Liontamer   Judges ⚖️

What's with the vocal modulation at :18? OK, well that's odd, but we'll move forward. Still strong stuff, and the vocals sound more focused, but I'm also not the one needing to be convinced. YES

Original Decision Contact Information Cyril the Wolf Connor Pelkey https://cyrilthewolf.com 14582 Submission Information Chrono Cross Scar's Worn by Time CHRONO CROSS ~Scars Left By Time~ I've been wanting to do a version of this tune for awhile now, but there's so many takes on this song I just couldn't figure it out. Eventually though I was trying to figure out what songs I wanted to perform for a set at MAGFest when I realized you could do an acoustic arrangement fairly convincingly and cover *most* of the parts. I did perform it live in that manner since it was just me and a guitar at MAGFest, but I wanted to get BOMBASTIC to really measure up to the original for the recording. I elected to fore-go extra strings and things and keep it pretty simple so the parts that were there could shine. This was also submitted to the Dwelling of Duels contest for January/December as well and I'm proud of how well everything clicked. Additional: I learned a lot about vocal arranging from Brad (prophetik) who's detailed feedback helped a lot. We ended up connecting on some tuning assistance because while I'm not tone deaf - I think to an extent because it was my own voice and I was focused on different things like Timbre at the time that the pitch just didn't connect. The feedback about the mix was very pointed - this goes to show that you can iterate even if you feel like a project is mostly finished. I admit I was experimenting with a different method of drum mixing but ultimately decided that I'd go back to what gave me great results in the past. Please enjoy screaming vocals responsibly. Lyrics: The memories are flowing fast They're too fine for me Sands of time wearing away what walls that I had built So I let you in But Time was never meant for us It merely wanted our tears as we bear its scars... We pay the price of those who came before We pray that we won't be the same Devoured by the ones who sealed our fate Our world is just a frozen flame When all of the dew dries Ending the morning Do we condemn nature because nothing ever lasts? Cerulean our skies No sign of a warning We sighed at the future and just lived in our past When all of our dreams die Who is in mourning? We cry for the future but can't forgive our past

:00-1:55.5, 1:56.75-2:00, 2:08.75-2:12.25, 2:20.5-2:23.75, 3:01.75-3:07.5, 3:20.5-3:23.5, 3:32.75-3:34.25, 3:35.75-3:55, 3:56.75-4:19.75, 4:23.75-4:24.75, 4:26.75-4:36.5, 4:38.75-4:42.5 = 192.75 seconds or 64.25% overt source usage Loved the sound design from the start; opens with a booming presense, industrial overtones, and lots of impact. Soundscape gets cramped and crunchy, but I'm OK with it, as I can make out the part-wrtiting well enough. Guitar at 1:35 was also a nice touch. Bowed strings from 2:00-2:24 were way too exposed. A little earlier on, they also didn't sound good, but were more of a background player, so it wasn't nearly as noticable. Piano chords at 2:24 also felt kind of blocky. Cello from 2:38-2:43 was quiet, but also very fake/mechanical sounding. Those were all smaller things going on that weren't tanking this, just would have been nice to address. 2:23 did take a turn where the soundscape started getting crunchy and distorted until 2:48. Very subtle thing, but from 2:00-2:24, there was a subtle grinding noise in the background that I really appreciated; the way it was quietly placed and how it was positioned in the soundfield is something 99% of listeners wouldn't have noticed, but it caught my ear and was a nice touch. Nice energy from the guitar coming back at 2:47. The bell arpeggio at 3:34 was indeed "beautiful", as described. Thanks a lot for the source usage breakdown, which was helpful. Very clever and creative references to the three source tunes throughout, and a very dynamic arrangement. These NOs are the definition of lunacy. I could see complaining about some crunchiness (I pointed out the same thing), but it adds character and I can make out the individual parts well enough. None of the panning bothered me, and I'm usually someone that get fixated on that. Asking for another pass at the mixing misses the forest for the trees. This arrangement's strong, the sound design is creative, these production flaws are minor; I don't want to reject something like this where significantly more is right than wrong. YES EDIT (11/24): Just noting that I've heard the updated version and appreciate the revisions. Piano at 2:24's still too blocky. To me, getting rid of the crunch now makes it too squeaky clean. I was fine with the first version, so my vote remains the same.

