DragonAvenger

So this is one of the weirder tracks I've had to judge this year. The reason being because of the source. Essentially the source is "Into the Thick of It" but without any of the melody. Because of that the source and, by extension the remix, sounds like it's empty. It's really hard to try to separate the two. That being said, the mix itself has a pretty nice soundscape overall. I think the drums are a little quiet in the mix and could have more presence overall. On a similar note the drums (and a lot of the mix as a whole) sounds pretty repetitive. Having a lead melody would definitely help, which brings us back to the weird part. There's really not much direction to the track, which is another issue that not having a lead brings. The track is pretty much the same backing chords at the same tempo until the end where it abruptly stops. The other issue is that this sounds so close to the original. I'm not sure where you can go to improve the arrangement and personalize this more without drastically changing the structure and style. There's little to work with and that makes it that much more difficult. There's a weird note at 1:37 by the way. I think the repetitive nature of the chords, drums, and other backing parts combined with some balance issues and the overall closeness to the source makes this an NO for me, but I'm not sure what options you have to bring this up to our standards. Hopefully another judge has done advice. NO

Contact Information > ReMixer name: HeavenWraith > Real name: Antanas Palaitis > E-mail: > Website: http://www.heavenwraithmusic.net > Forum user ID: 50325 Submission Information > Game: DooM > ReMix Name: Army Worthy of Phobos > Original Name: Sign of Evil (E1M8) > Original Author: Bobby Prince > Link to the file: So about three months ago I bought additional 8GB of RAM (now combined to a total of 16GB) and to celebrate that I decided to load a whole orchestra and write a remix. EWQL's reverb levels were quite intimidating at first, but with some stereo/EQ magic it ended up being serviceable. It's probably very evident, that the track is mostly inspired by Howard Shore, specifically his work on "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring" soundtrack. It was quite challenging to pull off, as it is easier for me to make elaborate melodies/harmonies rather than menacing beats and creeping dissonant orchestra sections. However while difficult, it was an interesting experience and very good practice. -------------------------------

Hey OCRemix, My name is Jeffrey Brice, otherwise known online as Pumodi. I recently created a an arrangement of "Did You See the Ocean" from the Secret of Mana soundtrack. I am submitting this track for review and possible inclusion on OCRemix. Please find attached an mp3 as well as a link to the file hosted on my website along with all the required information. I hope you enjoy the track! Here is a link to the track: Contact Information Pumodi Jeffrey Brice jeffbricemusic.com Userid: 33041 Submission Information Secret of Mana Did You See the Ocean Did You See the Ocean Link to Original Version on Youtube: https://youtu.be/xrMDbcIxmXE

I don't know the Nightwish song, but this mix is pretty fun. As said, the arrangement is somewhat close in terms of melody and structure, but there's definitely a lot of personality in here. 0:20-0:29 (and other sections) has some harp runs that are pretty quiet in the mix, and on speakers are pretty much impossible to hear minus adding some mud to the mix. Aside from that things are pretty clear. The brass is a nice touch to the arrangement, adding some depth to the soundscape overall. Nice use of drums as well without getting overly repetitive. Nice work here! YES

Contact Information > ReMixer name: HeavenWraith > Real name: Antanas Palaitis > E-mail: > Website: http://www.heavenwraithmusic.net > Forum user ID: 50325 Submission Information > Game: Jazz Jackrabbit 2 > ReMix Name: Sanfter Flügel Weilt > Original Name: Jazz Be Damned > Original Author: Alexander Brandon > Link to the file: Since I tried to go with more of a vanilla/loyal to the source mindset, I believe the source usage breakdown is not really necessary, everything but the part from 1:52 to 2:53 is rearranged source. The main thing that inspired me throughout the creation process was "Shudder Before The Beautiful" by Nightwish, which, I believe, is quite noticeable for those who know the track. I dreamed of remixing this source track ever since I started remixing VGM, just did not have appropriate ideas for it, it's such a nice progressive track.

