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Everything posted by OceansAndrew
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Agreed, these are all awesome tracks. Someone get on this!
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Man, a lot of haters on this one. I'm inclined to disagree, this is some pretty cool stuff, and though in the vocal breakdown there are a few seemingly dropped beats, the rest is solid and very creative. Maybe ahead of it's time? It's super catchy and the breaks make it really interesting. They pretty much demand your attention, so as a way to encourage (ok require) active listening, it's really ingenious. I could live without the vocals, but it makes the mix pretty funny, so no worries. This mix is all about taking one idea so far (silent stops) that it actually becomes the focal point of the song itself. Imagine the song without the breaks, and it's a lofi synth version of the theme, but with them, it's way more than that. It's very experimental, but unlike some other "out there" tracks, this one works. Are you a bad enough dude to appreciate this inspired mix?
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OCR00369 - Final Fantasy VII "Oppressed Swamp Dub"
OceansAndrew replied to Saunders's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
It took forever for this mix to get going. It was literally a 15 minute intro. Once the beats got going it it had some nice syncopation going, but the rest was just kind of lame. It sounds like they just recorded themselves playing with distortion at the end. An experiment that didn't work at all. Pass. -
OCR00261 - Chrono Trigger "Magus (Temporal Rehab)"
OceansAndrew replied to m68030's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Pretty gross, IMO. COTMM has always been hit-or-miss with me, and more often than not, miss. This one is the biggest miss of all for me. It's like a terrible WIP, and I think it's on the site because of remixer reputation only. 3 's out of 3. :-( -
OCR00450 - Metroid II "Metroid Sonata - Movement II"
OceansAndrew replied to Ginnsu's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
More atmospheric than melodic, this is the type of song I can appreciate for it's craftsmanship but can't really get into myself. The soundscape is full of a white noise sounding fluctuation which is pretty cool, and some spacey synths on top. Not my style at all, so I am most likely missing the big picture, but it's pretty impressive sound theater. -
OCR00526 - EarthBound "Hotel Rhumba (I Want to Go Home)"
OceansAndrew replied to orkybash's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Sample quality is a bit dated, but they are well used and thoughthe arrangement is pretty similar, the shifts and transitions make it pretty nice to listen to. The piano has a great feel to it, and the guitar has some nice ideas. I love the source of the second song a whole lot, and it's melody makes the mix a lot better, just because it's something I really like. Objectively, this is pretty much a medley, despite it's pretty strong transitions, and the samples are slightly higher end GM. I think the concept is cool of the crew going into a hotel and then dreaming about back home as they sleep, but the additional arrangement is somewhat lacking; it's just really close to the source. -
OCR00431 - Resident Evil 2 "Lost Sanctuary"
OceansAndrew replied to Ginnsu's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
A very cool surprise, as this is certainly not what comes to mind when I think of Resident Evil. Very minimalist and subdued, with great attention to detail. Some cool production touches, like the dead silence in-between beats during the middle breakdown section, and some super heavy drums hits. Nice stuff. Though my knowledge of sitar playing is super limited, it sounds great, and that's what matters in the mix. Some spots might be a bit close to the limit on sparseness, but it gives the track a great feel. Nice work guys, very unique sound you've captured here. -
OCR00360 - Donkey Kong Country 2 "Ghost of St. Helens"
OceansAndrew replied to Saunders's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Cool atmospheric beginning, very excellent set up and once things get going, it's pretty good. Texture-wise, I think it's a little on the sparse side, but still an enjoyable mix, and was well ahead of the pack when it was first released. Time has been decent to it, especially the intro, but I think nowadays the meat of the track would need to be kicked up a bit. A good way about that would be to layer some additional samples in to thicken some of the sounds. Additional parts wouldn't really be required, the arrangement is pretty nice as-is. A good track that just needs a little bit of corn starch to thicken up the sounds. -
Im not sure if it'll run in OSX firefox, but i signed up anyways. We shall see.
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Anyone going for the Slash guitar?
