Liontamer   Judges ⚖️

"A Road Twice Traveled" Justin Lincoln www.kabukibear.com I'm sorry, I don't know my number. :X

The snare drums at 3:15 didn't quite fit, but that was a case where the texture had thinned out and exposed the sample more. Somewhat muddy/cramped, so I'd prefer another mixing pass, but the arrangement's strong enough no matter what, so I'm on board. Nice job squeezing so much juice out of this theme, Mauricio! YES

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Too many fundamental shortcomings. Like others mentioned, the track starts with 0 introduction or build-up, and the drum mixing is imbalanced. All of the sequenced parts sound stilted and the arrangement is underdeveloped and repetitive, certainly nothing justifying an extended cut. The track took too long to even get to the melodic portion, then once you got to 2:14, about a minute’s worth of loop went on for four for no reason. Would have loved some further variations, textural changes, or other arrangement techniques to be employed to help justify the length. Even if this were a brief cut, the way the samples are used lacks sophistication and humanization, and the arrangement ideas are too minimal. I’m sorry to not have positives to point out beyond the kudos for entering the arena, Jeremy; as a non-musician, I respect that you’ve made this piece happen. Without further compositional/arrangement ideas or production polish, however, this is very far from a developed concept, just something in the early work-in-progress stages. NO

Ow, my fuckin' head. :'-( JUST KIDDING, I'm fine. Short stuff, but good, intense sound design, and well varied. YES [ Ow, my fuckin' head!!!!!!!! :'-( ]

Hey there! I would like to submit a Zelda remix! Contact Information Your ReMixer name: bash explode Your real name: Jesse Your email address: Your website(s): https://bashexplode.com Your userid: 35060 Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Name of arrangement: Great Fairy's Tribulation Name of individual song(s) arranged: Great Fairy's Fountain 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. I started this remix out as a beat battle for a Twitch stream and produced up to the first drop in 2 hours. I thought it came out pretty awesome, so I decided to finish it. I've always loved The Legend of Zelda series and ALWAYS wanted to create a remix of a track from Ocarina of Time, so everything at that point fell into place. I did all of my own sound design for synth patches and composed via MIDI, then arranged it in a hybrid mix of genres combining Future UKG and Dubstep/Riddim, which I tend to do in a lot of my tracks. I chose this route because I wanted to do something a little more high energy than the original and what others have done in the past. I also fully mixed and mastered the track! I hope some of the Navi/Ganondorf/Link sample usage is okay, I checked the standards and it seemed like it met the criteria. Hope you enjoy!! Cheers, bash explode

Artist Name: jnWake Collabing artist: Jabo. So, about the arrangement. I made this for Dwelling of Duels' Final Fantasy month. When the month started I wanted to do something creative and/or obscure, but as soon as I sat down on my keyboards my hands took over and started playing the FFVII Boss theme and I was like "ok, we're gonna do this". After all, as much as I love trying to cover less known stuff, there's also value in taking a popular track and trying to make it your own. Initially, I was going to make this a synth-only cover of the track (to separate it from the usual guitar driven rock approach) and even wrote the entire arrangement like that, but DoD shenanigans led me to eventually recruit Jabo on guitars. We switched some leads from synth to guitar and added some rhytm guitars here and there, which honestly improved the track. It's not straight up metal all the time and instead switches from synth focus and standard metal, which gives it a somewhat unique flair IMO. Anyway, the track eventually placed #3. I got some feedback related to drum volume so I made some changes and that's what you hear now! Source usage: Original track is pretty varied, so I'll try to make a detailed explanation to make judging simpler! Original can be basically separated into 5 sections: A (0:00-0:24) B (0:24-0:41) C (0:41-0:52) D (0:53-1:04) E (1:04-end of loop) Now, for the remix: 0:00-0:30: Based on A. 0:30-0:40: Chord progression from A. 0:41-0:53: Arpeggios from B over different chords. 0:54-1:04: Variation over the second part of B. 1:04-1:32: Variations over A (Jabo snuck JENOVA's melody in here). 1:33-1:55: Solos over the chord progression of A. 1:55-2:18: Riff based on bass from C. 2:18-2:32: Lead from C over a different chord progression. 2:32-2:54: Based on D, changed chord progression again. 2:54-3:17: Main melody from E, changed chord progression again. My fave part of the arrangement! 3:17-3:54: Melody based on the backing strings from E. Ends with arpeggios, just like the original (different arpeggios tho). 3:54-end: Repeat of the intro. Hope you enjoy! Games & Sources: Game: Final Fantasy VII Source: "Fight On!" https://ocremix.org/song/130/fight-on YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_GUWdkJQgw

'Twas fast. Revised mix in the first post.

