ReMix:Gunstar Heroes "Bullet Hell" 3:56

By DusK

Arranging the music of one song...

"5 Stage"

Primary Game: Gunstar Heroes (Sega , 1993, GEN), music by Norio Hanzawa

Posted 2014-08-27, evaluated by the judges panel


Mr. DusK was all over Be Aggressive!, so the album kinda emerged with his stamp on the overall style, which I'd describe as "rough & tumble" and "ready to rock" - this rolling, synth-rock-metal jam being no exception:

"When Dj Mokram unfortunately had to drop this track, I knew that it needed to be done the kind of justice that only he could have done it. Knowing full well I couldn't do that myself, I picked it up anyway. Dj Mokram's vision for the track involved orchestral elements meshing with futuristic-sounding synths, and I tried to bring a bit of that into my track along with a steady rock sound.

I really feel like I did a good job on this one. I was heavily inspired by Mass Effect's music (especially that part between 2:20 and 2:58), and I really tried to bring some of that 80s/90s sci-fi aesthetic into the track using carefully-placed and modulated yet often vanilla-sounding synths. As far as the metal instrumentation, I tried to give it a sort of 80s hair metal feel, but with a modern metalcore twist, a lot like Blessed by a Broken Heart. Enjoy. :)"

Nice synth-heavy intro as guitar solos on top before the jams are kicked out circa 0'27" with a harder groove; heavy shred/chug rhythm action, rise/fall synth pluck arpeggios, and meaty drums. 1'37" enters into a sort of half-tempo metal cadence, before a build and then recapitulation of the intro aesthetic; good changeup. Palpable writes:

"Nothing crazy as far as arrangement ideas go, but a solid concept and execution. Good partwriting and good synthesis of metal and synths, which doesn't always come across that well...The mixing was also on the crowded side, and I wanted a little more breathing room. Those issues aside, this was good work and an enjoyable listen."

Dustin's got a great sense of structure and represents the double-threat of someone who can do synths & guitars all by himself and have it sound good; the only lingering criticism that seems to keep popping up is getting a little more air & crispness on the mixing/mastering side of things. I'll personally confess that I HAVE been known to use BBE Sonic Maximizer on occasion to achieve this, which is almost like using FL's Soundgoodizer, but it's not really the means that matter when it comes to audio engineering - it's the ends. While most of DusK's mixes could stand a little sharpening & clearer high-end, it's not really a MAJOR issue for any of them; just one of those things to consider for the future. As for this mix, I love the energy level and I feel like some solid, creative decisions were made about the structure that keep it interesting AND fun!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 5 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
atomicthumbs
on 2014-09-11 00:44:08

This is so goddamn good. I need like, five albums' worth of this to play while I'm driving.

avatar
Crulex
on 2014-08-30 08:52:35

Oh hell yeah, if that opening isn't enough to get you pumped, you're going to need a shot of adrenaline straight in the heart right now. Such hard-hitting rockin' energy abound, and it's reigned in by an amazing driven guitar riff. This was made for action and I love it. The break at 2:22 was perfect for giving everyone a chance to cool down a tad before going right back into the blistering rock at the end. Awesome stuff, really liked this.

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OverClocked PodCast
on 2014-08-27 21:47:20

A no holds barred guitar-driven guns blazing adventure. That's what we have here, folks, and I'm on board. It's almost a bit too much, what with four minutes of intense shredding, which is why I appreciate the break at 2:22-- especially since it reinforces that '80s vibe. It doesn't really stray from DusK's usual stomping grounds, but, I mean... there's nothing wrong with that. :razz:

avatar
timaeus222
on 2014-08-27 17:17:01

This seriously breathes of Gunstar Heroes sound design. It sounds like a GSH ReMix, even if I never knew that it was for GSH. Yeah, sure, some airiness in the lead would have been nice, and there's some strange note choices/harmonies in some of the arp work, but that's so minor that pffffft. The lil stereo offset at 3:22 was interesting. You can still rock out to this, and honestly, I didn't have any issues with the drums. I mean, if they really are the FPC defaults (I do kinda recognize the ride cymbal, but other than that...), that's some pretty impressive processing on those to transform them that much. :)

avatar
djpretzel
on 2014-08-27 15:43:03

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Gunstar Heroes (Sega , 1993, GEN)
Music by Norio Hanzawa
Songs:
"5 Stage"

Tags (5)


Genre:
Metal,Rock
Mood:
Aggressive
Instrumentation:
Synth
Additional:
Time > Tempo: Fast

File Information


Name:
Gunstar_Heroes_Bullet_Hell_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
7,483,756 bytes
MD5:
a08b8c1b222d663e5af81554f5125bd3
Bitrate:
250Kbps
Duration:
3:56

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