ReMix: Donkey Kong Country 'Beneath the Surface'
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- Game: Donkey Kong Country (Nintendo, 1994, SNES)
- ReMixer(s): Vigilante
- Composer(s): Dave Wise, Eveline Fischer, Robin Beanland
- Song(s): 'Aquatic Ambiance'
- Posted: 2004-09-12, evaluated by djpretzel
Let the curtain be unveiled. The product of several months of coordination and collaboration amongst many familiar OC ReMixers and spearheaded by the judges panel's Digital Coma, Kong in Concert officially debuts with this classic DKC Aquatic Ambience mix from Vigilante. In its own words, Kong in Concert (KiC):
"is a collaborative arrangement project born from the music of Donkey Kong Country and created for the purposes of reviving, reinterpreting, and rearranging its entire soundtrack with our combined talents, honoring those who originally composed it, and reawakening the nostalgia and love for a landmark videogame."
Those who follow the forums closely or visit the IRC channel regularly will probably have at least heard whispers, if not been directly exposed to related conversations and development surrounding the effort. This is but one of twenty-two ReMixes, comprehensively covering Wise, Fischer, and Beanland's milestone soundtrack, and while it is definitely one of the premier tracks both in the original and as part of KiC, there's plenty more where this came from. Look for more KiC mixes to join Jesse's opus in the following weeks, and by all means check out dkcproject.ocremix.org for the entire smorgasbord of simian sounds. You can do the project a bandwidth favor and obtain high-quality WAV versions of every track by downloading the torrent, as well. I was present during some of the conversations surrounding what to name the project, and I have to say that "Kong in Concert," while perhaps not amazingly innovative, is identifiable, appropriate, and a quantum improvement over some of the other candidates... including "Gorilla Con Gusto" :) On the off chance you are not familiar with it, I should mention the previous Relics of the Chozo project, which Protricity coordinated and which similarly takes the Super Metroid OST en masse and rearranges it - more at smproject.ocremix.org. Just as that project succeeded in bringing together an amalgam of talent and interpreting a single game soundtrack as a collective entity, so too does KiC refashion the DKC score.
Enough background - on to the music. Jesse has put together a fluid, floating, jazz/rock/blues masterpiece of a ReMix, taking the immersive, appropriately-titled "Aquatic Ambience" track and going where the SNES couldn't, adding varied guitars, live sax, brush jazz and acoustic rock drums, endless, spiralling ambient pads, delicate, gradually escaping piano lines, a well-seated bass, and perhaps most importantly, refined and perfected mastering and mixing that creates a totally enveloping experience. This was one of the cooler aspects of the original - for perhaps the first time in a console game, it seemed like the audio was truly environmental; 3D so to speak, regardless of whether it was being played on more than two speakers. Jesse's taken that and enhanced it even further, wrapping this mix's positioning around the listener and giving each instrument/track a distinct identity. Much greatness in this department.
The arrangement itself starts out with the familiar, flowing, repeating patterns, covered here on a cross-panned acoustic with careful attention to dynamics. Things get progressively jazzier, with a steadier, vaguely latin beat comin' in at 2'20" as the piano does some more improvisational work, followed by an extended jazz guitar solo around the third minute. At 4'18" the rock drums make their not-so-subtle entrance, with an electric lead adding to the increased forward momentum, along with the reintroduction of the sax, this time doubled at parts. This is all very, very awesome stuff. Dramatic, well-played, interpretive, polished, and interesting. The last minute is the only part that may or may not hit you right; it works for me to a certain extent, but the cameos from other famous game themes (Metroid, Zelda 64) that are brought in seem a little tongue-in-cheek when compared with the tone of the rest of the mix. Minor quibble, to be sure, as this is a superb mix from a ReMixer who tends toward longer, more explorative, and highly refined productions, all of which shows in the end result. Taken as the poster-child for KiC at large, both this mix and the project itself come highly recommended.
