Posted 2012-12-03, evaluated by the judges panel


Looking for some mellow, cavernous, & superlative trip-hop to disappear into lately? Radiowar has your number; while not part of Serious Monkey Business, his DKC2 'Lanterns' mix is a classic that certainly would have deserved to be, so I'm glad Emunator nabbed him for DKC3:DTT:

"Radiowar is one of my favorite "unsung heroes" of OC ReMix. Each of his remixes has been very moody and deliberate, with rock-solid production values, and this one is no exception. Admittedly, this is probably the most straightforward remix in the mixflood, sticking to a pretty traditional trip-hop structure without deviating too far from the kinds of sounds you'd expect from the genre.

But, really, that's the beauty of it. Eveline Novakovic's compositions for the SNES soundtrack display a level of restraint and humility that is very hard to find in video game soundtracks, especially in the NES and SNES era. They aren't too flashy and never demand your attention. Instead, they rely on understated melodies, emotive harmonies, and above all, atmosphere to make the song memorable. I love this remix for all the same reasons that I loved the original soundtrack - which, in my mind, is a sign that the remixer is doing something very, very right."

I try to sing Alex's praises whenever afforded the opportunity, and I've actually seen plenty of folk chime in with love for his entire oeuvre. While we don't see a ton of submissions, I'll take quality over quantity any day, and his approach seems to be crafting & refining each mix to the point that it's like top-notch calligraphy, where the lines of every last letter have an unblemished grace and everything flows. Alex writes:

"This is a remix of "Pokey Pipes." It is called "Intoxica," which I don't think is a word. Yes, I cribbed the strings from Moby. ): The pipe levels were always some of the more interesting ones, each with some gas or substance that altered the gameplay in some way. "Pokey Pipes" had this really sort of disorienting, hazy quality to it that appealed to me. I tried to maintain that quality, while at the same time creating a really grimy and resonant sound. I wanted it to sound like the inside of a sewer."

That's one relaxing sewer, that is... the portion of the source employed is rather minimal, which did give the judges something to think about, but Vinnie summed up the general sentiment AND made non-consensual advances:

"I reckon this song will split along the lines of Breathe Deep, because the trick is pretty similar. It takes one snippet of the original (0:01-0:04) and makes that the basis for a mostly new track, except here the song harkens back to the source more than that song did (0:44-1:07, 1:07-1:30, and others) ...How gorgeous is that 1:07 section? Kisses to Alex, whether he wants them or not."

We'll let the two of them sort that out, but the point is, this is a more liberal interpretation, compostionally speaking. Thematically though, as per Wes's comments, I think the tone of the source is echoed significantly. Plus there's the whole "gorgeous, enveloping atmosphere" thing - if you're into that ;)

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Black_Doom
on 2014-10-18 14:22:11

One of my favorits from the album. It's just perfect to listen to on a rainy day. Nice atmosphere overall. That chorus-y thing is smooth. Drumming is tight. Some may found this repetitive a bit, but it works for me. Quite detailed thing. Love this.

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metamorphosis
on 2013-06-15 22:59:45

F'ing beautiful. Amazing work man.

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Anti elytS
on 2013-01-29 13:35:24

Love it. Relaxing, moody, and a killer beat to go with it. Definitely one of my favs on the album, if not the song I return to the most. Even my 3 month old daughter quiets down when this is playing. That means it definitely has 'it'.

Hope to see more from you. Love the style you bring.

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AMKalmar
on 2013-01-07 20:53:10

This song creates such a beautiful atmosphere in my mind. Thank you for this, Radiowar. I need more of you in my life.

This reminds me a lot of the song
by MuteMath :)

I love that band!

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Dafydd
on 2012-12-11 03:16:37

Can't stop headbobbing to this beat. Nice work!

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Transmogrificational Tune
on 2012-12-07 18:14:22

This one resonates with with success. Nice beat too.

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KingTiger
on 2012-12-06 11:13:46

This reminds me a lot of the song

by MuteMath :)
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Crulex
on 2012-12-06 10:04:53

Radiowar seems to always hits the mark when he gets a ReMix posted. Every time. And with the quality of this ReMix, you can easily see it. This has the trippy hip-hop the pipes needed and maintains that fuzzy, slightly hazy and chilling sound takes me back to playing in slow motion or backwards controls. So much fun times, both in level and song. Lots of atmosphere in here. Love the use of those few notes at the very end. I thought that was a sweet way to end the song.

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badhabit
on 2012-12-05 17:19:03

Definitely one of my three favorites on the album. I just love Radiowar's style, and this track in particular takes me right back to Amorelle. A little bit of Moby, a pinch of Rob Dougan, and some essence of Nujabes make a good blend.

This is easily my favorite song on the album. Really nice work!

But just as I expected, my favorite track is one of yours: Chasing Waterfalls. After Welcome Home, DK, I knew I'd find what I was looking for on this album. Hope you get posted - I know the judges aren't always friendly to your style.

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Radiowar
on 2012-12-04 22:39:59

oh, i want them ;)

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HoboKa
on 2012-12-04 18:51:41

Mm mm dag yo, this is some good shtuff Radiowar 3 Love your style so much :nicework:

(I need 2 get dem studio chops lol)

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Argle
on 2012-12-04 16:23:50

Excellent triphop mix. I'm a sucker for 'tron sounds. :)

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Blue Magic
on 2012-12-04 14:35:05

This is easily my favorite song on the album. Really nice work!

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Flexstyle
on 2012-12-04 13:56:41

This song is also one of the best on the album. Everything is perfect: the textures, the groove, the atmosphere...everything melts together perfectly, like fresh sourdough bread and hot butter.

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delbuster
on 2012-12-04 13:26:34

my favorite

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:
"Pokey Pipes"

Tags (5)


Genre:
Mood:
Chill,Mellow
Instrumentation:
Piano,Synth
Additional:
Effects > Glitching

File Information


Name:
Donkey_Kong_Country_3_Intoxica_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,318,440 bytes
MD5:
8cb5c3d6f1b45f3b3faddc40f31b8479
Bitrate:
226Kbps
Duration:
3:40

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