Harmony

and "my baby" ...The lyrics aren't important, it's the way they sound that matters. Thanks guys. Lyrics are always an individual thing though. Personally I think of them as simply another instrument without real concrete meaning. It's the quality and tone of the words that impresses me. I think that's why many people can enjoy something like "Pillar of Salt" or "Prayer" without knowing exactly what the words mean. Just the same, if I had to pick a cheesiest line in "Dragon Song", I'd go with "Fly me over deserts, fly me so far"

Thin but decent guitar starting things off…it’s got potential. The bass coming in 0:09 signals problems though. It’s very weak and monotonous. Drums are just about the same. Gotta enjoy the fast synth work but everything is still very flimsy and the intro seems to be over. That same guitar riff plays until 1:20 which gets old. The synth/guitar break section isn’t bad but the weak bass absolutely kills any potential of it being great. Same issues for the repeated last portion of the mix. Two problems are apparent: poor sounds and weak supporting rhythms. You’ve got to have a solid foundation before you pour lead synths and guitars into the mix. Here, the repetitive bass and drums aren’t cutting it. Once that’s sorted out, you’ve got to pull off much richer and engaging lead guitar and synth work to keep listeners entertained, even for only two and-a-half minutes. Send in some of your newer stuff if you think that you’ve resolved some of these issues, otherwise…practice practice practice. NO

Yeah, the drums panned that far right isn’t a good idea. You typically want something as fundamental as a kick sitting closer to center. Other than that, your samples and arrangement are pretty basic. Work on improving your sounds and making better use of what you have to get more creative with the source. It takes practice but you’ll get there if you keep working at it. NO

I’ve thought a lot about this mix. Listening casually this mix is amazingly expressive, soothing and unimposing in all the right ways. A careful listen however reveals that this mix is expressive, soothing, unimposing but really quiet . Honestly though, I think there is too large a disparity in volume between the loudest sections and the quietest sections. That’s not too terrible a transgression considering all that there is to like about this mix. The selection and composition of source material is a real highlight. The themes are made to flow seamlessly together and the arrangement, though conservative in spots, is creative. The performance is generally nice as well. My largest gripe there is that the accented chords during 0:47-1:19 are a bit harsh and jerky. The second part of “opening demo” from 1:20-1:43 is handled much better. Nice resolution with the epic overworld theme. Good production and performance plus great composition equals YES

Glad to see that the hiss is reduced in this new version. It’s still fairly audible however. I think the major issue is that the hiss isn’t constant so when it surfaces and subsides, it gives a choppy feel to the track. I’d definitely try some noise cancellation on the sax parts but also be sure to fade the sax sections in and out to make remaining hiss less noticeable. I’m also glad to hear some of the reverb toned down. I don’t know what happened but in this new version the transition at 0:40 is bad. It’s just a jump into the orchestral section with an audible audio pop. Sounds like you started an audio clip from something other than zero amplitude. Same deal at 0:56. If your recording software won’t allow you to trim audio clips to the nearest zero crossings then make sure to fade the clips in and out to avoid this. Great sax solo from 1:37-1:53; definitely my favorite section of the mix. In general most of the performance is good but the timing gets a little loose around 3:10. The arrangement of the themes is nicely done and is the major factor in the borderline status of my vote. If the production was improved a little more and the transition smoothed out at 0:40 I’d have much less to complain about. Good work and if this doesn’t make it, go for a resub. NO (borderline)

Haha, that's not bad considering the remixer was going for "Schitzophrenic” [sic]. There are very basic sounds and processing in play here which push this mix below the bar in terms of sound quality. There is a genuine attempt to add personal creativity to the theme but at this point Sid, I don’t think you’ve had enough practice and experience to fully realize what you want to do musically. I will say that I like the beat that comes in at 0:53. With the right processing and samples that could be a hot loop. Keep practicing, checkout that campsite that Liontamer suggested, and have fun. NO

What? There are 2 seconds of recording noises at the start of the track, guitars sound like static, drums are repetitive, horribly mixed and badly sequenced and the arrangement is nonexistent. The solo guitar is decent I suppose but this is simply a poor cover. I checked your other two tracks as well and both have similar issues with the addition of even more clipping. Hit the ReMixing forum for some help cleaning up your sound and keep practicing. NO

