Emunator

The descending piano playing in the intro was a little awkward for me, and the rest of it suffered from really dated samples. Still, I'm definitely a fan of Kaijin's mellow remixes like this. For what it's worth, the arrangement is pretty great and it's easy to relax to this once you get past the sample quality.

Can't say this one caught my interest much. It all felt too thin and amateurish. It's nice to hear this theme getting a more modern treatment, and it sounds like the remixer had some okay ideas but I don't really think this offers anything that the Brawl orchestrated version of the theme didn't. Sorry

I'm the exact opposite of DragonAvenger - much of this song feels underwhelming and certain elements are just a bit "off." However, when all is said and done I really enjoyed it a lot and love leaving this one on repeat while I'm studying, for some reason. The guitar solo is an unquestionable highlight but even before that, everything feels pretty melodic and enjoyable. Not the most unique thing to come out of Voices of the Lifestream but I'll be damned if it isn't still good!

I like the industrial-sounding opening, and the rest of it sounds surprisingly polished for a song that's part of a very rushed album. I think it's one of the most complete-sounding remixes on the project, not just because of the length but also because of the amount of processing and creative enhancements throughout. A particular highlight would be the breathy sound effects that pop in around 2:45. Really good work, BGC!

The ethnic flair was a perfect choice here, I like how you blended classical orchestra with something distinctly eastern... the source tune you chose is really great, reminds me of something from A Link to the Past in terms of its epic nature. The plucked... instrument-thingy that continues through much of the mix, as well as the hand drums, is a nice subtle touch that keeps the arrangement feeling ethnic throughout, even during the more cinematic parts. This would feel right at home in a movie or RPG battle. Good interpretation!

I don't know why this one doesn't have the same number of reviews as some of the other OCR classics, I really think this piece is amazing. Every instrument is handled with care, but the drums, violin, and flute really feel natural and harmonious to me. My only complaint is that the violin feels mixed really loudly, it's kind of startling! I personally think this is Doug's best-written and best-executed song, I'm glad the judges hassled him about certain aspects to get this one as good as it is today. One of my favorites and it pains me to see this one only have a few pages of reviews.

I like the rough-around-the-edges feel of this one, even the synth sounds appropriately dirty for the thrashiness of the song. It definitely doesn't feel as refined as Joren's more recent songs but I think that adds to the charm of this debut piece. Crazy drums, crazy playing... not much else to say on this one, it's just good

The opening reminded me of something from the Star Fox Assault soundtrack, but from there it took a more relaxed pace. Once things start to pick up again I think this song really hits it gold That section could literally transition right into "Full of Courage" and it would fit naturally, I think. I feel influences from a lot of your different mixes, actually, it almost feels like a conglomeration of your best work into one mix! I know I said in your previous mix's review thread that I'm glad you've started branching out into new territory, but this one just proves that you've really got a firm grip on standard orchestral fare, too.

Wow, what a killer bassline! Wow, this one's really fun to listen to... the transition that OA pointed out is great and the section that immediately follows, where the source is most apparent, is also really catchy I'm pleasantly surprised by this! When I read "accessible techno remix" in the write-up, I subconsciously groaned and let out a "here we go again..." I'm glad to say this exceeded my expectations in almost every way!

I like how the strings gradually increase and decrease in volume, leaving the piano in the background in various states of loudness. It's a subtle, unassuming effect that really made the intro for me The piano writing is smart and the rest of the instruments, while they're not high-quality powerhouse samples, get the job done. Later in the mix the arpeggios start reminding me of "Frame of Mind," which I'm pretty sure destructo was part of. I can definitely feel the similarities between those tracks. I feel like pointing out, though, that the piano writing seems almost identical to the arranged version on the official FFVIII piano album. I don't know if it was intentionally the same or not, but I actually did a double take to make sure I wasn't listening to the official arranged version by accident

Wow, this does feel like a funeral march, making the title feel all the more appropriate. Great mood, it feels melancholy but still "moves" at a very solemn pace. I love how each instrument contributes just a little bit to the song, each one seems meticulously placed and chosen to create a unified sound. Nothing sounds out of place. I'm really pleasantly surprised by this!

I don't even feel qualified to be commenting on this piece... it is the definitive Aquatic Ambiance mix and I don't think anything has done this well at reimagining the theme since. Even the parts that others pointed out as being problematic (the ending) didn't bother me and I kind of enjoyed gradually becoming aware of all the different cameos at the end as I expanded my video game music horizons. This is my second most-played song, I'm just totally in awe at what's been created here. One of the best remixes out there!

You get the sense that this was inspired by a lot of different genres, styles, and sources but it feels entirely cohesive at the same time. I don't really have a problem picking out the melody, and the percussion especially reminds you that you're listening to a factory remix. The only thing that's really distracting is the drumrolls, something about them just seems off Everything else feels like a great remix with unity, direction, and a clear sense of identity. It's not as immediately impressive as some of the other KiC tracks, but there's a lot of detail and creativity packed into this unassuming orchestral mix. Recommended!

