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Came across ocremix back in 03 as wrapping up my freshman year of college and first year in the military. Between ocremix and halo.bungie.org i was checking there everyday for new content with my newly acquired high-speed internet connection. Many a mix cd was made from the chrono trigger music i got here.

Really cool vibe on this one, and I would love to see this on the site. However, there are some problems that should be addressed first. The drums are very repetitive and bland, playing a simple pattern that rarely gives a fill at the end of phrases. Melodically there's some embellishments that are appreciated, but the second half of the song is pretty much identical to the first, except for some half time drums at the end (which was a cool way to change things up). But before you know it, the arrangement is over with a whimper. The change-up in feel was good, it just came too late when it was needing to be done sooner. The production is handled mostly well, with minor imbalances as pointed out by prophetik. I would love to see the arrangement varied up with more time taken to look at the percussion and other places variation could be applied (such as melody or overall structure). I would also like to see this back as I feel this one has potential and want to see it on the front page with some changes. NO (resubmit)

Hello, how are you? I'm new here, and I found this forum where they publish original songs, so I wanted to share with you one of the tracks I released this year, "Flashback". It is a song from the Synth Pop genre, with chiptune influences. I hope you like it. All the best!

Good news, everyone! https://williammichael.info/aocc/ The album is now uploaded to the site, please let me know if you encounter issues and I will attempt to fix them promptly.

Time to fire up that winter holidays spirit, make a snowman and hang a star atop the Christmas tree. 🎄☃️ Glad to help keep that OCR tradition alive and hoping folks will enjoy the heartwarming tunes. Cheers everyone! 🥂✨

Definitely a throwback vibe to earty 2000s trance, that's cool. The sound design choices are definitely a decision and that's both a good and bad thing. Good because you've nailed that specific vibe, but bad because it does sound generic too. No points lost for that, just wanted to point it out. Leads could benefit from some modulation or changing up. Onto the biggest issue I've noticed is the source usage. 0:29-0:43 and 0:51-1:20 are the only two spots where I can identify the source, and even those aren't direct carry-overs from the source. They are interpretive. Even with the breakdown, I'm not picking up on the source outside of those two spots. If you do go back to revisit this, you're going to really look carefully at how you use the sources and how you can make them more identifiable and dominant. There's also a couple places where the part writing sounds out of key that should be examined. Like prophetik mentioned, 2:11~ in the piano. During 2:25-2:50~ there is some clicks/popping from something, no idea what is causing it. Structurally, I feel the piece works overall. It takes us on a journey and tells a story. The ending however, does leave something to be desired as the ending loses steam after 3:53. I'm not saying it doesn't work, it's just not ideal. After all that it will probably sound like I hate this, but the opposite is true. It is an enjoyable throwback, but would need a reworking to get this over the bar. NO

Found this while going through an old hard drive in my browser cache. Wonder where some of these names are now... https://www.angelfire.com/ok2/mercenary7/2003_OCReMix_IRC.htm

So... a few days ago I released which happens to be my most complex VGM Remix album so far. 11 covers, remixes, arrangements or whatever of 11 (or 12 if we count some hidden track haha) different tunes from this amazing soundtrack. Musically this is pretty varied but always with metal as the main base. Featuring a lot of talented performers in all tracks, some of them also active in OCR. You can listen to or/and download the full album in Bandcamp (it's "free or name your price", so just put 0 as price. Or ask for a download code if you want to add to your Bandcamp collection) https://unknownpseudoartist.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-phantasia-a-metal-tribute-to-tales-of-phantasia Alternatively you can also listen to the full album in Youtube in a single static "video": Anyways, if you can find some time to listen that'd be nice There was a huge ammount of time, effort and passion poured into this thing and I thin it's worth it. I hope you like :)

Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2025 everyone! 🎄🎅🏽 Happy to see this tradition still going strong after 18 years and a big thank you for your efforts on this again TC ❤️

The album's done and up. GO GET IT!

Eighteen of these. Eighteen years. Holy shitballs, Batman! Another album is in the books. This year we have seven songs of various moods, genres and tempos, all set for everyone to listen to and as you get deep into the holiday spirit. While we wait for Dyne to update the site, I'll be hosting the zip file. Once he's done, I'll change the link here to go there. Make sense? Good. A big thanks to the remixers who joined up, and to Dyne for hosting these albums for yet another year. And on behalf of everyone involved, Merry Christmas! https://williammichael.info/aocc/

Thanks! Didn't see this until just now, but you cleared things up for me. I will say though that I don't typically accept friend requests/DMs on Discord from people I don't know IRL, simply because I don't really use it as social media and outside of the OCR server (which I'm mainly on to lurk and workshop whatever WIPs I end up finishing) I mainly use it to share memes and connect with friends (and friends of friends, etc). Hope that doesn't crimp your style at all.