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Cool SFX to kick the piece off, and I liked the delicate chromatic percussion first used at :27, which was a nice touch and great as part of the introductory segments. The arrangement's over the line, so I'll go into the issues. The bowed strings are way in the uncanny valley; extended sustains like the ones at 1:07 or "bow movements" like the ones at 2:05, 2:34, and especially 3:50 & 4:22 sound bad if you're focusing on them. Same with the rigid sound of this General MIDI-esque piano at :14 and 1:13, it's woefully thin and exposed enough where I'm thankful it's a backing part instead of being a lead anywhere in this. I wish I could say the same for the strings. Anything that could have raised the sound quality of the strings or piano beyond WIP/mock-up level would have been welcome. Good sound design otherwise. The electric guitar soloing at 3:18 sounded nice, followed by more aggressive electric guitar from 3:28-3:53 that was so well performed. The guitar and percussion writing sounds a lot stronger, so kudos to those parts really filling up the textures nicely. The bass writing was good, but often didn't cut through enough, so while the frequencies were nicely filled in by the bass, more distinct-sounding notes would have improved the texture, IMO. The piano and strings are disappointing, but the overall product is strong enough, so while I'd personally love another pass at this, I'm not going to hold it back; it's still a fun, dynamic arrangement, with quite the interpretive treatment! YES

Man oh man, this source tune is cool as fuck, I love it! I'm insanely glad I heard this theme. Yeehaw! Arrangement opens up super conservatively with some personalization, so we'll see if it branches off. Ah, here we go at :48, excellent. Great example of staying very melodically conservative, leaning into everything that makes the source tune fun, and seeing how different instrumentation and textures can help it stand apart from the original. EDIT (12/3): Listened to the revised mix, didn't notice anything different. (Sammich is still back!) McRIB is BACK!

Arrangement's handled in a clever and cerebral way, so I timed it out to make sure I wasn't just in love with the musicianship, since it's nailing the synthwave aesthetic. The track was 4:35-long, so I needed to identify the source tune in play for at least 137.5 seconds for the source tune to be considered dominant in the arrangement. :28.5-:37.5, :40.75-:51.25, :52.75-1:03, 1:05.5-1:08.5, 1:13-1:19, 1:21.5-1:25, 1:35.5-1:44.25, 1:47.75-1:58.75, 1:59.75-2:09.75, 2:12.25-2:14.75, 2:21.5-2:36, 2:38.5-2:52.75, 2:57-3:03, 3:05.75-3:09.5, 3:19.5-3:27.75, 3:32-3:42, 3:44-3:54.75, 3:56.75-3:59.75, 4:03.75-4:10.25, 4:12.5-4:15.75 = 154.25 seconds or 56.09% overt source usage Could be other connections I'm overlooking, but I just needed to satisfy finding more than 50%. Absolutely love Natalie's vocal performance, and Jorrith's instrumentation is just awesome. It's missing high-end sharpness, but it also sounds like it's off an 80s cassette on my old Walkman, so I can't find any fault with that. Nitpick Lucas's sax all y'all want, it sounds awesome; definitely channels the Midnight vibe very, very well. Truly inspired and tremendous! YES

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Soundscape sounds lossy, and I don't like the buzziness starting at :46 from one of the lines that's brought in. The core beat that takes over at 1:01 & 3:04 was boring to me, but it only lasted a few measures each time, so I'll move on. The synths do have that old school Euro flavor to them, so if you told me this was featured on Remix.Kwed.Org back in the day, I'd take it at face value. Just picking nits here; the overall interpretation and mixing both are solid, so there's no reason to hold it back. YES

Agreed with prophetik that there could have been other moments of dynamic contrast here with either a break from the vocals or more textural changes, though the shifts from sung vocals to spoken do provide contrast. To me, the flow's jaunty, the arrangement's still transformative enough, and the vocal performance is solid, along with the production and mixing. Nice to have bass writing with some presense as well; it was more just boomy without much attack, but it still helps fill out the soundfield well, so I'm OK with it. Disappointed that there was no real ending; just fashioning a more definitive conclusion with a few more seconds -- for example, with the mallet percussion -- would have capped this well. Nice team-up by Colorado & Sébastien! YES

