OCR00717 - Axelay 'Kick My Axe'

[orkybash]

Axelay 'Kick My Axe'

People, this is one fine remix. There's not much to criticise, and so much to praise - the excellent guitar work, the way the synths are incorporated seamlessly, the well thought out arrangement, the fact that things stay interesting the entire way through.... everything here sounds like it was done by professionals. Remixes like this one don't pop up here to often, so download and enjoy them when they do.

[skulkrusha]

Not too bad, seems to me that DJP thinks that anything with guitars in it sounds good. :lol: Anyway, it's got some really nice stuff in there, reminds me of some eighties song I can't quite remember the name of. The guitar part's well done, some stuff sounds really good, some parts at the end catch my ear in particular. It's very well done. Recommended.

[EmptyMy]

It's remixes like these that makes me feel like a worm. My attempts are nowhere near this good. I guess I should be inspired. Instead I get depressed. Ah well.

[Zandar The Weeble]

The strings gave the heebie-jeebies when I first heard them, they screamed "BAD ANIME BACKGROUND MUSIC" at me and I almost lost it. But thankfully the strings stay low for most of the track and the professionalism of all the other aspects of this piece more than make up for it. Besides, even I gotta admit it makes a nice contrast to the lead guitar.

Guitar/drum/synth work just proves once again that if I spent all the money I've spent on games on music and mixing equipment instead, I'd get laid a hell of a lot more than I do now.

The organ is fucking genius, especially at 2:20. Go buy yourself a round for that one, and another one for the bass showing off in the first :25.

The more I listen to this, the more I like it.

God I love you guys. Really. I wish I had any sort of skill at this. Oh well, there's always the mid-life crisis.

9/10.

[Midee]

The strings gave the heebie-jeebies when I first heard them, they screamed "BAD ANIME BACKGROUND MUSIC" at me and I almost lost it.


Oh, so you don't like my violin playing, huh. Wanna step outside, string hata? :wink:

Anyway, this track sticks closely to the original stage 1 and boss music. Most of the riffs you guys are complimenting are in the original tracks, so I recommend downloading the SPCs and listening to the entire Axelay soundtrack if you haven't already.

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

Also, the only synth tracks were the background "stabby" synth, the organ, and the drums. The rest was live.

[Homo Pocket]

Geeez what was supposedly wrong with the strings? lol..I thought they were Superb. I really loved how this mix remained very faithful to the original. The 3:05-3:10 mark made me smile so much cause that was always the theme I hummed to myself throughout the years :-D

[Weirdboyscott]

This song brought back a lotta memories, flyin thru space with my SNES, blowing crap up. This reminded me of the last level, u know, blowing up the whole armada, then u face tha giant last boss, really great tune!

[Zandar The Weeble]

Geeez what was supposedly wrong with the strings? lol..I thought they were Superb.

I orginally thought they were way out of place, then I realized it was there for contrast to the guitar, and as such work very well.

[Bluebomber4evr]

This is a damn fine mix. Not perfect, but pretty frickin' close. The synth/guitar mesh reminds me of Vince DiCola's work. Vince DiCola, for those of you who don't know (probably most of you), did the score for Rocky IV and The Transformers: The Movie. Anyway, stellar stuff, Midee. I would, however, have liked the guitars to had a little more "power" (sorry, I'm not well-versed in music terminology--if there's a better way to say that, I don't know :oops: ) here and there...but for most of the track they're exceptionally well done. Not Ailsean, but pretty damn good nonetheless. Kudos!

[neostormx]

so the strings were live?

um, i dont know what people are saying but, THE STRINGS ARE THE BEST PART OF THIS REMIX!

Im in love.

[Kylin Rouge]

This has to be one of the best remixes I've heard from this site. It sounds great to me more than the remixes that come from games I've actually played, or even in the least bit, heard of. Every part of it is appealing to me. Each part smoothly flows to the next. Very professional, like it was said to be.

[Homo Pocket]

I have to reiterate as to how much I love this mix!! I'm so friggin addicted to it and those strings are kicking my azz all over the place. I Especially love when the strings come in at the 1:18-1:23 mark, they'd melt frozen butter in an instant! I just love hearing the whole dynamics of the strings being played from the sounds of every note being stroked... I just get goosebumps when I hear that string part, hehe..
Damm I need to get a CD recorder ugh!