Using specific stereo widths for instrument and direct signal tracks for more clarity and assertiveness in the mix and for a more impressive representation of panorama and spatiality in the soundtrack -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready for another round of text, visuals and audio samples to show how I've improved my mix? Well then, let's go. ... Recently, I finally got round to working on the remaining drum tracks in my almost finished Crisis Core - Final Fantasy 7 remix. In contrast to the previous drum kit reverb (one aux reverb send for all individual drum elements), I created separate aux reverb sends for each drum element so that I could finally process the reverb for all drum elements individually and place it more precisely in the panorama. I experimented a lot with this (including counter-panning the instrument and the corresponding aux reverb send), but in this specific case I came to the conclusion that the mix sounded best and most credible when I panned the reverb for the cymbals, snare and toms in a similar way to the individual drum components. I only made a small exception with the centered kick drum and panned its reverb a little more to the right side (approx. 5 dB more than on the left side - as usual, I panned the aux reverb send hard to the sides without involving the centre) in order to be able to balance the slightly leftward position of the snare and snare reverb with the reverb of the bass and its slightly rightward position in the mix a little better. That alone made it sound a little bit cleaner and kinda sorted. … But thanks to my curiosity and love of experimentation, I immediately pursued another question with the drums, namely whether I could achieve a further improvement in the mixing if I also reduced the stereo width of the drum elements in the direct signal even more or even set them to mono (and only used the reverb of the drum elements on the sides to give the respective drum element in the overall signal with reverb the spatial width in the mix) - similar to what I had already done with the bass in the previous audio samples in the last post. I had already reduced all the drum elements to a stereo width of around 50% for some time. In previous posts I've written about how the direct signal from the bass should only play in the centre of the mix if possible and can be widened through its reverb at the sides (and made into a clear, un-muddied stereo signal), while most drum elements come across fully well in the mix in their direct signals, if they are located somewhere between the sides (with the majority of the instruments and the aux reverb sends) and the centre of the mix (with the dry bass direct signal) - in case of doubt, it is better to move the dry drum signals a little more towards the centre than too far to the sides, because in the latter case the drum elements would lose a lot of their punch in the mix. Of course, you can also place all drum elements in the direct signal completely mono in the centre (this could be a consideration if the other instruments and signals are already playing very lively in the mix and are already making generous use of the stereo width). However, even with a well-designed stereo reverb for the individual drum elements, you won't be able to get much sum signal stereo width and a significant representation of spatiality for the respective drum element with its reverb in the mix in this case. … As I wrote earlier, I didn't notice any real sound improvements in the drum elements such as snare, toms and cymbals after I further reduced the stereo width of the respective direct signal without reverb, starting from an existing stereo width of approximately 50%, or even set it completely to mono. As a result, the spatial effect of these drum elements suffered rather than giving them noticeably more assertiveness in the mix. But the kick drum was a little different. During my experiments, I even came to the conclusion that the mix (in this particular soundtrack) is best enhanced if I set the kick drum in the direct signal to mono in the centre and achieve the spatial effect solely via the reverb of the kick drum on the sides. This gives you plenty of power and assertiveness in the centre of the mix and also provides really good clarity, a better fine resolution in the sound and a more finely staggered panorama with a more impressive spatiality in the mix. ... I'll demonstrate it for you in the following audio recording excerpts in a direct comparison between the previous version and the new version of the soundtrack. The old version is mainly defined by: - a kick drum with a stereo width of around 50% in the direct signal - remaining drum elements with a stereo width of around 50% in the direct signals - one single aux reverb send for all drum elements of the whole drum kit The new version is mainly defined by: - a kick drum set fully to mono within the center of the mix in the direct kick drum signal - remaining drum elements with a stereo width of around 50% in the direct signals (like in the old version) - 4 individual aux reverb sends for 4 different drum elements … So, let's start with the audio samples. 1) Comparison of the direct signals of the kick drums (kick drums without reverb) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Old version: Kick Drum Direct Signal - Old Version.mp3 For a kick drum, the sound seems pretty bold, stable and... ... dry like a huge sand desert. In the section with the metering devices on the picture down below you can see how the kick drum behaves in the stereo field: The vectorscope on the far left and the directional indicator to the right of the vectorscope show how much of the total stereo field is taken up by the kick drum - pretty much exactly as I set it, about 50% of the full stereo width. … New version: Kick Drum Direct Signal - New Version.mp3 Doesn't seem to sound so much differently compared to the old version of the kickdrum without the reverb. Maybe, with some decent studio headphones you can already hear the new kick drum sounds a little bit less blocky and more centered. Just the digital metering devices provide really good information about the considerable change in the signal of the new kick drum: Here you can see that the new kick drum is really in the centre of the mix as a mono signal, without making any effort to break out into the stereo field to the left or right. … Next, let's take a look and listen to how the two kick drum versions behave in combination with their reverb. 2) Comparison of the kick drums in combination with their aux reverb sends ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Old version: Kick Drum With Reverb - Old Version.mp3 Yeah, finally some reverb. Sounds a lot less dry, but I'm still thirsty. The digital metering devices don't show anything too exciting here, except that a medium-width direct signal merges with a really wide reverb signal and the two signals almost reach full stereo width as a sum signal: … New version: Kick Drum With Reverb - New Version.mp3 Well, now this sounds really wet, spacious but still clean and punchy. Could it be that the huge difference between the fully centered mono direct kick drum signal and its aux reverb send, which is fully panned to the sides, creates this crisp 'n' assertive kick drum sound and the imagination of this huge space? Because apart from changing the direct signal of the kick drum to a completely centred mono signal and a few minimal adjustments to the reverb signal in the stereo field, I haven't changed anything else here. The convolution reverb has the same settings in both versions, the EQ filters have almost the same settings, the proportion of the aux reverb sends that go into the dry signals is the same (-2dB in both versions). And the loudness meter also shows a similar loudness level, whereby the kick drum with reverb in the new version is displayed slightly quieter by 0.2 dB than the kick drum with reverb in the old version, but still sounds somehow more powerful and louder. The measuring instruments also show some quite interesting things here: You can clearly see here that the centred mono signal does not blend and blur so easily with the wide reverb signal. From the image, you could almost think that Odin's Gunge Lance attack is piercing a flabby Hungry (an enemy in Crisis Core and the Final Fantasy 7 universe). Perhaps in the end, this is exactly what gives the mix more audio definition and better clarity. … But let's listen to how the entire drum kit sounds with reverb in both versions. 3) Comparison of the whole drum kits with reverb ------------------------------------------------------------- Old version: Whole Drum Kit With Reverb - Old Version.mp3 Sounds really good, doesn't it? At least the coarseness of the slightly wider, somewhat blocky kick drum is not quite as noticeable here in the complete drum kit, because you are distracted a little more by the other drum elements and their reverb effects. … New version: Whole Drum Kit With Reverb - New Version.mp3 Well, that sounds like a really good delivery. Punchy, assertive drum sound that still impresses with a proper reverb ambience in a clear mix. I also like the fact that I panned the kick drum reverb slightly more to the right to balance out the reverb of the snare drum, which is panned slightly to the left like the snare drum, in the panorama of the mix. Apart from a little more clarity, this creates a really cool drum ambience. … But now the crucial question... How do both versions of kick drums and drum kits behave in the overall mix when all the other instruments are added? 4) Comparison of the old mix with the new mix --------------------------------------------------------- Old version: All Instruments With Reverb - Old Version.mp3 Sounds really good at first listen. Only when you listen more closely with good studio headphones do you perhaps realise that the kick drum intervenes in the mix in a somewhat cumbersome, dominant and conquering manner and takes up quite a lot of space in the mix, somewhat overshadowing or pushing aside other instruments such as the bass or even low-frequency areas of the harp. ... New version: All Instruments With Reverb - New Version.mp3 Sounds much better straight away. The kick drum comes through much more relaxed in the mix without overlaying the bass or robbing the harp of its stereo field or slightly displacing it from the stereo field. … And this is exactly what I wanted to emphasise and make clear with the experiences I made some time ago. Not every question about more clarity and assertiveness in the mix must, can and should always be answered or solved immediately with the use of an EQ or EQ filter plug-in. Sometimes it can be better to reduce the stereo width in the direct source signal of one or two instruments so that other instruments have more room to "breathe" or play in the freed up stereo field. Just make sure to not overdo it. So, don't tear any black holes in the stereo field so that the spatial coherence of the instruments and signals in the mix is preserved and the mix doesn't end up coming across like a solar system full of distant planets and some kind of dead silence in between. As a little bonus, I'll give you an insight into the latest remix version with a few recently composed bells (at least a small excerpt from it, so as not to reveal too many new features and highlights from the soon-to-be-released Crisis Core remix), which came to my mind after I got the strong feeling that the initial part of the continuously building mix could still get some smooth and gentle additional ambience: 5) New mix with bells -------------------------- All Instruments With Reverb And Bells - New Version.mp3 In the initial rough version, I recorded the bells with my MIDI keyboard, in a way that makes it easier to feel the sad certainty of the imminent death of the main character Zack Fair after his last heroic battle against the sheer endless Soldier forces from Shinra, which his girlfriend Aerith probably received via the life stream or by the voice of the planet. Depending on the culture, bells often symbolize death, mourning, but also resurrection, return, a new beginning, moments of peace, the element of air or harmony between the earthly and heavenly worlds. This fitted in really well with my plan to finally try out this really interesting "Vita Handchimes Bells and Glass" VSTi in my DAW Samplitude, after other instruments such as sansula, vibraphone, electric piano or pan flute, which were also under consideration, didn't quite meet my expectations in this context and were ultimately ruled out when it came to choosing the best possible instrument for this part. … Then there's probably only one major thing left to do - finalising the electric guitar part mentioned in the previous post and composing a third electric guitar track for this part. So far I'm on schedule, so my Crisis Core remix "Wings Of Freedom" could easily be finished by the end of the year. ))