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Main ReMixer name: TheManPF (User ID: 35318) Additional artists: evilsonic; Ronin Op F; Zach Chapman; Ian Martyn; Newmajoe Submission: Game: Cuphead Name of arrangement: Rib Eye Rodeo Songs arranged: High-Noon Hoopla (https://youtu.be/w3ReqY8-QQU) Original composer: Kristofer Maddigan System: Windows; Xbox One; MacOS; Nintendo Switch; Playstation 4 Year: 2017 Comments: Hell yeah we're doing Cuphead AGAIN, this time from the DLC, and the track I meant in my last submission as my actual favorite from the whole soundtrack. This arrangement was done as part of the Wild West month in Dwelling of Duels in June 2023, and got 1st place out of 25 tracks (my first gold!!). The arrangement itself is very faithful, High-Noon Hoopla is already a very high-energy country song with lots of noodling, so I got a bunch of my buddies on board to rock hard on all of our instruments and bring the energy of the source up to 11. This one is more country rock, with a few changes in instrumentation (sax, melodica, distorted guitars, acoustic guitars) and a bunch of new solos and slightly different structure. Really, it's more of an excuse to get a bunch of very talented people to do what they do best. Here in the team is evilsonic, who actually took a load off my shoulders and was in charge of the mix this time, he also played all of the acoustic guitar AND a slide guitar solo. Ronin Op F did all of the insane violin playing in this track, seriously, it might be the hardest violin line he has ever played. He also of course improvised his own violin solo. Zach Chapman played all of the bass, as he always does in my tracks. Ian Martyn played piano, including, of course, a piano solo, as well as providing some YODELING that you hear in the intro and middle of the track. Newmajoe added a bunch of stuff including sax solos, melodica embellishments, and extra vocal flairs. I did the usual, arrangement, electric guitars, sequencing, no mixing this time, but I like to think of this one as a very group-focused effort, we like to call this group "Insane Cup Posse".

ReMixer name: Zach Action Real name: Zach Herrmann Email: UserID: 30456 Game: Chrono Trigger Name: "Strain On You Insane Diamond" Source: Strains of Insanity / Confusing Melody I know everything there is to know about FFVI (within reason) and was always hesitant to even start Chrono Trigger out of fear and anxiety of knowing NOTHING about it. In the last couple of years, I did indeed pick it up (only to never finish it) and I remember being immediately struck by this odd song in Magus' castle. I attempted a Nine Inch Nails-ish remix of it, in the style of Reznor's more ambient instrumentals, but it was incredibly boring. After all, the source music is about as short and vanilla as you can get: a constant Bb bass drone (duplicated in a high register as well), alternating diads of C#/Ab and Eb/Bb, and the occasional "laugh." I don't really remember what took this remix in the Pink Floyd "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" direction, but, if nothing else, what perfect titles to blend together! This remix is basically blending the constraints and basics of "Strains of Insanity" with a condensed reinterpretation of Parts I-III of the Pink Floyd song. There are just a couple of times in the middle section where the chord changes to Eb for change and effect. Otherwise, the song lives on the Bb root note and the alternating diads, with the occasional guitar "laugh" (I'm really pleased with how the laugh sounds in the third section). There are no real melody or theory connections to the Pink Floyd song; only the instrumentation and the overall SOUND. I suppose this submission may lead to some interesting discussions on source usage due to its addition of different melodies, but the source material has NO melody to speak of, and this remix retains all of the structure, chords, and mood of the original. I look forward to the judges' responses! (and to the eventual posting of my approved FFVI track!)

