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DFW our project director is in the direct path of Hurricane Florence, although thankfully he does not live on the coast. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.. Rot and I are very worried for his safety and the preservation of his property. DFW has put a gargantuan amount of hours into this along with the rest of us, and I've seen his incredible family on Skype during our chats and joking around. They are in dire need of protection at this time. Please be safe DFW, and return with everything intact.. we're all thinking of you.

Well, I still try to ReMix... not as much anymore, but not because I lost interest. I'm in grad school, 3rd year, so by that time I just have a lot on my plate. (Officially a Ph.D. candidate starting May.) I finished 1 recently, which I think I started in May, combining Chrono Cross and Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon, and I still found a lot of enjoyment in the process of doing it. I don't have all my supplies with me in WSU, but it forces me to be more particular about harmonic and melodic cooperation instead of production and sound design, and instead I fix up the production on holiday breaks and such. Either way, I still ReMix, it's still as fun as it used to be, and I do so BECAUSE it's fun, not because I feel any obligation to do so.

i've never crafted a videogame arrangement that wasn't also an "original" sure, fans of my videogame work don't typically enjoy my other original material... but fans of that stuff don't typically enjoy my videogame work, neither. also, i like music?

I started to gain a following because of my Dark Souls remixes. It wasn't just because people liked the music from the games and therefore were specifically only interested because I remixed the music, it's because the games developed a community which shared a love for the game in all its aspects. And that community was very grateful that I wanted to keep remixing the music in ways that weren't just musically appealing but also made them engage with the love of the games. Did I ever get as much attention from that same audience for my other remixes and original music? For the most part no, but it very much felt like my audience because of the appreciation I was given for contributing to a series we all enjoyed. I'm part of that audience too so I completely understand that. I also understand that I was lucky to be part of a very dedicated and positive community. Music is a tricky medium to get a dedicated following especially if you don't play live or gig around and stuff. Remixing and covers are really good ways to get attention from existing audiences. The difference between the two for me is that the cover is usually a faithful version of the original where as a remix can be a heightened experience with artistic influence. So of course people who want to see a cover or cover band don't want anything else from that, with remixing you can at least draw an audience based on your style that you inject into the song. Pretty much everything is about doing something that gets the attention of existing audiences. Usually music needs to be a part of something for people to take interest these days. People's love for video game soundtracks for the most part are for the love of the game and what the music brought to that, I'm sure there are several composers we think are great from games and indies that wouldn't get a lick of notice if wasn't for the game.

Matchups are up for Round 5. Music for Round 4 later.

Congrats, man!

Yes, legally and commercially you don’t own it. Creatively, I will assume you did pour a lot of heart and soul into it, as ad.mixx describes above. To me, that matters most. Also, like I said earlier, I am not a pro (ie. don’t earn money with it), it’s just a hobby and it doesn’t make to have money and I don’t have to sell it. I’ve found that the pro/commercial perspective changes the whole outlook on things severely. If it’s just a hobby, you can get away with just doing what you feel like (within legal limits of course), simply because enjoyment is the primary concern, rather than the financial/legal aspect where it’s more like a job and less about enjoyment and self fullfillment.

I forgot to vote. Thanks for the reminder! And it's nice to see some new blood around here!

Just landed a new job, also very recently had a kid, so over the last 2 years i've been out of the picture pretty much entirely. That being said, over the last 2 or 3 months, I've started working on a Mario Odyssey Remix Album. You can find a preview of the first track here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DOGSue11MIU8zOX4nNVpEDMj9sdouTt3 It's the first thing I've written in at least a few years.

Only one vote so far, so I'll extend the voting stage till Friday.

I don't remix anymore because I draw cats. I'm sure I have a room in hell waiting for me. In all seriousness, I agree more or less with the OP regarding remixes. I haven't made one since 2004 (wow has it been that long?). However, I did end up getting my degree in music and met a lot of great people in the community because of it. I actually found a place to live in Boston because of Vig (Jesse) when I went to school which certainly changed my life forever. YAY OCR!

This topic further adds evidence to my theory that OCR folks from across the epochs and such really do keep visiting OCR, they just keep lurking for whatever reason until a topic like this shows up.

1) Classic games? - Check! 2) Classic sources? - Check! 3) timaeus222? - Check! 4) Brilliant arrangement? - Check! 5) Orchestral music with a touch of agressive electronica? - Check! Wow, it looks like I don't think I can find anything to dislike here at all! Wonderful job as always, tim!

Creativity starts with an idea in your head, then you work it out and manefest it in reality. It’s fun to think of how different compositions will sound in different styles. It’s no less creative than coming up with melodies and rhythms. Just a different expression of creativity. If you make a door and then carve a unique design on the door no one would think that wasn’t creative and unique to you. But you didn’t come up with the idea of a “door” on your own, you just remixed it.

