Palpable

Nothing crazy as far as arrangement ideas go, but a solid concept and execution. Good partwriting and good synthesis of metal and synths, which doesn't always come across that well. The synth lead was produced kind of strangely, missing crispness. I know Dustin was going for an 80's aesthetic, but it sounded unpolished rather than retro. The mixing was also on the crowded side, and I wanted a little more breathing room. Those issues aside, this was good work and an enjoyable listen. YES

ReMixer Name: DusK Real Name: Dustin Branscum Website: http://www.itstartsatdusk.com User ID: 24328 Game: Dynamite Headdy Arrangement Name: Bullet Hell Song Arranged: 5 Stage Platform: Sega Genesis/ Mega Drive Composer: Norio Hanzawa Release Year: 1993 Source: (Incorrectly named)Comments: By the time you read this, I'll already be gone. Wait, that's not right. By the time you read this, the album it's on will have already been released. This track, however, wasn't a mixpost candidate, so I decided to sub it on its own. I really feel like I did a good job on this one. I have heavily inspired by Mass Effect's music (especially that part between 2:20 and 2:58), and I really tried to bring some of that 80s/90s sci-fi aesthetic into the track using carefully-placed and modulated yet often vanilla-sounding synths. As far as the metal instrumentation, I tried to give it a sort of 80s hair metal feel, but with a modern metalcore twist, a lot like Blessed By A Broken Heart. Enjoy, like I hope you gents did with the album.

As I told Dain via email when we first got it in the inbox: Made my night again.

As I just mentioned on FB, not sure if I'm more excited to have a song I made played on Conan's show or in AT&T Stadium

The original, but the Lacuna Coil cover is good. I'd love to see the song used for round 2!

OK, I voted. Going a little crazy from hearing the Safety Dance so many times in a row. That's my favorite ever song.

I will try to vote this weekend, even though I did not have time to make an entry myself. This is a strange line of thought. I think I get what you are trying to say, which is that you should try to make your mix sound good on a wide variety of sources. I agree with that. Crap headphones/speakers alter the sound in different ways, so it's not as if something that sounds good on your crap headphones is necessarily going to sound good on my crap headphones. Good headphones/speakers are good because they give a more accurate representation of the sound, and as such, I think you're gonna get a better mix if you make your song sound good listening on good headphones vs. good listening on crap headphones, assuming it's a choice between one or the other. But listening on both is even better. Wow, I said "crap" a lot.

I was planning to do an entry last night but felt too dead. Don't think I'm gonna be able to enter this week!

I like the arrangement ideas here. The melodies are blended together effortlessly, and the steady beat-focused direction worked in your favor. I think it could have used more breaking up of patterns, less repetition, more detail work, but the core ideas are good and the issues were mostly in the first half. The production is not on the same level, unfortunately. The instrument handling the melody in the intro has a lo-fi sound that quickly sounds out-of-place amidst the more modern sidechained saws. Once the kick and bass come in, they take over the soundscape too much and make the melodic elements harder to hear. The midrange synth that kicks off the verse also has a lo-fi sound, and the thin high-pitched synth that handles the Tornado Man melody is given barely an inch of room to breathe. I think you need to break the mixing back down so that the leads are given more of the room that the bass/kick have. The synth/instrument design is also somewhat basic and could use some extra automation or more complex sounds to keep interest. Good start Beth, but needs more work! NO (resubmit)

Lunar Storm.mp3 Contact Information: ReMixer name: ladyWildfire real name: Elizabeth Carter email address: website: https://soundcloud.com/ladywildfire userid: 11659 Submission Information: Name of games arranged: Ducktales, Mega Man 9 Name of arrangement: Lunar Storm Name of individual songs arranged: The Moon, Tornado Man Comments: This song was created for the Wily Castle Remix Gauntlet, 2013 -------------------------------------------------------