Link link to song (wav) Contact Information Your ReMixer name(s): colorado weeks, Aeroprism Your real name(s): Colorado Orpilla-Weeks, Sébastien Your email address(es): hello@coloradoweeks.io, aeroprism@gmail.com Your website(s): coloradoweeks.io (colorado weeks), nekoprism.com (Aeroprism) Your userid (number, not name) on our forums, found by viewing your forum profile: 37659 (colorado weeks), 35780 (Aeroprism) Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy IX Name of arrangement: Salut Voisin! Name of individual song(s) arranged: Welcome to Our Town (Final Fantasy IV) and Not Alone (Final Fantasy IX) Additional information about game including composer, system, etc. (if it has not yet been added to the site) Link to the original soundtrack (if it is not one of the sound archives already available on the site) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPrel8i7RV8 (Welcome to Our Town) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ob36mdEV_w (Not Alone) Comments: Salut, mes voisins! This was our entry for the final round of Game Set Mash 1. This piece was a mashup of "Welcome to Our Town" from FFIV and "Not Alone" from FFIX. Because one of the sources was a town theme, we decided to pay tribute to Fred Rogers' and Johnny Costa's work on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Prior to the beginning of the round, colorado initially had their heart set on writing a "joke" track. As the round and the song continued to progress we found that what we had written went in a completely different (sincere) direction. colorado weeks did the arrangement, and Aeroprism performed the vocals. The lyrics were initially written in English by colorado, but Aeroprism graciously translated them into French for some chansonnier flair. We hope you enjoy! Lyrics (French with Aeroprism's English Translation): Verse 1: Salut voisin, comment vas-tu? Ça fait si longtemps qu’on s’est croisés Ton visage me manque depuis un moment Je me demande où sont passées, toutes ces années Hello neighbor. How are you? It’s been so long since we passed each other I missed your face for a while now I wonder where all those years have gone Verse 2: Salut voisin, comment vas-tu? Étais-tu parti à l’aventure? On dirait que maintenant, tu es si fort, Racontes-moi ce qui te donne si fière allure Hello neighbor, how are you? Were you gone on an adventure? It looks like you’re so strong now Tell me what gives you such a proud look Pre-chorus: Même si on ne s’est pas si souvent vus Tu n’en resteras pas moins un ami très cher Even if we didn’t meet very often You’ll nonetheless remain a dear friend Chorus: Peu importe où tu vas Peu importe le chemin que tu suivras Ici sera toujours chez toi Voisin je suis avec toi Oui, voisin je suis avec toi No matter where you go No matter what path you follow This will always be your home Neighbor, I am with you Yes, neighbor I am with you Verse 3: Salut voisin comment vas-tu? Je sais que les voyages peuvent être durs Tu peux te reposer un moment Il ne faut pas repartir si tu n’es pas sûr. Hello neighbor, how are you? I know that journeys can be hard You can rest for a while You should not leave if you’re not ready. Pre-chorus: Même s’il y a la guerre ou le mauvais temps Mon ami pour toi j’aurai toujours un moment Even if there’s war or just bad weather My friend for you I will always have a moment Interlude (Spoken): Grâce à toi, chaque jour est unique, enrichi de ta présence Il n’y a qu’une personne au monde exactement comme toi, et c’est toi! Et les gens peuvent t’aimer simplement comme tu es Je suis toujours content de te voir voisin, à bientôt. Because of you, each day is unique, enriched by your presence There’s only one person in the world exactly like you, and that’s you! and people can like you simply the way you are. I’m always happy to see you neighbor, see you soon! Pre-chorus: Maintenant tu dois continuer ton voyage Je serai toujours ici pour toi, mon ami Now you must continue your travels I will always be right here for you, my friend Chorus: Peu importe où tu vas Peu importe le chemin que tu suivras Ici sera toujours chez toi Voisin je suis avec toi Oui, voisin je suis avec toi No matter where you go No matter what path you follow This will always be your home Neighbor, I am with you Yes, neighbor I am with you Last Chorus: C’est le moment de ton départ Je suis si fier de te voir grandir À ta prochaine visite viens me voir Cher voisin je suis avec toi Oui, voisin je suis avec toi It is time for you to leave I am so proud to see you grow On your next visit come see me Dear neighbor I am with you Yes, neighbor I am with you

