DragonAvenger Posted June 19, 2011 Share Posted June 19, 2011 Remixer: Gario Real Name: Gregory Nourse UserID: 22898 Game Arranged: Chrono Trigger Name of Arrangement: Zeal Feels Good Source: Corridor of Time Comments: Another Zeal remix. What is this, like the thirteenth one? Alright, I'm not normally a sucker for overly remixed tracks - I generally try to avoid them, in fact. However, much like another popular track I remixed a year ago it was due to the tides of the WIP boards. There were a bunch of Zeal tracks popping up out of nowhere, and I thought it would be funny to make yet another one appear on the board. Turns out that what started as a semi-joke track for me turned out to be very, very smooth and sexy, so I decided to give it a nice production spit-shine and give it up to you guys. This remix can be considered a homage to another remix of the same track - 8-bit Zeal by Nespus on OLR - so you can expect some sweet 8-bit tones in this one (you can even hear some sections that are very similar to Nespus' track - this was intentional to honor his track). The style is very much reminiscent of Halc's 9-bit style that he has going (congratulations on becoming a judge, by the way), although it's comparatively subdued. There's some bit crushing effects placed on the drums, and some compression effects throughout the track to give it the warm, comfortable tone that permeates throughout. I thought the record needle (from freesound.org) would be a nice touch to really set the old, warm tone that those gramophones tended to produce. The track is fairly long, but it flows from one part to another so well that I didn't have the heart to cut too much of it away. I hope you all feel the same way about it. Please, get lost in this track - it really is meant to be a feel good piece. P.S. As per all my tracks, if this is rejected I would appreciate a link to the track in the Judges Decisions thread. ------------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Takes the classic Zeal sound and really adds a lot of personalization in the form of counter melodies and rhythmic textures. I liked the breakdown section, and the panning details kept things interesting throughout. I do think a little more main melody alteration/expansion near the end after a few repetitions would have been nice, but I really like this as is. Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halc Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 oh wow, yes. really, really digging the soundscape, this actually strikes a bit of a GaMeBoX vibe to me. I freakin' love those chiptune arpeggios. cool gating too. I thought the overall volume felt a little low and the mix could have been slightly brighter in the highs imo, but those are just broad nitpicks. I think this song is fantastic. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Sometimes going for the most overmixed themes really pays off from a creative standpoint. Here, Gregory was actually able to cut loose with the arrangement due to the original being so familiar. The mixing was somewhat cluttered, particularly during the 8-bit parts, and there were some grating and piercing sounds. I could definitely go for the mixing/EQing being tweaked, but it wasn't a dealbreaker. That said, it's a lengthier track, but the arrangement itself was pretty swanky, keeping the base of the Zeal theme present throughout while really personalizing the sounds and flow of the piece. Cool chiptune elements, and a cool otherworldly sound that had a nice robotic feel to it. Short and sweet, it works. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutritious Posted July 13, 2011 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Sweet vibe here. Way to bring something fresh to a very overmixed track. You brought some good expansions and variations, but also kept things very recognizable throughout. Nice combination of chippy sounds with the bitcrushed drums and synth leads. It did get a bit muddy around the 2:50 mark with the added pads taking up a bit too much room. Break at 3:10 was unexpected, but a good change of pace. The transition back at 3:33 felt like it could've been smoother. Also, the lead at 4:49 hit some strong resonant notes, making it a bit too loud over the rest of the track. Minor issues aside, production is generally strong here. Great job here, Gario. Looking forward to seeing it on the front page. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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