Liontamer

No hate on the source tune itself, but it's pretty different from the rest of the soundtrack, so this wouldn't have been the source tune I was expecting when seeing Symphony of the Night as the game. Good energy in the intro, though I'm not recognizing much from the source tune. Sampled piano at :36 sounded pretty exposed. Tera with the vocals arriving at :48; loved the chorusing at 1:15, though the vocal lines were fighting to be heard. The voice as an instrument was nerfed there and indistinguishable from the other instrumentation, so it was a case where you couldn't make out what was being said. I'm not saying the vocal lines need to be super clean and upfront, but the way these parts mud together undermines the track. That's different from understanding the lyrics, which is a nice-to-have but unnecessary, especially with the lyrics handy; vocal performance flowed nicely. That cruddy piano line there again from 1:39-1:50; no body to the sound and the timing's so stiff. New verse at 1:50 and I like all of the other instrumentation as well, it's just a case where the mixing's not clean enough (it doesn't need to be squeaky clean, just letting the parts be more distinguishable by not occupying overlapping frequencies. After the soundscape cleared up at bit from 2:46-2:56, it sounded like there was an unintentional buzziness connected to the guitar or bassline; it wasn't a huge gripe, but I also heard it at :12 & 1:14 as well as I listened through again. Definitely something that would be nice to eliminate. The overall performances are definitely strong; loads of energy in all of the performances with only the mixing and that one minor piano line dragging the presentation down some. 5:10-long, eh? Needs at least 155 seconds of observable source usage to pass re: the source tune being dominant in the arrangement per our Standards. Unless I'm overlooking some connections to the source's instrumental, it sounds as if the arrangement's instrumental essentially doesn't reference the source at all, leaving 99% of the source usage coming from the vocals. :48-1:39, 1:51-2:17.25, 2:20.25-2:43.5, 3:23-4:11 = 148.5 seconds or 47.90% overt source usage The majority of the arrangement seemingly is not invoking the source tune; if it's under 50%, to me it's not primarily a VGM arrangement, even though I enjoy it. If I'm missing a connection, please let me know and I'll be happy to revise my vote. If I'm correct on my timestamping though, consider adding in some countermelodic or other writing during non-vocal sections to briefly reference the source tune and nudge it over the top. The structure of the track itself wouldn't need to be touched in any way. Otherwise, in a vacuum, I enjoy and appreciate what I hear; the energy is great and the performances are strong, and everyone here feels the same way. The mixing's not ideal, but I wouldn't hold the piece back for that as is. DarkSim mentioned (and showed an imaged demonstrating) clipping. That said, I didn't hear anything hurting my ears or coming off oppressively loud, so I can't personally say the overall levels hurt this. I'm strictly a NO on needing more VGM source tune usage in the arrangement to make the majority of the track directly derived from the source tune. If the source files aren't gone, consider some of the production aspects brought up by the musician judges as well as throwing in some more references to "Nocturne" within the non-vocal areas. This certainly has a place waiting for it here with some tweaks to fully realize the potential. Nice work otherwise, Kevin and crew! NO (resubmit)

Mixed quietly, but I could hear everything just fine. Sample quality of the brass at :12 was blatty & weak, nothing had any power, and I was glad when they dropped out at :37; easily the outlier weak point amongst enjoyable instrumentation. The orchestration after that was strong, though I'm not digging the brass accents. I liked the stereo placement of the mallet percussion and drumming. While the textures, IMO, got cluttered at times, nothing was so busy to make the production a problem vis-a-vis the bar. String decay was exposed some at 2:33 & 3:05, but it's not the worst instances of that I've ever heard. Overall, a lovely intimate orchestral arrangement approach with beautiful personalization; Rebecca's percussion ornamentations in particular (bells, chimes, tambourines, etc.), are always strong and add a lot of character to her textures. Nice! YES

Ooooooooooooooooooooooh, the ratching up of the intensity around 1:00 was sick. This also sounds like you're invoking Pokémon Red's "Victory Road", even though it's obviously all arranging "Enter Pony", but that was a fun thread I couldn't let go of. Production-wise, nothing but p-p-p-POWER throughout, yet ultra clean. Hell of an arrangement, I love this. Let the pony run, folks. YES

Love this theme, SO YOU BETTER NOT MESS IT UP, MAN! Source comes in at :14, so glad to hear it invoked early. Interesting electronic approach too; I've heard chill and rock, but nothing like this, so respect for the unique interpretation. Soundscape's somewhat washed out during its densest moments, but thankfully not enough to make me pause and go back thinking something was problematic relative to the bar. I dig the synth fleetingly used for the melodic lead at 3:27. Nice little high point at 3:56 finally building to the chorus; I would have personally preferred to get to that earlier, but huge respect for drawing the track's development out so that you built to this as the catharsis, so to speak. Cool approach, Chris, let's go! YES EDIT (11/3): No issues with the new version.

