Garde
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Posts posted by Garde
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Freemind, I'm glad that I came back to OCR to check out what was going on. The first thing I saw was a Morrowind song in the reviews section, and I thought to myself "Morrowind is an awesome game, I have to take a listen to this!" Then I discovered that it was a remix that you made, and I was even more eager to take a listen to this, since I'm a big fan of your style.
I think this remix shows a lot of growth as a musician for you. There are certain elements in this song that I don't recall in your Halo mix, Reflections of Ireland (before you and Gray collaborated on it). Your instrument changes are incredibly smooth, and your instrumentation itself is interesting, but it works very well. The synthy stuff near the end sort of threw me off at first, but as soon as it threw me off, it pulled me right back into the song. The distorted synth you use feels so right in this instance, it draws a lot of emotion into the piece, and it works with that flute (I think it's a flute).
Again, your instrument transitions are incredible. You make the transitions feel natural, in fact I didn't really notice that the instruments were changing on my first listen until the synth section. Talking about instruments, your brass, piano, that atmosphere/sparkle thing (accompanying the piano in the middle section), the bagpipes (I think), the bells, and that synth are all incredible. The feel you give this song is really powerful to me.
Congratulations on your first solo remix making it onto OCR! I'm really impressed by this, and although your Reflections of Ireland captivated me (I've been listening to it since you put a WIP up on OCR many months ago, before Gray started collaborating with you on it), I think I've found a new favorite mix from you
. Wow... This song just gave me chills down my back 3 times in a row...Keep up the excellent work Freemind, I'll be sure to bug Gray about letting me know when you put up OC ReMixes and WIPs more often
. Can't wait to hear what you come out with next! Dang it... Now I'm torn between wanting to play Morrowind (I've taken a two day break) or listening to this song (which makes me really want to play Morrowind again!). I think I'll just turn the music off on Morrowind and listen to this incredible piece
. Well, I guess I'm off to be Daerius the assassin-thief, and the Neravarine!Once again, thank you for sharing this song with all of us Freemind, be sure to PM me if you start any new WIPs or something, I'd love to take a listen to anything you come out with!
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I was wondering when the title of this song would get the "OC_ReMix" stamp on it... Congrats on another incredible mix Gray.
As always, I need to listen to the song when writing up a review, and listening to it again has the same effect on me as when I first listened to it.
The intro is really strong, in my opinion. The flute and strings work together so well. It hits a sweet spot in me hearing those strings come in when the flute is sustaining a note at 0:16, then the strings take over... Oh man, I don't know what to say, but I love it. The tempo is slow, but it works very well as you see when the song progresses.
GrayLightning is a master of building in songs, and this song is no different from any of his others in that aspect (except for possibly being better
).Another thing GrayLightning seems to excel at is his orchestrations. Although very unique and original, they still work incredibly well. I think GrayLightning's experimenting with unconventional instrumentation pays off.
Also, GrayLightning's drum work has been improving also, as you can see by comparing this to most of his older works.
Overall, I'd have to say this is probably my favorite of all of your mixes, Gray. It sounds incredible, and even though your newer mixes sound amazing also, this one just does something for me that the others don't. Great job, and I hope to hear many, many more mixes from you
.PS - sorry for the shortness of the review, but I have to leave now
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I usually don't review songs unless asked to do so (or hinted to do so) by the remixer, but this is an exception. 4 years ago, when I was looking for video game midis, I came across a site called RPGamer (I was new to the internet, and so I didn't know about all the RPG sites and all that stuff). Anyways, there, I found a lot of remixes submitted by people, some sucked, while others were really good. McVaffe submitted his stuff there, and I took a look at his site which was provided next to a link to one of his songs. There, I read up about how he got into mixing and about OCR. When I read about OCR, my eyes lit up and I then spent hours every day downloading remixes on my Mac (I am now on a PC), unfortunately I don't have a lot of the older stuff that had a lot of memories.
