[Liontamer]

This is Corran from vgmix, and I'm back with one more try to get on OCR.

Contact Info:

Remixer name: Corran
real name: Bryan Garris
email: bjgarris@valdosta.edu
website: iplayflute1985.googlepages.com
my user ID: 595

Remix Info:

Game: Cave Story / Doukutsu Monogatari
Name of song remixed: Gestation

This track was one of my submissions for the recently-released "Cave Story
Remix Project" (http://kwix.shackspace.com/cavestory). I had a lot of fun
making this arrangement, especially performing the flute parts. I've also
had a lot of very positive feedback for this piece in the community. This
will be my fourth try for OCR, so I hope I'll finally get something through
the panel.

Thanks for listening guys!

[Vig]

I'll have to listen to the original. This has a lot of good going for it, but i feel like the harmony is too linear with the lead. I'd like to hear more harmony than just the root of the chord.

[Liontamer]

Cave Story - (02) "Gestation"

Originally Posted by Vig

I'll have to listen to the original. This has a lot of good going for it, but i feel like the harmony is too linear with the lead. I'd like to hear more harmony than just the root of the chord.

That's pretty much how the original goes. Suffice to say, I wish there was more interpretation going on for the first few minutes. Good drum patterns during the intro. The patterns were somewhat basic, but got the job there nicely. Had some fairly strong expansive cover-style arrangement going on for the first two minutes.

Interesting change of pace at 2:08 with the piano- and string-focused foundation. Feeling the flute action at 2:19. Didn't quite like the tone of the drumwork joining in at 2:39. Felt like the volume on those should have been pulled back a little to note sound so overbearing, but nothing major there.

Barren section at 3:05 with those drums. The patterns sounded way too exposed there up to 3:25, and I thought it was a bad idea to go that route. If you're gonna go that route, the drumming has to sound more natural and less rigid. Nonetheless, I see how you were trying to create some contrast once the source arrangement kicked back in.

Another iteration of the source tune arrangement from 3:25, now only with different drums underneath. Vary the drum patterns a bit more. They're so familiar by the end of the section at 4:27 that it got too boring and repetitive. You're not using preset loops, I hope. Let's not go there. :-P

Moves over into a more rock style section at 4:29 with the flute doing some crazy trills 'n spills and whatnot over some rocked out drums and guitar. Another iteration of the melody at 5:30, the melody now doubled. Everything sounded pretty crowded at that point.

Everything sounded too loud the whole way through and could use refinement on the sound combinations, but the effort is there and the track manages to vary things up well enough over time. Rather disappointed to hear the major arrangement section repeated twice more in the track only with different drums underneath, but the expansionist ideas here helped offset those issues.

Still could be a better track on both arrangement and production, but that's neither here nor there at this rate. Some reservations, but I'll throw you the YES. This was IMO the best track on the Cave Story Remix Project. Best of luck with the rest of the vote, Bryan.

YES

[Vig]

the first two minutes are definitely a very beefed-up version of the original. the next sexion has more original material, and while a lot of the harmonies are kind of akward, there's nothing close to a dealbreaker.

the last solo section is lacking in a bass part. this leaves the harmony sounding thin.

there are some akward problems with this, but at this point it's still a YES

[zyko]

i feel like i'm re-popping the cherry. excitement abound!

and good thing, too. this track is very nice. it does start off very conservatively and then migrates out. very good idea, too - given the source material, i don't think it would have been easy to swallow, otherwise. the transitions are smooth and do a good job to never give the impression that he was starting to go on a tangent... slick in bringin the original melody back, too.

the flute work is beautiful. then again, this is corran and i expect that. the instrumentation is great, the reverse cymbals do their trick. the upbeat section is awesome

if i had one criticism it would be the drums. while i am digging the rhythm, i don't like how they sound. they sound almost too big in parts. a reason why it would appear this way to me would be the lack of a bass presence during the upbeat climax and it feels as though there was too much reliance on the kick of the drum to drive your piece.

that said, this one still gets my approval.


YES

[JJT]

not perfect (i tend to agree with vig re: the harmonic structure), but definetly over the bar.

there are some great moments here. the flute performance(s) carry this piece well.

YES

a lot of people are gonna enjoy this one.