Absolutely love the intro; sound design's awesome and the idea of slowing down the tempo's cool as well. Nice weaving in of other source tunes as well. By 2:00, I was wanting this to go other places, so thankfully at 1:59, the "Serris Battle" melody briefly arrived. IMO, this goes in one gear for too long, so I would have gotten to 2:39's section at 1:59 instead, but that's not a big issue. The contrast of the soundscape being so ultra-clean after 3:22 was odd for me; a different kind of padding would have worked better, IMO, and made the overall texture and tone of the track seem more consistant, but again, more of a personal taste thing as opposed to some sort of big flaw. Interesting concept, Jaime Anne, welcome aboard! YES

Opens up with some interesting production; appreciating the small, crackly sounds going on in the stereo field. Mix is definitely too crowded once everything comes in at :23. The backing guitars in particular just sort of add an indistinct distorted pad underneath, though once the main melody came in at :45, the backing guitar didn't hog up as much space in the soundscape. Love that bass work from 1:20-1:30; nice, meaty tone to it. The mixing on 2:35's section was nice and sharp until 2:47 (and that's not a complaint after 2:47, it's just showing how sharp it was when the electric guitars weren't in play. Such an awesome spin on Lena's material here. It's definitely not ideally mixed but I can make out the partwriting reasonably well, so it's a matter of looking at how much works vs. how much doesn't on the seesaw. The performances and arrangement are all sorts of good, and the other NO judges, while not wrong on the details are missing the big picture, IMO. This ticks every box we want. The production's not even poor, so I just don't get the broader issues. I'm listening on some Sennheiser HD497 headphones, so perhaps on monitors or in a car, there are other mitigating issues I'm unaware of. For my setup, however, it sounds strong. I've definitely been on my share of votes where I'm the outlier against something that passes, so I won't pretend that I've never been the bad guy. But this is all sorts of good; I have 0 reservations here. YES

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

It's a competent arrangement, I'm just underwhelmed by the instrumentation, though this would have old gold back in OCR's early 2000s. That said, the aim was a slightly more modern feel, and I'm definitely getting PS2 vibes. Not my personal cup of tea, but I respect Arden's approach. YES

ardklaw Arden Klawitter www.ardklaw.com 36349 Chrono Cross "Fishing Village" Arni (Home World) N/A N/A This might be my favorite track from the Chrono Cross OST. It's relaxing and yet so emotional at the same time. I wanted to try my hand at giving the song a slightly more modern feel. LINK:

It's a melodically conservative but solid adaptation to piano by Torby when you compare it side-by-side to better appreciate the textural changes. That said, I'm put off by the rigid sound of the rendered piano from the get-go. Rexy may have some insight, because this has been a frequent limitation of her setup; it seems like you could take a MIDI of this and re-render it with a sample that had more natural-sounding dynamics, but who knows how practical of a suggestion that is. Stuff like 2:24's more pensive and delicate section sounded more realistic, but that was very brief, and anything low or forceful exposed the limitation of the samples, so I'm stuck focusing more on how this sounds like it's in the uncanny valley instead of enjoying the arrangement and performance. I can't get behind this as is, Torby, but would love to see this posted in some form. NO (resubmit)

Hi, I'm Torby Brand. This is my OCR submission for a Super Metroid remix. Track Artists: Arr., Keys: Torby Brand Real name: Torbjørn Brandrud Links: https://youtube.com/c/TorbyBrand https://fanlink.to/torbybrand Submission information: Track name: A Hunter's Epilogue Source Game: Super Metroid Source Track: Credits Track link: Comments: This track was part of the 2021 project "Harmony of a Hunter: Returns" by Shinesparkers, the following comment on the track are in that context: "Once again I've been blessed to participate in a Shinesparkers project! And for the first time, as a participating performer. I became a Metroid fan long before I was a pianist and music producer. This is the first time that I've truly gotten a worthy opportunity to express those two together. Because I entered the project at a later stage, there was added pressure to the task at hand. I needed to finish the track in time, but most notably, deliver a piece that was worthy of the source material and of the peers around me. I'm happy to say that in addition to making it in time, I was happy with my effort and that I gave it my all. Super Metroid is not only one of the most iconic Metroid games, it's one of the most iconic games of all time! And so, to tackle this piece was no small task in my mind. The original track is composed of music that plays before the credits, during, and after. The chronological structure made it more challenging to arrange. I decided to embrace the idea of a faithful but expanded and "upgraded" piano rendition, while still carrying the essence of the game's ending. Samus has just left Zebes when the original track plays, that's why I found it fitting to start up with a reference to Samus' theme that plays during the final fight. On the other end of my piece, I included a version of the classic appearance fanfare. Using it in a Metroid arrangement is far from an original idea, but I think the chord modification carries the mood change well, and it gave me the "beginning at the end" effect that I was looking for. Additionally I sprinkled the iconic Samus arpeggio throughout the piece for dramatic effect, whereas it only plays towards the end in the original. Most of the arrangement choices were made in the numerous, smaller decisions. Additional harmonies, flurries, added melody, staccato and legato balances and the dramatic changes in dynamics and mood. Adapting orchestral pieces for piano does inevitably mean stripping down the arrangement to some degree, but that does not make it necessarily easier in my view. It's challenging to make it compelling on its own, and to pick what to include, what to expand on, and how. I wanted to highlight my passion for this piece, this arrangement, and for the franchise that brought me here. Thank you to everyone involved and to Darren for including me! Metroid will always have a place in my heart, and so will its music." Best, Torby Brand