I've never written a review for your stuff, but I've always been a big fan of what you make, McVaffe. You led me to OCR without ever knowing who I was, and I can't thank you enough. Although I'm no longer a regular around here, I was able to meet some of the coolest people I'll ever see, and I was able to get some of the best music I'll ever hear (in my humble opinion). This review is a tribute to what you've done for me.
Now onto the review...
As several people know, I am an avid LoZ fan, especially a big fan of ALttP (I'm such a freak that I beat it in under 7 hours and in one sitting without dying, saving, eating, peeing, or anything else). The game you chose, and the songs you chose could not be less perfect. The Darkworld theme, the credits, and the original theme that started the entire series... Some of the best songs from the Zelda series...
As I mentioned earlier, I'm a big fan of your style, and this really is an incredible song. I'm not sure if it's your best, but it is DEFINITELY up there, and I am in love with this song. It's so calm, the transitions are perfect, and everything just works really well. Those bells are awesome, and it gives it a really nice effect. Your beat is incredible and the break at 1:05-1:06 is a nice touch. The first time I thought WinAMP was freezing
, but I quickly put it back and realized it was not my computer or WinAMP 
.Your instrumentation is incredible. I've always had a soft spot for flutes, and your flute is no exception. Your flute sounds incredible, and that piano does as well... Those strings work really well, and the woodwinds used to play the main theme sound beautiful. I'm so amazed with this mix... It's perfect... I can't pick up on anything wrong with it at all.
Excellent job, McVaffe. One of your best pieces yet, if not your best. This is a great way to start off OCR4
. I'm sorry to hear that you most likely have no intention of making more remixes , but I understand the situation of moving on to more important things in life. Good luck with whatever you are doing/going to do, I'm sure that if you spend as much time and effort as you have with your music, you will be sure to succeed in whatever it is that you do.Have peace.
Edit: One last thing I'd like to add. Not very many songs bring tears to my eyes, but this one did. I know of maybe 3 or 4 other remixes that have done this, and I just wanted to say that this song is really beautiful. Those bells or whatever kind of chromatic percussion it is, that flute, the piano, and just the whole damn instrumentation is so incredible that it made my eyes water... Very few songs can pull that kind of emotion from me... Amazing, McVaffe... Amazing...
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Ah, Freemind and GrayLightning once again team up for an excellent remix of the Halo title theme....
I heard a version of Freemind's older version of this song, which was much more new-agish, and I don't think "cinematic" in the least, but I still loved it. This version is almost uncomparable to what I just mentioned though, and it really impresses me to see how much this song has evolved. You could go as far as saying this is a remix of a remix...
Anyways, onto my review.
This song starts out great. The horn in the beginning plays that one long note, then the drum beat comes in and things start picking up. Again, it seems as though GrayLightning is the master of building up in songs, and this song is no exception. With the main theme playing in the background on the strings, it really adds a lot to the song. The instruments used are impecable and go together well, but as Adhesive_Boy said, I actually thought the reverb was a little dry, but people always tell me that there's too much reverb in my WIPs, so I wasn't sure. I actually think the whole song sounds a little bit dry, not just the flute, but again, I always seem to have too much reverb in songs that I work on, so going by what I say on this topic isn't usually the best thing to do.
Hmm... I just noticed that some drums seem to really stand out, like at 2:33. I've been listening to the song non-stop for a while, though this just got my attention while I am typing this up. I don't know if it's a good thing, but I think that it momentarily detracts from the focus on the melody. If that was what Gray and Freemind were aiming for, they succeeded, but I personally think that if that particular drum section were a little bit farther back, it would've sounded better.
Stopping with the nitpicking, I think that this song is pretty darn good. There are a few things that draw my attention, but I still think that the overall execution of the mix is pretty darn good. The instrumentation is excellent, and really fits the mood that this song sets. The songs builds very nicely, a quality that I think has been magnified over the older version (possibly by the hands of GrayLightning).
