Palpable

Wow, great approach. Castlevania songs always lend themselves to ambitious arrangements, and this is ambitious as well as well-executed. The string articulations are excellent for this kind of pop-orchestral - quick attacks, but still realistic. You've also got a couple of sections with slower, drawn-out notes that are just as nice. Like the little detail of the piano messing around at the 3:20 mark. Honestly, didn't really agree with Flex's criticisms and certainly don't think they are a dealbreaker. The mixing is on the level of what we accept. Just a couple things that struck me. One, the string drop at 0:13. Two, the kick and bass play the same throughout most of the song, and it gets a little plodding. Try changing it up by having the rhythm of the bass deviate now and then. Some extra percussion wouldn't go unappreciated either. Excellent song, Guifrog, it's my new favorite of yours! YES

The guitar samples sound like they might do the job, but not the way they're sequenced here. Pay close attention to repeated notes in the lower guitar, the stiffness is most obvious there. In a live performance, the notes will all sound slightly different - not all directly on the beat, at different volumes, at different lengths. The bends sound pretty fake too. The arrangement also suffers from repeating the same patterns and staying in the same gear for too long. You've included some change-ups in intensity, but for the most part, you've got the rhythm guitars playing similar parts throughout, sometimes cut-and-pasted. I did like the solo sections though. The genre adaptation is a good concept, but this needs more to it. NO (resubmit)

Aw won't be in town for this, would have loved to go otherwise. I miss post Mag depression!

So the melody part of the original source has a harmony as well: Lead: D D C# B A G# A B E Harmony: B B A G# F# E F# G# There's always a minor or major third between these two so the note pattern is pretty well established. If Callum and Eino had added used a differnt harmony with similar intervals as the lines above without actually using either of them, I'd be hard pressed not to count that as arrangement. The pattern is pretty clear here, and I have counted that kind of usage in the past. Their melody: E1 E2 D C# A B C# B The first note is actually an octave low, but the next three notes form another minor/major third harmony with the original line. However the following three notes make a different interval (but still follow the same ascending pattern). The last note is completely different. Further repetitions of this figure only change the melody even more. The reason this sounds so similar is that it is similar on the surface, and I didn't look more closely at it than that. Larry and the other judges are correct though; it isn't similar enough. When a harmony of the original melody is used, it needs to stick extremely closely to the original intervals in order to be considered dominant source IMO. NO

I really shouldn't bother getting into this as it's minor but oh well: It's not laziness, the spelling dates back to the age of typewriters when keys didn't have the accent marks. English has tons of other loanwords that drop special characters as well. There's some discussion to be made about the evolution of spelling and pronunciation, and I've made fun of Dubya saying "nuk-u-lur", but once dictionaries start accepting it, it's pretty silly to fight. Every good dictionary has listed both spellings for the word for years (and apparently even "resumé" is a less common spelling, so I was wrong), so this battle has been lost. Anecdotally, you are the first person I've seen care about this, but I'm sure where you live may make a difference, like if there is a French-speaking community there. Though I agree that the accented spelling is less confusing.

In the US, "resume" is the more common spelling by far, and a correct spelling. I don't think this makes a difference one way or the other, as long as you don't use "resumé". Yeah let me rephrase, "don't care about" was too strong. My first interview after a long break is usually pretty rusty, and I'd prefer that interview to not be the one for the job I want the most. I always take interviews seriously, try to give them my best, and don't waste my time with any where I know 100% I will not take the job. But I err on the side of doing the interview if I'm not sure whether I want the job. The experience is extremely useful and you learn the most about the job during the interview, which can really impact your thoughts on the job. I have had interviews where my opinion of the team and the job completely switched.

Having a very hard time picking the source out of this. Anyone want to give it a go?

