Liontamer

I didn't hear any obvious flubs, but that could be because I watched the updated performance video at: Had to say first that I don't like the piano sound here. Obviously, the keyboard doesn't have the resonance/release sounds of a genuine piano, but that uncanny valley with the lack of realism really stands out. In any case, the arrangement and performance more than carries it. YES

No need for source tune timestamping, since it's basically 100% source. Pretty straightforward coverage that could have gone more places but was still well-adapted for acoustic guitar, especially the dual lines going on. I liked hearing Hal attempt to adapt some of the more cyber-style writing of the original for guitar, e.g. 1:21-1:42 & 1:45/1:50, and would have enjoyed even more touches like that. Nonetheless, points for an unexpected non-electronic take on Snatcher, it's a pleasant surprise. YES

47.75-1:04, 1:10.25-2:04.5, 2:06.5-2:09, 2:10.5-2:33.5, 2:39.5-4:22.75, 4:39.5-7:36 The source tune was there in spades, so I won't add it all up since it clearly dominated the arrangement. The pipes at 1:55 and brass at 3:49 were so-so as far as realism and sounded a bit stilted but serviceable enough, and more importantly, mixed well into the soundscape to minimize the realism issues. The mood sometimes feels a little static, like with some of the mallet percussion, but the overall presentation is awesome. Emu's right in that no one's arranged "Aquatic Ambiance" this way, and it's a unique approach; not sure why there would even be pause for a vote just because the source tune is "over-mixed." The piece could be a little shorter without losing anything, especially since 3:39's section repeats at 5:53 (except filled out a little more), but it's a comfortable 7 1/2-minute listen that employs textural variations to keep the piece fresh. Nice work, Tom! YES

Wow, I didn't agree with you guys on the lack of source at all. :01-:37 - static-y line doing slower two-note pattern of source's opening vox line :37-:52 - melody added :52-1:09 - low strings doing slower two-note pattern of source's opening vox line 1:28-1:53.5 - lo-fi line doing source's melody, dropping in and out, but present enough for me to count 2:21-3:31 - source melody loud and clear 1:09-1:28 - mostly original material 1:53.5-2:21 lo-fi line doing source's melody, dropping in and out even more, not present enough for me to count What I'm counting - :01-1:09, 1:28-1:53.5 (quiet), 2:21-3:31 = 164.5 seconds or 76.86% overt source usage Just the melody - :37-:52, 1:28-1:53.5 (quiet), (1:44-2:21 - too quiet/phasing), 2:21-3:31 - 110.5 seconds or 51.63% invokes the source melody I didn't feel this was a case like Metroid "Lucre" where parts of the track using the source had the source so marginalized that I couldn't count it as dominant usage. This was a creepy, abstract presentation that transformed the mood of the source a lot, but used it pretty consistently. The two-note pattern is pretty simplistic, but that's how it's explicitly used in the source, so I don't have a problem with it at all. I strongly urge folks to reconsider these NOs, this is just way off the mark. YES

No, we don't accept arrangements of music created for pinball or pachinko machines. It's got to be from video games.

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My sentiments exactly. YES (borderline)

Ha, always love hearing the soundset of Dune: Spice Opera. Weird stuff that takes getting used to, including the one change in the melody that sounds "off" but is actually fine once you listen more than once. I disagreed with NutS on the arrangement; there's some repetition, yes, but the textures and leads of the melody subtly but constantly evolve, plus the way the Whiterun melody is handled was transformative in its own way via the new instrumentation changing the tone and mood of the song. Structurally similar doesn't mean it's an automatic NO on arrangement grounds, and that's not a concern for me here. This piece had a ton of ear candy, and the glitching starting at 1:45 was well-done as well. I didn't think the soundscape was too dry either; I don't doubt there could be some good adjustments made, but all of the parts had room to breathe, and I could hear everything in play. The jazz cameo at 4:29 was a pleasant surprise. Though the ending was a cutoff, it was fine to me. There could be some more pronounced dynamic contrast here, but what's here clicks. Again, it's an odd sound, so IMO this isn't something you can judge off of one listen. Let it play through two or three times and see if you think the pieces fall into place. YES

