Chimpazilla

Dark Souls is one of those OSTs with motif-light and more atmospheric tracks, so I'm super glad the guys above me did the heavy lifting. And by "the guys" I mean Larry. Thank you Larry. Wow, this source is in 9/4 time signature. The remix works perfectly as a more upbeat 6/8. I love everything Michael does and this is no exception. It feels like his musical ideas come out of a forbidden realm or dimension where crazy yet groovy angelic/demonic beings reside. I always love Michael's use of glitching, stuttering, and obliterating of sounds, coupled with softer more organic sounds. This mix is more tame than others in terms of heavy glitching. The timbres used are so interesting and the piece maintains my interest totally as it goes along. The vocal motif is super creepy and ethereal and contrasts with the more electro/industrial sounds well. Mixing is great. The outro with the glassy synth crossfading into an non-humanized musicbox-sounding guitar is a weird, perfect finale to this piece. YES

Is my brain broken, or am I on Candid Camera, how does this mix resemble the Spirit Tracks overworld source song in any way? I have played this game infinity times and I know every note and nuance of this source tune, and I can't even detect the slightest connection of the remix to source. Somebody help! Edit: Clearly this is not the right song. I have messaged Eino for the final version of the correct remix. Edit 6-12-23: Link has been updated with the correct track.

Whoa, a Castle Crashers mix! First one ever on OCR. This theme is seared into my brain from the years my son played this game when he was much younger. What a nice reminder of a pleasant time! Adorable game, violent, bloody, and cute. Bloody cute? On to the judging! Mix opens with pad and super-wet dance piano. At exactly 0:12, and again at 0:26, the chords are very awkward. The pad notes at those timestamps will have to be altered to make those chords work. At 0:27, the saw lead jumps right in full blast. This sound is balanced well enough when the drum and bass groove kicks in at the drop, but here in the intro, it sounds so loud and sharp like a bunch of angry bees. I think a better approach would be to start the lead writing there with something on the softer side, and fade that sound out as the saw fades in as the drop approaches, then bam full-force with the saw lead. Or, simply filter in the sound so it isn't so sharp right away. It is a very aggressive sound and feels too heavy for the intro. Once we are into the drop, it sounds/feels more balanced although this saw is still loud. The bass is mixed on the quiet side by comparison. There are some awesome growls that I'd love to hear more prominently, and all the vocal shouts and crowd noise is very hard to hear over this saw. I love the vocal bits but they should cut through better. I like the variations in the lead writing, and the countermelody added starting at 2:26. The arrangement here is fine, plenty of source as well as personalization. I would have liked some other lead to appear at some point in the piece to break up the monotony of the soundscape, but what's here works well enough. I'm not a huge fan of the complete dropoff of the lead down to piano-only at 3:00, that feels rather abrupt. That final crash sound is very cheap and tinny. The render cuts off before the reverb tail finishes and that will need to be fixed with a re-render. I actually really like this mix and I think it is close to passing. At a minimum, those two clashing chords need to be fixed, and the render needs to include the reverb tail. Although not a dealbreaker, I think changing the lead sound in the intro to something less irritating and fading that out while the saw fades in for the drop (or, filtering the saw sound in) would be good. (NOT required though). Also it would be nice if the saw was brought down enough to allow the bass and vocal bits to come through. (also not a requirement) NO (please resubmit after fixing chords and rendering entire tail)

Larry messaged me asking if I had sampled the source material, I guess I didn't realize how close that intro sounded to the source. I recreated it by ear using a harpsichord patch. (Notice the source bongos aren't in my intro!) @XPRTNovice The lyrics are about substance dependency, hence the "potion" theme.

