OceansAndrew

Wow this is pretty hot. Very groove-based, With some heavy synth riffs, it sounds a lot more intense than I would except, given the source. It is more of a "decisive battle in a cave" track than anything else. Though a lack of a strong melody makes it less interesting for repeat listens, it still is a really creative and quality mix.

Pretty competent work, but i'm somewhat meh on this one. I don't really like the bass sound, though the pattern it plays is nice. I think overall it's just the specific samples chosen, as the arrangement itself is pretty nice. The bells sound is really good, but the pads seem low-fi, as does the bass. Soloing section are catchy and a highlight, and though it's been ages since i've played this game, the arrangement on the theme is pretty recognizable with having a lot added to it. check it out, maybe you'll feel stronger than I do.

Killer beat on this one. The upright sample is a little bit dated, but that groove will live on forever. The vibe sequencing could have been a little looser IMO, but seriously, this mix is completely awesome. I agree with previous commenters that it has a laid back intensity, and isn't afraid to just sit in the pocket for awhile, adding layers slowly. The beat is very compelling, and keeps interest, even when it's just the bass groove. Good stuff.

The vocal pitch shifting is a bit silly, but the arrangement is pretty nice, and I am digging the piano arpeggios. The transition into Strago's theme was ok; nothing specifically wrong except maybe how abrupt it was. The ending where the 2 themes mesh gets kindof busy, but it's pretty cool how it works out. Overall pretty enjoyable, especially considering the date on this one.

delete this please; getting bitched at. thanks for the crits while it was up, homies. <3

Really short, but fun. Much like this review. Hah, just joking. It's a good genre adaptation, though beyond a few counterpoint ideas that aren't added until later on, it's a pretty simplistic, though engaging take on the theme. If you want cheering up, this is your mix!

The production on this is really nice, with several levels of texture , and plenty of space for them all to peek through. The sound is nicely balanced, and the space is well defined through panning. Some of the woodwinds and piano seemed to be a bit mechanical in regards to the velocity and could have been smoothed out, most noticeably the flute during it's 8th note run at 1:54, but that things sounded nicely organic. The layered percussion was excellent. Interpretation was very strong and personalized, with some really good additions to the source. Theme and variations can oftentimes get drawn out, but everything here is kept exciting throughout the instruments, and the varied intensity is a big reason. Ending was great, it was a very satisfying and exciting finish. Recommended.

1 week bump; Maybe a potential mixer will see this

Took long enough; i remember talking about this one at MAGfest This mix is really weird for me, there are points where I am completely locked in, and then some rhythmic shift jars me out of my zone. Soundwise it's great, but it sounds to me more like a corrupted file or something than anything intentional. After repeatedly pointing it out to you on WIPs, it's still there, so I do know it's intentional, but I just don't follow I guess. Soundwise I love the ambiance of it, and there are some great parts shifting around. The sound is very unique and with a few exceptions (not a static fan), solid. Grats on getting your official OCR wings

pretty cool stuff, i didnt really dig the drums in the intro, but once it got going it was fun. Pretty true to the source overall. I agree with the "needs moar humanization" posse on the panflute, but the sample is good. The beat is straightforward as anything straightforward can be, but it works very well. Repetition hurts it slightly, and that intro is just kindof weird,but the good outweighs the bad. decent; check it out.

Pretty recognizable theme, and it's done really well, in an elegant style, but with a super synthy bass. It's like an audio doily. A light and airy arrangement, with a lot of ornamentation, and a lot of interweaving parts. I think a few times it gets a little too self-indulgent, and the ending is pretty weak, but it is overall a very good mix. Nice work.

Started out a little slow for me, but once the drums really kicked in, it caught my attention, and once the lead synth began, it was even better. The vocal samples I thought were lame, but that's just my general opinion. The section right after that is super catchy, and the breakdown was good, but another sample comes in, and i'm sure it's from the game or something, but it just annoys me. Overall a great track, but the use of samples leaves me kindof cold.

