Jillian Aversa

/me clears throat VGDJ Episode #059 is now available for download at www.vgdj.net !!! Short, but sweet. Russian accents, floppy sloppy tentacles, and a new contest with zomg prizes... What are you waiting for?! ^-^ P.S. Don't forget to VOTE FOR US AT PODCAST ALLEY tomorrow, October 1st, at 1:00 am EST (12:00 am Central)! We've got a little sum'n sum'n saved up for the occasion, so keep your eyes glued on the site.

Eep! This remix is way underdeveloped, and you've got a ways to go with your production skills. JJT said all that needs to be said at this stage, really. I'd recommend spending some time in the WIP forums here at OCR. You can learn a lot from listening to other tracks, and getting feedback on your own! Go wild. ^_~ NO

I think that's what made it funny- that Hyejin couldn't pronounce it either. ^_~

Hey, not bad, Claado! I'm hearing a lot of improvement since your work on Chrono Symphonic. Nice jungley percussion, which you vary up on numerous accounts, liking the off-beat string accents, harp trills are good... I'm gonna have to counter Larry's statement that the beginning is too rigid; to me, it sounds like a completely conscious choice. The strings are nice and marked, and that kind of force works well with the stick-tap percussion. I wish they had more vibrato throughout the piece, though. From 1:32-1:52, I could've used something more than the "dun dadun dadun" strings. That part of the arrangement sounds particularly exposed, although you do fill it out thereafter with the chorus entrance. That leads me to my next remark. The chorus does sound pretty fake. In general, the darker vowel sounds like "oh" and "ooh" are more realistic than the bright "ah"s. Still, it didn't really retract from the sound as a whole. It helps to look at is as a sort of New Agey approach. ^_~ Starting at 3:58 is another section that could have used more oomph. It sounded rather generic and repetitive, and the accelerando really threw me for a loop. Something unnatural about that. I have no beef with your production. It would have been cool if you had mixed the different sections according to how they're seated in a real orchestra, but there's no rule that says you must. Again, I gotta reiterate that this mix *really* makes more sense if you view it more as a New Age arrangement, and less as a strictly symphonic one! The arrangement is solid, and I think you've done a fine job. YES

Alright, so you've found a very pleasant soundscape for your interpretation of the Ruins theme. Much nicer than those piercing bells in the original! Good on you, but that's only the first step in getting a remix passed here. Granted, you also slowed the tempo, which was a nice change... but then it's cruise control for the next three minutes of the piece. You've gotta remember that OCR exists for the appreciation and *reinterpretation* of video game music. You can't submit something that basically loops identical material for the entire duration of the song, because a) that means you're not leaving room for original stuff, and that's the kind of format you'd hear it in a game, not a remix. If you decide to resubmit this, I'd also suggest working on rounding out your instrument range. You have a pedal tone in the bass, and that's it. Get that bass moving around! It would really help break up some of the monotony. NO

zyko, could you clarify your vote here? I'm not really hearing any arrangement at all. You're right that the ending cutoff is already an obvious problem, but more than that, it sounds like Shawn (and house) are simply playing over the original verbatim. They do a damn good job of it, of course, but I don't think there can be any question that this track is a cover. I don't mind that the original is in there; however, expansion is needed. For the record, I wouldn't NO this because of the recording quality, as it is clearly a stylistic choice, and works well to that effect. I have a tremendous amount of respect for your work, Shawn, so don't stop what you're doing! Just remember that if you want a track up on OCR, you'll have to bring some other originality into play... beyond your obvious style. ^_~ NO

Noob goes where he wants to go. See: Way up on my bookshelf: Trying to get down Aaron's shirt: And of course: http://h.xerol.org/i.php?i=112 An accurate representation! Anyway, what's with all the tiny font posts here? You guys are hurtin' me eyes!

I think Family Guy has proven that there is no longer such a thing as too random. Anyway on Thursday night I gave this to LAOS to give to you guys (by now I assume you know what I'm talking about...). Quickly whipped it up on the spot, but I found it funny enough to release publically. http://digamejh.melankolly.com/online_storage/HooHoosOnFirst2.mp3 ROFL. That must have taken forever to make.

Yeah, you can go here [link removed] for the MP3 and edit out the interview, that's what I did. NO, PLEASE DO NOT DO THAT! Two reasons: 1) Brian and Becky of GMR stream their shows for good reason. Don't violate the trust we have with them! 2) Zircon and I don't want our collab to be out, and especially not passed around, until the project released. Please respect our wishes! EDIT: Thanks for removing the link from your post, Plumber dude. ^_~

I'm hungry! Where's the meat? There is little to no interpretation in this remix, I'm sorry to say. Production's decent, but the arrangement is as hollow as a log. You repeated the Song of Time almost verbatim, in different textures, but with no rhythmic changes or original material added. Not bad at all for someone so young. However, it sounds like you've just gotten comfortable with whatever music software you have. Remixing according to OCR's standards of rearrangement can take quite a while. If it's not for you, nothing wrong with that. But if your goal is to get a track up on this site, time to explore all the wonderful possibilities of musical interpretation and character! Good luck, and I hope you continue to hone in those skillz. ^-^ NO

