Gario

My name/ReMixer name: Brett Christian Harrison Forum ID: BrettCH Game: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Song: Welcome to Crocodile Isle Arrangement Name: Life in the Island I wanted to have a crack at one of my favorite games. It also inspired me to get into composing on my own... Can't wait to see what you guys think.

Hallo, Remixer name: Jorito Real name: Jorrith Schaap e-mail: Userid: 3899 ReMixer name: Fiddledo Real name: Kaisyn e-mail: Links: https://www.youtube.com/fiddledo, https://twitter.com/fiddledo ReMixer name: subversiveasset Real name: Andrew Spriggs e-mail: Links: https://www.youtube.com/subversiveasset, https://twitter.com/gaspriggs, https://www.facebook.com/subversiveasset ReMixer name: Jarrod G Real name: Jarrod Grgić e-mail: Links: https://www.youtube.com/user/imafutureguitarhero, https://twitter.com/imafuturegh Submission information: Name of Game(s) Remixed: Xenogears Name of Arrangement: Dancing in the Sky Names of songs arranged: Wings (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IyyXO5nP1c) Link to the remix: Comments about the mix: Somewhere March 2018 I stumbled upon this (relatively) new VGM community called Pixel Mixers. I just wrapped up some tracks and wanted to start something new. Turns out Pixel Mixers was in the middle of a Xenogears 20th anniversary tribute album. While I played the game a long time ago and never got that far in it, I am a sucker for RPGs and their music. I was going over the available tracks and found Wings, the airship theme. Since I am still in a synthwave mood fuelled by The Midnight, I figured it might make for a great 80s inspired synth based tracks with male vocals and saxophone. Took me a few attempts and false starts to figure out a decent starting point with those typical synthwave chord stabs, but once that was done, things started to fall into place naturally and I had a lot of fun playing with the sax and vocal interplay and the song structure. Part of the Xenogears album concept was that every track required at least 2 collaborators. Since I knew I wanted to do a vocal synthwave track with saxophone, it was an easy choice to figure out what kind of collaborators would be needed. I found out that subversiveasset is more or less the go-to saxophone player in the Pixel Mixers community, and he hopped on board with a lively sax part as well as a solo part. The lead vocals and lyrics were done by Fiddle, whom I recruited through the community, and after a few tries to get the vocals working with the track’s melody and context I think it turned out great. Lastly I couldn’t resist having some guitar parts in there, so I wrote a quick solo with my VSTs that Jarrod was ultimately happy to replace. Can’t beat live performances, they always make such a big difference. With all the collaborations, arrangement shuffling and things being quite different from the source but also still recognisable, I’d say this was an interesting experiment. I think it turned out well and can be enjoyed as a standalone piece even if you’re not aware it has its roots in VGM. Kaisyn adds: It's funny because I've never really played Xenogears before. I did a bit of research on the game when I got into Xenoblade Chronicles and thought to myself that I'd wait until I have the opportunity to pick it up on the original PlayStation so that I can play it on the original hardware. The story of Xenogears was deep and was something I wanted to dive into sooner or later, but I had never realized that I would end up writing lyrics to the flying theme, "Wings." I wanted to really take a look at how the main character must feel while they are flying high above the land amidst the chaos happening down below. He was kind of dragged into what was happening and perhaps, while looking down below, he would ponder and talk to his crewmates. I wanted to capture that feeling of doubt which would later turn into confidence. A took a bit of influence from Final Fantasy VII in regards to how to capture the moment. The chorus reflects the feeling of being in the mech, making the characters feel alive and how, perhaps, they feel like they can do anything. I mean, they're in this super powerful robot armor that is more powerful than anything that anyone has ever known. They can dance in the sky and be free. Despite what's happening, they feel like this will all end soon and maybe they'll be able to enjoy that freedom. All and all, I had a fun time writing this song. It's a huge departure from what I usually write but it was fun to really dive deep into the emotions of the characters and reflect them in the lyrics. Full credits: Arrangement, production, backing vocals: Jorito Vocals, lyrics: Fiddledo Saxophone: subversiveasset Guitar: Jarrod G Source usage: Since I maybe went a bit nuts with overhauling the arrangement, I figured a source breakdown might help. As always, I mainly use the melody from the source and mess with that, this track also uses a chord pattern that you might miss otherwise. 0:00 - 0:12 - original intro 0:13 - 0:25 - chords (and their rhythm) from source, 0:56 - 1:02 0:26 - 0:38 - chords as above, lead vocal also heavily based on the chords/rhythm 0:38 - 0:51 - variation on the above in the chords and lead 0:51 - 1:16 - sax plays the lead from source, 0:02 - 0:27 1:16 - 1:42 - lead vocals sing lead from source, 0:20 - 0:56; sax plays variations of 0:02 - 0:27 1:42 - 2:08 - lead vocals are a variation of source, 0:02 - 0:27 2:08 - 3:12 - original solos 3:12 - 3:38 - variation on chords/rhythm from source, 0:56 - 1:02 3:38 - 4:03 - same as 0:51 - 1:16 4:03 - 4:28 - same as 1:16 - 1:42 4:30 - 4:56 - original outro Lyrics: Verse There are times I feel like Without you, there's less meaning in life Hold my hand, tell me it will be okay Passing by these bright lights I need to figure out if I've got things right Things keep passing by, I will find a way. Chorus We're going to spread our wings and fly As we keep dancing in the sky I feel so alive Forgetting the danger that lies up ahead Please just let me Bridge I really want to feel safe I want to know, I wonder why I feel this way Nasty thoughts stuck in my head I want them gone, I wish they could Just disappear Verse Let's take in this moment C'mon, just keep your eyes wide open Gliding through the sky, no clouds in the way I feel like I belong Despite the troubles, I know I can stay strong I'll keep holding on, I won't drift away Chorus We're going to spread our wings and fly As we keep dancing in the sky I feel so alive Forgetting the danger that lies up ahead Please just let me fly Cheers, Jorrith

