Liontamer   Judges ⚖️

404-type recovery from awhile back. The song was only available from Soundclick in streamable form, causing the issue, so I finally got an e-mail copy from Brad. Don't have access to the original letter, so I'm just gonna give some basic info. If djpretzel still has a copy of the sub letter, we'll add it in. Artists: Level 99, The Prophet of Mephisto Mix: Final Fantasy 7 'Chosen' Description from Soundclick: This is a remix of Sephiroth's theme from FF7, featuring Stevo Bortz from VGMix.com. Heavy metal, with some electronica elements in there too. ---------------------------------------------------- http://www.tzone.org/~llin/psf/packs2/FF7_psf.rar - 305 "Those Chosen by the Planet" I liked the lil' electronic blips and whatnot ornamenting the introduction. A little cheesy, but nice warbly stuff starting at :24 as well for the buildup. Synth vox though fading in at :30 sounded very robotic and devoid of emotion, even though it was going for an eerie/haunting feel. Guitar work and drums at :35 was supposed to sound intense and really beef up the track, but had no presence behind it. It sounded to me like you were trying to have those instruments provide the power, but the levels were too subdued the whole way through. There's really not much in the way of a full texture being created here most of the time; track feels like it has a lot of elements going on, but doesn't fill out the soundfield at all. Percussion writing is OK, but should sound thicker re: the production, and less rigidly sequenced. Synth vox and bells have no meat on them as well. You need something else helping to fill the track during an empty section like 1:34-1:57. Oooh, cheesy voiceover at 2:06. I'll admit it doesn't sound terrible, but at the same time it doesn't lend much to the music and isn't mixed in well there. It's somewhat indistinctly mushing together with the music at the same volume. This (arguably) works better for the voiceover at 3:05 due to the specific effects placed on it, but it's still an issue there as well. Some tips on how to mix the vocal areas from the other Js would be appreciated. Fadeout at 4:07 is WAY too abrupt. The arrangement is ambitious and has potential in terms of being a nice industrial rock piece, but the texture needs to be further developed, and the production needs some major work to bring out the best in the sounds you're employing. Decent stuff so far, Brad and Stevo. NO

http://smproject.supertux.com Yeah, dunno what was up with the orginal page being deleted but we'll link to the other instead.

Why would See Sixty Funk be on The American Album? The original composers were Japanese. Need to fix in the shownotes at least. Lots of New York vs. Boston (i.e. sexual) tension there, which makes for good times. Andy, punch your mic up a little. Nice site, Chad.

Can thank VGDJ #37 for having this one at random via the Roulette. Nice beatwork and bassline especially. Wasn't feeling some of the more freestylish EP stuff, but really appreciated how the supporting instrumentation arranged the source material beyond the melodic content. Surprised this doesn't have more reviews. Poor Frogger.

http://www.zophar.net/nsf/zelda2.zip - Track 2 ("Overworld") I voted in FLMC1 and this was easily my favorite entry of the bunch. Nothing against Prophecy, who won the contest, but I felt this was a clear winner at both rearranging the material and showing what could be achieved under the contest's limitations. I think DarkeSword would agree that this track is a nice testament to what default Fruity is capable of in skillful hands. Played this back on VGF82 and also featured it on my finale show VGF84.99 as a personal favorite, so I'm already really familiar with the track. Adam let me know that he just had to tone down some piercing frequencies in the FLMC version before he submitted it here, and it looks like everything's in order now. Simply put, I'm a big fan of the arrangement, which was very creative, and loved the sounds and processing involved. Very well put together. With the writing, crazy beatwork, and tempo, I felt like I heard more of Shnabubula's influence in the piece than Mazedude's just from my own familiarity with their material. Infectiously energetic. Great stuff, Adam. YES

http://www.zophar.net/gym/SK+SONIC3.RAR - 22 Lava Reef Zone 1 & 23 Lava Reef Zone 2 Certainly showing some improvement bro. The percussion patterns were decent, but the tone on the snare was pretty weak, the whole set didn't sound like it was in the same place as the sax, and also sounded fairly robotic in the performance. Live sax performance was decent, though not as smooth/fluid as it should have been, which can only be done through practice. Volume on it could have been toned down relative to the other instrumentation without losing much impact. The woodwind-style after 1:45 sounded very mechanical too, IMO, making things sound jerky rather than smooth. Decent inclusion of Zone 2 from 3:07-3:27 shortly before the close. Arrangement was relatively OK, but I was a bit put off by how closely the source melody was followed most of the way through; aside from more interpretive stuff from 1:26-2:04, this was more of a genre adaptation and tempo slowdown than a major interpretation or expansion of the source material. The personalization in the arrangement is noticeable though. Everything here is structured so rigidly that the piece loses a lot of emotion. The other Js would be better able to offer advice on making the sequenced material sound more fluid, but the ReMixing forum would offer advice there as well. Texture also feels sparse at times, but I hesitate to offer any specific advice on that as a more natural-sounding, smoother piece may lock together better and fill the soundfield better. Needs some serious fine-tuning, but again this shows some marked improvement versus your previous submissions. NO