One thing that GrayLightning really seems to have a talent for is mixing instruments from different cultures together to make a unique sound that works really well. This song is no exception, and I have no doubt that GrayLightning had a pretty good influence on what the final instrumentation was going to be.
Now, I know I haven't been talking much about Freemind, all I've been saying is "Gray this and Gray that." Well, it's your turn Freemind
. I know that without you, this remix would never be. You set down the framework months ago, and although this song sounds very different, the song still sounds very much like your older new-age version. The harmonic and melodic ideas are yours, and that really is what makes this mix good. The instrumentation definitely accents your melodic and harmonic interpretation, but before Gray had a hand in this song, you came up with the material that is the cornerstone to making this mix as good as it is. I personally love what you've done with this mix, and I still listen to your older version, Reflections of Ireland, quite frequently .Both Freemind and GrayLightning have done an excellent job on this mix. I'm glad to get the chance to right this review up for you guys
. This really is quite an impressive remix, and I hope you guys do some more collaborations in the future, since I like the end results of what you guys have worked on together (not to mention what you guys do seperately as well ).To everyone else, this is a recommended download if you're into Celtic sounding, or Indian (as in India) sounding music. Even if you're not biased towards either, you'll still probably enjoy this mix a lot because of the calibur that this was produced at.
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Ah yes... "The" GrayLightning is back with an excellent Final Fantasy OC ReMix...
The intro to this song is incredible, in my humble opinion. I've heard several versions of this song, and I must say that this is a huge improvement over the previous version's intro. GrayLightning is a master at making songs that build up, and that's what this intro does, and then goes right into the "main" theme. Excellent transition work here. But to go back to the intro, it sounds exotic, sort of like egyptian or something like that. I think of walking through a pyramid and looking at hyroglyphs and painting of pharoahs when I hear the intro to this song, I have no idea why, but it's probably due to the sound of the intro and the title, since Egyptians believe in the "After Life."
Anyways, onto where I left off... The transition quickly awakes me from imagining pyramids and all that stuff, since the style changes quite a bit, although it's not jarring. The synth just doesn't fit the exotic tone, and that's what I'm referring to when I say it ends that little imagination wandering off... The strings come in and then the song picks up tempo, along with that cool drum (can't be more specific because I'll confuse you, but it sounds sort of like a frog, as Gray put it). I really enjoy that part, the beat is fresh, especially during the time where it's playing alone.
After the beat goes off on a tangent, the song comes back to a more instrumental approach and after a short re-introduction, picks up the "main" theme again. Ah yes, the piano comes in and dominates this portion of the song, near the end... This is a great way to pick the song up and end it. The piano you used gives a very satisfying sound on that last note.
Overall, this song is pretty darn good. GrayLightning strays from his traditional new age style to deliver us a more techno-ish sound. Very daring, and I think it's pretty successful in its execution. GrayLightning does an excellent job in orchestrating this song, as he does with all of his songs
. Everything transitions pretty smoothly also... This mix is definitely GrayLightning quality stuff, though there's much more in store for you avid GrayLightning fans . I won't ruin any surprises, but you'll love what's he's got hidden up his sleeve! -
Emperor, I'm glad to see this mix got on OCR
. Well, you told me, but still, I just need to post. I may be gone from the forums, but I'll still post when a friend of mine puts up a good remix .While I know nothing about the original, the orchestration in this mix is excellent. As others have said, the sample quality could be better, but it's still very pretty
.Well, since I'm not supposed to be on the forums, I'll wrap it up now (like I even started a rant
)... Great job on making this remix, congratulations on making an OC ReMix , and I hope that you PM, IM, or email me with anything new you're working on . -
Thanks
. It actually turns out I already had it, but was using too low of notes in my other stuff to realize it had a woman's section higher up the scale... 