The source offers a lot of material that I’m not hearing transferred to the mix. While it’s not essential to me to even use most of the source material, this mix essentially remixes only the background synth melody and doesn’t make significant use of the source lead melodies, the numerous key changes, the source’s bridges or other supporting melodies. In short, this mix is only loosely tied to the original, especially when the beats and unrelated FX start to take over the sound scene after the intro. But the beats and FX are hot and I appreciate the work that went into putting that together. I like the ambient break-ish intro through 0:48 followed by an effects extravaganza through 0:59. The use of the source in the intro was decent, with a steady build from the slow traditional feel of the original to the fever pitch vibe of much of the mix. 1:00-1:59 has a tenuous hold on the source melody with only a single synth in a sea of effects and percussion reminding us that this is not an original piece. Similar situation with 2:00-2:54, except the theme isn’t played as conservatively. That’s great that the melody gets some remixing attention but I think it also weakens the ties to the source during that section. Correct me if I’m missing something but the entire last minute is original beatwork. Good beat work mind you, but not remixed material. Love the outro where the very slick coughs from the intro return, this time more prominent and ominous. Great stuff but I need a better infusion of the source material to pass this. Spend as much time on melody and harmony as you do with percussion and FX and you will be golden. NO (Please Resubmit)

Fun stuff but I agree that there are some big problems that will keep this from passing in the shape it’s in. At some points, sloppy timing, bad intonation and poor mixing make this sound like a recorded practice session rather than the final mix. As Paige mentioned, your performances sound decent enough though that under the right recording circumstances and with good post production work a lot of those problems would probably disappear. I’d also like to hear some better transitional ideas rather than cold stops and repeated simple drum fills between iterations of the theme. Once might work, but in this version we have a lot (0:47, 1:04, 1:23, 2:00, 2:18, 2:42). I appreciate the "sega" intro but I don't think the verbatim soundclip works with the style here. You guys might try to make it your own by performing it with your instruments or something to that effect. Finally, there’s the disturbing fact that the piano and bass get stiffed out of solos. Not…cool… Enjoyable work guys, I wish I could see it performed live. As for this mix, work out some kinks or re-record and send it on back! NO (Please Resubmit)

Nice. I’m a becoming a huge Regina Carter fan but sadly her work and that of other jazz violinists often goes underappreciated, even in the jazz community. It’s always a rare pleasure to hear a good jazz violin performance. Great work po! . The rest of the instruments are nice as well. Very thick bass, great piano sample, and groovetastic Rhodes. The percussion leaves something to be desired though. For a hi-hat that is as repetitive as this, I’d like to hear much more interesting samples and processing. What’s here gives off a slight metronome vibe that is especially apparent when exposed at sections like 2:24-2:40. Still, I think the other elements overcome the shortcomings of the percussion. Larry covered my views on the piano solo at 2:06. It was ok but could have been better, especially stacked in the same song as the wonderful violin solo. Skillful arrangement of the source, great atmosphere and solid production make my vote easy. YES

I’m with Larry, the source is awesome. Now that that’s out of the way, this mix is pretty slick itself. I don’t think it’s quite up to par yet though so I’m going to close this one out and ask for a resub. The major problems that I’m hearing are: 1) a very close adherence to the source 2) poor instrument balance and separation 3) lack of appropriate EQ on certain instruments #2 and #3 I’ll comment on here since they’re easier to fix but once those are improved, I’m sure that #1 is going to be a large factor in my vote on the resub. I appreciate the effort that it takes to cover a complex piece like this but I’m not hearing as much creativity in composition or arrangement as I’d be comfortable with calling a “ReMix.” You really have to give your guys some sonic space here. That’s part of the fun of composing for an essentially fixed number of instruments; you get to choose seating assignments! Right now you’ve got everyone standing in the middle of the stage, people are tripping over each other’s cables, horns are blaring in the piano player’s ear and toes are seriously getting stepped on. Pan the brass to the left side of the stage, keep the bass relatively centered, move the guitar guy towards the right and give him some company with my man (or girl) on the keys. I know what I’d like but you need to experiment. Your drums have some nice wide individual panning on the toms, cymbals, etc. That’s cool but personally in a jazz setup I prefer not to hear the drums spread so widely across the stage. There are many choices to make so play with the positioning until sections like 1:01-1:30, 1:47-2:16 and 3:48-4:16 sound less cluttered. Why should you worry about panning in your mix when the source doesn’t seem to do much of that at all? Well, the elements in the source are much better balanced in terms of volume levels than in this mix. Staring things off, the trumpet at 0:30 is too loud and is in need of some reverb to help it mesh with the pads that are supporting it. As TO mentioned, the predominant synth during 0:45-1:30 is loud, dry and sitting dead center. I think a spot of reverb and a new position on stage is a good idea. I love loose performance of the clean guitar that comes in at 1:01 but you’ve gotta pan him away from the piano. The two are fighting for space and they would be much more complimentary to each other if they each had room to do their thing. I actually like the balance during the first part of the chorus section at 1:30. The horns are a bit loud but they work for me. The guitar at 1:47 is too loud for the remainder of the chorus. Even when things calm back down at 2:01 the guitar stays at this volume which is even more problematic without the horns to help balance it. I agree with Larry that the horn shots are dry and loud from 2:07-2:17. Additionally I’m hearing some clipping on the horns around 2:08 and an audio glitch near 2:23, but that might just be me. Great piano work at 2:17-3:00, although with the piano exposed, its lack of high EQ becomes apparent. It’s not too bad though. Nice sax solo as well but tone the volume down a bit, especially at 3:00 where it absolutely overpowers the piano. The guitar at 3:02 needs some compression to keep it’s volume levels in check. I understand that you should want to maintain a dynamic improv feel but here the guitar is a little too jumpy to me. The bass is understated throughout. Give it some punch by pushing the volume up a little, increasing the low EQ on it and possibly bringing some chorus/reverb into the picture. For the most part, the performances are pretty nicely done which means the hard part is potentially over. Just work on the issues that have been mentioned and go for the resub. Great work from all involved. NO (Please Resubmit)