-------------------------------------------------- http://snesmusic.org/v2/download.php?spcNow=ff6 - "The Magic House" (ff6-310.spc) Opened up with some very thin, synthetic sounding strings and bass. Harpsichord coming in at :15 sounds really robotically handled as well, and the arrangement isn't very interpretive besides playing with the rhythms a little bit. Beats/kicks coming in at :32 were really sparse and basic as well. Synth vox at :48 with the source chorus doesn't sound too bad, per se, as I appreciate the attempt to create a different sound with the effects you used. But there's definitely no sense of fluidity in the performance from any of the instruments used, from the bowed strings, to the bass guitar, to the pizz strings. You're certainly trying to create some texture here, but aside from the part with the vox, the soundfield sounds very sparse. You certainly have the ambition to get various sounds to compliment each other and fill out the soundfield based on your submission letter, but you're definitely only as a beginner level. Work on creating a more interpretive and personalized arrangement (primarily not keeping the melodic content nearly the same), as well as creating more fluid performance dynamics so the flow sounds more natural, and creating fuller textures with the combinations of sounds you're using. The ReMixing and Works forums will help you work on improving your material from the ground up and getting feedback on your progress. NO

http://snesmusic.org/v2/download.php?spcNow=ff6 - "Awakening" (ff6-103.spc) Yeah, definitely with Jon and TO on this. The arrangement doesn't even have a different title. Sounds just like a MIDI-rip of the original with guitar on top; pretty much all the parts of the original are right there. The production makes everything sound too murky. Had some brief freestyle guitar wank in there from :50-1:04 before that dropped out. Undeveloped in every way, the guitar work was the only thing saving it from an Override. NO

http://snesmusic.org/v2/download.php?spcNow=ct - "The Day the World Revived" (ct-2-06.spc) & "Sara's Theme" (ct-3-06.spc) I felt like I was hearing a different piece than the others in terms of potential for resubmission, but at the same time their votes really hit the nail on the head. I didn't even read theirs until I wrote my own and we're pointing out the same issues. "The Day the World Revived" section was rather plain and annoying with that simple lead. The scratching and beeping-type sounds were annoyingly piercing, and when you take those sounds away, you're not left with much arrangement substance IMO. Go for the better texture of sounds here, but at the same time build the arrangement ideas first then the soundscape. Not enough here IMO to be interesting for 5:30-long, though the "Schala's Theme" arrangement first used from 2:45-3:06 helped balance it out. Still, after 3:45 when you layered the two themes, everything was really cluttered and messy. It's a decent start that could lead to something more fruitful with more work. NO

http://rayman2.ubi.com - "Main Theme" (High-Speed Connections -> Downloads -> Goodies -> Rayman's Music -> 1) http://c9.servage.net/~sc19031-ZCPG/usf/sets/prelim/Rayman%202%20-%20The%20Great%20Escape%20-%20Parasyte/Rayman2-FixedTimings.rar - "Level 12 - (P2) Riding a Chair" & "Robotpirate Fight 1" (or almost any version of the 12) I at least found a 35-second clip of Rayman 2's main theme from the game's official site to compare with this mix, so excuse me if I'm only making partial connections to it. Besides the similar "Riding a Chair" (which Ben pointed out to me; thanks, Ben), the preliminary USF rip I got didn't seem to have the actual main theme anywhere, hence the holdup. Opening of the mix didn't have much to do with the source there, although there were some liberal connections later. Melody of this song came in at :23, seemingly having jack to do with the original. Synths played with the Main Theme's rhythms at :42, while the pizz strings at :55 referred to it more straightforwardly before segueing into a shot of Yankee Doodle from 1:11-1:19. Main Theme wasn't overtly referred to until the pizz strings played it on background for the sitar from 1:28-1:43. 1:43 transitioned to the "Robotpirate Fight" theme playing rhythm along with having the synth woodwind double it for a while, later followed by some cool metallic/industrial-type sounds until 2:15. Original melody from :23 returned at 2:33 before returning to subtly referencing the Main Theme from 2:49 until the end. He used variations of the Main Theme in a few more background places I didn't bother to mention. Basically play-by-played it with my vote since things were already good. Nice use of the chosen sounds, and solid production per Ben's usual. YES

http://snesmusic.org/v2/download.php?spcNow=mo2 - "Sunrise & Onett Theme" (mo2-017.spc) Nothing really much beyond the original with some synthy and distorted sounds, some beats, and the occasional light SFX underneath. Arrangement has 0 changes in structure and tempo from the original, and the track is only 2:26-long. It's only a few seconds off from the original because you simply didn't use the original's intro. You didn't even give the arrangement any type of creative name. You tried to at least personalize it somewhat, but it's an obvious NO OVERRIDE.

