ReMix:Chrono Trigger "Lavos Battle (dnBoss Mix)" 2:41

By ABG

Arranging the music of one song...

"The Final Battle"

Primary Game: Chrono Trigger (Square , 1995, SNES), music by Nobuo Uematsu, Noriko Matsueda, Yasunori Mitsuda

Posted 2002-11-08, evaluated by the judges panel


I actually wasn't going to post anything tonight as the temporary downtime we experienced pushed my schedule back, BUT the judges panel has been workin' super-hard and doing a better-than-ever job and has gotten ahead of me so I figured I could least post a single mix quickly to help catch up. The newcomer trend continues with this dnb breakbeat-style incarnation of the Lavos battle theme from Chrono Trigger from ABG. Okay, you probably surmised all that info from the track name itself, so perhaps I should say something a little less obvious :) This is good, short electronica with well-programmed, very tight drum work. I especially liked the use of more ethnic percussion mixed with a traditional short dnb kit. Drums are at the forefront, with a percussive sub bass anchoring the track and a xylo pattern also preeminent. There's some good synth and ambient work to back up these more salient elements however - it's not breakbeats and bass at the expense of everything else, rather the backing melody and chords (filtered synth pads, a tres cool synth brass patch, panflute, choir patch, etc.) compliment the rhythm and bass. I like the concise and non-repetitve nature of the piece - it's got some good transitions, doesn't outlast its stay, and pulls a few more tricks than a lesser effort which ran on autopilot might have. Good, tight, self-contained ReMix from ABG - recommended. Some of our judges did note that the piece is in mono, not stereo - this wasn't a showstopper for me, but if we get a stereo version we'll post it instead.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Krakozhia
on 2012-04-01 17:24:24

Damn, this sampled marimba hurts in my ears somehow. Probably because I'm playing it myself.

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Rexy
on 2011-12-29 17:50:07

On the contrary, when exploring the field of CT coverage this was one that I was drawn into simply because of the raw energy provided to it. I also remember that ABG later covered it in the style of a Grand Theft Auto car radio broadcast back in the VGMix days (no idea if it exists anymore), so it seems as if he has a passion for the source for some time.

It may be an ugly mono recording, but taking that concern aside it starts off taking the dangerous riffs of the source material and using it to build what seems to be a more worldly DnB take, or rather, "literal Jungle" for what seems to be made out. :razz: The xyolophone to me sounds very firm and fitting, though I would've thought some additional envelope processing to the pan flute might've done some good. The main theme cameo at 1:15 made a good builddown/bridge into section B of the source, so I'm cool with what happened there.

Yet, like a lot of mixes these days it's handled almost too much like actual BGM in that we have a riff leading back to where you started and a fadeout. I know it's OverClocked "Remix", but it's not the best way to stand the test of time if it has that kind of an abrupt nature to it, even when in comparison to its bretheren.

For the time, I'd say it's a cool electronica entry. It's shown a considerable amount of age now in comparison to other entries most notably in regards to production and execution, but if you can tolerate the genre then it should be worth checking out. Though these days, I know that ABG's skills as an electronica musician have improved tenfold, so the quality gap between this and even "Third Eye" is quite substantial; you're going to have to be mindful of that if you're to check out this old quickie which can still be considered a 'goodie' to the CT mix collection.

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DragonAvenger
on 2009-11-29 19:15:41

When I first joined this site and downloaded every CT mix, this one apparently never made my original cut, because it's not in my list of CT mixes. Listening to it now, though, I have a much better appreciation for it. The style is obviously (dur) focused on the drums and bass, which I'll get to in a bit, but the rest of the sounds are pretty good. I'm especially liking the marimba, it works super well in it's function, and the delay on it later sounds cool. Nice throw in of Crono's Theme, btw.

The ethnic percussion really adds some flare to this, and fits in perfectly. Reminds me a little of 65 Million BC, which is a nice touch. Along with that, the variation of percussion throughout the mix is done well. One thing that's throwing me off is the snare roll, which sounds very fake compared to the rest of the percussion. Aside from that, nice work.

I will agree with OA, the fade-out happens just as I wanted a little more variation, but rather a short visit than an overly long one. Nice work, glad I gave this one another chance.

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OA
on 2007-12-07 12:20:39

A good addition to the original that stays pretty static.

