OCR00096 - ActRaiser 'Lord PROTEKTOR'

[Joe Redifer]

Actraiser 'Lord PROTEKTOR'

A very odd and funky version of the quiet "town" music from AssRaider err I mean ActRaiser. Not as smooth as Yuzo's original, this has kind of a harsh sound to it. It's got a funky beat that serves it well. Better than you think if you listen to it a few times.

[bartkusa]

Wow. This remix floored me, personally. The song feels very, very... urban, for the lack of a better word. Not quite ghetto, but definately modern. Strong feelings and visions of a modern-day ActRaiser are evoked. Cuz I mean, how cool would an ActRaiser game in a modern setting be? Grittier than SimCity, but nobler than Grand Theft Auto 3....

Yeah, DJ Pretzel, you have me dreaming.

[DarkCecil13]

Lord PROTEKTOR is VERY catchy! I've had it stuck in my head many many times, and I even find myself humming it walking to and from school. One of my favorite DJP works and my favorite Actraiser ReMix :D Strongly recommended.

[BigDRS]

During my lunch period every day, this song can be heard comming from my schools music hallway. My 3 friends and I (drums, bass, guitar, and keyboard) play this song and many other remixes and such every day and this one tops the list. The things that we've done with it are crazy though, speeding it up, slowing it down, different keys, distortion, the list goes on. Definately one of my OCR favorites.

[nanoblaze]

This song really rocks it to Russia. Easily my favorite OCRemix (well, maybe that Banana mix, but that's a guilty pleasure ;P). The bassline is killer, and the mix has a great juxtaposition of urban/fantasy sound. Great stuff.

[Xaleph]

I'd have to give this one a 8.5/10, I really like some of the sound work he does here, it sounds like it took a lot of effort. I also enjoy the rhythm work he does here. Download this song you're in for a treat.

~dj carbunk1e

[Bob_the_Pixie]

kewl, i liked, i beat ActRaiser yesterday(march 2, 2003) i only disliked the ending...the music reminded me of when i was playing, that's what i like!

[zircon]

I'm working on a remix of this theme myself. But is it just my imagination, or does this remix only have about 15 notes from the original melody, and the rest is improvisation? That's not a bad thing, but it just struck me as being not much of a remix and more of a complete and total rearrangement.

But anyway, yeah, this does have an urban feel to it. It could have used more of the original melody, since the 'new' stuff can be annoying at times (like the scratching and the 'yelling' for lack of a better word). Overall, again, it doesn't seem like that much of a remix, and for that reason it's hard to review.

[Durinthal]

Definitely an urban tune, with lots of scratching and a little random shouting. I've never heard the original, so I can't comment on how much of it shows up, but it's generally a basic beat/bass/lead song that, if you like the fairly harsh feeling, you won't mind listening to.

[Jess]

Very catchy, I love it :)

[Gothic Rose]

Oh, God, does this bring back memories. I remember that game so well...well, actually, I just played it a few months back.

Lovely work. The elongated, distorted notes are quite, well, fantastic. Much Kudos.

[Lunevalkyrave]

Well if I didnt want to play this game in the first place, now I do, if just for the music!! This one is very different from most songs on this site, thats right, its better. Not becuase the obvious fact that it...well.. rocks. But the fact that it is something different.. :D

[Arnexium]

I've had this song stuck in my head for over a week now... because it rocks! It's too addictive! :lol:

[Debotron-6K]

Yep.. this is one of my favorite remixes on the site, and I had a great time introducing it on VG Frequency last weekend..
Lord PROTEKTOR!!!!

Classic. I dig the Fillmore Funk, too (which, actually, was one of the first ReMixes I remember downloading + being floored by when I first discovered this site over two years ago) but this one just straight up rocks, and gets extra points for deviating stylistically from the original tune and making it sound so perfect.

I'm awaiting DJP's return from his ReMixing hiatus :)

[Julio Jose]

i love this remix. 10/10

[jordex]

The hip-hop is awesome in this mix
The 'hip-hop-ish voice' that first comes in at 0:18 I just love. Great job djp!