The arrangement here is quite lovely, as always. I'm having an issue with the samples sounding pretty unrealistic. Weighing the two, I do think the samples need to be addressed here, Jeremy. I hope you look at this one again! NO (resubmit)

remixer name: Jeremy Robson real name: Jeremy Robson email: website: www.jeremyrobson.com forums id: 5919-sil game: Final Fantasy 9 name of arrangement: Winter Fantasia name of tracks: Search for the Princess, Melodies of Life, Airship Hilde Garde original composer: Nobuo Uematsu link: Comments: I originally made this arrangement nearly 10 years ago when my orchestration abilities were questionable at best, and only now got around to fleshing things out to make it closer to my original idea. It's partially inspired by the film scores of James Horner; one of my favourite composers. He passed earlier this year, so I dedicate this arrangement to him. -----------------------------------

I definitely agree with Mike that the track is really repetitive to the paint that it's too much here. The original is so short I understand that there is little to work with, but the piano playing the same chords and other instruments relating with very little change makes it hard to stay focused. Something like an original section or some chord changes would d definitely help out. I'll also agree on the synth choice. The sound sounds very mechanical and the synths are a bit thin overall. If consider changing up for some more realistic samples and work on humanizing the parts. There's a lot of work to be done here. It's an interesting concept, but with do little source to work with you're going to really need to get creative to figure out how to expand the arrangement and keep things interesting. Good luck! NO

Haven't heard the original submission, but I am enjoying the soundscape you've got going on here.everything definitely feels super chill. The arrangement has a few issues if like to bring up. The main motif is used a lot, which is a great part to return to since is a good chorus and is pretty recognizable. The other sections of the source feel pretty marginalized in comparison, and more importantly the parts in between the chorus feel like filler that doesn't have a lead to guide it. As a result the mix feels stagnant and noodley. I'd love for you to really work another lead melody in there to drive the track along. I am heading some balance issues between various parts. ~1:00 is the first time where the backing harp synth is really quiet compared to the guitar. Would really like you to go through this with a fine tooth comb and really listen to the parts to make sure everything is clear. The bells are also somewhat piercing and could be ruined down based on how well they cut through. There's also a lot of high hat usage through the track, and it starts to get a little tiring. I've got a lot of small crits here, bit they do add up, and I think the track needs some more work. I'm most interested in getting you revise the more aimless sections of the arrangement to give the track more direction overall, but I do think the balance issue needs to be stressed as well. Good luck! NO (resubmit)

This could probably be a DP, but I'm kinda tired so I'll make sure someone else listens to it to make sure. Love the lush soundscape here, as always. Jaka never fails to bring a wonderfully expanded view on the tracks he tackles. I also noticed a few staples, like the tinkling piano, and use of glockenspiel, which are a nice touch here. This mix in particular sets up a nice storyline, and the buildup to the conclusion of Where Angels Fear to Tread really works well here. I felt like the overall balance was good, with the leads clear but not overpowering, and the backing parts really supporting the writing. Nice work, as per usual! YES

Contact Information Your ReMixer name: Archangel Your real name: Jaka Čibej (That's a Slovenian male name, short for Jakob - just to avoid any sex-change stuff, that happens kind of often. XD ) Your email address: jaka (dot) cibej (at) gmail (dot) com Your website: Your userid: 23355 (http://ocremix.org/forums/member.php?u=23355) Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: Seiken Densetsu 3 Name of individual song(s) arranged: Return to Forever, Where Angels Fear to Tread Additional information about game including composer, system, etc.: Hiroki Kikuta; SNES; Link to the original soundtrack (if it is not one of the sound archives already available on the site): Return to Forever, Where Angels Fear to Tread Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc.: Greetings, almighty primarchs! This is my eleventh submission. It's one of the project mixes I made for Songs of Light and Darkness. This arrangement took a lot of time to finish. It's the longest track I've made so far, including my original work. I had to split it into multiple project files because my PC at the time was too weak to handle all the samples and plugins at once. If I were making this arrangement today, I'd probably take a very different approach to it, but all in all, I'm quite proud of the result. The original track plays during the game's end credits, when Flammie is shown flying above the world. I followed a similar imagery with this arrangement. The track begins with the end of the final battle. The heroes, standing by the Mana Tree, witness small, but noticeable signs that the world is starting to recover - flowers springing to life, birdsong, and gentle rain. Realizing that they've succeeded in defeating the evil, they smile at each other, then summon Flammie and take to the air (1:04). In the dead of night, they fly across the landscapes of their world - over lush jungles, vast plains, insurmountable heights and tranquil seas - until they finally land in a forest not far from the shore (5:37). The town they are headed to is nearby, and they say goodbye to their flying friend, who spreads her (or is it his?) wings (6:35) and takes off once more. The heroes run towards the shore to catch a final glimpse of Flammie flying off into the distant horizon. They reach a cliff above the sea just as a great wave comes crashing into the rocks (8:05), spraying them with cold drops of sea water. A new dawn rises, and they sit quietly on the shore and enjoy a hard-earned moment of peace. I hope you enjoy the track! Here's the link to the mp3: Best wishes, J.