OceansAndrew replied to BluefoxIcy's topic in Music Composition & Production
Gotta agree here. -
OCR00585 - Castlevania "Simon Belmont's Garage"
OceansAndrew replied to orkybash's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
The mix starts out pretty solid, getting right into things. The bass sounds pretty flat and flubs a ton, however. Should have re-recorded it. Great guitar tone though. Actually as the mix progresses, it gets sloppier. By the halfway point it is pretty messy, though the breakdown is a nice change. Fart noises need to go. :/ Pretty nice solo, the amount of wheedilies is staggeringly high. The high point of this mix is the guitar tone, and it sounds like a messy WIP rather than a completed mix. -
OCR00067 - Mega Man 2 "Flash Fire"
OceansAndrew replied to Joe Redifer's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Pretty nice remix of the theme, with good effects and solid production. The old school touches like the the synth toms were a fun touch. The drums were punchy and drove the track well, and the synths were all interesting and varied. Structure-wise it didn't stray too far from the original, save for a breakdown, and I think with this kind of production and energy, a synth solo would have been awesome, but I'll have to live without. Decent additions I'd say. Interesting breakdown with the delayed kick, could have gone south, but i think it works pretty well. and the hard kick doubles it up later on. The ending was somewhat of a cop out, but it certainly could have been worse. As far as time is concerned, this one has aged pretty well, not the most interpretive, but what it does do, it's solid. -
OCR00553 - Final Fantasy "Crystal Rave"
OceansAndrew replied to orkybash's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Starts out decent if vanilla, but then an overly loud synth comes in front and center and seems to go without much regard for what is going on around it. Sometimes it matches up, and it's a good, solid progression on it's own, but oftentimes it creates voicings that aren't really very good. It sounds tacked on top. Production is decent, arrangement is almost a rip with the exception of the added "do-whatever-I-want" synth, and that addition actually degrades the mix. Pass. -
OCR00045 - Secret of Monkey Island "AmIEviL"
OceansAndrew replied to Joe Redifer's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Pretty close to the original, but decent. I'd call it pleasantly forgettable, as I can't really find a hook that grabs me.The samples themselves are pretty bland, but they are humanized enough to flow pretty well. It would be very good background music, as the melody meanders quite a bit. Nice for atmosphere, but not especially engaging for active listening. -
Some of the weirdest reviews of the site are all up in this mix. WTF is goin' on. The mix itself is in some serious need of some scissors; it takes forever to progress, and even then the expansion is minimal. Normally when I review a track i'll listen 3-4 to get all the nuances down, but this one I only had to listen twice, and I think even that was overkill. Sounds are dated, but the chiptunes are cool, and if you really REALLY love the theme this one is a keeper, because you are going to hear it for 6 minutes straight.
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OCR01536 - Cauldron II "It's Binary, Baby! Album Mix"
OceansAndrew replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
This is so amazingly out there I am having trouble even writing a review. If there was ever a movie or game where robots were dressed like Conan the barbarian, this would be the theme song. Completely epic and yet at the same point, completely robo-cheese, it's a totally remarkable mix that I can't decide if I like it or not. One thing I think would improve it would be for the main vocal to be a little higher up frequency-wise, right now it sort of fights against the bass. Most likely fighting with a tron-style morningstar. Very creative and I think after several listens I like it, for the sheer creativity. -
OCR00449 - EarthBound "Venus-Signed Banana Peel"
OceansAndrew replied to Ginnsu's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Vocals are pretty nice, but the backing track is mechanical and kind of underwhelming. It sounds like someone pressed the demo button on a cheapy keyboard and it happened to play an earthbound tune. Some of the piano starts to crowd the vocal as well frequency-wise. Cute and cheeky song, but the samples are showing their age. Lyrics are funny enough, but I think i'd love it way more if I had played the game. Hihat outro is sortof WTF. -
OCR01378 - Metal Gear Solid 2 "Salsa Snake"
OceansAndrew replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Exceptionally better than I was expecting. Actually a lot more serious than I was anticipating as well. The intro was pretty nice; elegant, with a great piano run leading up to the party. The percussion is well layered and the bass line is suitably authentic, though I think the mid-high are a bit loud in it, making it sound more synthetic than it needs to. The piano is superb and really leads the mix. Also notably good are the brass hits; very effective and well programmed. Excellent hits, and the sax is pretty good too. Overall a great mix, though I think a Big hit on the final note would have been a more satisfying ending. As is, it's still a keeper. -
OCR00418 - Street Fighter II "Vega's Ballad"
OceansAndrew replied to Ginnsu's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Killer track, undisputed king; Think you can top this? Just get in the ring. Hit you so hard you be seeing double; Got the bass kick, turn your foundation to rubble. Snare drum poppin', going right for your throat; synths and strings up top, where they gracefully float. With a flow so chill and a beat so hot; It's both hell and high water taking over the block. Guitar lines are swayin', you know what i'm sayin'; When it comes to McVaffe, it's respect you be payin'. With a massive technique to silence the crowd; Listen the right way; crank this up loud. I'm out, Peace. -
OCR00486 - Donkey Kong Country "Christmas Cave"
OceansAndrew replied to Ginnsu's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Transitions were very awkward throughout, and the flow kept breaking, but the sounds used are pretty nice. The piano sounds good, and the pads add a nice atmosphere, even if they are a bit loud in the mix. A good feeling mix that is crippled by those transitions. It's like 7 different 30-second-long mixes, and it should be just one. I can't get into this one, sorry. -
OCR01683 - Secret of Mana "Thicket"
OceansAndrew replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Two of my favorite source themes in one track is a great way to get my attention, and the treatment of both is excellent. I really like Darkesword's style, and here it seems he has a few Ziwtra-esque flourishes in a few places, making the already potent track even better. Great soundscape and instrument choices. I love the bells and string accents, and the slightly crushed beats and synth gate gives a great feeling to the whole mix. The arrangement progresses pretty well and picks up a bit of energy at the end, though the ending itself was a little rushed I thought. It is a proper ending rather than a blatant fade, but I think a little additional interest is in order. Overall excellent work, one of my favorite DS mixes in awhile. Awesome work dude.