I’m real a fan of the approach Robbie. I don’t think I’ve heard this awesome theme taken so far down epic-melodrama lane with any level of success. I’m loving the mood setup by the intro sample but the piano hurts. The compression is cool but if the poor EQ is part of your effort to make the instruments more other-worldly, I don’t think that it was the most effective way to accomplish it. I’d like to hear a less muffled sound there and in other spots when the piano is exposed (e.g. 2:46). Nice job on the intro in general though. When things get moving at 0:57 (after a simple but slick effect at 0:53) I don’t particularly enjoy the washed out nature of the soundfield. It was fine for the amorphous intro but from 0:57-1:50 with everything so heavily reverbed, the atmosphere is too indistinct even for the melancholy vibe that you are after. The lead synth is too wispy and reverbed to provide the kind of melodic anchor that is required there. The layered lead synth that comes in at 1:50 is hot though and does a much better job of contrasting with the supporting elements. It cuts through the drama like a good guitar solo which makes everything seem to work together more effectively during 1:50-2:45. Still, there’s the issue of clutter and sound separation that has been mentioned. I think that can easily be affected by toning down the tail on the reverb and bringing some wider panning to the game. Interesting thought with the quarter-note piano stutters but IMO the tempo is too low for that to work effectively. I think making the stutters eighth notes and staggering the velocity up and down between each would work a little better to keep the flow. Again, even with the prominent piano/synth lead, 3:00-3:40 feels washed-out and cluttered. Centering the wooshes (3:14 and 3:28) and their aftermath only adds to the problem. I love the effects and the layered melodies in this climactic section but they feel jumbled together. Very nice concept and decent execution. The major hangup for me though is the lack of clarity in the soundfield which I think primarily stems from the generous helping of reverb on just about everything. A vocal version definitely would have been cool, but I hope your data loss doesn’t prevent you from cleaning this up if it doesn’t make it this time around. Enjoyable but... NO (Please Resubmit)

Apparently we agree that the source is used well (unlike similar Liquid Neon subs), and the production is at least adequate. Then the only real issue to address is the generic synth design…and oh is it generic. I agree that there is nothing creative about it but that is not entirely relevant in this context. The creativity comes in the form of the synth’s use in the molding of the theme to this genre. As defaulty as they sound, they are effectively used to a specific musical end. Like analoq, I don’t see how this genre in the context of a remix could be pulled off much better. If this is true, and I’ll admit I’m no gabber/hardcore aficionado, then rejecting this mix for the reasons cited thus far would leave me wondering how this or mixes of similar genres could ever make it onto OCR. As for the vox, I respect your opinion Gray but I think it’s inappropriate to condemn pitch shifted vocals or say that their era has passed. Very popular hip-hop producers like Kanye West and Timbaland have relied heavily on this technique for years with great success. Within the genre, it also seems to be a popular way of breaking up a potentially repetitive instrumental piece with rhythmic, energetic vocals. I generally like them, but their use is a matter of personal preference that shouldn’t be as large of a factor in votes on this and other subs as some members of the panel appear to have made it. The concerns that have been brought up definitely push me towards a more borderline stance but I can’t find enough to warrant a NO. I find myself asking “what’s wrong with basic if it’s done well?”

