Harmony

Man I swear the time signatures in this song are instruments unto themselves. I'm in awe of the skill with which they were stiched together. To pull off a piece like this requires a great deal of foresight, creativty and heaps of control over your musical visions for the final product. This one has earned it's spot as one of my favorite remixes out there. Amazing work Samuel.

In my earlier remixing days I used to make Lemmings mixes ‘till the cows came home. Why? Because the soundtrack was so awesome that all you had to do was play back the song and lay some drums under it and BAM!, instant head-bopping hit. That’s what we have here unfortunately. Check out the Submission Guidelines before you submit next time. The OCR community wants to hear your creativity but with little more than an additional beat over the original, that’s not shining through here at all. Welcome to the remixing scene Dale. Have fun and keep working at it. NO

Very cool adaptation of the source, clean production, great ending. I really wish the short strings that Larry mentioned weren't there. They stick out like a jacked-up thumb and I think the chromatic elements that play the same theme (0:41,0:47,...) are much more fitting for the vibe here. I see analoq's point that the chromatic melodies don't work as well in this mix's musical context, but the results aren’t overwhelmingly offensive. YES

This has certainly got that jam feel to it…yep, that spur of the moment, improvisational, really fun to record, not as fun to listen to on playback feel. I’m all for live instrument remixes but the problem comes in the difficulty of getting everything perfect, or at least acceptable. Drum timing is off in many places, rhythm guitar is sketchy, lead guitar unintentionally mutes some notes, and vocals are dry, in need of compression and not well integrated with the other elements. It sounds like very little attention was paid to production. There is an audible hiss throughout, and everything sounds pretty far away. I actually like the recording and mixing of the drums however. With the right other elements they would sound really cool and 70s retro. Hey, all of that being said, this is a short fun mix to listen to. Tighten up the production, work on drum timing, get better takes on the guitar and you should be cool Alfonzos. NO

Man I wish I could churn mixes out in a few hours. This mix is really fun to listen to and a nice creative reinterpretation of the original. This is an example of repetition that works. The samples aren’t the best but that’s really not a problem here as they are arranged well. What is a problem is the production. As has been said, the track is muffled and lacking in high frequencies. A bigger problem for me are the mixing levels. From 0:04-0:27 the lead instruments are buried behind the drums and bass. Similar issue with the piano at 0:55-1:22. Go through the track and make sure that your instruments compliment, not overpower each other. Everything is also pretty much dead center. Don’t forget to use panning as a creative tool. Fortunately, production and not arrangement is the problem here. Spend a few more hours making this track sparkle and resubmit. NO

Lesson of the day: Lufia 2 has a great soundtrack. The warbly opening strings are too exposed for their quality. If I’m not mistaken, they are the Cadenza Violin soundfont. If you’re sticking to Cadenza, I think the Viola samples are a lot better, but in general there are better free strings packages than Cadenza. Ask around. The supporting elements that come in at 0:15 are pretty nice though. Good phat drums and nice thick distortion on the guitar. The slower section starting at 0:46 had its highs and lows. It's personal preference but a flute harmonizing with itself (e.g. 1:38 ) always sounds strange to me. One flute, one note my mother always told me. I enjoyed the string/flute harmonies however and the guitar was very cleanly done with a reasonable amount of fancy finger work thrown in. I’m not a fan of the hollow reverbed kick/snare line starting at 1:28. It’s not interesting, repetitive and it covers up some of that good harmony. The major problem with this mix is repetition. From 0:58-2:25 we get the theme played over and over with an instrument added every 4 or 8 bars. When the heavy section comes in, it is still the same theme that we’ve heard repeated from 0:58. 3:24 would have been a good time to either significantly change things or to start looking for an ending. The theme that started at 0:58 repeats until the end. With the epic vibe that you’ve got here, I think shifting keys from C to say C# at some point might be cool and would eliminate some of that repetitive feel. Good guitar work and decent use of the drums on the intro and exit. I really like this one but I think if you work on being a little more creative with the theme you’ll end up with a much more engaging mix. NO

Works for me. I can host it here until it's judged.