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

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

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

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

I essentially commissioned The Orichalcon's "Person, Place, or Groove?", so I'm glad it could serve as inspiration! Opens up sounding stilted, both the piano and particularly the drums, so the parts lack synergy. From :21-on, the bassline does register if I pay close attention, but it just gets absorbed into the background and isn't meaningfully audible, which was a problem throughout. It's just too subtle. I liked the tone of the lead at :44, though I'm partial to anything reminding me of the Sega Genesis. But does it genuinely work with the rest of the instrumentation? Throughout, the sparse percussion doesn't properly drive things forward, so that feels like the main culprit on why this doesn't click. I really liked the ending section from 2:40-on; great ending section (though there's a dissonant chord behind the last note at 3:08; it didn't hugely bother me, but I still noticed it). I didn't wrap my head around the arrangement, but without the "performance" feel cohesive, the arrangement's unfortunately a moot point for me. I'd love to hear another pass as this with smoother-sounding multitracking and bassline that registers. Great potential here, Dan! NO (resubmit)

Closer to a sound design-focused personalization of Ben's version as opposed showcasing lots of melodic & structural variation, but personalization was there, particularly the textures. From 2:19-on, the textures were sounding cluttered, and from 2:03-on the sequencing of the electric guitar synth doubled with the dulcimer (?) both sounded stilted. The end also faded down too quickly. No issue was a dealbreaker, just worth noting and something that prevented this from sounding as cohesive as possible. I appreciated how Keenan's 2:19 section pulled from 6:10 of Lena Raine's original source "Resurrections", but adapted it more for the mood of Ben Prunty's "Old Site (Black Moonrise Mix)"; nice blend and nod to both renditions. It's something where I wish the mood differed more overtly from Ben's version, but when you look a level below the surface, there's substance to the approach. YES

ReMixer name: BeanJammin real name: Keenan Lind email address: website: kl-music.com userid: 38010 Game: Celeste Name of Arrangement: Black Moonrise - Midnight Mix Name of song arranged: Old Site - Black Moonrise Mix Composer: Ben Prunty (remixed from Resurrections by Lena Raine) Original Soundtrack: https://radicaldreamland.bandcamp.com/album/celeste-b-sides Comments: First project I've worked on since I've found this community that is a proper VGM remix! This track was an ask from a custom mapper in the Celeste community for a campaign they're putting together, and I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out. Hopefully I did everything right in the submission process here, please let me know if I didn't and how I can fix it!

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

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

I refuse on both counts!

The soundscape certainly sounds nice, but it opens up like a straight cover, so we'll see where it goes. OK, there's finally distinction in the instrumentation once the beat comes in at :43. 1:20 further personalized the arrangement approach with the beat & bassline and some lead changes & SFX. Not sure why the highs sounded too piercing, but that should have been pulled back. Same with the beats that came in at 2:22; there's a piercing aspect of the snaps that's unpleasant as well; though it's not a dealbreaker, I'd argue that beat also plods. Fadeout at 3:12 was definitely a lamer one, and I'm not inherently anti-fadeout. It's gonna sound like I don't respect Martin and am making a leap in logic -- the fadeout, as it is now, does come off lazy in an "I give up" kind of way. You could have given that final section another 15-30 seconds with a minor variation, IMO, and then went for the fade. I liked the original countermelody brought in at 2:47, so varying that writing more could be the component that allows you to stretch some more time and substance out of the arrangement before the fade. The way this is mixed isn't as cohesive as it should be, which plays in part to the high end/piercing issues I'm having. I'm also not a musician or producer, so someone else would have to elaborate more on what's not quite working here. But does it get more right than wrong, and enough to tip it over the line, IMO? Yep. Some arrangement and production revisions ahead of posting this would be nice, but if that weren't possible, I'm fine with this as is; it's a reasonably developed concept. YES EDIT (8/29): Can't say I enjoyed the writing of the new resolution, but credit for making it seem off until the VERY last note that resolved it properly; I got a quick laugh out of that one. Still solid. EDIT 2 (8/30): And a longer version now. There we go, everyone's a winner. Thanks, Martin!

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

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

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