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Well, I had a full vote, but unfortunately lost it, so I'll just have to summarize it by agreeing with Deia. This is 85% of the way there, but the instrumentation needs to sound more realistic, particularly IMO the piano. You rock, Rebecca; definitely spend the time to tweak this and fully realize the potential of this otherwise-solid arrangement. NO (resubmit) EDIT (5/27): I realize that the overall instrumentation's purposefully delicate in many ways, but it comes off not sounding ideal. Some extra humanization and richness would have set this off even more. I've listened again several times, and -- though I'm still put off some by the piano feeling flimsy and fake, and other judges articulated more legitimate issues -- the issues all don't bother me as much when weighing it against the strength of the arrangement. YES (borderline)

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For the intro, the bass pattern derived from the Kid Icarus source was marginalized in the background in a way I wasn't quite feeling, but it was still audible if you were looking for it. Around 1:31 in particular, the looseness of the timing felt off. Some of the electrosynths used here weren't anything to write home about, and the dropoff at 1:49 felt so empty until 1:58. The performance arguably plods, and the timing won't be for everyone. On the whole though, the production sounded fine, and the various elements were distinctly heard. My main issue is on the repetitive, static nature of the arrangement. I didn't like how the guitar work from 2:24-2:41 & 3:47-4:05 was a cut-and-paste of :17-:39 with the chromatic percussion or bwomp chicka on top, followed by the pair of disco strings cameos, always the same exact intensity. I had the same cut-and-paste criticisms with 1:49-1:58 vs. 2:59-3:08 and more importantly 1:58-2:23 vs. 3:21-3:47 (then :57-1:14 vs. 4:05-4:17 is slightly different); some more meaningful variations there would have sounded like more development was done and made the structure seem like less of a formula. Everything's got such a distinct sound and energy level that the copy-pasta layout of the arrangement seem more lazy and obvious; it flattens the energy level and drags down interest. At 2:42, I feel like I've already heard all this coast at the same basic energy level and style, so there's not much going on afterward that isn't a rinse-and-repeat with some light additions on top for a bare minimum of variation. As far as the genre, Thomas, the interpretation is cool on that level, but there needs to be more extensive development of this concept. Right now, it's just attaching sections one after the other like they're Legos; maybe it technically gets the job done as far as song construction, but it lacks natural-sounding performance variations. NO

We do those in the actual site database now, which isn't visible to users yet. It's a work in progress.

Very blocky and thin piano sample opening things up. The synths brought in at :16 were generically produced, but I did like the glassy lead for the melody and the bassline sounded nice. I'm wondering why this is mixed so quietly, but we'll see if anything changes. Around 1:35, there was a rebuild with very subtle additions of new elements, but the overall groove felt very static until the change in pattern at 2:53; it's not poorly made, but there's just not much interest in this build as a listener, IMO. The phasing synth brought in at 2:38 sounded super generic and was just crowding out other elements, and I didn't enjoy when it took over as the lead at 2:53, as it sounded behind the beat. The "Stickerbush Symphony" cameo from 3:10-3:25 was an odd placement, but nothing inherently bad. It felt like 3:51 was a short cut-and-paste of 2:53 with some accents added, including "Stickerbush Symphony" coming in again as the track shifted to a dropoff. It's promising stuff so far, John, but unpolished. It's strange to hear a relatively varied arrangement sound so plodding; for example the relative energy level of the piece peaked at 2:38, and the densest sections with the phasing synths don't have the energy intended by the writing, while the beats & groove behind it were very plainly written. While Sir_NutS had great insight with the production criticisms, I'd like to see more about whether the execution of the arrangement clicks; for me, the interpretation is there, but the execution is not, at least not yet. For me, writing with more creative dynamic contrast and adding more energy to the arrangement would be the most important area to address. NO (resubmit)

Dunno when OCR got a reputation for being anti-repetition, when we have a lot of mixes with some manner of it. We're just against lazy and excessive repetition, usually when it involves minimal changes or (worse), the dreaded cut-and-paste.

