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Everything posted by Liontamer
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I'm actually closer to this as a pass than the other judges. The countermelodic additions in here really shouldn't be sold short; very well done. IMO, you did a lot with such a short source (it's 14 seconds long, actually ), going for instrumentation and textural changes to provide the variation. I'd argue though that the overall groove still felt static/flat despite all of those changes with the instrumentation from verse to verse. I get what you're going for with the slowdown around 1:47, but MindWanderer had a very valid point that it feels like a way to extend the clock without really presenting something new or varied; though I liked the delay effect starting at 1:57, the fact that the slowdown wasn't very interesting to listen to undermined the merits of at least attempting the technique; perhaps consider doing the total opposite and hitting folks with more intense and a faster tempo for the final section. Very promising stuff, Marty! It still needs some additional ideas and refinement, but IMO you have a very strong and creative start to an arrangement of a limited theme. The arranging was going very well in the right direction, but explore other ideas to further spice this presentation up and provide even more dynamic contrast. Definitely don't be discouraged; I really hope you'll send this one back to us. NO (resubmit)
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OCR03944 - *YES* Chrono Cross "When Two Worlds Meet" *PROJECT*
Liontamer replied to Gario's topic in Judges Decisions
My bad, didn't realize this was already on the panel waiting for votes. Already checked this out prepping the album. Source use in spades, great arrangement, and a classic source tune choice. YES -
OCR03886 - *YES* Kingdom Hearts II "Dear Serenity"
Liontamer replied to Gario's topic in Judges Decisions
Just a quick co-sign on this mix having now heard it. Very nice, Nestor! Welcome aboard! YES -
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Right from the start at :06, the string articulations are really fake, particularly the sustains, and they stick out like a sore thumb. The piano sounded fairly solid though, although kind of muffled in the background; it should have had a richer, more realistic tone, but it gets the job done, IMO. Do note MindWanderer's crits. Subtle touch, but nice countermelodic stuff with the bells at 1:19. Brass entering in at 1:53 was also very unrealistic sounding and stuck out. I'm not saying the percussion needs to follow the source tune more closely, but it felt like there was something missing from the percussion to give the piece direction, and the instrumentation felt empty. Consider some sort of drums or other percussion to anchor the piece. That's not a requirement, just something to consider, and something to be ignored if it wouldn't work or fit your vision. For the vocals, they're solid, IMO. A little dry, but they're treated reasonably well. Even though they follow the source closely, there's enough personality to the delivery that they stand apart from the original. Good base here, but the lack of realism/humanization with the strings and brass are definitely dealbreakers as the others have noted. Don't forget the lack of percussion possibly being something to address. If you need more help/guidance, use the Workshop forums here for arrangement feedback and production advice. That said, the vocals work for me, and the arrangement concept otherwise works. If you're still willing to work on it further, that's great, otherwise, I look forward to more submissions from you. You could definitely get this specific piece to a passable level given the strength of what's here so far. NO (resubmit)
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Wow, what a fuckin' ride! I thought the mixing should have been sharper/clearer, but it wasn't anything meaningfully dinging this piece from a Standards level. Andrew's been damn good for a long time, but this right here is just an amazing feel-good arrangement that really showcases OA's skills with both guitar and synth and sounds VERY much like his signature style in recent years. Epic stuff, this is incredible! EDIT (9/3): Even though the stated game is MT2, the source is actually from the MT1 OST. The titled "MT2" CD release was actually a double-disc album of both the MT1 & 2 soundtracks, with "DD" being from MT1. https://vgmdb.net/album/105 YES
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OCR03912 - *YES* Final Fantasy 4 "Tales of Courage and Sorrow"
Liontamer replied to Gario's topic in Judges Decisions
Structurally conservative, but very well personalized and expanded in terms of the part-writing. Nothing else to say but nice work per your usual excellence, Rebecca! YES -
This sounded like it should have been sharper/clearer, not that this was broken in any way. The effects almost made it seem like there was soft crackling/artifacting here as well, but that's just an aside. I didn't hear the first version, but this was a strong arrangement, so there were no reservations here. Good genre adaptation, and I liked how the rhythms were changed from the original. Welcome aboard, Yannic! YES
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For a 4:48-long track, I needed to recognize the 600 AD theme used for at least 144 seconds for the original VGM usage to dominate the arrangement. If it were up to me, I'd use the "Redux2" version for its cleaner mixing, but the main version actually has more personality to it; either mixing style was acceptable to me. I wish the production were sharper, but it's not like the track is awfully produced, just (sorely) lacking high end; maybe intentional, but I don't think the mixing works. That said, the arrangement more than makes up for the mixing quality, IMO, but your mileage may vary. Like John's Super Mario Bros. "Reflecting Pool" (other than his slow rendition causing theme recognition issues), this is another submission that's going to bump right up with personal taste in terms of production choices and musicality once again. Again, I don't mean to diminish John's work, as I personally appreciate it, but it sounds like it would be more of an academic's treasure and not necessarily a casual listener's; what a casual listener would "get" isn't our bar of course, nor should it be. To me, this is a solid, smart, transformative arrangement concept and an easy pass, but you should at least give this a few listens to get used to the style and better recognize how the original song is used, since there's some slowing down along with some long-held notes within the melodic phrases. It gets more musical with repeated listens; again, not a slight against this, just acknowledging that it's a challenging, cerebral piece. Don't let me down, people. YES
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*NO* Kirby's Adventure "Ride the Rainbow Warp Star" *RESUB*