I had to turn this up a little louder than normal to hear the detail work here. When things kicked in at :13, the pacing felt stilted, but we'll see how this goes. Nice dropoff at :42, with a rebuild starting at :56. Things were still feeling relatively empty, and I feel like the bassline from :56-1:24, which had a great tone, was creating muddyness. I can appreciate the way it creates textural contrast with what comes before and after it though. Once that part dropped out at 1:24, the texture got much clearer. I'm liking the ornamentation throughout. Pratically a cut-and-paste of :28 at 2:06, just for 15 seconds before hitting the winddown finish mirroring the intro. It's going to sound like I'm saying this needs to be sped up to be at the original tune's tempo, but this feels too slow. Maybe increasing the tempo some could mitigate the stilted feel of the sequencing here. There's a lot of good details here, so I'm OK with this as is, but it does feel like the potential's not fully realized. YES (borderline)

Your ReMixer name: CJthemusicdude Your real name: CJ Cunningham Your email address: Your website: https://www.youtube.com/@CJTheMusicDude Your userid: 1149 Name of game(s) arranged: Sonic & Knuckles Name of arrangement: Ghost Touch Name of individual song(s) Sandopolis Zone Act 1 Link to the original soundtrack (if it is not one of the sound archives already available on the site): https://youtu.be/sT6POlmybPw Your own comments about the mix: I really like that crunchy genesis FM bass. I also like panning.

Nothing too complicated, but it's a nicely slowed down rendition with some nice ornamentation via the guitar, SFX, and voice clips. 1:42 was another iteration of the melody but a different key and with some doubling, followed by the chorus at 2:06 with some subtle differences. See, I don't need ZOMG drastic differences; subtle but meaningfully observable differences are more than enough to get it done re: arrangement development in my book, since the overall tempo, instrumentation, and tone of the source tune are markedly different. Low-key, but substantive enough of a treatment. The ending was POOOO because it ended relatively abruptly, but we'll live. Nice to hear a slower concept from Alexis that I don't have to ding for being too repetitive or underdeveloped. YES

Remixer: LXE Name: Alexis Gelinas Email: Website: instagram.com/lexadex_yo 38753 -- Earthbound Days Gone By Onett This one is a laid back lofi bop with bass synth, electric piano, mellotron, and backing guitar, and loads of ambience. I played this game a lot as a kid and this subtle reharm is nice and nostalgic I think.

This track came from the second round of Game Set Mash! Compo from the forums, run by Darkesword. On that particular week Final Fantasy 7 was matched against Final Fantasy 6. Tifa vs. Forever Rachel. I started working on this piece very quickly after the sources were revealed and ideas really flowed fast. That was a good thing because it also happened to be the same week as I was having a major certification exam scheduled so I was also studying a lot. My plan was to get a barebones piano sketch/structure in place so I could that off to H36T to orchestrate and shape the feeling and color of the piece. That ended up happening as well, and it came out lovely. But something in me still wanted to keep it as an expressive solo piano piece. After that week was over, I went back in and added a lot to the arrangement to make it stand on it's own compared to the compo version. I extended one of the sections out to hold it's feeling for a longer period, added additional embellishment and interpretation, and even a small cameo of Terra's theme snuck it's way during this time. The title "Steeling Hearts" is double meaning both with usage of stealing and steeling. Locke was a thief and therefore the stealing came into play. Steeling referring to hardening and toughening, exactly what both Tifa and Locke had to do to move on and deal with their situations after trauma. Solo piano was quite the challenge to undertake. I hope people will enjoy this! Source breakdown: 0:00-0:23 Forever Rachel 0:24-0:31 original bridge to next theme 0:32-1:08 Tifa's theme 1:02-1:05 and 1:19-1:22 Mako Reactor intro in the left hand (big octaves) 1:09-1:21 Original material 1:22-1:27 Tifa's theme 1:28-1:58 Forever Rachel 1:59-2:14 Tifa's theme 2:15-2:19 original bridge 2:20-2:38 Forever Rachel 2:39-2:41 Terra's theme cameo 2:42-3:01 Tifa's theme 3:02-3:12 Forever Rachel with some interpretation 3:13-3:19 Tifa's theme Games & Sources: Final Fantasy 6 - Forever Rachel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWfdEj9jHDM (main source) Final Fantasy 7 - Tifa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO_ftxA28Y8 (main source) Final Fantasy 7 - Mako Reactor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZH6coTxDTo (cameo of the intro only) Final Fantasy 6 - Terra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObccgHQdos0 (cameo of the melody)