Mmm, I really like the instrument choice on this one - they're so darn warm, almost sounding like they're analog. Sounds crunchy, peasant, and overall wonderful. The soundscape is light, but overall rather wonderful, and the arrangement presents the source in a playful manner. This really is top notch stuff. The only thing I could think of that didn't line up perfectly would be the synth string pad used throughout, but they're not bad - I just felt they were relatively 'nilla compared to the other excellent sound design. They're not objectively bad - they're just bad by comparison. So yeah, do get this one up on the front page, please. YES

"By the Flame" So, sd3 is finally out. I don't need to remix a Mana source ever again. But I probably will. But for this year's AOCC, I decided to do something different, so I remixed something from a JRPG with multiple protagonists. Everything sprung from those stupid hardpanned percussion elements and the bass rhythm. My good old fake shaker from Beyond Velocity, and a snare from DrumSpillage, bass from Logic's ES2. Also other stuff from Logic's ES2 and Alchemy, vibraphone from Pianoteq, guess what from Superior Drummer, strings from Omnisphere and a supporting shaker from SampleTank. Because you can never have too many shakers. Now you know. And panning is fun. But yeah, bass and hardpanned stuff was the start. Everything else is just my messing with the source on top, then spending an inordinate amount of time trying to make sense of the arrangement, and usually coming up with even more ideas in the process. No wonder I can't keep my tracks short. But yeah, Octopath. Good game. Single source, for once: "Flamesgrace, Guiding Light" Merry, uh, midsummer?

Oh shit, this source is pretty slick. Follin could really kick some ass on every system he graced... even one that only had a single channel apparently, lol. For comparison's sake, the NES has four channels (with a fifth pulsewave modulator channel, for people willing to use it for more than crappy voice work). Dat's some grade-A kickass polyphony from him. Honestly, you have a great idea taking something like this and reinterpreting it into something that doesn't have such intense limitations (with some nice polish and sound quality, to boot!). I think the only limiting factors of this arrangement is that it really does take Follin note-for-note, which means it shares his tendancy to... well, wank off with meandering lines for a little too long. Not your fault, by the way - that's just how he did things - but it's not a bad idea to take what he has and trim it when he does that. Great work with it, though - I really got a kick out of this one!

Hey OC team, This is a remix of Killer Instinct 1 (Arcade/Snes) Original track, Killer Intsinct - The instinct : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvq-znoS2HY My remix, Killer Instinct - Dawn of the instinct : You can download the track on this private link. Thx, Aymeric VELOZZO (Paul Hadame)

Note: This will need a proper title, if it's accepted. Edit (07/29): A new title has been provided; it is now called "A Brief Respite". - Gario RebeccaETripp Rebecca Tripp http://www.crystalechosound.com/ ID: 48262 Game(s): Undertale Song Title: Songs Remixed: Snowdin Town Comments: This is my arrangement, but the ocarina parts were performed by David Ramos (his OC name is docjazz4)! I had his permission to submit this. Please credit him if this get accepted! Here is his youtube page just in case: https://www.youtube.com/user/docjazz4 Here’s a link to the song:

Those... look incredible.