[Kefjkarp]

That voice thingy is better than sex and chocolate mixed together. I give it a 9.99/10.

[Navi]

Saw this come back up on the Reviews forum and I figured I'd review it.

I remember reading somewhere that lots of people consider djp's older (old school) mixes a tad "immature" in comparison to his newer stuff. [edit: it was in the review thread for AMEN Reflux (http://www.ocremix.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1384639)] While I do agree that the older David Lloyd works are more cartoony and wild, to me that is not necessarily a bad thing, especially in the case of this one.

Whenever I make an OCR CD, this goes on it at some point. I'm not a huge fan of Actraiser or its music, but this is the funk, the freshness. The scratching, vocal samples, distorted synths all scream of old school hip hop goodness. When :18 hits, my head starts bobbing (I love that gated sample tons). This mix keeps the energy flowing and the beat funks up the place.

I can easily imagine a heavy breakin session taking place over this groove. Always has been one of my favorite OCRs.

[Ænru]

Oh my god O_O

I actually thought that djpretzel was trying to make fun of Actraiser with this mix.

It's embarrassing to listen to, and sounds to me like a corny tune and dorky sounds were added to add insult to the game.

I didn't know he liked the game until I read his submission review, when he talked about the original music being genius.

[watkinzez]

When I first heard this the thoughts that crossed my mind were of bewilderment. What's happening? Did someone just smear some heavy grease all over my mp3 file? (Strange analogy I know.)

But after playing the game, I came back to this and suddenly it all clicked. What a whacked out version of the map screen.. but in a good way. Mythril Nazgul's review pretty much sums up my opinion on this song. Nice work.

[OzymandiasVolt]

Oh my god O_O

I actually thought that djpretzel was trying to make fun of Actraiser with this mix.

It's embarrassing to listen to, and sounds to me like a corny tune and dorky sounds were added to add insult to the game.

I didn't know he liked the game until I read his submission review, when he talked about the original music being genius.
Of course you're welcome to your opinion, but what you're doing there is not stating an opinion. It's making an assertion that the music is bad and that all the people who enjoy it have no taste in or ear for music.

You are wrong.

[Bobwillis]

This keeps me occupied on drives. It's a pretty interesting listen. lvl up!

[DragonFireKai]

Pure 80s hip hop. Real slick man.

[uthlu]

Another good mix from djp! This one is a bit goofy, yet in a very good way. Been a while since I played ActRaiser though, so I can't say how close to the source it is, but quite enjoyable!

[OA]

Nice rhythmic shift in the melody, and a ton of additional material turned into verses. A little crowded in some spots sonically. There's just so much going in in specific frequencies. It also repeats a bit much, but for an older mix it does show a pretty distinct separation of original and remix, rather than just midi + upgraded sounds and drums.

[Marmiduke]

ActRaiser given djpretzel's hip-hop treatment. Now there is a fine combo.
This has a lot in common with a pretzel mix released just a little earlier called Ghetto Recursive, and while I think the elements in that mix came through much stronger, the sound lends itself to this tune as well.
However, it is loud. And not in a hardcore complimentary sort of way. It's overwhelmingly loud and disrupts a few of the aspects that would have benefited from a clearer sound. Whereas the formulae had a little more equilibrium in Ghetto Recursive. But this isn't a contest between the two.
There was also a touch of repetition; a sense of the mix folding onto itself to extend its length, which I'm never a fan of.
But still, there's an impressive arrangement here that cuts through the gripes, and that's mainly what I'm interested in. It's an inspired blend of urban and folk music bound together with that unmistakable pretzel style, and for that it gets my highest regards. It's taught me to never let a few flaws get in the way of a great song.

[WesternZypher]

is a pretzel that never gets stale, apparently, and neither do his mixes. Whether it's copious amounts of salt, or some secret ingredient, even the oldest of his works sound great to me. This makes nice work out music.

[SubNormal J3]

One of my favorite djp arrangements. Excellent use of scratching/hip-hop samples throughout. Catchy melody, catchy rhythms. Awesome entrance 0:18