[Liontamer]

Hey guys,

This is my second submission, but the first one which I think will actually make it. It's a piano version of 2 battle themes from the Pokemon Gold/Silver games, with the most emphasis lying on the Champion's Battle Theme. Most of the improvisations are middle-eastern styled to give everything the epic feel it deserves. This was also my main submission for the Pokemon ReMix Project.

Clash of the Titans

*****

Side note: IF the Pokemon Project gets delayed so that this mix is posted before project release, please put it on hold. It is, after all, a project song

Contact Info:

Remixer Name: pu_freak
Real Name: Pieter van Os
Mail adress: pu_freak@hotmail.com
User ID: 12491

ReMix Info:

Name of the Game: Pokemon Gold/Silver
Name of songs: Champion's Battle, Trainer Battle
Original Soundtrack: - It's track number 47 (Champion's Battle) and 7 (Trainer Battle)

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I'll have to take your word for it on those sources, since we can't access your link. The stuff sounds pretty...Pokémon-ish, so I trust you.

The piano sample sounds pretty cheap. It's all in how your produce it, and it doesn't have that oomph or finesse here. There were some rough spots where the piano sample was exposed worse than others, but overall the sound quality is poor. The sample's of decent quality, and if you're not demanding then it would sound awesome. But there's likely comparable free stuff out there that may sound better.

I dunno if you did this via mouse or via keyboard. Sounds like you played it through. The core of the performance itself is fine, but the performance should sound less stiff/rigid in the final product. The textures were thin and dynamically the piece was also fairly flat and unexpressive, the changeup at 3:17 being a notable exception before picking things back up at 3:44. Arrangement-wise, this seems ok. But there's no emotion given off by the composition on account of a lack of pronounced dynamics and the weak piano sample. Hopefully other Js can give you some advice to spruce this up.

NO (resubmit)

[Liontamer]

Originally Posted by pu_freak (11/13)

Hey Larry,

Before I ask the question, I understand that you may not answer this. That because you cannot, will not or don't want to do it. But still, I can alwasy try, right?

The question is if you can give me an update (how many no's and times yes) on the judging of my mix. I know that it may sound a little impatient (that's why I understand if you won't answer this), but I just want to know what I can expect (I assume you already have some votes after 2,5 months). I'd be great if you could let me know :D. My mix is Clash of the Titans from Pokemon Gold/Silver and my remixer name is pu_freak.

Anyway, thanks for your time.


Pieter

Besides my vote, he would assume wrong. Let's step it up for this one.

[Palpable]

The first thing I notice off the bat is that it's too soft. Definitely needs a major volume boost. I didn't think the piano sounded cheap but it does sound muddy. It's difficult to make out the notes you're playing sometimes.

The arrangement was interesting in places, but mostly in the new writing you did. The Middle Eastern-ish parts you added went well with the material and spiced it up. I was disappointed how closely you stuck to Champion's Battle though. The first time, there were minor variations in the right hand, and some added block chords in the left hand, but it was pretty intact. At 1:55, the left hand is even closer to the original. That part in the original is so simple; it seemed like a wasted opportunity, to play it so straight.

In general, the parts were too repetitive. The left hand stays on the root of the chord a lot and plays a pretty even rhythm. Would have been nice if it went off the rails a little. The playing was also a little sloppy, especially when you speed up.

This one is gonna take some work before it can pass, but keep at it. Your writing shows talent.

NO

[zircon]

Volume is definitely low; please normalize at least, as this is 3.3db under. You could also do some MINOR compression/limiting to boost it another few db.

The sample isn't really that problematic, but the issue is that the writing has a lot of the same notes, chords, and rhythms playing over and over. The left hand writing in particular is not very interesting as Palpable pointed out. The right hand tends to play the melody simplisticly with few (if any) embellishments like grace notes or unexpected voicings. In general, there aren't really any interesting arpeggios, runs, time signature changes, trills, or other expressive techniques used, all of which would be helpful. This is a capable piano adaptation of the themes but it isn't all that musically deep, and I think when you choose to use a solo instrument there's a higher bar for depth and expression. As it stands now, this piece does not hold my attention.

In terms of the actual arrangement of the source tunes themselves, there's enough interpretation. That's not really a problem, but it's the actual musicality of it that I am concerned with. While you did vary the themes and add original material, the aforementioned lack of expression makes the arrangement come across as flat and somewhat repetitive. Listen to some of the more recent piano arrangements that have been posted, read their decision threads (if applicable) and use that to figure out better what we're looking for.

NO