ReMix: Sonic & Knuckles 'Hidden Within'

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Sonic & Knuckles

Newcomer Xenon Odyssey, aka Bobby Keller, gives us a solo piano debut arrangement from Sonic & Knuckles. This one definitely plays it loose with the source material, and the judges panel did have to really stretch a bit, since there's just as much original writing as there is arrangement. Some of you in the peanut gallery may snicker (pun) derisively when the judges get out their metaphorical - and in some cases, actual - stopwatches and break a ReMix down to ensure it's more arrangement than not. Well, consider the alternative... someone sends in a completely original piece that has five seconds of SMB plugged on to the end. Does it contain some VGM? Sure... Is it musically interesting & well-constructed? Possibly... Is it a VGM arrangement? Not so much. Says we, of course, and semantics antics are always gonna be subjective. Mattias writes:

"I, like Vinnie, compared Larry's and Bobby's times and agree with Larry. If Vinnie's calculations are correct and this is as close as 49.6% I consider this a pass. It sounds like an arrangement of the source too which is obviously the actual criteria. The harmonies, playing and pacing are all excellent. There was a minor hiccup somewhere but not enough to require a re-record. I say go. Awesome job."

That's my own bolding for emphasis right there, FYI. As AnSo mentions, regardless of specific percentage breakdowns, the true litmus test is really up to the individual judge - does it feel like an arrangement of the indicated source, or does it feel like an excuse to fiddle around with some original material and work some VGM in here and there? In this case, the decision was difficult but unanimous. OA sums it up in one sentence:

"The track is beautiful and meets the arrangement standards, but coming to a decision certainly was a lengthy process."

It's odd... I'm very used to the higher notes on piano patches being panned right, lower notes left, to match the layout of the keys in front of the player. That seems a bit flipped here, but it's not really problematic, just disconcerting. The clarity and space achieved by the piano sound itself is great; you really get a feel for the resonance and sustain. At times some of the upper-register forte overdoes it a bit, and that's something I'd generally avoid in the future, but some of the best moments here are subtle, and really boil down to timing... a key pause here or there makes a world of difference, and I think Mr. Keller has a great feel for using that space to his advantage. Very liberal take on fairly well-known source material that definitely changes it up dramatically; interesting, emotive debut from Xenon Odyssey, who hopefully makes the panel's job a little easier with his next sub!

― djpretzel

Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
This is lovely! You certainly know how to make Lava Reef awesome. Speaking of which, your 'Lava Passion' from Project Chaos is still my favorite version - in fact, it's one of my favorite VGM arrangements ever! I would love to see that submitted as a full OC ReMix...but until then, anyone who hasn't heard it, go check it out. It's like this, only with to-die-for saxophone playing.

- Sibre on September 17, 2011
I love how this piece flirts with the melodies from the source. It weaves in and out from the notes in the source and into your territory so beautifully. I feel teased whilst listening to this, you create a nice level of tension by sewing in the source and then not quite giving it to us. And it gets to an eventual point (3:07) where when you flow fully into the melody that I associate the Hidden Palace Zone with, it's a great catharsis! Job well done!!
At first, I was thinking I would have expected the higher notes panned more to the right, but realised that the way things are set up, it's as though I'm standing opposite you playing the piano. Well, what am trying to say is, the set-up makes it seem like I am before a personal performance (when I have my eyes closed), adding something more powerful to the arrangement.
This definitely holds a place on my playlist that I use to relax! Great listen!

- Wina A. Kamlongera on October 21, 2010
Emunator;624820 wrote: it's really one of my favorite piano mixes to come along in a while just because there's nothing pretentious or grand about it - it's a very down-to-earth, mellow arrangement

Seconded.
Also, I like the sound of the piano, for a lack of better words. Something about it is very relaxing and soothing.

- Martin Penwald on January 11, 2010
This is very beautiful, l love a good piano piece.
Great work.

- metalsnakejuice on December 31, 2009
Nice -- piano! I am always a fan of a good piano arrangement and you deliver :) . Very pretty, thanks for an enjoyable listen.

- jintoreedwine on December 28, 2009
Hey, a piano song!
While it may not be as technical as some of the other ones on the site, this one definitely keeps my interest a lot more than a lot of them. The thing here is that it has a gentle feel to it, but doesn't rely on being too dainty and slow.
Good work! :nicework:

- Bahamut on December 24, 2009
This is veeeerrryy pretty, that's about all I can say about it.
I really enjoy the mix of original material with the existing stuff, something about it makes it feel more, I'm not sure, more of something... it was the same but different enough to make it more enjoyable in a way.

- cobaltstarfire on December 22, 2009
Thanks everyone for the kind comments!
And no worries OA; my next one is pretty much the straight source everywhere. No tricky give-or-take places.

- Xenon Odyssey on December 22, 2009
Really pretty stuff, but pleeeasse next time make it easier on me. ;_;
Beautiful playing, and the timing is what makes it especially good.
Congrats on getting posted, I am excited to hear what you do next.

- OA on December 21, 2009
very beautiful piece, although it took a while before i knew what song it was, it wasnt until about the 3 min mark where i knew what the melody was, i think if you had of established this somewhere at the start of the track i would have liked it more but very well done! loved it keep it up!!

- FlashX on December 20, 2009
I'm not familiar with the source material, but this song makes me remember David Lanz's calmer music pieces. I enjoy it very much. Good job, and good luck on future remixes.

- Water on December 20, 2009
This is a surprise. For whatever reason, I never suspected you wanted this, and especially not with something like this. This is a beautiful piece. It's been snowing for the past few days here, and looking out the window with this playing in the background is a very pleasant experience. Merry Christmas, dude.

- Dafydd on December 20, 2009
I really like how this has a quasi-serious, thoughtful mood to this piece. Not quite emotionally or reminiscing-ly based, but simply highly thought provoking. Listing to this has made me feel oddly centered. I also like how fanciful the arrangement sounds and admittedly how liberal the arrangement is. It just feels like a breath of air to hear something as fresh and mellowly whimsical (especially after listening to some of the older remixes for a while, if you know what I mean. :razz:) Needless to say, this is an amazing debut mix. Congrats Xenon.

- 42 on December 19, 2009
I am not familiar with the source all that much, so from the standpoint of an outsider, this piece is very pretty, and it is an overall nice listen. DJP said it right that the timing is what really helps this out, with notes held, slower lines, etc. The dynamics aren't too varied, but they get the point across, and overall the writing is pretty fluid. Nice work.

- DragonAvenger on December 19, 2009
This is really beautiful. It is at times bold, at other times subtle. Sometimes it's both at once. Awesome work. Piano arrangements aren't usually my favorite, but this remix can speak for itself, and I like what it says. Bravo.

- MechaFone on December 19, 2009