Download link: Contact Information ReMixer name: T.O. Bassett Real name: Teo Bassett E-mail address: Website: https://www.youtube.com/@TOBassett Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: Undertale Name of arrangement: Moving Out Name of individual song(s) arranged: Heartache, Fallen Down Link to the original soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xflkF-sqNaM Your own comments about the mix: This is part of a full orchestral/progressive rock reimagining of the Undertale soundtrack that I wrote over the course of five years. It was going to be released by Materia Collective as part of the game's five-year anniversary, but the plans fell through due to Covid-19, so I ended up releasing it separately later. For Heartache, I wanted to take full advantage of the orchestra medium that I was focusing on to write something that sounds very powerful without introducing any extraneous instruments; the album is divided into suites encompassing the main areas of the game, and I wrote the suite focused on the Ruins to be focused on pure orchestra with some influences from anime and classic RPG games, to reflect how the game is still lulling the player into believing that they're playing a conventional RPG at this stage of the story, before varying the formula much more wildly later in the album, in the parts where the game really starts to make clear what it really is. Specific influences include Joe Hisaishi, Nobuo Uematsu, Marty O'Donnell, Shinji Miyazaki, Nightwish, and Tarja Turunen's album "The Shadow Self". The structure mostly follows the original composition, but I had specific artistic intent with each section. It opens with a tense buildup leading directly in from my arrangement of "Home", hinting at the main ostinato with the harp and string sections before revealing it in full with the bassoon. I shortened this part a bit for the version that I'm sending to you, as most of it only really makes sense if you're listening to it directly after Home. I kept the "fakeout" partial introduction of the main melody and subsequent second buildup from the original soundtrack, because I felt like it was a great reflection of both the human and Toriel being reluctant to fight before actually doing so. I had a lot of fun with the drums and percussion during the bridge at 1:37 (as well as the rest of the arrangement), and you can hear me playing around a lot with different types of legato articulations at the same point, because I was so happy to have a string library with those capabilities. The piano solo from 2:20 to 3:07 is actually the main melody and accompanying piano parts played in reverse (without actually reversing the audio), with some embellishments to give it a bit more structure and melodical sense. I did this to represent a pivotal point of the story and gameplay integration, if you excuse the spoiler: I've witnessed many players who hadn't yet figured out that they don't have to kill anything by the time that they fight Toriel end up killing her and feeling guilty about it, then reloading their save to try again without killing her. The game even acknowledges you doing this. So the reversed piano melody represents the player "going backwards" by reloading their save to fix their mistake. This is followed by a reprisal of the initial buildup, with more driving percussion to emphasis the feeling of determination to "do it right, this time". After this is the main melody only through the strings, mostly because I just loved how the strings sounded and wanted to give them a chance to show off on their own. Then follows the final chorus to end the fight, bringing the full orchestra back in. This is, finally, followed by a short excerpt of "Fallen Down", as plays in the scene directly after the pacifist end of the fight where Toriel hugs the human before leaving. I wanted to represent this scene to end out the entire suite, because it feels like an important moment of character development for Toriel, to me.

Contact Information Your ReMixer name: Bryan EL Your real name: Bryan EL Your email address: Your website(s): www.bryanel.com Your userid: 34748 Submission Information Link to remix: Name of game arranged: Sonic the Hedgehog Name of arrangement: Industrial Dystopia Name of song arranged: Scrap Brain Zone Original composer: Yuzo Koshiro (Game Gear / Master System) Link to the original soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSUZZXGbipc&t This has always been one of my favorite game soundtracks from my youth. I tried to reimagine the original melody in a slower but more powerful trance genre while keeping the retro vibe of the sound.

RebeccaETripp Rebecca Tripp https://www.youtube.com/@RebeccaETripp/videos ID: 48262 Game(s): Skyward Sword, Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, A Link Between Worlds, Oracle of Seasons, Minish Cap, Twilight Princess Song Title: Sun and Mist Songs Remixed: Faron Woods (SS), Lost Woods (LttP), Minish Woods (MC), Sacred Grove (TP), Lost Woods (OoT), Tarm Ruins (OoS), Lost Woods (ALBW), Forest Temple (OoT) Here's a link to the whole medley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh0I9rmeEyU Here's a link to the file: This Legend of Zelda forest medley is my gift to you all! It contains most of the forest and woods themes from the LoZ series. I had the help of three amazing performers in this arrangement, including Gamer of the Winds on flute and piccolo, Medlix on oboe, and Steven Higbee on ocarina. I highly recommend checking out their channels, as they've all produced many beautiful tracks! Here are links to their works: https://www.youtube.com/c/GameroftheWinds/videos https://www.youtube.com/c/Medllix/videos https://www.youtube.com/c/StevenHigbee/videos From YouTube: 6:44 Faron Woods (SS) 8:11 Lost Woods (LttP) 9:20 Minish Woods (MC) 9:54 Sacred Grove (TP) 10:10 Saria's Song (OoT) 10:54 Tarm Ruins (OoS) 12:00 Deeper into the Lost Woods (ALBW) 12:50 Forest Temple (OoT)