Looks great!

EVIL REIGNS with BadAss: Boss Themes: Volume III!! March 8, 2016 Contact: press@ocremix.org FAIRFAX, VA... EVIL REIGNS SUPREME!! OverClocked ReMix today released its 56th arrangement album, BadAss: Boss Themes: Volume III. Directors Pieter "pu_freak" van Os & Alexandre "Chernabogue" Mourey returned for this third (and final?!?) volume of epic and twisted tributes to the villains gamers love to hate. The album features 20 eerie & adrenaline-pumping arrangements of boss themes from a deep catalog of games in dark styles and genres including industrial, orchestral, rock, solo piano, dubstep, and metal. BadAss: Volume III is available for free download at http://badass3.ocremix.org. This album series was made to show exactly how BadAss these antagonists are, and honor them with music befitting of their villainy. BadAss: Volume III was made by fans, for fans, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the publishers or developers of the original games; all original compositions are copyright their respective owners. "This time around, I wanted to change the genre and feel of the album a bit while still keeping it in line with expectations for a boss themes album, just like David L. Puga (director of BadAss: Volumes I and II) did with Volume II," explained director Pieter "pu_freak" van Os. "This means more orchestral influences (such as low choirs or strings) or more dissonance/eerie arrangements. And, man, did the artists deliver!" 23 artists from around the world collaborated on musical tributes to some of gaming's biggest (and smallest!) perpetrators, including: Albert Wesker (Resident Evil series) Big Bertha (Wild Guns) Colossi (Shadow of the Colossus) Dark Bowser (Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story) Dark Samus (Metroid Prime series) Deathevan (Breath of Fire II) Grahf (Xenogears) Kefka Palazzo (Final Fantasy VI) Koopalings (Super Mario World) Lavos (Chrono Trigger) Machinedramon (Digimon World) Mad Jack (Donkey Kong 64) Magus (Chrono Trigger) Metalhead (Vectorman) Molgera (The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker) Orbot Purple (Vectorman series) Rival (Pokémon Red Version) Slash (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III) Sturm (Advance Wars) Zeromus (Final Fantasy IV). BadAss: Volume III is OC ReMix's fourth album angled toward video game villains, and the third completely focused on the dark side of gaming history, continuing down the road paved by BadAss: Volume I and Volume II released in 2011 and 2013. "As with a good trilogy, the first one is to introduce people to the concept and vibe, the second part is the meanest and darkest one, and the final entry is the epic finale," van Os affirmed. "This album won't punch you in the face with the raw power that Volume II had, but rather attack you mentally, by conquering your soul with bombastic powerful songs and driving you insane with the twisted ones. You WILL feel evil after listening to this. Find you inner Darth Vader or your inner Dexter and enjoy the epic conclusion of the BadAss trilogy!" 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: Download it: http://badass3.ocremix.org Torrent: http://bt.ocremix.org/torrents/BadAss_-_Boss_Themes_-_Volume_III.torrent Comments/Reviews: http://ocremix.org/community/topic/42944-/

OK, so it turns out staff have special privs on that level. I do miss working with vBulletin code though. :'-(

