ReMix: Earthworm Jim 2 'Invertebrate Retreat'
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- Game: Earthworm Jim 2 (Shiny, 1995, GEN)
- ReMixer(s): Daniel Baranowsky, Vigilante, zyko
- Composer(s): Tommy Tallarico
- Song(s): 'Lorenzo's Soil'
- Posted: 2004-11-30, evaluated by the judges
Dan's been working on this one for awhile, and has come up with something very singular and different, relative to his own past works as well as OCR's canon, with a trip-hop/hip-hop/rock stew that's quite emotive. Tallarico's original is transmogrified into a different beast, with textured, very well-produced drums (which are relatively on-tracks but have some tasty fills), layered, expansive ambient pads, Vigilante's wailing electric lead, and Dan himself on vocals that vary in intensity from quiet desperation to strained angst very effectively. Good, serious lyric as well. There's a considerable level of detail in this mix, and very refined stereo separation - in these aspects especially, the mixer has reached a new level and really produced something that is enveloping and transporting. The mood is definitely downbeat, with a delay that gives the vocal a distant, despondent vibe and the aforementioned bluesy rock electric augmenting the more strained portions with a nice call-and-answer riff motif. The feel is very modern, airplay-ready, cold-yet-hot, bottled angst, and works well. Now comes the your-mileage-may-vary comment - while I think zyko's lyrics and rapping are good overall and well-executed in this mix, I don't particularly think it works contextually with the overall mood of the piece, which I perceive to be a bit too serious/somber/what have you to be juxtaposed with more the more enunciated rapping. Clearly, however, others totally disagree with me on this, and many on the panel had no such qualms. Judge zircon writes:
"Man, this is great stuff. Using vocals in a mix is often tricky, but this one just nails it. As Larry and listeners of VGF should well-know, Dan B's voice is pretty amazing, and this proves it. Of course, zyko pulls his weight too with some superb, chill rapping that fits in perfectly. Nice recording and processing there too. Lyrics works well."
However much your mileage does vary on this aspect, overall the piece is quite an accomplishment. It's a unique, vocal mix with well-integrated guitar work that's also not too shabby (...at all) in the synth, percussion, and production departments. Jesse pulls off some of his most dynamic, professional soloing too, with a gritty sound that adds organic electricity to the cooler electronic landscape Dan's paved - the last minute, especially, when he duels himself on either side of the stereo spectrum, is rather special. Larry exudes fanboy-like adulation, and rightly so:
"The instruments layer together very nicely, the lyrics are very well thought out with strong delivery, and the production is generally crisp and clean. This was hugely expansive arrangement work, and nothing short of A-grade from 3 top names in the community that show pride in what they do. Props to Dan for working hard on this mix in the past few months and enlisting Jesse & weed in helping to bring it to what I genuinely consider superlative status. You'll loop it. And believe me, you'll love it."
And if that doesn't qualify as a celebrity endorsement, in OCR terms, I don't know what does. Very ambitious work - very impressively executed.
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the Daniel's voice never underperforms in my opinion, and for what it is, it does a pretty decent job expressing the lyrics with aplomb. I get a warmer, less angsty Trent Reznor vibe from both the vocals and the music in this one, intentional or not. I certainly don't consider it a bad thing to be compared to. zyko's rapping was arguably pointless, but added some body to the piece nonetheless. While it's not my thing and didn't exactly mesh with the rest of the product, it's competent enough and I'm sure it would have met more success in its own mix. As it is, it's not a deal-breaker, but it's not the direction I would have gone in. Then again, what the hell do I know?
Not a perfect collab, but a pretty interesting one. Vocal mixes generally tend to be more historic and make a bigger impact than instrumental ones, and I have no problem in this recieving the attention it has mustered in and outside the OCR community. There's enough talent in it to deserve it.
- Marmiduke on November 16, 2009
"I like this sound track personally not because it's easy to listen, but it coexists the rock & hip-hop universal bond come together into one amazing sound track and lyrics all together."
I'd have to say, I'm not into lyrics in OC selections but this is eye candy to any listner on here. Not only I have used this for music class (Humaties college class), but also my professor enjoyed hearing this and my one page essay about this.
A + must listen. Proud to have found this and given my feed back and used in class for homework:puppyeyes:
- ChaosPlayer on September 16, 2009
I've unknowingly listened to Dan's vocal work before, but I never associated his name to tracks like "Knuckleduster" before. However, when I first listened to this tune I immediately recognized his excellent vocals.
Zyko's rapping started off a little awkward in the first few lines, but I think it worked out as the delivery speed picked up just a little bit. Parts of it reminded me of Sage Francis' style, which works well with Zyko's voice IMO. Even if you're not a fan of zyko's rapping, you've gotta give him credit for being such an experimental artist that's willing to go to a lot of different places with his skill.