Your ReMixer name : Vylent (formerly Silent Ice) Your real name: Darryl Cummings Your email address: Your website(s): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfPwY-HjR-f-UV8cCZyG6qQ Your userid: 23989 Name of game(s) arranged - Street Fighter 6 Name of arrangement : Psycho Businessman Name of individual song(s) arranged : JP's Theme - The Plunderer Additional information about game including composer, system, etc. : (Capcom Sound Team for the album, Yoshiya Terayama for the track) (PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox Series X/S) Link to the original soundtrack (https://vgmdb.net/album/131185) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMZq8Ycgo6U Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, how the source material was referenced in the arrangement, etc. Capcom had been releasing character themes as part of their marketing up to the release of Street Fighter 6 and upon hearing JP's theme, I thought to challenge myself on producing an arrangement I was proud of in a day's time. Psycho Businessman is a short and admittedly simple rendition of some of the melodies heard in the original theme (with an emphasis around what is heard at the bass drop of the original) along with some of my own interpretations of the character's energy. I wanted to invoke the feel of a regal businessman who exudes video game Boss energy.

We're evaluating the English version, but all versions of the arrangement are included for reference. Would need a real title if approved. -LT Hi I'm Basic Bronze Sonic (real name: Nathan Armstrong), and I would like to submit my remix of Pangu Lagoon 1 from Freedom Planet (2014) Sorry if I do something wrong, this is my first time submitting a song onto OC ReMix Tracks: English - Instrumental - Spanish - Japanese - (If you want to keep it to one YouTube upload, upload the English version) Business email: Personal email: Name for arrangement: Pangu Lagoon 1 Remix Name of song remixed: Pangu Lagoon 1 Game of origin: Freedom Planet (2014) Original composers: Woofle, Strife, and Dawn Michelle Bennett My website: Forum: 38765-basic-bronze-sonic My YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/@basicbronzesonic My personal comment on the remix: A remix (vocals and all) of one of the best songs to come out of Freedom Planet! (sequel game has way better music though) The vocals are easy and the songs an absolute bop, it's the one song that feels like it came from a game separate from Freedom Planet. (which I absolutely enjoy) Anyways hope you enjoy the remix of Pangu Lagoon 1