Pretty interesting style here, laid back and organic feeling, but decidedly electronic sounding. It has a good flow and the pacing is nice, and works very well as background music.

Solid production and very authentic late-90's sound. The melody is perfect for the style, and there is just enough variation to keep it rockin. The panning synth really adds a lot, sometimes supporting the main melody, sometimes creating texture and counterpoint. I didn't like the ending at all, as it is just a weak cut-out; but the mix up until the last note was awesome. Straightforward, but very solid and not at all boring. Excellent stuff, and extremely catchy. edit: I was planning on reviewing some other tracks but i can't stop listening to this one. I love it.

The dude from Royal Hunt is pretty badass for keyboards, I've learned a lot about my own synth soloing from him. Seems to fit the style most people are listing (rock) but isn't quite as known. http://www.myspace.com/royalhuntmusic Also http://dod.vgmix.com/past/mar08/02tie-HopeFails-DariusTwin-Fish-DoD.mp3 :<

i agree with mono ;-)

Awesome instrument combinations, great clav and synth counterpoint, and a overall killer beat. Excellent progression and flow, and good production as well. The hadoken sample itself is a little rough and should have been eqed slightly, but the concept is cool. And to top it all off, this was released 7 years ago. An amazing, timeless remix.

You don't get to be warlord by being amicable, IMO.

I think the early piano delay is a bit too strong, but once the song starts it's pure quality. The beats are excellent, and though the instrumentation doesn't stray too far from the original, the samples are all excellent, especially the flute. The ending I didn't really like, as it is a *very* abrupt fadeout, but up until that point, it's very nice stuff.

Interesting editorial, but one very important aspect you are overlooking is site administrators and ad revenue. If there was a huge mega-site, a lot of these guys running sites would be out of work, or at the very least, working in a reduced capacity. I'm pretty sure a lot of these people wouldn't want to go from the person who does things on their own terms, to the person who gets told what to do. As far as ads, I'm not sure how many site owners are actually supported by their ads, but all of the sites have them, and that's a large sticking point, both with advertiser relations, and generated ad revenue. If indeed any of these site owners are supported by their ads, you can be certain that they would want to protect their livelihood.

Percussion on this is super catchy and carries the piece pretty decisively. The melody is very subtle, but to be totally honest, there really isn't much room in here for a melody with all the rhythm madness going on. Synths are pretty decent, but unremarkable in general, as they are only prominent at the beginning, where they set up a wide, expansive soundscape. The mix never seems to grow past a certain point though. Once everything gets built up, it doesn't shift much, and I think it could build even further. I also think the ending could have been a bit more elegant in it's execution; a more defined ending would have suited the piece, or better still, a breakdown of elements going back to the sparse synths. I think that would complete the feel of traveling through a desert.

omgzzzz it is the 28th. I'm sending a round of pm's out; check your inboxes sometime today! Also, art update on the forum.

Nice interview, very cool of him to show some really old material, and share some good stories and tips. I like a lot of Star's original material as well as his mixes, and a little bit of personal insight to his workflow is cool with me. Thanks.

Holy shit that is a powerful rhythm guitar tone. \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ P O W E R F U L Excellent playing all around, some great synths, and a tight, concise arrangement. I am completely baffled how something this rocking could be ignored for over 2 years. Oh wait, obscure game. The only percieved weakness in this is that the ending wasn't as strong as the rest of the track, and could have used about 2 measures of an ascending riff added to where it sortof stops. This completely slays. Highly recommended for anyone with a affinity for all things rock.

Wow it was difficult for me to place the source until the last say, 20 seconds. Repeat listens made it easier to connect it to the source. I wasn't feeling the vocal samples. Nice production, cool synthage, and a lot of new ideas make this a really developed arrangement, but there really isn't a ton of melodic content in the original, so it works well as a hip background track, but needs a bit more of a hook for active listening. Grab it if you need some generic strutting music or something really cool to do homework too.