ReMix:Shadowrun "Running the Cyberpunks" 7:38

By FFmusic Dj

Arranging the music of one song...

"Uptown"

Primary Game: Shadowrun (Data East , 1993, SNES), music by Marshall Parker

Posted 2012-09-06, evaluated by the judges panel


The return of FFmusic Dj!!

It's been ALMOST NINE YEARS (!!) since we last posted a ReMix by Haroon, which I believe is a new record for mixer hiatus, so mad comeback props have literally never been more justified.

This electronica ReMix of Shadowrun for the SNES - our first from the game - squeaked by the panel in a pretty close call. The concerns centered around repetition, which is also linked to the song's longer running time of 7'37"; I can definitely see the issue, but at the same time I'm also personally glad the majority decided it wasn't enough to hold the mix back. Mr. Piracha writes:

"Song inspired by the the most overlooked game of all time, Shadowrun for the SNES. I actually made this song as a gift for a friend who is a fan of the game. The song was composed on Reason/Record and is mixed in the style of Hard Trance. As traditions with trance songs, the song consists of a lengthy intro and outro filling 32 bars so the song could be spun if necessary. It's bpm is 128 and it's in the key of Cm. I was just trying to have fun, the bass was too much fun to play around with. I like how it turned out."

So do I. This one's all about the bass, with some nice riffage & tight sequencing for something that's hella danceable & hard not to move at least a little to. That's what she said. Regarding the mix, Larry writes:

"I agreed with the criticisms about the soundscape being on the thin side, as well as the core repetition being issues, but they're just not dealbreaker issues for me in the big picture. While the structure is straightforward, I'm more with DS that the arrangement and soundscape were personalized from the start, and evolved more than adequately. The ending's a bit bland and cheesy (extended dropoff + cymbal crash finish!) out of context, but oh well. Solid stuff from Haroon."

Agreed on the ending, but while there are some moments where it feels like it's pushing things a bit, the key components are good enough that you WANT to hear them just... one... more... time. There's also attention paid to additive & subtractive tweaks to keep things moving forward from an arrangement perspective, and the rise-fall rapid-fire scale runs on the bass towards the end are just downright decadent. So wrong, but so right. Funky, infectious stuff from Haroon that has some truly delicious ingredients & perhaps overfeeds you with them at times, but with a bass that could launch a thousand ships, it kinda don't matter.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 11 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Black_Doom
on 2015-11-19 01:06:29

Pretty awesome. I don't find this track boring due to its legth and repetition, it's hella catchy and it's hard not to enjoy dat bass and beat. The ending, as some people mentioned, is a bit weird, though. But other than that, great work, Mr Piracha!

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His Infinite Machine
on 2015-10-12 00:25:55

Huh. So cyberpunk does go into trance rather well. Satisfying. :D

Shadowrun SNES is also one of my favourite games -- and you've captured the feel of the game in this one. Bit of street running and matrix play and concert all melded together nicely. ^_^

Personally, I thought the Genesis version was more true to the subject-matter, but they were both good.

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TillyFun
on 2014-06-03 02:07:14

Huh. So cyberpunk does go into trance rather well. Satisfying. :D

Shadowrun SNES is also one of my favourite games -- and you've captured the feel of the game in this one. Bit of street running and matrix play and concert all melded together nicely. ^_^

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Crulex
on 2013-12-28 11:15:12

Really is a case of mileage may vary when it comes to music like this, because if you're a fan of it, you can tolerate a lot more repetition and build than others. To me, even though it does run pretty long and hit some repetitive sections, I think you handled the repetition issue fairly well by evolving the piece little by little, but I can see how others may feel differently. It is a tricky thing that comes down to taste and ears. Either way, FFmusic Dj's return last year was quite a welcomed sight and this ReMix showed a lot of improvement in his talent in my opinion. Very good, I like it a lot.

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Damashii!!
on 2012-09-10 01:51:09

One of my longtime favorite remixers on this site. Still kicking and sounding fresh.

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YoshMaster
on 2012-09-07 07:41:06

9 years!? Wow.. I just can't believe that!! I have most of his music (from OCR) I just can't believe I all got it from so long ago...!! Well it is a real pleasure to have him back, I've always were a fan! This song will join the others and fit nicely alongside :)

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confusiongrows
on 2012-09-07 04:29:00

I wonder what kept him away for so long. Force of Light by him and SGX is one of my top OCRemixes. This one is a pleasant return, it's partway between electro house and trance but manages not to be a boring middle of the road trouse cashin as it actually satisfies most of the requirements of both genres rather than neither. I think it might be a bit on the long side for the progression it's got but I like it!

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Cash
on 2012-09-06 19:56:56

This is great, I'm really finding very little to complain about. The repetition doesn't bother me at all, I expect it with the genre, plus the song is so excellent that I'd be disappointed without the repetition. The textures never feel static or get old to me. Awesome comeback, FFmusic Dj! 8)

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Liontamer
on 2012-09-06 19:17:29

This is sweeeeeet. Glad it made it. :-)

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timaeus222
on 2012-09-06 18:51:29

I am generally against ultra-repetitive songs like this, but here's what I got to say:

Good things: Decent automated filter effects. The poly trance saw at 2:00 and other similar spots feels sidechained as well as the bass, and that comes off as strange to me, but not too bad. Bass sounds great. I liked the breakdown at 4:20. It was probably my favorite part in the entire song. It's too bad it was so short.

"Not good" things: Repetitive, sparse soundscape. The arpeggios at 2:31 continue to repeat for far too long. It was cool at first, but each time it replayed in the same way, it got less and less cool. If the bass notes were simplified at 4:00, it would have helped. The instrumentation remains essentially the same throughout, and demonstrates some static textures. The delayed cymbal ending is also cheesy, as mentioned by the judges.

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djpretzel
on 2012-09-06 18:02:12

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Shadowrun (Data East , 1993, SNES)
Music by Marshall Parker
Songs:
"Uptown"

Tags (5)


Genre:
Trance
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Synth
Additional:
Time > Duration: Long
Time > Tempo: Fast

File Information


Name:
Shadowrun_Running_the_Cyberpunks_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
13,580,927 bytes
MD5:
4954d53c44546c546e9f798758216f0a
Bitrate:
235Kbps
Duration:
7:38

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