I've been listening to video game music for a LONG time. Most everyone thought I was nuts. With games like the Streets of Rage games, back in the 90s, I would take a tape recorder, put it up to my little 13" tv, and record off the speaker. Even adding pillows around it to help muffle outside sounds. Then lower the volume on the tv for the fade out, and pause the recording. Then the next track. I did that for a ton of games. Then, once I got into video recording and editing years later, I would hook up the inputs from each system and record it directly to the camera I have. A Sony TRV-900, recording on to mini DV tapes. Still got it. From there, hook up the camera via firewire and record it all into Avid. Render out to a wav file and import into Soundforge, and edit it from there. Around early 2003, I wanted to record the SNES Star Fox soundtrack, but with no sound test, I was out of luck. Didn't have internet at the time, but when visiting my parents on vacation, since they had internet, I decided to see about the Star Fox soundtrack....but, I ended up finding OCremix instead....and changed everything. I realized, I already had some music from the site, but had just gotten it off Napster around 2000- 2002ish. Sadly, a lot of the tracks on Napster and similar sties didn't have the correct info for artist and such. Probably one of the first remixes I had, from Napster, was the Chrono trigger mix, "Winds of Time", which I now know is by Rimco. Also, not long after all this, I found SNES spc files, which were even better quality than all my direct recordings. So I spent even more time using Winamp to convert songs to wavs, and again edit in Soundforge. Eventually getting the NES and Sega files as well. So even though I have no musical talent to make music, I've sure spent thousands of hours recording and mixing all this game music for personal use. From CD, to ipods, to now using an MP3 player. I now have 2142 tracks from games, and know it could be a lot more still. And then of course all the remixes from here. House is now filled with artwork from games. A lot of Chrono Trigger, as thats one of my favorites. Also Final Fantasy 6, and working on a new piece that will go up by the logo, which I made earlier this year. Thanks for anyone that actually read all that. Just like to share all the nerdy stuff with any other nerds out there.

Less then 24 hours to go. Anyone who hasn't handed in their homework, check your PMs.

Treasure Master - World 4 The Forest Remix

I remember when a friend first asked me to remix a theme from Chrono Trigger that he liked. My first impulse was "nah man, c'mon, I write original music." Then I listened to the theme. I liked it. So I thought well, maybe this one time I'll remix this theme, ya know, for my friend. Then partway through development of that track I had this thought "hey I wonder if anyone else wants or listens to video game remixes, let me see what's out there..." and via Jake Kaufman actually I found out about OCRemix. I submitted my Chrono Trigger track, and whaddaya know... people liked it. So my brain started to go to what other video game themes did I really like that could use a little love. And then there was a Blaster Master submission. Then Final Fantasy IV. And then.......... it's a pretty long list at this point. :) Along the journey I've met several game composers in person, I've honored them by remixing tracks that they specifically requested, I've landed gigs doing original music for games... it's a bit trippy actually, I've played Guitar Hero with Gerard K. Marino, I've swam in Tommy Tallarico's pool, and I'm friends with the head honchos at Trilobyte Games (The 7th Guest). All thanks to what DJP set in motion and I happened to top into a long, long time ago. What a ride.

Hi Banana! That lead in the source is cursed. Detuned and awkward for sure - the tracks has a vibe, nonetheless! You've built a great intro and A section, though I'm wondering if there's a B section you could come up with for some variety. The vibe is right for what you've got built, it just structurally says everything it needs to say in the first minute and then loops for another 30 seconds with nothing different. The sub-bass information on the bass instrument also has some mud happening on some of the lower information. A different oscillator might be the right call for the lowest notes, but that's also a taste thing - if you are digging it, no reason to change it! Keep making cool stuff man! Have a wonderful holiday!

