ReMix: Guilty Gear X2 'Destroy Movements'
Download MP3
Play Preview
- Game: Guilty Gear X2 (Sammy, 2003, PS2)
- ReMixer(s): James George, The Legendary Zoltan
- Composer(s): Daisuke Ishiwatari, Koichi Seiyama
- Song(s): 'Writhe in Pain ~Millia's Theme~'
- Posted: 2007-07-26, evaluated by the judges
... and we're back! Much has happened since we last posted anything: our Otakon panel rocked out for a second year, I met Mr. North and many others for the first time, discovered the 1 liter long island at Houlihan's, beat Larry yet again in Third Strike (before getting absolutely stomped by someone who, unlike us, actually knew how to play), we discussed all sorts of plans for future convention panels, I met and chatted with the personable and very down-to-earth Piano Squall, I introduced Andy and Larry to the fantastical world of Melty Blood: Act Cadenza, and we spoke and ate with the excellent and very old skool gentlemen from Mad-Gear. And that's just Otakon... yesterday I turned 28 (thanks for all the birthday wishes, everyone), and my beautiful, wonderful, amazing girlfriend got me a PS3, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, and other goodies as well. It was more like xmas than any birthday I've previously experienced. Suffice it to say that I'm a happy dude.
If you've recently discovered OCR as a result of our panel or promotional fliers distributed at Otakon, this'll be the first new mix posted since your initial visit - welcome! I mentioned to some at the con that our first mix from the Guilty Gear series was on its way, and indeed, newcomer CHIPP Damage is here to deliver. I've been playing, and loving, Accent Core recently, but before AC and the series more recent incarnations, there was GGX2. When I think GG music, I think metal, so it's interesting to see our first mix take the high-octane shredding the series is famous for and put together an energetic orchestral arrangement, complete with harpsichord. Actually, it's more than just a token element - harpsichord features heavily in most of the composition, adding a very Gothic feel that can't help but channel some Castlevanian vibes. The "movements" bit in the title isn't misleading, either: Jahan segues VERY adeptly from section to section, and the piece covers a formidable array of tempos and tones in its 4'26". The ReMixer writes:
"This is my second resubmission of the my remix of the song Writhe in Pain from Guilty Gear. It's a collaboration this time. Arrangement by me, CHIPP Damage and production by George James. Despite Liontamer's encouraging words about me having what it takes to get this mix on the site, I totally didn't know what else I could do to make the sound quality any better than it was. In fact, I must have a messed up ear for this kind of thing because I was thinking that those were the coolest sounding horns ever. But then ALL of the judges said, "The horns have got to go." Hahaha. Anyway, this is my last hope. After getting help from George James, who has a remix or two on the site, if it still doesn't make it, then I may have to accept the fact that I wasn't cut out for remixing. We'll see what happens. Sorry that I don't have the source material for you and please forgive any Sv3...Whatever-they-were-called ID mislabels. I cannot understand those things. Hahaha. If this DOES make it in, then I hope I can become a more active member in the OC community. I'll be watchin'."
Good thing the collaboration with James George helped the production enough to persuade the judges panel; a final volume tweak was all that was needed to put things in order. The arrangement does employ a good variety of instruments in difficult, exposed contexts, so sample quality was more essential than it might have been otherwise, making the collaboration key. Hopefully Jahan picked up some pointers for future mixes, because from an arrangement perspective he's doing amazing, intricate work already. The staccato brass bits in particular are the type of compositional touch that's effective from a pure arrangement perspective, but requires pretty decent samples to avoid sounding like a misplaced salsa band. There were tons of GG cosplayers at Otakon, and the game is known to have a loyal following, so I'm guessing many have been waiting for a GG ReMix of some kind for a good while now. CHIPP and James deliver with something that is very mature, developed, and multifaceted, taming the original's metal roots into a domesticated but still surly musical beast. Heaven or Hell! Duel 1! LET'S ROCK!!
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the The instruments are beautifully written into the arrangement, although the song itself is pretty stressful (in a good way)! The writing is so intricate and brilliant and the sounds come together very fascinatingly. Many parts of this remind me of the final battle music for Asellus in SaGa Frontier. The sound quality in this better, but it's a good comparison to have in my book. Pretty good orchestral ReMix!
- ProjectSpam on December 16, 2011
Admittedly, I'm not a fan of the sound of this mix. The samples don't pull the weight of the talent that lies elsewhere, which is often the case with orchestral pieces. Though as far as they go, they still probably come out sounding above average. I also thought things felt a little sparse, like a whole background track had been removed. There is definitely something cohesive that seems to be missing from the flow of the mix.
Having said that, this is still one I come back to. The arrangement, though a little all over the place, is still of utmost quality and that's all you need to win me over.
- Marmiduke on January 2, 2011
I like how there are several distinct sections, though I think the transitions were a bit weak between them. some of them seemed to be a bit too abrupt, specifically the transition the the fast segment. I think a bit more buildup would have done it good.
Overall a pretty liberal mix, but it works well, and I think it is within the bounds of the site, as the connections are apparent throughout. Nice work guys. :-)
- OA on March 21, 2008
Please make one of Dizzy'z theme - Awe of She
I'll be all over that lol
- Ranch Doritos on January 31, 2008
James George, dude, your production job was totally sweet in my opinion. While it indeed lost some heaviness, you don't have to apologize, man. It never would have been passed without you. And yeah, I thought it was pretty cool how it went from freaking quiet to pretty dang loud. It's that OCR Pop factor. ^_^
Tavernero, thanks, man. I too love playing Guilty Gear and Millia is one of my favorite characters and has one of my favorite themes. I'm happy that you approve.
- The Legendary Zoltan on September 8, 2007
- TaVeRnErO_RuDd on September 6, 2007
- Ronyn on September 6, 2007
I always love to hear fighting game soundtracks remixed, and GG is a game I recently picked up, so it's doubly cool. Great debut, both of you.
- Broken on July 30, 2007
Now that I've made my debut, I want to be more active and well-known in the OCR community. So, please feel free to message me on OCR or on AIM or MSN to talk about games, remixes, whatever. ^_^
- The Legendary Zoltan on July 29, 2007
Good job with the piece!
- Prasa_U. on July 28, 2007
- The Instrument of GAWD on July 28, 2007
The percussion in particular really adds energy to the piece, it would feel very empty without it. The harpsichord is nice, though the capabilities of the instrument aren't really exploited as they could have been. I would have loved to hear some continuo or something in there somewhere. The writing for the orchestra itself is brilliant and original. Nice work.
- Pietro on July 27, 2007
Beautiful reinterpretation. Masterful.
- Mirai Gen on July 27, 2007
I really wish the brass didn't sound so General Midi-ish though..but apart from the sample quality, even the production is very decent. It's really a smashing example of how you can make the best of what you have, without needing expensive sample libraries, good job.
- Tensei on July 27, 2007
Nice job.
- Barnsalot on July 27, 2007