Previous Decision Contact Information Your ReMixer name: metamorphosis Your real name: Matt Bentley Your website: www.soulstudios.co.nz Your userid: 20560 Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: Jazz Jackrabbit Name of arrangement: Get Your Static Now Name of individual song(s) arranged: Tubelectric Additional information about game including composer, system, etc: As for Gario's feedback, I'm immensely grateful - he pointed out exactly where the mix was going wrong, and I've been able to reign it back in on the high frequencies - and I think the result speaks for itself. As for the others - I'm not changing the structure of the song. Contrast is the *whole thing* - it doesn't work without it. I don't want to submit yet another bland remix. Likewise the bitcrushed samples stay in, though I appreciate your feedback on this level because I realized how ear-burny they were, and I've rather drastically reduced the high frequency content there too. Clearly you guys do not listen to as much hardcore industrial as I do Part of the theme is contrast, electricity, static, and I've changed the title to reflect this (also what's being said in some of the samples - was a title originally, but threw it out in favour of JDHD). Thanks once again, Matt

Oh, that would be very interesting. We're on a pretty tight schedule on these things, so if you're able to send us a WIP and discuss where you'd be going with it, potentially a roadmap on how you plan on finishing within the release schedule of the album in particular in a PM that would be excellent. Outside of DjP (who, let's face it, kinda runs the show) and Hakstok (who has done significant work that was unfortunately lost) I'm not giving any "claims" at this stage, though - people who want to make a claim do need to give something for a WIP. It's just a measure I'm taking so that we know that there's something to grasp and look forward to in a claim. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Hello there, Here is the link to my submitted track: Contact Information ReMixer name: Danilo Ciaffi real name: Danilo Ciaffi email address: website: youtube.com/c/DaniloCiaffi userid: 34668 Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Name of arrangement: The Court of the Goddess Name of individual song(s) arranged: Midna's Lament Comments: I aimed at a more cinematic vibe, still preserving the original mood Hope you like it! Cheers,

ReMixer Name: Aesaire Real Name: Li-Wen Oh Email: User ID: 34323 Game Arranged: God of War (2018) Name of Arrangement: War Never Changes Name of Individual Song Arranged: God of War Original Composer: Bear McCreary Link to Original Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9hh91-2iaA Comments: My primary goal was to create a God of War theme distorted by the influences of modern electronic music. The secondary goal of this remix was to create an orchestra of digital synths that would emulate some of the characteristics of the physical instruments in an orchestra. Envelopes were shaped to mimic the build up of tension and release when played by real musicians. All instruments and sounds, except the drum samples and some of the sound effects, were digitally synthesized. The original choir was replaced by dubstep style growls and glitches to give it a more aggressive sound. The ending was rewritten as I wanted the track to act more as a standalone piece of music rather than a part of the soundtrack. It's more directed, with a better sense of purpose that ultimately leads to solid resolution. Thanks for listening! Regards, Aesaire.

Hey OCR, I am submitting a track called Bug Catching Net off my Zelda Themed beat tape, "Three Hearts". As per your request, below has all info regarding the release. Remixer name : Lightfoot Actualy Name : David Email Address: Website: www.lightfootbeats.me User ID: 35389 Name of game: Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time Name of arrangement and song: Great FaIry's Fountain from Ocarina of Time This remix is of an project of zelda remixs. A link to the past was the first video game I ever played, and the series has stuck with me as one of the most important video game series of my life. I felt like it was only right to release a project dedicated to the amazing world of Zelda. I hope you enjoy this submission. You can stream the full project here: I'm pretty sure i covered everything, but happy to provide any other information if needed. Thank you for your time and consideration. Best LF

Contact Information Yusou Deandre Pope 28345 Submission Information Yakuza Funky Dragon Nights Original Song Title: Funk Goes On Composer: Hidenori Shoji, System:Ps2, Publisher:SEGA Song Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1uNUhIgC2g This came to be simply out of the fact I was excited for the Yakuza remake (Yakuza Kiwami), but was unsatisfied with the remix on there, so I decided to make my own version of the song.

