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Everything posted by Emunator
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OCR00304 - Super Mario World "The Dark Reaches of SMW"
Emunator replied to Saunders's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
It's hard not to compare this one to AeroZ/Zircon's more updated, fleshed out takes on the same theme, but even with those in mind I still think this one has its charms. The string samples feel weak but all the synthetic elements fit really well together. This one honestly feels like the kind of thing you'd hear passing the judges panel today, if the organic samples were updated and the arrangement was a bit more creative. Really nice work for such an early mix! -
OCR01131 - Sorcerian "Cursed Piano"
Emunator replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
The piano tone really gives off an eerie mood that's reflected in the arrangement. I've always been a fan of this one - I have a hard time articulating just what I like about solo piano mixes but I wanted to express the fact that I did like it and think that the piano sound meshes wonderfully with the arrangement itself Lovely! -
OCR00180 - Punch-Out!! "Iron Mic Challenge"
Emunator replied to m68030's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
I like all the extraneous elements aside from the bass and synths. Particularly, I liked the bell ringing sound effect the first couple of times, but this one feels like the remixer threw together a 30 second loop and played it four times with just a few minor variations. Someone should freestyle over this song and upload it That would make it a lot more awesome. -
OCR01743 - Doom II "Crushing Headache"
Emunator replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
I agree with Bahamut, this one didn't strike me as "amazing" like it seems to have with the other remixers. It's got a great soundscape and the percussive elements were done well, but the bass progression seems like the central focus of the song when you're not using it as background music and I think it's a bit too repetitive. Whatever happened around 3:00 made me start liking the song a lot more... I'm not sure why Dunno, the production quality on this one is high and most of the elements work well for creating background music. Not bad, and it definitely has that DOOM feel to it, so I guess... mission accomplished -
OCR01570 - Shadowgate "Crypt Rock"
Emunator replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Really aggressive but ultimately I don't really feel compelled by this song. It's got a lot of energy but it doesn't feel melodic enough to listen to for fun, and it feels way too powerful for background music. Phoenixdk did a pretty good job with it but for some reason I'm just not feeling it -
OCR00653 - M&M's Minis Madness "virt's Madness"
Emunator replied to orkybash's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Eww, the brass doesn't sit well with me, but aside from that I think most of the other elements in the song are cohesive enough, even though they sound a little bit mechanical. This still has that traditional Mustin feel to it, so even for an old mix I was surprised by the personality to it Obviously Mustin's improved a lot since this but it's still not bad by any means. -
OCR00089 - Phantasy Star IV "Millennial"
Emunator replied to Joe Redifer's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
OWW! This one's way loud, I got quite a shock when I listened to this for the first time with the speakers all the way up. The intro's pretty trippy but unfortunately I don't think it transitions very well at all into the actual song. The growling synth bassline is relentless and gives the mix most of its bulk. It grows repetitive toward the end but I guess it's not as bad as some other songs I've heard from this genre The ending was kinda neat, too. -
OCR00710 - Kabuki: Quantum Fighter "USB MindLink"
Emunator replied to Ginnsu's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
The ambient effects that start off the mix are pretty cool, they remind me of a disgruntled monster growling at the bottom of a dark cave. In fact, it feels like they're sampled right out of Star Fox Adventures from the Krozoa Shrine. On to the actual mix though... I don't have much to say It's completely generic techno aside from the neat ambient effects (and I guess the pitch bended lead is pretty interesting, too) and I can't say I recommend this unless you're a huge fan of the source or the genre. -
OCR00709 - Sonic Adventure 2 "Chao Marathon"
Emunator replied to Ginnsu's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Oh god, I hate this source tune! Unfortunately, this mix doesn't really do anything to rectify that. The arrangement is generic to the nth degree and pretty repetitive to boot. In addition, it feels like there's way too much reverb slapped on a couple of elements in the song and I agree with Darkesword that the melody switch up was unnecessary. I find that I like this best when some extra instrments come in (I think I heard a marimba somewhere toward the end?) but that happens so infrequently that I tend to just get bored with what's there. -
OCR00795 - Final Fantasy IX "Rose of April"
Emunator replied to Ginnsu's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Um, I guess this one's okay. The arrangement is really simple and there's not too much to the instrumentation. I hate using this word to describe music, but I really find myself bored by this remix There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but it's very bland, not much is going on. I can see why others would like it okay, but it's way too cookie cutter to be a staple on my playlist. Sorry -
I definitely like the quieter sections where there's just one instrument taking center stage... it sounds almost too cheesy when the full orchestra comes in. Still, I appreciate the arrangement and, while they're not the best, I don't think the sample quality inhibited my enjoyment much, if at all. That being said, I'm also glad that Abadoss has taken advantage of the various collaboration opportunities for projects lately... when his stellar arrangements meet live music/professional-sounding samples, that's when his music really shines and you realize just how talented of an arranger he is!