Definitely some good advice here already, and there's little for me to add here. I definitely want to emphasize the drums sounding pretty distant and not having the effect that they could. Would love to hear this one cleaned up a bit! NO (resubmit)

I can mostly see the issues that the No's are bringing up but I don't think they bring the track below the bar for me. The arrangement is emotive and personalized and overall has a great concept that really brings it together. All that being said, if it comes down to another pass this track could definitely be that much better, so good luck either way and I hope to hear this on the front page! YES

Super fun and trippy, I've got no problems here. I can definitely see why you and Shariq like this source! Nice work. YES

Gonna agree with a lot of what Mike is saying here. I definitely feel like the slower sections feel more cohesive than the faster sections. The that being said, I will also agree that the soundscape overall needs some work. The guitar sounds aren't really cutting it as is, and the percussion feels thin, especially in the faster sections where they need some more power. Some more personalization and variation on the drum rhythms will help as well. In terms of arrangement there's definitely some expansion and personalization, but I feel like the track gets repetitive and uses the same motif a lot. I think taking out a little of the fluff would help. The bell synth at 1:55 has a really slow attack and sounds out of time as a result. The section at 3:00 on really sounds a lot more personal to me and worked a lot better. The soundscape has the backing chorus and the guitar sounds more emotional. Easily the best part of the track to me. I think this needs work, but you have some good arrangement ideas to work with and a lot of the ground work set up. Hope to hear this again! NO (resubmit)

The opening starts or somewhat similar to the original source, but there's some fun sounds used that I felt were a nice touch like at 0:28. The theme overall remains pretty similar to the original,I would have liked a bit more variation there. 1:12 has a really cool countermelody/solo that fits quite well. I'd love to hear more along those lines. There's mostly original material from 1:41until 2:26 when the theme comes back in with more rhythmic variation. Again I wish there was more like that earlier on Sound wise I feel like the synths are good, though at times the leads feel somewhat thin. The percussion also feels like it's missing some lower end frequencies. The kick especially could have more meat. The track suffers from a lack of humanization across the board, and I'd really like that to be addressed. Even if you just worked on the leads it would be an improvement but I think the percussion and backing could be touched up as well. This is on the right track, and the latter variations you added plus your original wiring show promise.I hope to hear this again! NO (resubmit)

Contact Information ReMixer name: AntFactory Real name: Mikel Fernandez E-mail address: Website: www.soundcloud.com/ant_factory User ID: 32158 Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: Touhou Koumakyou: The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil Name of arrangement: It Was Her Indeed! Name of individual song(s) arranged: U.N. Owen Was Her? Comments about the mix: It had already been a while that I'd been looking for some videogame music that would inspire me to make my own cover-remix-thing (as I usually refer to them), but, quite unexpectedly (because I never paid any good attention to any Touhou title before) for me, it was not until I listened to this song, being such a good one, that I felt a rush of inspiration and an urge to make something with it. So I threw the famous chorus' loop into my Sequencer and listened to it while I added drums and various sounds to make it more aggresive, more like Flandre had some kind of thirst of revenge/action running through her veins after being locked away for that long. Those Flandre Scarlet wallpapers that one can see around where she is making those creepy faces were definitely what I was trying to capture. From there I went on to add my own instruments (most of them I designed from scratch) that would replace the original loop altogether, and then proceeded to arrange the song itself in a way that would very much resemble the progression of the original work, to get the feeling that it could be heard as the actual background music during the battle, but with my own personal twists and variations. Hope you guys enjoy listening to this as much as I did producing it! ------------------------