After the brief intentionally lo-fi harpsichord at the onset, I like the switch to a much richer sound for the rest of the intro. In general though, I’m not a fan of the intro through 0:57. In addition to being pretty conservative, the mixing is very odd with the piano awkwardly peeking through in spots, excessive reverb mushing things together, and a general sense of heavy clutter. The percussion definitely opens up the soundfield. I absolutely love the dingy SFX and processing that are used to give us the most engaging element of this mix. Nice break at 2:15 which showcases some of the really cool percussive sounds. The biggest issue for me is the clutter that remains from the intro. This mix isn’t “muddy” but background instruments aren’t clear at all. It’s just a wall of sound that might work briefly but not for the majority of a mix. It leaves little room for dynamic contrast, even in a mix like this that’s supposed to be loud and boisterous. As I said before, I think an excess of reverb might be one cause, but there are also lots of elements fighting for the same mid-low register. Even the leads don’t really stretch too far into the high regime. Additionally, having them soaked in reverb doesn’t help them to stand out much. The solo jumps out at me as it should though. Don’t think that I don’t enjoy this mix. It’s a very intense take on the original and it is full of the sound that makes Mazedude such a revered remixer. I’m just a fan of clarity. You’ve made cacophony work to your musical advantage before ("Battling Organs", even "Mazedude’s Kitchen"), so I’m looking for that again. NO (Please Resubmit)

The arrangement is indeed borderline but I can’t complain much when the two conservatively interpreted themes are blended so well. When the OoT theme is tailed onto the sad theme at 1:30 and 1:47…magic. The performance is powerful and expressive, the piano sounds amazingly rich, and the production is top-notch. Great work Dhsu, Gray and everyone else involved. YES

The Good… - The guitar initially struck me as mechanical but it quickly grew on me. The riffs from 1:32-1:42 are nicely done and don’t take such an extended central role that their artificiality is greatly exposed. - The Rhodes entering at 0:35 is beautiful as well as most of the piano that comes in later. There’s an odd harmonic bobble at 0:50 that doesn’t sit well with me but overall nice job. - Nice chill beat. It certainly doesn’t take center stage but it’s a good backbone for the additive ideas in this mix. The Bad… - The pads are the most prominent element from the source used in this mix. Unfortunately, their adaptation here is very plain. The source tune is absolutely filled with wonderful harmonic melting and mashing of pads and oboe (source: 0:00-0:15, 1:36-1:52, etc). Much of that complexity is removed for this mix leaving the potentially engaging warm pads out in the cold. I enjoy the additions of the breathy pads at 0:58 for example but they only mirror, not harmonize with, the pads that are already there. - The additions aren’t that significant. Although the beat is fine, it is unassumingly repetitive and thus really shouldn’t serve as a key addition. Remove the beat and we don’t have much to go with except for the simplified chord progressions of the original and sparse melodic bits here and there. A lot more can be done to make this more “ornate.” …and the Vote. Great vibe, but exchanging harmonic complexity for a chill groove requires more expansion than we have here. A resub for sure. NO (Please Resubmit)

Oh heck yeah. Absolutely stellar work guys.

I’m definitely hearing lots of positive improvements in this latest version. Not the least of which is the bass that, although still a bit heavy and low, is clearer in quality and more interestingly sequenced. The percussion feels more cohesive and does a better job supporting the melodic elements as well. Unfortunately, there are still significant issues with this mix. The balance between elements isn’t very appealing. I think the combination of the predominately low percussion and the rich bass are a bit much and still need to be scaled back, especially during 0:00-1:04. That would help fix the buried pizz during that section. There are points during 1:50-2:10 that get cluttered with bells, birds, horns and lead all fighting for nearly the same sonic space. There are similar issues from 2:53-3:34. The birds are actually ok but I’d work on panning the other instruments farther away from each other. I hear some harmonic clashes during those sections but they are minor enough that if everyone wasn’t so close together, it wouldn’t register with me. There are still some instruments that are too thin and dry to mesh with the thick beat and gated pads. As Gray suggested, I’d beef up the delay+reverb on the guitar to give it more depth and help it fit more appropriately. Personally, I try to stay away from chorus on non-strummed guitar parts. If you don’t mind loosing some of the realism of the guitar part and you’d like to thicken it up (solo and rhythm work) you might try layering the guitar with an e. piano or something smooth and chromatic. The birds could go for some reverb. The breakdown at 2:10 is pretty cool and I enjoy the delayed guitar that caps the section off starting at 2:32. I’m not a fan of the solo starting at 2:52 though. It’s too mechanical to fit the groove and doesn’t feel very realistic. Working on the guitar sound itself (processing and FX) would be the first step in improving the solo. Compositionally this version is greatly improved over the last version. It doesn’t drag nearly as much and the end result is a much more memorable experience. I’d like to see the intro worked on. The gated pads are nice but there’s little development within the first minute or so. When the lead comes in at 1:04 it’s not nearly as satisfying as it could be had the build up been stronger. Enjoyable, but there’s still work to be done here Paul, particularly on the mixing and production side of things. Keep working at it. NO