Youtube references? I can't think of any off the top of my head, my apologies. For mixing, I generally go with the rule that if a track is going for a basic song structure (with drums, bass, harmonies/textures, melodies) we need to visualize the music as we would a scene - with a background, middleground and foreground. The theme should be in the foreground of the mix, with the textures popping out less in the middleground, and the bass further in the background. Everything should be clear to the listener, but the themes/melodies should pop out to the "front" of the mix, while the other elements should be further in the middleground or background. So the theme, while it's still present in your track, is often quiet in comparison to the textures and bass, which sounds strange. Sorry again that I don't have any sort of Youtube reference, but perhaps an explanation like this can help guide you toward a better mix?

Respawn Collective - "Enantiodromia" (attached to email) sources: Hirokazu Tanaka - "Title" (Metroid) Kenji Yamamoto - "Darkness ~ VS. Dark Samus" (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes) Koji Kondo - "Middle Boss Battle" (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) Kenji Yamamoto - "VS. Dark Samus" (Metroid Prime 3: Corruption) Koji Kondo - "Title" (The Legend of Zelda) (You seem to already have the soundtracks for the NES games and Ocarina of Time on OCR, so we haven't included links to those.) source usage: 0:07-0:53 Metroid title theme, subtle Dark Samus noise elements 0:53-1:09 Metroid title theme, Dark Samus melody 1:09-1:24 Dark Samus melody 1:24-1:39 Dark Samus melody, OoT miniboss melody A, MP2 Dark Samus percussion* 1:39-1:55 Metroid title theme, Dark Samus melody, MP3 Dark Samus ostinato 1:55-2:25 Legend of Zelda title theme 2:25-2:29 MP2 Dark Samus opening 2:29-2:37 OoT miniboss ostinato, Dark Samus noise elements 2:37-2:56 OoT miniboss ostinato, probably inaudible MP3 Dark Samus ostinato 2:56-3:42 OoT miniboss theme, minor Dark Samus noise elements 3:42-3:58 Dark Samus melody/noise (also in bassline), Metroid title theme/not Hazy Maze Cave 3:58-4:05 Dark Samus melody/noise, OoT miniboss melody A/ostinato 4:05-4:28 MP3 Dark Samus strings/choir, MP2 Dark Samus guitar solo/intermittent alarms 4:28-4:44 Dark Samus melody/harmonies, OoT miniboss melody A/ostinato 4:44-4:59 Dark Samus melody/ostinato/noise, OoT miniboss melody B 4:59-5:07 Metroid title theme, OoT miniboss ostinato 5:07-5:22 Metroid title ostinato, OoT miniboss melodies A and B, subtle Dark Samus melody 5:22-5:53 Metroid title melody/ostinato, indecisive Dark Samus melody can't stick with one key 5:53-6:24 Metroid title ostinato, Dark Samus melody/ostinato/guitar/noise, OoT melodies/ostinato 6:24-6:39 Metroid title ostinato and drone, Dark Samus white noise thing * The vaguely chromatic high-resonance percussion from Metroid Prime 2's Dark Samus theme is in most of the song after this point, so I've omitted mentioning it in subsequent timestamps for reasons of redundancy. First off, I apologize for the length of this submission email. Obviously you don't have to quote most of this in the write-up if the ReMix is accepted, but it seems logical for the judging panel to be privy to the rationale behind the various musical decisions and less obvious design elements. I tend to overthink things. Right, starting at the beginning. After Yargami, the youngest member of the Respawn Collective and our most active gamer, discovered that Samus and Link had Dark Samus and Dark Link color schemes in the fourth Smash Bros. game, he informed me that we needed to have a duel between the two (which we still haven't gotten around to). As I started to compile a playlist, he humorously pointed out that their themes could almost fit over the top of each other (and, as we later discovered, are both at 125 BPM), and I took him... slightly too seriously. This has been a collaboration between the two of us, since NuPharazon (the third member of the Collective) had a heavy workload at the time, although she has subsequently provided valuable feedback on how to make the concept more accessible without compromising the various noise elements that form an integral part of the Metroid Prime vibe, as well a consistent demand for the guitar solo at 4:06 to stand out from the otherwise basically atonal section (her favorite part of both this ReMix and the original song). The title of the ReMix refers to the Jungian concept of opposing an concept or group with such ferocity that one begins to unintentionally adopt its qualities as a sort of emergent "shadow" (not dissimilar to Nietzsche's "he who fights monsters" concept, in some ways). On a superficial level, this could describe both bosses' unusual (for their respective series) tendencies to analyze your attack pattern and use it against you, but it somewhat literally describes the titular Metroid Prime's repurposing of its archnemesis' armor at the end of the first game and Samus' gradual metamorphosis into a Dark Samus clone in the third. Additionally, the better-known Jungian concept of the shadow fits Dark Samus' status as an inexorable Chozo-tech-wielding hunter who specializes in planetary-scale genocide (a description easily leveled at Metroid's protagonist), as well as Dark Link's apparent physical derivation from Link himself (reading between the lines a bit there - the Zelda series isn't generally known for its in-depth explanations, apart from the timeline they released a few years back). Since the NES Metroid and Jean-Michel Jarre's Rendez-Vous came out around the same time and both started with big spacey drone notes, I had a strong childhood association between the two (an impression I evidently shared with the modern series composers, considering how much influence Jarre seems to have had on Yamamoto's Metroid Prime work), so I wanted the opening Metroid title part of the ReMix to have that same space-music vibe, albeit updated for modern tech. Thus, the drones at the beginning are loosely inspired by the opening notes of Rendez-Vous, one of the more shimmery synth choirs has similarities to an instrument from Équinoxe, and one of the pads is somewhat reminiscient of the phased Eminent 310 Unique from Oxygène, although it's mixed with enough other soundscaping that it's probably not noticeable unless you're specifically listening for it. As for the actual workflow, I put down a sort of space music/industrial noise music foundation, then Yargami crafted a number of unique melodic textures to cut through all the ambient soundscaping I'd inevitably be doing... and also snuck in a bouncy synth bass that veered the song abruptly into DnB territory, which has ultimately made the end product less excessively ponderous and a lot more fun than my initial conception of it. Based on those elements, I did the overall arrangement, noise elements, and general production, during which time the song divided into separate movements and became a great deal longer than we intended. The minor-key NES Metroid part starting about five minutes into the song, in particular, I included as a joke because we had already mutilated the NES Zelda title theme earlier, but Yargami insisted that we leave it in. I suppose that's appropriate payback for my roping him into a huge ReMix he only facetiously proposed in the first place. On a final note, I'm not sure if there's a specific process for deciding where to list ReMixes with sources from multiple games, but if artist intent is a factor, we recommend putting this one under Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, since most of its general vibe and a significant percentage of its musical content hails from that game. Thanks for your time, and we hope you enjoyed the music. - Apollyon, Respawn Collective Unit Alpha The Respawn Collective consists of Apollyon (user ID 18130), Yargami (user ID 28292), and NuPharazon (user ID 35368)

