MedHead

One of the few lyrical songs on this site that I actually enjoy! I find myself singing this song at work, in the car, at home - well, pretty much everywhere (though not in that wow-crazy-fan-singing-all-the-time style). I like the way this sounds: there may have been some criticisms on its quality, but I've always felt it sounded similar to how a garage band playing in the - yes, you guessed it - summertime. It has a homegrown simplicity while trying to sound professional sound to it that gives it personality in my eyes. Perhaps that wasn't the intention, but that's what I got out of it. Granted, there are parts about which I wasn't wild, such as the breakdown or whatever it's called around the 2:10-2:15 mark: the motion/inertia/speed of the music fell apart, and felt a little jarring to my ears. Fortunately, it starts back up for the finale, and I soon forget it happened. Overall, one of my favorite vocal tracks from the site!

I don't remember any of the Raptor music myself, but I did like the game. Therefore, I can only comment on the music as it stands alone, outside of its connection to any game. I like the song (note the stress on "like" - it doesn't go beyond that). It has a "rainy day" feel to it, and I really like that style. It's a great ambient groove song. Now, it's not the best ambient groove piece I've ever heard, so I can't say it's my favorite. I'm not sure why, really: it just doesn't rank at the top for me. I do know for certain that I don't like the way it fades out, and the two-minute marks falls apart to my ears. Other than that, I can't really point out a flaw that I can say is the absolute reason I don't put this song in the top ranks. I want to blame it on the samples used, but I can't even be certain of that. Sorry. However, I do enjoy it despite its flaws, and will be adding it to my playlist.

I wouldn't have visited this thread if not for the amount of views. I enjoyed reading through many of the pages in this thread, so I do thank everyone who bumped this up enough to make it visible to me. However, unlike the last ten pages or so, I'm going to side with those who find this song lacking, and give it a negative review. There are very few songs here on this site containing vocals that I end up liking. I think the total count is around three. This was no exception. Of all the vocals, I found the introduction "waahs" the most - I don't know how to say it without it having the possibility of being construed as rude; it's not my intention - bearable. Now, I didn't really like them either: there are only certain songs that I like "waahs" in them, and this wasn't one of them. The rest of the music was cringe-worthy for various reasons. The first reason was the lyric choice. While I have liked songs with lyrics that many would find goofy and/or silly, these lyrics just didn't sit well with me. To give a perspective, they made me feel similar to how I would imagine a non-science fiction fan would feel like going to a science fiction convention. Out of place, a little goofy, and embarrased to repeat to others. The second reason was the voice quality. Each of the voices could make a song alone and very likely do so well: together I thought they clashed. The comments posted previously mirror much of my own opinions (aside from the off-tune remarks; my ears must not be trained enough to hear it). I won't get into much with this, as evidence shows it can cause offense. I think it suffices to say I thought they weren't pleasing to my ear. Next on my laundry list of dislikes (hey, it was requested earlier that we list them) was the song quality itself. My first listen though this was the instrumental, since it was posted at the top of the page I originally visited. I thought the song was overall good (and better than the lyrical version): but, as another said, it seemed more like a karaoke track, rather than an instrumental. Despite this, I didn't really like the instruments used. I often like electronic-sounding music, and thought the arrangement was rather catchy. The samples perhaps were to blame, because I was left feeling unsatisfied. It was so close to being a keeper, but it just was too unsettling for my tastes. I didn't finish the instrumental version, instead choosing to go straight to the lyrical in hopes that the voices would flesh out the missing parts of the instrumental. Unfortunately, I didn't feel sated. The male/female due didn't sit well, the rap/poem made me groan, and the guitar solo felt jarring and out of place. Overall, and I'm sorry that it had to be this way, I found this song dissappointing. So, to give it a numerical rating (which I do so enjoy doing), I give it a 35%.

This was great! The introduction intrigued me, but I wasn't certain if the rest of the song would work well. Fortunately, things quickly changed, and I ended up bobbing my head with the beat. A definite entry in my playlist.

I like it. The title describes the song well: it's very "slick". It has an old-school computer/video game vibe to it, without sacrificing sound quality. I wouldn't say there is much original about it, nor did it seem to be long enough; but what was presented was entertaining. There's something about it that keeps it from being in my top ten list (and I don't really know what it is), but I still think it's a good remix.

