ReMix: Mega Man X 'Tuck 'n Roll'
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- Game: Mega Man X (Capcom, 1993, SNES)
- ReMixer(s): The OverClocked Plaid Muffins
- Composer(s): Makoto Tomozawa, Setsuo Yamamoto, Toshihiko Horiyama, Yuki Iwai, Yuko Takehara
- Song(s): 'Armored Armadillo Stage'
- Posted: 2012-03-14, evaluated by the judges
- Album: Featured on Mega Man X: Maverick Rising
MAVERICK RISING!! We hope you're enjoying the album already; we're going to be posting some flood mixes the next couple days, but for tonight we're kicking it off with an absolutely badass ska jam from The OverClocked Plaid Muffins, who debuted last year with an equally amazing Kirby mix. Lest we chalk that mix up as a fluke or passing glimpse of brilliance, they've done it again, bringing high-energy vocal ska/rock with sexy brass to a source tune that completely lends itself to the style. Stevo writes:
"This song was actually suggested by PrototypeRaptor while we were still working on finishing "Ska Buffet." Took on this track because PR wanted to do it and, as chance would have it, Cyril had already nabbed the track for Maverick Rising. Took probably over a year to make in full, and many brass takes were needed in order to get the timing as close as we could. Much harder rock than the Kirby track.
When we started this, I knew it was going to be a harder track, but I didn't realize that it would channel Agro Rock a lot more than Ska. Vocals this time are split between PrototypeRaptor and myself. The lyrics describe, for lack of a better term, the humanity behind the robot. Disparity and longing turn to bitterness and hate, giving Armored Armadillo a tragic backstory. It is quite different from previous material, but that will probably be par for the course for the Plaid Muffins. Awesome work by PR, Swann, Xenon, Cyril, and AMT, as usual! That's about it, hope you enjoy it."
Great job on the vocals, guys, really. And this is just a smart, wicked arrangement - I love it so much I can with confidence say that it will stick in my head for the rest of my life. Fate willing, I'm gonna be diaper-wearing octagenarian one day, and I'll STILL be rocking out to this joint in my mind. That's some pretty high, incontinent praise, but it's deserved - album director Wesley Cho adds:
"The Plaid Muffins is probably the only video game music ska band in the world, so it’s exciting to hear their take on Armored Armadillo. After some songs that are more mellower in nature, this song gets in your face with its assault of brass, guitars, and drums and excepting for one reprieve, doesn’t let up. The vocals adds to the fun yet aggressive soundscape - they provide a story to Armored Armadillo, giving him some human characteristics, especially the craziness. This will almost certainly be an instant favorite for many!"
Yeah, Wes called it - definitely a favorite for me; it just CLICKS. It also show the Muffins are capable of some vocal variety - I thought LuIzA really nailed it on their Kirby mix, and I was concerned that she wasn't reprising her vocal role, but megaprops to L99 & PR for again doing some spot-on vocals that are perfect for the genre. There are so many great things to say about Maverick Rising, so many tracks to single out - and believe me, we will - and so many angles you can approach the album from, it's near-monolithic in breadth, scope, and excellence. But for now, for tonight, I think this one track, especially on the heels' of Hugo & Jordan's arrangements, sets the stage perfectly, and just plain old kicks ass. Classic.
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the A perfect evolution from the already jazzy source track. :D Definitely made for a marvelous surprise in the awesome Maverick Rising album. Unique -- and squishable! :3
- Fun on August 19, 2012
- Roadieface on August 1, 2012
This is some great stuff!
- Bahamut on July 4, 2012
Draconiator;849334 wrote: Was the inclusion of the Peter Gunn theme intentional?
If you listen to the source, its not the Peter Gunn theme, but rather the way the riff works within the original track. I can understand you hearing a similarity though.
Wardonis;851117 wrote: Ska was the wrong direction for this song, fast hardcore rock that doesn't go so far as to be metal punk or screamo is how it should of gone.
wut? That wasn't even a sentence that I could understand. But if you have an aversion to ska, that's a personal problem. Us plaid muffins? We're ska, through and through 8-)
- Level 99 on April 12, 2012
The instrumental play could be a little cleaner, but for how awesome a job these guys did and how much energy went into their performance, I can hardly complain. They took an ultra-repetitive track from my childhood, strapped it with brass and aggressive guitar and blew me out of the water with it.
I definitely dug the approach taken with the vocal line, making Armored Armadillo sound bitter and resentful, but ultimately accepting of his lot in life. It added a lot of character to what was before just a boss fight and a shiny new gun. I'll admit, without the lyrics in front of me some spots were a little hard to understand (and were before with Ska Buffet, but not important), but the overall feel and execution was spot on.
This was a piece with awesome pacing, high energy even in the mellow sections, and mind numbingly nostalgic to mine ears. Besides my few little hangups, I have nothing but praise for this extremely well done arrangement.
Stay classy Plaid Muffins.
- Korps de Krieg on March 25, 2012
- Wardonis on March 25, 2012
When i first heard i was first disappointed it wasn't LuIzA on vocals again (personally prefer female vocals) but then got over that quick with how great the song turned out anyway.
Good work guys :D hope to see the plaid muffins return for more songs.
- psychowolf on March 19, 2012
- BlackPhantom on March 17, 2012
I heard this one throughout its production, and I can vouch that everyone worked their asses off on it. Also, PrototypeRaptor is a much better singer than he gives himself credit for. Killer stuff!
- KyleJCrb on March 16, 2012
- Torzelan on March 16, 2012
- Crulex on March 16, 2012
Because it just sounded so cool.
True, final mix is overcompressed with some ducking and whatnot. Loudness isn't an issue for me.
But it's a great song.
Whether the listener likes vocals or not.
- BONKERS on March 16, 2012
