ReMix: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes 'Torvus Clockwork'

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Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Mr. Ansari, who not coincidentally also gave us our first Metroid Prime ReMix, returns to the world of Samus Aran yet again, this time breaking new ground with an arrangement from MP2. Perhaps we'll see him threepeat next year when MP3 hits the Wii, but in the meantime Echoes gets the Darkesword treatment with this primarily mellow soundtrackish piece that blends delicate piano and mono/sine synths with oboe, orchestral percussions, strings, and most notably an industrial percussive effect/scratch that sounds like it could have been borrowed from Trent Reznor's personal sound library, but jives well with the rest of the ensemble. There's elements here, particularly with the gentle piano and delayed, cross-panned sine synth that channel Wingless at times, but this scratch effect and numerous other details definitely give it that distinct "Shariq" vibe. There's a heartbeat of sorts in the hi-hat pattern, panned right, that stays steady throughout the arrangement (might have been fun to vary it up all the sudden towards the end, for a more climactic percussive track), on top of which elements are subtracted and added in logical but creative fashion for the 4+ minute duration. I'd actually like to see Shariq add more edgier, industrial components like the afforementioned scratch effect; his sound has historically been on the shimmering, pristine side, and that's worked quite well to date, but it'd be interesting to see where he could take things in terms of more unorthodox DSP and aggressive texturing. Perhaps this represents a step in that direction, but even if it doesn't, it's very atmospheric, extraplanetary work that functions effectively in this specific context. This is a mature, moody, and very textural mix from Darkesword, which suits the source material perfectly and gives Kenji Yamamoto afficionados yet another gem.

― djpretzel

Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
ahh, i have been too lazy as of late to plug my external HD back into my computer, so i've been doing without torvus clockwork. But I was sitting here just 4 minutes ago thinking and the song was playing in my head - it was like the telltale heart, i kid you not - so i plugged it in immediately and gave this song a good listen. Probably'll give it a few more, too.
Good stuff, very memorable, and.. bassoon! :D

- SoulinEther on June 16, 2009
Mmm, that would be a bassoon. The lack of strained vibrato typified in non-synthesized bassoons in the upper register threw me off; makes it sound like a mellow classical soprano sax.
On the whole, this remix works better than the ones done for the lower Brinstar/Maridia (Super Metroid) as I think it better captures the mood that the original themes were meant to set.

- Bickendan on June 3, 2009
It's not an oboe it's a bassoon.

- DarkeSword on June 3, 2009
Correct me if I'm wrong, but what's described as an oboe synth patch seems far too mellow to be an oboe (or even an English horn). It sounds more along the lines of a soprano saxophone.
That said, this is an excellent mesh of the two Torvus Bog themes.

- Bickendan on June 2, 2009
This is great. From that opening bass line to the end is just awesome. The drums are pretty sweet too. I like how similar your instrumentation in your Metroid Prime remixes is to the instruments in the game. Sounds great. Thought about doing any more....?
-J3

- J3 on December 1, 2008
this song rox

- Audity on August 29, 2008
I downloaded this remix 2 days ago, and Ive already listened to it 21 times, :D
Definitely your best imo, DkS.
And about the subtleties Idk how you can find pieces from LoZLA...(KogeJoe's find)
Anyways...I love it, and I'll keep listening to it again and again. :D

- Lord.Roderick.i on June 30, 2007
Much like Phendrana Drifts was my favorite music track in MP1, Torvus Bog was my favorite in MP2, and I find it very convenient that those happen to be the only tracks that have been mixed for their respective games, and that Darkesword did both of them. XD I like this mix, it really keeps the feeling of the original without being the same.

- Lemming 1545 on January 27, 2007
I'll find the subtleties I want, thank you very much... :-D
No but great re-mix man, I really like it.
I have had Metroid Prime 2 sitting in my room since it first came out, but I guess I've lost interest, since I never got that far... I'll have to pick it up and start playing again.

- KogeJoe on January 27, 2007
KogeJoe;224050 wrote: Actually, I can hear several game melodies in this one... the opening countermelody reminds me of Zelda: Link's Awakening (when you wake the Windfish). The main melody, isn't that also a part of Brinstar from Super Metroid? And then, in ANOTHER melody that seems to appear, or at least sound similar, is Diddy's Kong Quest's Hot Head Hop theme. And then of course you have original prime themes weave in and out... really a cool re-mix.

All that stuff you hear from other games is imaginative listening on your part. None of it is intentional, aside from the Brinstar part, which is [i]in[/i] Metroid Prime 2.
It's not the first time people have heard things in my pieces that weren't there. Don't try to find subtleties in my arrangements like that; I rarely do anything on that level.

- DarkeSword on January 26, 2007
KogeJoe;224050 wrote: The main melody, isn't that also a part of Brinstar from Super Metroid?

The "Lower Brinstar" theme from Super Metroid is in Metroid Prime 2. It's the theme for the Hydrodynamo Station (underneath Torvus Bog).

- Kyle Nin on January 26, 2007
KogeJoe;224050 wrote: Actually, I can hear several game melodies in this one... the opening countermelody reminds me of Zelda: Link's Awakening (when you wake the Windfish). The main melody, isn't that also a part of Brinstar from Super Metroid? And then, in ANOTHER melody that seems to appear, or at least sound similar, is Diddy's Kong Quest's Hot Head Hop theme.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhh...

- Liontamer on January 26, 2007
Actually, I can hear several game melodies in this one... the opening countermelody reminds me of Zelda: Link's Awakening (when you wake the Windfish). The main melody, isn't that also a part of Brinstar from Super Metroid? And then, in ANOTHER melody that seems to appear, or at least sound similar, is Diddy's Kong Quest's Hot Head Hop theme. And then of course you have original prime themes weave in and out... really a cool re-mix.

- KogeJoe on January 26, 2007
I really like this piece. It reminds me of my town and how it would look like if it just got crumpled from war. With neverending rain pouring upon it. Gives me a nice relaxed feeling. Good mix :D.

- metroixer on December 9, 2006
EXCELLENT! SHEER BRILLIANCE!
Drakesword did one hella good job!
I LOVE THIS REMIX! I Constantly listen to it!
GREAT JOB! 10 out of 10

- shawnpm810 on November 2, 2006