It's that time of year once again, where I bombard you with many, many rhymes. It's December 18, which means another "Twas" has arrived. So grab a drink, take a pee if you have to, and let's do this... Twas XXIII: Not So Good To The Last Drop by The Coop Twas the night before Christmas, and things were not well. The house was filled with Yukon Jack's familiar smell. Tara sat in her room without making a sound. She just sat on her bed and looked sadly around at the room she'd called home for the last eighteen years; her vision a bit blurred due to the building tears. A duffel bag filled with all the clothes she could put into it quickly, rested beside her right foot. As she sat quietly, she thought of how the day had started out just fine, yet ended up this way. She had gone to the mall with her old friend Sophie. They'd been walking about and acting so carefree after they'd had some lunch and went from store to store, looking at clothes, CDs, DVDs and much more. It was as they passed by where the mall's Santa was, that they saw how all the kids in line were abuzz with excitement as they waited for their turn to ask Santa for a present; maybe, even two. “Let's get in line,” Sophie said, a smile on her face. “Say what?” Tara chuckled. “We'd be so out of place “standing with those kids that are already in line.” “Oh come on,” Sophie laughed. “Let's go. It'll be fine.” With a sigh, Tara was soon being dragged along, as the mall echoed with that familiar old song of Rudolph the reindeer who had a bright red nose. “You hyped?” Sophie asked. Tara replied, “I suppose.” “That's the spirit,” Sophie grinned as she shook her head. The two of them then got into the line that lead to the wintry scene where Santa and an elf were. And the next half hour became something of a blur as the children's chattering continued non-stop and drowned out the noises from any nearby shop. Soon, Tara and Sophie were the next two in line. “Got your ideas?” Sophie asked. “Cuz I've got mine.” “You're way too into this,” Tara said with a smirk. Sophie stuck out her tongue with, “Don't wreck my fun, jerk.” They shared a laugh before Santa's elf came up to Sophie and asked flatly, “Seriously you two?” “Yep!” Sophie smiled. “I'm here to see Santa and see if he'll get your friends to make something nice for me.” The elf rolled his eyes with a muttered, “Fine. Let's go. Just please behave, huh? There are children here you know.” “I'm not that bad,” Sophie grinned. “Well, usually.” The elf let out a sigh with, “C'mon. Follow me.” Tara watched as Sophie went to Santa and sat across the man's lap and had a very short chat with him about how she'd been good most of the year and how all she wanted was to give him good cheer. She then kissed him on the cheek and smiled at the man, which made him smile warmly; as only a kiss can. She then got up and left and moved off to the side with a silly smile that she didn't try to hide. “Your turn,” the elf said as he neared where Tara stood. “I'll behave too,” she grinned. The elf replied, “That's good.” It wasn't long before she had reached Santa's chair, clearly feeling awkward as she was standing there. “Hello there young lady,” Santa smiled up at her. “Would I be out of line if I was to infer “that the woman I just spoke with came here with you? If I'm right, are you going to kiss my cheek too?” With a small chuckle and smile, “No,” Tara replied. With a smile of his own, “Then feel free to confide “in me what it is that you'd like to get this year.” When she gave no response, “Tell me, what's your name, dear?” “It's Tara,” she said as she continued to stand next to Santa's chair as he gently took her hand. “Well Tara,” he smiled, “what is it that you'd like to have created by my skilled and handy elf crew?” Tara said nothing at first, but her attention was quickly pulled away by the cries of someone. She looked around and saw a woman on one knee, next to a little girl who was looking sadly at the doll in her hands that was missing its head. It wasn't on the doll, but on the floor instead. The woman comforted the child as the girl cried, and held the young one until her tears did subside. The woman then picked up the doll's head before she held out a caring hand and got up from her knee. Holding the girl's hand, the two of them walked away, and Tara stood there without anything to say. Santa saw how Tara was lost in her own head. With some concern in his eyes, “Young lady?” he said. His voice pulled Tara back into reality. She looked at him and gave a quieted, “Sorry.” He could see in her eyes that her thoughts had gone to someplace unpleasant she didn't want to wade through. “You OK?” Santa asked. Tara nodded a bit and said, “Yeah, but I think it's best if I just split.” “Before you leave,” Santa said, “just tell me one thing. For Christmas, what is it that you'd like me to bring?” Tara stayed silent for a short time until she began to speak in a saddened voice quietly. “Bring me a new childhood where I'm not the one who has to play adult when I wasn't ready to. “Or maybe a redo for last year's Christmas day, when some people came to take my father away. “Or at least make it so I don't have to take care of someone who'd be found dead if I wasn't there.” Tara's face saddened as she closed her eyes and said, “But that won't happen, so that Christmas wish is dead.” With a disheartened frown, she took her hand away as her words left Santa unsure of what to say. Without another word, Tara rejoined her friend and their trip to the mall came to an abrupt end. Tara said bye to Sophie and then went back home. Once there, she found her mother had begun to roam around the house looking for some liquor to drink. And the sight of this made Tara's heart quickly sink. That was hours ago, and it made Tara decide that she had to get away and so chose to hide away in her room and pack up the things that she couldn't leave behind as she got ready to flee. And so now there she sat, waiting for when she could get away and leave it all behind her for good. Tara closed her eyes for a few moments until, the smell of that liquor hit and made her feel ill. She could hear her mother Pam, shut the bathroom door. The harsh sounds that came next, Tara tried to ignore. She heard her mother mumble incoherently, and then heard the woman vomit rather loudly. Tara grimaced at the sound; her eyes still closed tight. “C'mon Ray,” she uttered. “I wanna leave tonight.” As if she'd been heard, a pair of honks from outside brought relief to her face as “Oh, thank God,” she sighed. With a quieted quickness, she got to her feet and then snuck down the hall, trying to be discrete. She stepped from the house and gently shut the front door, while the first tears of the night looked ready to pour from her eyes as she made a beeline for the truck, whose passenger door was open so she could chuck her duffel bag in, which Tara did right away. And as she climbed in, she said, “Get me out of here, Ray.” “Sure,” the guy said as he put the truck into gear. “Let's go to my place and get the hell out of here.” The engine revved up and they drove into the night. It was then that Tara finally lost the fight with all the emotions that wanted out of her. Her tears at last fell and the world became a blur as she cried where she sat beside the person who she'd been dating for three years and who'd helped her through ev'rything she'd been forced to witness and endure. Through her tears, Tara said, “Thanks.” And Ray asked, “What for?” “For getting me out of that goddamned house,” she said. “For helping me not have to find my mother dead. “I know this was sudden, and I'm sorry for how you've been pulled