It won't! DrumUltimA is my best friend; I see him every day. He's already working on fixing the drums. ^-^

Sorry, hun. I think you've paid an excellent tribute to Darangen's 'Falling Back,' but the arrangement is simply too close for me to comfortably pass it. There seems to have been a misunderstanding about our submission guidelines. To quote the submission standards page... "Can I submit a revision of an existing, posted ReMix? This has come up as an issue several times, and we've finally decided on a policy to help clarify the answer. ...in terms of submitting revisions that change the arrangement or mixing, we will only entertain such submissions as additions, not replacements, relative to the existing mix, and the new version has to be different enough in terms of arrangement, sound quality, instrumentation, etc. that both the new mix and the old stand on their own as separate creations. ReMixes of this nature will be judged on normal criteria as well as how different they are from the existing mix." Now that that's out of the way, you clearly know what you're doing with that instrument of yours. I am confident that if you personalize this mix beyond what you've done with the guitar solos, you'll have a strong chance of making it to the site. Just a few other things to keep in mind: - I felt that the harmonica/accordion/idunnowhat sample you used in the beginning not only sounded pretty choppy and fake, but also clashed with your (far better) piano work. - The drums at 0:48, as Larry pointed out, were suddenly mixed much louder than before, despite that the previous dynamics should have been the more dominant of the two. - At 1:34, a choral sample appears for all of two seconds, and has no relation to the rest of the soundscape. Not only that, but the chorus you chose sounds flat in relation to your own performance! Can't help but question that choice. - And lastly, I know Larry already covered it, but the tss tss tss tss tss tss tss tss drums you have going on are too overpowering in the section starting at 2:31. Sorry, just gotta drill that one into your head! ^_~ NO

hott Sorry guys, he's already married.

Me too, actually. Sounds like the same synth patch.

Haha! Really digging this so far. Thoughts: Reggae is one of those deceptive genres where, once you fall into that laid back groove, it seems like nothing more needs to be done. While I'd be perfectly comfortable listening to this track for twenty minutes straight sipping a mai tai on the hammock of my summer home in the Virgin Islands (ya rly), we can't lose sight of what this website's all about. ^_~ "I wanted to stay true to the original and not add much outside of the basis of the song which is the I - IV progression, but there are obvious instrumentation changes, new rhythms and small parts, a slower tempo, and more of a dub feel, which should be obvious when listening." Yes, they are! You DO demonstrate quite a bit of interpretation for the two plus minutes you've fleshed out so far, so props for that. I have no problem with the repetition thus far; it's built up nicely. The problem is simply that the song ends before it really starts. Towards the end of what you've given us is right where a change up would be appropriate. So, where to go from here? Well, I'd start with finally segueing into a new section with a different chord progression. It might help if you looked on this arrangement with a pop song approach; think about adapting some sort of "bridge" and "chorus" of original material to break up the "verse" you have going on already. Then maybe at the return, you could work in some instrument solos. (Steel drum would work extremely well, if you can get your hands on a decent sample!) Those are just some ideas to get you started, of course. What you do is completely up to you! As for the production side of things... I'm with Larry that the grungy guitar that first enters at 1:09 doesn't quite mesh with the rest of your soundscape, but the synths are coo with me. Drums are bordering on fakey, so if you could switch that up, that would only help your chances. My biggest gripe is the new guitar that enters in the right ear at 1:37. It sounds twangy and out of tune! Good interpretation with that line, but I'd like to hear you either tune it up or replace it with another sound entirely. Anyway, you're on to something, so don't stop now! NO

Well, looks like Larry and zircon have already covered it all, but I'll throw in my two cents for good measure. You've laid down the foundation for what will surely be an awesome remix, if you keep at it. Nothing wrong with the recording, well mixed, no timing issues (which are all together too common for live instrument tracks), great sense of character... Really the only problem is that you're staying much too close to the source. Although you've set the original material in some newer textures, I hear only two instances where you've actually expanded upon it: 1:23-1:36 and 1:49-2:01. That's just the tip of the iceberg! Even those examples only utilize one higher lead guitar part; perhaps you're restricting yourself to the number of instruments and/or performers you would actually have in a band? I see no reason not to throw in another guitar part or two, assuming you can maintain the sonic balance you've already established. Perhaps some sort of bass solo? More drum work? The percussion is rather straightforward, but that's not really an issue for me. Larry is right that it could really beef things up, however. You've picked a theme that really lends itself to this kind of music, so I'll be disappointed if I don't hear back from you! NO

Aw, how thoughtful! I can't fit it in my sig, but who knows, maybe more people will start showing their pride. (By the way, the banners that zircon and I have in our sigs are also free for anyone to use!) Anybody? Anybody?