I don't think the piano fits at all in the intro. At least, not until the supporting strings comes in. When it's just the piano over the ambient sound effects it felt like I was listening to 2 entirely different songs. I agree with OA on the lack of humanization that really makes the song a lot less immersive. The staccato strings and unusual drums fit within their section well enough, but it feels way different from the mood the intro set up and there really wasn't any sort of transition to help bridge that gap. The sound effects are nicely done, though, I'll give you guys that Those still hold up to today's standards. And I guess the ending feels cohesive enough to work, too, despite the piano. I guess overall this isn't a bad piece to listen to, but it feels very aged and certain elements stick out like a sore thumb that make it hard to really get lost in the mix

My biggest problem with this song is that it moves entirely too fast. Each section of the song only lasts a short amount of time, so you end up touching on a lot of WONDERFUL ideas but they only stick around for a few seconds and then move on. I guess that kind of reinforces the "time capsule" interpretation of the song though - you get a fleeting look at different concepts and vocal samples from throughout time, but you don't really get to stay and linger. I don't know if that was what you were going for, but I guess that's one way you can argue that the shortness of the song actually works to its advantage, conceptually. Still my favorite from DQD, it's very loopable and brimming with excellence. Even if you think the vocal samples might turn you off, give this one a chance. You might find that they either grow on you or don't interrupt the song as much as you'd think.

I think the length is perfect for a strings-only piece. You come in, do what you're going to do, and never overstay your welcome. The playing is beautiful, the arrangement is classy (though I haven't heard the original) and in general this is just a solid piece I only have the capacity to listen to solo pieces like this in short bursts (though, in cases like this, I enjoy it immensely while I do) so this satisfied me perfectly

I think the glitchy chip intro could stand to be a bit longer, but past that this is basically a smorgasbord of wonderful textures and effects that, while it definitely stays true to the original, feels more like background music than anything else. It does gradually begin to pick up towards the end but doesn't really hit a satisfying climax, conclusion or anything else. Since I'm guessing that's what Mazedude was going for, I'd have to say "mission accomplished"

The synths in here are really harsh, which makes this one difficult to listen to for me personally Being totally honest, I didn't really feel like the soundscape was adequately filled out until around 3:04, and by then the song was already over. I can appreciate the good breakdowns and the parts where things felt a bit more full and just "clicked" but on the whole this mix didn't really do it for me Sorry.

I dunno, I'm not as averse to this one as a lot of other reviewers have been. I still think The Wingless at his worst is still pretty decent, and it shows here. The arrangement's repetitive but passable and the samples, likewise, aren't great but they don't sound particularly offensive. I would have liked to see some other instruments aside from just the strings thrown in, but it's not a bad mix, I don't think. Still, it's undeniable how much he's improved since then... his later mixes are really stellar and completely blow this debut effort out of the water.

Hmmm... I'm torn on this one, because on the one hand, it's Protricity. The man can do no wrong... (well, when it comes to making music, anyway ) but at the same time, I feel like this one lacks the emotion and heart of some of his other mixes, especially the DKC2 mixes. I can still appreciate the sequencing here from a technical aspect, but in general this just doesn't do it for me, for some reason

Alright, this one took a long time to grow on me but I think I'm finally coming around. Something about chiptunes mixed with the mood you set up for the song just took a bit of adjusting to, I guess There's a lot of attention paid to detail in the processing and arrangement and I think that effort shows through in the final product. The unconventional, sorta-glitchy drums really add a subtle boost to the track, too. This is definitely a different kind of chipstyle than I'm used to hearing from the likes of halc or AeroZ, but a welcome change nontheless!

I've always thought Shariq's Prime mixes were always slightly better than his other ones (probably just because I'm a sucker for the source tunes ) and this one continues that trend. It all sounds kind of MIDI-ish in terms of sample quality and lack of really intricate effects, but that's honestly not a problem with me here. The choir sample and the lead synth definitely sound like something you'd hear from a Metroid Prime game, and I like the synth choices throughout the song in general. One of DS's better remixes, imo

This is probably "technically" the first OCRemix I've ever heard... of course I listened to it long before I ever knew about this site I remember hearing this and passing it around to all my friends in middle school and watching their amazement at how "System of a Down cares about video games!" and whatnot. How innocent I once was... This is a classic though Glad to finally hear where it really came from!

I love this so much. The delicate interplay of instruments has brought a lot of inspiration to me as an aspiring pianist... I'd love to write music like this with friends when I get a better grasp on how to make instruments compliment each other better, but you'd better believe that I'll be coming back to this mix whenever I need a shot of inspiration! So beautiful

(100th review! ) I've shared this one with a lot of people in person because it's so accessible as a rock/ska arrangement, you wouldn't even know you were listening to video game music. Needless to say, they've all been sufficiently in awe at the level of brutal talent involved in the song. It's really unrelenting, and especially during the shredding parts I don't think anything but "melt your face off" would be appropriate to describe what's going on! This one's gonna be hard to top, but I look forward to seeing what the remixer throws at us in the future, should she choose to remix in this style again Regardless, this is a sufficient treat for anyone looking for some epic ska-rock goodness.