The mono sound hinders this quite a bit, which makes it sound midi-tastic despite the use of pretty good samples.

the beats were a nice addition, and the percussive-heavy soundscape gives it a very nice feel when mixed with the sweeping synths, but I can't help but imagine how good this would sound if I was listening to this surrounded by all the different parts rather than listening to it through a straw.

The fadeout started just as I was hoping the theme would be altered a bit, so I think it runs a little short, but despite a few flaws, it's a good mix.

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DragonFireKai
on 2007-03-01 14:35:37

It seems very similar to the original piece until he brings in the bassline at 0:40. After that, it retains the exotic feel of the original piece, but it doesn't expand on it a whole lot.

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avaris
on 2007-01-15 00:47:20

Def sweet. Love all the variation and the crazy FX and different soundclips. The composition is generally pretty damn catchy too. This one really keeps ya movin. Good stuff.

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Audity
on 2006-11-25 19:52:31

I was trying to listen to the highly addictive bongoloop stuffs but all the sudden this bass kick starts up and messes things up a little bit. Not a showstopper, but just something I noticed, which could probably be better implemented with a less narrow soundscape. This was actually like the 10th time listening to this song and I just noticed this. I don't care that it sounds "MIDI-ish". Highly enjoyable piece of rhythmic work that doesn't stray far from the original, yet derivative enough for its own merit. Nice job!

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Bummer
on 2005-09-25 15:32:03

This remix would fit perfectly in a donkey kong game, not only because of the bongodrums, but also that this had a nice and swell rhytm, tempo and a cool synth. But sadly, it sounded a little to MIDIsh for me, so I stay over this one, but I still wait to hear more of you ABG.

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Shwenky
on 2005-09-11 12:53:53

I like the instruments (keyboard), but there's not enought drums! 8/10

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Homer
on 2002-11-15 13:18:31

I like it! Keep up the good work! 8/10

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Kharpern
on 2002-11-09 05:00:34

*waves*

People I know! I can post my first post now! lol . . . uh, hi people. I was pleasently surprised to see your name when I was downloading the latest mixes tonight. hehe. :)

Anyways, nice mix, ABG. It's got some great sounds to it, and great effects. I think it could have been a bit longer, but other than that, sounds great to me. ;)

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klm09
on 2002-11-08 14:22:28

Rock! ABG! You submitted! :D I knew this'd get on.. I never mentioned it though, did I? That I thought you should submit this? Anyway.. :P

I've liked this one a lot since I first heard it like some months ago. The choices on the instruments are really fresh and different, yet still fit the original really well. I love the beats, especially how you mixed in these pretty unorthodox stuff in there; however, the main d'n'b beat is a bit bland.. well executed, but it could use some more effects or eq-ing, IMO, to make it sound, well, different in one way or another.

Wasn't the original version longer? I think this really could have carried on for maybe another iteration, perhaps broken by a beat solo type section..

Anyway, I think that this is above average material.. it could be my personal preferences (and the fact that I know ABG from elsewhere) meddling here, but I really like this one.

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m68030
on 2002-11-08 02:52:05

I am highly upset to see an arrangement this good get posted sounding

so bad. Honestly the lack of stereo really kills it for me... :(

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kobayashi3
on 2002-11-08 02:47:06

I listened to this when it still a WIP, and frankly, the lack of stereo doesn't really bother me all to much. While it would make it better, I don't think it's fair to rag on an excellent ReMix just because it's not in stereo. But, hey, what do I know?

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Disco Dan
on 2002-11-08 02:05:37

Chrono Trigger 'Lavos Battle dnBoss'

Mono = Yuck.

This song sounds great if you're listening to it on one of those headphone/mic combinations that has only one ear piece. But if you're listening to it on a system with more than one speaker, it's gonna sound really craptacular. The MUSIC is great, just the mono kills it for me. Download it if you like mono.

DC

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Chrono Trigger (Square , 1995, SNES)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu,Noriko Matsueda,Yasunori Mitsuda
Songs:
"The Final Battle"

Tags (6)


Genre:
Drum and bass
Mood:
Aggressive
Instrumentation:
Breakbeats,Synth,Xylophone
Additional:
Time > 4/4 Time Signature

File Information


Name:
Chrono_Trigger_Lavos_Battle_(dnBoss_Mix)_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
2,666,677 bytes
MD5:
805cfe67c78a9684d43c23aa675bb84a
Bitrate:
128Kbps
Duration:
2:41

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