Love it! IMO, Michelle's vocals could have been given more clarity and been more upfront; I say that because other parts trading off the lead work like the sax ended up sounding clearer to me. For example, during the big flourish from 4:02-4:25, I felt like vocals were just being swallowed up by the surrounding instruments. It's nowhere near pulling anything below the line, but there had to have been a better way to mix it. Nice breakout section of the main MMBN theme from 2:13-2:46 as well. Amazing concept, energy, and performances! It's a jam, it's a vibe! YES

At 1:33, that synth line's pretty shrill. From 1:51-on (arguably 1:33-on), the way this is mixed, I feel like I'm hearing the beats and claps being the most forward instead of the melodic elements, and then you also have leads and supporting lines competing to be heard due to being in the same frequency range. For example, the lead at 2:07 is too subdued compared to the percussion and industrial sounds (even though I realize it's meant to have contrast with the louder instance at 2:41), then you have stuff like the plucked strings and bassline just adding mud. Very busy sound without clear enough mixing to know what should be focused on, resulting in nothing having a direction. I like the overall arrangement concept, Eino, but the overall texture is too messy and cluttered. NO (resubmit)

The track was 2:25-long, so I needed to identify the source tune in play for at least 72.5 seconds for it to be considered dominant in the arrangement. :00-:11.75, :19.5-:39.5, :41.5-:46.75, 1:04.5-1:08, 1:09.5-1:10.75, 1:12.75-1:16.25, 1:17.75-1:20, 1:24.25-1:31.75, 1:32.75-1:33.5, 1:55.5-1:58, 1:59.5-2:06, 2:10.25-2:18.5 = 73 seconds or 50.34% overt source usage The source tune's very slowly paced, so I've tried speeding it up 1.5X, 2X, 2.5X, and I just don't hear all of these stated connections. Even stuff where the marimba's supposed to be playing the source bassline (from what part?), if it's even doing that, it's barely audible to the point where it seemingly wouldn't count because it's so obscured. Regardless, I found what I needed to, so there could be more, but I'm done checking. Well performed, and what I could make out of source usage squeaks over the line, so count me in. Hated analyzing it, enjoyed listening to it. YES

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Iron Piston (Cover) Remixer: Animattronic Game: Mech Warrior 2 Track: Iron Piston The Mech Warrior 2 soundtrack was a big influence musically so naturally I had to try a remix. This track along with my own original mech inspired music was used as a soundtrack throughout the official MechCon 2018 event. All things Mech Warrior & Battletech. Thanks, Animattronic