into this.” Ray then said, “C'mon now. “You've gone through some shit, and now that shit's hit the fan. You're my girlfriend, and I'll help however I can.” She looked over at him; a sad smile on her face. “So just relax,” he said. “Soon, we'll be at my place.” Back in her mother's house that Tara had just left, the whole place seemed empty and was oddly bereft of any of the sounds that had been there before. It took a few minutes, but soon the bathroom door opened up slowly and out staggered Tara's mom; her hair all messed up, like it had endured a bomb. Pam looked rather drained as she stepped into the hall, her words slurred a little as “Tara?” she did call. When she got no answer, she went to Tara's door. “Tara?” she repeated, her word slurred a bit more. She pushed the door open with, “Tara, I need more Yukon 'cuz I'm out. Will you get some from the store?” It took a few seconds, but she soon noticed there was no sign of Tara in the room anywhere. “Tara?” she called again and when no reply came, “I really not in the mood for this stupid game.” But all that she heard was the silence of her home. It was shortly after that, she'd begun to roam as she tried to find where Tara was in the place. As she did this, anger quickly came to her face. “Goddamn it,” she slurred with a slight shake of her head. She returned to Tara's room and there on the bed sat a folded piece of paper she hadn't seen. Pam went up to the bed of her now missing teen. Pam picked up the paper and opened it to find it was a written note Tara had left behind. “Mom,” it began, “I've decided to move away. Way too much has happened and I just cannot stay “in the house with you anymore, so I've moved in with someone I can trust. Why? Where do I begin? “I was eight when I looked after both you and Dad for the first time after that ev'ning you both had. “My birthday party had just ended when you two chose to get completely trashed by burning right through “all the liquor you had in the house at that time. Someone puked on the floor, and left behind that slime. “I came out and saw it, while you both were in bed. Did I go back to sleep? No. What I did instead “was clean up that mess and keep watch over you two in case someone choked on any vomit that they'd spew. “The next day, you saw the stain and blamed me for what one of you had done during the night before. “From that moment on, you both made me feel like I had to keep watch on you both so you wouldn't die. “Year after year I tried to deal with all that crap, hoping that maybe reality would just slap “you both upside the head and show you that your kid wasn't your damn caretaker. But it never did. “I tried to talk to you both. Dear God, how I tried. But you'd both just dismiss it, and I always cried “when I went to bed those nights, feeling like your maid. For years I put up with the bullshit you displayed “for me that showed how all you both wanted to do was stay shit-faced all the time. That's what I went through “week in and week out until last Christmas Eve night. Dad passed out in his chair, and death snuffed out his light. “He'd been drinking Yukon Jack, and he drank too much. He poisoned himself with his fav'rite liquor crutch. “He died during that night and I spent Christmas day watching the coroner take my father away. “And now here we are, Mom, in the same fucking place. You're still shoving that Yukon Jack shit in your face. “I can't take anymore, so I'm leaving today. I've been put through too much and I refuse to stay. “If you want to keep drinking, then go right ahead. But someone else can be the one to find you dead “in that chair the same way that I found Dad last year. For my own sanity, I have to disappear. “So know that I'm safe, but I won't be coming back. I hope that one day, you'll leave behind Yukon Jack. “I pray someday you'll see what that shit's done to you, before it gets to the point where it takes you too.” Pam's expression went from confusion to sadness, despite just how hard she tried her best to repress the emotions within her that tried to break free. “This can't be right,” she slurred. “Did my daughter leave me?” But those feelings soon faded, and what took their place was anger as a sneer quickly came to her face. “You turn your back on me?” Pam muttered as she threw the letter onto the bed. “Well then, fuck you too.” She stormed down the hallway and stumbled just a bit as she went to her bedroom and dug through the shit that cluttered up her purse until she found her keys. Into the cold night she went, then fell to her knees as she felt her stomach churn right before she blew out her stomach's contents, along with some blood too. She puked a second time as the world seemed to spin. She swayed in place slightly as puke dripped from her chin. It took a solid minute for her to regain her equilibrium, which she tried to maintain as she looked at the mess that she'd made on the ground and how her blood was mixed in. After which, she frowned. “That's not good,” she muttered as she took in the sight. “Maybe a liquor run's not in the cards tonight.” She spat a couple times, then got back to her feet and went to her mailbox that stood along the street. Her mail was collected, and she went back inside; her ire still in place, which she didn't try to hide. She went back to her chair and sat down in a huff before she began to dig through all of the stuff that the mailman had brought her earlier that day. And she did this without a single thing to say. The mail was mostly fliers for sales here and there. Each one selling things, about which, she didn't care. Electronics and shoes, and some gunk for her skin. But as she went through them, things began to sink in. “Hurry!” said one flier. “It's your last chance to save!” Another stated, “Get back what you really crave!” She paused for a moment. Her brow furrowed a bit. She seemed distracted as she continued to sit with the mail on her hands 'till at last she put down what she was holding as she continued to frown. “There must be something on,” she mumbled to no one. She turned on the TV and soon she had begun to flip through the channels 'till she found something to distract her from her thoughts with a, “Guess this will do.” The screen was filled with a well known stop-motion tale; one she hoped would be able to fully derail her unpleasant thoughts that had given her some pause. And so she watched “The Year Without A Santa Claus.” It was on the scene where Mrs. Claus had a chat with Mother Nature and her odd bird's-nest hat. Heat Miser showed up, then Snow Miser did appear, and both got a stern lecture from their “Mother Dear.” As she watched the show, what she had drank took its toll. Her eyelids grew heavy and soon began to stroll downward until, at last, she had closed her eyes and left the waking world as she entered the dreamland. It wasn't long before she awoke and was met by a scene she'd seen on her television set. All around her, things didn't look right to her eyes. It was like they were toys, but blown way up in size. Buildings with thatched roofs, mud walls with embedded stone, but they didn't look like anything she'd been shown at any point in her life, in books or nature. Even supposed wood didn't look right to her. What should have been straw, looked more like big grouped tubes now. The mud walls looked more like paper mache somehow. What were supposed to be stones, were flat bits of wood. Even the ground and trees didn't look as they should. Nearby stood a table with a chair that seemed odd. She went up and touched them, then uttered, “Oh my God!” as she felt how little the two things seemed to weigh. What looked like heavy, thick wood, seemed