ReMix: EarthBound 'Battling Organs'
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- Game: EarthBound (Nintendo, 1994, SNES)
- ReMixer(s): Mazedude
- Composer(s): Hirokazu Tanaka, Keiichi Suzuki, Toshiyuki Ueno
- Song(s): 'Battle Against a Weird Opponent'
- Posted: 2005-07-04, evaluated by the judges
Well, that was exciting... our host had some networking issues that caused either lack of connectivity or reduced connectivity to ocremix the last couple days, but all should be resolved now. In other news, you may have noticed that we are gradually switching to "prettier" URLs, with games, mixes, and alpha listings terminating in slashes and not mentioning filenames or including querystrings. These new URLs are more permanent, shorter, and should we ever change from PHP to JSP (or anything else, for that matter), would still work. mod_rewrite makes it possible, and you'll be seeing more of it as other pages are converted over. Probably also be working with the RSS feeds a bit soon. Alright, onto the mixins... for those who thought battling organs were what you got when you had one too many chalupas or gorditas at El Taco Bell, think again, as Mazedude has decided to lend his talents to Keiichi Suzuki's oddball soundtrack, personally. I freely admit, every time we get an Earthbound submission, I always need to check the source material to make sure the person submitting wasn't just drunk one night; it's a highly contextual, very unorthodox approach to game scoring, and while it fit Earthbound like a Mattel Power Glove, if you're unfamiliar with the game and listening without context, some of it can sound zany or just downright bad. My apologies to Earthbound/Suzuki fans - I think what he came up with was creative, risky, and fit the game perfectly... it's just that - like many things - when taken out of context, quite a bit can be lost.
This may or may not be the case with Mazedude's oddball re-envisioning of "Battle 1" - there's a boatload of dissonance, a veritable smorgasbord of atonality, combined with some groovy percussion, synth bass, crystalline cross-panned synth leads, piano, schnazze Vegas brass, and miscellany fx. The melody quite honestly resembles "Three Blind Mice" being attempted by a first-lesson piano student with a bad case of carpal tunnel syndrome - both in the original and here, and intentionally in both cases as well. So, that statement might come off rather negative, but you always need to keep the source material in mind when analyzing a Mazedude mix, because he's really done quite a bit, quite well, and while it's not my favorite piece of his, I'd rather listen to it than Suzuki's original. Chris at least in part suggests this in his submission email:
"Hiya! I know it's been awhile since I've released anything, and this one isn't exactly landmark or anything (although I am cooking up some serious sweetness), but it's fun. Silly. Wacky. Zany. Very trackery. I took a weird, dissonant, short and funky original... and made this.
I'd say his version is still accurately described by those adjectives, but it's more elaborate, fleshed out, and listenable. Baranowsky summed things up both candidly and creatively:
"Every once in a while we'll get submissions where i'm not sure if the strange sound quality is intentional. The most blatant "offender" with this kind of presentation I can think of is Shnabubula. I don't think it's any secret that I'm a huge fan of Shna's work.
Why do I bring up such a wacky allusion? Because this track reminds me of that vein of the bizarre, the avant-garde. I believe that Mazedude's wackiness is completely intentional here. I mean - he's Mazedude. Fanboism aside, I don't profess to be an expert in the obscure, but what is here is just about the best interpretation I can render in my own mind about what the source could inspire. It's not a brilliant onslaught of harmonic progression and melodic transcendence - No, this is a pseudo-atonal journey into the nether realms of Crazy."
Pretty much. It's something you've definitely got to be in the right mood for, and being an Earthbound and/or Mazedude advocate certainly helps. The extreme chromaticism on the uberzany synth lead at 1'00" alone makes it musically interesting, if not particularly mood music for chillin' or drivin' - several of Chris's works fall into this category, however, requiring a general appreciation of the source, what's been done with it, and his elaborate + crafty arranging in general. While less accessible than most of his other mixes, this is never the less "A Mazedude". It's stamped with the same attention to detail and complexity as his other works, and thus deserves a checkin' out and listenin'. Very quirky and intensely singular.
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the Classic Mazedude Style!