SUBMISSION LINK: Contact Information * Your ReMixer name: minusworld * Your real name: Grayson Hardaway Submission Information * Name of game(s) arranged: Mega Man Battle Network * Name of arrangement: Mega Jam Disco Network * Name of individual song(s) arranged: Operation! * Additional information about game including composer, system, etc. (if it has not yet been added to the site): * Composer: Akari Kaida * System: Game Boy Advance * Link to the original soundtrack (if it is not one of the sound archives already available on the site) * https://vgmdb.net/album/2176 * 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. This is an arrangement I did for Dwelling of Duels’s Spinoffs Month in March 2023. While my previous OCR submission would indicate otherwise, my usual arrangements are rock and metal. This arrangement was my attempt to merge a groovier sound into my more typical style. Biggoron (organ and keys) introduced me to Japanese city pop a few months prior, so that and disco ended up being a starting influence for the track. I ended up getting away from that and moving toward some groovy fusion-style songs, so the end result is this sort of smashed-up version of a city pop/disco tune with crazy instrumental jams. Here’s some of the songs I used as reference. * Airport Lady by Toshiki Kadomatsu (city pop) * Soul Lady by YUKIKA (modern city pop) * Cruise Control by Dixie Dregs (fusion) * PUNKADEMIC by Takayuki Murata (fusion) The submitted version here is an updated production of the submission in March. The mix was redone from the ground up, and I rerecorded some of the lead guitars because I thought they were too busy after being away from the track for a while. This arrangement was a few firsts for me: first time arranging for real saxophone players, and it’s the largest collaboration I’ve done to date. Executing this arrangement in DoD’s month-long timeframe was a challenge. I solidified the arrangement early to give my collaborators a good chunk of time to give feedback and record, and I had to cut back on my initial ambitions to get it out quickly, such as vocal harmonies, and I didn’t write any lead guitar parts until everything else was arranged because I thought I could “fill it in later.” This ended up being a bit of a mistake because, as mentioned above, I think I made them too busy trying to “fill in” as much space as possible. I’m extremely grateful to my collaborators for working with me on this, despite me having to learn a thousand things throughout the process. Everyone was absolutely stellar to work with. This is easily the cover I’m most proud of for 2023! Track credits: * Biggoron: organ and keys (+ solos at 1:47, solo at 3:20) * Cyril the Wolf: alto saxophone (+ solos at 1:47, solo at 2:40) * Jess Destramp: tenor saxophone (+ solo at 3:34) * Michelle Dreyband: vocals * minusworld: guitars, bass, arrangement, production Oh! I forgot the lyrics. The lyrics are about staying up waaay too late working on DoD entries, with a thin "disco" veneer on top. XD Verse The night is calling The lights are fading The glow is beckoning Lit up in color Feels like no other There’s so much happening It’s hypnotizing It’s mesmerizing Can’t take my eyes off you The things you show me It’s like you know me And what you see is true Chorus Into the sunrise We will dance all night So captivating Can’t sleep! Tag Up all night Soul alight Verse 2 The music’s thumping My heart is pumping Not sure I can go on Deadline approaching Tension is growing Won’t stop until the dawn Chorus 2 Into the sunrise We will dance all night Gotta keep going Cast off sleep for the lights Never perfection No don’t worry now So captivating Can’t sleep! Bridge The music’s waiting here for you Always waiting here for you Always just a step away (just a step away) Tune in and disco to the groove Always something new to do Bringing happiness today Final Chorus Into the sunset We will dance ‘til night Anticipation Can’t contain my delight The music’s waiting here for you Always waiting here for you Always just a step away Tune in and disco to the groove Always something new to do Wide awake Tag Up all night Soul alight

