OceansAndrew

thoughts: - the game looks way exciting, i'll be picking it up for sure - whining about the character redesign is petty and off-base. The new characters look way better than the old. Better proportions, cleaner lines, more practical clothes, no more smashed face, FTW - the original story was very generic with the exception of the ending, so if they can improve the journey, i'm all for it - it sounds like they'll just be doing sound upgrades for the soundtrack, and i'm cool with that - i like the battle system ideas

I'm getting a bit of a Corneria vibe from the source here, and that can be only a good thing. The sounds are pretty basic, but it's an older mix, and there is some good energy going on. Combined with a good source, and some nice arrangement ideas, this one is worth checking out.

Transitions were ranged from really good to mediocre, and as a medley, it lives or dies based on the handing off between one theme and another. Overall I enjoyed it though, nice work dude. I think this would sound awesome as a performed piece.

very well done sound palates, and exceptional dynamics. I agree with some reviewers that this isn't something i'd listen to as a stand-alone song, but it really has an incredible mood, right from the first few notes. Very ominous, and the title fits this track perfectly. This would make an unbelievably good halloween background track.

Great variety and playing, with pretty unmistakable Danimal guitar sound. It's like the best parts of Meshuggah's tone with a little more sustain; I love it. Super rocking collab here, with very personalized drums, and a great solo. It's been an amazing year so far for OCR, and stellar mixes like this are a huge part of it. Absolutely killer work guys, Inspiring stuff to say the least.

Sorry dude, it's 100% set in stone. A month ago it was 6mb, so it's much more open now. Just use VBR and the difference will be inaudible.

This is heavily reminding me of Secret of Mana +, which if you haven't heard before, is a cool, but weird, 50 minute image album (all one track btw) of Secret of Mana's soundtrack. In that album there are lots of fragmented transitions between tracks, which is where I'm getting that vibe. Your track isn't using typewriters or telephone rings though, so it stays on the saner side of things. Let's break this down: 0:00-1:09 Joch's Cave, 1:44-2:02 Joch's Cave, 2:02-2:53 Into the Thick of It, 3:10-4:20 Into the Thick of It, 4:20-4:58 - Into the Thick of It (different source sections take melody) What I like most about this is that the source gets an even amount of time as the predominant melody/instrument, and spends some quality time in the background as well. Most importantly, though is that the source remains recognizable almost where ever it is used.* Plenty of arrangement is thrown into this, all very well done. I kind of hoped that Joch would come back in near the end as a bit of a reminder before the track closes out, but that's just a wish on my part. Arrangement wise, as I mentioned above, the fragmented feeling gives this a feel of the Secret of Mana + image album in a very good and pleasant way. Really digging all of this. Production is great. My only issue is the crazy panning used right at the beginning, which tends to make me dizzy on headphones. Might be more of personal taste. Aside from that panning is used very tastefully to separate instruments and support the main melodies. One thing I would touch on is the lack of kick out of the bass drum, it's getting drowned out at times. Actually, it seems like the volume of the set never changes throughout the track, which is what is allowing it to get overwhelmed. Some fine-tuning adjustments would be appreciated. This is an easy yes for me. *There was an issue at 4:20 where it probably took me 5 or more minutes to figure out what the source was. Once I wrapped my head around it though, I'm hearing it without too many problems. The offbeat feel and the change of rhythm overall makes it confusing. check 3:03 of into the thick of it for the part.

i never thought it was actually played, but the arrangement is strong enough for it to pass, IMO. I can go conditional if you want, but i'd still yes it.

There are some great ideas here, and the off-the-cuff nature gives this a fun vibe. 1:26 is easily my favorite part, I love the exaggerated phrasing, it really brings the section to life. Well played, I get a Charlie Brown feel here too.

Structure and instrumentation are way close to the original, but the voice added was very pretty and added additional sophistication to everything. Nice samples that are well used, with some good articulations, and some new details protect this from lockdown, but overall it sounds like a sound upgrade mostly to me. Doesn't mean I dislike it, but I wish a few additional risks had been taken.

this one has a huge build up, but there's some great spectrum-filling saws that end up sounding excellent, and the arrangement here is exceptionally good, really conveying a feeling of a powerful winter blizzard. Some incredibly well executed filter automation, and good transitions round this out. It runs a little long, but it definitely works to keep things exciting. Good stuff, check this one out.

decent guitar tone, but powerchords in the beginning really need to be supported by a bass guitar. They sound empty and sad. Once the guitar takes the forefront, and starts playing the melodic lines, things are balanced a little better. I found the beats to be a little too plain to be interesting, but there was enough going on to keep me from stopping the track. The synths are well chosen and treated, and the guitar playing is nice. Extra care went into the various panning tricks, and so this mix is way more fun on headphones. Not an amazing mix, but certainly not a failure either.