Sean Tartaglia SRW Alpha/OG1/OGs Timbre and Its Changes Time Diver Takuya Hanaoka (as a member of Salamander Factory) (He wrote the original Alpha version, which was arranged a few times after that, so to cover my bases I'm providing all three available versions) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7eWeCaKQ-0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUcPcSpTBFA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXrJgMGMOIo (The version that led me to write this arrangement was the GBA OG1 version, but I think they're all close enough to each other they might as well all be credited, since I tend to think of them all as the same track in the end.) ________ This one was a spur of the moment decision that I needed to just put out quick (I started on the 14th and finalized everything by the 19th, spending the rest of the time double checking the mix :p). I was dumping MIDI sequences from the GBA games and I was taken with a certain quality of the opening of the track that came off differently compared to the OGs and Alpha versions I'm more used to. Years ago I played the dreamcast version of Alpha (with the godforsaken loadtimes on EVERY SINGLE BATTLE ANIMATION) on original hardware, and I played OGs the moment I could emulate PS2 games (I wasn't modding a ps2 back then), so when I thought about all of the versions, I realized that I hadn't bothered playing the original GBA games for more than 15 years at this point. Not that they're bad, but the older handhelds are harder to sit through these days, especially so for OG1/2 after we recently just got the PS2 OGs ENG fan translation (which I'm replaying alongside the great translation we finally got for W). Because of this, I wanted to go back and see how they sequenced a lot of these tracks in the GBA comparison to the original versions of these tracks I knew well from the original versions, and I honestly really liked how this track was sequenced in the game. It was between this and Fallen White Angel, Excellen's theme, since both have earworm openings, but I had a very strong idea of what I wanted to do with Time Diver, whereas my initial thoughts with the other were a bit too close to the OGs arrangement. Basically, once something enters my head, it sticks with me until I exorcise it by making it happen. If that was too much already, when it comes to talking about what I write, I'm long winded, bear with me here. Part of this track's reason for existing is just conceit. I really wanted to start cutting my teeth with FM and FM adjacent synth, and this allowed for me a place to work with it; after all, why wouldn't a time dive sound like FM? Around the last few months I was listening to a lot of the FM VERTEX compilations, because one of my favorite vgm composers, Toshiya Yamanaka, contributed tracks (among others... Yack. is on there, of course, but Masahiro Kajihara's track, "Pathos," is incredibly good, as is Saori Kobayashi's "Golden Blvd. 1992" on vol. II), and it brought me back to that sound I always wanted to work with, but never had the synth knowledge to really do, especially since FM is a notoriously finicky method, with the standout music being associated with "specialist" composer-programmers (Ryu Umemoto, Tim Follin, etc.) It's not full FM, there's certain sounds I want that I can't quite get with either FM or subtractive synthesis alone—at least with my current skillset—which is where I use Xenfont's subtractive synthesis to combine some soundfonts made from FM synthesis and shape the sound to a certain thing I want, then layer it with FM patches for a final effect. Maybe it's more like an arcade game where I can make use of FM and PCM than something like the Genesis where I'm limited by memory. I used Xen-FMTS 2 and Xenfont for everything. Owing to their intended use for experimental and microtonal music, I get more complex and interesting timbres from these in comparison to other FM synthesizers through being able to alter tunings and having the option to emphasize certain partials over others. All the leads and chorus guitar are built from samples mixed via xenfont, which I treat like a poor man's D-50. For the leads I chose this method over FM because twisting soundfonts into new sounds via ring modulation deteriorates the signal quality, creating very interesting sounds comprised of wild transients and disintegrating waveforms. Layering two different types of sounds like this also leads to different registers having completely different timbral and tonal qualities; for example, a lead might have a thin, nasaly wasp tone around C5, but above C6 it might start to break up and produce unstable bell tones that have no sustain. When you layer two leads and the upper one has these properties, then all of these qualities cause it to weave in and out of the harmonic texture in what I think is an interesting way. Pads are purely FM, and bass is a mix of both methods, but the the drums are the most complex, layering both types, as well as raw samples, in six parts. Two general midi drum kits (power and dance) were combined together, run through ring modulation, and filtered to get that ping-pongy sound. These form the upper layer, sitting above Alesis HR-16 samples, which I mostly use for the kicks, closed hats, and sidestick. The fourth, fifth and sixth are metallic tones that replicate cymbals, which, due to the complex operator algorithms and tonal modulation of tunings in Xen-FMTS 2, allows for a variety of ride, bell, and splash tones by mixing various timbres found via various pitch parameters, and they can even be used as inharmonic pads. All of these are separated prior to being sent to their FX channel, where I crush the signal to get a sound akin to sampling drums on a yamaha chip, though with a bit more memory space. Aside from some slight reverb and delay, I wanted to do all on board FX for these, since the Xen synths have robust chorus and flanging options that work better with the final sounds than exterior FX plugins, which seem to muddy the mix more... though that's most likely more due to my limited mixing prowess. I've written computer/MIDI music before, but I consider that much different, since we tend to work with samples and sounds that, to some degree, attempt to replicate instruments or voices; however, this sort of music where we work with new, synthesized sounds, and all of the ways you can manipulate them throughout the process of composition, arrangement and mixing, is new for me. I've been working on these patches for a few months, using MIDI tracks as testbeds, basically treating it like running them through a rompler up until now, and while I'll probably keep tweaking them, I think they're doing the job here. Perhaps I got a bit too carried away with the portamento, but I wanted to try to recreate certain qualities I liked about Watanabe's leads in Border Down and Senko no Ronde, while focusing on the qualities I like in a tone, namely accentuating of the airiness of the higher harmonic partials, as well as dense, complex harmonic textures. Hopefully those qualities are apparent in the leads, and I was successful there, at the very least. Anyway, some comments on the work itself: The melodic line is pretty much all that I kept from the original track. The harmonic content is similar, but most of what accompanies the line is new. Sometimes if I'm working with something, I like to get the score itself and work with the material as is, like you would when arranging a piece of music for a different instrumentation, but here, because the entirety of the track was already in my head after years of listening to it, I sang it and transcribed that. That keeps the core material the same, but alters the interpretation of it, like in the study, practice, and performance of any piece of music. Michael Finnissy likes to talk about that distinction between arrangement and transcription, where the assumption of the musical material into one's head and then putting it back out creates something new, distinct from what it was... in essence, the same material, but in a new form, like in the opera transcriptions of Liszt or Chopin, where they write in response to the listening to, and their memory of, the music in performance. It makes all the difference in the end. The original is pretty brisk—the MIDI sequence I dumped from the GBA version clocks in at around 140bpm—but when I reinterpreted it, the melody felt a bit more languid... a bit more forlorn (if I were to imply something about Ingram as a character). The result sits at around 127-128bpm, but features sections where the time lowers to around 119. It's a bit more bittersweet than the aggression found in the original. Perhaps because of this, for some reason, in the reinterpretation it felt like going straight to that chorus section was too soon, so I ended up altering the form from the opening riff-verse-prechorus-chorus-opening riff-verse-prechorus-chorus... of the original track with a opening-verse-break-verse-prechorus-chorus-outro The longer opening and break add what I think is more tension to the track, and fits well with the slower, moodier quality of the melody. The opening itself has different notes, but retains the same F#-E-F# motif, so despite being different, you should be able to identify it. Again, the melody is the same, with certain rhythmic alterations and some extra ornamentation added. Overall, when I really look back at it, it just feels like it should work this way, with the chorus being used as the climax of the track itself, especially since the track isn't looping (though you can loop the outro back into the verse sections very easily). I actually was a bit concerned about this initially, because I felt like not repeating after the chorus, yet repeating the verses twice, was only really working with half of the composition; however, the verse is my favorite part of the original track—I love how the profile of that line flows—and the chorus is more like a resolution of it to me, so I decided this structure was best for my own personal interpretation; though, it's not really up for me to say if it worked in the end. Often you're too emotionally or philosophically or mechanically invested in something to the point that you tend to not see if it was actually a success or not, and that's when it comes down to someone one else to determine it. As always, we'll see later... I'm happy to have done my part. As for the name, I'm not good with track names, so there's an Exivious reference there I guess.