Yeah I completely agree that this is cluttered but in the mix’s defense, that’s about like saying that a minimalist piece is sparse. In my limited experience, gabber is all about phat sounds, distorted kicks and weird SFX; just about what we have here. The arrangement is pretty conservative but as analoq said, the genre adaptation is well done so no gripes there. Production quality is good. Panning keeps things separated as much as they can be, leads are clear and cut through the other elements, SFX sit in the back where they should, and I think excessive clutter is avoided for the most part. The exception comes at 2:17 when the Amen break is thrown under everything without dropping the snare fills. Way too many mid-range percussion things happening there. When the same break is layered under everything again at 2:50, the snare fills are left out which makes for a more effective cluttered sound. Key changes keep things fresh, the break at 2:39 is hot, love the intro and this is short enough to not get annoying. I can see the NO vote, but I think this mix slides by without any major problems or without dipping below the bar. An enjoyable mix for me, and I’m sure fans of the genre would agree. YES

Very nice stuff. Actually I could just about ctrl+c ctrl+v my vote on “J! Groove” here and be right on. This mix is a well produced, uber-groovy, yet conservative take on the theme that is very easy to enjoy. I agree that the bass is extremely thick and the percussion is repetitive but that lends to the portrayal of the genre. This is a straight out-of-the-box Casio Soundbank bossa nova groove that’s been given the flare of good production and quality samples. Combined with the Rhodes, the percussion and bass provide a rock-solid lounge vibe that stands well on its own, and is bolstered by the decently executed solos. I think that the solid backing could have been more effectively used though. The lead piano at 0:31 is slightly mechanical and generally vanilla in its presentation. It’s not bad but more melodic and dynamic expression would jazz it up. The lead synth from 1:34-2:14 is great. It’s very expressive and not out of place with the more traditional acoustic elements. The close out with the hand percussion jam starting at 2:36 is a huge disappointment only because it is so short. The fade out wouldn’t bother me if the section was given some time to develop first. I’d love to hear it filled out with some interplay between the two prominent leads, or some original jam work, or a bass solo…something. I hear the clipping but I’m not opposed to passing this as is. In the end, this one’s easy on the ears and that’s what the people love. Great work guys. YES

Now see, there's some great criticism. It acknowledges the goods, jabs at the bads, and has a good time doing both. Morselove, Morsehate, judgehate, an idle threat and a pseudo request to do the Secret of Mana version of "The Music Of My Groin". Everybody's happy. Shael, you have my vote for OCR judge in '05.

Oh snap Dhsu, that's one powerful bag! And I've been trying to play piano without one all these years. I'm going to hit the supermarket, in the meantime...

Yeah, I’m not hearing enough variation from the original submission for my decision to be changed. Most important for me, the lack of development remains. That’s cool though, don’t let the panel steal your sunshine, Sunshine. This is a really fun song and if you don’t want to change it, I think you should leave it just the way it is. As the late Bob Ross always said of art, "It's your little world." NO

You know, I can pretty much let the reliance on the C64 source slide because I think it takes a big enough backseat in many sections. I’d much rather hear something other than repeated exact source in the background though. Even swapping the synths or some creative panning would make that part of your mix a lot more your own. But since the source is there, I’m looking for it to lock very tightly with whatever additions are made. Reiterating what’s already been said, to a large degree I don’t think that this is happening. The percussion is underpowered behind the powerful rhythm guitars, the leads struggle to adequately cut through and make an impact at 1:54-2:33, and there is the general dullness of the track EQ. I would also suggest some more dramatic panning of elements away from the center, especially some of the leads. Definitely good stuff here, but the mixing issues as well as the other issues mentioned above are hurting this track right now. NO

Hehe, I was only kidding with my alliteration rebuttal there. I put absolutely zero thought into most of my remix lyrics so they are essentially whatever first comes to mind after thinking about the game, the mood and the genre. Glad you enjoy the song despite its jacked up lyrics