ReMix:Chrono Cross "Song of Ruin 2" 3:52

Our first Chrono Cross ReMix of 2013 comes courtesy Blue Magic, with a nice atmospheric hybrid jazz/ambient/electronic arrangement that features piano, harp, strings, a nice fat squelchy synth bass, some very cool mangled background talking FX & MORE, plus drums that start off with a half-tempo march & rolling snare, then take on aspects of r'n'b followed by d'n'b. Yeah, a little hard to pin this one down :) Damon writes:

"It's been a long time since I last played CC, but there were a few tunes from the game that really stood out to me and stuck with me throughout the years. So, I'm attempting to create a series of remixes of those particular tracks to pay homage to the creators of this awesome game and soundtrack. Honestly, I'm not even sure what genre this remix would even fit in. I kinda came up with the concept on the fly by mixing a few different styles together. It was more of an experiment than anything, and I was really hesitant on submitting it since I've been having difficulties with my previous submissions. I decided to stick it up on YouTube and Soundcloud to see how people feel about it and I got some pretty positive feedback, so I decided to tweak a few things here and there and send it in. Here goes nothing..."

"nothing" went pretty darn well; I like the nebulous, genre-shifting approach here - it's definitely a chimera, but feels very natural & no single element pops out as being jarring or incompatible. Deia writes:

"I think your arrangement ideas here are very smart. There's a clear recognition to the source, and you really let your own personality shine through. This is definitely taking a source that I never particularly cared for and putting it into a new light. I'm quite down with this mix."

Emunator adds:

"It's nice to see more of a return to classic Blue Magic style of fusing soft electronic elements with acoustic instruments, I've always been such a fan of your work. The sequencing on your lead instruments feels a bit mechanical at times, but in a weird way it actually works with the unconventional drum patterns you've employed."

It's distinct stuff that marries complexity with clarity in a specific way, and the background ambient FX add further depth & character. Great to see more Chrono Cross, but as Wes writes above, it's also cool to hear more of Damon's signature coming through in an arrangement that, while perhaps difficult to categorize, is enjoyable and definitely rewards repeat playback!