Hey Shael and everyone else, I'm gonna have to sit this one out. Things are getting too busy around here for me to finish my Chun Li WIP in any good amount of time. I like what I've heard so far. Hope the rest of the project goes well

FL Demo huh? Thought you couldn’t output with that… There is very strange panning throughout. First, without some counterbalance, I would try to avoid “strong” elements panned far to one side or the other, such as the intro synths (at :03, :07…). The cymbals that jump from far left to far right (1:12, 1:26…) feel very disjointed and awkward. If that’s the effect that you want you would be better off panning the same cymbal across the soundstage rather than using two separate cymbals. The sporadic panning of the synth starting at 2:10, although there is a pattern to it, doesn’t work for me. In fact, it adds to the growing confusion of instruments that just get unwieldy by 2:45. I think that the intensity that you’re after in section 2:45-3:29 can be accomplished with far fewer instruments and far less harmonic clutter. Sample quality is pretty basic as well. Some of the synths are cool but you certainly need to upgrade your drums and guitar. The drums are lacking punch. The snare is bone dry; reverb would greatly help. The distorted guitar sounded very fake. It’s not until 2:09 that any rearrangement comes in. That section is pretty fun for a while. However, beforehand all we have is the original with a beat. After the confusion of 2:45-3:29 we get a repeat of the theme with the beat behind it and a lackluster all-synth end. I’m glad you had fun mixing it but next time spend a little more time pumping your sounds up, making your melodies distinct from one another and bringing more creativity to the source. NO

I feel like I’m in the intro for an 80’s TV show . Interesting vibe here. I enjoy most of the sax work but there’s little to back it up. Drum sequencing is pretty uninspired and the potential of the Ken Ardency soundfont isn’t realized at all. It really sounds like you EQ’d out the lows on the kick and toms. Bass sequencing could be a little more interesting, even for the feel you were going for. The piano sequencing is somewhat mechanical, but it wouldn't stand out as much if the other elements were done better. This type of jam song is cool for a fade out imo, but the fade out can’t be as short as you have it here. e x t e n d i t. Were the quality a lot better this would be a pretty cool interpretation of a great song. Not bad as-is but man I wish that sax player had a better band behind him. Work on the sequencing/mastering of the other instruments. NO

tight. very tight. rap mix +1

The high frequencies have been chopped by your encoder. Might want to either encode at a higher bitrate or get a better encoder (LAME works best). Firstly, I think the attack on the lead strings is too slow for some of the sections. As a result, some sections sound off tempo (1:16, 4:07…). The other lead instruments are ok however. This is a very simplistic arrangement which I think is riding on the greatness of the original a little too much. I hear harmony in the supporting string/brass sections but it is very basic and it repeats which isn’t good since the strings never let up. The stings are pretty lifeless in general. It was good to throw in the middle section to avoid overdoing the main theme, but the middle section (1:36-3:22) lacks dynamic variety. It’s a bare wall that I think you can do a lot more with. There’s just way too much time when the background strings are going at it solo or with only one note from another instrument backing them up. It really drags until about 3:44. I like the intensity swells at 0:47, 4:05, but they are far too few. After the really cool intense lead-out to the ending, the ending itself was way too abrupt. Certainly some potential here. Keep working at it. NO

Well the good news is that I think that there’s sufficient arrangement here to pass. For the genre, the gratuitous guitar shredding intertwined with the source works for me. Nice “solo” at 0:33. Good use of reverb there, but after that you’ve gotta tone it down. With the reverb flooding the soundstage, the notes of would-be crisp guitar runs get muddled together and ultimately drowned out. This is accentuated by the less than spot-on performance in some places. Also, the rhythm guitars are nicely done for the most part, but they overpower the lead which I’m straining to hear starting from 0:08. I agree with Jesse. Put the rhythm back in its place and more selectively apply reverb and this would pass. Work on it and resubmit. NO