(vocal level raised slightly as requested) Remixers: Chimpazilla and ad.mixx Game: Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Source: Witch's House ReMix title: "Potion" Potion lyrics Potion source use Chimpazilla comments: (Shameless Self-Panel™ here) I adore the game "A Link Between Worlds" and I have played through it multiple times. I really love the Witch's House theme because it is simple yet haunting. I wrote this beat, keeping it on the simple side, with the intention of having someone rap or sing on it. The person I initially sent it to pulled out due to life circumstances, so the beat gathered dust for two years. Aaron and I had begun working together so I sent it to him, and he loved it. The lyrics he wrote for it are just right; he wrote about struggling with addiction which is appropriate considering the "potion" theme. I think Aaron has an amazing voice, and his ability to write both lyrics and unique melodies impresses me more with each song we work on. Aaron is also a fabulous producer, and he is a joy to work with. Expect more collabs from us! ad.mixx comments: This song was particularly fun to do. When Chimpazilla sent me the beat, I was a little intimidated because I typically don't work a lot with straight hip hop beats. I'm more of a pop-centric singer, and it took a while to get anything written for it at first. However after working on it for a bit and getting that first chorus down, the mental block opened up, and I think I ended up writing some of my best stuff both melodically and lyrically. Kris has an amazing ear for production and song structure, and it was almost relaxing letting her take over on that front, so I could focus more intently on vocal performance and production. She creates some absolutely killer beats, and the instrumentation really vibed well with the vocals in the end. I want to do more collabs with her, as I think this may be the best thing I've collabed on. I really hope y'all enjoy the final product as much as I do. Expect more.

Name - Michael Hudak Song arranged - Ice Cap Zone from Sonic 3 Name of my ReMix - Taiga/Tundra My Bandcamp - https://michaelhudak.bandcamp.com/album/polar Ice Cap Zone has a lot going for it, from the bassline, to the main melody, those repeating chords, and the twinkling arps. Just a great (maybe timeless at this point) tune, and great utilization of the Genesis' sound capabilities. This version is deconstructed, with no more than two of the elements that make the original great playing together, so some people aren't going to like it. It was satisfying to pull the original apart though. This goes on a journey that starts in a snowy forested area and ends in the midst of a freezing, endless tundra. Lots of granular clouds attached to reverbs attached to more granular clouds in the ending. "Ice" has connotations of shimmering, stabbing, glossy sounds, and "snow" feels more smeared, more diffused...I wanted to combine those two idioms with this piece. Part 1 has the chords being played by a pad, and then the bass and randomly resonating strings play the melody. Part 2 has the "trees" playing the chords, and the cold, stuttering sound plays a modified version of the bassline. Then a flute comes in with the top line again. Part 3 is the chords and melody, diffused, detuned, and distorted. I think the source is pretty simple to hear so I'm foregoing a timestamp breakdown this time, but thanks to the judges as always.

Whoa, ok this is the type of mix I really like, aggressive and weird. The synths and sfx sound amazing. The two sources mesh together seamlessly into one cohesive arrangement. I do wish there was a little more difference between the two builds and between the two main drops. Although I hear subtle variations in writing, backing elements added as it moves along, the sections veer dangerously close to being too repetitive since the sounds are the same throughout the piece. I agree with prophetik that a huge combined section would have been super exciting. I think it even could have gone one more round with another build and something completely original added (new sound, or new writing) for good measure. But, what's here is too awesome! YES

I'm writing this without reading anyone else's words first. Fade in, not my favorite but it fades in quickly. I'm not sure what part of the source is referenced by this arp playing all the way until 1:00. Synth at 1:00 sounds somewhat vanilla. The melodic lead writing beginning at 1:00 sounds hard to follow without a beat. I'm not sure how well this writing translates from 3/4 to 4/4. There are some sour notes in the section 2:01-2:09, I believe the notes are being played by the pad. This is a very full soundscape and at the busiest parts things sound rather mushy and unfocused. I recommend very carefully EQing all lows out of everything that isn't kick or bass, and make sure your reverbs aren't playing in the low frequencies. Most of the melodic writing doesn't make much sense to me. The source is written in 3/4, and the melody makes sense in that context. This adaptation to 4/4 does not do a good enough job at maintaining a workable melodic contour, and it ends up sounding melodically random and noodly. Final fade out happens during a busy writing section with no resolution to the ideas. A proper ending would be preferable, or at least a fadeout after many elements have stopped playing and only the kick and bass still playing, for example. NO

