Liontamer   Judges ⚖️

Should be good now, thanks for the catch!

The track was 3:49-long, so I needed to hear the VGM used for at least 114.5 seconds to consider the source material dominant. :00-:33, :42-:48, :53-1:44, 2:03-2:37, 2:46-3:48 = 186 seconds or 64.35% source usage A good clip of the source usage was from the bass as a supporting part, but this was the only track among the 12 that invoked the source tune throughout most of the track. If you further explore (presumably human-made) music-making further, this was a more connected end result, relative to the original VGM, and thus the most cohesive piece of music among the group. Dynamically, the sections still felt fairly repetitive aside from different lyrics (though the GenAI vocals do a decent job of creating different variations and inflections, all things considered), all of the instrumentation and vocals had a warbly/buzzy quality throughout so the mixing quality's not strong, and the lyrics come off like trope-y GenAI again (including the spoken-word aside as a conclusion, enough already). NO ----------------------------------- Checklist: - Warbly vocals - Lyrics also feel AI-prompt generated, too on the nose with the rhyming, always extended character meta-narratives - Dynamics possibly undercut by limiter on volume Sorry if my perception of this undersells how much actual human-generated content is there, Craig. If I had to bet on it though, this comes across like prompt-generated lyrics and the song structure isn't dynamic enough to feel like it's mostly Craig's direct input on this. I definitely don't want a trend of people sending AI-generated content here, no matter how good it ends up being. The aim is to highlight skill, intention, and creativity with human-created, human-written, human-produced music. When you take human decision-making out of the equation, even if the end result sounds good, it wouldn't be people genuinely creating the music. ----------------------------- Alright, so I've listened to all 12 tracks and wanted to give some other thoughts that go broader than the submission. 1. I can't take Craig's claim at face value that these tracks weren't substantially, majority, or totally GenAI. That means compositionally, not just the lyrics or vocals. 2. I recognize that people will want to use it as a creative outlet, it makes music "creation" more accessible, and it can be made with good intentions, and we'll potentially get more AI-related submissions in the future. 3. We have already approved a track using AI elements. Synthesizer V was used for the vocals in https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR04711. That was a case where a musician licensed their voice for the product (rather than AI being trained on stolen content). The arrangement had been previously made/submitted a decade earlier (the first version's linked in the writeup), and this was an upgrade in the sampled vocal quality, not generative writing. There can be ethical instances of AI usage within a product. That said, context is everything. 4. GenAI content is against the spirit of music I personally want to hear, even though it'll continue to improve and evolve. I've gone down the rabbit hole some to find VGM arrangements involving GenAI. Some sounded promising from a music quality standpoint and were, structurally, more in line with VGM arrangements we'd accept in terms of source theme usage. Even this Animal Crossing submission sounds like a viable enough concept. 5. GenAI content could eventually become sophisticated and/or ubiquitous enough that it cannot be effectively screened or identified. (What about cases where someone claims to have referenced GenAI music for creative ideas or as a mockup that's then performed by real musicians? I suppose we cross that bridge when we get there.) 6. Even if there came to be ethical GenAI music (i.e. that only legally trained on approved/licensed/permitted content and was transparent in sourcing/crediting), that wouldn't be a human-created work. 7. IMO, we should explicitly add a clarifying bullet to part 2.1 of the Standards to say that we don't want tracks involving generated part-writing, composition, or arrangement, that we only want human-created music. 8. I'm disappointed at a future where we'll need to be more forensic, more skeptical, and less trusting about the steps used to create music.

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

The track was 3:14-long, so I needed to hear the VGM used for at least 97 seconds to consider the source material dominant. :01.75-:25, :26-:33, :39-:45, 1:07-1:19.75, 1:25-1:29, 2:01.5-2:03.75, 2:36.25-2:38.75, 2:48.75-3:09 = 68 seconds or 35.05% source usage The lack of direct source usage & substantive arrangement is an automatic dealbreaker for me. NO This one was, to me, the clunkiest piece of the set. "Bros." not being pronounced "Brothers" at :52 feel like an AI giveaway, but I digress. Choppy flow on much of the lyrics, and the shifts from occasional VGM references to all this unrelated stuff didn't flow together well at all. ----------------------------------- Checklist: - Minimal VGM arrangement, mostly unrelated composition - Any direct VGM arrangement is very straightforward and brief - Warbly vocals - Lyrics also feel AI-prompt generated, too on the nose with the rhyming, always extended character meta-narratives - Staid, limited drum writing - Dynamics possibly undercut by limiter on volume Sorry if my perception of this undersells how much actual human-generated content is there, Craig. If I had to bet on it though, this comes across like prompt-generated lyrics and the song structure isn't dynamic enough or connected enough to the original VGM to feel like it's mostly Craig's direct input on this. I definitely don't want a trend of people sending AI-generated content here, no matter how good it ends up being. The aim is to highlight skill, intention, and creativity with human-created, human-written, human-produced music. When you take human decision-making out of the equation, even if the end result sounds good, it wouldn't be people genuinely creating the music.