Preview it: http://www.youtube.com/embed/UfzRXWnWxEM Download it: http://badass3.ocremix.org Torrent: http://bt.ocremix.org/torrents/BadAss_-_Boss_Themes_-_Volume_III.torrent Welcome to the beginning of the end! BadAss 3 is the final boss of the boss themes albums, so to say. Like the previous volumes, BadAss 3 consists of awesome renditions of various boss themes, from popular series such as Final Fantasy to more obscure games like Vectorman and Wild Guns. But make no mistake: this is not not BadAss 1 or 2. As with a good trilogy, the first one is to introduce people to the concept and vibe, the second part is the meanest and darkest one and the final entry is the epic finale. In Boss terms: BadAss 1 were the level bosses, BadAss 2 is the mean, tough-as-nails general you will have to defeat before you take take on the final mastermind: BadAss 3. This is also reflected in the vibe of the albums. BadAss 1 had general evil-sounding boss remixes, BadAss 2 had more of a focus on meaner, darker and grittier mixes, while this volume has epic orchestral rock or creepy mind-twisting remixes. This album won't punch you in the face with the raw power than Volume 2 had, but rather attack you mentally, by conquering your soul with bombastic powerful songs and driving you insane with the twisted ones. You WILL feel evil after listening to this. Find you inner Darth Vader or your inner Dexter and enjoy the epic conclusion of the (first?) BadAss trilogy! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And there it is, the final entry to the BadAss trilogy. After being assistant director of the first two volumes, I was now taking the helm as project director with Alex (Chernabogue) as my trusted assistant. Since I became the assistant director for BadAss 1 (after already being a ReMixer when it was still called Crescendo to Chaos under different management), I never stopped working for BadAss. The preparations for volume 2 started just before the first volume was released, and this volume was also being worked on before the release of BadAss 2. In other words, I've been busy with directing BadAss since May 2009 (and involved as a ReMixer since May 2006); it's been a part of my life for quite some time. Of course, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't enjoy it as much as I did! This time around, I wanted to change the genre and feel of the album a bit while still keeping it in line with expectations for a boss themes album, just like David L. Puga (director of BadAss: Volumes 1 and 2) did with volume 2. As I described it in the project thread at the OverClocked ReMix project forum: "Instead of gritty and mean as with BA2, Volume 3 will be more adrenaline-pumping, epic, and twisted. People should feel dark and evil when listening to this album. This could be done with epic and bombastic songs, but also with really creepy or twisted songs. This means more orchestral influences (such as low choirs or strings) or more dissonance/eerie arrangements." And, man, did the artists deliver! - Pieter van Os (pu_freak) I participated to the two first volumes of BadAss (one track on volume I, and the trailer for volume II), so I knew I had to do something for BA3. Pieter contacted me at the end of BA2 to help him finish the trilogy, and it was a true honor to co-direct another OCR album, with such a great team of remixers and staff members. This album also contains three new tracks from me, the biggest number I've done for any album yet! Thanks a lot to Pieter (pu_freak), Eino (evktalo), and Tim (timaeus222), plus to all the artists that participated. We are BadAss! - Alexandre Mourey (Chernabogue) When it came time for BadAss 3 to roll around, knowing it was going to be the last volume, I realized I had to really help it go out with a bang. Since it was the last volume, to me, it had to be as perfect as it can be. Seeing as how the theme was to be accomplished with epic, bombastic, creepy, or twisted atmospheres, I figured the production should also be pretty aggressive (usually), and that's where I come in. I was the mastering engineer for this album, first and foremost, but I was also willing to do the mixing for some people as well, so thank you to the people who were patient with me while I worked to mix their tracks both in the way that I would objectively be happy with and in the way that they had preferably envisioned in the end. In my humble opinion, I think that, out of all three volumes, Vol. 3 has some of the most talented and imaginative artists working together and making so many tracks that clicked nicely. I truly believe that the best of these artists' abilities was brought out during the refinement process. Even with the aggressive (or just full-sounding) final production, generally speaking for most of these tracks, I think the dynamics are still there to augment the creative, evocative, and/or immersive nature of these arrangements. It was a blast working closely on this with pu_freak and Chernabogue, and I hope to do something like this again in the future! ...Are you feeling BadAss? Will you strut like you mean it? ARE... YOU... READY?! *spazzes out* - Truong-Son Nguyen (timaeus222)

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