to betray reality as she asked, her voice holding fear, “Where in God's name am I? And what's going on here?” She looked around again with, “This is a dream, right?” “Not really,” came a man's voice. “It's no dream tonight.” Movement came from the strange cabin that Pam stood near. Its front door swung open and Santa did appear. The pants, coat and hat he wore were red with white trim. They looked like thick felt with how stiff they were on him. A black plastic-like belt went around his belly. His black boots were plastic too, from what she could see. His face was like polished wood which had a beard glued to it as his entire appearance did exude the idea he was someone's over-sized toy. And the sight of him nearing didn't bring her joy. The scene clearly freaked her out as he came outside; a fact that she didn't make an effort to hide. Santa drew closer with each jerky step he took; with movements that gave him a near stop-motion look. Pam watched him come toward her with a stare that was filled with confusion and fear, which continued to build. It took a few seconds, but when her brain kicked in, a memory came to her from when she had been in her chair as she watched a stop-motion kid's show. And this memory helped make her confusion grow. Her gaze fell as ev'rything poked hard at her mind and she uttered, “This is a nightmare of some kind.” “Yes and no,” Santa said. “You're not awake right now, but we're both very real.” Too which Pam asked, “But how?” She returned her gaze to the fat man who grew near. “What's going on Goddamn it, and why am I here? “Why does ev'rything look like that show on TV?” When Santa said nothing, “Goddammit, answer me!” Santa's stop-motion gate soon brought him up to her. He said, “Excuse me as I get changed, as it were.” With a snap of his fingers, ev'rything went dark. Then a second snap came and there was a bright spark that burst into being and which hung in the air as its body gently shimmered while Pam stood there with surprise on her face and some fear in her eyes. After a few moments, the orb began to rise and move slowly toward her 'till it was overhead. With alarm in her voice, “I don't like this,” she said. “You've got nothing to fear, Pam,” came Santa's voice from the darkness before her. “But I'd like you to come over to me so that we can have a short talk.” “About?” she asked nervously. He said, “Please, just walk toward the sound of my voice. I promise you'll be fine.” With little steps, Pam cautiously walked a straight line. As she moved forward, the orb of light did the same and lit a small patch of ground, which for Pam, became the only place she felt safe to put her feet on. For outside of that light, the world was simply gone. No color, no movement, just a void; dark and deep. But steadily forward, Pam continued to creep. Just up ahead of her, fading into the light, was someone who was a rather familiar sight. Santa had begun to come slowly into view. But the man no longer looked like what he used to. Gone was the man that looked like an over-sized doll. He now looked human; with a big belly and all the red, white and black attire that one would expect of the one called St. Nick. And this change did affect Pam as she backed off a couple of steps from him. “Oh God, now what?” she asked, her tone fearful and grim. “It's alright,” Santa said, holding out his right hand. “There's something important we should talk about and look at together for a few minutes my dear.” He brought his hand up more and asked, “Will you come here?” “I um...” Pam uttered as hers eye darted between Santa and the darkness where nothing could be seen. “You're safe with me, Pam,” he said in a calming voice. “I wish you'd walk with me, but you do have a choice. “If you'd like, I could send you back to your old chair so you can continue sleeping as you sit there. “Or, you can come with me so that you can see how someone you know is in a lot of pain right now.” With some hesitation, Pam went up to St. Nick. As she held out her hand, “This best not be a trick.” “It's not,” Santa said as he took her hand in his. “A chance to help someone, is what this moment is.” A single image faded in ahead of her; it was fuzzy and looked like a colorful blur. But as it came closer, the image began to get clearer and more defined the closer it drew. It soon came to a stop a dozen feet away. Pam looked at the image, unsure of what to say. The picture was of a girl who looked eight years old. She was on her knees and was clearly being told to clean up the dark blotch that a rug had on it. The girl looked upset, like she'd been crying a bit, and her eyes were fixed on the woman who stood there in a bathrobe and slippers with tangled up hair. The woman was holding a scrubbing brush out to the girl and pointing at the spot in question too. “I've seen this,” Pam uttered and continued to stare at the photo before her that hung in the air. “That's you and Tara,” Santa factually said. “Taken not long after you'd gotten out of bed “and found a stain that you quickly blamed Tara for. A mess that your husband had made the night before.” “Excuse me?” Pam blurted out. “That's complete bullshit. She had spilled something there and I made her clean it.” “Do you recall the night before?” Santa asked her. Sounding vexed, she replied, “No, I don't remember. “And why would that matter? I told you what she did.” Santa replied calmly, “Let's see what your mind hid “away in a corner over the last decade.” After a moment, the photo began to fade as it was replaced by a movie of some kind; one that stirred up something in the back of her mind. It was like ev'rything was seen through someone's eyes, and this left Pam confused as she struggled to size up what was happening in the scene that played out. But when she heard someone speak, it left little doubt regarding who was involved in what she did watch. She heard a man say, “Oh yeah, this shit is top notch.” “Dale?” Pam faintly said as she continued to stare at the video-like scene that hung in mid-air. Pam then heard her own voice say, “That is very true.” The view then swung over to reveal the man who had spoken, which made Pam's jaw go a little slack. “Dale,” she uttered before he said, “Give me that back.” In the scene, a hand came from below into view. It held out a bottle, and the man said, “Thank you.” Pam watched as he took a big swig of Yukon Jack. And after he had finished, he handed it back. “Thank you my good woman,” the man drunkenly smiled just before he leaned forward and grossly defiled the rug on the floor that was laid before his chair. Then came Pam's voice, “You're done, Dale. Just leave that mess there. “I'll clean that tomorrow, assuming it comes clean,” she said as the view stayed on the large pea soup green stain that he'd just made on the rug between his feet. Pam watched the scene fade as Dale got up from his seat. “The picture I showed you first,” Santa said softly, “was taken by Dale after you initially “had yelled at Tara for the mess she didn't make. She told you the truth, but you called her story fake. “Tara had come out after you two went to bed. Where you had left the mess, Tara chose to instead “try to clean it up before you and Dale awoke. The next morning, you both berated her and spoke “to her like she'd been the one to do something wrong. From there, your eight-year old daughter endured a long “and hard road where she tried to take care of you two so that she wouldn't get blamed for what you'd both do “when you got too drunk and left messes or passed out. And year after year, that's what her life was about.” As Pam stood there, more of such scenes began to fade in from the