The track was 4:30-long, so I needed to hear the VGM used for at least 135 seconds to consider the source material dominant. :00-:50.5, 1:35-2:12, 2:56-3:03.5, 3:20.5-3:42, 4:17.5-4:28.5 = 110.5 seconds or 40.92% source usage The lack of direct source usage & substantive arrangement is an automatic dealbreaker for me. NO Easily the most interesting genre transformation and another rarer example where the music during part the verses at least sounded adjacent to the source music, with backing patterns from the original in play on bass even when lyrical melodies weren't related to the source. This one's actually also the only example where I heard the vocals partially arranging the source theme. Much more of the source usage was from the bass usage rather than melodic arrangement. No surprise the chorus was disconnected from VGM, given the precedent of the other music. Aside from the lyrics feeling tired (because it's the same meta-narrative concept every time), this was the most interesting result, so that's something. ----------------------------------- Checklist: - Minimal VGM arrangement, mostly unrelated composition - Any direct VGM arrangement is very straightforward and brief - Warbly vocals - Lyrics also feel AI-prompt generated, too on the nose with the rhyming, always extended character meta-narratives - Staid, limited drum writing - Dynamics possibly undercut by limiter on volume Sorry if my perception of this undersells how much actual human-generated content is there, Craig. If I had to bet on it though, this comes across like prompt-generated lyrics and the song structure isn't dynamic enough or connected enough to the original VGM to feel like it's mostly Craig's direct input on this. I definitely don't want a trend of people sending AI-generated content here, no matter how good it ends up being. The aim is to highlight skill, intention, and creativity with human-created, human-written, human-produced music. When you take human decision-making out of the equation, even if the end result sounds good, it wouldn't be people genuinely creating the music.

The track was 4:16-long, so I needed to hear the VGM used for at least 128 seconds to consider the source material dominant. :05-:17, :30.5-:40.5, 1:39-1:45, 2:02-2:08, 4:00.75-4:13.75 = 47 seconds or 18.35% source usage The lack of direct source usage & substantive arrangement is an automatic dealbreaker for me. NO This is still interesting tech, but there's still a soullessness to it at this stage. 8 tracks in, my patience is thin. :-D /rhymes ----------------------------------- Checklist: - Minimal VGM arrangement, mostly unrelated composition - Any direct VGM arrangement is very straightforward and brief - Warbly vocals - Lyrics also feel AI-prompt generated, too on the nose with the rhyming, always extended character meta-narratives - Staid, limited drum writing - Dynamics possibly undercut by limiter on volume Sorry if my perception of this undersells how much actual human-generated content is there, Craig. If I had to bet on it though, this comes across like prompt-generated lyrics and the song structure isn't dynamic enough or connected enough to the original VGM to feel like it's mostly Craig's direct input on this. I definitely don't want a trend of people sending AI-generated content here, no matter how good it ends up being. The aim is to highlight skill, intention, and creativity with human-created, human-written, human-produced music. When you take human decision-making out of the equation, even if the end result sounds good, it wouldn't be people genuinely creating the music.