Remixers: HoboKa, Xenon Odyssey & Damashi!! Game Remixed: Sonic CD Source tunes: Tidal Tempest Zone: Bad Future & Present Source links: and Remix name: Titillating Tempest Link: Comments: We've got Xenon on sexy saxaphones, Damashi!! on some filter effects, mix mastering a few instruments, a bit of percussion and vocals. I did the majority of the remixing, with the instruments, 90% of the percussion, reinterpretation and so on. If you guys need a few hints as to where the source is represented, the first and last saxaphone choruses (hopefully I said that right, my theory is pretty rusty) are taken from the vocals of Tidal Tempest Present. The break down at about halfway is heavily influenced by the Bad Future and I'm certain there are other source pulls and midi riffs that I mooched and summarily reinterpreted The middle saxaphone riff is some form of hybrid between the two themes and has some of my own writing - which there is plenty thereof. Damashi!! would like to add: "Make sure to warn the judges about how Xenon's seductive sax playing is guaranteed to open their third eye to the cosmos beyond amongst the tidal waves of forgotten dreams and chicken nuggets up in this bizzznitch." and "...this mix constantly dances over the line of immensely cheesy and wonderfully amazing. Remember all those mermaid aquatic metaphors I kept throwing at Alex? yeeeeaaaah.... we went to town with that entire concept. We've got Poseidon throwing it down with the thick bass line while using his elegant filter sweeping trident to penetrate the Auto-tuned Enya merman ritual choir boys. Get your ears ready, open your mind, and prepare yourself to ride the cosmic waves of absolution and divinity... We hope you ladies and gents like Ratatat-ified aquatic Gregorian chant mixed with lush, sexually amazing sax playing (courtesy of Xenon, of course).]" And finally, here's a bonus track that I would like to dedicate to Liontamer, for sentimental reasons (I've been naughty)

GRROOOOOOAAAAAANNNNNNN Nah, I don't think I'm ever gonna stop loving this song. Argle's take isn't too out there, but it's solidly executed. Heavier on the rhythm than the original, while maintaining all the core elements. I liked how initially it sounds very close to the original, light percussion and all, but busts into a funky groove. I wouldn't have minded more liberties with some element, maybe the bass, and more change-ups in the backing parts. The variations on the lead and the breakdown sections did just enough to hold my interest, but there was some obvious copypasta in the drums, bass, chimes, and I would have liked to see a little more effort. Still, solid enough. YES

Your ReMixer name: Argle Name of game(s) arranged : Chrono Trigger Name of individual song(s) arranged: Corridors of Time - Name of arrangement: Kingdom of Magic Yes. I can hear your depressed groans now. Maybe I should be BANNED!!! from OCR. This one is interesting to me in that Corridors of Time was the very first game remix I did. Back then I was a noob, a really clueless noob, nevertheless I submitted the track to OCR with great confidence. Of course it got ripped apart. Looking back at it the track is quaintly horrible. Anyway, I decided to give this source another go.

Since we're talking interviews, one tip I have found very helpful is to go on a bunch of interviews for jobs you don't care about before going for the ones you do (if that is possible). Many people find themselves in the position of needing to do interviews after a long period of working and not doing interviews, so the practice is helpful. Ask questions about anything you're not familiar with because it will make you seem interested, and as a bonus you learn about stuff that may come up in future interviews. I feel you here, and I've found that being as objective as possible about what I've accomplished was key. So I don't get into the nitty gritty about how I'm good at this kind of thing and bad at this kind of thing (which I will if tricked into doing so), but that I did this project that needed these skills. I have found it to be a more comfortable, less showy, but still honest way to sell myself. Again, going on lots of interviews helped me learn the right things to say.

I've never heard from Kristofer before, but this is a well-realized concept. The solo accordion more than carries the tune, and you unexpectedly get some drunken singing thrown in for free! Great use of FX, ambiance, and space to create a very unique remix. YES

Hello, I have made a remix of the Jojo theme from Monkey Island 2. Remixer name: Yffisch Real name: Kristofer Yffén Country: Sweden Game name: Monkey Island 2 - Le Chcks Revenge Remix name: Drunken Monkey Original name: Jojo the Monkey Theme Composer: Michael Land Year: 1992 System: Amiga/PC Website: www.yffisch.com UserID on forum: http://ocremix.org/forums/member.php?u=4654 Comments: I have always been fascinated by this tune because I get a very cozy pub feeling when I listen to it. I wanted to catch that pub feeling a little bit more so I took my accordion and some flutes and made my own drunken version of this tune. Cheers, Kristofer Yffén

