ReMix: Donkey Kong Country 'Lost in Jungle'

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Donkey Kong Country

Excellent, refreshing, and surprising. Newcomer Johan Krafft from Sweden put this DKC arrangement together in Sonar all the way back in 2006, and in my mind it's simply fantastic. I'm glad Shariq got the last word on the judges thread on this one, because I didn't really relate to some of the criticisms levelled against it. Production's fine, maybe not impeccable but not worth focusing on too much, I actually LIKE the piano decay break at 1'04" - I don't know if it was intentional or not, and feel like it might not have been, but it really works for me - and while the in-game SFX and four-on-the-floor transition later on do stretch the limits of musical credibility a tad, those limits are meant to be stretched, and Johan really pulls some interesting punches in that arena. Honestly, I think this is a stellar debut, because most of us know the source material - which is fantastic to begin with - and are perhaps a bit jaded in terms of it being mixed, yet Johan puts together something that's fresh and delivers.

Krafft works (get it?!?) some serious piano magic in the introduction... in fact, I was mentally prepared for this mix to be solo piano, and it was good enough in that regard that I wouldn't have been disappointed. Imagine my surprise when pulse synth lead enters at 1'18" with some excellent LFO modulation, followed by a badass sweep transition to the beat drop at 2'00", where a monster bass anchors liquid, percolating percussion. THAT'S what I'm talking about... 3'36" *does* get a little weird... animals start making sounds, funky little chords come in, and the tone does wax a bit goofy relative to the more dramatic motif the rest of the piece carries. But it's never bad, overly repetitive, or unimaginative, and I'd rather Johan have gone off in this new direction than rested on his thematic laurels. I'm gonna quote DarkeSword's afforementioned opinion:

"Simply excellent. I'm a big fan of how you mixed piano and synth elements here to create a very unique, cohesive texture. The arrangement is very dynamic and progresses quite nicely. I don't have any problems with this piece."

Neither do I, really... this is one jungle you'll wanna get lost in over and over. Excellent, intelligent, stylish, and well-Kraffted mix (get it?!?) that deserves some love.

― djpretzel

Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
Posting here again because this remix is AMAZING and one of the most creative remixes ever and needs more love. <3

- LuketheXjesse on November 14, 2009
this mix does so many things but it all manages to work really well and actually sound incredibly cohesive even though on paper it shouldn't. i've always loved the texture of synth lead on top of solo piano, reminds me of some Stevie Wonder stuff. But the electronica in the latter half is great and isn't just interpretive for the sake of being interpretive, it all works.

- M2S7N on October 7, 2009
This song has a very different mood than the other's aquatic remix, i like it for that, i'm like 'lost' when i listen to it..very very good. The ending is a big longer maybe

- Trouble on August 7, 2009
Ahh, I'm glad I started listening to some of ocr's lesser known artists. This is a really nice, moody piece that's easy to get immersed in. Great work.

- LuketheXjesse on July 19, 2009
This is certainly a track that grows on you. First time I heard it, the piano felt cheap (piano rendition of Aquatic Ambience? meh), and the last minute ill fitting. Now, it's among my favorites. The pad heard 2 minutes in is just plain beautiful, and that wouldn't have worked without the long piano intro. Dunno if it's a minute of jungle too long or a minute of jungle too short, but it does work this way. Highly enjoyable.

- Rozovian on February 9, 2009
The more time I've spent listening to this piece, the more I've loved it, and my judge decision comments were made after only a few listens and don't really capture my enthusiasm for it. The opening is beautiful, weaving an original motif into the familiar melody so well, you'd swear it was in the game. This could have easily been the whole song, but instead Johan surprisingly pulls out a synth that he imbues with the same care of expression. Very interesting. What makes this a truly classic ReMix for me is when it opens up into that graceful, pulsing beat. Hypnotic. The double-speed section starts promisingly but doesn't sound as polished as the rest. But by that point, I feel he's earned the leeway to try anything.

- Palpable on January 21, 2009
Absolutely love this piece, but I am especially fond of the synth. That vibrato at 2:59 is just perfect.

- MrBogus on January 21, 2009
Yeah, the intro to this mix is where the spotlight spends most of the time, since it is where most striking of the melodic ideas and variations have been congregated. As a result, it throws off the balance of the mix. The latter portion isn't exactly barren of good, chewable meat, but to open so strongly and then transform into a subdued version of the opening disrupts an hypothetical equilibrium that the listener expects. Whether that is the fault of the listener or the remixer has more to do with your own personal philosophy.
That being said, I still think this is a really cool and involved listen. Excellent.

- Marmiduke on December 16, 2008
I love this track, I've been looking for a good remix. But I really hope you'll do a Piano solo version... it's incredible!

- prometheus3k on November 7, 2008
Interesting issues in the judge's decision thread there. First and foremost, I'm a total sucker for solo piano, so the beginning of the mix was an instant sell, with the exception of that one jarring silenced note right before you repeated the intro for the second time. I found it quite noticeable. But it's beautiful, emotive work on the piano. I liked the synth lead you brought in later, it carried the mix quietly and solidly for quite awhile. I'm not a huge fan of the zoo animals busting in at 3:37 or the introduction of the attempted 4 on the floor though. I feel like it was the mix was a beautiful statement, and a gorgeous piece as a whole without going there at all. Still, I don't think it's near enough to ruin the mix in any fashion. Good work, and I hope we hear from you again soon.

- Shadow Wolf on November 3, 2008
This is tha shit.
Got goosebumps when the bas and groove came in. The pianosection was excellent!
Looove that you didn't enter the bas on the 1st beat. did the whole groove.
This is epic!

- AeroZ on October 31, 2008
Love it original, dominant piano-riff throughout.
Overall?
An OCR with purpose.

- MeTc123 RType on October 6, 2008
I LOVE the piano! Absolutely incredible, I love the pick up to the beat as well.

- Rockitout234 on October 5, 2008
a funky piece, the ending had a completely different feel to the rest of the song which i dont know how to feel about...
but with the beginning piano solo, and the drum synth that comes in.. was so beautiful, i was doubtful at first (was reading the evaluation while listening) but the drums gave it such a jungle feel it was jizztastic

- Incronaut on October 3, 2008
Possibly one of my favorite tunes of all gaming time. I wasn't sure what to think of the title when I heard it at the start... It made sense later. Excellent improv. The arrangement swallowed me up and I can't get enough of this jam.
Keep it up, Krafft!
(that name would make a good DK baddy, though I can't imagine what it would be)

- glasfen on October 3, 2008

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