OceansAndrew

I've been way busy with work and project stuff recently but i'm so ready to pwn this weekend. WTB arena team

Nice twinkly piano intro that sounded really nice, but could have been a little more humanized with velocities. It had a nice natural flow to it, and the backing strings were good, but the cello had too slow of an attack. Cool transition into the main part of the track though, cute SFX. Though it gets a little cluttered in the mid-highs it's still pretty effective, and the themes transition well into each other. There are a lot of good cameos, and the synths are generally pretty full of character. For an old mix, it's pretty good stuff. Check it.

Cool percussive synths, and a brand new feel to the original track. Things were clicking pretty well until the piano, which seemed too dry and lonely up there. The supporting synth that came in next on the right side was kindof ugly, but the backing beats and synths held down the fort. The lead guitar sound was weak too. Overall a great concept, with a really great arrangement, and mostly pulled off soundscape, but the leads needed a lot more care put into them with modulation and velocity. The backing track sounded alive, but the leads were totally dead sounding.

Wow, i'm reviewing bLiNd's debut OCR track. His production even years back was good, and for 2002 it was waaaay ahead of the pack. Arrangement plays it pretty safe, as it sounds like a really nice sound upgrade, but there are enough percussive changes to save it from lockdown I guess. This would fit really well in game, and while it's not as mindblowingly awesome as bLiNd's more recent stuff, it holds up very well.

So how'd that recording go? Don't worry, I just decided to cut the part completely. No need to rush for my sake.

way too much delay and reverb on the piano for my tastes, but the source tune is solid, and can really take a beating. The several layers of beats sounds a little overcompressed when the louder group hits, but they are still good enough to be in the ring. It gets a little repetitive when new instruments fail to come in, and the song gets worn down in the later rounds. There's never really a knockout punch either. A contender, but not the champ.

The arrangement is pretty much the same as the original to my ears. There might be some additional parts, but if there are, they are buried. It's still pretty competently put together, though some of the samples could use some modulation. I love the theme though, and this does it a service, but it's so close to the original.

Some intonation issues, but a really interesting droning style. I loved the sitar-esque effect, and a lot of the guitar noise in the BG. A little too barren for me to really get into, and some of the production is sounding muddy, but it's very effective at conveying mood. I'm pretty torn on this one, but I think that it ultimately is held back by the issues too much for me to recommend it.

Nice piano intro, leading me to expect something laid back, but then some detailed beats come in that change my expectations a bit. Interesting that once things get going full on, the track is almost halfway over. :/ Really classy stuff here though, with nice counterpoint and synths, epiano, mallets, and a lot of additional percussion. Well done, I like it, regardless of length.

Mixing is all over the place on this one. It's pretty indistinct sounding, and the levels of all the instruments are not quite gelling. Way too much reverb on just about everything, and there seem to be random intonation issues, like some samples weren't tuned. Sorry dude, not a fan.

Starts out as a rollicking journey of buccaneers on the high seas that is well done, but a little synthy, but reminiscent of the original. Life is good for these adventurous seafarers, but a storm looms overhead. With almost no warning, a fierce storm is upon them, and the brutal winds push their ship into the no-man's land of the haunted seas! Decent mix conceptually, and well arranged, but the samples havn't held up all that well.

In before someone mentions 'Them Bones'! ..oh wait.. Mazedude delivers again, and really kicks it up. This is possibly one of the coolest mixes i've heard by him. As per the original request, I won't spoil the surprise, but damn, it's awesome. Some of the synths could be a little higher-fi, but it evokes the original pretty well with that crappy distorted guitar sound that appears for a bit on the right side, and the rest of the synths were great, so I am guessing it's intentional. Super cool stuff, it sounds like some additional mixed meters were added. I know the original had a mixed meter, but more is always cool with me. Check this one out, everyone.

Beautiful arrangement and performance, and the production really lets the details through. The melody has been taken to some great new areas, and the harmonies are very rich. Everything about this mix is great; new counterpoint, vivid tones colors.. Fantastic work, I love it!