Hello Judges! Artists: Chernabogue, Furilas (bass), HeavenWraith (guitars), CyrilTheWolf (vocals) Original track: Satutos Battle by Motoi Sakuraba Comments: This is a cover I started years ago for a Golden Sun project that was (unfortunately) abandonned. I liked the concept of that track so much I couldn't let this one go away unfinished. So after a long time, here it is! Big thanks to all who contributed to create this epic track that should melt a few faces! LINK to remix: Cheers!

Oh yeah, no worries 'bout it; you posted this as an 'Eval' track, so I have to nitpick, being that catching everything that judges would catch on the panel is the point of the eval. Like I said, it'll probably be mentioned (by at least one judge, being myself, lol), but it shouldn't be enough to garner a rejection as long as the source is all there. I'll be looking forward to it on the panel.

RebeccaETripp Rebecca Tripp http://www.crystalechosound.com/ ID: 48262 Game(s): Wind Waker Song Title: Earth Temple Trance Songs Remixed: Earth Temple Comments: this is a very old track of mine so It’s not as good of quality as some of my newer work, but I figured what the heck!

Contact Information Your ReMixer name - Psycosulu Your real name - Kyle Scott Your email address - Your website - https://www.youtube.com/user/psycosulu Your userid - 1746 Additional collaborator for song - subversiveasset Collaborator's website - https://www.youtube.com/user/subversiveasset Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged - Final Fantasy VI Name of arrangement - Subaqueous Serpent Name of individual song(s) arranged - The Serpent Trench Comments - This was originally made for the Pixel Mixer's Final Fantasy VI album. I had the style in mind when I asked subversiveasset to lend his unique saxophone style. Overall, I wanted to try for an underwater feel when making the song but I also wanted to have a nonstop drive to mimic the feeling when you're being swept by the currents in the Serpent Trench.