Aquaria was a game I sadly never played properly. But I immediately fell in love with the soundtrack, which was one of my first purchases on Bandcamp. With this remix I tried to represent a kind of travel through the underwater caves, including sound samples of water and bubbles. To emphasize the loneliness I also incorporated the sound of a pulse pumping slow and faster. The remix became quiet long over time but I think it is worth the trip. UPDATE-INFOS (March 20, 2024): The Journey: The original remix was built up like a journey through Aquaria. That’s the reason why most of the main parts are still existent in the new version. – The Intro starts with a splash and the dives deep down into the ocean. Theres a noise sound in the beginning which is rising down to emphasize this. And there's echo sounder like sound used in the drums starting at 1:10. – At 1:40 theres the breath of Nadja, the protagonist of Aquaria. – The center part starts with the pulses, which become faster at the end, to increase the drama. – The climax of the main theme ends with the waves above the sea, but it is not clear what became of Nadja. Things I’ve changed: For me the intro isn’t disconnected at all. Especially because parts of it are repeated I the middle section. But I changed the chord progression at 1:27 to use it as a foreshadowing of the upcoming melody starting at 1:42. So the chord progression is now more connected to the rest of the melody. Emunator criticized the detached feeling. Although I didn’t perceived it while writing I think it underlines the journey-like character (like chapters). Some of you mentioned the thin soundscape at the start of the main melody at 1:42, so I tried to make it fuller, with the basses coming in earlier. The biggest change is in the middle part. Chimpazilla suggested that a spoken text could maintain the interest. Inspired by this idea I wrote a poem from the perspective of Nadja about her journey through Aquaria. In the game there’s something similar when Nadja narrates the intro: https://youtu.be/gv5xxGp7qzM?si=2WMd4Ygk-s5Hp27n&t=343 Nadjas text is introduced by »the verse«. According to the story of Aquaria »the verse« is something that flows throughout Aquaria« and »binds all as one«. The lyrics of Nadja are inspired by the text she speaks in the intro. At the end of the spoken part I cutted about 30 seconds which were from 4:30 – 5:02 in the old version and put the climax directly behind it. @DarkSim: Your shorter version is interesting, but too short for my taste, because the intro and outro are about the half of the whole track. The Lyrics: Listen to the whispers of the verse ... Deep in the ocean down below where dark and dangerous waters flow. Concealed within this vivid gloam there is a place I once called home. But I am not supposed to stay, ’Cause loneliness drives me away. So I'll be strong, I have no choice. Call out in song, and use my voice. Through coral banks and caves so vast I seek the truth, search for my past. Don't let my aim get out of sight until the answers comes to light. And while my journey sets me free I use my strength to finally reveal, behind the barrier, the secrets of Aquaria. Games & Sources: Name of game(s) arranged: Aquaria Name of individual song(s) arranged: The Traveller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gvSmXqEg-w

Octopath - :00-:33, 1:05-1:21 FF15 - :33-1:05 I could sit in a lobby and eat donuts on endless repeat; it sounds like a great day off! The more Russian-sounding one is Octopath, got it. I'll need to listen more closely or ask donut for a breakdown so we can determine which game to classify this under. Once I recognized source material in play until 1:21 (past the 50% point to satisfy the source usage criteria), I just focused on the musicianship. A lovely & delicate adaptation and combination of the themes! YES

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The timing oddness at :15 that proph brought up didn't register as problematic with me; since he was conditional based on it, I felt I had to speak on it. Odd intro; that lead isn't doing anything melodious for this 7-note pattern, but I at least hear how it's adapted from :41-:48 of the source. OK, the main source melody kicks in at :30. Such a shrill lead. Changeup at 2:16 felt abrupt, but wasn't a huge bother. Good energy in the writing, even if the drums didn't sound like a proper fit and felt like they lacked velocity variations. Weird restart of the track at 4:05. Agreed with the others that it was awkward, but it was more of a briefly confusing choice rather than something that majorly hurt the track. Really good comping-style ideas afterward for that final section. The ending was too abrupt though and did lack a proper resolution, IMO. Overall, I respect the treatment of the theme, even if it didn't fully gel for me with how some of the parts were mixed. For me, it still feels fairly creative and ambitious. Some of the timing of the sequenced parts felt blocky, but the overall presentation was humanized and vibrant enough. I could see jn revisiting this in 5 years and having a lot of ideas on how to tweak the production on this, though I'm not about to make the perfect the enemy of the good. YES

