Posted 2018-06-11, evaluated by the judges panel


Super Castlevania IV & Latin jazz? Sign me up. Newcomer Mighty Bear 7 (David Bergeron), with some assistance from talented performers, takes us for a tasty night on the town with Simón Belmonte:

"The idea for this remix came from an arrangement I made for an ensemble that I play in (The Greedy Echoes). The original version combines edgy rock organ and busy drums with hot, funky rhythms. The way the composers create momentum by frequently pushing the beat is the same as the style of songo and can also be heard in other Latin styles. I attempted to make an arrangement that brought the feel of the piece back to its possible origin, and what may have inspired the original composers."

Interesting; never heard the original in this light, but I spose it makes sense, and either way, the genre adaptation works a treat, sounds lively, energetic, & fun, and features some bueno & auténtico performances. Intro's a bit mysterious and sets a darker stage, but a RAD TIMBALE LICK comes in and changes all that, establishing a rhythm that is then built on up to the drop at 0'41" - nice way to infuse atmosphere & drama. Jivemaster's vote covers almost everything I'd wanna say:

"The first 30 seconds contain some basic percussive and string elements, then we build up to a brass driven version of the main theme. Lots of changes throughout the mix, with various instruments taking turns at leading, as the others riff about. The change of pace at the mid point was short lived but worked well to allow things to build up again. The sax solo in the final third was unexpected. Mixing is clear and separated appropriately. While there could be a bit more compressive glue between the parts, I appreciate that the artist has instead sided with open clean dynamics. Although the source is delivered in a fairly straightforward manner here, there is a good level of variety between sections and instruments used, making the mix feel fresh for the majority of the way through. A solid original take on the original."

The sax did take me out of the genre feel a bit, with its sustained, steamier application, but I dug it regardless. As I mentioned with all my writeups for Vampire Variations III, SCIV holds a special place in my VGM heart. We don't see a ton of Latin arrangements, which is a damn shame, so I previously would have calculated the odds of hearing SCIV tackled in this style as relatively low; glad they've been beaten! Kudos to Mighty Bear 7 & his talented quartet for something unexpected, well-executed, fun, & "spicy"! I put "spicy" in "double quotes" because, like "urban," it's often used as a marketing euphemism for targeting certain demographics, but in this case I think it's appropriate. Great stuff, would love to hear more!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 3 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
Uffe von Lauterbach
on 2018-07-14 16:28:09

Simón Belmondo is sounds classy. Very cool remix, and the style definitely works here.

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evktalo
on 2018-06-17 09:16:36

The piece begins with ambient bendings very reminiscent of the of the original sound palette, which I love. The juxtaposition with the organic latin percussion that follows is strange and effective. Overall the idea behind the arrangement is sort of "obvious after the fact" - I'd never thought of this connection before, but it makes perfect sense. Great sound, great playing, and a very enjoyable arrangement. Great work from start to finish!

avatar
Liontamer
on 2018-06-11 11:18:48

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

Sources Arranged (2 Songs)


Primary Game:
Super Castlevania IV (Konami , 1991, SNES)
Music by Masanori Adachi,Taro Kudo
Songs:
"Prologue (Stage 1-1 BGM)"
"Simon Belmont's Theme (Stage 1-2 BGM)"

Tags (11)


Genre:
Jazz,Latin
Mood:
Chill,Energetic
Instrumentation:
Acoustic Guitar,Hand Drums,Saxophone,Violin
Additional:
Origin > Collaboration
Production > Live Instruments
Regional > Latin American

File Information


Name:
Super_Castlevania_4_Tema_de_Simon_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,048,579 bytes
MD5:
2d210e60ade5e57c75c30a925991c178
Bitrate:
243Kbps
Duration:
3:16

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