There's really not much I can add to this - it's such a radically different approach to the track it's hard to tell that it's the same source. It's not that the source isn't represented, but rather that the direction goes from a tranquil village to a crazy in-your-face race track from a zany video game. Fadeout aside (which I personally think works well enough because of how it's presented, Larry be damned!) I can't think of too much to say against this, other than it leaves me wanting more. Great work! YES

Oh, this is fascinating. It's really what it says in the description - it's a rendition and arrangement of the source from someone who absolutely doesn't know the context of the source material. I don't mean that at all as an insult, either; it really puts a fresh spin on the source that'd be hard to place on it if you were biased toward the source material. It's slow, but frankly I don't think anyone should have an issue with recognizing the source as it's all over this track. The harmonies are rich and well placed throughout. Dissonant, sure, but not at all unpleasantly so, at least to me; none of the notes sound like they're a mistake or out of place. I'd venture to say this won't have a wide appeal, but I'll be honest and say I think it sounds just brilliant, to me. It's not perfect; the arrangement does feel like it's meandering from time to time, with the section from 3:00 - 3:50 being the primary area of concern. The large amount of motion in the texture makes it easy for the listener to lose their place. Portions like that would benefit from the source material being pushed more in the front, either through the arrangement or through the mixing, as it would give the listeners an anchor to keep them from getting lost. A relatively small nit pick on an otherwise great arrangement, though - really, this is some great stuff. As far as the version I prefer, I'm far more partial to the first version; the redux has too little spread, which magnifies the issues where the listener could get lost. The redux is a little brighter, which addresses Larry's concerns a bit, but honestly that's just an issue with an all-horns arrangement; the instrument just doesn't capture the higher EQ range all that well. It's part of the character of an arrangement like this, really. Great stuff, always glad to hear your take on music like this. YES

Contact Information: ReMixer Name: MaesterTed Real Name: Jonas Bombeke E-mail address: Website: https://www.youtube.com/user/MaesterTed UserID: 35358 Submission Information: Name of the game arranged: Sonic The Hedgehog Name of Arrangement: Serene Tranquil Zone Name of individual song arranged: Green Hill Zone Composer, system: Masato Nakamura, Sega Genesis Link to original soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF9ZLNxHaBY This mix came to life as an entry to a cover contest hosted by fellow Youtuber "Soundole VGM Covers". The challenge was to take a song, and remix it in a chill, relaxed way. Seeing as I tend to experiment with Celtic music, I have remade this normally quite energetic song in a relaxing, Celtic style. This was the result. You can find the remix attached in this mail. Sincerely, Jonas

Note: If passed, this track will need a new title. - Gario Contact Information: Your ReMixer name: Teo Your real name: Peter Hosszu Your email address: Your website: https://soundcloud.com/rocknrolla42 Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: Shenmue Name of arrangement: Ambient remix Name of individual song(s) arranged: Teo - Shenmue (Sedge Tree) - Ambient Remix Link to the original soundtrack (if it is not one of the sound archives already available on the site): https://youtu.be/5BA073TGUDc Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc.: It's a very old remix from 2005, played a lot of Shenmue back then, and I was hooked to the melody, so made this remix.

I'm really happy to see you fixed this up - there's no comparison in quality in the version you sent before. Virtually all of the ducking is gone, and this sounds so much better for it - I even had to go back to remind myself why we'd have the audacity to send it back in the first place, since it sounds so darn good this time. The rich soundscape, the well balanced arrangement, those meaty drums - the overall heart of the remix is still intact, so nothing was lost in the improvemments, to boot. I worry sometimes when we send things back that artists might take it the wrong way, but you did exactly what we always hope for - take something with a whole lot of potential and realize that potential in spades. So for that, thank you! Putting on the judging hat again, I'll bring up a nitpick and say the lead is still buried in the mix, but it's not nearly as big an issue when the overcompression isn't there. So just something to pay attention to next time. I'm always glad to see music improve this much when we get a resubmit, so thanks for giving it the time it deserved! YES