Liontamer replied to Gario's topic in Judges Decisions
The synth at :25 was super generic/vanilla; see what other effects you could use to give it a fuller and/or more unique sound. Whoa, really mechanical-sounding strings at :33, and the drum kit (particularly the kick drum tone) didn't have any synergy with the other instrumentation. The piano timing also sounded blocky, in the uncanny valley of realism; sometimes it flows nicely with reasonable enough humanization, but then you have something like the 1:43 section where the timing is just too rigid. Don't forget to actually resolve the ending as well; it just cuts out. Wow, I'd hate to turn down an arrangement that's so creative, but one more pass at the production quality by way of humanization would do a world of good for this; it's the main issue, but for the piano and string timing, it's a must to improve this, IMO. Also, reexamining the drum kit could help as well, but it's a more minor thing. Really promising thus far, Colin! If this doesn't make it as is yet, don't be discouraged; this is well in the right direction. NO (resubmit) -
OCR03906 - *YES* Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild "Hateno Racing"
Liontamer replied to Gario's topic in Judges Decisions
I love hearing Breath of the Wild arrangements; with such a minimalist soundtrack, it feels like we're getting something arranging a skeletal 8-bit theme, something able to be taken in any number of directions. I thought the kicks were too loud and ended up pushing down the other elements; mixed pretty hot, but I'll live. Great arrangement to adapt it for an upbeat racing theme. Boy, I'm the judge that usually sticks up for fadeouts, but this had a very disappointing one, intentional loop point or not. That said, it's more like "Bah, let's see where else you take this," but the arrangement's creative and substantive without a doubt. Nicely done, AJ! YES -
OC ReMix presents Chronopolis: Music Inspired by Chrono Cross! March 18, 2019 Contact: press@ocremix.org FAIRFAX, VA... OverClocked ReMix today released its 70th free community arrangement album, Chronopolis: Music Inspired by Chrono Cross. Featuring 28 tracks from 29 artists, Chronopolis celebrates the soundtrack and the 20th anniversary year of Square's classic PlayStation RPG Chrono Cross (itself the sequel to the legendary Chrono Trigger), and is directed by veteran producer Brad "prophetik music" Burr. The album is available for free download at http://chronopolis.ocremix.org. OC ReMix's fourth album tackling the Chrono franchise, Chronopolis pulls together a worldwide lineup of musicians interpreting Yasunori Mitsuda's engaging score in a variety of styles, fashioning nearly 2 hours of arrangements. Chronopolis was made by fans, for fans, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Square Enix; all images, characters, and original compositions are copyright their respective owners. "Chrono Cross's OST represents one of the formative works that influenced me to make music. I initially fell in love with the lush visuals and setting, but the music was what drew me in and kept me there," recounted album director Brad Burr. "I can't help but be excited for this album's release. I believe that the overall quality of this album is easily the best that I've ever been involved with." Chronopolis is director Brad Burr's third arrangement album collaboration within the OC ReMix community, following 2008's Thieves of Fate, which arranged the soundtrack of Chrono series title Radical Dreamers, as well as 2010's Threshold of a Dream, commemorating The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. "Mitsuda's distinctive combination of singable, recognizable melodies and unique instrumentation made for an unforgettable and endearing soundtrack that transports me to an island paradise, complete with ancient ruins and fantastical creatures," Burr pointed out. "I hope that this project enables everyone who listens to be able to revisit the world of Chrono Cross yet again, nearly 20 years later." About OverClocked ReMix Founded in 1999, OverClocked ReMix is an organization dedicated to the appreciation and promotion of video game music as an art form. Its primary focus is ocremix.org, a website featuring thousands of free fan arrangements, information on game music and composers, resources for aspiring artists, and a thriving community of video game music fans. OC ReMix operates under the umbrella and sponsorship of Game Music Initiative, Inc, a 501c3 non-profit charitable organization (EIN: 81-4140676). ### Preview it: http://youtu.be/TZSToGU_MOk Download it: http://chronopolis.ocremix.org Torrent: http://bt.ocremix.org/torrents/Chronopolis_-_Music_Inspired_by_Chrono_Cross.torrent Comments/Reviews: http://ocremix.org/community/topic/48127/
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Preview Chronopolis: http://youtu.be/TZSToGU_MOk Download Chronopolis: http://chronopolis.ocremix.org Torrent: http://bt.ocremix.org/torrents/Chronopolis_-_Music_Inspired_by_Chrono_Cross.torrent Chrono Cross's OST represents one of the formative works that influenced me to make music. I initially fell in love with the lush visuals and setting, but the music was what drew me in and kept me there. As I prepared to lead this album with months of critical listening and planning, the OST rooted me in a way that few others have. Mitsuda's distinctive combination of singable, recognizable melodies and unique instrumentation made for an unforgettable and endearing soundtrack that transports me to an island paradise, complete with ancient ruins and fantastical creatures. I can't help but be excited for this album's release. Any project usually has a few people that have been around for a while (Jorito, myself, OceansAndrew), but inevitably there's a few newcomers that also knock it out of the park (Ophanin, Earth Kid, Steven Melin). I believe that the overall quality of this album is easily the best that I've ever been involved with, and I hope that this project enables everyone who listens to be able to revisit the world of Chrono Cross yet again, nearly 20 years later. - Brad Burr (prophetik music)
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OCR03899 - *YES* Phantasy Star 4 "Sakura Storm" *RESUB*
Liontamer replied to Gario's topic in Judges Decisions
Nice to have something join djp's version of this theme on OCR; I'm so conditioned by Dave's arrangement, that it struck me as odd when I heard the differences in the original song compared to his take, so that just shows how long it's been since I've listened to any of this. It's been 9 years since I've heard the rejected version of this, so I supposed the old expression fits: "You've come a long way, baby." Great energy, Guilherme; just a totally different animal compared to the source tune. YES -
I'd actually argue this was mixed too hot; the volume too much for my old man ears; nothing dealbreaking, but it could have been pulled back. Other than that, lovely rubber stamp-level stuff from Rebecca once more. YES