The opening dance piano at 0:26 isn't the best fit with the choir, a darker piano might fit better. The drums don't sound too bad to me other than the weak percussive thing playing snare/clap, but the saw lead beginning at 0:43 (and filtering in a few seconds before that) is sooooooo buzzy. I don't feel like it makes a good lead sound, at least not by itself; it is nebulous and annoying. Perhaps it could work as a background layer with something else being the primary lead sound, something more focused. The shift at 1:58 is extremely abrupt as the arrangement changes instrumentation and groove, suddenly there's a swing pattern. It feels completely disconnected from the rest of the arrangement. Then at 2:30 the swing goes back to straight 4/4 beats and I like the writing there because some original writing ideas are happening, but that saw does not carry its weight as a lead at all, leaving that section actually feeling leadless. Back to the source's melodic writing which is fine but adding another sound to play lead would make a huge improvement. Then the track ends abruptly and with no closure, just full-blast energy down to zero with just an impact, not a total dealbreaker but disappointing and the final element leading me to a NO

This is a lot of unique arrangement out of a short source. Lots of new interesting elements added along the way. Good writing variation. I agree a solo or dedicated lead would have been nice somewhere, but what's here is very cool. It is mastered on the loud side but I don't hear any artifacts, mixing is good. YES

He also completed (and I mastered) an excellent track for the upcoming Super Sonic Racing album.

This is an interesting, evolving arrangement. The soundscape is very cool and captures that 90s industrial house vibe well. I agree about the drums being on the weak side, especially that clap, ooof. I also don't care for panned elements, especially drums (I start wondering if my other ear has broken) and I agree that some of the leads are on the quiet side. But this arrangement gets it done for me. The two sources flow really well one into the other. Nice work. YES

Ok I'm confused, this was produced on a desktop DAW and not on a phone app? The January resub mentions a "real DAW" but doesn't say which one. Is it the desktop version of Caustic 3, because it sounds mostly the same to me if I am remembering the original correctly. I think MW explained the situation very well. I agree with him on every point. Although this version is improved over the original submission, it still sounds very dated due to the phone software being used. The synths sound late 90s early 2000s to me. The drums are weak and the wide-panned snare is distracting. I still really like this arrangement! But I think this would sound so much better done on a proper DAW with real synths. A bit more synth variation wouldn't hurt either. The arrangement itself works just fine and I still think it is very impressive to create such an arrangement on a phone app and headphones. Are they at least real headphones and not ear buds? I hope you can update the sounds because I'd like to hear this arrangement again. NO

Initial impressions: This starts out verbatim to the source, midi-rip style, and quickly transitions into a full orchestral soundscape. The arrangement is more of a medley than a remix arrangement. I agree with my fellow Js that the primary issue is the samples used. The attacks of brass and strings are causing the fast runs to mush together because the attacks are too slow. I think the instrumentation is very good here but the samples need to work with what was written, so using a keyswitched sample is probably a good idea. I don't think it is far off from being approved, but at MW said, in a mix that relies this heavily on orchestra sounds, the patches have to be working a bit better than they do here. NO (resubmit)

Hello! Attached is my first submission for OCRemix; please let me know if any additional information is needed. Polytonal Nicholas Jackson nicholasjacksonmusic.com 37519 The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages "Oracle Calling" "Opening Movie"; "Title Screen"; "File Select Screen" This is the first part of an upcoming album I am releasing! I will be submitting arrangements of each track from Oracle of Ages as they are completed. I was set on combining moments of chiptune aesthetics with a full orchestra to truly capture the sense of wonder and immersion within this game's soundtrack. especially for this opening piece. My full album will tell a complete story as the game unfolds, combining certain tracks together when the narrative allows. Thank you!

