Chimpazilla

Oh man, sorry about your arm, so glad you are regaining function! Are these vocals allowed? They sound straight out of the source. Wow this is a busy mix, and loud. The master hits -7.3db RMS at its loudest which is hardcore EDM range. It's a sausage waveform and a wall of sound. This is a long arrangement, considering the energy level hits 10 immediately and stays there throughout the piece, and the soundscape stays roughly the same with a few additions and variations. There are several sections repeated nearly verbatim (0:44-1:05, 1:48-2:09, 3:08-3:29 and 4:22-4:44 are identical except for the vocals and beep loop added in the third and fourth iterations), making the track sound and feel repetitive. I do love the soloing and I think this could be a good arrangement but it just feels too long to me due to the repeated sections and nonstop balls-to-the-wall energy level. The mixing is so busy as to be fatiguing, with so many elements competing for space in the mids, and the mix lacks high-end sparkle although the crashes end up being too loud (MW covered this well with his comments), and the mastering is too heavy/hot. It's a fun vibe and well performed, but the arrangement feels too long and repetitive and the mixing needs to somehow be cleaner and less fatiguing. NO (resubmit)

OMFG THAT SUB BASS...... the production here is so over the top good that my jaw is hanging open. This may be lost on anyone without an actual sub, and on a phone speaker it may not translate at all, ugh... but on my Presonus Sceptre 8s and my subwoofer... this is the best sub bass I've ever heard. Thanks Wes for the source check, 59% is enough for sure. As for repetition of how the source is played, Wes is right. The entire track consists of several elements written as loops and layered together in various ways to create an arrangement. It does make for a repetitive-sounding arrangement overall. If I click through the track, I hear that mostly the elements are layered differently; I don't hear any sections that are 100% copy pasta, but yeah it's repetitive. This is gonna be a close call, but I'm going to vote on the side of it being enough variation to pass. If others feel as Wes does that this repetition is too egregious, I will change my vote, but for now, I'm going with YES (borderline)

What a weird source tune! I like the remix arrangement in terms of covering this source in a unique way. However, I am in agreement almost entirely with prophetik on the instrumentation and mixing. The lead does sound quite loud and the bass has very little presence. The drums sound so flat, distant and thin. The track could benefit from some surgical EQ to remove lows from every element that isn't kick or bass, at a very minimum. The drums sound overcompressed and sizzly as well as distant. I don't hear or feel any sidechaining; some gentle sidechaining of almost everything here in varying amounts would help the track to breathe as well as provide some groove. (Sidechaining done gently will improve your mixing without making it sound pumpy unless you're going for pumpy) Also, a track of this nature should not come in at -2.8db peak; the master is too quiet. I'm pretty borderline on this because it's a cool remix, I just think it needs a little more mixing and mastering love first. NO (borderline, resubmit please)

I gravitated to this track since I recently remixed Lavender Town myself. I love that theme, with its childlike dark vibe. I haven't heard of "atmospheric black metal" before but that seems to be an appropriate way to remix this tune. This mix accomplishes the atmospheric goal quite well I think. The arrangement goes on a bit long for my liking, feeling quite repetitive by the end, but I can see this track filling out the soundtrack for a long scene in an apocalyptic movie. The track is mixed well enough I think, although it ends up sounding mostly leadless (where there are definite leads, they are buried in the mixing, but it seems that the goal here is not to have leads generally, and where they exist they sort of come and go in the soundscape). There certainly is enough Lavender Town source here. I love the variations on melody and chord structure throughout the arrangement. I'm glad there's a short breakdown to change up the dynamics briefly. The guitar and drum performances are excellent and the section following the breakdown really slaps. The mixing is slightly flat but it's getting the job done. Ugh, fadeout ending, I prefer a real ending to wrap up all the musical thoughts, although the fadeout is not a dealbreaker. If I had one request for this track it would be more and more-prominent leadwork. I'll be interested to see what others have to say on this track, but for me it's a YES