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OCR00013 - Phantasy Star "Alis Overture"
Emunator replied to Joe Redifer's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
The orchestral samples stick out like a sore thumb, but all in all I'm not cringing as much as I expected to from one of the earliest remixes on the site The arrangement doesn't always click but for the most part it's pretty, quaint, although just a little bit repetitive. Sample quality be damned, I actually enjoyed this! -
OCR00007 - Rolling Thunder "El Salsa"
Emunator replied to Joe Redifer's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
The opening... synth thing (I can't identify it) annoys me, but the percussion going on in the intro (and the rest of the mix, really) is decent. I do like the soloing on what I'm pretty sure is supposed to be a guitar toward the end, though. Despite the really poor samples, you can tell djp knew what he was doing from an arrangement perspective right from the start... or at least had a good idea, anyway. This leaves room for improvement but I'm sure it was awesome by the standards from 10 years ago -
OCR01806 - Donkey Kong Country "Permutation"
Emunator replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
At first the pacing/timing of the vocals threw me off, but I've REALLY come to like this track a lot. Nicole's backing instrumentation is really mellow and the use of the electric piano especially evokes a very solemn mood that's ultimately reflected in the lyrics. I'll agree that the guitar solo sounded a bit out of place, but only because of the harsh tone compared to the silky smooth texture of the rest of the mix. This one's got me really excited for your collab, "A New Place" off of Serious Monkey Business. You've both set the bar high, but for everybody's sake I hope your next mix is even better! -
OCR00823 - Donkey Kong Country 3 (SNES) "My Red Hot Pursuit"
Emunator replied to Saunders's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
I actually happen to like this one a lot, compared to some of the other reviews here. It stays close to the source, but past the first 30 seconds I think the vocals were enjoyable and added a lot to the song. The airy section at 2:33 is my favorite part. Sure, it's not perfect, but it's a very old remix and I still think it holds up as a listenable track by my current standards. But that might also be because I'm a whore for DKC music -
OCR01653 - Mario Kart DS "Charade"
Emunator replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
I agree with the poster who said that this doesn't really evoke any memories of Mario Kart, but it's still a fun mix nonetheless. It's rather unassuming in its arrangement but I think the simplicity gives it a certain charm. Lyrics are probably a high point for me... THOSE definitely feel inspired by Mario Kart Can't wait to hear your work on Serious Monkey Business, Hale - you've got an awesome voice and you always seem to use it well! -
OCR01458 - Chrono Trigger "The Place We Knew"
Emunator replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
This is probably the only song from Chrono Symphonic that I still listen to regularly, it's brimming with emotion and life unlike a lot of other songs on that album, which felt like a good effort but not very inspired. This is extraordinarily beautiful, I love how Reuben's flowing, rolling piano seems to intensify or slow down at the most opportune moments to accentuate the voice. Really stunning, this is a monumental remix for both parties involved and I still cannot find fault with it. -
I think OA pretty much nailed it - the dynamics of the source arrangement and the clean instrumentation make this mix listenable, and it's really not bad for its age, but the mix isn't anything particularly special, either. A few parts during the guitar solos shine above the rest, but I think the lack of instrumental variety makes me grow tired with it after a few listens. Not DJP's best but I can find some good parts to it that make it worth listening to occasionally. Even djp on his worst day is above average
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OCR01927 - Castlevania "Vampire Snap"
Emunator replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
What's there to say that hasn't already been said? It's Joshua Morse, it's Castlevania, and it's jazzy as hell. Of course it's gonna be awesome This was one of the 3 tracks from Sonata of the Damned that I recognized the source tune for, so yeah, I'd say that justice has been done to a classic source. My only criticism is that the bells in the introduction went on for too long, I think I was kinda sick of them by the time the guitar came in. Not a dealbreaker, but in the interest of providing some *real* feedback here I thought I'd bring that minor point up. -
OCR01945 - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 "Mystic Chemicals"
Emunator replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
The drums seem to be a driving force in this remix, which works just fine with me. They might not be the most tightly played/sequenced (I honestly can't tell whether they're real drums or not) but that mixed with the classic rock guitar give this all a very authentic vintage feel. Everything else is pretty well arranged and performed, as well, but the drums especially stood out to me. It's about as far from "vanilla" as you can get with this genre of music. Nice work! -
Once finals week is over I'll be able to put some significant time into writing. I've decided to turn my piece from a solo piano mix to a multi-instrumental piece with a flute and violin, so I'm gonna sit down with some friends and try and get a solid arrangement done I might not have anything tangible to show for a little bit, but rest assured I'm working at it Also, if anyone plays piano or violin (I think I've got a flute player lined up but if we can't figure out a good recording setup I might need one of them too ) and would be willing to volunteer their services once I get an arrangement up, let me know!
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The programmed drums immediately stand out to me whenever I listen to this song, killer work on that I like to listen to this one as a pair with your other Phoenix Wright mix, they really complement each other nicely. This one's sugary sweet and really a guilty pleasure song of mine just for the over-the-top happiness factor. Amazing work, as always OA
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OCR00209 - Legend of Zelda "The Music of My Groin"
Emunator replied to m68030's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Heh, it's things like this that make me glad for OCR00001-OCR01000 Quality, arrangement, and everything else goes by the wayside and ends up being completely irrelevant when the song is just so damn funny. I don't know how to properly review something like this, but rest assured the value of the song was not lost on me -
OCR00967 - Super Metroid "Zebesian Midnight"
Emunator replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Thanks, if that mirror goes down I can host the extended version on Tindeck or something Thanks for sharing Liz! This is really a masterful track, the extended intro was a nice surprise and transitioned pretty well into the meat of the track. The guitar sounds a lot better than it did in some of Vig's earlier tracks, you can tell there was some real improvement on that front. Honestly, this is the kind of thing I can just fall asleep to just because of how chill it is... at least, for the first few minutes of it. After it takes a more dramatic tone, I can't say it's really as enjoyable for me but I can't deny the musical prowess behind all parts of this song I dunno if I would consider this to be Vig's best work, as I still like the instrumental variety of Beneath the Surface better, but in terms of arrangement and just sheer epicness, this one wins out. Absolutely stellar work! -
OCR01823 - Gun.Smoke "Space Cowboy"
Emunator replied to djpretzel's topic in ReMix Reviews & Comments
There's a lot of subtlety to this song past the booming guitar, particularly in the piano, that I happen to enjoy a lot That's what I love about ilp0's mixes - he captures your attention with one element at first, but on subsequent listens there's a lot of hidden gems for the listener to pick out, as well. Edgy, refined, and definitely jazzy - this is why I love this man