Your ReMixer name: Pixel Pirates Your real name: Tobaunta Torkelsson & Fredrik Vinterstjärna Your email address: Your website: pixelpirates.nu Your userid: 37469 Name of game(s) arranged: Castlevania Name of arrangement: Vampyric Pixels Name of individual song(s) arranged: Vampire Killer

I hate to add a second ? to this thread, but I feel just as MW does. This is an amazing performance! But, of WHAT, I have literally no idea.

WOW this is loud. LOUD. -6dbRMS loud. The three heavy sections are waveform bricks. I don't think I have ever personally seen such an intense waveform! There are no dynamics at all in those sections and I daresay one cannot see daylight in there. That said, this is a pretty unique, heavy, intense and interesting piece. The opening gated saw sounds quite dry to me before the first arp enters the mix. When the drums hit, the energy goes straight to 11 and stays there. My meters are pegged. I think the drum writing and sounds are fine although I hear what Larry says about not hearing the tick-a-tick aka DnB shuffle detail at 4:17. It is there but it is hard to hear over everything else screaming at that frequency with equal loudness. I think this master is too loud, just in case I'm not being clear on that. Good use of chiptune leads although I find them rather loud and piercy. The delayed delays at 1:36 and again at 1:47 make those bits of lead feel too dry. By comparison, at 2:09 that lead sounds lusciously reverby. The guitar backing fits really nicely with this soundscape and there is nice synth detail in the backing as well. I really like the writing shift at 3:56 (matches what the source tune does at 1:32), and how it builds back into the source motif at 4:38. All of that key-change tomfoolery is exactly the same as what happens in the source tune and I think it is handled very well in the remix with drum pattern and energy changes. Overall I wish this mix was mastered a little quieter. I always feel that with the right EQ treatment one can obtain a super loud mix without hitting such a high RMS number. But, I don't hear any overcompression artifacts. The more I listen to this, the more I am enjoying it. YES

Cool source, faithful remix for sure. Too faithful. Too heavy on the conservative side with similar bass and lead writing, similar soundscape overall, same theramin-type lead, and the arrangement is nearly verbatim most of the way through, including the breakdown. The soundscape and production sound very good nonetheless. Track seems to be missing its final limiter as the peak goes all the way up to 3db at the loudest point. I really like this and I could see it working if the lead and/or bass writing had more original sections, and if the soundscape changed up at some point to really set it aside from the original. I agree that the fade-in and fade-out only add to the too-conservative feel of the piece. Make some changes here or there and add some original soloing somewhere, replace the lead instrument with something less similar to the original, and I'd love to hear this one again. NO (resubmit)

I am still listening to the source tune. I haven't even hit play on the remix yet, and the source's droning pad is making my ears insane. Man, that is really irritating. Ok let's see what the remix is doing. Wow that is an abrupt start. The bass patch is super simplistic and panned entirely wide which already doesn't work for me. The bulk of a bass patch should really be mono below 100-150Hz, with only its highs separated. A stereo bass has no impact and leaves the track lacking a cohesive low end. In fact the stereoscape is completely bass-ackward here, with the leads occupying the center (with only a bit of delay escaping the gravitational pull of the center a little bit) and the bass wide on the sides. And there's that continuous pad. Nothing interesting is being done with the pad. This is a missed opportunity to make a drone pad into an interesting, evolving anchor to the track. Once established, the writing and sounds never change. The drum loop also never changes, and the drum sounds are plain and tamely mixed. This is just too many playthroughs of the exact same thing with no writing or instrument changes, and the drone pad is unfortunately the final nail in the coffin. I agree with MW that it sounds like a midi instrument-swap. Good start but much more work needed to get this arrangement really working. NO