Great lyrics all around, as well. That's one problem I've had with a handful of fan-made vocal mixes - the lyrics are quite often extremely lame. Didn't have that problem here.
Vig guitar is great. That's pretty much to be expected. I'd love to have a twin-guitar breakdown at the end with zkyo also chipping in with his signature shredding style, but oh well.
One of the best vocal mixes on the site, I can't believe I missed out on this one until now.
- Emunator on May 1, 2009
This song is just a masterpiece, the lyrics by Daniel are powerful, and somewhat soothing. I also liked the rapping bit, it gave the song a little bit of a break to focus on something else, then brought back Daniel at the end to finish it up. I'm no good at reviews, but I had to say something, I loved this song immensely, and who ever it was that posted that message, thanks!
- cremdogz on March 30, 2009
You guys get a 9/10 for one of the best mixes I've heard on the site. Dan's voice is great, the rapping I actually enjoyed for the most part(And I NEVER listen to rap), and the excellent guitar work. A few parts sounded very slightly off, but you guys should definitely collab again to transcend even this piece.
- Cecilff2 on August 6, 2008
Vig;431905 wrote: My girlfriend is really fucking sick of me rapping along with you in the car.
well, I'M fuckin sick of trying to play along (or keepup) on the guitar :)
- zyko on July 23, 2008
zyko;431734 wrote:
vig had it dead on :)
My girlfriend is really fucking sick of me rapping along with you in the car.
- Vig on July 23, 2008
Vig;431515 wrote: Weed would be the final authority, of course, but:
my invertebrate retreat repeats until it's murderous
my raptastic elastic journey into wordiness
is ferverous but i can't bear to say a word of this
or my surliness will be hurtin a lack of finesse
i confess, i've been susceptible to duress
i contest, i have long bested the fuckin rest
but i'm still chest-deep in a test
and in that sense i've willed myself into cardiac arrest
the fate that's been given me - i abhor
the faith thats long lost now grows in your very core.
so consider me a forlorn form of apocalypse
and in defense I'll bury every single metropolis
with anonymous heroics, the world's no longer operant,
bitch there aint no stoppin' this like i'm a form of optimus prime,
it's time i lit the bomb and started droppin this
crashcourse in taxonomis on your false promises
here are the official lyrics
vig had it dead on :)
- zyko on July 23, 2008
- Zenth Relin on July 23, 2008
"...my raptastic, elastic journey into wordiness/is fervorous..."
"...The fate was long-lost now grows in my very core..."
"...forlorn form of apocalypse..."
"...world's no longer operant/bitch there ain't no stoppin' this like I'm a form of optimus/prime, it's time I lit the bomb and started droppin' this crash course in taxonomics on your false promises."
- Vig on July 22, 2008
Jaybell;398023 wrote: Hey does anyone have the lyrics to the rapping section? Out of curiosity?
I came here exactly for that reason. I liked the rap section, because it brings out a distinct duality: hopelessness and aggression (both especially in regards to Fate). But hey, I read way too much into things.
Let me try my best at transcribing the entire lyrics, everyone feel free to correct me, because I can't be completely right (especially in the rap):
One more time I find myself,
Up to my neck buried in silt.
Too many times the world requests,
That I relieve them all from distress!
Doesn't anybody see- in my corporeal state-
I've got no reason to save anybody but me?
Once again, here I am. I don't give a damn.
My strengths all I am.
And now that Hell is at it's worst,
I've got no choice left, but leaving your dead corpse.
No kind of weapon- no kind of plea-
Not even substance abuse can bother me! (Oh no)
Suppose that I did it- imagine my feet.
Victory reached- still evil replete!
I would be anything but discrete.. (anything but discrete..)
My Invertebrate Retreat.. (My Invertebrate Retreat..)
<rap>
My Invertebrate Retreat repeats until it's murderous.
My (raptistic?) (??) journey into (burliness?)
(??). But I can't bear to say a word of this,
So my surliness will be hurtin' a lack of finesse.
I confess- I've been susceptible to duress.
I contest- I have long bested the f'n rest.
But I'm still chest deep in a test,
And in that sense, I've willed myself in cardiac arrest.
The fame that has been given (to) me- I abhor.
The fame was long lost, now (calls my very core?) OR (calls me bearing ??)
So consider me a (formal) form of Apocalypse,
And in defense I'll bury every single Metropolis.
With anonymous heroics, the world's no longer (operate).
B**** there ain't no stopping this- like I'm a former optimist.
(At prime?) it's time I lit the bomb and started droppin' it.
Crash course in sex, (all of this?) on your false promises.
</rap>
And now I'm gone and forgotten.
Everything inside me pushes to realize:
I never was anything but a slave,
To circumstance and bad fortune. It's time to decide.
Return to forbearance- a cycle complete-
Your Invertebrate Retreat.
- Zenth Relin on July 22, 2008
- Jaybell on April 16, 2008
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