Some cool ideas here with arranging the source. The backing arpeggios are turned into an unsettling texture, and the lead into a hazy melody that sits overtop, making this a much more chill listen. Production was quite good and had enough micro change-ups, but could have used more macro change-ups. 7:22 is too long for what this is doing, and the repetition of some of the parts is staggering. This could have been about half the length. It also sounds purposefully discordant, but I'm not sure it works in your favor. I kept wanting the dissonance to be more minimized, and again, the heavy repetition didn't help that. Good ideas, but some issues that need to be looked at. NO (resubmit)

Contact Information Your ReMixer name: Governed By Appearance Your email address: Your website: governed.bandcamp.com, soundcloud.com/governed Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: Final Fantasy IX Name of arrangement: Getting Older, Never Slowing Name of individual song(s) arranged: Over That Hill Link to original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGAWcVKDqxg Comments: Inspired by Liquid Neon's submissions. Bass may need knocked down a little, but since it's d'n'b I figured I might as well have it loud and proud. --------------------------------------------- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGAWcVKDqxg

Oddly, I hear the problems with overcompression more in this version than the last, which might ultimately be a problem with the other judges. Me, I'm sticking with my original vote, because what's here still sounds great. YES

previous decision Original Submission letter: Username: timaeus222 Name: Truong-Son Nguyen http://mpcr.site88.net/ http://soundcloud.com/timaeus222 ID: 39971 Username: AngelCityOutlaw Name: Chris Schmidt http://soundcloud.com/angelcityoutlaw ID: 45057 Submission Information Game 1: Street Fighter X Tekken Game 2: Tenchu: Shadow Assassins Remix Title: It's Raining Zen Console/Platform of Game 1: PS3, PS Vita, XBox 360, PC, OSX Console/Platform of Game 2: Nintendo Wii, PSP Sources: Rain (Tenchu), Credits (Street Fighter X Tekken) Composed in FL Studio. Comments: I've wanted to do a serious collaboration with Timaeus for quite awhile. Initially, I had suggested remixing Nina Williams' theme from Tekken 3, but that never went through. One day, I started jamming along to "Rain" from Tenchu: Shadow Assassins and the Street Fighter X Tekken end credits. I noticed some similarities in melody from the songs and realized I could do something of my own with it. After working on some rough MIDI composition and arrangement, I just had to show Timaeus. We kept sending the file back and forth for several weeks, expanding and improving upon the song. I always love collaboration because it's just too much fun to see what the other person is going to add to your ideas and what you can add to theirs! "ACO took the reins on the source interweaving here, and he did the majority of the arrangement and some of the mixing. I fleshed out the soundscape and did the sound design, mixing, and mastering. First time I satisfactorily finished a mix under a hard knee limiter, as I normally opt for the other kind. - Timaeus, AngelCityOutlaw" Resub Letter: We're back. This time Timaeus fixed up some production issues, added some more percussion etc. See what you think this go around. I've attached the revised version to the email.

It always makes me happy to see a resubmit that really takes our advice into consideration. You basically did exactly what we suggested - reduce compression, add more variety with sections - and I think the song is a lot stronger for it. 5:41 is still a little long for what this song offers, and I wish that the song didn't go right back into a repetition of the first couple sections near the end, but this is worth posting. YES

previous decision Contact Information Your ReMixer name Byproduct Your real name Juhana Honkanen Your email address Your website http://byproductmusic.net Your userid (number, not name) on our forums, found by viewing your forum profile 15221 --- Name of game(s) arranged Phantasy Star II Name of arrangement Take Turns Name of individual song(s) arranged Rise or Fall Link to the original soundtrack (if it is not one of the sound archives already available on the site) http://ocremix.org/song/14844 Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc. An exercise in making a 54-second song into a 5 1/2 -minute one - inspired by a comment saying the original track is too short for remixing. Many thanks for the feedback at the forums - extra big 1up to timaeus222 and Elrinth. This is a resub. (Judges' decision thread here: http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=45850 ) As per the judges' comments, it has much less compression, it's slightly less bright, and has more sections with less leads and drums. Most notably after 1:25 and 3:35, but there are some other changes and tweaks and increased variation here and there as well.