The lack of direct source usage & substantive arrangement is an automatic dealbreaker for me. NO Probably the most warbly instrumental this time, it's very rough. Drums were particularly quiet and bland in this one. Instead of "Who's that Pokémon?", it's "Where's the Pokémon music?", since it's only in the intro (:04-:21). -------------------- Checklist: - Minimal VGM arrangement, mostly unrelated composition - Any direct VGM arrangement is very straightforward and brief - Warbly vocals - Lyrics also feel AI-prompt generated, too on the nose with the rhyming, always extended character meta-narratives - Staid, limited drum writing - Dynamics possibly undercut by limiter on volume Sorry if my perception of this undersells how much actual human-generated content is there, Craig. If I had to bet on it though, this comes across like prompt-generated lyrics and the song structure isn't dynamic enough or connected enough to the original VGM to feel like it's mostly Craig's direct input on this. I definitely don't want a trend of people sending AI-generated content here, no matter how good it ends up being. The aim is to highlight skill, intention, and creativity with human-created, human-written, human-produced music. When you take human decision-making out of the equation, even if the end result sounds good, it wouldn't be people genuinely creating the music.

The track was 3:18-long, so I needed to hear the VGM used for at least 99 seconds to consider the source material dominant. :05-:20, :41.5-:53 (-ish), 1:16-1:28, 1:50-2:01, 3:01-3:04, 3:06-3:12 = 58.5 seconds or 29.54% source usage The lack of direct source usage & substantive arrangement is an automatic dealbreaker for me. NO Punk pop this time. For seemingly-generated music, it has solid enough pop fundamentals/tropes, and it does create variations on the repeated elements. But as a formula, this album's functioning like a one-trick pony (see: checklist). Will restate there's 0 chance these aren't generated lyrics as well. I dunno why Craig claimed he wrote them. ----------------------------------- Checklist: - Minimal VGM arrangement, mostly unrelated composition - Any direct VGM arrangement is very straightforward and brief - Warbly vocals - Lyrics also feel AI-prompt generated, too on the nose with the rhyming, always extended character meta-narratives - Staid, limited drum writing - Dynamics possibly undercut by limiter on volume Sorry if my perception of this undersells how much actual human-generated content is there, Craig. If I had to bet on it though, this comes across like prompt-generated lyrics and the song structure isn't dynamic enough or connected enough to the original VGM to feel like it's mostly Craig's direct input on this. I definitely don't want a trend of people sending AI-generated content here, no matter how good it ends up being. The aim is to highlight skill, intention, and creativity with human-created, human-written, human-produced music. When you take human decision-making out of the equation, even if the end result sounds good, it wouldn't be people genuinely creating the music.

The track was 3:09-long, so I needed to hear the VGM used for at least 94.5 seconds to consider the source material dominant. :05-:14, :16-:19, :22-:23, :26-:28, 1:20-1:22 = 17 seconds or 8.99% source usage The lack of direct source usage & substantive arrangement is an automatic dealbreaker for me. NO Goes for some quasi-Pentatonix vocals this time. Still the same creative formula, though for this one, the second half never circled back to the VGM source tune, even for a small piece. No matter the genre, the tropes end up being the same. ----------------------------------- Checklist: - Minimal VGM arrangement, mostly unrelated composition - Any direct VGM arrangement is very straightforward and brief - Warbly vocals - Lyrics also feel AI-prompt generated, too on the nose with the rhyming, always extended character meta-narratives - Staid, limited drum writing - Dynamics possibly undercut by limiter on volume Sorry if my perception of this undersells how much actual human-generated content is there, Craig. If I had to bet on it though, this comes across like prompt-generated lyrics and the song structure isn't dynamic enough or connected enough to the original VGM to feel like it's mostly Craig's direct input on this. I definitely don't want a trend of people sending AI-generated content here, no matter how good it ends up being. The aim is to highlight skill, intention, and creativity with human-created, human-written, human-produced music. When you take human decision-making out of the equation, even if the end result sounds good, it wouldn't be people genuinely creating the music.

The track was 4:47-long, so I needed to hear the VGM used for at least 143.5 seconds to consider the source material dominant. :00-1:16, 2:30-2:55, 4:33-4:42 = 90 seconds or 31.35% source usage The lack of direct source usage & substantive arrangement is an automatic dealbreaker for me. NO Opens with a spirited rock cover, clearly not a real guitar, but a serviceable sound. Definitely the longest stretch of invoking the source material, and then the non-VGM arrangement at least sounds similar enough to the source material that it doesn't feel as disconnected from the VGM as the previous tracks. Not to be outdone though, the dropoff at 3:33 was absolutely in a different mood/style from the rest of the song before going back to an even more intense original/non-VGM section at 3:57. Part of the problem of doing all of these tracks using the same voice across multiple tracks and the same basic song construction is just creating a samey feel to all these concepts, even with different sources & genres. ----------------------------------- Checklist: - Minimal VGM arrangement, mostly unrelated composition - Any direct VGM arrangement is very straightforward and brief - Warbly vocals - Lyrics also feel AI-prompt generated, too on the nose with the rhyming, always extended character meta-narratives - Staid, limited drum writing - Dynamics possibly undercut by limiter on volume Sorry if my perception of this undersells how much actual human-generated content is there, Craig. If I had to bet on it though, this comes across like prompt-generated lyrics and the song structure isn't dynamic enough or connected enough to the original VGM to feel like it's mostly Craig's direct input on this. I definitely don't want a trend of people sending AI-generated content here, no matter how good it ends up being. The aim is to highlight skill, intention, and creativity with human-created, human-written, human-produced music. When you take human decision-making out of the equation, even if the end result sounds good, it wouldn't be people genuinely creating the music.