Very cute and creative arrangement of so many themes. It does make a nice little ballad. I agree with MW that the opening bell timbre is overbearing, it has infinite sustain as well as infinite reverb and it is mixed in a way that some uncomfortable low-mids and mid-lows are emphasized along with a very piercy tone at 400-450Hz. That tone seems to sustain throughout the entire track! Perhaps that can be replaced with some other kind of sound that's less piercy? The bell is nice, but it really muds together in a way I'm not sure is working. I don't think this is all that far from a pass, but I agree some mixing fixes are needed. The drums could use some more impact along with taming those low-mids and replacing the sustaining 400Hz sound. The bass could be a bit louder, not too much though. A proper ending would really be nice too, as this just drops off. Other than that this is good to go for me, very cute. NO (resubmit)

How did this one get pushed down so far in the queue with three YESses on it? I agree with my fellow judges that this is a lovely interpretive piece, beautiful part writing and instrumentation. Humanization while not perfect is good enough and gets the job done. Mastering as always is on the quiet side. Still, YES

It always throws me off when a remix is in another key from the original, no matter what else has been done to a source tune. I hear a lot of source in this one but it probably warrants an actual source use breakdown. Given enough source, this is an easy pass for me too.

If this passes, it will need an original title. Remixer sent two tracks in one email. I'm not sure which one he intended to name "Heavier Carnage" so I'm leaving both titles as the source song names. Hello, I would like to send two cover songs from Spider-man's Maximum Carnage for your evaluation. Thank you very much -- ReMixer name: Rekkinom real name: Fabio de Moraes Ruela email address: website: userid number: 37928 Name of game(s) arranged: Spider-man & Venom - Maximum Carnage Name of arrangement: Heavier Carnage Name of individual song(s) arranged: (Story Interlude - separate thread), Heated Battle Additional information about the game: SNES, composers: Alistair Brimble and Chris Jojo Comments: I loved this soundtrack since the first time I played the game in the 90's. In 2009 I uploaded a video to youtube playing 4 songs from the soundtrack and it had good acceptance from the gaming community at the time. On December 2021 I decided to record a brand new version of the soundtrack, and selected these two songs to send you for evaluation.

Remixer sent two tracks in one email. I'm not sure which one he intended to name "Heavier Carnage" so I'm leaving both titles as the source song names. -Chimpazilla Hello, I would like to send two cover songs from Spider-man's Maximum Carnage for your evaluation. Thank you very much -- ReMixer name: Rekkinom real name: Fabio de Moraes Ruela email address: website: www.rekkinom.com userid number: 37928 Name of game(s) arranged: Spider-man & Venom - Maximum Carnage Name of arrangement: Heavier Carnage Name of individual song(s) arranged: Story Interlude, (Heated Battle - separate thread) Additional information about the game: SNES, composers: Alistair Brimble and Chris Jojo Comments: I loved this soundtrack since the first time I played the game in the 90's. In 2009 I uploaded a video to youtube playing 4 songs from the soundtrack and it had good acceptance from the gaming community at the time. On December 2021 I decided to record a brand new version of the soundtrack, and selected these two songs to send you for evaluation.

Remixer name: Bluelighter Real Name: Guillaume SAUMANDE Mail: ID forum: 21840 Game & Songs: Final Fantasy VIII & Fear ; Unrest Composer: Nobuo Uematsu Project : Final Fantasy VIII : Seeds of Pandora Hi OCR! Here is a piano arrangement of « Fear » and « Unrest ». These tracks well marry together IMO, by their melody or by their sinister atmosphere. This arrangement sounds a little jazzy with disturbing dissonances. Notably at the 2nd play of Fear at 1’53 where I’ve taken some liberties on harmony. Soft parts (notably intro and outro) also contribute to the worrying atmosphere that I wanted in the arrangement. Enjoy ! BREAKDOWN 0’00 : intro (fear harmony) 0’47 : unrest (26' -> 41') 1’02 : fear theme presentation 1’53 : fear harmony variations 2’20 : unrest (0' -> 25') 2'35 : unrest (26' -> 41') 3’11 : fear, outro (light sounds)