A beautiful original melody flawlessly presented. The subtle touches all over this mix are excellent. Exceptional.

Connection to the source and ancient flamewars aside, this is a pretty good mix. Beats are great, and forcing it into 4 has given it a very cool melodic feel. I love the gates and the bassline. Production is lofi, but solid, if not a bit treble heavy, though it all fits together well to let the textures shine. Thematically, this remix stays true to the original themes of the song of focus and growth. Having a narrow melodic path to wind through, but a ton of energy, it really surges forward. I love the original, and I love this one too. Nice work Ziwtra.

I wish it was a little more in-your-face, but the drum programming, panning, and gating is all top notch and really makes it a great song. Synths all fit together nicely for it to be chill but engaging, and it has plenty of cool ideas to keep things moving along. Great display of skillz here.

Times, they are a'changin. I'm actually disappointed we aren't done by now, though it's partially my fault.

really nice textural shifts in this one, anchored by that huge bass sound. I think the drums are a bit much; the volume could come down a bit on them and i'd like things better. Flute is pretty unmodulated, but the pads and synths are classy. I liked the pitched percussion as well, adding a nice texture and lightheartedness to the otherwise badass beats. I wish the source melody was a little more adventurous, as it seems kindof vanilla (get it? ice cream reference). There's enough done to keep interest for the track's duration though. Not really grabbing me and demanding my attention, but well put together.

Pretty nice blend of styles to create something pretty great sounding. I like how it has the deep atmosphere of new age music with a more attention-getting mix on the leads. The sax was fakey but serviceable, but the guitars and strings sounded really nice, and the synth at the beginning was so cold sounding. Awesome work on the soundscape. The melody was personalized but still recognizable, and overall I enjoyed the track. Good stuff.

Pretty cool stuff, the percussion keeps it moving, but it's not super driving. Samples were pretty good, and though it lacked a massive melodic hook, there was a lot of good harmonic structure to maintain interest. THings started picking up a lot about 1/3 through with a cool repeating string motif and some soaring horns, that completely stopped at the halfway point, only to start building again. I wish that transition would have been a little smoother, but it didn't ruin the track for me. Overall this is a pretty nice track, featuring a lot of good textures and tone colors, and pretty competent use of quality samples. The percussive elements are really what makes the mix though. Check it out.

Some sour notes in the solo, but it's still a decent jam, more about the wah guitar than anything else. I wish the source was a little better, as this meanders way too much for me. Textures are nice though, and there's a lot of cool panning. It sortof sounds like a group of guitarists all sort of noodling around. Decent BG music, but doesn't really grab me and demand attention. do eet naoowww

This is mixed a little strangely, and the can't stop line gets a litle old, but otherwise it's pretty cool. I'm unfamiliar with the original, but there's enough sortof confusion among the general reviews and such that I am guess it wasn't featuring a lot of the additional sounds. I thought the brief rapping section was pretty cool, but it should have been pushed forward- actually I think a lot of stuff in the mix was too far back. Nothing really stuck out to me, sonically. Some cool builds, and a nice choir sample (which is from the OST? I'm not sure). Interesting, but it doesn't quite gel for me.

So happy anniversary, guys! 1 year ago we started this project. And it's still not done. 42 completed tracks is pretty good though, and the mixers for the last 4 are making progress and will be finished by the end of the month.

Great intro, I love it. Once the metalz comes in it works pretty well too, with some cool riffing and good rhythms. Lot of parts that I don't specifically recognize as castlevania melodies, but it certainly had the feel, so if it was original material, nice work. If not, I need to brush up on my CV listening. Nice playing, decent production, and a good flow. Rock fans have been requesting Goat since 2004, and with good reason. I'd love to hear what he's been up to recently.

Some of the playing is sloppy, especially the intro (I kindof raised an eyebrow, though I'm not able to raise just one physically, so it was both), but even as a medley it has plenty of original material in the form of counterpoint, harmony, or original sections, which make great segues in between other tracks. Tone is good once things get going, but overall production is lacking a little polish. Good stuff, but not mind blowing.