In a vacuum, this is an interesting concept, but it's not a VGM arrangement, it's unrelated to the source. Not sure in what circumstance you believe we'd post original music about a VG character, as opposed to a VGM arrangement. Checklist: - Mostly unrelated composition, practically 0 VGM arrangement - Warbly vocals - Lyrics also feel AI-prompt generated, too on the nose with the rhyming, always extended character meta-narratives - Staid, limited drum writing - Dynamics possibly undercut by limiter on volume NO ----------- Sorry if my perception of this undersells how much actual human-generated content is there, Craig. If I had to bet on it though, this comes across like prompt-generated lyrics and the song structure isn't dynamic enough or connected enough to the original VGM to feel like it's mostly Craig's direct input on this. I definitely don't want a trend of people sending AI-generated content here, no matter how good it ends up being. The aim is to highlight skill, intention, and creativity with human-created, human-written, human-produced music. When you take human decision-making out of the equation, even if the end result sounds good, it wouldn't be people genuinely creating the music.

Boy, banjo's gonna be tough to arrange. You pretty much need to either keep the bassline persistent or straight up stick to banjo as a lead instrument. Not that I'm expecting that here... I've definitely heard this AI voice in other AI-generated stuff, so I'm not even sure this would be from Ace Studio AI as much it's from Suno; wouldn't be shocked if it can be found in multiple AI music generators. Three tracks in a row, this again seems to have the formula of briefly but straightforwardly referencing the VGM, then completely going disconnected from arranging anything from the source theme, not even worth timestamping this time. The lack of direct source usage & substantive arrangement is an automatic dealbreaker for me. NO Checklist: - Minimal VGM arrangement, mostly unrelated composition - Any direct VGM arrangement is very straightforward and brief - Warbly vocals - Lyrics also feel AI-prompt generated, too on the nose with the rhyming, always extended character meta-narratives - Staid, limited drum writing - Dynamics possibly undercut by limiter on volume Sorry if my perception of this undersells how much actual human-generated content is there, Craig. If I had to bet on it though, this comes across like prompt-generated lyrics and the song structure isn't dynamic enough or connected enough to the original VGM to feel like it's mostly Craig's direct input on this. I definitely don't want a trend of people sending AI-generated content here, no matter how good it ends up being. The aim is to highlight skill, intention, and creativity with human-created, human-written, human-produced music. When you take human decision-making out of the equation, even if the end result sounds good, it wouldn't be people genuinely creating the music.

The track was 4:33-long, so I needed to hear the VGM used for at least 136.5 seconds to consider the source material dominant :03-:41, 1:32-1:42, 1:45-1:52, 2:47-2:49, 4:01-4:19 = 78 seconds or 28.57% source usage There's likely some progressions I'm overlooking re: counting source usage, but it's not a close call. The lack of direct source usage & substantive arrangement is an automatic dealbreaker for me. NO On a production level, these vocals always sound warbly, so that's definitely not ideal; since these are AI-generated vocals, that's gonna have to wait for the tech to catch up. It's difficult for a non-musician like me to articulate, but while the instrumentation sounds pretty serviceable, but it very much sounds like it has genre pockets it falls into. Drum writing once again doesn't sound bad, but feels very staid. I know Craig claimed he wrote the lyrics for these, but once again, the lyrics seem generated by prompt, not written. And two tracks in now, this again seems to have the formula of briefly but straightforwardly referencing the VGM, then completely going disconnected from arranging anything from the source theme. ----------------------------------- Sorry if my perception of this undersells how much actual human-generated content is there, Craig. If I had to bet on it though, this comes across like prompt-generated lyrics and the song structure isn't dynamic enough or connected enough to the original VGM to feel like it's mostly Craig's direct input on this. I definitely don't want a trend of people sending AI-generated content here, no matter how good it ends up being. The aim is to highlight skill, intention, and creativity with human-created, human-written, human-produced music. When you take human decision-making out of the equation, even if the end result sounds good, it wouldn't be people genuinely creating the music.

