Liontamer

The main issue I had with the previous version was the overall texture sounding puny; thankfully, this has been adequately filled out. Even with some relatively simple writing for the beat patterns, they now fill up the background better. I still had the same criticisms on the lossy sound, and the voice clips feeling disconnected from the track, but the arrangement's strong enough to carry this. Would have liked for this to sound sharper, but re-balancing some of the more problematic instrument combinations and beefing up the soundscape were enough to nudge this over the line. YES

The piece isn't poor, but the piano sample lacks realism and body, which made the higher notes in particular sound very flat with blocky timing. The arrangement -- while having performance flourishes that personalized it and moved in the right direction -- didn't sound like it had much interpretation beyond adapting it to piano, IMO. That doesn't necessarily mean doing dramatically different things with the themes, but this could use more melodic interpretation and/or more changes with the tempo, rhythms, and use of grace notes, since this was so melodically straightforward. The transition at 3:12 was sudden, but it was a purposeful shift and it's over before you can linger on it; not a big deal for me, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't at least worth pointing out. This was well in the right direction, the production in particular needs an additional level of polish. When you have a one-instrument piece, the sound quality should be on point. The arrangement needs further personalization to help it stand apart more distinctly from the source tunes, at least to me, but just focusing on making this performance sound more like a real piano could be enough to put it over the top. NO (resubmit)

It'll be soon.

The connection to the source tune was pretty straightforward, so I'm not what the problem would be there, but overall I'm agreed with the others, particularly on Gario with regards to the solemn church imagery. I liked the instrumentation, but MW's right that the strings were majorly exposed and unrealistic-sounding, and the overall static nature of the arrangement means it doesn't sustain interest this long as a standalone piece. As BGM though, it's phenomenal. I didn't mind the volume jump as much, but I see how it could be viewed by others as off-putting. More clarity in the soundscape, better execution of the strings, and more variation/dynamic contrast are needed to seal the deal here, but this was a solid start. I hope you're willing to go back to this and provide more variation, Connor, but no matter what, you showed promise here, and I hope we hear from you again with more subs! NO (resubmit)

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

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

I remember listening to the original version back when you first submitted it, so it's good to hear you back with a more fleshed-out version. I like the harpsichord opening transitioning into the familar theme. Not sure why the soundscape is so lossy-sounding though; when the lead comes in at :40, it sounds like there's no high end to it. The exposed voice cameo at 1:00 was odd, and seemingly had no purpose to it, but better to be bold with ideas, since I'm hearing a lot of fun sounds sprinkled throughout (including the voices later on). Really odd then having the soundscape suddenly become very sharp at upfront at 1:36; didn't make any sense compared with the previous section. The beats from 1:36-2:45 & 2:53-3:28 were too flimsy and barebones, especially during the more fast-paced areas (1:56 & 2:13), so it's unfortunate the backing writing didn't fill out the soundscape enough. That's a shame, because while the synths and sounds used upfront were fairly generic, they were used in creative ways. It's not enough to constantly be morphing and changing the textures (which was a strong positive here), you just need more sophisticated and/or fuller-sounding textures. The clicking from 3:28-4:30 was too loud & upfront, which distracted and detracted from the otherwise-creative orchestral & synth combinations you were using. Not trying to be insulting in any way, but I'm really not sure why you would think that clicking wasn't just crowding out more important elements; see whatever works better with either pulling this back or removing it entirely. Nice slowdown at 4:30 going to the close, including the droning sound that you combined with the organ. There's a lot of positives in terms of evolving these textures, so props on the creative approach to arranging this theme. If you can improve the beat-writing, and then re-balance 3:28-4:40 section, the execution would be more consistant and cohesive. Making the section at :40 not sound so lossy, or at least creating a legit transition from lossy to sharp around 1:36 would also be a nice touch. Very promising so far though, Forest. Even if you don't get passed with this arrangement, the potential is there for either another revision of this one, or a different piece. Definitely don't be discouraged, you're moving well in the right direction. NO (resubmit)

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

NP with that change.