This is a song with a lot of potential that doesn't seem quite there to me. Part of the problem is that the sections are so varied that it's hard to get everything right. The cool intro with the skittering percussion gives way to a plodding jazzy drum beat with some unrealistic piano. For every two things that are working in this song, there's another thing that's not quite working. It's hard to give detailed advice on something this complex but for the most part, pay attention to the sequencing and make sure it's not too uniform. Many of the problems with the song boil down to that. The snare was also a particularly weak point - it did not have the power or snap needed to carry the track. If you need more detailed feedback, please PM me and I'd be happy to give it. I like the source blendings quite a bit and it'd be nice to see this one get posted. NO (resubmit)

ReMixer name: jnWake. Name of game(s) arranged: Mega Man 7, Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). Name of arrangement: H2Oil. Name of individual song(s) arranged: "Turbo Man" (from MM7), "Aquatic Base - Level 1" (from Sonic 06). LINK TO ARRANGEMENT: . Mix comments: I made this mix for Round 4 of the Blue Bomber Blue Blur Collision Competition (a.k.a. B4C2), which was essentially a Sonic vs Mega Man competition. This time, I had to mix "Turbo Man" from MM7 with "Aquatic Base" from Sonic 06 (picked by Cosmic Sounds). My goal for this mix was creating something that could play in an Aquatic Base. I tried to keep some of the feel from "Aquatic Base" in the arrangement too. In particular, I wanted to keep some of the "dramatic" feel of that song. "Aquatic Base" is a bit hard to remix so to get some inspiration I listened to "Hydrophone Breakdown", which is reflected in the instrumentation I picked (and also in some parts of the arrangement). Also, unlike my other mixes, I tried to add a lot of small details to every section (as in, a lot of ornaments). In the end, I think I managed to create a nice and varied mix with a bit of a "water feel", so I hope you like it too! Hope you like it! Source breakdown: 0:00 - 0:55: Chords are based on the progression from Sonic 06. The lead that enters at 0:37 plays the piano melody of "Aquatic Base". 0:56 - 1:17: Lead plays "Turbo Man"'s main melody on a different chord progression. I added strings for a watery mood! 1:18 - 1:34: Chord progression is taken from "Aquatic Base"'s main section (it plays at the end of each repetition). 1:35 - 1:52: Repeat of the first section. 1:53 - 2:22: Lead plays "Turbo Man"'s second melody. 2:23 - 2:31: I like this break (the repeating notes are a nod to "Hydrophone Breakdown"). 2:32 - 3:04 This section is based on the intro of "Aquatic Base". 3:05 - 3:25: Repeat of the second section with very different instruments! 3:26 - 4:00: Variation on "Aquatic Base"'s intro again. I like the change at 3:44. 4:01 - End: Piano is based on the third section of "Turbo Man". Chord progression is similar to the original but with a few changes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Remixer: Brandon Strader Game: Pokemon Red/Blue Composer: Junichi Masuda Source: Title: Infernal This is another doom metal remix, this time closer to funeral doom; and again, no vocals. Recording this was an amazing experience. Fresh strings, louder amplifier, and the production all came together so that it sounded heavy as heck which is really the appeal to a large portion of the mix. There's two halves, the first half (featured on your Eevee EP as "Ember") is the build up, gaining tension and initiating the atmosphere; the part immediately after at 3:03 begins shifting to the second half with an atmospheric bit that builds tension. Conflict emerges at 4:05 leading into dual guitar harmonies again (they previously appeared at 1:10). The part at 5:23 is very heavy and gives a sense of "battle" while 5:58 slows the tempo slightly and is more "stand-offish". The violin and guitar lead at 6:20 expresses hopelessness while 6:36 is the musical representation of desolation. This is not your typical micro-music and it demands attention to both the heaviness AND the atmosphere, both of which I feel are very effective. I disagree that the song is too long or tries to make too much from too little; quite frankly, it could have been longer. It also could have had vocals. I feel that fans of Pokemon and Lavender Town will dig this, and fans of doom metal will especially appreciate this mix. I realize it's not a particularly common style sent to OCR, but I've always appreciated how OCR accepts and doesn't discriminate against any particular genre or style (or live instruments or technomanga, don't fuck around.) In conclusion... please give this the attention it deserves. It builds an atmosphere you need to commit to, and is constantly evolving moving through unique variations. No copy/paste. Not to mention Killer Studio Chops, I worked as hard as anyone. Thanks