http://www.zophar.net/nsf/megaman2.zip - Tracks 13 ("Wood Man Stage"), 19 ("Dr. Wily Stage 1") & 22 ("Ending") Played this on VGF78. Quite the overhaul from the first arrangement attempt Frank did on this, "Deep Forest Dance", which was restricted to arranging just "Wood Man Stage" and featured all the way back on VGF29.99. The piece has come a long way, and I appreciate the added work. I have to admit, I rather liked the simplicity of the first version, but certainly appreciate the new ideas in this one. I didn't mind the string samples quite as much, though the complaints were valid on it; sounded too synthetic with the note-to-note movements in places, but was fine in the big scheme of things. Beats coming in at 1:02 were too loud the whole way through and could have been brought down a few db, IMO. Definitely good fills going on with the percussion work to keep things energetic and interesting. Also agreed on the Wood Man lead at 1:26 sounding rather tepid, but there was some good subtle freestylish doubling of the melody going on underneath. Good brief change in the flow from 2:13-2:24. Good reference to Wily's theme at 3:23; very stylish writing there and the lead synth there seemed to fit a bit better going for a shriller sound. I actually thought the transition at 3:43 to the "Ending" theme was really abrupt and should have been handled more subtly. As it was, it was too jarring of a move. Arrangement there was pretty good. Heard some odd-sounding piano chords at 4:15-4:16, but it may just be me. Glad to finally have the beats drop out at 4:41 for the piano-based closed. The strings and piano could sound more realistic, but were otherwise handled capably, plus the arrangement was strong. I didn't think this was quite as catchy as FFMQ "And He Returned Home", but a solid addition nonetheless; good going, Frank. YES

Covered by the others. Basically a copy of the original + lame beetz; texture was really sparse. No meaningful arrangement value to speak of. Listen to the other tracks here and observe how they offer creative reinterpretations of the source material involved. This has none of that and is inferior to the original. This track was a good example of a fadeout ending being a sign of having nothing left in the tank creatively. And don't fade it out and leave 24 seconds of silence at the end. Apply some originality and creativity not just in the instrumentation approach but also the writing in order to take whatever ideas you may have to the next level. NO

http://www.zophar.net/gym/sonic2.rar - "Mystic Cave Zone", negligible other bits This is 2:04-long; there's no way some undeveloped megamedley is going to pass. The effects and whatnot are decent if not overly simplistic, but there's no substance here whatsoever in terms of the arrangement. Write more varied beats, and develop the arrangement ideas more instead of playing briefer than brief motifs from several themes on top of the Mystic Cave bassline. NO

http://snesmusic.org/v2/download.php?spcNow=ct - "Corridor of Time" (ct-3-04.spc) Starts out pretty cover-ish with some beats and lil' strings in there. Would have have had more of a chance in the old days back when there wasn't too much emphasis on rearrangement so much as personalization (see: "Island of Zeal"), but even so the track is still fairly lacking. The beats are repetitive and need to vary more, plus the texture is really thin/sparse and the pizz strings are used very poorly. You used a Reason default for the beats? Too bad yo, write your own beats and offer something more creative. Decent additional warbly sounds and pads in at 1:34 for some new ideas, along with some piano as well, but the same tired beat pattern came right back in at 1:46, lasting practically until the end. Decent beginner effort, but not much of a rearrangement. It's only working with the extreme basics right now. Needs more development and more of your own original ideas introduced into the track, along with a more solid texture via more elements in play, less repetition/looping writing for both the lead and supporting instrumentation. NO

What's the consensus on the analoq-endorsed Grado headphones? Are they too impractical due to being open-eared? Aaron mentioned the sound quality was pretty good.

I think it'll just be mentioned in the writeup, much like http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR01341/ EDIT: We have a winner! Yep; seriously whatever you come up with is cool. The title really just me being preposterous, so don't sweat it. Although on my site, I'll probably just keep the title that I have. So yeah, whatever you end up with is fine. -K

Haha, is that what's been holding you guys up? Well, I'd love the whole title, but if not then however much of the title you can fit in is fine with me I guess. Even if it doesn't make sense I PMed Kunal in order to see how he felt about the name so we could get this up. If you go with Kunal's preference, I think the best we can do (and still keep it sensible ) is Wild ARMs 2 "Lord Blazer, the Robot who time travels..." or "Lord Blazer, the Robot who time travels back..."; I'll leave it up to you.