darkness around her until they'd made a patchwork dome of moments that played around her. As she took them all in, unease began to stir within her as she saw things she couldn't recall. But her voice and husband were present in them all. And then there were the ones where Tara was present. Where the girl got yelled at or wound up being sent to get this or that bottle as her parents drank. Pam's emotions began to churn and her heart sank at how Tara had gone from a happy young child, to a sad and despondent teen who never smiled in any of the scenes that showed her older face. Santa saw this clearly, but he remained in place as he watched Pam become overwhelmed by the sight of what Tara had endured for night after night and day after day for those ten very long years. When Santa at last spoke, Pam started shedding tears. “Tara cleaned up what both you and Dale left behind. The bottles, the vomit, anything she would find. “And on top of that, you know what else she would do? She would spend time each night checking up on you two “to make sure that you both would wake up the next day. That in your sleep, neither of you would pass away “because you choked on anything you'd bring up when you were asleep. She did this again and again “each year without fail. And all she got in return, was your letting the bridge between you and her burn. “And now Tara's left because you wouldn't see how your actions affected her... both back then, and now.” Pam averted her gaze as stood quietly. In time, she asked sadly, “She's gone because of me?” “She is,” Santa replied. “But Dale played a role too. And what happens next, is completely up to you. “You can keep going down the same road you've been on, or you can try to fix things before Tara's gone.” “She's already left,” Pam said in a quiet voice, to which Santa replied, “As I said, it's your choice. “She left you behind, yes, but she's not gone for good. I don't know where she is, but I think that you should.” “What?” Pam said with confusion as she looked at him. “How could I know?” she added, her tone rather grim. “Who would Tara trust?” he asked. “Who would she turn to? I don't have that answer, but I'm guessing you do.” Without another word, Santa brought up a hand. He snapped his fingers, and Pam left the crazy land of darkness and her past as she found her mind hurled back into her chair at home and the waking world. She opened her eyes as she sat up in her chair. And with a puzzled gaze, she quietly sat there for a few minutes before she got to her feet. In her bedroom, she got dressed and then took a seat on the edge of the bed as she put on her shoes. She then went through her home and picked up any booze she was able to find and dumped it in the sink. Once she was done, she said, “That's all of it, I think.” She then put on her coat and went out the front door, only to return and rush to her dresser drawer where she had always kept her purse and her car keys. She mumbled to herself, “Damn near left without these,” as she grabbed those things and went right back out again. She started up her car and shortly after then, she was out on the streets and stopped at ev'ryplace she could think of to check, with worry on her face. With her phone in hand, she went down her contact list of Tara's friends' numbers, making sure none were missed. Pam called a few from her car that she didn't know where they lived. The others? To their homes she did go. At each one, she talked to her daughter's friends as she did her best to locate where her daughter could be. Two had simply told her that Tara wasn't there, while three others gave suggestions regarding where Tara might have gone and to give those spots a try. But Tara wasn't at any place Pam stopped by. By the time Pam returned to her home, it was late, and she felt like she had some unbearable weight that pressed hard on her mind and heart as she sat down in her old chair with a deep and despondent frown. Tara's friends were a bust, and their suggestions too. With tears in her eyes, Pam said, “Tara, where are you?” She dug out her phone and scrolled through her contact list once more to see if there was someone that she'd missed. Numbers and names went by until she reached the last one that had no name with it. “Who's this one?” she asked. She tapped on the contact with a questioning stare. She brought the phone up to her ear, under her hair. The phone rang sev'ral times before someone answered. “Hello?” a man said, but the next thing that she heard was the voice of a woman in the background who asked “Who is it?” and he replied, “I've got no clue.” Pam's eyes grew wider when she heard the woman's voice. She then began to smile in a silent rejoice. “Who is this?” the man asked. Then in a more forceful voice, “You best answer me. I'm not up for some bull-” “You don't know me,” Pam cut in with a pleading tone, “but I'd like you to put my daughter on the phone.” With ire, the man asked, “Who gave my number to you?” “I don't know,” Pam replied. “I was just scrolling through “the contacts on my phone and it was the last one.” “I know who you are,” he spat. “This chat's fucking done.” “DAMN IT WAIT, PLEASE!” Pam yelled. “Please don't hang up the phone! Just let me talk to her, then I'll leave her alone “if that's what she wants. But I need to tell her things and hear what she says... even if what she says stings.” The phone line went quiet. Long enough to scare Pam, before she heard Tara say, “Well Mom, here I am.” “I'm so sorry,” Pam said as her voice cracked a bit. “I know I fucked up. I'm sorry for all of it.” “You're sorry?” Tara said in a near laugh. “Really? That's all you can say after all you did to me? “All the shit that I saw? All the shit I went through? Everything I endured because of Dad and you?! “All the sleep I lost and the times I cried in bed, afraid that I'd wake up and find both of you dead “because of that fucking shit the two of you drank! All I did to help! But all you both did was spank “me and yell at me for the messes you two made! I put up with that shit for a fucking decade!” Pam could hear the pain in Tara's voice before she said, “I know,” in a soft tone. “I know you hate me “and I don't blame you after all that you've been through. All you've seen and heard, and all the punishment too. “But I need you to come home so that we can talk.” “Like I'd ever do that,” Pam heard her daughter balk. “Tara, please,” Pam begged. “I'm asking you to give me a chance to make things right. I swear I will. You'll see. “All the booze in the house has been dumped in the sink, and I'll clean the place up so that it doesn't stink “like an old woman's farts or liquor anymore.” Pam teared up a bit and her throat tightened before she continued with, “Please, just give me a chance to do whatever I need to make it up to you.” For what felt like hours, silence had filled the line. Pam had grown worried when Tara gave a curt, “Fine. See you in the morning,” and hung up afterward. From there, half of the night for Pam became a blurred stretch of frantic actions as she cleaned up the place with a stern look of purpose etched onto her face. By the time four AM finally came to pass, Pam flopped onto her chair as she held a tall glass of water, which she then made quickly disappear. “I forgot how much shit Dale and I had in here,” she grumbled as she sat back while doing her best to catch her breath while she relaxed and tried to rest. She set the glass onto the small table between her chair and Dale's as she sighed, “Got this damn place clean.” She rested her head back and closed her eyes as well. And into an exhausted sleep she quickly fell. The next thing she knew, she was