Emunator

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.

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!

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

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

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!

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

As awesome as I think this could have been with live solo strings playing some of the parts, I admire what the remixer's done with his resources here. The arrangement is simple but when your source is this good, it's actually preferable that it doesn't get changed up too much The soundscape is mellow and ambient but very engaging and borderline-energetic at times. Congratulations on the debut post, and thanks for bringing Galaxy to the front page!

Hah! I'm at 50 now... phew

This is one of my favorite Dhsu remixes. It feels even more emotive than his usual work, and captures that tender sense of longing that was present in the original songs. I can't figure out what's going on with the source tunes here but the whole thing feels like an OoT remix to me. Maybe they're the same melody, I dunno. I'm never sure how to properly review piano solos, even though that's my modus operandi when it comes to remixing myself, but let me assure you that I'm extremely moved and touched by what's been created here. Really, really awesome work, I'm glad I discovered this one!

This is a really insane mix, but it's definitely a bit weak on the production side of things, at least, compared to some of your newer stuff. It's great seeing how far you've come in that area of things, but your arrangements have been awesome from the start

The intro caught me off guard but once you got going into the melody I guess it was okay. Everything sounded too tinny for my tastes though... it was fine for the intro but I don't like how that same quality pervaded throughout the lead used for the whole mix. Too distracting to really enjoy much. I like the sine lead though, that was quirky and enjoyable

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!