Contact Information Remixer Username: Audio Mocha Real Name: Daniel Florez Preferred E-mail: User ID: 33297 Name of games arranged: House Of The Dead: Overkill Name of arrangement: The Good, The Sweet, And The Sour Name of individual songs: Dim Sum For Papa Source materials: https://soundcloud.com/pitstop-productions/house-of-the-dead-overkill-003 Comments: When Dwelling of Duels announced that October 2021's theme would be Wii games, I immediately knew that I had to make something. The Wii is easily the most influential console in my life since it was the first one that I was really around for its release, its controller made shooting and sword-wielding games a lot funner, and because I was exposed to a very large amount of its library. Most people only tend to remember the first party titles on the console so when I saw the theme, I knew I wanted to go with something a bit more left-field. I then realized that Overkill was the perfect choice, considering the number of times I've beaten it and how much the music fits my style. I initially started off just making a pretty straight cover and kind of arranging as I recorded guitar but over the week I was working on it, I just kept getting ideas and eventually settled on a more spaghetti western surf feel after I played a part on trumpet and realized I could actually pull it off since it was right in my range in the time of recording. I'm especially proud of this one since it's the first time I've included live recordings of me on the trumpet completely solo and with minimal processing as well as the very first time I've included any of my violin playing in a track; The violin is less upfront but I wanted to include it to give a more Mariachi-esque texture when it is present. Hope you enjoy it, I certainly did while making it! File Link: -- Daniel Florez E-mail:

Hello OCR! It's been a few months ,and so it is time for another submission! ReMix: Source tune: Golden Sun - "Desert Heat" Your ReMixer name: TSori Your real name: Logan Thomas Your email address: Your website: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=trumpetsori Your userid: 2960 Credits: Arrangement, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Mixing: TSori Synthesizers and electronic percussion: Psycosulu Bongos, Djembe, Rainstick: Sean R. Hanson Violin, Double Bass: Rodok Cello: Chromatic Apparatus Oud: Giorgos Panagiotou Chromatic Apparatus, Sean Hanson, Psycosulu, and I have artist profiles. Here is everyone else's info. ReMixer name: Rodok Your real name: . William Email: Website: https://soundcloud.com/user-900311767 userid: https://ocremix.org/community/profile/32400-rodok/ ReMixer name: Giorgos Panagiotou Your real name: Giorgos Panagiotou. Email: giorgospan87@hotmail.com Website: https://www.youtube.com/user/attackofchrist userid: N/A Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged : Golden Sun/ Golden Sun: The Lost Age Name of arrangement: "Circles in the Sand" Name of individual song(s) arranged : "Desert Heat" Link to the original soundtrack (if it is not one of the sound archives already available on the site): see above Source Breakdown: Remix (Source) 0:00-0:15 (original) 0:15-0:25(0:00-0:04) - just the last bar or so 0:25-0:38 (original) 0:38-1:24(0:00-0:25) 1:24-1:41(original) 1:41-2:20 (0.22-0:38) - much slower than source 2:20-2:28(0:39-0:45) - very simplified from source 2:28-2:44(0:59-1:12) 2:44-3:05 (0:46-0:58) - simplified from source 3:05 -3:26(original) 3:26-End (0:0-0:25) Source: 195s : 75% Original : 66s - 25% Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc.: One might expect me to be sick of Golden Sun by now......but no. Coaltergeist reached out to me and asked if I wouldn't mind joining a small Golden Sun 20th Anniversary project. What better opportunity to revisit the OST and ReMix one of the tracks we never got around to for A World Reignited? "Desert Heat" was at the top of my wish list during that album, but it never got claimed, and I didn't end up having enough time to take a shot at it myself. After a friend showed me Parov Stellar's "Lonely Trumpet". I decided I could try to take a similar approach with this track, but really play up the middle eastern elements of the source (do you have any idea how hard it is to find an oudist?). I envisioned the track as a trek through a landscape that was beautiful, mysterious, and threatening all at the same time. I spent a lot of time playing with the balance between the acoustic and electronic elements of the arrangement, and I tried to work in some ideas that would evoke images of wind, thunder, hot days, cold nights, etc. Oh, and because Chromatic Apparatus told me trills are criminally underused in VGM, I made sure to throw in a few. of those too This turned out to be a pretty labor intensive ReMix for me in terms of scale, production, and recruiting (Seriously, do you know how hard it is to find an oudist?) . Speaking of recruiting, let's take some time to talk about the real stars of the ReMix, the performers! I've lost track of how many collabs Chromatic Apparatus and I have done together now. Even if it's neither of our arrangements we seem to find ourselves on the same tracks frequently..Mostly because he is everywhere. Seriously though, he consistently delivers superb recordings in times that would make anyone's head spin. Rodok was a surprise discovery of this project. I found him on the OCR forums as I was searching for violinists and he turned out to be a great musician to work with! Not only did he do a really nice job performing violin but he jumped in on double bass and nailed that too. Hopefully we will be seeing a lot more of him on future projects! Sean R. Hanson has done a lot of music over in the PIxel Mixers community that I really enjoyed.. Also,....he had the ability to record rainstick. He's a fantastic musician and when it comes to aux percussion what more could you want? Psycosulu and I had been talking about doing a collab for months...but as he's an electronic music kind of guy and I play trumpet, we weren't really sure how that was going to work. I don't have the first clue how to do electronic music, so his participation was truly invaluable. He did a great job helping me figure out what kind of sound I was after and then took it to its full potential. Last, but certainly not least, Girogos Panagiotou. Have I mentioned how hard it is to find an oudist yet? The instrument was always going to be the linchpin of this ReMix. It's the quintessential middle eastern sound, and I desperately wanted a live performance that would feel more organic than a VST. After prowling the VGM community for quite some time, I stumbled across Giorgos' youtube channel and his cover of Gerudo Valley (which is fantastic despite the tragedy of not being titled GerOUDo valley). It took a while to get in touch with him, but once I did, he was really interested in helping out. The end result was exactly what I hoped for, and I think it really makes the ReMix. A huge thank you to all of the collaborators above! Without them, this would just be amediocre midi with some trumpet sprinkled on top. The title "Circles in the Sand" refers to the circles of stones that mark oases in the Llamakan desert, the whirlwinds of the Sulhulla Desert, and the general idea of wandering lost. Enjoy! -TSori