[AlwaysAlone]

I love this mix.
You said it H Pocket...1:18 -1:23 just....*melt*
This is a great mix if you're in the mood to do some jamming.

[Khrystoph]

Having had Axelay back in the day (and now as a ROM on my comp, so the tunes are still fresh in my mind) this track piqued my interest. Musical tastes notwithstanding, I love it. The transition to the boss theme--which I'm listening to right this moment, actually-- is pretty cool. I think I can hear violin in here; interesting choice. Fits well. If anything detrimental can be said, it's that it sounds a bit too much like the original...which may or may not be a bad thing. I'll always have that tune stuck in my head anyway, and this is fresh enough (with the damn GUITARS like it shoulda been in the game) to replace the sound of the original in my head. Overall: badass!

[Spacecow]

Wow, oh wow. I have never played Axelay before, and to say that this music stuck with me is an understatement. Over the past few weeks, I've been humming this almost non-stop, and for me, that's very rare, especially if I had only heard it ONCE before going to school and then coming home six hours later and still knowing almost the entire thing by heart. That's how far this became ingrained into my skull. I can't even begin to rave about how awesome the guitar is in here--on par (and possibly above, at parts) with JAXX and Ailsean, methinks. You completely fooled me on the drums, also. I refuse to believe those are synth. And the strings, the synth, and the organ; I love how they seem to flawlessly combine and become one. What this review boils down to is that it's one of my favorite remixes on the site, and it will now end with my ranting about how Midee should make more. MORE, I say! As they say, 5 stars.

[ella guro]

Fucking Awesome. This is just a PERFECT translation of the original tune from Axelay, and every little transition and detail is done just right and sounds great. I'm normally a little mad about the liberal use of strings in rock tunes, but they just add to the remix in this case. Otherwise, I can't say anything bad about this one at all.

[Liontamer]

One of the things I like about mixes from games I've never played is that I appreciate them on a higher level, since I don't know the original music. This mix was so great that I DLed the SPC tracks for the SNES game, and I'm blown away by how well the Level 1 and Level 1 Boss tracks were covered. Like DJP said, the mix is incredibly professional sounding throughout, it also keeps very faithfully to original music and manages to stand on it's own as just some solid stuff throughout. I hope Midee, Prozax & Jeremy Johnson make more mixes from other game themes, because you know they'd do an incredible job.

[Kamikaze Noodle]

"Kick My Axe" kicks my axe! (and my ass i suppose) I love all the parts of it but most especially where everything stops for a while and then BLAM! I also love near the end with all the wierdness going on all at once, disonance and unusual syncopations, and then it all just stops. I give it the Twisted Evil :twisted: Award of WAAAAHHH!!

[Bazman]

This is probably bumping up an increadibly old thread, but the guys that made this remix are GODS. *ahem* Axelay was my favourite shoot em up ever on console, and to hear such a brilliant piece of this games music remixed in such a fashion is a phenomonal feeling. For me anyway :) Hurrah for Midee!

[mv]

i wasn't aware that this remix was on ocr as well!

i kind of feel obliged to write a review for this remix as it is one of the best pieces the amateur remixing scene has ever produced! wonderful enhancement, production and attention to detail all over the place. this tune is fantastic and many of my friends who aren't even into video game remixes highly enjoyed this piece, that is saying much.

could have easily been on a konami cd, as this piece is totally worthy of being labelled as 'professional'. fantastic planning by midee, and outstanding group effort and playing/mixing of live elements.

two thumbs up!

[dethgrwl]

Great remix, very nice sounding distortion there for the guitar agreed. Much love. Is midee a alias for someone, or is this actually his first remix here?

[Durinthal]

Rockin' remix here, and with the strings at 1:18 it strongly reminds me of the classic rock band Kansas, which is pretty cool in my book.
A nice contrast to the other (http://www.ocremix.org/detailmix.php?mixid=OCR00377) remix of this game, but of the same high caliber.

[Midee]

Great remix, very nice sounding distortion there for the guitar agreed. Much love. Is midee a alias for someone, or is this actually his first remix here?

this was my first remix here.

and if anyone's interested, i released an updated version on VGMix here (http://www.vgmix.com/song_view.php?song_id=95).

