Liontamer   Judges ⚖️

Artist Name: minusworld This was my submission for Dwelling of Duels' 20th Anniversary (Sept. 2023). I was originally planning something very different but a key collaborator had to back out, so I pivoted quickly and, in the interest of trying to make something special for the 20th, decided to go full mad scientist on this entry. Obviously this track is inspired by Mick Gordon's DOOM soundtracks, but I was limited on time and didn't watch any "How to mix like..." videos, instead opting to spend time doing a bunch of weird experiments with effects and plugins. It's not exactly like DOOM, but I think it ended up having its own *ahem* flare *ahem* that I like. :) I'm really happy with the guitar sound, which is a 7 string pitch shifted down an octave before running through any other effects. Initial effect chain was: Guitar -> Pitch Down Octave -> Darkglass 7k -> amp sim at low gain. In the mix I blended in guitar DI signals through a clean amp sim to help add clarity. The synth lead is three instances of Massive stacked with different presets into copious amounts of saturation and distortion. NI's Kinetic Metal provided a lot of the ambient sounds, often augmented with a bitcrush or comb filter effect. Wavesfactory's SnareBuzz added some extra noise on top of various pads. OTT was used liberally on the drums and bass, along with copious amounts of the Analog Obsession compressors, particularly FETish and dbComp. TDR's Koletnikov also makes many appearances on busses. Occasionally I ran a softsynth through an amp sim--that's the big crunch in the beginning before the real guitars kick in. Some glitch effects were done with an effect called FRACTURE. Airwindows plugins are sprinkled throughout, often doing who knows what! Slew2, SubTight, OrbitKick, Inflamer, Sweeten, Tape, and more make appearances. Arrangement-wise, I learned something called "kishotenketsu" from Joe Newman (aka newmajoe) which is a narrative structure consisting of introduction, development, twist, and conclusion. Joe uses it as an arrangement tool sometimes, and I followed it for this track and liked the result. This track is arranged: Airship theme (ABA'), Airship theme ambient variation, Koopa Kid Battle, Airship theme again (BA). Games & Sources Super Mario Bros. 3 - Airship - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TO0N4KxzPE Super Mario Bros. 3 - Koopa Kid Battle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03gX-re5C9g

The world cannot have enough Aquatic Ambiance covers (especially funky ones like this Mining Melancholy one). I hope you guys do Aquatic Ambiance down the line! :-D @Ridley Snipes

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

Holy shit, this track... This may come across like an insult, like invoking another artist is somehow an unfair comparison -- I feel like if we had asked J Damashii to contribute and arrange this track for Impact of Iwata, he could have made this. I hold J and his musicianship in the highest regard, so I actually mean this as a massive compliment. And for those thinking "But his tracks are so wild", he's totally capable of dialing it back. What an amazing job, everyone, CNDR especially. Wes, I owe you an apology. I wasn't really familiar with your game. YES

Very cool transformation of the theme, including playing with the rhythms, to give it a whole new character. 1:59 definitely had that "bad boy" energy, like some white teen band guys trying to flash some ice or whatever the kids say these days. That's tough. Love it, bois! :-D YES

Artist: Kuri I really wanted to make a Lo-fi-ish, chill beat using music from one of my favorite games of all time: Bravely Default. After listening to a bunch of tracks from the game, I found that these two tracks really meshed well together. Florem's theme especially is a beautiful track, but I feel Bravely Default as a whole has a sound track that is under appreciated. To make this track, I used two themes from the 3DS RPG, Bravely Default: Bravely Default - The Fascinating Flower Country (Florem Theme) Composed by REVO Bravely Default - Eternity's Moment (Menu Theme) Composed by REVO

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

Nice belltones to open this up. Definitely didn't like that exposed piano sample at :47; wish that had a richer sound and better humanization. It at least fit better at 1:38 when you had the soundscape padded and filled out with other instrumentation. The ending section at 3:53 had that same blocky piano sound (booooo). Same issue with the bowed string articulations at 2:02; they're OK, certainly meet the bar, but the fakeness of the note changes are too exposed and would drag things down further if it was this apparent the whole way through. Jesús's performance was on point as always. Loved the writing when things downshifted at 3:18; the string writing together with the Irish whistle were gorgeous. Sample crits aside, a good cinematic expansion of the Rena theme! Feels like Zack's got another movie cue ready for whenever an OVA or film comes out. :-) YES

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

A lo-fi bop? OK, I like what I'm hearing. Subtle thing, but nice job varying the tone of the beats so that they didn't feel repetitive. I also dug the sound design at 1:45 with the lil' twinkle sprinkles. Why was "Forest Haven" listed here? I couldn't ID it here, but wouldn't mind a timestamp. I did hear the Zelda theme at 1:46 though. In any case, nice and laid back, with solid sound design! YES