Belltone at :09 & :20 that accented things sounded off-key, so I was wondering if that meant more stuff would be iffy later; I'd say it comes off enough like a sound needing to be tuned with the rest of the music that you should change it. The claps at :41 were too dry and upfront, and the sequencing was feeling too stiff, particularly the strings at 1:13. I did like the personalization of the theme though, this just needs more fluidity. Same with the guitar at 1:34, it's just too stiff and exposed. Agreed with prophetik that the ending felt too abrupt. This is fair and pretty much where I fell on this. Great personalization ideas, just needs more polish, with a lot of more minor things adding up rather than any singular glaring problems. If you can humanize some of the timings and fashion a genuine ending, that would go the longest toward tightening this up, but, provided you still have the source files and the desire, please see what you can do about everything that's been critiqued. Good base here, Damon! NO (resubmit)

Not gonna belabor the point. Great combination of the themes, with FF9 taking the lead. Loads of dynamic contrast through the instrumentation and textural changes. Strings in the first half felt a bit behind, but not in a way that dinged the piece or made anything questionable. Strong stuff for the compo! YES

Speedy lil' thing, this one; hoping that means lots of substance is packed into the short runtime, since the intro until :47 felt repetitive. Soundscape was also on the dry side (just an observation, rather than an issue). After the redux of the main verse at :59, I was disappointed to just hear the melody play through several more times with only some minor ornamentation and doubling going on; it's not feeling like a substantial enough transformation. Basically an ABABA format, but once you get to :59, you've effectively heard the whole piece, so the development's too limited. The additions to the textures were subtle enough that they didn't make a meaningful difference in the presentation. If the source files are still available, consider adding more to the textures or changing the instrumentation from verse to verse, or getting more interpretive and/or varied with the composition of the melody and chrous. There are loads of ways you can further develop this piece without feeling like you're drastically overhauling it, and, provided you weren't uninterested in revisiting this, I trust your abilities to handle it. It's got a good energy to it, Spad3s, and it's great to hear from you again! NO (resubmit)

Man, there ain't nothin' to this theme. OK, it's a mood loop, cool; should make identifying the source usage a cakewalk. Also makes it easy to see where this arrangement pivots, which I assume will be Rebecca adding herbs and spices. /listens Yep, cool! I wished the bowed strings were more melodious rather than tense, but that's just a personal taste thing. I also wonder why the soundscape sounds muddier than expected, not that the mixing was a dealbreaker issue. Otherwise, this is cool. Good personalized instrumentation and more textural evolution than the source tune. I enjoyed the second half more as it felt more playful and varied, and I do hear the SimCity influence. I enjoyed! YES