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Hmm... I was wondering if anyone knew of a place to get a decent female ah or ooh choir soundfont. I've searched hammersound, soundfonts.it and several other sites, and still haven't come across one. Thanks.
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I really like this song, and it definitely brings a completely different style to the Schala mixing scene. This song has a very calming effect, as many have stated. The instruments work very well together, I like both the guitars (electric and acoustic-steel stringed, if I'm not mistaken) and the flute.
I love how this starts out. It's quite original, and the strings that join it give it that emotional feel, you know?
The flute is excellent. I don't know, I have a weakness to flutes, and well, this flute is no exception. When I hear flutes, I get this feeling, I can't explain it though. One of those things that our written language can't express... Art seems to do that a lot to me.
The arrangement is great, I like the acoustic guitar, it reminds me of Diablo's Tritram theme (which Daknit made an OC ReMix of, which I believe is what it actually reminds me of).
Freemind, excellent concept, this song is great and I hope to see more things from you soon! Gray, good job on mastering and touching it up, I can't wait for DS2 to come out!
And Freemind and Gray, good luck on your Battle of Olympus, I can't wait to hear the final version (I believe I only have a WIP of it)! Edit: Came back and finished it up.
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Ah.... I was hoping to see this make it on OCR sometime soon (it has taken quite a while, I must say). I actually played a little of Star Ocean for the SNES, which is an awesome game, and I think I remember this song.
Here we go with the review...
It starts out very peaceful, and I think that it the building done is very awesome, although it doesn't change till the drums come in. Once the drums come in, the atmosphere of the song changes (although gradually) from peaceful to sort of an apprehensive feeling (I think that's the word I'm looking for), as if you're on your toes, a little edgy, you know? It's that synth that changes the atmosphere of the song, not the drums, my mistake. Wait, I think it's both... Ah! Anyways, I'm not gonna think about it anymore... About halfway through the song, the song shifts again, with the absence of the synth, more instruments come in, or maybe they become more apparent that bell-ish instrument or whatever it is, I like it a lot. It's sort of like a break, like the space ship comes out of light speed or something, and then the space ship speeds up again when the synth comes back. Lots of good stuff going on, everything harmonizes nicely, and it flows very smoothly (as I expect from you Gray). At the ending, you fade out with class. I don't know, maybe it's how you make it so gradual, but your fade is really nice, I usually don't like them, but you do it well.
Overall, this song is great. It's very atmospheric, and it's not so calm and soothing as your previous new age works Gray (although you already said that, you mixed a bunch of genres together). While it's very mellow, it holds something deeper inside, if you listen to it, you can tell that it's not just a chill back song. There's something about it that if you actually listen to it, and not listen to it as background music, you can tell there's something there.... I can't put my finger on it, but that's the best way I can describe what I feel when I listen to this song. Wait a second, I think I just figured it out. I think the "something" in the song is that it's taking from so many genres at the same time and mixing them together. If I could describe it in better words, I would, but that's the "something" that I feel in this song, and why you need to listen to it carefully. There's so much going on with the genres being mixed together the way they are.
Well, great work Gray, I hope to see another mix from you relatively soon!
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I guess I'm less picky and less trained in judging music than most of the people reviewing this song. I definitely do not have any problem with your voice, I find it better than most bands nowadays, so good job,although your singing sort of sounds not so good at 5:27 (it sounds off tune and well, it could use some work, imo) but everything else is good. They lyrics overall are good and better than TLS, although I also like TLS a lot (everyone's bashing that song, but it's good imo). This song has lots of energy in it, and it flows very smoothly, and when first listening, I was saying, "I wonder what this one is gonna sound like...", and then the lyrics popped in, and a smiled popped on my face. I'm not a musician, and I don't know drums or how to mess around with EQs other than treble/bass boosts, so whoever said the drums are bad is probably right, but to an untrained ear (like mine) they sound fine, although for the style of song this is, I think it wouldn't hurt to give them a bass boost (raising the low end on the EQs) and maybe raising the volume, since they're pretty quiet. Overall, I'd say this is an awesome song, I'm gonna go over to VGMix right now and rate it for ya!