I do wish the timing was more fluid, because this has some live ToeJam & Earl-level groove potential that's not realized. I'm tilted more to the arrangement side of this, but this timing's gonna nag me, so I was glad some rapidity was added into the picture around 1:56 and especially after 2:36 to mitigate those flow issues. Alright, good stuff in that latter portion to seal the deal; strong arrangement! YES

I was the sole YES last time around, so we at least start with a tailwind. :-)

Original Decision Artists: Bluelighter, Bowlerhat, Dewey Newt, Ian Martyn Remixer name: Bluelighter (ID 21240); Bowlerhat (ID 30366); Dewey Newt (https://ocremix.org/artist/18034/dewey-newt); Ian Martyn (ID 35158) Real Name: Guillaume SAUMANDE; Jorik BERGMAN; Matthew MOORE; Ian MARTYN Game & Songs: Child of Light & Aurora ; Down to a Dusty Plain Composer: Cœur de Pirate Credits: Bluelighter : arrangement, mixing, piano Bowlerhat: flute Dewey Newt: trombone Ian Martyn: acoustic Guitar, acoustic bass, hand drum (bendir) Hi OCR! Here is a new version of my arrangement of Child of Light. My main adjustments are: Drum well reduced (notably snare) Rhythm at 2’25 deleted Review of EQ between bass and guitar. Low frequencies were a little confused. I hope it’s better now Better balance between instruments according to their role, in the foreground or in the background. More reverb on some instruments, notably drum or celesta at the beginning. Enjoy! Guillaume BREAKDOWN Part 1 : 0’00 -> Dusty plains 0 – 0’20 Part 2 : 0’50 -> Aurora 0 – 1’08 Part 3 : A 1’37 -> Dusty plains 0 – 1’00 B 2’00 -> Dusty plains 1’00 – 1’30 Part 4 : 2’30 -> Aurora 0 – 1’08 Part 5 : 2’40 -> Aurora 1’08 – 1’40 Part 6 : 3’08 -> Aurora 0 – 1’08 Child of Light & Aurora ; Down to a Dusty Plain

From Jorito: Alright, I guess listen to both versions, the link and the updated link, see what you like better. If needed, we can roll with the initial version if there's a consensus that the updated version isn't an improvement.

Artist: Zanezooked I’ve been a regular visitor to OCRemix since 2002. A significant portion of my music library comes from here. So it’s with some trepidation that I send my first submission. And not only am I daring to submit to OCRemix, but I also have the hubris to remix the great Michael Salvatori and Mr. Halo himself, Marty O’Donnell! “The Siege of Madrigal” is a piano piece by Michael Salvatori. It’s one of two simple but gorgeous melodies Salvatori composed “in the style of Marty” which Marty O’Donnell loved so much he integrated in multiple ways into the soundtracks of their respective games (the other is “Unforgotten” from Halo 2, which saw a return as “Never Forget” in Halo 3). Marty loved “The Siege of Madrigal” so much he even hid it inside Halo, so for many people it’s known as “the Halo Easter Egg Song.” I heard it in Myth, though, years before Halo, so I know it as the song that plays as the war-weary, anonymous narrator describes a last-chance plan to strike the armies of the Dark and their leader, the Fallen Lord Shiver, and break the siege that is strangling the city of Madrigal. Myth is a game about small, desperate battles fought by a single battalion on the fringes of a greater, losing war, so we don’t directly see what happens at Madrigal; the player spends the mission running a diversionary raid to try to draw some of the enemy away from the city. But in the following mission briefing we are told what happened: This sudden, unexpected victory in the face of certain defeat is what Tolkien would term a eucatastrophe. It captured my imagination. I tried to tell that story in this remix. We start with the Siege of Madrigal theme in piano in its original C major, but with the rising quartet of notes between phrases removed to make it more hesitant. The addition of harmonic high strings underlines the uncertainty. At 0:30 a solo cello picks up the theme. Marty O’Donnell made the low cello the featured instrument in Myth, so this seemed appropriate. (Also, I love the cello.) The rising quartet of notes is restored, making the theme a little more hopeful. At 0:59 we get a sweeping string statement of the Madrigal theme, but the peak of the melody is lowered from A to F, making it more somber and unresolved. At 1:28 the piano comes back along with high string tremolos, but instead of finishing the melodic phrase with a D, it modulates into an unresolved and uneasy D#, taking us into the key Db, while we also switch from 3/4 to 7/8 time. The next part represents the “dream duel” between Rabican and Shiver. What’s a dream duel? It’s never specified. I imagined each duelist attempting to invade the other’s mind and plant thoughts that undermine their strength and open them to attack. Shiver’s weakness was vanity, which seems strange for a 1000-year-old undead crone who looks the part. But she wasn’t always an undead crone. So perhaps Rabican’s strategy is to remind her of what she has lost. She may be immortal, but is it worth it if this is how she spends eternity? Rabican’s persistent attacks on Shiver’s psyche are represented by a male choir and a creepy, guttural chant in Irish, with Shiver’s thoughts are represented by a female choir also singing Irish. Irish names and words are often used in Myth, though not very accurately—more for flavor—so this seemed appropriate. I used Google Translate and then found an audio pronunciation for each word, and I’m sure I mangled it, and it’s not like it’s understandable anyway, but hey, it gave me something to work with, and I thought it was cool. At 1:31 the male chant begins: At 1:45 the low cello starts an aggressive, grinding ostinato. This is the "Great Library” theme from Myth II: Soulblighter, by Marty O’Donnell. At 2:01 the female choir sings a fast, 7/8 version of "Fallen Lords" theme from Myth: The Fallen Lords, by Marty O’Donnell: 2:22: the men’s choir rises ominously, doubled in horns to give their line punch as Rabican pushes the blade as deep as he can: 2:30 the women sing, 2:37 men and women sing together: The section builds to a frantic crescendo and then the clouds part at 2:56 as the Madrigal theme returns with its high A restored. The low cello is still prominent but now rhythmically supports the triumphant tone of the strings. At 3:23 we get a final, driving reprise of the theme in full glory, with horns and trombones taking the melody, a soaring counterpoint in the trumpets, and a bodhrán (Irish drum) pulling us forward. At 3:51 we end with a final statement of the Madrigal theme on cello and piano, made hopeful by borrowing a high sequence from the earlier trumpet counterpoint. There’s an image from Myth I was thinking of here, a soldier standing on a battlefield, arms spread, face to the opened heavens. The battle is won. Weariness and joy mingle like the rain. (Madrigal would be utterly destroyed months later. But don’t tell our soldier that.) I hope this is an enjoyable remix! Myth: The Fallen Lords The Siege of Madrigal, by Michael Salvatori The Fallen Lords, by Marty O'Donnell Myth II: Soulblighter The Great Library, by Marty O'Donnell

