ReMix:Shovel Knight "Catch Me" 3:27

By RoeTaKa

Arranging the music of 2 songs...

"Main Theme", "The Requiem of Shield Knight"

Primary Game: Shovel Knight (Yacht Club Games , 2014, WIIU), music by Jake Kaufman, Manami Matsumae

Posted 2015-07-08, evaluated by the judges panel


Our first Shovel Knight ReMix! Took long enough! Don't worry, I have a strong feeling there'll be more :) Jake absolutely killed it on the soundtrack to Yacht Club Games' brilliant retro-platformer, with assistance from none other than Manami Matsumae... it's one of those games that lives up to & exceeds the hype, and the OST is a modern classic & a shining example of how throwback chiptune soundtracks can and should be done. RoeTaKa takes a break from the Dark Souls franchise to focus on knights of a decidedly 8-bittier & more humorous nature, with an arrangement that still reflects his newer aesthetic, lending a gorgeous, classical beauty to the source material, employing piano & strings:

"Shovel Knight was a pretty awesome game. I really enjoyed playing it. One of my favourite moments in the game is when you're sleeping after you beat a level and you dream about Shield Knight falling -- you have to catch her and this lovely music plays. Those little segments with that music together really nail why Shovel Knight is doing what he is doing. You instinctively feel the need to complete this objective whilst fighting off enemies and I just think it was an inspired part of the game that acts as a great metaphor to Shovel Knight's emotions. It didn't have to be there, but it was and I appreciate that. I think that is one of the reasons that made me love this song even more.

It was refreshing to arrange this, because I knew I wanted it to be somewhat simple. It's mostly just piano and violin, backed with some orchestral strings and later a harp for some extra texture and movement. The melody is what stuck with me the most and I wanted to focus on that. Some of the Shovel Knight theme is included as well in the beginning and the middle section too. I'm sure nobody expects a remix like this from Shovel Knight, haha. There is already a great arrangement album that released with the soundtrack and I'm really pleased how this arrangement turned out."

SK is on pretty much every platform imaginable, so if for some reason you haven't checked it out, there's no time like the present. In addition to getting all the core gameplay & aesthetic elements so very right, the attention to detail and the inclusion of numerous fun additions really makes it a true gamer's game. Much of the music is high-octane, energetic stuff that suits more aggressive genres, so I'm glad Alex has taken a completely different approach and made something that, while unexpected, still works and still illustrates the strength of the soundtrack. Be basically took the stark beauty and striking drama that he's been conjuring for his Dark Souls mixes and applied it to Shovel Knight, and it works. zykO concurs:

"WIN. oh sir, you win.

this arrangement is expressive and beautiful, a thoughtful departure from the original's hard hitting, grimy chip tone. it takes the strengths of the original (kaufman's impeccable part writing) and continues to buff that strength with eloquent strings on a bed of piano."

What he said. There's a minor hiss that some noticed but no one really minded; DarkeSword observes:

"Highly emotive, beautiful arrangement. I thought the violins were a little too exposed in the beginning but then I came to my senses. I hear the hiss too but it's not a dealbreaker. Really captures the love between Shovel and Shield. Fantastic."

RoeTaKa has staged one of the most impressive ReMixer comebacks ever, reinventing his sound and managing to marry quality with quantity. A lot of that has centered around a single franchise, but with this mix he branches out a big & proves that he can make things work with dramatically different source material. Whether it's Dark Souls, Shovel Knight, or whatever the future holds, these ReMixes are thoughtful, well-crafted, & emotive experiences. Bravo!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 9 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Chernabogue
on 2015-12-29 12:01:02

I already told Alex on Twitter I loved his remix, and I'll say it once again here. This remix is AWESOME, and perfectly captured the essence of the soundtrack and of the game. The instrumentation and samples are great, the production is top, and the emotion is real. Love it.

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Coaltergeist
on 2015-12-05 23:32:01

Yes, Shovel Knight! You really put a fantastic amount of emotion into what is easily the most emotional piece in the OST. I wanted to hear more of the main theme, but I feel that the little you used of it was still compelling.

OCR needs more Shovel Knight.

Can't say this enough. Virt is the wor...t.

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DimeTower
on 2015-09-28 00:54:30

Man, RoeTaKa has turned into one of those remixers that when a new remix drops, I hit 'Play' before I check out the game, song, or description. He is just crushing these emotive, powerful mixes over his last five or so submissions. For this one in particular, extra props for the feeling of the song on a long, slow, meaningful crescendo right to the end.

Fantastic!!

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Mirby
on 2015-08-27 14:53:15

God bless this soundtrack, and god bless RoeTaKa for making this fabulous remix of it. Just 3

OCR needs more Shovel Knight.

Agreed.

Time for the Tower of Fate Remix Gauntlet :P

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Anorax
on 2015-08-27 13:58:33

God bless this soundtrack, and god bless RoeTaKa for making this fabulous remix of it. Just 3

OCR needs more Shovel Knight.

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Crulex
on 2015-07-17 11:56:01

Shovel Knight became my favorite game of the last five years easily last year when it came out and I've haven't been able to get enough yet. Can't wait for Plague of Shadows to come out soon. As for this ReMix, fantastic and emotionally beautiful is all I can think of. Shield Knight's theme was always a heartfelt jerker when put into context of the story, and this brings out the best parts of that emotion. The solemn piano, the powerful strings, and the calls to the main theme make this a terrific mix. Everyone talking about making an album out of this track or wanting to hear even more ReMixers tackle this soundtrack, count me in that camp.

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FakeKraid
on 2015-07-14 19:48:46

Gonna be honest, this makes me *really* want a Shovel Knight remix album. That game had a fantastic soundtrack and I know what I'm going to be playing tonight.

EDIT: Seriously, does nobody want to know what XPRTNovice could do with "Spin Ye Bottle"? Nobody?

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Melbu Frahma
on 2015-07-08 16:51:42

It's a great rendition of what is - in my opinion, which is therefore likely wrong - the best track off the entire soundtrack; all of the emotion, the longing, of Shovel Knight is captured perfectly by the string-piano one-two punch. It's a hell of a great job, and a hell of a great Remix.

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Liontamer
on 2015-07-08 13:13:30

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

Sources Arranged (2 Songs)


Primary Game:
Shovel Knight (Yacht Club Games , 2014, WIIU)
Music by Jake Kaufman,Manami Matsumae
Songs:
"Main Theme"
"The Requiem of Shield Knight"

Tags (8)


Genre:
Classical
Mood:
Romantic,Sad
Instrumentation:
Harp,Piano,Strings,Violin
Additional:
Time > 4/4 Time Signature

File Information


Name:
Shovel_Knight_Catch_Me_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,665,245 bytes
MD5:
7c7bebf48a6092eb9ca32bf4a1193949
Bitrate:
215Kbps
Duration:
3:27

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