The production on this track is top notch from A to Z. Very cleanly recorded vocals with layered tracks that accent, not overpower, the main flow. DCT’s beat has got a straight northern hip-hop vibe and the relentless lyrical flow takes me back to classic NYC rap groups like Camp Lo and even Digable Planets. What better to do with an Ice Cap theme than to chill the lead out, providing an excellent backdrop for Just Us’ lyrics. The theme sits oh so nicely under it all with layered bells and piano that come in a just the right times to keep themselves fresh elements each time we hear them. A possible problem with any lyrical remix of an instrumental source is coming up with lyrics that stay true to the vibe of the original. What Just Us has done is given us a positive song about life and music; these are two themes that will always be cohesive with the source. Nice. I hope Shariq is wrong about the newbies out there because this mix deserves all of the love that OCR can pull together. Great work DCT and Just Us. Good music bias: YES. P.S.: I just listened to a few Urbanizm exclusives and for lovers of hip-hop and R&B, this is truly only the tip of the iceberg. Don’t sleep on DCT and the folks over there ya’ll. Hit them up ASAP.

As has already been said, there’s not enough substance behind the drums, which by themselves are not strong enough to carry this mix. There are some cool breaks but they are simply pasted on top of the same pad chord progression that we get throughout the song. Try chopping some of the melodic elements with the drum breaks or finding some other way for the instruments to interact with the drums, especially during sections like 1:05-1:34. Very cool stuff can happen if you work at it. The transition at 1:03 sounds awkward and almost like we’re going to get a tempo change. I’d work on lining that up a little better, but that one might just be me. Definitely muffled throughout. A global decrease of the lower frequencies and a bump to the highs would help. If you’re still looking for that drum punch, go for individual low EQ on the kick. This is enjoyable in many ways but production problems and lack of substance beyond the drums leaves this at NO status for now. Keep working at it Tyler.

Yeah buddy. Really cool funky groove going on here. Somewhat repetitive but not in a way that significantly detracts from the experience. The first thing that strikes right off the bat is the pretty disparate sound quality of the samples. The funky wah guitar, the phat bass, the clean and subdued rhodes and the warm piano are all very nice and mesh well. But then there’s the classical guitar, the pizz strings and the koto that are not below the bar, but are close to it. However, Joshua has done a heck of a job sequencing and layering these dubious elements into a very fun jam-like piece. The chorus sections a la :40 are slick indeed. Some creative processing, such as a phaser or a little wah on the koto during its leads might have taken some of the edge off but as-is, it does a sufficient job of carrying the piece. Personally I think the percussion decent. Simplicity in funk can be a plus if done well and I think that’s what we have here. I would have liked a more present hi-hat and maybe a ride during the piano solo to jazz things along but in most sections the shaker makes up for the timid hi-hat. From 2:14-2:27 the kick is left exposed and it’s very dry. If only for that section, some reverb on it would have been nice. Even if a little loud at spots (which I think is causing some of the pasted on feel that Larry mentioned), I’m loving the dry layered snare. The ride shots at 3:31 and 3:33 cut short for some reason which makes the ending seem weak and rushed along to me. The koto and pizz strings are pretty mechanical throughout but I think it works well in context. The piano solo however, although dynamic and melodically interesting, is over-quantized which takes away from any improv feel that would have been there otherwise. It’s a shame too. That section could be killer with a little more attention to the note timing. Arrangement of the source wasn’t expansive at all; similar sections from the source are played in a similar order. This still represents a creative interpretation of the original in that the transition to an eastern style smooth jazz mix is pulled off pretty well. A joy to listen to Joshua. As always there’s room from improvement but what is here is good stuff. YES.