I love the emotion you have in your performance, really makes the track feel really spunky! I'm hearing plenty of Grizzly Slash, though I am much more familiar with that source. Your detailed breakdown definitely helps, too, but I'm curious what the other judges are going to say about relying on the chord structure as well as the sampled parts from Nemo. Aside from that I think this is super fun! YES

new version 10/2/16 (Nemo samples removed, better mixing) ReMixer Name: KingTiger Real Name: R. Corey Oltman Email Address: Website: kingtigermusic.com Userid: 13864 Games Arranged: Mega Man X5 & Mega Man X8 Name of Arrangement: Es-cop-ay Name of Individual Songs Arranged: Sigma Palace (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3yJ29Uq8q0) (Mega Man X8) & Grizzly Slash/Crescent Grizzly Stage Theme (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyIFODbDK5M) (Mega Man X5) Link to the Remix: (there's a download option there don't worry) please leave the remix link in the thread if it's rejected Comments: Hi guys, I'm submitting my 5th-round remix from the Sigma Fortress Remix Gauntlet that Shariq's currently running. I'm really proud of the production on this, especially with how clean the vocals came out; I'm also really glad with how well I was able to execute the concept. I was planning to make a rap song the entire time, but with other things in life taking priority (family, my j-o-b, etc) I wound up writing, recording and mixing the vocals all on the last day. And although he doesn't wish to be credited in the remix, I do want to extend a HUGE thanks to my teammate bLiNd for being a rockstar and mastering this thing last-minute in like 10 minutes. The (heavily processed) samples at the beginning and end are from the Disney/Pixar movie Finding Nemo (which is also where I got the remix's title from!), I can easily get you a version without these samples if they're a problem. I'm super happy to finally have a rap track that I think meet's OCR's standards. I love doing rap because I don't have to worry about pitch or proper vowel/dipthong enunciation nearly as much, and there's a lot more room to express your thoughts and try clever things. It's also a great avenue for venting your frustrations with life and/or the world at large, as is the case with this track. Confession time: for the double-time bridge portion of the song, because I had virtually no time to practice, I slowed the song down to 100 BPM to record the lyrics and then sped it back up to 128 BPM so I guess that makes me a horrible cheater D: but whatevs. I focused heavily on using the chords & progressions from the gauntlet source (Sigma Palace from X8), but I also used other melodic/harmonic elements from it and my Maverick’s theme (Crescent Grizzly/Grizzly Slash from X5, name depends on which part of the world you're from). I used a key that neither source is in (fm). The sub bass on this is killer so make sure you're using a good set of headphones/speakers to hear it. Here’s a full source breakdown by source section: chord patterns from Sigma Palace (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3yJ29Uq8q0): - 0:12 - 0:25, used in the verses - 0:24 - 0:47, used in the chorus/hook - 0:47 - 0:58, used in the middle of each verse melodic stuff from Sigma Palace: - rhythmic strings from 0:10 - 0:12, I used the top notes as the foundation for my baseline in the verses, but I simplified it from two 1/8 notes on each note to a single dotted 1/8 on each note. Also the bass in the bridge, changed to 1/4 notes - french horn from 0:23-0:24, this is the synth at the beginning and middle of each chorus - strings that repeat from 0:24 - 0:47, I used the top notes as the baseline in the chorus, again using dotted 1/8s instead of the original timing (which is a rest and then three 1/4 notes) - harp from 0:47 - 0:52, should be pretty obvious, it’s the synth that plays at the end of the first 8 bars of each verse - descending string patten from 0:55 - 0:58, the synth that plays at the end of each chorus melodic stuff from Crescent Grizzly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyIFODbDK5M): - melody from 0:03 - 0:06 & 0:22 - 0:25, the synth bit at the end of the first