~Garde
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It's good to see that this revision *finally* made it onto OCR, I was beginning to wonder....
All I can really say is Damn. This is by far your best piece to date, IMO (DS still has that special place in my heart though, nothing can ever take it away either ). Compared to the first version, which I liked, this version is almost uncomparable, I mean, it's so much better than the first version I can't believe it's the same song. The first version was good, but this is EXCELLENT. The drums were a little harsh and forced in the original, but this has changed the drums slightly I think (if not, just made em quieter). It seems to have a more full sound to it, not only does it have some ethereal touch to it, but it's also grounded in the foreground, not just something to be put on in the background. It also seems to flow more smoothly than your original, and if I'm not mistaken, you changed the samples you were using to ones of much higher quality, giving it a much better sound.
Certain parts I like are around 2:10 the enya-ish part, IMO. I also liked parts similar to around 3:00, it sounds really nice there, I can't really tell you why, but I just think it sounds really good, probably because nothing seems forced, it all flows really smoothly and soothingly, sorta like Enya. Also, I LOVED the beginning, it reminds me sort of LUNAR (When Alex trie to get Luna back from the pedestal thing once she's turned into Althena, you know what I'm talking about, from one LUNAR fan to another) and it's really awesome what you did with it compared to the original's beginning, man.... Seriously, I'm amazed at how much you've improved, I mean, I know you've been steadily getting better, but I didn't know how much better you were till I compared both of them, then I was like, "HOLY SHIT! This is WAY better!" I'd have to say that Reason is doing you justice Gray. Even though you think it took you a long time to do, you did a great job on this, I won't cease to be impressed for a long, long time (probably till your next mix is released as a WIP ). Maybe you should teach me a few of your tricks so I can finally make one of my WIPs worthy to post on the OCR forums.
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Wow, when you told me of this today, I didn't remember you telling me last week or maybe several weeks ago that you were working on a new mix. When I saw what game it was from, I remembered that you mentioned you had started working on something from this, and from your on review of it to me, I felt confident I would like it. So far, you haven't steered me wrong in anime, video games, OR remixes, and you've still got my trust after this excellent mix.
This song is full of all kinds of cool stuff, and it definitely shows your growth as a remixer. It sounds similar in style to your previous mixes, but it also sounds..... better composed. There's a lot of dynamics going on, and they go together wonderfully (some of your previous mixes, when compared to this, have dynamics, but not as smooth as this mix).
It also has an ethnic side, and those cool PDO clips from More Than A Weapon OC ReMix, giving it a more.... I don't know, light, breezy feeling, I guess. It's really nice to listen to, I've been listening to it for hours now, trying to figure out what I want to say about this.
Well, I really don't know what I want to say about it, but it's definitely in your top 2. It reminds me a lot of Drifting Through the Stars, except it's.... better. The style is very similar, but I think you constructed this one to sound more..... I don't know the word, it sounds more professional to me (guess I did know the word afterall
).I guess, as closing remarks, I'm gonna follow up with same old same old, keep up the great work Gray. You never cease to amaze me. I'm glad you've let us all listen to this wonderful piece!
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Well Gray, I got back from camp just to post a review on this mix of yours! (not really, but I'm really happy that this song made it on after what, 5 months of waiting?)
Let me listen to this song once more....
Ah yes! I love this song, it may not be up to par with your DS mix (IMO), but I still love this version of Star of Darkness, even if it is lacking the electric guitar. I love this song when I'm in the mood for a time of just sitting and thinking of.... well, stuff. It's very relaxing, and it has no "bad guitar samples" like DS, and I'm really glad to see that this mix has finally gotten through the judging process!
