ReMix:The Legend of Dragoon "Deadbeat" 2:31

By BlackPanther

Arranging the music of one song...

"Requiem"

Primary Game: The Legend of Dragoon (Sony , 1999, PS1), music by Dennis Martin, Takeo Miratsu

Posted 2011-10-14, evaluated by the judges panel


Okay, I'm off to Philadelphia for the weekend, but before I go, it's time for a quick mix fix... BlackPanther follows up his 2010 Goldeneye debut with our first ReMix of The Legend of Dragoon:

"I enjoyed makin this track I felt like this was another step up for me, as Jack (tefnek) taught me the art of buildup and now I just need to perfect it, OA gave me some last minute feedback which I hope was enough, and I was constantly tryin to figure out what I could do to keep it interesting with a lot of automation on the synths and whatnot so in return I got a way better handle of FL Studio now. Not much else to say, I hope you guys enjoy, and I hope Hoboka enjoys as this was his request for the FBRC 2010 and I don't know what his musical tastes are and I remixed this in a genre that I was decent at. Enough ranting enjoy please lol!"

Like the Beatles & Joe Cocker before him, it would appear that Rashad gets by with a little help from his friends. Tangent, but is it just me, or do the Japanese have an obsession with dragoons? You've got Panzer Dragoon, Drag-on Dragoon (aka Drakengard), Alisia Dragoon, The Legend of Dragoon... that's a lot of dragoons, that is. Outside of the world of video games, I rarely hear tell of dragoons or dragoon-related happenings, and yet they appear to be quite the rage in the Land of the Rising Sun; go figure. BP kicks things off with a run-of-the-mill breakbeat, but it's a deceptive intro, as things progress nicely from there. Vinnie writes:

"It starts a little on the plain side, but once the beat kicks in, it gets good. The synth design is what really makes it, you've got some really dirrrty sounds. Might have been nice to include the source melody a little more, but the bass being based off the song's intro seemed like an adequate connection for the song."

Shariq dittos that:

"Oh wow. Very nice. I thought the beat was a little dry when it started but as soon as everything came in I heard how everything was supposed to fit in. Really nice synth work. I love how you took the melody and turned it into that really deeeeeep bassline. Short and sweet, but I think it works!"

This is a pretty unorthodox, unexpected style to arrange the source material in, but it's clearly there, and while the 2'30" runtime might seem on the slight side, remember the escalated BPM - there's definitely some meat here. Aggressive, rapid-fire, unusual arrangement from BlackPanther, who's incorporated a lot of feedback, created something slick & distinct, and put The Legend of Dragoon on the OCR map. Dragoon +1!!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Crulex
on 2012-11-12 11:42:53

Pretty gritty and dirty, which was the high point of this ReMix. This just drives home a sinister feeling on my end, and interestingly enough, the underlying melody reminded me of the progression of some later MMX series tracks. For a short track, this has a unique sound that seems to move at least a little. Wasn't fond of the cut-off ending, but that wasn't an issue that really bothered me.

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Martin Penwald
on 2011-12-25 02:05:17

I do not know the source of this remix, so I was able to try to enjoy it based on its own merits, and enjoy it I did. Musically speaking, this is pretty much right up my alley.

If it was me, I'd probably have extended the length a bit with a half-tempo section in there just to break up the pace a little, and maybe help with a final drop, but that doesn't take anything away from this arrangement you have here.

Same here, though I would prefer a frantic double-tempo section instead of a half-tempo one.

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Rexy
on 2011-12-09 11:42:32
Somethin tells me I need to step up my abilities. Lack of feedback bothers me a little bit.

Hey, it's not just you. :( A lot of mixes in the past 2 years haven't been commeted on as much as those in previous years, so don't feel dejected about it. It's a changing web environment; just keep doing what you like doing regardless of it.

Nevertheless, I remember this from the FBRC 2 years ago; to see a more melancholy theme being given a DnB makeover to me is like the equivalent of making a trance song out of Chrono Trigger's "At the Bottom of the Night" (i.e. not the best way to pay homage to the original), but if that's where your skills lie then that's something that I can't really fault.

For something so short, your learning within buildup has managed to work really well given the amount of substance in there, and the melody has been really manipulated with some crazy controller change work being given towards the lead synth throughout. Overall you've managed to do well with the source expansions and adapting it to this kind of genre.

