ReMix:The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion "Pirates of Oblivion" 2:51

By John Revoredo

Arranging the music of one song...

"Reign of the Septims"

Primary Game: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2K Games , 2006, WIN), music by Jeremy Soule

Posted 2008-11-17, evaluated by the judges panel


I'm proud tonight to formally kick off n00bfl00d '08: ReMixers We Can Believe In! This was completely Larry's idea: seeing as we've just posted three Bad Dudes mixes in a row, and seeing how the usual OC ReMix lineup also includes a lot of familiar faces, we wanted to do something special to highlight newcomers to the site. For the next couple weeks, we're going to be posting nothing but first-time artists, shining a spotlight on ReMixers new to '08. I think you'll find that, while they may be n00bs in the sense of having their first mixes just posted, these artists are talented, unique, and are hopefully a harbinger of what's to come in 2009 and beyond. We're starting with Mr. John Revoredo, who ironically enough is less of a n00b than others due to his inclusion on Delta-Q-Delta, and also isn't particularly enamored of this mix, even though the judges passed it. Personally, I'm digging it, specifically because it lives up to the promise of its name by delivering a very piratey musical experience, channeling DIsney's 33.3% great trilogy. Vinnie, fresh off a birthday, writes:

"Cool arrangement, John. I think it plays well off the original melodies and has a lot of variety for a less than 3-minute orchestral song. The transitions were a little abrupt but I think were still handled decently. I especially love the writing in the section beginning at 1:40. Production was a little iffier. I think the majority of the sounds are good, but as noted, the strings in the intro were definitely off. It's only for about 20 seconds though, so I feel it's not a huge part of the song and doesn't need to be fixed given the quality of the rest of the song."

He points out a good detail: Most of our orchestral subs are considerably longer, and this piece's relative brevity and numerous transitions definitely have a cinematic, cued flavor to them, as if composed to fit an action sequence, probably at the beginning of a film given the overture structure. I've got more of a problem with the brass samples than the strings, which at forte have that bright, thin sound that plagues even the best brass libraries. The arrangement compensates with its clever blend of influences, though - zyko writes:

"this one's good to go. has elements of about 3 or 4 different flavors... a little zimmer, a little williams, a little warcraft and a lot of elder scrolls."

Sounds like a good mix, and a good ReMix, to me; Mr. Revoredo may have improved his craft in the time that's elapsed since this sub, but it's nonetheless a worthy and promising orchestral debut from a versatile (check his DQD stuff!) artist.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Samildanach Emrys
on 2011-06-21 19:26:48

Generally pretty good. Download-worthy. There's a jarring discord at about 0:42, but it's over quickly.

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metalsnakejuice
on 2009-04-23 06:18:37

l found this mix really cool, You really got that pirate theme going on really well.

Keep it up.

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Liontamer
on 2009-04-15 07:09:52
How can I review this mix when none of the download links work?!

For some reason, the Dreamhost link didn't work, but the other 3 were definitely working.

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Remorse1994
on 2009-04-15 06:49:05

How can I review this mix when none of the download links work?!

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richter
on 2009-02-14 18:27:03

I played (actually, am playing) the shit out of Oblivion so I'm very familiar with its music. This was a big disappointment to me because it's the same genre as the source. It's a mixture of verbatim and odd derivative tangents that mesh well but aren't much fun to listen to.

The sound quality is good I just think the arrangement is uninspired.

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LuigiFan
on 2008-12-07 00:03:44

I like the Pirates thing you have going on - a very nice arrangement. The transitions are a little shaky, and like others have said, it's not the most "wowing" piece out there, but it's a very good tune nonetheless. Excellent job - if this piece is as old as you say, I'm looking forward to seeing how you've developed since then.

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Lucentas
on 2008-12-06 18:28:46

Definitely an awesome and epic piece, great job.

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OA
on 2008-12-03 11:07:53

Intro is way stiffer than what I'm used to hearing from you, it really shows this mix's age. :-) The percussion is excellent, though, which is something I am used to hearing. The transitions were abrupt, but well handled; I think djp's likening them to movie cues is a pretty accurate assessment. I think some sections work better than others, but overall it's a jaunty romp, and a good debut mix. :-)

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Martin Penwald
on 2008-11-25 15:51:01

Though a little bit on the short side, this remix is very enjoyable. Love the percussion.

What I really like is the spirit of optimism this track evokes, this atmosphere of departure. Hey-ho, let's go!

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TehExAltered
on 2008-11-24 15:58:01

Really cool remix, with great percussion nice, I don't know, cello?:razz: You've definitely captured the pirate mood. Keep up the good work!

-Ex

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glasfen
on 2008-11-20 13:21:29

I wondered how this mix could make Oblivion piratey and was duly impressed. Very diverse instrumentation, but all melded wonderfully into an old salt's style. Bethesda should take note and create an expansion of the same name.

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Aeolian Mode
on 2008-11-20 10:37:59

Ah, finally another remix which utilizes my favorite theme in the history of music! Morrowind/Oblivion's main theme is just amazing.

The remix is great, but a bit on the repetitive side- I kept expecting the theme to go on with the Morrowind tune, but it only really used the first part of the song.

It was also shorter then I would've liked.

However, you really captured the Piraty feel with this, and it was a very high quality mix. I enjoyed it a lot, and even downloaded it onto my hard drive. :)

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CaptimusPrimus
on 2008-11-19 10:57:15

That's a sweet gigue right there.

I don't know the source, and am not a remixer myself, so I can't level the constructive criticism that others might in this case, but I enjoyed this mix. It has a great illicit-maritime feel that perfectly captures the urge to buckle one's swash.

You 'ave a touch of destiny aboat you, John Revoredo..

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Darth Lime
on 2008-11-18 19:22:00

And here I was thinking someone made a remix of the "Sweet lady of Waycrest", or the hardy young lad of the sea.

Good remix. I noticed when I first played Morrowind that the Pirates and Morrowind/Oblivion themes were similar. And I am glad you captured that in this mix.

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John Revoredo
on 2008-11-18 16:33:12

Guys, you're all so damn right about the criticism. I know this can be done 100 times better. Next one WILL be better.

However...keep in mind the piece is about one year old already!.

Anyways..... I've finally made it into OCr!!! YAY! :D

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2K Games , 2006, WIN)
Music by Jeremy Soule
Songs:
"Reign of the Septims"

Tags (2)


Genre:
Cinematic
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Orchestral
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Elder_Scrolls_4_Oblivion_Pirates_of_Oblivion_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,192,046 bytes
MD5:
ff68b27b10837ba0f53c4cf7195de1d3
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
2:51

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