I remember when you worked on DS for months, and I'd listen to EVERY version of it for HOURS (literally, at least two hours per version). You know how you split the song into two parts, the first part and the second part (to those of you who know what I'm talking about, good for you), I liked how you played the first part more than the second part, because the second part just kept repeating in the original when the first part was my favorite. I told you all of this either on AIM or through the WIP thread months ago. My favorite part is basically any time it plays the first part (I wish it had the guitar though! I know it wouldn't be this song if it did though, it'd be DS2 instead). I really like how parts of the song have the building in the atmosphere, around 3:15 in particular. Keep up the good work Gray, I look forward to more of your stuff getting the recognition it deserves from OCR!
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Wow, great job StarBlaze! Keep up the good work, you did an excellent job on this piece! I liked the original version of it, I used to keep my PSX on while playing this song, but this version is WAY better, imo! (Plus, I don't have to keep my PSX running for God knows how long
) I think this mix is probably one of the better CC mixes on the site because you completely redid it as opposed to some of the others that seemed to just changed the tempo of the song... This song puts out a good vibe and makes me think that you tried to redo the song in Ragnarok Online style (for a part of it), while the rest sounds like someone is going to leave on an epic adventure. I look forward to your next mix! Again, keep up the great work! Edit: If you don't know Ragnarok Online, the instruments that make me think of one of the songs from that game are the stringed instrument and the piano (yes, I noticed it). Man, if I could remix..... I'd want to be able to remix a song like this one, I've never really heard songs on the site like this one.... I think I'm in love....
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Uber Coolness from GL! YAY!
I've listened to this song for about a half of a year now.... I went to mp3.com to check out his songs and dled them ALL! Very good stuff. The whole thing is really laid back and flows together well. It's good to see a GrayLightning mix posted once again (after ds, which the guitarist has STILL not come through for the new version, and dezoris winter, I was beginning to wonder if the OCR judges were at least still slightly sane, they are, BARELY). Keep up the good work GL!
OCR01208 - Legend of Zelda "Eutopia Pegasi"
in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Posted
Well I'll be...
It's either freaking cold here in San Diego on a summer afternoon, or this song is so incredibly powerful that I keep getting chills.
This song is incredible. I can't really say much more than this, seeing as I'm not supposed to be on a computer right now, but that's not the point. This song really has left me pretty speechless, yet there is so much to say about it... I don't even know where to begin!
The orchestration is wonderful, and the bass and vocals KEEP on giving me chills, it feels like it's in the 50's!
I really didn't know what to expect when I was downloading this song, I read that it traversed new frontiers that no one had ever ventured with the Zelda theme, and it was right, I just had no clue what to expect. Well, to let you know, I wasn't and am not disappointed in this mix whatsoever. The beginning seems to draw out just a bit, but at 1:30, man, that part is just amazing. That's where the song really "starts." Sort of like the where Link would start off on his adventure, while before that is just the intro, giving you the story and panning beautiful shots of Hyrule.
Dear God... 2:02.... Every time.... That section just sends chills all over my body. Normally I'll get chills down my back, or on the back of my neck if something is good, but this is sending it all the way down my back, all over my arms, my legs, and even my head (let me tell you, it feels quite strange, but it's apparently my body's way of telling me that this is some powerful stuff). Plus, this song keeps bringing tears to my eyes, it's so beautiful... This is just amazing... Wow, Destiny's voice is incredible (as always, but I mean, wow! Her voice REALLY adds so much depth and emotion to the song!)... That ending is more than incredible, I don't know what to say, but those last 30 seconds really do it to me. I can't stop shivering...
I don't even know what I can say about the job you two have done! Never have I heard something like this, nor have I ever been touched by a single song so much as this... Congrats on making it feel like it's winter in my room... I don't think I could have this song on repeat for too much longer, it feels as though my body temperature keeps on dropping...
I think I'm going to go outside and warm up so I can get at least 10 more listens in. 
I don't think I could possibly imagine what you two could make together after this, but if you make something, I'd be more than happy, more than ecstatic to hear it!