*NO* Blaster Master 'Smooth Magma'

[Liontamer]

Remixer Name: CFX
Real Name : Miz Jones
E-mail : ocr-feeback@codef0x.org
Website : http://www.cfxmusic.com/
UserID : 20414
Username : cfx

Track title : Smooth Magma

Name of game remixed: Blaster Master
Name of song remixed: Level 7(?)
Link to soundtrack : (available on OCR as .nsf)

Commentary: Blaster Master is one of my most favorite games of all time. For a long time I shied away from attempting a remix of the music, because the original is just so impenetrable, so perfect. But a few days ago I closed my eyes, opened my ears, and just started to play... This track is the end result, and I think the contrast of something fast and hardcore warped into a jazzy little number does it more justice than any other style.

I tried to give the track a hybrid 'studio' and 'live' feel by leaving in imperfections, letting the percussion get a little over the top in places, and by using a bass that isn't quite cliche for this style.

Enjoy!
~Miz
CFX Music

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Wow, what the hell is up with that source tune? It sounded like some goofy ska (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00167/) to me. :lol:

http://www.zophar.net/nsf/blaste~1.zip - Track 13

171kbps and this somehow sounded incredibly lossy? Doesn't speak well for the production/mixing.

The instruments have some decent effects on them, but everything sounds really synthetic. The overall texture isn't very cohesive, as there's a lot of empty space. The unorthodox bass probably didn't help this; IMO, the tone didn't really resonate much or help fill out the track.

Purposeful timing imperfections aside, the interplay between the instruments just seems awkward and sluggish at times, with a few potentially clashing chords sprinkled about. The backing piano chords from 2:47-3:17 quickly became annoyingly repetitive, but luckily varied a little bit at the end of some measures.

The arrangement concept was very strong and was definitely not an approach I would have expected for a source like this; nice work on that level, Miz. But the execution was really lacking. Flesh this out and tighten the bolts up on this sumbitch. Interesting first sub though.

NO

[Malcos]

The piano intro could really have done with some sustain. As Liontamer said there is a lot of empty space here, partly to do with the eq, but more to do with the arrangement. The timing is very off, and the bass is very fragmented. The bass and the low piano parts also get in each others way a lot, which makes it all sound quite muddy and undefined. I think I know what the remixer was was going for, however the execution needs a lot more work.

NO

[JJT]

I tried to give the track a hybrid 'studio' and 'live' feel by leaving in imperfections
There's a difference between a song sounding 'raw' and a song sounding sloppy and poorly performed. This are a TON of mistakes in this recording, bro. That's not your biggest problem, though.

Some people use a train as a metaphor for the rhythm section. The bass is the engine, the drums are the wheels, and the piano is the chasis, providing the shape of the train.

In this song, your train has functional wheels, a chasis that is falling off because its been hastily thrown together, and an engine that works in spurts, tending to do more damage to the train then good.

The bass needs to be the driving force behind both the harmony and the groove. What you've recorded here doesn't make ANY sense to me. It feels random, and half the time the bass isn't supporting the chord structure at all. It should be.

The piano playing isn't the worst we've heard, but this sounds like it was done in one take. In fact, everything sounds like it was done in one take.

In future submissions I would advise you to

1) make sure the drums and the bass are working together to create a groove
2) come up with a shape to your arrangement, from a melodic, harmonic, and dynamic perspective
3) keep the mistakes to a minimum

This submission does none of these things.

NO