opening her eyes. Sunlight now filled the room, which caught her by surprise. With a groan, she sat up, with, “How long was I out?” She checked her phone's time and let out a panicked shout. “OH SHIT!” she blurted as she stood from her old chair. She ran to the bathroom to pee and brush her hair. Once she had finished, she went back to her seat where an envelope rested on the small table there. “What the...?” she mumbled as picked up what she'd found. The front said “For Pam,” and when she turned it around, the back had no writing and looked to be sealed shut. “Who's this from?” she asked no one as she sat her butt right back down on her chair and took the letter out to see who it was from and what it was about. “Pam,” the letter started. “I hope you're doing well. I have something to share. Something that I should tell “you before you begin to spend this Christmas day with the young, heartbroken woman who's on her way. “What you saw earlier was not quite all that you and your departed husband put your daughter through. “What she endured, left a lot of scars in her mind. So I'm hoping when she gets there, that you will find “the patience and time to let her speak about how much she suffered from when she was eight, until now. “Take this chance to build up what those years took away. Show your daughter how badly you want her to stay “in your life, and that you won't hurt her anymore. Take care of yourself, Pam. Now go answer the door.” A few solid knocks at the door brought Pam to turn her attention to it as a bit of concern built up in her gaze. She set the letter down and was hit with a bright flash just as it left her hand. She then shielded her eyes as the flash came and went. Afterward, she saw that the letter she'd been sent was nowhere to be found. It was just simply gone. She looked confused as she asked, “The hell's going on?” A second knock on the door pulled Pam from her chair. She then pulled open the door to see who was there. The first thing she felt was the cold breeze and chilled air. Then she saw who was giving her an icy stare. Pam stood in place, a bit stunned, despite that she'd known Tara said she'd come by when they'd talked on the phone. “You came,” Pam uttered as she looked at her daughter. But Pam's gaze soon shifted to someone behind her. With Tara was a man Pam had not seen before. Her eyes stayed on him for just a few moments more before Tara spoke up and got Pam's attention. “I'm here,” Tara said coldly. “Let's just get this done.” A sad gaze came to Pam's face as she saw the way Tara's harsh glare told how she didn't want to stay. Pam's sadness soon won out and she began to cry. “Do you hate me?” she wept. Tara gave no reply. “I'm so sorry,” Pam said as tears ran from her eyes. “For all that I did and said that made you despise “your father and I the way that you do right now. I want to fix this, but I... I'm not sure just how.” From there, Pam took Tara into her arms as she continued to cry almost uncontrollably. Tara said nothing as Ray watched with some concern. But in time, Tara held her mother in return. “We've got a lot to discuss,” Tara stated in a tone that wasn't quite as cold as it had been. It took a short time, but Pam soon let Tara go. “Who is he?” Pam asked. “Is he someone I should know?” “He's my boyfriend,” Tara said. “who you've never met.” Pam looked just about as surprised as she could get. “You've been dating?” Pam asked. “For a year,” Tara said. “Since a few weeks before I found my father dead.” Ray chimed in with, “And I know just what she's been through. I'm here so that she won't be left alone with you.” With some anger in her stare, Pam looked right at Ray. “You're calling me a threat to her? How dare you say-” “I'm not saying that,” Ray cut in with a firm tone. “She's been through hell, and didn't want to be alone “here with you while you both talked all of this over. So that's why I've come along, Pam. To support her.” “This is a family matter,” Pam said sternly. “It doesn't involve you, Ray. Just Tara and me.” Tara stated, “He stays and sits in with us, or, I walk away and don't speak to you anymore.” Pam looked annoyed, but sighed with a, “Just come in, please. It's chilly out here, especially with the breeze.” Tara and Ray came in and Pam shut the front door. From there, they all took a seat and began to pour over the last ten years and what Tara went through. The stress, the sadness and the intrusive thoughts too. Many things were shared as Pam and Tara conversed, while Ray simply listened to them talking at first. But in time, he too spoke up ev'ry now and then to say what he'd helped Tara get through each time when she'd go to him so that she could get away from her mom when she was drunk on cheap whiskey or rum. Pam also shared what she'd been through with Dale's demise. The loneliness, loss, and how she came to despise having Dale gone and how Tara avoided her. But now Pam knew how she'd pushed away her daughter. Why Tara had felt like she had to find a way out; to stay away from her mother, who'd curse and shout about things that she did and then blamed Tara for, until Tara just couldn't take it anymore. As they continued to talk time slowly went by. Much stood between them, but Pam and Tara did try to talk without shouting or slinging insults, but it wasn't always easy considering what had gone on for so long over the last ten years. This lead to flared tempers, short breaks and some shed tears. The road ahead seemed daunting for Tara and Pam. With so much to discuss, it was too much to cram into one morning's talk. In time, each knew that they needed some time to think, and so called it a day. What lay ahead for them as a mother and child? Could what pushed them apart ever be reconciled? Who could say for certain, but one thing was quite clear; despite all they'd spoken of they were nowhere near resolving their issues. But at least there was hope. Perhaps they could mend things as they learned how to cope with all the pain-filled times the two had talked about. A long road lay ahead. Of that, there was no doubt. And as their dark past now saw it's first bits of light, Merry Christmas to all. And to all, a good night.

Updated the link: https://discord.gg/CtJ2a8kjRy

@The Coop I personally don't see why not! I would say reach out to me on Discord so we can discuss this a bit further there! : ) @NarnianWarrior Totally understandable! The main thing is that the "Credits" related source is a majority of the track heard in the final product (65% to 75%). It can be less if the 2nd song is also a credits theme, though! I'll reach out to you on Discord to discuss it in a bit more detail ✨

That's pretty incredible it's been a quarter century already. I remember kinda finding OCR by accident. It was... "wow, people take well known game music, and, like, put their own spin on it? That's amazing!"

A huge milestone. Congrats to everyone who is involved with this.

Like I said in the Discord server, I'm potentially interested! One question: are you cool with me incorporating musical ideas from other VGM tracks that aren't credits themes? The track I plan to remix is quite short and doesn't have much to work with, so I may end up using a theme or two from other tracks in the same OST that would go well with it. I could easily get away with not doing this, so don't worry about saying no if it would compromise your vision.

Not sure if my work would qualify in terms of clearing the OCR bar as it were, but I'm interested in this. Hell, I just did a credits remix for the upcoming An OverClocked Christmas album that comes out in a few days (and it ticks off all of the boxes for this project).