One pointer I do have though is to watch your drum production; I don't know if it's me or not, but the kicks ended up being a little too sharp for me, as if it's close to being unintentionally distorted. Maybe watching your mid-frequencies on the kicks would be a good help to slightly dull them a little bit - they can be sharp, but not necessarily sharp enough to feel discomfort when hearing back.

All in all, a good track; might upscuttle some people due to the direction taken with the source, but it's free music so no complaining. :razz: I hope to hear more from you in the future, BP!

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Bahamut
on 2011-12-05 23:01:45

Another BlackPanther track!

Arrangement is good, but I hear some production issues. The volume seems kind of low in general, and we needed some more power of the bass!

My guess is that this is an older mix relatively speaking though. I know Rashad can do better!

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CC Ricers
on 2011-11-21 22:50:01

The bass rolls deep with this one. This is only Panther's second mix but I can tell he loves the bass. I also love the beat played right at the start. It's usually played for lighter drum bass stuff but it still tends to work with the more abrasive synths in here.

I don't know the original enough to talk about how it fits the mood. I do wish you did more with it, but it's a good ride while it lasts.

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BlackPanther
on 2011-11-21 16:35:02

Somethin tells me I need to step up my abilities. Lack of feedback bothers me a little bit. Either way, I appreciate all the feedback on this track "good" or "bad" and I apologize that I couldn't please everyone . That's the way the cookie crumbles in the world of subject experience xD.

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DarkSim
on 2011-10-31 11:49:39

Ooooh yes BP - Congrats on the 2nd mixpost, and I love this track! Never heard the source or played the game, so I can't comment on that side of it, but based on what I'm hearing I approve!

If it was me, I'd probably have extended the length a bit with a half-tempo section in there just to break up the pace a little, and maybe help with a final drop, but that doesn't take anything away from this arrangement you have here.

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BluUnmei
on 2011-10-18 01:14:24

Sweet mix. It's been too long since I played this one, but considering the change in mood from the source, it might give me some objectivity. I really like what you did here! Catchy. Nice work.

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Damashii!!
on 2011-10-15 20:23:41

dat bass...

awesome, crispy mix! my only complaint is the short length, but it is a short source and i liked it even more each time i replayed it.

the dragoons would be pleased.:mrgreen:

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MessagesFromEarth
on 2011-10-15 09:51:34

I wasn't really feeling this remix, but I do like seeing Legend of Dragoon on OCRemix. It's also great to see that I'm not the only one. I mean, there's a guy named Melbu Frahma below me :smile: You, sir, are representing the Cause.

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Scaredsim
on 2011-10-15 05:48:35

Hahaha awesome best remix evar ! ... or not

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Melbu Frahma
on 2011-10-15 01:01:33

I am SO stoked to see Legend of Dragoon getting some love on here at last, and even more so to see it being from one of my favorite songs from the game. :nicework: Great job with the song - it's definitely going on many of my playlists, even if - to quote Gadrius - it diverges from the original song's mood. But hey, that transformative aspect is one of the greatest things about OCR.

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auronapern
on 2011-10-14 22:14:30

This is sick! I had a bit of trouble getting into it at first but when it revved up at 00:36 and then dropped at 00:41 I was hooked. Done. My thanks for the addition to my library!

It's about time some LoD made it on - I always felt that soundtrack had some decent potential. Glad to see you took this track somewhere completely different from its roots - I love that!

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Gadrius
on 2011-10-14 19:46:35

It's nice to finally see a LoD track on OCR. And I do like the sound of the mix....BUT...Remixing "Requiem" in this style...I mean this is Lavitz's them and Lavitz is my favorite character in this game (May he RIP or be kickin ass with a mighty "BLOSSOM STORM" in hell). I just seems to me that this track really doesn't do Lavitz justice. To me it loses the essence of the character.

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djpretzel
on 2011-10-14 18:04:30

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
The Legend of Dragoon (Sony , 1999, PS1)
Music by Dennis Martin,Takeo Miratsu
Songs:
"Requiem"

Tags (4)


Genre:
Mood:
Aggressive
Instrumentation:
Breakbeats,Electronic,Synth
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Legend_of_Dragoon_Deadbeat_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
3,707,257 bytes
MD5:
1bb3cc2c3115b0c6a7cad4aec4b77af9
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
2:31

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