[Dectilon]

I think I said above that I think this song is great. Combining the level and boss theme, staying close to the original, but amplifying the song in a great way. My only question is: What will it take to make you do the rest of the levels in the same way?

[Protricity]

So I always liked this song, but recently I listened to the original soundtrack. It was very disappointing to discover that this remix is scarcely anything more than a cover. Its basically the level1 and boss1 music put together with live guitar. Everything else is note for note with minimal changes.

A fine upgrade, but alas, nothing more than an upgrade.

[Midee]

Well I originally going to make an Axelay kumbia megamix :roll: , but I decided that prog rock in the exact style of the original would work best.

A lot of people have accused this song of being just a cover, but I always felt that it was a full-on arrangement:

1. It's two songs melded together with an original transition section.

2. Original instrumentation.

3. Yes, all the same notes are there. I made a point to hit every note exactly. Why? Because I can, and I like paying homage. It is a fairly complex piece and I wanted to show off (swing dick) a little.

When I make arrangements, I make them as if someone was re-releasing the game, and needed arranged music for it. Doing the music in any other style than that of the original would be blasphemous to me. Would I have added more to it if I had done it now? Maybe, but even without more original sections, I still feel this is a real arrangement, and not just a simple "upgrade".

[Riku]

Well, wa sit your intention to make an utterly mangled ending?

What the hell happened there, I first listened to the song, but stopped about midway through to move it to my 'Misc' folder (since I download songs to a 'potential' folder before actually deciding to keep them) and I thought 'I like it, sounds cool' and besides, I wanted to save at least 1 song from the A section, and this was the only one I liked enough.

Then I moved it and listened to it again and at the end I was like 'wtf was that?! Is the song broken?'

For me, it just dies after the violin thing. =\

[Protricity]

Well I originally going to make an Axelay kumbia megamix :roll: , but I decided that prog rock in the exact style of the original would work best.

A lot of people have accused this song of being just a cover, but I always felt that it was a full-on arrangement:

1. It's two songs melded together with an original transition section.

2. Original instrumentation.

3. Yes, all the same notes are there. I made a point to hit every note exactly. Why? Because I can, and I like paying homage. It is a fairly complex piece and I wanted to show off (swing dick) a little.

When I make arrangements, I make them as if someone was re-releasing the game, and needed arranged music for it. Doing the music in any other style than that of the original would be blasphemous to me. Would I have added more to it if I had done it now? Maybe, but even without more original sections, I still feel this is a real arrangement, and not just a simple "upgrade".

So, you can do the 'why mess with the original when its so good?' + 'homage' thing if you want. Its well justified. Only problem is that this is after all a remix site with certain ideals. Thus, as my ideals are the same as those of this site, I am somewhat dissapointed that this is more or less a cover in my mind.
To me, its like entering a baroque style orchestra competition with a rap song. Your song might be awesome rap, might be a beacon to all other rappers in existance, but it simply wouldn't fit in a baroque environment.
I hope you can understand this analogy in that I'm not bashing the song or its quality, rather just saying its really not much of a remix. I respect your skills, and I think your recent lifeforce song totally kicked ass. Now that was a full on remix.
Anyway, to drive the point home, like riku said, the ending sorta just dies. Thats where the original ends too before looping. If your song was truely a rearrangement/remix, it wouldn't just end, and you'd put in a more satisfying/creative ending.

[Corporal Eschebone]

Solid rock by Midee, prozax and Jeremy Johnson. Keeps the spirit of the original and only improves on it in every respect.


Edit: Although, like Protricity and Riku said, you can't just improve on the original - You have to arrange it beyond just a transition and original instrumentation. Even an occasional changed or added note for the better would do. I s'pose the ending and the notation were the only things not improved on in this track. Still high-quality though.

[meccaneer]

I'm not a huge rock fan; guitars always just sound like there's a dude with long hair holdin' them. This is no exception. However, despite Axelay's inherent coolness, this remix is probably how the game designers originally meant this song to sound. For real. And the violins and organ are a fantastic touch. My major complaint is that it covers the boss theme on that level too. In my book, that's a huge no-no. Why? I dunno. I don't think it's fair to cover and remix two songs into one.