This "zircon", he's white, and I've never heard of him, but I'll give him a chance.

Lockdown 2. We've already looked at it.

http://www.tzone.org/~llin/psf/packs2/Chrono_Cross_psf.rar - 106 "Reminiscence - Feelings Not Erased" (:00-1:50) & 307 "Time of the Dreamwatch" (1:50-4:10) I like the track, but the arrangement doesn't do enough to distinguish itself from the source. "Reminiscence - Feelings Not Erased" is solo piano, and the first half here is basically a playthrough of the original only a bit more delicate and with more embellishments/accompaniment. Nothing really going on to distinguish it significantly from the original. Second half is a fairly straightforward conversion to some richer sounds than the original. The drum writing sounds way too similar and the melody's verbatim. 2:30 finally brought in some nice original material, and then combined it at 3:00 with piano playing the Dreamwatch melody for a little bit. But at 3:33 it was back to the conservative cover for the finish. I'd like to hear some branching out in terms of the instrumentation Reu uses for his cinematic-style writing. I suppose if it ain't broke don't fix it, but it really makes his material sound too samey and formulaic. The same criticisms apply for the tempo and mood, IMO. You can only eat steak for dinner each night for so long before you get tired of having the same thing every time. This was genuinely enjoyable, and I actually liked all of the sounds, but it's not interpretive enough or additive enough to significantly distinguish it from the originals. NO

Guys, what in the hell is the holdup? Stop making us look bad.

Another old 404 from January 25th, I finally got a copy from Stewart. Original letter is quoted with the new, working URL in place. http://www.zophar.net/nsf/castleva.zip - Track 9 ("Posion Mind") Opens up with some really basic, beginnerish-sounding thumping and distortion. The synth design is really really really basic, and there's not much going on in the way of texture to fill out the track beyond the backing beats and distortion. There's effort put into creating some limited dynamics by dropping some parts in and out over time, but the effectiveness is really limited. By 1:28, you've seemingly heard all of the ideas here and there's quite a lot of time left to go. Luckily we at least got something different on lead at 1:56-2:26. Some very simple phasing-style thumps built up the next/last section at 2:51, which was basically a rehash of the first part with some phaser/laser beam SFX on top. Should be (and it was) pretty difficult getting enough mileage out of a 7-second-long theme. 3:51-long with the arrangement, I didn't really have to listen to it to know it was gonna be a challenge here. So yeah, too repetitive, I'm not sure how you're gonna make an idea like it work. Israfel managed to pull off more with less with his Pac-Man mix though, so it's not impossible. The arrangement was fairly basic, but you at least changed the rhythm and tempo of the source. You gotta go for more variations in there to keep things fresh. And last but not least, I dunno when you're gonna get around to it, but your sounds are generally terrible. It's not that you need expensive stuff, but the synth design is so defaulty, thin, overly simplistic and poorly done that you don't have anything approaching a good texture. I'm not a hater, but you gotta step up that game, bro. This stuff has no chance. NO

http://snesmusic.org/spcsets/fzero.rsn - "Mute City" (fz-09.spc) Well, y'all know me, I'm generally not about the lo-fi. I felt a lot of subtle details got obscured on account of the production, and wished for something cleaner. I would have liked to have heard Gray tackle the source files for a production nudge, but the overall atmosphere was very good regardless. The arrangement on just the intro was excellent, from the guitar fade-in to the referencing of the source melody to the bass work to the percussion. The percussion work in particular was ridiculously well-written. Very very interesting to listen to on its own, I loved all of the different instruments and tones Jon employed there. I liked wet-sounding guitars on melody at :53 for a very nice laid-back, tropical vibe. Snappy percussion at 1:17 only added to the enjoyment. Nice chill section from 1:36-2:23. The arrangement never loses track of the source material at any single point, even during the guitar soloing when the bass keep working away at it. It'll satisfy both those who want their arrangements straightforward as well as those who want lots of additive original ideas and personalization. It's really the best of both worlds, and does a great service to the source material. Production was a hit on some level and IMO you do get a sound quality disparity with the drums vs. nearly everything else, but the writing was nothing short of A-grade/official arrange album quality. The progress on this one reflects a turbulent ride for Jon, but after hearing the WIPs for this one since a few years ago, I'm glad this one's finally seen the light. And Champion Vinyl? Stick with that name. YES

Just letting y'all know that I'm at Emory and will be doing tonight's finale as planned. Hope you enjoy the show, and I'll see you on the other side.