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

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

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

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

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

OC ReMix Presents Super Mario RPG: Window to the Stars! January 31, 2017 Contact: press@ocremix.org FAIRFAX, VA... OverClocked ReMix today released its 61st free community arrangement album, Super Mario RPG: Window to the Stars. The album pays tribute to Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, released in 1996 for the SNES, a unique collaboration between Nintendo and Square which blended gameplay from both the Mario and Final Fantasy series. Featuring 34 tracks from 29 artists, Window to the Stars is directed by OC ReMixers Dustin "Theory of N" Lagaly & Emery "DaMonz" Monzerol, and is available for free download at http://smrpg.ocremix.org. Window to the Stars includes a diverse group of musicians honoring composer Yoko Shimomura's fun and upbeat soundtrack (inspired by original works from Koji Kondo and Nobuo Uematsu) in a variety of styles, including chiptune, bluegrass, klezmer, metal, EDM, orchestral, and more. Window to the Stars was made by fans, for fans, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo or Square Enix; all original compositions are copyright their respective owners. "I feel that this tribute to the brilliance of Yoko Shimomura, Koji Kondo, and Nobuo Uematsu does the soundtrack justice," director Dustin Lagaly affirmed. "With nearly every track rearranged across 3 discs, the album as a whole portrays a sort of reimagining of the journey taken in the game itself." The album's artwork was designed by a pair of Montréal-based artists: game developer Kristoffer Soucy, who also created the Wii U platformer Shuttle Rush, with tweaks by Roxanne Chartrand. "Getting this project done was one big adventure for us," remarked Emery "DaMonz" Monzerol, who steered Window to the Stars to completion as co-director. "I hope listening to it all will be a big adventure for you all as well. Happy listening!" Window to the Stars also marks OC ReMix's third Mario series album, following 2015's Super Cartography Bros., which focused on EDM arrangements of Mario map themes, and 2014's Portrait of a Plumber, which tributed the Nintendo 64's pioneering launch title, Super Mario 64. About OverClocked ReMix Founded in 1999, OverClocked ReMix is an organization dedicated to the appreciation and promotion of video game music as an art form. Its primary focus is ocremix.org, a website featuring thousands of free fan arrangements, information on game music and composers, resources for aspiring artists, and a thriving community of video game music fans. ### Preview it: http://youtu.be/FF6uamDXbfo Download it: http://smrpg.ocremix.org Torrent: http://bt.ocremix.org/torrents/Super_Mario_RPG_-_Window_to_the_Stars.torrent Comments/Reviews: http://ocremix.org/community/topic/45157-

Preview Window to the Stars: http://youtu.be/FF6uamDXbfo Download Window to the Stars: http://smrpg.ocremix.org Torrent: http://bt.ocremix.org/torrents/Super_Mario_RPG_-_Window_to_the_Stars.torrent Seven years after having joined the OC ReMix community, I was becoming increasingly distraught that there had not yet been an attempt at a remix album for what is, in my opinion, the greatest game of all time. I eventually decided to take matters into my own hands and create what would eventually become Window to the Stars. While not the easiest undertaking by any stretch of the imagination, I feel that this tribute to the brilliance of Yoko Shimomura, Koji Kondo, and Nobuo Uematsu does the soundtrack justice. With nearly every track rearranged across 3 discs, the album as a whole portrays a sort of reimagining of the journey taken in the game itself. Of course, this project would not be what it is today without a great deal of help. Big thanks to both the artists and fans who have been waiting patiently throughout this sometimes-not-too-clear development. IT'S FINALLY HERE! A second thanks to the artists who worked on the album not only for their incredible talent and timeliness, but also for dealing with Emery and my pestering over the last 4 years. You da real MVPs. Thanks to Yoko Shimomura for her incredible ability to create emotive works, even through beeps and boops. Also to Koji Kondo and Nobuo Uematsu for creating the initial atmosphere in the Mario series and Final Fantasy series, respectively, that would serve as the foundation for many pieces in Super Mario RPG. And finally, a VERY special thanks to Emery for all of his work on this album. There was a time I thought I'd have to drop the project and that caused much distress in my life, but Emery stepped in to help pick up the slack and saved me and the album. It's safe to say this album would not be complete today and it most definitely wouldn't be of the caliber it is without his help. I've said it to you many times in private conversations but, again, thank you so much for everything you've done. Ultimately, all this work would be for nothing without you, the people listening to this music. I hope this album brings you as much joy as it does for me. Enjoy, friends! - Dustin Lagaly (Theory of N) Okay, so let me make sure we're all on the same page here: Super Mario RPG is one of the greatest masterpieces of classic video games. Anyone who hasn't played it should get that fixed ASAP. And the rest of you already know why that game is so good. With that out of the way, I would like to say that my history with this project wasn't the most straightforward path. I started with simply claiming and remixing the final battle music of the game. At that point, the project was still far from completion, so I contacted Dustin and asked if I could help in any way. So, with his consent, I started sending out messages to the other remixers to try and get the ball rolling some more. And then, one thing led to another, and here I am! I'm really grateful to Dustin for letting me help with directing the project, for the highs and lows anyone should expect from a project of that scale, for the teamwork, and for making the project happen in the first place. I'm also very grateful to all of the musicians and to the visual artists for providing all the great content this project has to offer, and for enduring my (most probably obnoxious) constant badgering. And, of course, where would this project be without the original composers Yoko Shimomura, Koji Kondo, and Nobuo Uematsu, towards all of whom I hold the highest admiration. Their music has shaped a huge part of my childhood, and has provided the world with a gorgeous demonstration of human expression. As for this here project, we have decided to highlight both the complexity of the original soundtrack by covering most of its extent, and the variety of musical styles and moods that is achievable by the remixing community. The three discs (Exploration, Confrontation, and Celebration) give a quite self-explanatory progression to the album that, I believe, should provide you with a satisfyingly wide array of emotions to re-enact the original game's mood on a nicely crafted musical scene. Getting this project done was one big adventure for us, and I hope listening to it all will be a big adventure for you all as well. Happy listening! - Emery Monzerol (DaMonz)

