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Posts posted by Mazedude

    25 years....

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I remember when a friend first asked me to remix a theme from Chrono Trigger that he liked. My first impulse was "nah man, c'mon, I write original music." Then I listened to the theme. I liked it. So I thought well, maybe this one time I'll remix this theme, ya know, for my friend. Then partway through development of that track I had this thought "hey I wonder if anyone else wants or listens to video game remixes, let me see what's out there..." and via Jake Kaufman actually I found out about OCRemix. I submitted my Chrono Trigger track, and whaddaya know... people liked it. So my brain started to go to what other video game themes did I really like that could use a little love. And then there was a Blaster Master submission. Then Final Fantasy IV. And then.......... it's a pretty long list at this point. :) Along the journey I've met several game composers in person, I've honored them by remixing tracks that they specifically requested, I've landed gigs doing original music for games... it's a bit trippy actually, I've played Guitar Hero with Gerard K. Marino, I've swam in Tommy Tallarico's pool, and I'm friends with the head honchos at Trilobyte Games (The 7th Guest). All thanks to what DJP set in motion and I happened to top into a long, long time ago. What a ride.

    Demoscene music remixes?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    • Jeroen Tel (WAVE)
    • Alexander Brandon (Siren)
    • Peter Hajba (Skaven)
    • Chris J. Hampton (Beek)
    • Andrew Sega (Necros)
    • Jake Kaufman (Virt)
    • Christopher Getman (Mazedude) (nudge nudge wink wink)

    There may be more but these guys come to mind. Happy to be able to call a few of them friends. :)

    Hope this helps!

    Demoscene music remixes?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    There are few games in that good ol' demoscene style, ya know... Bejeweled, Deus Ex, Jazz Jackrabbit... pick one of those and you're good to go. :)

    As far as delivering remixes of game themes in that classic demoscene style, not to toot my own horn but that's one of my personal favorite things to do, paying a nod both to the original tracker, and the game, and the composer all at once. For instance: https://mazedude.bandcamp.com/album/game-remix-tracker-homage-remastered

    Just my two cents. :)

    Spotify playlist of OC ReMixes

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    On 6/3/2023 at 2:29 AM, Rozovian said:

    Someone that knows this stuff well enough should do a write-up on how to release remixes properly licensed on these services. I know there's info out there, but this is where it's relevant, and not all info out there is.

    Well here are a few tips based on some grueling experiences I went through licensing my tracks, hope they help.

    To start, I use https://soundrop.com/ as my distro service; it's not as fast or as friendly as it used to be unfortunately (live chat disappeared in favor of a slow ticketing service, for example), but I still get monthly play reports and it's great about regularly adding (and including your materials) on new platforms as they become available.

    As to licensing the music, here's the kicker: they require proof of a U.S. release of the original track. That means before you even want to try licensing something, see if the source soundtrack album exists on Apple Music or Amazon (the two they put the most stock in). (That part also used to be easier, but the restrictions changed a few years ago.)

    If you can hunt down an ISRC (album) or UPC code (track), even better! Musicbrainz.org is a great resource for that. For example: https://musicbrainz.org/search?query=Grim+Fandango&type=release&limit=25&method=indexed 

    Each track you want to license gives you a spot to include a write-up, so come with everything - track title from the game, composer, soundtrack title, official album release links, codes... you'll be in good shape.

    If the track you're licensing has multiple source tunes, be prepared to include both in the description.

    Sadly there's a ton of material I couldn't license after maaaaany attempts, because even though I could prove US game release, note the production company and show the Wikipedia article, there was no official album. Doom 2, for example. I found some album records online but if you look closely they say "bootleg" as the "status" and that doesn't work well. Not official enough.

    Anyways I hope that helps, take care!

    Game Remix, Tracker Homage

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Phew, well the licensing process sure took a while (way longer than expected), but the compilation (minus four tracks that were, sadly, too obscure to get a license for) is now on more platforms:

    Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/game-remix-tracker-homage/1613279172 

    Spotify: 

    Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/music/player/albums/B09V22M3RB 

    Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/album/301076657 

    Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/artist/mazedude/game-remix-tracker-homage/ALJlnkzlgZdflKP 

    Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/album/219821547 

    (You'll still get the best experience on Bandcamp, but some folks were asking about these other platforms, so here you go!)