I turned the music on, expecting to carefully listen to every second of it to give it a proper review. Half a minute after it ended, I suddenly realized I hadn't paid any attention to it; the ambient nature of the music had me surfing the web even while it was still playing, rather than giving it my full attention. I suppose, in a way, that because of my lack of attention, the music was made properly, and executed exactly the right response. When the song first came on, I figured I wouldn't be giving it much of a review, since it seemed like it was going to be boring elevator music. And, in a sense, that's all it is; however, unlike many examples of elevator music, this doesn't get into such sappiness like others, that eventually get not only mind-numbing, but nauseating as well. This song keeps the formula of "chill" music and keeps it entertaining. The addition of the single violin separates it from the rest of the ambient crowd; but I'm not entirely certain if it really fits the genre. It was played very well (and as someone said, on tune), but there's something about the violin that doesn't really say laid-back to me. Overall, a good remix, and a recommended download.

The song was great! Your aim to make "driving music" worked: I got that feeling immediately. I liked just about everything in the song! I thought near the ending things started getting a little muddy with all the instruments (I prefered the more sparse first minute). Otherwise, a great song!

I think the length was just right. It kept things entertaining without rehashing the theme constantly. The ending of the song was pretty well done, but I think I would have liked a little more length to that portion: it cuts off a bit too fast for my liking. My favorite portion of the song was the first half: it had a great beat, good synth sounds, and was very catchy. The second half slowed down a bit, and while it too was good, I still think the first half was far better. Overall, I liked this remix!

I never said it wasn't. My point is, if one wishes to present the site as professional, then keep it that way. Mixing in unnecessary personal comments can cause problems. Believe me, I know.

I don't think any of us disagree: I'm sure we've all noticed the comments placed in most of the reviews. However, most of them are just basic "I'm really tired as I write this, because I did [x]", rather than a very pointed remark about something or someone related to the remix. Here, and for example, in the Pillar of Salt review (here: http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR01225/), pointed remarks are made and are obviously not mere teasing. Being unprofessional and dare I say unkind aren't something that should be in reviews, and should be taken seriously. Fine: but a thread in a forum and a permanent page for the remix are two different things. A year down the line people are going to visit the page and see animosity for a long-since-complete remix project. Why does that need to be included in the review? Stick it in a blog or journal, not on a music review site. I disagree. Airing dirty laundry on a site that is otherwise non-bloggish isn't professional. He can set his record straight, sure: but I don't think this site is the appropriate place. Stick it on the bottom of the review, with a warning, perhaps: but not in the middle, when a valid artist is trying to get his remix out to the public. Now to the actual reason this thread exists: the review of the remix. I like "spacious" sounding music, and this song definitely has an atmosphere about it. Up until the surprising breakdown at the final moments of the song, I didn't think this song brought all that much in terms of new material or style to the genre. However, the slowing of the beat and almost winter-like feeling at the end of the song really impressed me. I've always liked the cozy feeling of a cold day in a warm house, and having that feeling evoked in, of all things, a trance song, is a great event indeed. The rest of the song entertains, but isn't what I would call "revolutionary". Perhaps that wasn't the intention, and for a dance remix, it works fine. I like it, but my favorite has to be the finale. It transcends the oft-used simple fadeout by adding the quiet jingle bell moment. Now, for all I know the actual source tune is like this, but it doesn't really matter to me. It works.

I really liked this remix. The pacing, instruments, and arrangement gave a very uneasy, chaotic feeling to the song. The song evoked the feeling of a lone person fighting a huge battle in a foreign, alien world. And obviously, as we all know the source, such a feeling matches the game well. I could definitely see this being played in the background of System Shock 2. It has a very lonely, frightened, yet brave tone about it. I was a little worried about the ending, as I heard it start to fade out. Fading out works very infrequently with me, and I don't think this song was one of those that benefited from the use. Fortunately, the fadeout only was for some instruments, as more took over the lead. However, I think perhaps simply letting the instruments stop one by one would have been preferable than to simply cut them all down at the same time as it was done here. Regardless, this was a great remix, and definitely going on my playlist. Superb work!

A very simplistic, minimalistic song that still manages to have a certain charm to it. Some of the sample choices left me wondering what the remixer was thinking, since they didn't seem to fit with the genre nor the song. Obviously, to give a good review I must listen through the entire song. In this one, I was tempted not to listen all the way through. I found myself tapping my foot along with the beat, but the song wasn't enjoyable enough to continue listening to it. It wasn't until the banjo came in that I really became interested in this remix. The banjo portion had depth, atmosphere, energy, and a good variation in the sonic gamut, if you will. The song succeeds in being a very ambient, laid back groove, but it fails to reach that subtle area where the beat is strong enough to remain interesting without becoming something more than what it is supposed to be. If the entire song could be played as it was during the banjo portion, I would find it much more interesting.