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

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

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

The opening melodic lead is pretty lonely. That backing synth (:00-:41) sounded very nice, but should have been bumped up in volume and filled up the soundfield more. Oof, super generic synth lead at :41 that sounded very static. Same at 1:29, pretty weak melodic synth with some default effects that doesn't have much character. The beats at 1:58 were very thin overall, despite the kick being loud. You're going for dynamic contrast with how the backing instrumentation changes up, but because nothing had power or complexity, and the beatwork just plods along, the dynamic curve sounds a lot flatter than the writing means for it to be. Well, the arrangement approach is creative, but the synth design's generic in a lot of places, and everything sounds very barebones. Without even reading the other two votes first, I had the same issues with how static and empty this sounded. Good start here, Hans-Kristian, but hit our Workshop forums for advice on this one; the synth design needs to sound more sophisticated and your textures needs to be more varied and fleshed out. NO

Agreed with the others. You have a cool evolution concept, Leonardo, with interesting changes in the instrumentation. But until things filled out at 1:39, the soundscape was just empty and the writing was barren. I agreed with Gario that just because the sounds were throwback ones didn't mean it needed to sound so skeletal in texture. Also, because the timing was very robotic, the energy felt very stilted and static throughout, which basically made it a NO-go even if the song were approached with more complexity. You don't even have to get too wild with it, but there are lots of chiptune songs with more motion and rhythm than this, for example from Strider and James Bond Jr. NO

The build all the way into the melody at 2:14 basically was an extended arrangement of the opening 6-note pattern that plays 3 times in the source before the melody kicks in; not something I immediately recognized (since I judged this without reading the sub letter beforehand), but appreciated once I made the connection. And with that connection there, there was no need to timestamp the source usage, since it was essentially always in play. Watch for detail work like the bow movements (particularly 1:12) cutting abruptly. There were also lots of faint click/pops that made it into the render (e.g. 4:05, 4:23, 4:28), which wasn't a huge deal and were usually drowned out, but I did notice them. The production quality was otherwise solid relatively to the bar. The sound should have been a bit cleaner/clearer, but the muddiness wasn't a dealbreaker; it may have been a purposeful choice to give the orchestra some depth, but it could have been pulled back some. Very smart arrangement, Slimy, and great concept; this was a beautiful approach. YES

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

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

This meandered some and was somewhat cramped, but otherwise I didn't have anything else to criticize. Congrats on giving a theme like "Groan" very different sound design that set it apart from the original, and the original Akuma theme usage fit comfortably here as well. Keep 'em coming, Ruku! YES