half of each verse - the resonant-shifting, same note synth from 0:07 - 0:09, the super fast rap before the last chorus - there’s a synth doing something similar under my rap - melody from 0:13 - 0:22, there’s a staccato synth part that occurs throughout each verse that does this; specifically, it’s in the 3rd, 11th, and 27th bars of the 1st verse, and the 3rd and 11th bars of the 2nd verse - melody from 0:26 - 0:32, this is a background synth line in the 2nd & 3rd choruses - the contrapuntal melody from 0:32 - 0:44, this is the synth line in the 2nd verse, the 3rd set of 8 bars (the “different” part of the verse where I start out rapping “anxiety runs high in this town”) - the chordal melody from 0:45 - 0:57, this is actually in the bass under the “different” part of both verses… I cut short the notes that are held longer and doubled the speed of the source aaannd here's the lyrics: [Ok, there’s no way out, there’s gotta be a way out!] [Look, here’s something! “Es-cop-ay.” I wonder what that means? It’s funny, it’s spelled just like the word “escape.”] escape route hiding from the great unknown cause I am an actor and life’s a show don’t hate you but when the scene’s unscripted all your good, can you please restrict it? get straight through all I want is the end like being average is the trend create truth it’s easy to fail the test when you are so afraid of success complete the trial to the very end and you know it’s final, can’t be done again but I know I’ll lose it on the final test I’ll never prove myself on this quest what’s the point of even going through this open door I’ve been appointed to I’ll only fail and fail again hey look, the trail opens up ahead so now I’ve got something to decide try it, or throw away my life I don’t think I can handle the strife but the other way, well, it cuts like a knife through butter in my imagination guess I really should be patient until my confidence comes around and I really can’t let my family down I gather my strength and push on through it I hope I make it, I hope I do it but then I trip and stumble and fall *sigh* I knew I couldn’t do it at all you can try your best to encourage but it only serves to discourage I won’t throw myself in the bottomless pit but now you plainly see where we sit self-defeat is the name of the game cause it’s not so neat to fell ashamed cause there’s always the chance that I could fail so I’d just rather not set sail I’ll push it aside and get on with my days I’ve got too much pride so I’ll just stay the same and you know what’ll happen? Ill just forget and do it all again the next chance I get don’t know what I mean by “escape route”? well, give me a minute and I’ll show you gotta prepare, make sure I’m ready endless reparations for when I’m unsteady huh? what? I guess I can go now um, but, I really can’t show how great I am if you don’t give me time how spaced I am if you don’t give me mine think about driving your car in traffic think about how far there is havoc defensive driving 101, now always looking for the way out disaster’s right around the corner I’m passionate as a hoarder of all these moments that could go wrong count em all up, they’d be a googol strong anxiety runs high in this town you never know when it’ll come around if there’s chance I won’t succeed that’s when it will come and get me I can’t do it, see, I cannot be the man that you really need from me maybe something will cut through the noise maybe I should go play with my toys what? no, don’t call me a boy now let’s pretend it’s the fall of Troy if I try harder, it might happen sudden clarity, instead of trapped in a box I built myself, now strapped in safe and secure, try to free me - I’ll zap him if I press on every day then maybe I will find a way and if you think you know then say how to make this thing go away I need to find some clarity but everywhere I look, I see chaos, confusion, and deceit who is there who can help me? need to find my confidence my faith in God never made sense because everywhere that I went I let others invent me but now I have to find time each day to put my foot down and I’ll say that I will stop being afraid of my mistakes I’m unashamed [Let’s go!] [Ah!] [Here’s Brucey!]