Some of the samples used for the main melody, as well as most of the drums used in the song just didn't fit well with me. There are many good parts to the music, and the production quality is great. The song had depth to it: I liked the atmosphere. But as a whole, the few samples as well as the somewhat sparse melody throughout the run of the song made me give this a lower rating.

I am in no way familiar with the source music. However, taking the music as it is and judging it on quality alone, I think it was done superbly and recorded well. A great piece of piano work. However, I think a little more treble by default and some more reverb would have helped this piece a bit.

I knew there was something off about this song, but I didn't know what it was. It didn't really ever bother me; in fact, that "offness" is what makes me like this track. Knowing that it's offtune doesn't change my opinion about the song.

The timing took a long time for me to finally understand, and while that meant I finally stopped cringing, the samples and arrangement just end up too chaotic for my tastes. I thought there was a lot of repetition in the music, and very few good transitions between the themes. Everything had a looping program feel about it. Looking back at the melody played in this remix, I don't think it's all that impressive. While simplicity doesn't make for a bad theme (it often is the exact opposite), I don't think this melody was interesting. It really simply sounds like something that would be played as the background chord progression to a much larger production, rather than a foreground melody as it is presented here. To make matters worse, the mixing of the arrangement is grating, highlighting the aged samples used. If it wasn't for my determination to listen all the way through in order to review these remixes, I wouldn't have made it a third of the way. It was a daring move to try the strange timing, and the piece has a definite speed and high-paced frenetic quality about it, but it was unsettling rather than charismatic to me.

This is by far my favorite remix of all the available remixes on this site. I find myself humming this tune throughout the day, and it's been quite some time since I've downloaded this song from the site. When I first saw this song had lyrics, I figured I would be quickly closing it once the vocalist starting singing, but I was very, very wrong. The lyrics were funny, well made, and sung well for this genre. This is a superb remix. Excellent. Wonderful. Yes, oh yes.

This is a great remix! I think it has a very atmospheric, ethereal quality to it. It's very funky, and makes me think of playing DOOM where every enemy has a little hop to their step in time with the music. I think I would have preferred a little more breakdown for the ending of the song: that or something like a crescendo, an upward scale of notes, and then an explosion that fades out, but perhaps that would be cliche. I don't know. Either way, it's a very small complaint, and one that I can easily overcome. I really like this remix!

I was hooked at the start of the song: the piano playing was well done, the sound quality better than average piano solos, and the pace was exciting. Then suddenly things died down to the point I thought the song had ended: after checking the progress, I saw it was only around half done! I should have noticed something was afoot when the source melody I so enjoyed started to have misplaced notes inserted into it. I figured it was probably just a product of nerves, and a live session. I was wrong: it wasn't. The rest of the song felt plodding, as it meandered through the tune, going off to frolic outside of the source frequently. While this is often a good thing, I thought in this case there wasn't enough original material being injected into the song that would require the source music to be ignored. I've heard this style of jazz-like improvisation, and I frequently dislike it, because it only seems to just be making the source "frilly" - as in, adding extra notes that don't actually do much to the song - instead of supplying new life to the source melody. Again, I know this is a common practice, but I often see it taken to an extreme, and it ends up sounding worse than simply adhering to the original melody. If the entire song was as interesting as the first quarter/half, I would have given this a better score. But once the source music was almost entirely thrown aside to instead stumble through a flurry of very quietly played notes, I began to lose interest. The piano playing took a lot of talent to execute, and the audio quality was superb. However, I do not enjoy music that "floats" through tunes like this one: I prefer music that sticks closer to the original, only choosing to divert from it when quality original music can be added. As such, I will not be adding this to my playlist.

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The audio seemed a bit muffled, as if it were an old recording from vinyl or cassette. It definitely helped give the mood that this was an old classical piece, but personally I would have preferred a little richer sound. I would have liked hearing a little more string and less piano, as I thought the piano slowed the piece down while the strings sped it up. It felt as if it switched gears repeatedly throughout the song because of the alternating between strings and piano. However, despite my wishing for the strings to play again, I also wanted them to stay away: the samples used, while better than many used in remixes on this site, still weren't realistic enough. At least for me, having a good sounding string sample, as well as the ability to play it convincingly, makes or breaks the use of the strings. If it doesn't sound good or isn't played well, it's almost better to not use the strings at all than to use them poorly. However, despite my complaints, I still saw that the remixer had designed a great remix. Because of my complaints, I don't plan on putting this one in my playlist, but I can fully understand others finding it worth the addition to their library.

