ReMix:Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest "Savage Seduction" 6:36

By Protricity

Arranging the music of one song...

"Primal Rave (Animal Antics)"

Primary Game: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Nintendo , 1995, SNES), music by David Wise

Posted 2003-06-30, evaluated by djpretzel


OCR00999 comes in courtesy of he-who-doth-obsess-over-DKC-music, Ari Asulin aka Protricity. This time it's the second DKC, in a swing-time electro-funk that's very late 80's/early 90's in its dense mixture of funky, processed pop drums, a variety of well-programmed synth leads, an equally impressive variety of uber-groove, meaty synth basslines, and overall slick production quality. In particular, the basslines in this six-minute opus are an improvement over Ari's previous work, and stand out not just as a competent anchor for the track, but as a highlight unto themselves. This is essentially a medley of several tracks from DKC2, though things remain at-tempo and in swing-time throughout, making the transitions smooth and natural. There's some great drum slicing+processing towards the mid-section, with attention paid to balance and effects at all times. I'd normally have some reservations about a piece that basically cycles through several motifs without an overall hook or dominant motif, but this is an unabashed jam track. Actually, it sounds similar to the demos you often hear built in to professional synth workstations, which in serving their designed purpose of showing off the hardware's power also usually skip from bit to bit, cycling through different sounds, with very fine-tuned solos, breaks, effects, and bass action. That's something of a compliment, especially in terms of production quality and glossy, flamboyant arranging. This has more of an all-out jam, "for the hell of it" feel than some of Ari's other pieces, and proves that he's still able to pull very fresh, new musical interpretations out of the Donkey Kong Country universe. As we move to the next thousand ReMixes here on OCR, it'll be interesting to see whether that remains the case, or whether Ari and other series-preferential ReMixers begin to spread out their source material a bit more. I'm all for variety, myself, but in the end it boils down to a question of personal inspiration for each individual artist, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Kudos to Protricity for one of his most impressive works to date, showing some new style+panache in the process. Recommended.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
Polo
on 2015-08-21 08:54:02

Right off the bat, cymbal-ish tap + shaker + bass = bright 'n spicy synthwork. They help establish an ongoing groove that makes me imagine that Cat-O'-9-Tails enemy almost constantly spinning to the beat. Flow is top-notch, from the warping wake-up call at 0:31 down to the extended wrap-up section at 5:40+, so I'm always groovin'. The main lead and faint choir help color the mood in a way that says "be alert - there are near-hellish dangers to consider," which only adds to the jungle-feverish hawtness. I also like how the source-originating quip at 4:34 keeps on repeating - it's like Protricity decided to take it for a spin on a playground roundabout and see how long it would maintain its power and appeal.

Hot, glowy, and untouchable.

avatar
duskvstweak
on 2011-12-27 19:06:57

I love whenever Protricity does Donkey Kong. This mix has such a cool beat that makes the original seem like a rockin' source. The ending keeps that mellow feel that the whole game kind of had for me as a kid. The whole song really stands out as a great tune from an all around great soundtrack and I love the sound of the drums.

Very seductive indeed.

avatar
Marmiduke
on 2010-11-22 00:43:57

This is a little less straightforward than the other DKC2 Protricity mixes. Arrangement, while showcasing enormous amount of both talent and love for the material, seems a little more scattershot and chaotic with so much else surrounding it. This mix is anything but contemplative; that beat is so consistent and is always carrying you to the next movement of the song at an extremely hurried pace. That's awesome when you want to get your funk on, but not so much when you want to admire the amount of work that went into rearranging these melodies. Many repeat listenings are recommended to fully appreciate this.