Okay! You're off to a great start with this mix. What impresses me is that you were able to meld the source material with your own original stuff so seamlessly. The arrangement flows nicely- to the point that if I didn't know the games, I wouldn't have guessed where the changes were. Some nice variations appear in the woodwinds at 0:31, 0:41, and 1:57. The sweeping string sections at 0:47 and later at 1:27 are very beautiful, and the harp was a nice touch in the section to follow, too. There are some substantial drawbacks, however. One is that your snare sounds very artificial. The first two attacks in each measure are okay, but there's something off about the rolls. I have no problem with the strings, woodwinds, brass, harp, or any other samples, for that matter. Just dat. (Although you could also explore a little more with the actual percussion part.) There are a couple instances where the initial section from 0:17-0:47 returns in more or less exactly the same form. (1:09 and 2:09, to be precise.) Although you demonstrate some nice variation within those sections, the fact that they occur thrice is really detracts from the piece as a whole. It becomes static, instead of moving forward with that motion you picked up from 1:27 all the way to 2:09. Let's get some dynamics up in this joint! The more sweepy string sections give the illuuuusion of louder dynamics, but I think that's only because the texture is thicker in those instances. Some tasteful swells could really bring this arrangement some needed power. Orchestras can't fade out. They can lessen the dynamic gradually to give the impression that they're fading away, but they can't do what you've done here. If this were a mix of orchestral plus another genre or two, you might be able to justify your decision, but this is straight up symphonic music. Moreover, it just sounds like the easy way out! And for a song with a total duration of under three minutes, more is needed to bring closure to the piece. Don't be discouraged. I see potential in this 'un! NO

If you guys think it would be worth it, I could certainly talk to Doug about fixing up the drums and reverb issues before we close the vote. EDIT: Okay, I went over a few of the production issues that were brought up, and he's gonna try to give us an update within the week.

Fuuuuuuuuuuun stuff! Sorry to break it to ya, but this is a remix, not a ReMix. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the track, I can only cite two brief points in the song that really qualify as "reinterpretation": the little jazzy melodic alterations at 1:43 and 1:57. You've pretty much cited the original melody verbatim here, but placed it among some standard trance textures and spliced it between neat little drum and bass breaks. Production is surprisingly good for the style, but that's not enough to slip past us. If you have your heart set on getting a song up on this site, I suggest you review our submission standards, particularly the "What qualifies as a 'ReMix'?" and "How are submissions judged?" sections. From what I can tell, you have the makings of a great remixer. You just gotta know what we're looking for on OCR. ^-^ NO

Oh zircon, you smooth jazz loving hypocrite! While I understand your concerns that, in a way, TO's interpretation was almost a simplification, but I don't see that as a bad thing, in this case. It's more like he reduced the source to its grooviest elements. Solid buildup, smooth percussion, great piano embellishments... The brightness of the piano sample doesn't bother me at all, actually, because I think it suits this kind of "family friendly" game... like something you'd hear in The Sims (or SimCity- Larry and I seem to be on the same Paige). The melody is pleasant and meandering, like a walk through Central Park. Nice breakdown at 1:34, and party atmosphere to boot. No smelly turtles here. YESSIREE

Very creative arrangement! The harpsichord rolls and low brass blats towards the beginning are effective. Unfortunately, the choppiness of the flute and clarinet (?) parts detract a lot from that introduction. As Malcos pointed out, the fluttering that begins at 0:55 simply sounds unnatural. I think everyone's already mentioned this, but your brass samples just aren't cutting it. The harpsichord starts to sound very mechanical at it's reentrance just before the two minute mark. Too rhythmic! It's a shame, considering the amount of thought you've put into your part-writing. 2:42 strings sound strange up until the accelerando is really underway. The woodwinds that follow are, once again, choppy and strange. I think that whole transition is a little awkward; chimes are a notorious cliché- something you throw in when nothing else comes to mind. Avoid if possible. ^_~ From 3:04 on, I was very impressed. That's why I wish that section had been further extended! It's great that you ended with such force, but it seemed abrupt simply because of the length. All in all, I must commend you on a very enjoyable arrangement. Your production isn't living up to the same standards, though. See if you can find some better samples, and play more with dynamics and articulation. Don't be afraid to ask for assistance in the WIP/ReMixing forums! NO

BGC hit the nail on the head; everything past about three minutes is fairly bland. I was kind of expecting the crowd to come back in with some final reactions, but hey, that's cool. Definitely bouncing my way through this track. It's catchy and fun, demonstrates some decent arranging skills, and the production sounds A.O.K. I don't see anything wrong with the straight-forward approach you've taken. It's not terribly daring, but doesn't have to be. You've got all the basics down and a good deal more. The change at 2:07 was somewhat abrupt. That's my only real gripe. If this mix passes, hopefully our comments will help encourage you to keep drawing in knowledge and influence. YES

zircon does vgdj too and he is also a mod, and still he manages to be a great judge, but I'm sure that you already knew about that hey guys sup, can i talk in size=7 too? Ya, don't worry, we know how to budget our time. We be jammin' wif da votes and da vee gee deej. By the way, I just wanted to point out the BGC is really cool. I like him already! So I'm sure you all will, too. ^-^

Hooray! Thanks, Snoop. Mad props to zircon for really pulling off this show. I wasn't available to help with the editing and such. (And boy, did we ramble!)