Cool and unique take on this source right from the get-go. I feel like I am in the jungle, in space! I'm not a fan of hard panning, but it works here mostly since the sounds being panned are so similar. I do hear some very piercy glitch effects as Larry pointed out and I agree that it could at least be EQd down a bit in the highest frequencies, but it isn't ruining my listening experience. Your ears may vary, and there are people who can hear dog whistles and they may find the glitches to be painful. This really is such a neato arrangement with tons of energetic dynamics, interesting timbres, ear candy and good variations on the main theme. Mixing and mastering are working well. YES

Mastered. LOUD. True peak 1.5db with lots of clipping happening. Ok so what a cool concept for this source. The source tune is already frenzied and this remix actually intensifies the frenzy but in a well-controlled manner. What a fun mix full of unique variations of the theme. The sound palette gets a little tiresome after awhile but the writing and energy changes keep it fresh. I'd love for this to be mastered better, I think a nice loud mix can be attained by doing some EQ work (making sure there are no low-lows playing from anything other than kick and bass) and strategic multiband compression, and this mix is a bit loud in the crunchiest frequencies, but everything is audible and I hear no clipping or artifacts. This mix could be just that much more impactful with a mixing/mastering cleanup but not enough to send back for that. I adore the monstrous kick. Yeah this is super fun. YES

The first minute and a half are indeed a nice buildup although the bass patch could be tighter and faster-release as it is playing in between kicks; as it stands now the bass has a flabby/loose feel and could really be more impactful if tightened up. I'm also having trouble identifying the source bits so I'm glad you included timestamps. The sound palette is on the vanilla side as Larry pointed out, which isn't a dealbreaker unto itself but the soundscape is on the repetitive side with the exact same elements all the way through. The mixing isn't bad but feels rather flat. This is a very busy mix and in the fullest sections many of the sounds are competing in the frequency range and soundscape placement. There is some very good filtering on the saw and other sounds, I like that a lot. The lead at 2:32 is plain and simplistic, and piercy. Some filter movement or delay or vibrato on a long LFO would help. Those chords at 4:31 are weird and disharmonious. The drum groove is weak, especially the clap as Larry mentioned. In the busy sections, the clap cannot be heard at all. The transition at 4:40 is jarring and it appears again verbatim at 6:14. I get why Larry said this arrangement feels like a work in progress, it just lacks sheen overall. Although care has been taken to layer the patterns in varying ways to make an interesting arrangement, the same sound palette all the way through the piece makes it feel overly long and repetitive. I'm more borderline than my peers here because I think the arrangement works well generally. I suggest smooth out some of those transitions and adjust awkward chords at a minimum, but I'd also like to hear this mixed quite a bit cleaner than this, and some variation in sounds used as the piece moves along would also be on my wish list. NO (borderline, resubmit)

I agree with Larry and MW that the mixing is on the muddy/smooshy side, and that's a shame but everything is audible. What a fun piece, awesome performances, full of energy and personality. YES

I know I have listened to this before now, it's completely familiar even though I never voted on it until today, and I remember that I did try to vote on this but I was immediately hit by how little source I heard. Now I have listened through three times with Larry's timestamps and he is correct, there isn't any more than what he heard which is 46ish percent. I think this could be remedied super easily by adding some source motif into some of the more empty passages, most especially 1:27-1:49 where there is nothing but the two chords over and over. Take some instrument we haven't heard yet and hint at the source motif there. Make that section build a little bit too. That will also go a long way toward reducing the repetitive nature of the sounds and arrangement. It won't take much more source to get this arrangement over the 50%-source mark. I don't hear anything dealbreaking with the production; the overall sound is on the lo-fi side but it feels intentional. If you shave off the lowest of lows (sub 25-30Hz) you will be able to get a louder and cleaner master, you could even bump the lows a little bit on the master (after shaving off sub 25-30Hz) and have a tighter sounding low end with minimal or no mud. I love the triplets, I don't hear this as 6/8 just 4/4 with triplets but it's very cool either way. I like this arrangement, just needs more source. The ending sounds lazy, but it works well enough. NO (please add more source and resubmit)