The track was 4:36-long, so I needed to hear the VGM used for at least 138 seconds to consider the source material dominant :00-:34, 1:45-1:57, 4:20-4:33 = 49 seconds or 17.75% source usage The lack of direct source usage & substantive arrangement is an automatic dealbreaker for me. NO The volume's pretty low; not sure why it's limited like that, it could be bumped up. Opens with a straight rock cover of the source until original vocals done through Ace Studio AI come in at :35, sounding like Nickelback but having some roughness that exposes them as AI, at least on headphones. They sound fairly solid, all things considered. Dynamically, this feels like they have one main style of delivery, so that along with the relatively straightforward drum patterns makes this song feel like it basically has one gear and very samey sections. Hemophiliac had pointed out to me that the drums lack clarity, which also makes them appear generated. 3:09 finally had a dropoff and rebuild, though I'm listening to these lyrics and it all feels very generated before another iteration of the chorus at 3:50. Ugh at "Yoshi" not being pronounced right at 4:28. It sounds like this is built out over the chord progression of the original, but not directly arranging it for extended periods of time, which definitely makes this feel like it's generated music extrapolated from the one segment of the source that's directly referenced. Lyrically, I was initially feeling these could have been made by a human, due to so many different words invoking various Zelda game titles, but having listened to a decent clip of AI-prompt generated music ahead of voting on this, it feels like one extended lyrical word salad about an annoyed Link, and lots of antiseptic rhymes. It does at least have decent prosody to try and make things flow. Sorry if my perception of this undersells how much actual human-generated content is there, Craig. If I had to bet on it though, this comes across like prompt-generated lyrics and the song structure isn't dynamic enough or connected enough to the original VGM to feel like it's mostly Craig's direct input on this. I definitely don't want a trend of people sending AI-generated content here, no matter how good it ends up being. The aim is to highlight skill, intention, and creativity with human-created, human-written, human-produced music. When you take human decision-making out of the equation, even if the end result sounds good, it wouldn't be people genuinely creating the music.

Artist Name: The Vodoú Queen DONE FOR DFW'S STAR FOX ALBUM ** RE: My artist notes, source breakdown and list of collaborators are stated in the SF Album's Submissions Form I had done for 'V I R U L E N T'. If there is anything else needed or you would like me to elaborate / comment on, please don't hesitate to ask. :) **~*proph did not hesitate to ask*~** **SOURCE BREAKDOWN**: Presented in "VENOM [N64]" source track -- a) FALLING/RISING STRING RUN = 00:00 - 00:07 b) MAIN MELODY / CHORD PROGRESSION (horn stabs) = 00:08 ~ til repeat @ 00:56 c) COUNTERMELODY / HARMONY (legato horns) = 00:21 ~ til repeat Presented in "Venom Base 1 & 3 [SNES]" source track -- d) FALLING/RISING STRING RUN = 00:00 - 00:05 e) MAIN MELODY / CHORD PROG (horn stabs) = 00:06 ~ til repeat @ 00:30 f) COUNTERMELODY / HARMONY (moar, *shorter horn stabs [marcato notation/articulation??]) = 00:09 @ til repeat Presented in "Venom Base, Level 2 [SNES]" source track -- g) BEGINNING STABS = 00:00 - 00:03 h) MAIN MELODY / ARPS (i) = 00:09 ~ 00:31 i) MELODY (ii) = 00:32 ~ til repeat @ 00:44 --- Examples of where they occur in 'V I R U L E N T' -- INTRO: 00:00 - 00:27 = modified version of VENOM (b) source chord progression, which is lacking the horn stabs, but is the chords themselves, split amongst the soft, Asian flutes and horns panned hard to either side and bouncing/phasing in-between throughout the segment; INTRO: starting @ 00:28 ~ = the chimes and bells play a modified version of VENOM (b)'s horn stabs, just with the notes playing at slightly different intervals of the beat (delayed); INTRO: starting @ 00:55 = direct declaration of VENOM (b)'s first few bars; 01:21 - 02:15 = simply plays VENOM [N64], in full, beat for beat with the exception of any flourishes and improv in the additional backing synths, and slight chord progression adjustments; 02:16 - 02:27 = Kestrel & Chromatic play with synth choir VENOM (c), then it returns to form after (their leitmotif is repeated in the outro of the remix, to correlate the song together, and for cohesion; 02:52 - 02:58 = Venom Base 1 & 3 (d) is played by the bells/chimes; running arp riser underneath it simulates parts of Venom Base, Level 2 (g); you can also hear the beginning of the Venom 2 (g) part when the sitar starts to play again; 02:59 - 03:25 = live strings play a modified / transformative version of VENOM (b); sitar & bells, (with the beats) continue the Venom Base motifs (1/3 e & f, and 2 h & i); 03:32 - 03:39 = direct declaration of VENOM (a); 03:40 - END = repeats aspects of the intro and source usage of VENOM (b) & (c). Games & Sources STARFOX 64 Original Soundtrack; Track 20 - VENOM; Artist(s): Hajime Wakai and Koji Kondo; Release Date: 17 October 1997; Label: Pony Canyon; Catalogue Number: PCCG-00421 STARFOX (SNES) Original Soundtrack; Track 16 - Venom Base 1, 3 & Track 13 - Venom Base 2; Artist(s): Hajime Hirasawa and Norimasa "Kisho" Yamanaka; Release Date: 1993/1994; Label: Argonaut & Nintendo