    Game Remix, Tracker Homage

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Ha, well I appreciate the honesty, and I hear ya. There's an authentic "I was doing the best I could with what I had" quality back when the original mixes were fresh, and it's hard to replicate that, even if the old tracks might have a sense of mud, poor EQ, lousy reverb, too much compression, etc. And no, the tracking programs don't have anything in terms of limiters, I've always had to take the individual layers out of the tracker as solo WAV files, import the WAV's into ProTools, and post-process from there. That's where I'd apply the compressors, EQ, reverb, etc. A difficult process and not one that I recommend, heh. Way back in my early days I had a max of 12 channels to work with, so I was always consolidating a bunch of layers into one WAV file. Not ideal. This time around I was able to give each layer its own WAV file and its own treatment, hence the cleaner and remastered mixes.

    Game Remix, Tracker Homage

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Hello friends! I'm pleased to share that, well, I did something I once thought I'd never do. I went back and remastered a whole bunch of my old remixes. Specifically, for the purpose of assembling and releasing a cohesive collection that I call Game Remix, Tracker Homage.

    https://mazedude.bandcamp.com/album/game-remix-tracker-homage-remastered 

    a0539946654_16.jpg

    A tremendous amount of work went into this (extracting layers from the tracker and mixing them in ProTools is a significant time spend), so I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think! And Merry Christmas everyone!

    Mazedude Starts an Epic Non-VGM Composing Adventure

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Chiming in here to say that I really, really appreciate the support, especially here now that we're into 2021. Thanks guys. True, my campaign in late 2020 didn't succeed, and for that we can point at many things - COVID-19, a turbulent election, a Kickstarter campaign that was more talk than product (I did chat for a while about the idea vs. showcasing finished pieces, I get that) - but still, I plan on completing this project, albeit on a smaller scale than hoped. I already have a good start on a few more pieces, and some of the tracks have already been re-orchestrated to account for the smaller scale.

    I'd still encourage folks to share https://www.wordsandversesproject.com/, and to note that pre-orders will still help the final album come out better as a result, if they're so inclined as to contribute. Otherwise, the subscribe option - https://www.wordsandversesproject.com/subscribe - will add them to the list in terms of project updates, live streaming sessions, etc. I'm also considering doing a second Kickstarter when the music is mostly finished, to allow potential backers a chance to support the mostly-finished project, as opposed to the newly-started project approach. We'll see. For now, my focus is writing - not publicity, not video editing, but composing... and to that end, bear with me if I'm quiet for a while. I have much to write before I re-surface with a nearly-completed project to talk about. :)

    Mazedude Starts an Epic Non-VGM Composing Adventure

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by Mazedude

    Well. The Kickstarter is over, and it didn't meet the funding goal. Not even halfway, actually. Boy, that's a strange feeling.

    Still, the project goes on, just on a smaller scale than I'd envisioned. I was hoping to utilize string quartets, ancient instruments, brass ensembles, and more. Ah well. Still, going back to a motif of more electronics and less live instruments isn't a bad thing. Might help me finish the album a lot faster, actually, so there's a positive spin.

    Some folks have asked if they can still pre-order the first album outside of the KS campaign, and the answer is yes. Here's the link:

    https://www.wordsandversesproject.com/pre-order

    My thanks again to this amazing community for the positivity and support through this whole process; stay tuned as it continues to come together! (And boy, I'm actually pretty relieved to be on the other side of the campaign so I can get back to composing!)