Track title: {This Title Intentionally Left Blank} Source game: Signalis Source tracks: Train Ride, Die Toteninsel (Emptiness), The Promise, Cigarette Wife Primary artist: Zach Chapman (arrangement, mix, bass) Contributing artists: TheManPF (guitar, VST string arrangements), Andromeda (vocals), Nicole Chang (harp) Comments: This track was structured to be split into four sections – each one revolving around one of each of the four endings of Signalis. Each one covers a different song from the OST that thematically fits each ending, and the lyrics all reflect the endings in questions (from the POV of the protagonist). The first three endings are the main endings, all achieved in a similar way and all pretty easily understood. There also are no happy endings in this game, so I tried to write them all pretty slow and melancholic as well. The fourth and final section is for the secret ending of the game, which is incredibly convoluted and hidden, and equally weird and hard to understand. I wanted to reflect this with the music as well – the first three sections are all similar in instrumentation and feel, while the fourth is completely different. It’s all synths and electronic instruments, the mood shifts, and the vocals are in German, as a lot of text in Signalis is in other languages (mainly German, Korean, and Japanese). To further fit this into the ending theme, I added sound fx as if the song is being played on a cassette tape and a long break between the third and fourth sections, reminiscent of a secret track the end of an album, which obviously felt appropriate for the secret ending. The cassette also fits Signalis as well, as it has the same sort of “70s/80s sci-fi” aesthetic as media like the original Alien. References: The title itself is a reference to a thing in Signalis that happens often – sometimes during important scenes, the screen will flash to a blank screen with text on it saying different things. “Compartmentalizing Trauma” is one that flashes during a particularly brutal scene, and “Violent Scene Missing” replaces a scene of your character killing a boss. The most common, however, is “This Space Intentionally Left Blank”, which I believe is a visual representation of the characters trying to repress or deny something difficult. I often struggle with naming songs, so I thought it would be a fun reference to use that as the title. At 1:46, the lyrics “I’ve given my blood, and kept my faith through this hell strong” are a reference to a similar line in the song The Patient by my favorite band Tool – “But I’m still right here, giving blood, keeping faith”. At 2:17, the harp plays a rendition of the melody of Swan Lake, a famous ballet referenced in the lyrics at the time. I also made sure that there was a bit of dissonance when it did as well so it would feel just a little off-putting and “wrong”, to reflect some context from the song in the game. The lines in the fourth section of the song are also a poem called Cassilda’s Song. This poem is from The King in Yellow, a famous book featured in Signalis. I made some minor changes to the poem to fit the world of Signalis better, and translated it into German. Throughout the song are a lot of references to Signalis itself, but this list would get too long if I included all of them. Those are the more significant references. Lyrics: Section 1: Leave Ending/Train Ride One single step away, but it’s But it’s too much One single step more than I can take Nothing remains but Rot, blood, and empty promises To her One single breath more to take But my corpse has none left Let these cursed memories find their peace Once I have mine As I (Please let me) leave and rest Section 2: Memory Ending/Die Toteninsel (Emptiness) I was drifting through (in) your dream Drifting out of your memory I’ve given my blood and Kept my faith through this hell strong Yet here my hell was waiting with you With no promise to keep Would you know my name if I told you Could we dance again If I played our song for you My love My stranger To be with you must be enough So please just let me stay with you Just a little while longer Section 3: Promise Ending/The Promise Just give me one moment my darling I know what you’d have me do Just take my hands in yours dear To hide their bloodstains Let me touch you With love one last time Before with death Don’t fret now love, I am here now No more suffering soon No more waiting for your peace You’ve strong enough You’ve been patience enough Let me take it all away Darling tell me just one more (last) time Before I let you rest (go) Close your eyes Rest your head And I’ll keep my promise Section 4: Artifact Ending/Cigarette Wife Entlang der Küste brechen die Wolkenwellen, Die rote Sonne versinkt hinter dem See, Die Schatten werden länger In Penrose. [Along the shore the cloud waves break, The red sun sinks behind the lake, The shadows lengthen In Penrose.] Seltsam ist die Nacht, in der schwarze Sterne aufgehen, Und seltsame Monde kreisen durch den Himmel Aber seltsamer ist es immer noch Verlorene Penrose. [Strange is the night where black stars rise, And strange moons circle through the skies But stranger still is Lost Penrose.] Lieder, die die Hyades singen werden, Wo flattern die Fetzen der Königin, Muss ungehört sterben Schwach Penrose [Songs that the Hyades shall sing, Where flap the tatters of the Queen, Must die unheard in Dim Penrose.] Lied meiner Seele, meine Stimme ist tot; Stirb du, unbesungen, wie unvergossene Tränen Soll trocknen und einsterben Verlorene Penrose. [Song of my soul, my voice is dead; Die thou, unsung, as tears unshed Shall dry and die in Lost Penrose.]