ReMix: Secret of Mana 'Thicket'

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Secret of Mana

Whether you're single or have a special someone, there's nothing like a little Shariq Ansari to make your Valentine's Day that much sweeter. Nine out of ten doctors agree that bringing Shariq into your homes - and hearts - improves health, increases quality of life by at least 140%, and adds that little extra "spark" you've been looking for. True. DarkeSword follows up his Metroid Prime 3 ReMix from December with his first '08 stuff, a mellow groove on Angel's Fear and Into the Thick of It from Secret of Mana, which seamlessly blends both themes into an upbeat but gentle electronica piece. Syncopated electro-drums are the most aggressive element, but never get too edgy, as their percolating riddims form the underbelly of a melody-driven arrangement that's breezy and pleasant. Strings, calliope-type leads, and Riq's modus operandi, bells, are all present and accounted for, but none of them overpowers or outshines the others, leading to a very stable, egalitarian, and comforting consistency throughout. Gated, cross-panned synths are a nice add, deep sub bass is beefy without intruding (especially nice line starts at 1'33"), and a variety of fx and additive/subtractive techniques are employed to aid with transitions. Not too much else to say, really - a very pleasant new age electronica hybrid that integrates two classic Kikuta tracks quite enjoyably. The ReMix equivalent of long stem roses and some smooth Godiva chocolates.

― djpretzel

Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
Fast and pleasant, feels like gliding. A great track.
--Eino

- evktalo on February 2, 2009
Among everything, the melody that starts before 2:00 is my favorite part. The feel is totally different than the original, and I love how that was done.
Overall, the melodies themselves aren't changed, but the textures and everything else create a totally new feel for the tracks. That's the charm of this mix. I think the mix is very well done. Great job.

- DragonAvenger on September 10, 2008
I always look forward to hearing the quality of DarkeSword's ReMixes, and this one is no exception. Nice choice of melody. The song flows smoothly from beginning to end. I got a little bored from 2:20 - 3:00, but the rest of the song makes up for it. The introduction and conclusion of the song were quite epic, and the interesting drums throughout only add to the overall beauty. Nice work.

- J3 on May 15, 2008
Interesting blend of styles. While the mix is somewhat fast in terms of BPM, it's still very soothing and relaxing.
Good stuff.

- Martin Penwald on March 5, 2008
DarkeSword;382737 wrote: You interpreted that question incorrectly.

I think he knows that. :lol:

- Liontamer on March 3, 2008
You interpreted that question incorrectly.

- DarkeSword on March 3, 2008
DarkeSword;381201 wrote: What exactly is verbatim? :|

according to wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn:
in precisely the same words used by a writer or speaker; "a direct quotation"; "repeated their dialog verbatim"
using exactly the same words; "he repeated her remarks verbatim"
...or in this particular case note for note.

- Joshua Morse on March 3, 2008
richter;381194 wrote: Practically verbatim. And the whole thing is mixed way too quiet. It's very dull.
Oh well. Still better than the garbage I made with the same source.

What exactly is verbatim? :|

- DarkeSword on February 28, 2008
Practically verbatim. And the whole thing is mixed way too quiet. It's very dull.
Oh well. Still better than the garbage I made with the same source.

- richter on February 28, 2008
Two of my favorite source themes in one track is a great way to get my attention, and the treatment of both is excellent. I really like Darkesword's style, and here it seems he has a few Ziwtra-esque flourishes in a few places, making the already potent track even better.
Great soundscape and instrument choices. I love the bells and string accents, and the slightly crushed beats and synth gate gives a great feeling to the whole mix.
The arrangement progresses pretty well and picks up a bit of energy at the end, though the ending itself was a little rushed I thought. It is a proper ending rather than a blatant fade, but I think a little additional interest is in order.
Overall excellent work, one of my favorite DS mixes in awhile. Awesome work dude. :-)

- OA on February 18, 2008
I really like how the song keeps pushing forward and pulling back in the quiet sections. I too was a fan of the mild dissonance (seemed to fit the song), and I absolutely love those shimmering strings that show up every few measures - very chilling effect. This is great, DS.

- Palpable on February 18, 2008
DarkeSword;376456 wrote: Thanks man; "On The Day The World Changed..." was what inspired me to make a Mana mix. :D

Wow, well then I'm glad we made it! Congrats again!

- ktriton on February 18, 2008
Pretty nice work. I like the liberties with the flute lead around 1:50-2:15, that's beautiful stuff. I like the bass and drums too.
I wouldn't mind if the mix had taken a bit more time to develop certain transitions. The intro for example - I could've taken a few more bars establishing the mood and have the melody enter a bit later than right at the start. Another point is around 03:00 - the Angel's Fear theme begins a couple of bars too soon. But that's just me - other people probably appreciate getting straight into business. :)
I'll be keeping this one, it's a good mix of some of my favourite originals.
--Eino

- evktalo on February 18, 2008
DarkeSword does it again!
9/10

- Ness757 on February 16, 2008
You already know I love this...dissonance and all. Transition at 1:00 gets me every time, and the similar refrain at 2:18 perfectly pulls the empty space back from what might have been an otherwise overdrawn dropout. The bookended Angel's Fear is great as well, especially with the cool percussive work during 3:33-4:00.
Nice work all around man.

- Harmony on February 15, 2008

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