This was a bit lacking on the realism front, right from the intro. The tempo was extremely even, the piano played the same each iteration. When the strings came in, it was noticeable that reverb was light, and the string articulations were too uniform and some too slow on the attack. It's hard not to like what you're going for though - this was a very well-written arrangement. Your partwriting and sense of dynamics are quite good, and I especially liked the skittering drums. Unfortunately, I don't think it quite makes up for the sequencing issues. I also thought the section following the key change could have done more to build up to a climactic ending. Instead it kind of just ends. Take a close look at the sequencing and while you're at it, maybe take another stab at the ending. But great work so far. NO (resubmit)

Contact Info: ReMixer Name: CaptainFluffatun Real name: Tommy Parrish Email: Submission Information: Game: Cave Story Name of Arrangement: Overcome Name of Individual Songs Arranged: Last Battle This remix was created in Cubase 5, making use of Kontakt's various sample libraries. I've always loved the soundtrack to this game from the moment I picked it up. A remix was bound to happen. This song, among the title theme, are the two most prominent songs in the soundtrack to me. Already being an orchestral producer, the genre picked itself. I had heard a few re-orchestrations on YouTube, but none were in the style that I would have picked, so I made it myself. -------------------------------------

This is a really fun take and the performances add a lot of flair and personality. I enjoyed it quite a bit and it was much more dynamic than the source tune. The mixing was not as strong as I would like, and the drums in particular were pretty buried and weak. There's almost no backbone to this song with the drums sounding that way. I could see it passing anyway, because what's here is that strong, but it doesn't pass muster in my eyes. Overall volume level should probably come up too. Please fix the mixing! NO (resubmit)

Contact Information: Remixer Name: Chris | Amaterasu, DavidRussell323, Subakuryu, 8BitBridgadier, MarcPapeghin, MaximimHamburgers, SongeLeReveur Real Name: Chris Woo, David Russell, Kris kainga, Dan DeSimone, Marc Papeghin, Mitchell Cairns, Emeric Slr Email: Website: http://www.youtube.com/user/8Amaterasu8 User ID: 35078 Submission Information: Game: Pokemon Silver/Gold/Crystal Name of Arrangement: 'Johto: Now and Forever!' Name of Song Arranged: Pokemon Silver/Gold/Crystal - Ending Link to Original: Comments: Ok, first off a big sorry for the gigantic list of names at the top! Earlier this year I started a big collab arrangement of the ending theme for the second gen pokemon games. It was an interesting project because I left it totally open for anyone to opt in or out on one of the youtube musician group pages. In the end it yielded some very atypical instrument combinations and a real mix of styles. In the end I think it was for the better, and we were all happy with our this collab turned out. My favorite pokemon games are the second generation one, and it was my goal to do the games justice. The sense of completion and the energetic nature of the melody were things that I tried to preserve. I also wanted to feature each instrument throughout the piece and give a real virtuoso element to it. I think everyone really adopted that idea well! Throughout the song, you'll hear the piano doing runs here and there, the bass guitar doing some crazy things, the appegiated section in the middle - lots of cool fun things to listen to I think! Initially this was going to be a straight cover, but the more people worked on it, the more they added of their own style and flair to it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy our group rendition of this epic ending theme! (btw if you want a diff quality version I actually haven't lost the source files this time) Youtube is here: Download Link: ---------------------------------

Great use of ethnic percussion and instruments to create the mood here. It really suits the source material. Unfortunately, I wasn't as knocked over by the structure of the arrangement. The biggest issue was that the drums don't evolve much and repeat a lot, so the energy level in the intro was almost the same as the energy level at the most dynamic parts. Even adding one other layer of hand percussion or something would have done good work here. I also agree with what Kris had to say about the writing being a little too repetitive, and could have used paring down or more drastic changes. Be careful with the ending too, what you have just cuts off. A pretty good start, but this needs some expansion of the ideas here. NO (resubmit)