Not sure why the "Within the Giant" melody at :43 was pushed down, and I was going to complain about it, but then it had a nice contrast with its brighter, more upfront placement at 1:12, so I'm glad the intentional contrast was there. Soundscape when the beats were in play was muddy and cramped; things would sound clearer when the beats dropped out, so maybe it's something about the beats and bass kicks. Changeup in "Crazy Motorcycle" at 2:14 was kind of abrupt, but I see how there was a transition to it, so I'll live. Then more crunch and clutter at 2:29 (none of it due to the lead guitar, just the backing chugs). Cooler texture at 3:11 after things opened back up, then some really lame claps & beats from 3:26-3:40 that sounded too lossy and felt stapled on top, same as they did at :28. 4:40-4:57 had something panned mostly in the left ear that sounded like fluttering popping; very odd. Would love another mixing pass at this, because it's still lacks clarity/sharpness IMO, as well as some instrumentation tweaks, but the arrangement carries it vs. the production/mixing. Very cool combination of the themes, the ambitiousness definitely shows through. YES

We have the new version linked in the first post. @prophetik music @DarkSim See if the new mixing job changes your calls. :-)

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

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

Nice job giving this theme different surrounding textures to personalize the sound. Building beats and a bassline around it wasn't a direction I necessarily expected, but everything's airy & stylish while feeling low-key. YES

The intro took so long, I was like “where’s the theme???”, but it came in more overtly for me toward the end of the build, then the melody arrived at :58. Loved the way the textures constantly were messed around with, and dug the fun interpretation! :-) YES

Vocals aren’t my favorite, more because they’re mixed in a way that muds together with the instrumentation rather than standing out. But there’s the contrast of the sung vocals at 1:57 where things are more upfront, so that was good. Stylish, messy metal, full of power! :-) YES

Hooooooooooly shit! Funky, chippy, rockin’! Nice work, y’all! :-) YES

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

Takes a while to spin up, with the source finally arriving at :38; there's not much melodic interpretation, and while I like the soundscape, it's pretty muddy, though I get that there's intention behind it. I'd like to hear more variation/development of the core beat, because once you hear that thick kick pattern come in at 1:31, it's just on auto pilot. At 1:47, the soundscape got cramped and it felt like parts were clipping or distorting; again, it feels like there's intention behind it all, both the textures, the crunch, and the way things sound distant, but the musician Js may have some feedback on how to achieve a stronger sound, because what's here now sounds more like a lossy encoding rather than 100% an aesthetic, which I believe would be the goal. There was some original writing at 2:39 that was OK, but sounded kind of awkward. By 3:30, I felt like I was just hearing previous sections with just a little more intensity, then it quickly shifted into noise (not said in a perjorative way) for more of an SFX & effects-based finish that was interesting. This would have made it in ye olden days 20+ years ago, and I like the concept, Roemer; let's see what further polish you can add to improve the soundscape and vary up the feel of it post-1:31. NO (resubmit)