Kind of reminds me of Hydrocity from Sonic 3 with all the gr8 syncopation.
- Ryuran333 on October 14, 2009
- ProjectSpam on August 30, 2009
I can't believe how insane it is!!
I can't believe that I'm actually enjoying it!!!
But I am.
HELP!!!!
- DramaNoMore on May 30, 2008
jezon2000;59531 wrote: i've kinda been expecting a track like this. it's a well made, but im not a huge fan. i've got more respect for what Mazedude wass trying to do than what he did...mostly because i can't get into the mix at all. there are some sweet parts, contrasts, percussion and use of the different elements, but overall it's just not enjoyable to listen to. i find the best parts are what i can piece together from the original, and not what the artist has rearranged or re-interpreted. to me, that's the sign of an ineffective mix.I agree with you 100%. Mazedude's remix sounds awsome, but it just an't earthbound.
there are some remixes with brillaint additions that build on the original tracks here. in this particular mix i think the percussion and bass were well put together elements in themself, but overall i would have preferred a harmony in the tradition of the source track.
the brilliance of the original is that it took separately strange elements and harmonized them together into something really palpable and pimp. As wierd as the original was, it was insurmountably tight to listen to because it melded together so well. There are alot of competing elements here and alot of zany sounds.
given, there are some tight parts in this mix. the more i listen to it the more i can tolerate it and even get into it, but truly i think this remix is flashier than it is good. i guess it's everyones goal to make an estranging earthbound remix chuck full of atonal theory and all sorts of madness, but i think there's more to the music than that in earthbound. it's one of the most amazing original game soundtracks i've ever heard--and unique both in concept, sound and feel. but the key was that it immediately takes you in, and you get it in one listen. this takes more effort to enjoy than a remix ought to. it's taxing.
given... this is almost inevitable with earthbound. eb's probably one of the toughest games to try and remix. i applaud and respect mazedude's effort, but i think there's another method for remixing this track waiting with a little more spirit... :)
And I was wondering, what is atonal theory? I'm VERY interested in learning more about this.
- Nicholestien on March 23, 2008
- ilp0 on March 8, 2008
I'm definitely in love with that song and I haven't even played fucking Earthbound. The ideas and solo, although weird and dissonant, have an awesome flowing quality. Definitely a keeper, this needs more love.
- PriZm on September 9, 2005
Have any of you played Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon, for N64?
Yeah. This reminds me SO much of Ghost Toys Castle... At least I'm pretty sure that's the place. It uses an extremely simmilar synth set... It's crazy. I want to ask the guy if that's where he got the idea for this from.
EDIT: Don't get me wrong; the mix is crazy awsome. I love it.
- Heyo Axel on August 21, 2005
- Linearity on August 9, 2005
Good job.
- Mikemn on August 8, 2005
- Heyjohnny on July 18, 2005
Double A Ron XP wrote:joe_cam wrote: I feel honored that my request to Mazedude got posted here.
I've been dying to hear a remix of Battle 1 for years
It was fulfilled beforehand. :| What you meant to say is you've been dyig to hear a
[b]proffesionally made and well arranged[/b] remix of Battle 1 for years. :lol:
No, I mean I talked to Mazedude and asked him to give it a shot because I think the song would fit perfectly with his style of remixing, and hot damn does it ever.
I always figured Mazedude would be the best guy to attempt this track and it's just a fantastic job.
I'd love to hear more attempts on the piece, but it would be damned hard to make a Battle 1 remix as trippy as this.... PERFECTLY captures the feel and soul of Earthbound.
- joe_cam on July 17, 2005
this is a wonderful work of music and art. it reminds me of playing electroplankton:P
earhbound is a tough game to remix with it's strange courds and stlye, but none the less great earthbound after earthbound remix keeps poping up on ocremix.
- trentonx on July 16, 2005
the whole thing is good...but, OMFG...at 1:49.....3 in 4 is soooo SEXY. mass kudos.
- Burger Deluxe on July 16, 2005
Nonetheless, Mazedude comes through again with his excellent strangeness. Good job.
This is perfect to blast as I drive to work.
- Elite Taco on July 16, 2005
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