I like a lot of what’s going on here. The vocal samples themselves really become instruments that I think are used relatively effectively. There are also some lightning fast panned swishes and trick reversed effects that keep things going. Nice. For such a short mix, even of this genre, repetition is a bit much however. The transition at :27 was your chance to mix it up, but alas 'twas not to be. From 1:26-1:55 my right ear is feeling left out of the musical party. It would have been cool to have the main synth there pan across the soundstage or have some other counterbalance on the right. Good production in general. Not bad overall and a fun listen, but a little less repetition or a longer and more varied mix would be much appreciated. NO.

I’m a fan of the source and I commend the effort here for sure. Main problems here are the levels and the reverb. A lot of elements end up taking a back seat to the overpowering taiko. I strained to hear the string solo and 3:29 for instance. In terms of reverb, I really feel like I’m on the upper terrace of a huge empty symphony hall. A lot of the instrumentation is very nicely done but there are some sections where things bleed together unnecessarily and probably unintentionally as a result. The organ work at organ work at 1:40 is a good example as it tends to get lost amongst the low register, highly reverbed stuff going on there. Gotta admit that it’s really not that bad as the track progresses. In terms of arrangement I’m not feeling much reinterpretation of “Maybe I’m a Lion” in the first 2 minutes. Sounds like a well done orchestral cover of much of the original, taikos and all. I do like how the taikos are pulled through to the other themes however. To keep them from feeling overused I would have preferred to have them left out of the slower section at 3:18. The arrangement really picks up towards the end with a pretty cool take on The Extreme. The transition could have been much smoother to avoid the medleyitis. I’m not rock solid on this one, mainly because of the reverb issues but after listening numerous times, the levels work in some ways and the reverb, while apparently dense towards the beginning, works itself to a tolerable level by the end. Borderline YES.

I love the feel of this track. Its got a nice cohesive drive throughout, accented by some slick vox. Very cool intro that leads into some nice military-style snare work. That abrupt vocal cutoff at 0:24 that Larry mentioned sticks out but otherwise great use of the sample. The strength of this track for me is the first few minutes when we get nicely delayed guitar and a chill groove that really compliments the beautifully vocalized Song of Nephilim. After 2:18 is when I start to question things. PriZm’s guitar work is amazing per his usual but I think the arrangement starts getting a lot less exciting. The driving guitars are laid under similar vocal arrangement of the source that we had during the first two minutes. Granted that the vocal/guitar harmony is pretty engaging but in the end I felt that the last three minutes could have explored a few more arrangement ideas. The vocal sample at 3:57 seems oddly placed and unnecessary considering that it’s inaudible. Aside from the few sample and clipping issues that have already been mentioned, this was a cleanly recorded, interestingly arranged track that is very enjoyable. Gotta YES it.

Great work Jeremy. The transitions worked marvelously with everything being held together by a warm timbre that suits Mario RPG to a tee. The section at 2:22 was brief but it certainly made me smile. This piece is truly alive with excitement. Very clean. Very enjoyable.

..yes and I had so hoped that it was "your" not "you're." Sounds great either way. New version is pretty cool. Nice work on both of them!

Meh, I was up till early this morning, saw Shael's thread. A bit bored so I spent a few minutes on a WIP. It isn't too neat (the lead synth sounds terrible and :41 seems a bit off) but it's less than 20 minutes of work. You in on this, man? Yeah it sounds cool. Unfortunately my bastard PC is busted but once I get that up and running I'll record an idea or two.

jeez Mythril, you've got half a WIP before most of us knew the project existed Project sounds like fun Shael. I believe I'd like to take some of that Chun Li's stage goodness.

pimp. straight, pimp. All my Maryland peeps, listen for this one blasting from the factory speakers of a silver Civic.

oh snap! Remix +1 Thanks for all of the amazing feedback OCR . It's really appreciated. Thanks also to DJP and those judges that gave this mix a direct post! Coming this summer to a judges panel near you?