No reason for me to hold this up. Listened again, and I'm hearing more of what you guys are saying. I'd love to hear another pass as well to get things really matching how great the arrangement is! NO (resubmit, please)

Oops Leaving it as is for posterity, but *all *countermelody *fits *too *countermelody

Lots of good advice above. I'd like to add a couple things that stood out to me. The first is the lead synth at 0:34 has a really long attack and Abby of the faster movements feel very sloppy as a result. I like the contentedly you have at 1:11 but the synth doesn't sound like it guys into the soundscape very well and actually takes up to much attention at times. The drums are pretty repetitive overall, I'd have loved some more variation. Similarly the kick and the claps sound pretty weak. The arrangement is pretty close to the source, I think you could be more adventurous here. The counterproductive was a good start and more like that would be even better. Hope to hear more from you. NO(resubmit)

Goodness this is gorgeous! Really love the orchestration here, and I can tell there was a lot of care put into the arrangement. I do feel like 2:05 - 2:30 sounds a bit awkward. The lack of a lead focus might be the issue there, but it gets back on track after that. Quite enjoyable, especially for someone who is a sucker for orchestral arrangements. YES *changed below

Pretty neat style change from the original. I like the combination of instruments, and over all the track is a somewhat carefree take on things.I have an issue with the panning. The guitars are all panned hard to each side and it sounds a bit awkward, especially on headphones. I'd suggest toning the panning down (a bit is good for separating the parts) and working to make sure the balance doesn't get lost. The other issue I have is with the bass sound. The lower end sounds really buzzy and almost washed out. The arrangement is definitely short, but I think it works at the length it is and doesn't overstay its welcome. I'm a little hazy on some of the source connection: I hear the trumpet line as well as some guitar connection, but I think this runs a little short. If another judge picks up on something let me know! In the end I think this is pretty close, but I'd like to hear the panning shifted and possibly some work on the bass sound. NO (resubmit)

Hello, Veto (Find Your Way) - resting sad face Link to arrangement: Contact Information ReMixer name: Veto (Arrangement, guitar, bass, tambourine performance, drum manipulation, production) Jim Bradley (Trumpet performance) (would prefer just a mention in submission writeup) email address: website: http://findyourway.kanyu.me/ userid: 30909 Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: Touhou Chireiden: Subterranean Animism (東方地霊殿 〜 Subterranean Animism) Name of arrangement: resting sad face Name of individual song(s) arranged: Last Remote (ラストリモート) Link to the original soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=insAFyECUfc Comments: This is my first submission so I hope I've done everything alright. I've been a follower of the Japanese Touhou arrangement (and original) music scene for about 5 years now and have been "participating" as much as a foreigner is able by releasing new arrangements online for the past 2 years. But this year I was invited to participate in a live event and Summer Comic Market in Japan, so I felt like maybe I'd been recognized a little bit by the Japanese Touhou arrangement community. My Touhou arrangement circle "Find Your Way" was greeted warmly and I'm very grateful to have been given the opportunity to participate in both events. This song is an instrumental interlude halfway through Find Your Way's first album, which I released physically and digitally in August during those events. I am happy with the entire album, but because this song is an instrumental, I thought it might be more palatable than, say, every other song on there where I perform vocals myself, haha. About the arrangement itself, it came together pretty easier, which was a relief. Even though I changed the key for the arrangement, I hope the different parts are still able to shine through. Since I wanted this to be a relatively short arrangement, I ended up leaving some parts out without realizing, such as the lead melody at around 2:20~ of the source tune. It just didn't fit into the song I wanted to make, so I didn't end up using it, even though it's probably the most recognizable part of the source! Please forgive me. Since Find Your Way is primarily focused on Touhou punk arrangements, specifically in a "mid-western emo" style, there has to be trumpet, right?! But I can't play the trumpet, so I asked a friend of a friend, Jim Bradley, if he would record some parts I had arranged. Since it was my first time arranging and directing the recording for trumpet, he had to teach me quite a bit. Hopefully I will be able to arrange better and more dynamic trumpet parts next time, but it's thanks to Jim that the song sounds as good as it does now. By the way, I refer to "Find Your Way" as if it was a real band, but it's actually just myself arranging and performing the music, while my friend records joke skits for the bonus tracks (and there was no skit for the album). Of course, after getting a taste of playing the songs live in Japan, I want to put a band together now... I think that's everything. Thank you for your time, Veto