These reasons may seem true for you personally, but I disagree strongly with both as generalizations, and they certainly aren't true for me. They're also both kinda-sorta saying the same thing, re: ownership and that being the primary sticking point, creatively speaking. My more-than-two-cents: I think of my mixes as my own AND as collaborations with the original composer's ideas. I don't think it has to be one or the other. I actually tend to think of ALL artistic creation as a collaboration of sorts, even the most personal works, so it all lays on a spectrum... not a Boolean. So this is a false dichotomy, to me at least. I've heard hundreds of arrangements that brought original ideas to the table, relative to the source in question; a musical work's status as an arrangement carries SOME obligation to reuse ideas, motifs, etc., but within that framework artists can be quite creative, as we've seen over two decades, and outside of that framework, making something original, artists can still be quite derivative. So again, the premise seems weird to me, too much hinged on some notion of personal ownership being the end-all be-all & offering a stamp of great meaning & significance. My answer is that I still do it, primarily because there are still plenty of melodies out there that I want to hear a certain way, that I can bring something to, and make something of worth that I enjoy and that others might enjoy as well.

DJPretzel turned in his track ahead of schedule! Yes!!! And it is pretty damn amazing! Also, for those who have been keeping track of the track listing, do you SEE all that bold green?! We are looking at the light of the end of the tunnel now. This three year journey is finally coming to a close! Skies of Arcadia fans, I sincerely hope you are ready!

just an update - we got some feedback and did mastering and/or cleanup on a bunch of tracks. i'm hoping to hear back soon with the final word after these cleanups.

Everyone else said what was needed to be said (awesome use of MSX soundchip, solid production, fun arrangement, etc.), so I'll just say this: I approve of this, since it's fun-tastic and done good-ly. We should post it. YES

Love it! Dunno why you said one of the sources was BGM 3-1, when the main source was really BGM 1-1. In any case, nice combination of the 1-1 and 0-1 themes, with lots of energy. YES

Definitely a super happy mix, it reminds me a little of OA's earlier works. Really loving the beefy bass here, especially since it doesn't over crowd the rest of the instruments. The themes are recognizable and there's a lot of extra details added in. Not much else to say here to be honest; nice work with SAC! YES

Other than the sound being a little too clean compared to the original MSX music, mission accomplished, I'd say. It's a fun little arrangement that doesn't suffer as much as most MSX scores from cluttering and white noise problems, which makes it a little less authentic but much more pleasant to listen to. I don't have any significant problems with it as a remix, and of course it's a nice showcase of SACPC. YES

I can hear the issues the others are mentioning, but I am not as bothered by them as the others. Really love the style change, and the bass is kickin'! Great energy overall, and while it gets a tad repetitive towards the end I felt it didn't overstay it's welcome. Nice collab between you two, hope you both work together again! YES

Really liking the nice, full retro 80's synth bass sound providing the foundation here. Arrangement is pretty straightforward, but creatively handled nonetheless. Lead at 1:32 felt a bit hot in the mid-high range, so a small EQ scoop could be warranted. I sort of hear what's being said about guitar not quite gelling with the rest of the sounds, space-wise, though I think it's minor. What bothered me more was the interplay between the guitar and lead at 2:49, where due to writing differences between the two and part complexity, it just comes off as messy to me. 3:38 again has a similar issue. It's not quite enough to bring this one below the bar for me, but honestly it got close near the end. Overall, I'm diggin the style and production is pretty solid overall. I justreally wish there was more complimentary writing between the guitar and synths, rather than them sounding like they're stepping on each other. YES (borderline) Note: I'm still going to let the marinate for a while because I'm not a solid yes here. I want to hear how much the lead interplays bother me later with another few listens. Could still flip.

It's definitely a different approach to the source material; it stands on it's own with the different reharmonizations used throughout, but it definitely stands firmly in the source material. The sound design is pretty eclectic, which works great for the most part. The guitar, while well performed (nice job, Sagnewshred), didn't blend into the soundscape as well as I would've liked. It sounded like it was in a different space than the rest of the synths & drums, with the EQ balance and reverb levels being notably different than the rest of the arrangement. That's a small gripe, though, and definitely not even close to swinging my vote - everything else, from the synths to the performances are spot on, and the arrangement is great. I'm looking forward to the finished product as far as the album is concerned, especially considering the standard of excellence that has been pushed through our panel so far. YES

It's a bizarre mix of genres, but I can't say there's anything in there that doesn't work. The melody gets a little repetitive (especially the main hook with the triplets, which is lengthy and repeats 6 times), but it's a short source, and the remix does take it in different directions. Production is on point, as expected. I don't have any significant concerns; it'll be a great addition to the album. YES