    And for fun, here's the Kickstarter promo video for anyone who hasn't seen it yet:

     

    Need chiptune creator for Gameboy project

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I wrote this GB doodle for a "21 days of composition" challenge. It's tracked in .IT format but could probably be converted to .MOD with different (but very similar I'd think) samples, hopefully without too much difficulty. I've always liked the tune and it doesn't have a home, so, I'd be fine gifting it to an actual game. :)

    https://www.mazedude.com/21days/mazedude-21days-21.mp3

    More goodies from the challenge here: https://www.mazedude.com/21-day-challenge... and actually the following chiptune doodles from the challenge don't have a home either, maybe they could be converted to GB style too... (although they'd probably need to be longer)

    https://www.mazedude.com/21days/mazedude-21days-1.mp3

    https://www.mazedude.com/21days/mazedude-21days-5.mp3

    https://www.mazedude.com/21days/mazedude-21days-12.mp3

    https://www.mazedude.com/21days/mazedude-21days-19.mp3

    So, while I'm pretty insanely busy at the moment, if the above hit the nail on the head and could be converted easily enough, I could try and make it happen for ya.

    OCR04129 - One Must Fall 2097 "One Must Fall 2064"

    in ReMix Reviews & Comments

    Posted

    Oh man, this takes me back. The early 90s were, for me, the BBC days. We'd connect via our modems, hogging the parents' phone systems, and explore the beginnings of the online world. The same world that introduced me to tracking, Doom 2 MODs, and more, also introduced me to One Must Fall 2097. For a season I fell in love with the game, and beat it several times.

    I wouldn't count this track from the game as something terribly original given the chord progression, listening to it now, but dang this holds some nostalgia for me. I dig DigiE's remixes but this one is awesome too; great work!

    Mazedude Starts an Epic Non-VGM Composing Adventure

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Hello friends! Mazedude here. And for those of you who don’t already know, I’m at it again… making another ambitious album with plans for funding via Kickstarter. This one is even on a grander scale than American Pixels.

    Here’s the thing though… it’s not VGM. It’s something completely different. Check out the video below to hear me explain the vision:

    Yep, Bible music. Take a verse, and compose what it sounds like. This project has been in the brain for years… and I’m finally doing it. To read more, explore the verses chosen, and to subscribe or pre-order, check out the website:

    https://www.wordsandversesproject.com/ 

    Also feel free to like the project on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Words-and-Verses-a-Biblical-Music-Project-113182900391305/

    And I’m not saying this everywhere, but I’ll say it here… there’s a very good chance that this will grow beyond the first album, and into a project that will ultimately require other composers. I’ve already had several fellow music-makers reach out, indicating that they’d be interested in contributing to future albums should this endeavor make it to that point… so if this idea is speaking to any of you reading this, to where you might want to help some day, let me know here: https://www.wordsandversesproject.com/composers

    Otherwise, keep your eyes open as this heads to Kickstarter! (And if you want to help me fund the campaign itself, take a minute and pre-order here for additional bonuses later on: https://www.wordsandversesproject.com/pre-order)

    Thanks everyone; feel free to reach out with any questions! Stay tuned!

    PS - I'm nearly ready to share a few WIPs, which I'll probably just showcase in this same thread, so follow along and keep an eye out. :)

    I Scored an RPG

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Happy to announce that the sequel is... now available! (Sadly due to COVID-19 the game itself has been delayed a bit, but the developers were happy to let me share the soundtrack)

    https://mazedude.bandcamp.com/album/mazequest-3-original-soundtrack-game-version 

    It's an RPG but also a Western, with distinct chiptune and 9-bit vibes, so, yeah it's a hybrid approach but also quite enjoyable in that aspect. Let me know what you think, thanks!

     

    MQ3_Cover_1400.jpg

    RetroGameCon - Syracuse, NY

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I work in Syracuse, and live in a nearby suburb. I only just found out about this con today. Definitely interested, but may not be able to attend due to other obligations... that said... I'm going to TRY because having this in my own backyard sounds freakin' cool.

    River City Girls

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Turns out the OST was by up-and-comer Megan McDuffee! She just announced the list of links where to OST can be found: https://ffm.to/rivercitygirlsost 

    (A few other familiar names appear farther down the tracklist too, interestingly enough.)

    She also has some pretty cool stuff on her Bandcamp - https://meganmcduffee.bandcamp.com. (The Hostile Takeover soundtrack is quite nice, great replay value.)

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