Artist Name: The Vodoú Queen DONE FOR CNDR'S FIRE EMBLEM - 35TH ANNIVERSARY ALBUM *CO-CONSPIRATORS* tibonev - electric & rhythm guitars Ridley Snipes - additional drums, percs, backing pads & synths -- Time to take a page from some of my favorite 80s Rock & Synthwave groups, and do up something neat for my first ever Fire Emblem remix, (and no, it certainly won't be the last). :D Trying to currently think of something deep, meaningful and thought-provoking to say about this piece, (and I'm usually *very* verbose), but. . .I think this time, I'll let the track speak for itself. ;) The only thing I'll go into detail about really is the fact that the major references and influences for this track were songs from groups like Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, New Order, and Depeche Mode, which I really wanted to instill into my own style and take on a couple of my favorite sources from the mobile game Fire Emblem Heroes. "Howling Gears" is the normal map BGM from Book V of the series, and "Niðavellir’s Shout" is the theme that served as the intro music for the chapter's movie / in-game cinematic, and also functions as the theme for certain bosses / Tempest Trial events related to the Niðavellir realm. It's not my first rodeo with arranging in the New Wave / Synthwave genre sphere, but as usual, I wanted to hone my skills in those fields, as they're probably pretty high on my list of the core genres of music I super enjoy. :) Also, FWIW, the reasoning behind so much of the ear candy throughout the remix being gears grinding, steam hissing, coils winding and what sounds like hammer-fall is because I wanted to tie it back to the sources, (Howling Gears in particular utilizes very mechanical foley in its track), and due to the lore behind Book V, which has your Heroes trying to fight to liberate a dwarven race (the people of the appropriately named Niðavellir, same realm of the dwarves from Norse myth -- which the entire game centers around) from the villainous Jötnar (giants). The dwarf Heroes you recruit and soldiers you fight against frequently ride around in what's essentially steam-powered mech-suits that function like cavalier units' horses, but they literally sit in them and pilot them like Gundams. Pretty cool concept for a Fire Emblem game, having science and tech be retro-future steampunk-style, and I defo wanted to mesh that feeling with the overall vibe of my synthwave sound design and palette. Otherwise, I don't have much to say for my process of *how* I made this, just that I did so with love, and wanted to take up the challenge and mantle of putting the spotlight on the fabulous OST from a lesser known / popular game of the Fire Emblem franchise. I only played it and collected the characters for a brief time, (a couple of years on and off at best, as Gacha games aren't really my cuppa), but the soundtrack for it is fire. Big special thanks to everyone who helped give this one feedback along the journey or collaborated with me on this track, and to Treyt for originally helping me transcribe the track sources into MIDI! Tibonev was my wing-man on this, and his enthusiasm for the direction of this remix I had in mind and we executed together was infectious, and Ridley, as always, was an inspiration with his help on the initial steps and path to glory. I appreciate everything y'all have done to help this along, and thank you CNDR and pixelseph for your votes of confidence the whole way through. ♥ -- *SOURCE BREAKDOWN* "Howling Gears" [Main Source]: A Section (Intro > Beginning-Point) = 00:00 - 00:48 B Section (Breakdown > Mid-Point) = 00:49 - 01:22 C Section (Ending > Repeat Point) = 01:23 - 01:55 "Niðavellir’s Shout" [Secondary Source]: A Section (Intro > Beginning-Point) = 00:00 - 00:24 B Section (Breakdown > Mid-Point) = 00:25 - 00:48 C Section (Ending > Repeat Point) = 00:49 - 01:04 'W A R C R Y': Starts off with the main melody of Howling Gears A, that is present in the source track @ 00:17, accompanied by a slightly modified version of the arp from Howling Gears B present in the source track @ 00:49. 00:36 utilizes Howling Gears A's countermelodic/harmony parts that starts in the source track @ 00:16/17, (the part being played by the very grunge-y, dirty guitar riffs and chugs). 