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the - haxor on October 20, 2009
Anyway I wanted to make a mix of music that can match this song and so far I havent been able to find anything as soothing and beautifull as this. I often play this song as I sleep its incredible. The under-sea ambient relaxes me and the slow jazz makes great dinner music? I don't know how to discribe it but you made a masterpiece that I may enjoy for a long time to come, thank you :)
- Spade_03 on January 30, 2009
- Opterion on January 14, 2009
- a_d on December 8, 2008
- MechaFone on April 17, 2008
Coppatop85;34853 wrote: This song is amazing. Vigilante delivers again, he is definatly my favorite Remixer. This song is right up there with Zebesian Midnight. I heard the Kraid spliff in there, but whereabouts (time wise) is the zelda cut? I didn't hear that.
Dude, he used the warp whistle song from the original Zelda. It's found at 5:55, and repeats--somewhat broken up--all the way to the end. I think he borrowed the repetition from the OOT intro.
I totally agree that it has the same caliber as Zebesian Midnight. He's really outdone himself, even if the cameos at the end are a bit out of place. Just a little bit, though.
Funny Story: when I heard Frog's Theme, it took me by surprise and I started trying to figure out what game it was from (without cheating!!), so at first I thought of one of the newer Final Fantasies. But after 5 minutes I STILL couldn't figure it out, so I started beating my head on my desk (not really, lol) out of sheer frustration. Then I gave in a little bit and started to cheat by frantically searching my PC for the JUST the TITLE of the song has that little jingle in it. (I didn't want to listen to it. That takes all the fun out!) But then by some sheer stroke of luck (or through divine intervention) Frog's Theme started playing in Media Player about 5 seconds after I started looking. I didn't know whether to laugh or start crying. So I did both. Oh wait.... Was that out loud? Crap. . .
But I digress. They're at the END, so I can't complain too much. And besides, Vig is known for experimenting, after all. But anyway!
Here's a little trivia for everyone! Nintendo used the same sound for the warp whistle in SMB3.
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You like me because I'm a scoundrel. You need more scoundrels in your life.
- Neo_Vegeta on March 14, 2008
10/10
- Oscillated Future on January 31, 2008
- Arwen on May 23, 2007
KogeJoe;221225 wrote: Let me be honest with you. It really peeves me whenever I hear a re-mix is not in the original key of the source. It's the first thing I catch. Next is accuracy. How closely is this person following the main melody? The chords? The base?
So at first I was like, "...oh no... here we go...," but then the sexxy saxx starts playing and it gets my attention. The accoustic guitar could be delayed electric, but I'm liking it either way... by the time it gets to that bossa-nova part, I just about cream my pants!!! LORD! THIS is what I call a DECENT remix. And then the guitar solo after that. AWH haw haw. (Picture Homer Simpson savoring his chocolate...)
Only thing I go "huh?" about is the random insertion of Chrono Trigger's Frog Theme. Uh... WHY??? I mean, it's on key and everything... but why? So random.
Other than that, WHOAH. Dude. This is professional work. I'm surprised I could download this for FREE and you don't have RIAA breathing down our necks.
I say again, m8, good show.
Heh, I'm surprised that they don't charge us for listenning to K.Rool Intentions either, which is another song which is as sexy as this 1 ;-)
- HoboKa on January 24, 2007
- Djinn on January 22, 2007
KogeJoe;221225 wrote: Let me be honest with you. It really peeves me whenever I hear a re-mix is not in the original key of the source. It's the first thing I catch.
What's so wrong with this? It's just a key.
Btw, great ReMix.
- Blake on January 21, 2007
So at first I was like, "...oh no... here we go...," but then the sexxy saxx starts playing and it gets my attention. The accoustic guitar could be delayed electric, but I'm liking it either way... by the time it gets to that bossa-nova part, I just about cream my pants!!! LORD! THIS is what I call a DECENT remix. And then the guitar solo after that. AWH haw haw. (Picture Homer Simpson savoring his chocolate...)
Only thing I go "huh?" about is the random insertion of Chrono Trigger's Frog Theme. Uh... WHY??? I mean, it's on key and everything... but why? So random.
Other than that, WHOAH. Dude. This is professional work. I'm surprised I could download this for FREE and you don't have RIAA breathing down our necks.
I say again, m8, good show.
- KogeJoe on January 21, 2007
- Yamato2299 on November 7, 2006
Allusions to Zelda and Metroid were pulled off very well, but damn that Frog's Theme part was awkward. Kinda ruined the vibe for me. Could've at least stretched it out a bit. I dunno.
- Radiowar on June 11, 2006
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