Posted 2012-12-03, evaluated by djpretzel


Rounding out the FIRST chunk of our DKC3 mixflood is Sole Signal - 'Castle Crescendo' was an absolute gem and a highlight of Serious Monkey Business... can Greg follow it up with another hit? Are his bananas truly epic? Anticlimactically: YES! But don't just take my word for it - let's see what El Director Emunator has to say about this trance-hybrid-orchestral opus:

"What's always struck me about this remix is how well it captures the feelings I got while playing through the treetop levels in the game, particularly Ripsaw Rage. This is one of those rare instances where I feel like the remix is even more true to the game than the source - Eveline's original composition was fantastic and extremely moody in its own way, but when I think of frantically climbing up a hollowed-out tree while being mercilessly chased by a reanimated saw blade, THIS is more what I had in mind!

That feeling of constant tension and energy is a perfect fit for Sole Signal's signature style, which typically marries inspiration from multiple genres into a very progressive, danceable remix where the source melodies are always constantly present. This track does exactly that, and if you're familiar with Greg's past musical endeavors, you probably know what's coming, and shouldn't need any convincing whatsoever to give this a listen!"

Indeed I did not; this is heart-racing, blood-pumping, tree-hopping stuff that every bit echoes the energy Greg conjured on SMB; he adds:

"I had always loved this source from the heavily underrated third game in the DKC series, with a just-as-underrated soundtrack. It's a fun dance/breaks take on the theme, with a big electro/orchestral section in the middle. Props to Nutritious for the song title.

When creating remixes, I rarely stick with one distinct genre all the way through. The melody leads itself very well to an electronic style, but I had to explore it in an orchestral sense as well. You don't often hear such contrasting styles mixed together, but it's something that I think is very fun to listen to. I was unhappy initially with the orchestral section, but, after several months of off-and-on development, I finally was able to build it to a point that I was happy with releasing. Hopefully, it's enjoyed as much as it was being created."

Actually, I find that OCR happens to enjoy an above-average number of submissions that blend & bend genres; perhaps it's related to the nature of arranging, or arranging VGM in particular, but I've always thought it was a good thing, and that's what I went for with my own track off SMB, too. In most such mixes, one genre emerges as dominant, and I definitely think of this as primarily an electronica track, but the inclusion of orchestral components ups the "epic" ante considerably, beyond simply providing variety, and with Greg at the helm you know it's gonna be great either way!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 10 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Mikeaudio
on 2015-04-24 21:57:31

I love the combination of electronica and orchestral elements. It also has that mid speed head bob groove tempo that never gets old. Definitely one of the catchiest sources I find myself humming when I am gaming DKC3. Killed it.

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Black_Doom
on 2014-11-25 12:06:06

Oh shit, these bananas are really epic. This is one of the best tracks from the album. The melody here is so damn catchy. Such powerful flow! Sweeeeeeet blend of orchestra, electronic and even some rock. Greg is great.

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TillyFun
on 2013-07-13 19:19:57

OH! I like this even more than the original. :D It's so enjoyable. ^__^

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GTAHater836
on 2013-01-20 22:21:32

I think this would be perfect for a forest labyrinth that's foreboding and scary enough during the day (or in the lighter dimension), then during the night (or in the darker dimension), the forest starts glowing purple like a black light, the atmosphere turns toxic, the trees turn leary (leery?) and evil, alien wildlife invade (or exist as an alternative to the less formidable wildlife of the light world), and in general the forest under the cover of darkness becomes too frightening and dangerous for anyone but the player characters to set foot into. For the "light" iteration of the forest, Epic Bananas would be the background music. For the "dark" doppelganger, Low Life would play.

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timaeus222
on 2012-12-17 12:41:07

What I love about this track is that it's 4:07, but it felt shorter. That's what I'm talking about!

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HitoriJaNai
on 2012-12-07 18:45:16

I've tremendously enjoyed the entire DKC3 album in its entirety, but this song has been continually stuck in my head and I cannot stop listening to it. This, and The Paper Chase. This song is just so unbelievably awesome and epic and it makes me want to break into awesome dancing which I can't do because my dancing is... well, yeah. This is probably one of my favorite Sole Signal songs so far! Keep up the great work, Greg!

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Crulex
on 2012-12-05 11:51:47

I remember requesting this way back before the DKC 3 project began and that's where I heard rumblings of this track. I can say that I am so glad that this came from the album after looking forward to it for so long. The sinister tone of the original got amped up in this ReMix and it does sound more epic. Moody, energy-filled, and definitely brings me back to that damn Ripsaw Rage level. *Shudders* Awesome job with this song, Sole Signal.

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Argle
on 2012-12-03 16:24:15

This is embarrassing to admit, but I always loved this song from the game but never knew the name of it.

Oh, and this mix rocks.

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Guifrog
on 2012-12-03 16:19:58

I thought it was EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Liontamer
on 2012-12-03 02:14:24

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (Nintendo , 1996, SNES)
Music by David Wise,Eveline Novakovic
Songs:
"Treetop Tumble"

Tags (3)


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

File Information


Name:
Donkey_Kong_Country_3_Epic_Bananas_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
7,201,996 bytes
MD5:
eca78d67b3460e9ad8d51ae32843c605
Bitrate:
239Kbps
Duration:
3:58

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