ReMix: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening 'Braving Tal Tal Heights'

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Disco Dan-the-Man Cabrera continues his polygamous deviation from Mega Man arrangements, most recently indulged in last December, to give us some Zelda: Link's Awakening techno-with-a-twist, featuring hyperactive, quantized banjo riffage, a soaring violin lead, and good variety all around. Just don't tell Mega Man he's being slept around on, I don't think he could take it. While Dan's fidelity in terms of near-monogamous series loyalty might be in decline (a good thing, by my way of thinking), the fidelity of his mixes is high as ever. We've had to wait more than half a year since his prophetically titled 'Green Amnesia' CT ReMix (Dan likes to climb things, fall off them, and then temporarily forget everything, in that order) for him to return, but this Zelda mix should please many. It's definitely not your cookie-cutter electronica mix; though it does take the original and give it a good danceable makeover, this piece also does some weird juxtapositions, like the afforementioned banjos, an almost zydeco shuffling snare riff towards the end, and violin and piano serving as primary lead instruments overtop a VERY layered background. Nice use of delay to fill things out, and the rhythm track deserves a nod too for some tight, multi-layer grooves and well-placed fills. Though I believe quantizing a banjo part is against the law in at least ten of the contiguous 48 states here in the US, Dan makes it work by blending it in with underlying analog synth patterns and the heavy-downbeat drums. The lead violin is extremely well-handled - it's a great patch, well-mixed, and the articulation and dynamics make it dip, dive, and fly over top the arrangement in a very liberated, expressive fashion. I still think it would have been funny if the mix had been titled "Braving Tal Tal Bachman"; for some reason I find that inexplicably amusing to no end. Feel free to depart in your own reaction :) Great way to do a good techno rendition of a theme then shake things up with imagination, creativity, iconoclastic instrumentation, and good production and mastering as well. Recommended.

― djpretzel

Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
I have to say that, yes, this remix is a bit repetitive, but after all, the original song is as well. However, this remix carries a lot of energy and it's one that I enjoy simply because of the structure of it. THe banjo adds to it because the orinal track seemed to hint at it as well as the beat. I have found myself as I work through some of my college classes, listening to this remix and enjoying it as I study because it doesn't really require quite a bit of focus and it's still manages to be full of energy.

- mstie3k on March 22, 2013
This piece would have been PERFECT if it concluded at the 3-4 minute mark... the last 2 get pretty stale. For me, that staleness holds it back so much I am considering using Audacity to cut out a large portion of it for my own personal listening.
I've heard a lot mixes, and quite frankly....THAT INTRO... nothing comes close to that on the epic scale and overall sound quality, between the suspended cymbal kick-off, the reverbing piano, and the parallel 6ths of whatever-that-sample-is. I nearly wet my pants every time I hear it.

- Haste2 on October 13, 2012
Disco Dan continues to impress, and the banjo synth is a really weird choice that actually works out. The violin sample is showing it's age a little, but works in context, and the beats are nice a multidimensional. The breaks between melodic bursts are good for grooving, and give the song a bit of a chance to breathe.
Though there is a lot of mileage drawn out of that banjo chord progression arpeggio, I think the song works pretty well.

- OA on September 1, 2010
I know this mix is old, but since I've been around OCR for 8 years now, this is def one of my favorite OC ReMixes ever on this site. In my opinion, Tal Tal Heights is the best track on the Link's Awakening album. Thumbs up. I just wish more of this type of material by Disco Dan!

- JaDE ARaN HaRuNo on July 21, 2009
I tend to enjoy arrangements that employ unusual juxtapositions of instruments, and the violin used here adds a unique flavor that really contributes to the creativity of the piece.
Plus it sounds cool.

- Lucentas on December 6, 2008
Four years later, and I still love this tune!

- Mr Azar on November 20, 2008
This remix is absolutely spectacular!!

- Rockitout234 on August 19, 2008
I never played this game so I didn't think of actually listening to the track until I saw it featured in that column posted about the top ten tracks from the Zelda games. After listening to the sample of the original theme from the game I was intrigued and immediately looked in my library and found this remix and I digs it muchly.
Someone previously mentioned that the strings remind them of Bond, and I also am reminded of the stringed vixens.
Two thumbs up on this one!
EDIT: so much so that I made the first musical phrase of the melody my ringtone

- LuckyXIII on March 9, 2008
Say what... I cried, really did, while listening to that track ^^' You know, memories flowing back, but totally enhanced by the powerful feel of the music ! Awesome job, just to remember so much feelings in so few minutes. 10 out of 10 =)
(almost 9, for making me ruin a drawing with my tears, but they were priceless :mrgreen:)

- Eawyne on March 10, 2007
Well done taking advantage of the piece's already upbeat tempo. GREAT patch choices, and I think one of the best parts of this re-mix is that it's LENGTHY! It's something I actually WANT to hear go on for a while!
Nice job!

- KogeJoe on January 31, 2007
One of my favorite remixes on the site. It sounds, as somebody stated earlier, very heroic, especially when the violin makes its appearance.
Great job, Disco Dan :D
[sign me up with Chickenwarlord and Myst 1278, by the way; I'd stop playing just to listen to this song as well!]

- IceCold on August 15, 2006
This is a great remix of a great song. I am especially fond of the echo effect on the piano. But is it just me or is there a wrong note being played at the very beginning? Regardless this is a wonderful remix, Disco Dan is great at what he does.

- Felix the Cat on July 11, 2006
You too Myst?
I used to do precisely the same thing.
Anyways, this is not Disco Dan's best work, but still a good job. Be warned, trance-haters, this mix ends with a repetitive deconstruction, which is the only thing that really takes away from this track.
The synths could be better chosen and the ending a little more varied, but its worth a listen.

- Chickenwarlord on July 11, 2006
Fastastic remix of my favorite theme from Link's Awakening. It managed to keep the heroic sound that drew me into the original (seriously, I used to go to Tal Tal Heights and rest with the speaker next to my ear...I weird like that...)
A fantastic song.

- Myst1278 on July 6, 2006
Disco Dan is my favorite remixer on this sight, I have two of his songs, and I'm soon to go find more, I have yet to get the Triforce Majeure. But this peice is truly changing. I can honestly say, that out of two and a half hours of video game music on my playlist, this song is the [i]greatest[/i] one. The second best one is his Hyrule Castle theme. After I finish this post I gotta go post on that thread...
Link's Awakening was one of the greatest Zelda games, due to it's increidbly fitting, and superb tracks. This was one of my favorites. My friend introduced this track to me, and I thank him for it.
This track could be loved by anybody, Zelda lover or not. It's upbeat feeling makes me want to get up and dance, and it has nearly infinite replay value. Disco Dan is a musical genius, and his remixes prove it.
The violin is the perfect volume, and steals the melody perfectly. It elevates itself above all other parts with brilliant dominance and just makes want to [b]MOVE[/b] The piano at the beginning and the end blend with the music nicely, as it starts off the slow crescendo. All put together and it creates a beautiful mountainous clash that makes me all giddy. Nice job, I want to talk with Disco Dan himself, does anybody know some of his contact details?

- Samus27 on December 15, 2005