00:52 introduces the bass structure from the Howling Gears source track, present from 00:01. 00:00 - 02:30 = basically runs through Howling Gears' A Section, and the break @ 02:30/31 introduces its B Section. Niðavellir’s Shout (A) makes its appearance interlaced with Howling Gears B, (the scratchy synth & wailing guitar riff/melody from the beginning of the source track), played by a low humming bass and pulsing pad. ~ 02:35 - 03:07 = Howling Gears B's arps and falling string runs are the ear candy of this section, backing Niðavellir’s Shout's B section, played by the panned synths in this section. 03:08 - 04:27 = guitar melody plays Howling Gears C, slightly modified and with some new content / chord progression; some of the backing synths (e.g. the gated synth stabs) uses Niðavellir’s Shout C Section backing elements (00:49 of the source track), and the guitar changes-up @ 03:40 to follow Niðavellir’s Shout (C) melodic motif before the drop and continuing with Howling Gears C. 04:32 - END = gets a lil' funky on the transformation / re-interpretation side of things, but it reprises the beginning of the track, (back to Howling Gears A), but this time with a special guest appearance as a change-up from the intro's countermelody and harmony. ;) Bass and rhythm maintains the structure and feel of Howling Gears A. EDIT (6/28): VQ provided a more detailed arrangement breakdown. -LT **FURTHER SOURCE BREAKDOWN**: Presented in "Howling Gears" source track -- a) BASS (i) = 00:01 - 00:49 b) BASS (ii) = 00:49 - 01:20 c) BASS (iii) = 01:23 - 01:55 ~ [to repeat] d) SUPERSAW SYNTH / STRINGS = 00:17 - 00:31 e) GUITAR CHUGS = 00:33 - 00:48 f) FALLING CHORDS & ARPS = 00:49 - 01:20 g) GUITAR RIFFING (appears on and off between) = 00:51 ~ 01:20 h) HIGH OCTAVE SYNTH = 01:23 - 01:55 Presented in "Niðavellir’s Shout" source track -- j) HEAVY METAL RHYTHM GUITAR & ITS BACKING ARP = 00:01 - 00:24 ~ [to repeat] k) LEAD SYNTH / MELODY (i) = 00:24 - 00:48 l) LEAD SYNTH / BELLS (ii) = 00:49 - 01:03 ~ [to repeat] Hidden source material, "Shout" by Tears for Fears -- m) TRIANGLES & COWBELLS = 00:01 - 00:11 ~ [whole song] n) LEAD MELODY / CHORUS LINE FOR SINGING / CHORDS = 00:10 - 00:50; 00:50 - 01:30 ~ [whole song] o) ARP / STABS = 01:30 - 01:50 ~ [whole song] --- Examples of where they occur in 'W A R C R Y' -- a) 00:52 - 01:10; 01:12 - 01:50; 01:51 - 02:30 [dotted note bass & sequenced bass] b) 02:35 - 03:09; 03:10 - 03:48 [long note, low octave humming bass & mid-range pads] c) 03:49 - 04:28 [orchestral string section holding the backing chords / harmony] d) 00:33 - 01:12; 01:53 - 02:30 [arpy synth that fades in as a filter sweep; continues on as a background countermelody with the panning sequenced chimes that go with tibonev's guitars before the big drop and change-up, and then as his guitars and the chiptune / Famisynth leads] e) 01:14 - 01:51 [tibonev's forward guitar strums] f) 02:30 - 03:09 [arp on auto-pan / phasing] g) 00:33 - 01:51; 02:50 - 03:09 [Ridley's pulsing saw layers & the shakers / percs in the background, that sound like hissing steam] h) 03:10 - 04:28 [straight just tibonev's lovely guitar playing, along with some synth guitars as layers for it] j) 00:02 - 00:32 [my pad chords + Ridley's additional backing layers, e.g. the glittery arps] k) 02:50 - 03:09 [the weird juno-type keys & keyclick organ that are hard-panned L/R and switch with each other every 4-8 beats & the 'falling' glissando runs] l) 03:19 - 03:48 [Ridley's hushed synth is based from this part of the source, but ran in double-time; also occurs with different synths in the previous bridge section (e.g. the change-up in the long note pads & drone sounds) and periodically throughout the track] m) 04:34 - 04:52 [panning cowbell] n) 04:32 - 05:11; 05:12 - END [filter swept bell keys & guitar strums/plucks mimic the verse & chorus melody lines from "Shout"; pop city keys/organ plays "Shout" chords] o) 04:34 - END [Ridley's saw/reese stabs (modified with some splicing to match "Shout"'s arp stabs)] Hope this helps identify where parts of these sources are in the track. :) Games & Sources FIRE EMBLEM HEROES; Disc 2, Track 23 - Howling Gears & Track 25 - Niðavellir’s Shout; Artist(s): Hiroki Morishita et al; Release Date: 31 Aug 2022; Label: Intelligence Systems (Nintendo) & Pony Canyon Inc.

