to have been 'fuller' but hey, cant have everything at once. Plus I cant imagine they record well, with all the over/under tones they generate.

[42]

Wow, this is on SoS, and this was released three years ago.
Wow.

Still, it's interesting. I can't really decide if I like it or not, though.
It's trying its best to sort of be techno-Asiatic, but I don't think it quite meets those specifications. :?
I'd be better without the drumming "tictictic" that's so pervasive.
I'd ultimately say that it's pretty decent but not quite one of my favorites.

[Lucentas]

Pretz (can I call you Pretz?), I don't know how you do it. Everything you do is sheer gold. And no, that's not just empty flattery. I'm always, always, ALWAYS completely blown away by your mixes on this site, no matter how old or simple or crazy they may be, and this is by far no exception. I can definitely hear the Kajiura influences in this one, and I am digging it. You did an amazing job of blending a repertoire of instruments, and I too was strongly tempted to start air taiko-ing, if it weren't for the fact that my roommate is currently present and it would give her even more of a reason to doubt my sanity. Beautiful, breathtaking, mind-blowing work here.

[Duokun]

Awesome stuff. I really love this remix and would probably label it as one of the pretzel man's best. Segments such as 2:07 to 2:36 were simply amazing. Love it.

[metalsnakejuice]

Lovely tune that really has a nice melody, the violin is my favorite part of the song.

[Marmiduke]

I love the intro for this one: an inclining build that establishes the tribal and dance influences, and also works to a very adequate support for the main weight of the mix. I really can't envisage a better way of executing it.
Some of the samples are very classic djpretzel, which is both a joy and a hindrance, but in all, I think this one is a side-step in style from the signature pretzel sound. Maybe just because there is a percussion solo where there would normally be one of those meandering lead instrument solos. It's a breath of pretzel scented air regardless, if not structurally but the way it has been approached. The end result is some quite uplifting jungle dance with a very memorable chorus. Awesome stuff.

[OA]

Easily tied for my favorite DJP mix along with Sturm und Kong (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02001/), I love the electronic backing mixed with more organic ethnic elements, and the pace, feel, and arrangement all feel just right. The taiko break is great, and the melodic treatment is very nice.

Super good. Waay better than Fortuna Favors the Funk. ;-)

[Melbu Frahma]

I just discovered this mix today, and already I've listened to it four times. Great stuff, love it! DJP delivers!

[Oar]

I just absolutely adore this song. Whenever I ride my bike and listen to it, the gallop of the beat makes me feel like I'm riding a horse.

Other than that, the tonality, the sharpness of the strings, and the foggy winds just make this a great remix in general. I'm already a huge fan of DJB, most particularly through Pachelbel's Ganon (both songs happen to be the two most played songs ever on my itunes). Keep up the fantastic work!