I still consider this the black sheep of the Protricity's DKC2 series, but only because it has a totally different flavour and emphasis. This one seems to be less about doing a great original source the most amount of justice, and more about just making a slick, hard-edged electo-dance track backed up by the strength of Dave Wise's legendary compositions and some awesome percussion. Again, Prot pours a generous amount of his production talent over it all, so let there be no suggestion that this is in anyway a drop in quality. It's merely a different direction and experience.

avatar
Crulex
on 2010-02-06 21:47:40

Oh yeah, this is a good one to groove to. Just feel that beat and move yo' feet! The only thing that would make this remix of the Lost World Jungle....is.....(gotta say it).....more cowbell! I really like from 4:19 to 4:50. Good mix of that particular chorus.

avatar
OA
on 2009-10-28 16:18:18

Funky and creative, with some good variation, this is definitely a quality mix. I dig the difference in sounds for the different sections, and this overall is pretty great. Nice work.

avatar
Audity
on 2006-04-25 13:34:35

2:13 - 2:53 is kinda annoying. Keeps the basis of the repetition going on the whole time, on top of an annoying melody. Afterwards it repeats the same thing except a lot better sounding, though still repetitious. I like everything before 2:13, though. By the time the cowbell is gone (at a good place to stop, though), the song doesn't seem like it really finishes even when it's doing all that varying percussion work and staticky-wind effects. I put this on a car cd thinking it was going to be awesome the whole way through, but compared to Assembly Line Apparitions being right before this track on the cd, it was rather weak after 2:13. Cool whole-song if you're obsessed over DKC.

edit: seems like I like it more now somehow. The beginning still does sound really good, comparably.

avatar
archi
on 2006-02-04 16:55:53

this was one of the first songs, that i've listen to on this site and it's my favorite funkmix. the drums are really kickin' ass. awesome job just like BramblesInTheBreeze.

avatar
Bummer
on 2005-09-30 03:04:37
:D i can't stop moveing, i just love this song. it remind's me of stuff like janet jackson and other 80's and 90's pop grops. big up's on this one man,i'm saveing it right now. keep up the good work.

I agree to the fullest, the 80´s has made a tremendous comeback using Pro as their tool....or maybe not. WHO KNOWS?

With that put aside, this was a real groovy mix from the man himself. He dug up some cool style from the past to make the music today. Ironic eh? Anyway, loved it. Can´t really say much about what you, used, some very good synths, beats and funky drums. This sounds like Michael Jackson, maybe even better!

avatar
linkwolf
on 2005-08-30 04:04:39
:D i can't stop moveing, i just love this song. it remind's me of stuff like janet jackson and other 80's and 90's pop grops. big up's on this one man,i'm saveing it right now. keep up the good work.
avatar
Demko
on 2005-01-11 13:53:13

Makes me dance. Pretty song. :)

avatar
Protricity
on 2004-11-14 16:37:50

DKC2 jungle theme has a similarity to the underwater theme in dkc1, but I certainly remixed the DKC2 jungle theme. Certainly did not borrow from DKC1. If anyone borrowed from that game, it was dave wise (who wrote aquatic ambience as well).

avatar
Txai
on 2004-11-14 16:16:26
I've noticed that part of the tune in the DKC2 jungle track is borrowed from DKC's underwater stage... This could make it tough for some to classify...

In the truth ORIGINAL music is thus. It really has a similar part with the underwater music of the Donkey Kong Country.

avatar
Txai
on 2004-11-14 16:12:49

This remix is very good! the Jungle version from Protricity is excellent!

avatar
Lavos - Devourer of Time
on 2004-11-06 15:15:31

I haven't played Donkey Kong Country 2 in a long time. Even with that fact, I really enjoyed this remix! I partially recognized the melody from the original but even if I hadn't, I would still listen to this song again and again. Nice job Prot, keep giving us more Donkey Kongy remix goodness!

avatar
CC Ricers
on 2004-07-29 00:59:32

I got a jungle fever, and the only prescription is...MORE COWBELL :D

I had trouble picking up the melody on the first go, but the end was recognizable. I then listened to it again and it made more sense. Pretzel's right. All the funky sessions in this track are appropriate for one of those synthesizer demo things...or perhaps a Bollywood film :lol:

Keep up the great work, Prot!

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Nintendo , 1995, SNES)
Music by David Wise
Songs:
"Primal Rave (Animal Antics)"

Tags (1)


Genre:
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Additional:
Time > Duration: Long

File Information


Name:
Donkey_Kong_Country_2_Savage_Seduction_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,386,549 bytes
MD5:
1829b8574814902b1a3e2d9031e6f8c4
Bitrate:
127Kbps
Duration:
6:36

Promotion

8-bit Jazz Heroes - Press Start
View All

Latest Albums

View All

Latest ReMixes