Other than that: very professional.

[Liontamer]

My major complaint is that it covers the boss theme on that level too. In my book, that's a huge no-no. Why? I dunno. I don't think it's fair to cover and remix two songs into one.
Um...yeah. No fair, apparently. :roll:

[watkinzez]

Funny, Prot's experience with this mix is very similar to mine. I loved this one a lot when I first got it, so much that it persuaded me to check out the game to see what it was like. I was astounded how similar the original was to 'Kick my Axe', which dissapointed me sonewhat. The song is very well done, high production values all round, and does work as a cover and upgrade as such. I guess this is just a different approach to remixing. Either way, I still love a good cover, and in that sense this one hits the spot. The talent is easily spotted in this well made mix.

[Adam_Slight]

Still remains as the best mix on this site.





Or one of.

[sfried]

The strings gave the heebie-jeebies when I first heard them, they screamed "BAD ANIME BACKGROUND MUSIC" at me and I almost lost it.
I guess the track was to capture the essence of old 80's sci-fi shows. The strings bring out that "epic" feeling witle the guitar definately adds to the flavor. One of my favorites. Yes, it can feel like "BAD ANIME BACKGROUND MUSIC" at times, but when the song is good, what's to complain?

Now someone should do the ending music in this fashion. That would fantastic.

[Echo]

I didn't get to play Axelay until last year, and I finished it a couple times even so the music really got to me. What's different in it to most game soundtracks is that the bass stands out on some tracks really nicely, and this remix no different in that. Guitar playing is great here and I like the overall sound of everything. There's nothing too surprising though, but enough difference to the original to keep it interesting.

[madmallard]

I guess the track was to capture the essence of old 80's sci-fi shows. The strings bring out that "epic" feeling witle the guitar definately adds to the flavor. One of my favorites. Yes, it can feel like "BAD ANIME BACKGROUND MUSIC" at times, but when the song is good, what's to complain?

I really identify with what your saying. It almost feels like a lost style of composition in this day the way it stands out. I would even say it lasted into the very early 90s too, this very strident, driving leads and guitars.

Its a bit of cheese. But I like cheese. And I like those who like similar cheese. Like that rock organ-sounding thing, and the suspense stuff around 3:00. This is a fun track. :]

This mix does lose a bit of direction at the end, but one has to understand the source material when its composed to old shooters/shootemups, whatever you want to call them. The boss is coming up, after all.

And I don't get the hate on clean mixes like this. As a musician, being able to perform the original work is a unique endeavor all of its own. People can talk all they want about it just being a cover, but I really feel those who try to isolate it that way aren't seeing the whole picture. As though there is somehow less creativity in performing than composing/mastering.

Oh midee? I came around a little late, do you have an updated version of this somewhere else since VGMIX went X_X?

[Marmiduke]

Superb choice of sounds and contrasts here make something that might have been an unjustified, lazy-sounding mix into something with some real worth. My stance on covers isn't wholeheartedly supportive, but there's something to be said for those select covers that bring the original music into an entirely new perspective by giving it a burst of professionalism.
Of course I would have loved some arrangement. It's something that I do listen for and always come up short. That being said, the original melody actually doesn't need the support of good arrangement since it retains interest the whole way through. The collaborative effort here is so sweet to listen to, but there is a small concern that it wasn't used to its full potential.
But like I said, I'm not going to be too hard on it for not exploring that potential because what is here definitely isn't broken. It's just a case of a whole lot of work being put into production, and very little being set aside for personalising it. Samples have held up well, and the performances are excellent. For that reason, I'm willing to give it a free pass. However, all dazzle and no creativity gets old fast. I hope this position on 'remixing' stays a relic of the past.

[OA]

Interesting and cool use of guitar textures as opposed the super wall of sound i've grown accustomed to with recent guitar subs. My first introduction to this there was Scaredsim, so my expectations are a little biased towards his arrangement, but this one stands up really well, despite the slightly conservative approach. The use of 2 themes works out very well, and the break between the two was well handled. Nice playing throughout, and production was clean and not forced. A big plus in my book.
The ending was a little abrupt- i'd have preferred a more dramatic finish spread out over a little more time, but really this is a solid mix. Nice work!