Wow, such energy. You grab these sources by the balls and don't let go. There's not a lot to pick on with this excellent arrangement except one really really big thing: The snare is loud, fake-sounding, and plays exactly the same way every hit! Hearing it used in double-time is almost oppressive - I had a hard time hearing anything else. The other drums could have used a little more sequencing attention too, but at least with fills and other change ups, it's not so one note. Seriously, fix the snare and I would be ready to pass this. NO (resubmit)

Previous decision Contact Information > ReMixer name: HeavenWraith > Real name: Antanas Palaitis > E-mail: > Website: http://www.heavenwraithmusic.net > Forum userID: 50325 Submission Information > Game: Mega Man X, Mega Man 2 > ReMix Name: Charge! Towards The Sunset Of Intergalactic Dictatorship > Original Name: Boomer Kuwanger Stage (MMX), Metal Man Stage (MM2) > Original Author: Makoto Tomozawa, Setsuo Yamamoto, Toshihiko Horiyama, Yuki Iwai, Yuko Takehara (MMX); Manami Matsumae, Takashi Tateishi (MM2) > Link to the file: --------------- - Boomer Kuwanger - Metal Man

This is a step in the right direction but something still sounds pretty off about it. One thing is that the glassy, heavily quantized synths still don't completely mesh with the more brutal metal parts - they come off as very cheesy, and the rigid nature of them sounds totally strange next to live guitars and live-sounding drums. On that note though, the drums are also still as mechanical as the last version. If you listen to the snare rolls in particular, it sounds extremely unnatural, and the sample could be improved to boot. The kick sounds a little better though. Continue to work on this and maybe experiment with different synth sounds. I think something less rigid would be a better fit. NO (resubmit)

Previous decision Contact Information > ReMixer name: HeavenWraith > Real name: Antanas Palaitis > E-mail: > Website: http://www.heavenwraithmusic.net > Forum user ID: 50325 Submission Information > Game: Touhou: Mountain Of Faith > ReMix Name: Temple of the Omnisword > Original Name: Native Faith > Original Author: ZUN > Link to the file: ----------------------------------------------------

This was my first time hearing this sub and it threw me. There's a lot of weird writing going on, from the stop/start guitars, carnival synths, and proggy connecting sections. By the end of the song I was getting into it and on my second listen through, I completely got what you guys were going for. Very creative approach. Reading the comments back from the last vote, it sounds like you fixed some of the problems. The low-end wasn't much of an issue here - it sounded filled out. The guitars were a little buzzy and the drums somewhat plain, but it wasn't enough to prevent this from passing. YES Edit (6/23): Vote changed, see below.

previous decision Hello, here's a resubmission of a rearrangement from Shell Shocked project for consideration as an individual release. ReMixer & real name: Eino Keskitalo e-mail: forum id: 20708 ReMixer name: Tuberz McGee Real name: Callum Kennedy e-mail: forum id: 44165 Names of games arranged: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Mega Drive), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (SNES) Name of Arrangement: Aim High Names of individual songs arranged: High Score Display (THH), Warming Up (TiT) MP3: FLAC: Previous submission letter applies. Previous decision: http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=45739 Thanks for the great & precise feedback. There should now be: - some actual low end - better bass drum & some layering on the snare - less mids on the bass (hopefully still enough) - unscooped mids on the guitar (and clavinet) - some lead sound change at 2:30 - more stereo separation and eq of lead stuff To quote our illustrious project leader Kyle, "Wow, it's actually quite a bit of an improvement, and I thought it sounded good before." As painful as a NO (resub) is, it's worth it. I hope this makes the cut. LT Edit (6/4): Here's the source usage breakdown copied from the previous decision with the timestamps adjusted. 00:00-00:19 intro (original) 00:19-00:48 HSD parts a & b, fairly straightforward 00:48-00:53 "proggy bit" 1 (based on last bass notes of HSD part 00:53-01:12 HSD part a with slightly modified Warming Up chords used on the clavinet to the right 01:12-01:22 HSD part b 01:22-01:35 proggy bit 2, with original chord changes 01:35-01:39 lead-in to Warming Up bridge (original) 01:39-02:19 Warming Up bridge, chords and bass used (slightly modified), with original synth solo 02:20-02:29 lead-in back to HSD (original) 02:29-02:58 HSD parts a & b 02:58-03:31 proggy bit 3, definitely goes into original territory 03:31-03:40 HSD part a + TV-theme outro --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------