You could soak for hours in this arrangement, it's so lush. Gobs of compression contributes to that effect, but it's very skillfully used - nothing ever sounds distorted or out-of-sorts. Sound design is especially well done, and there is some well-applied automation going on to create builds, sew together sections, and sustain interest. Excellent debut! YES

There might have been just enough source here for there to be dominant source usage, but it's close. Between 1:02 and 2:42, there's a lot of stuff that sounds kind of like the Temple Ruins and not a lot that actively uses it. It may be beside the point, because there were other problems. I thought the song started well, if the bell was a bit mechanical. The mood you guys crafted was eerie and played with the source in a fun way. The pad coming in brought a bit of a misstep in that it took up more room than it should have, and things evolved a little too slowly. 1:30 was another strange change, as the piano came in but the pad left, leaving the soundscape a little empty. I thought the stark, simple writing here coasted way too long, especially with the left hand of the piano barely changing. The piano itself was also not a very good sound - way too dark and bassy, and the playing was mechanical too. As I mentioned, I struggled to hear any source in this entire section. The section starting at 2:42 made some interesting modifications to the source, but then the very end was a little sour because it exposed the low-quality of the piano. Overall, I had a hard time seeing what exactly you wanted to do with this song. I can see a somber, simple version of Temple Ruins working, but the writing was unfocused and the piano needed to be a lot stronger. Even if you're trying to go for a muted, lo-fi piano sound, it needs to sound more realistic. Sorry to be harsh, but I feel this needs a fair amount of rethinking. NO (resubmit)

Oooh, very cool treatment here. I'm surprised I haven't heard this song done in this style, because it's extremely well-suited to it. I think you did an excellent job arranging this, and the epicness is off the damn chart. Wouldn't have minded another section like 1:37, which was a wonderful change of pace, and fairly unexpected. The only things I could suggest for improvement are the string and brass articulations, which sometimes sound a little unnatural, and maybe adding a little more reverb to give a grander scope. Great work! YES

Both issues I had with this are resolved. The source melodies are more obvious, even with that last changed chord still there. Track distortion is at a tolerable level. Like Kristina, I almost think this went too far in toning down the distortion - I kind of want some of the ear pain back! - but the essence of the remix is still there and it's certainly worthy of getting posted for its unique style. Let me be grateful that Brent was willing to make fixes. YES

My only problem with this track is that I wish it was longer. What's here is really nice: wistful mood, fine production, and some excellent ideas to augment the mostly intact melody. The waterdrop-like snare sound was an excellent, creative touch. I often wish that Damon would use better samples on his subs, but the not-quite-realistic sounds used here fit into the 90/00s R&B vibe. Really good stuff. YES

I think Chimpazilla has hit this one on the head. Production and sound design overall are really good, definitely the most appealing aspect of the track. Good transitions, good individual sections, but a lot of repetition. Honestly, what's here is good enough that it's almost a pass anyway. If I jump to random points in the song, it's hard to say NO to this. But it just doesn't have enough to it to hold my interest more than a full listen. This is an extremely good candidate for resubmitting, and I would love to see a version where there is a little more variety with what is going on. NO (resubmit)

I love the treatment here, sweet adaptation with some slick, restless programming. Even the balance sounds pretty good EXCEPT for that massive kick hogging all the space. Flex has gone into detail about the problems with it. I'm not that bothered by the lack of bassline, but even still, the kick takes up too much space. The repetitiveness of the drums was not something I noticed on the first listen, but after reading Flexstyle's comments, it did start to bug me a little bit on the second listen. It's close to the line for me, wouldn't be bothered if it passed, but seems a few tweaks away from making it. Cleaning up the kick would make this song much stronger, and a likely pass. NO (resubmit)