I wanted to like this, I really did. It started out great: it had all the right elements to an entertaining, creepy, understated remix. I was prepared to give it my 90% rating graphic, perhaps even with my "reviewer's choice" medal alongside. But the rest of the song didn't deliver for me. I was a little surprised by the percussion when it was first introduced, and saddened once the full range of percussion began. Suddenly the remix no longer felt haunting: instead it repeatedly sounded like we were listening to a hobbyist plunk on the keyboard to the beat of a drum loop. Which... is pretty much what was being done: but noticing that is rarely a good thing. The samples, for the most part, were good: the piano was a little subpar. I only noticed it once the other instruments began to play; otherwise the lower quality sample sounded fine to my ears. Personally, once the beat started, I would have liked to hear some lower notes from the piano. I heard a lot of treble, but very little bass. The left side of the keyboard needs some attention, too! It's feeling lonely. Finally, like so many remixes, the ending just doesn't do it for me. I was wanting a crescendo of beat, not just the finale of the drum loop. Start pounding on the keys, adding some more beat - something to cover up the sudden stop of the drum loop. Now, perhaps you didn't use a drum loop; and I apologize for accusing you if I'm incorrect. And I'm not saying there is anything wrong with using a drum loop: it's just that I don't feel much life or energy from drum loops. Most of them end up sounding rather dull to my ear. Overall, this is a passable remix, but not going in my playlist. The first quarter of the remix proves promising, but the rest doesn't satisfy.

I don't think I'll be putting this song in my playlist. It's not based on the quality of the work, but rather the genre. As a lounge music piece, it works great; but as a song I would want to listen to repeatedly, it falls short. I like that it was orchestrated with seriousness, rather than being presented as a novelty. However, because its genre requires - as djpretzel noted - what sounds like an relatively cheap keyboard soundbank, I don't find myself interested enough to listen to it again. As for the length, I thought it ran at an adequate time. Truth be told, I thought it ran a little long, considering the content provided.

I enjoyed this remix! I like the moody, layered, space-like atmosphere it has. I can't really comment on the likeness to the original source, as I don't know anything of the music in Descent 2. Regardless, this song stands on its own, and I thought it was great. As I mentioned already, I really enjoyed the layered feeling of this song. I was impressed at how complex it really was, and how many different sounds were playing at the same time, yet never making the remix feel chaotic. It actually was the very opposite to me: I thought it was a very cool, ambient song, only reaching anything above "chill" music at the end. And that's okay: I liked it. However, I was surprised by the song's length, and not exactly in a good way. Overly short and overly long music is something I don't enjoy, and getting just that right time isn't easy to do, I'm sure. In this remix, at times throughout I thought a little trimming could have tightened things up and improved the finished product. Things felt as if they were looping, and while that might not be true in the sense that entire portions were copied over, I still got that feeling. Also, I'm not really a fan of the ending of the song: I think a little more breakdown in instrumentation as well as leaving the beat as the last instrument in the song would have been a better method to finishing the remix. My personal preference would have been to slowly strip away every layer until coming to the final "thud thud" beat heard playing throughout the song. At least for me, having something that sounds like a heartbeat come to a rest at the end of the song really would make the "end" feel like an end. But don't take those little criticisms to heart, nor think that they stopped me from enjoying this remix. This song is definitely going into my playlist, and I'm rating it highly. I appreciate the hard work! It was time well spent.

Overall I enjoyed this song. It's going in my library for future playing. Despite my upcoming criticisms, I thought it was an excellent work, and above par for video game remixes/arrangements. I like the "bum" voices, and enjoy how right around the 1:18 mark how things pick up pace. There are many parts of this piece that I think are great, and my dislikes are a far shorter list. I've assembled my list with an approximate time frame for each criticism. Realize these are just personal opinions, and despite the upcoming criticisms, I still think the song is great. 0:00-0:07 I thought the opening stumbled along a bit, and almost made me reconsider letting the song continue. I'm glad I had more patience, but despite my repeated listening, I still find the opening disatisfactory. 0:08-0:33 While the flute works well at 1:50, I don't think it worked well here. I can't tell if you used samples or if you had the actual instruments played (I suspect the former - either way, it's a testament to the quality). It seems to my ears that it was a flute sample played on a keyboard: it has a very on/off sound to it. 0:35-0:51 The horn (I believe it's a horn) sound cuts off here as well, just like my prior complaint. Also, there are a few places where the horn seems to stumble on a note, or at least add a new one in there by mistake. 2:13 All the other voices sound great, but these ones played here don't sound as good. 2:32 The mandolin cuts off rather strangely here; it mimics what a midi file would do when too many voices play at one time. 2:45 Personally, I would add a little reverb to the bagpipe. Also, I don't hear the typical drone associated with bagpipes. 3:11 I don't like the stattaco rythym of the flute here. 3:50 That's it? It cuts off so suddenly!