Artist Name: Craig Jackson Underneath the cozy melodies lies the quiet grind of village life. Gentle acoustic guitars and soft vocals reveal the emotional labor of building a home and community, turning the lighthearted theme into a heartfelt reflection. Games & Sources Animal Crossing - Title

Artist Name: Craig Jackson The stage is set, the tension palpable. Synth-driven rock pulses through the theme, giving the menu’s iconic energy a cinematic, almost combative weight, reflecting the high stakes behind the battles. Games & Sources Super Smash Bros Melee - Menu

Artist Name: Craig Jackson Grooves meet banana-induced chaos in this jazz-funk adventure. Smooth rhythms and syncopated instrumentation reveal the emotional aftermath of barrel-laden escapades, mixing humor with a touch of melancholy. Games & Sources Donkey Kong Country - Title

Artist Name: Craig Jackson Slippy’s rookie anxieties come alive over driving pop-rock beats. Guitar riffs and energetic rhythms capture the thrill and fear of interstellar missions, turning heroism into relatable vulnerability. Games & Sources Star Fox - Corneria

Artist Name: Craig Jackson This pop-rock reinterpretation highlights the evolving journeys of trainers and Pokémon alike. Bright guitars and catchy hooks underscore the tension of battles and the bittersweet nature of adventure. Games & Sources Pokémon Red/Blue - Title

Artist Name: Craig Jackson Upbeat punk energy masks Kirby’s inner conflict. Jagged riffs and frenetic drums reframe the whimsical theme into a story of identity and personal struggle, giving the pink hero unexpected angst. Games & Sources Kirby's Dream Land - Green Greens

Artist Name: Craig Jackson Luigi’s shadows take the spotlight in this smooth R&B spin. Soulful melodies and gentle grooves explore the overlooked hero’s insecurities, turning playful hauntings into emotional depth. Games & Sources Luigi's Mansion - Mansion (Luigi Humming - High Health)

Artist Name: Craig Jackson High-speed heartbreak meets nostalgic 90s rock. Driving guitars and soaring choruses capture the loneliness and adrenaline of F-Zero’s racers, blending speed with the quiet ache of retirement. Games & Sources F-Zero - Big Blue

Artist Name: Craig Jackson Samus emerges from the visor in this sweeping orchestral ballad. Powerful strings and cinematic swells reveal the humanity behind the armored hero, elevating the classic theme into a story of resilience and introspection. Games & Sources Super Metroid - Samus Aran's Theme