I kind of wish that opening synth was gliding, but once those awesomely panned syncopated beats come in, and the delay hits, i'm doing just fine. This mix sets up an incredibly cool mood, and with the choir and big bell hits, it sound very dramatic as well. I gotta say though this track never really explodes into something super intensely epic (which is partly the source), it really does a lot to keep interest, and ends up being a fantastically creative mix, packed with interesting and well-planned details. One of my favorites from Mazedude, and definitely recommended.

Complete and utter classic OCR, as far as I am concerned. Great beats, clean production, and excellent synths, it is a little conservative for a lot of parts, but there are sections where it branches, and the melody adjustments in the second iteration of the verse are cool; it really sounds like the track is just on the edge of control. It's rare to hear something skate so close to the edge and maintain, so it's a cool feeling. The breakdown is classy, and when it builds back to a new, seemingly more intense beat, I am a big fan. Great stuff, one of my favorites for years now.

Pretty classy sounding stuff, but personally I find it to be way over-noodled and not cohesive sounding. It's like for a lot of sections, the 5 instruments weren't playing the same song. Production is fine, in a washed-out jazz vibe, but overall, the arrangement meanders far too much for my preference. Sorry guys.

hi2u obscure game! Sortof decent track on it's own, if a bit vanilla, and the arrangement does feature some cool ideas, but some of the samples haven't held up so well, and the second half doesn't expand enough on the ideas set forth in the first half. The sax patch is a little shaky in some spots, and sounds very mechanical, but it works. The synths sounded really nice though, and were a strong point. Probably one of my least favorite DS mixes, but still pretty competent.

really rocking percussion, but dizammn, that's a lot of vocal samples. Rhythmically, they are well used, but geez, I just want to jam! ;_; The track itself definitely fits the arrangement standards, but that doesn't mean that i'm horribly distracted by it. I'd really dig the track otherwise, but it's just too much for my sample-weak stomach. "Would you quit playing with those vocal samples? I'm trying to enjoy the mix!"

Some cool ideas and some great hard percussion, but otherwise i thought this one was kindof plodding. The melody isn't terribly exciting at this tempo, and i'm not sure the synths really match with the drum sound. Gonna pass on this one, sorry guys.

XD i'm not sure if i should be flattered or nervous...

cool track, which is sad that I have to agree that it sounds like too much sampling. no

3 and 5 are the only ones that would annoy me. 5 would be ok as separate files though.

I generally split it down the middle, depending on what looks cooler.

i'm fine with the bass as-is, personally. It's a bit high, but the high end doesn't feel completely dominated, and the percussion is nice and crisp. The rhythm it uses is interesting too, so it drives the track. No real production issues beyond that, though i'd prefer a touch more delay and volume on the lead synth. The arrangement is really nice, driving but pleasant, with good instrumental variety. Drums get a little samey, but there are fills and breakdowns to keep things interesting. Great to see the improvement here from the resubs, nice work being willing to do what it takes to get this track over the bar. I'm happy to give this a yes

Some minor nitpicks on production, with some percussion being a bit pointy, and the panned gated synth piercing a little, but otherwise I dug it. Definitely a slow burn track, and good guitar tone for the style, which is crucial. The guitar performance was also pretty nice, and though there was a lot of noodling, the themes were pretty obvious. Good addition and expansion to the generally chord based sources. I dig it. Vocal effects took up a lot of time, but were well suited, i assume they are from in game, because they are well acted, and timed well to increase the drama. The ones in the middle also had a bit too much bite in the high end, but it didn't ruin the track for me. I think that even with some of the production issues, that this passes muster. It just needs to have the file size cut in half, 15mb is ridonkulous. yes

Super beautiful, and one of the best mixes i've heard in awhile. The only way this could be better is if the cello was live. Completely amazing work on this one, i'm really impressed. The arrangement really fits the source song as well, but definitely improves upon it. Highly recommended.