ReMix:Deus Ex "Neonature" 6:03

By nervous_testpilot

Arranging the music of one song...

"UNATCO"

Primary Game: Deus Ex (Eidos , 2000, WIN), music by Alexander Brandon, Bryan Rudge, Dan Gardopée, Michiel van den Bos, Reeves Gabrels

Posted 2014-09-30, evaluated by djpretzel


We end our flood of artist debuts - and our overall flood month - with a Deus Ex arrangement from nervous_testpilot (Paul Taylor), co-owner of indie game developer Mode 7 and composer of the critically-acclaimed (and deservingly so!) soundtrack to Frozen Synapse!! Pretty cool, eh?

"After chatting with TotalBiscuit on Twitter a while back, I decided to do a remix of the amazing "UNATCO" theme from the original Deus Ex, one of my favourite games. As people seemed to like the cyberpunk stylings of my Frozen Synapse soundtrack, I thought it would be cool to bring them to the evocative melodies of Deus Ex. I hanker for the time when original game music was about melody and emotion rather than "texture" and simply functioning as auxiliary sound design to accentuate the player's state. People still love tunes and they still love real music that stands up outside the game; I really appreciated this in Deus Ex, so this is my tribute to it. I'd really love to get time to remix more of this soundtrack, and if Eidos Montréal are listening, I know you're expanding the Deus Ex franchise, so drop me a line if you want my contribution to future games!"

Well said... and really well done. This has a fantastic futuristic aesthetic that makes 110% absolute sense when paired with van den Bos's classic Deus Ex source; production is clean, clear, crisp, & warm. It's a throwback and a leap forward at the same time, and Paul knows that specific sound very well, and is able to modernize it without losing the essence. Larry writes:

"Nice work, Paul! Loved the Frozen Synapse soundtrack since hearing it on IGF's audio jury not too long ago, so it's cool to hear you apply a little bit of that touch to Deus Ex. :-)"

OA adds:

"The mood is here is rich and enveloping, which really lets you get caught up in the melody. I think the extended robot monologue went a bit too long, but it was well processed. I do think the song topped out a bit early as far as intensity, and I would have enjoyed a bit more dynamics overall, but beyond that, this was very nicely done."

Very glad to see another notable indie composer contribute to the site; if you dig this mix & wanna hear more, definitely check out the Frozen Synapse soundtrack along with Paul's other work - you WON'T be disappointed!

Thus concludes our month of floods; these five mixes have been my favorite flood this month, not only because the arrangements themselves are so damn excellent AND varied, but also because it always makes me happy and proud of our community to see new artists contributing. Thanks to Byproduct, C-Curt, nckmusic, Yffisch, and nervous_testpilot for some truly fantastic ReMixes - from upbeat synth rock to chilled trip-hop to brooding soundtrack work to DRUNK MONKEYS to this closing cyberpunk odyssey from Paul, it's been a huge treat! See you in October!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 6 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
Polo
on 2015-06-13 00:35:16

This is deep, expansive, and exploratory thanks to the plethora of tunnel-reverbed synths. It's also quite danceable thanks to the 8-note rising-and-falling motif (~0:14, 0:57, etc.) from the source, plus the rubber band bass that goes from first heard to carrying/supplementing the rest of the percussion above it. The lead at 1:36 broadens the spacial tone further while giving the mix a sense of direction.

Only that first robotic sentence sounds unintelligible without reading the lyrics once, but in general the spoken words are a neat breakdown-ish change-up. It's especially satisfying after the last line when things go BOOM right back into the beat like a natural extension of the verbal message.

Everything moves and breathes in this beefy upgrade of UNATCO. Looks like the barriers between the synths have fallen and they've become more by joining... with each other...

avatar
timaeus222
on 2014-10-06 19:16:58

I think the strong point here is how the melody, though applied in a straightforward way, is enhanced by the strong execution. There's a great sense of fullness and immersiveness to the soundscape, and the reharmonizations work really well. My main complaint is that the low-pitched vocoding is unclear. I wouldn't know what it said if there were no listed lyrics. :-P

Might sound a little washy in some audio systems, but other than that, the mixing seems fine overall.

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OverClocked PodCast
on 2014-10-06 19:07:25

Techno/cyberpunk is a hard sell for me, but I can't deny this smooth, layered craftsmanship. The robotic monologue was neat, but the aftermath felt kind of weak until the exciting finish. The whole ReMix has an effortless quality to it.

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Crulex
on 2014-10-04 12:27:17

Deus Ex lends itself so well to just getting that immersive feel that ReMixers can capitalize on, and that is what Paul has done here. The electronic beat works with the melody so well and I enjoyed this quite a bit. When it hits midway and the computer voice starts talking and giving those mechanical lines, that was pretty cool as well. A great touch for sure. Good mix.

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Flexstyle
on 2014-10-01 17:49:10

Oh hellz yes. If you've watched much OCR Talkback, you've heard me give love to Paul's stellar work on the Frozen Synapse many many times. Since I am also a fan of all the Deus Ex soundtracks, this hits all the exact right buttons.

SOMUCHLOVE. :nicework:

avatar
Liontamer
on 2014-09-30 01:06:20

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Deus Ex (Eidos , 2000, WIN)
Music by Alexander Brandon,Bryan Rudge,Dan Gardopée,Michiel van den Bos,Reeves Gabrels
Songs:
"UNATCO"

Tags (5)


Genre:
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Synth,Vocals: Voice Acting
Additional:
Lyrics > Lyrics: Original
Time > Duration: Long

File Information


Name:
Deus_Ex_Neonature_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
14,594,046 bytes
MD5:
675763855333ba6d1256a53d3204ce86
Bitrate:
319Kbps
Duration:
6:03

We have existed in isolation. Pure. Disconnected. Alone.

We are Daedalus. We are Icarus. The barriers between us have fallen and we have become our own shadows. We can be more if we join... with you.

We are our choices.

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