Emunator

I'm really enjoying the spacey sound design here. The balance of airy, reverb-drenched pads and leads compared to the deep, constant presence of the kick and bass actually sat very nicely with me. I had high hopes for this track based on the first minute or so. However, it simply doesn't feel like it goes anywhere. There was so much tension introduced around the 2 minute mark but the buildup that culminated at 2:34 was a total tease. There's a huge amount of potential to bust into a double-time beat or add more rhythmic variations to really bring this arrangement home. I also have to second Rexy's feedback on the filter sweep that occupies the high frequencies - that needs to be toned down with volume or EQ adjustments. I also felt like the snare roll starting at 2:15 was comparatively lacking in energy and fell flat for me, independent of my thoughts on the arrangement itself. Some additional mid-frequency risers/percussion fills would help that transition fit more naturally. I want to hear more of this - the bones of this are great but I think you can push yourself further to take this from good to great without changing the core of what you've already written. NO (resubmit)

This is really fun! It's sufficiently interpretive while still retaining the feel of the original, and your sound design and rhythmic variations make this mix very playful. I'm not listening with ultra critical ears, but you should definitely submit this to OCR if you haven't already!

Yesss. Any new track from about:blank is certainly a treat. As others in this thread have mentioned, Acrophobia is still a listening staple for me all these years later, and this continues to build and evolve in that same vein. There's elements of just about every part of this song that demand attention - the reese bass in the first verse, the vocal chops starting at 1:06, and the tasteful glitching and chopping throughout. Just when I thought the mix had reached its plateau, the climax starting at 2:40 comes in and shifts this into another gear! Excellent work, this is a must-keep for me!

halc is one of the first artists that caught my attention when I first became active in the OCR community, and in spite of all the personal struggles and time elapsed since those early days, his new material doesn't miss a beat! Super groovy and melodically-dense without being too busy, with that classic 9-bit sound pallet that we all know and love. I appreciate the slightly-elevated emphasis on organic sampled instruments throughout this song, it's a really natural evolution for Drew's sound and keeps me engaged. Drew has some seriously next-level stuff in the oven (check out his Final Fantasy X remix album on Bandcamp if you haven't yet!) It proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that halc is back and stronger than ever! Can't wait to see what comes next.

The arrangement is very moody... there's a palpable level of tension despite the overall arrangement being so chilled out. It's a perfect combination for a progressive house song. This joins a long list of Radiowar arrangements that I will undoubtedly continue to listen to for years to come. Love it!!

This song is so sick. The off-kilter beat is a surprisingly bold choice, giving the remix just a bit more of a psychadelic edge than usual, without taking you out of the chillout atmosphere entirely. It took me a few listens to really acclimate to what you were doing here, but once it clicked, it became an instant favorite! (Oh, and also... what an absolutely killer remix title.)

I absolutely adore this remix! Easily one of my favorite mixposts in quite some time. It instantly struck a chord with me upon first listen, but after reading about your creative process behind the track gave me a whole new level of appreciation for just what you've done here. You obviously have a great level of appreciation and taste for lo-fi production techniques, but the expansive arrangement and live performances really elevate this beyond your average lo-fi arrangement! I'm glad that I caught this, it's put you on my radar as an artist and I can't wait to hear what comes next from you!

So cool to see this finally posted. I, too, have had the earlier version of this in rotation since the early 2000's, and I'd certainly never expected it to get a proper release. Awesome work guys

@Garrett Williamson maybe this will help too? https://www.native-instruments.com/en/support/knowledge-base/show/2577/how-to-resolve-issues-with-missing-samples-for-a-kontakt-library-batch-re-save/

I agree that this is very much a cover with a few flourishes and that, ultimately, it's a bit too conservative to the original song to be posted on OCReMix. At just over 2 minutes long, there's not a lot of time to get more interpretive. The fill around :25 was a good start but aside from that, this feels like a pretty direct cover of the original, which is not what we're looking for on the site. However, the thing that really bothers me about this is the drum tone. Your kick drum is SO clicky, there's no meat there at all The sequencing also feels like it's missing a lot of attention to detail - the 1:13 or 1:20 really highlight how robotic the drum programming sounds. I think you need a better drum library, and it would definitely not hurt to sequence the MIDI with a bit more attention paid to velocity as well. Good guitar chops, but the drum programming and production definitely needs work. Sorry guys! NO

Gotta disagree fiercely with Gario. As much as I'm not really a fan of big-room, this is undeniably well-arranged and truly amusing. The production style might throw some off who are unfamiliar with the genre (other than @Flexstyle's Yoshi's Island mix on Super Cartography Bros, I don't think OCR has ever seen a mix in this specific sub-genre before,) but by the genre's standards, this is pretty well done as far as I'm concerned. I cracked up when I first heard Kazooie's talon trot sfx layered with the melody at 1:18, that was hilariously tongue-in-cheek and so well implemented. Another highlight to me was the subtle pitch bending on the lead synths to keep with the source's eastern aesthetic. Great track that doesn't take itself too seriously at all. YES

Right off the bat, I love the tone of the pan flute but there's zero expression to the melody. It sounds like it's played extremely stiffly. The section that follows offers some neat interpretation on the theme, fusing electronic, rock, and orchestral elements together. However, the leadwork in the track overall is really dragging this down. The panflute plays such a low register that it gets almost completely lost behind the percussion, so it almost feels like those sections are lacking a lead entirely. The next synth to come up feels so thin and just doesn't feel like a good fit for how intense the rest of the track is. 2:15 shows some really cool development to the melody, I really love what you did with the harmonies here. The sequencing on the violin is not very realistic though, with almost no attack on the sample at all, the playing doesn't feel natural. 3:30 brings some really exciting drumwork that moves things along really well, but by this point, the same repeating violin melody is starting to feel tiresome. The fadeout at the end sounds like you ran out of ideas and weren't sure how to conclude the track :-\ For the most part, I think the leadwork needs to be revisited here. The rest of the track is solid enough but I'm finding a common thread between all of the main issues with this mix. If you could liven up the lead sequencing/patches and make them more humanized/expressive, I think you could be onto something good here! NO (resubmit)

This is pretty much begging for a bassline to flesh out that low end. In spite of that, the personality and overall unique approach is undeniable here. You seem to have taken a super-loose tavern jam approach and, in that regard, I think this works really well. Just a good old-fashioned, unpolished romp! Let's get those samples outta there and post this one. YES

Very brooding and emotionally compelling. The melancholy guitar work reminds me of what Nekofrog would make if he placed a heavier emphasis on percussion in his tracks. Though I found it strange to start off with the drums at such a high intensity, the arrangement quickly settled in and just kept getting better from there. When the heavy guitars and a more dominant lead finally entered around 2:40, I was hooked, and you completely won me over at 3:45 with the low-tuned rhythm guitars. Seriously badass. The last few minutes of this track were incredibly gratifying and, on a personal level, this has to be one of my favorite metal arrangements that I've heard in a long time. YES

Not too shabby! I wasn't totally sold on this at first, with the soundscape sounding a little exposed and dry overall, but when the track unexpectedly breaks wide open at 1:30 I was feeling it! Can I call this "glitch-funk?" The electric-piano and other funk/jazz elements juxtapose really nicely with the more traditional, chippy glitch-hop instrumentation. It's so cohesive and pleasing that I'm actually surprised I haven't heard more of this style. I'm not gonna retread over the valid critiques that the other two judges brought up. Despite a slightly underwhelming first minute of the track, this definitely found its groove and should be a wonderful addition to our catalog. Nice stuff! YES