ReMixer name: Deedubs Real name: Mike DeWeese Email address: User ID#: 30792 Game arranged: Skies of Arcadia ReMix name: Valse pour un Prince Rebelle Song arranged: Enrique's Theme An elegant waltz for an elegant prince. This is my third ReMix contribution to this album project. Perhaps through plain ignorance on my part, "Enrique's Theme" was one of the few tracks from the OST that I completely forgot about. If I remember correctly, it wasn't used much in-game. The more I listened to the tune though, the more I got a feel for its pleasant melodies. In my search for what genre/style I should tackle, I decided to go back to my classical roots and arrange "Enrique's Theme" into an orchestral waltz, because what's more elegant than that? As I translated the melodies from the original 4/4 meter tune into a 3/4 meter waltz (always a fun thing to experiment with), everything felt like it fell into place. As such, I had a lot of fun arranging this and I hope you have a lot of fun listening to it!

Wow, that's an abrupt start, right to maximum volume and energy, instantly! I'm not sure that's optimal, rather, it's shocking. So, this was done on an app on a phone? For that, I'd say this is rather good (but I've never heard of Caustic and I'm sure it does more than I suspect). I think my fellow J's summarized the issues well. The limitations of the software leave the timbres sounding very dated, and the mixing is almost non-existent. Everything is overlapping in frequency making the soundscape very cluttered, and many of the timbres are super similar. The master is quite loud and almost pumpy. I also agree with MW that the riffing is cool but would be better utilized if it appears in the second half of the mix, after the theme has been established in a more simple way, otherwise it sounds out of place. The arrangement isn't all that bad, otherwise. I just think the production needs a pretty major overhaul. I'd love to hear this again, produced on a proper DAW! NO

The two guys nailed it, this sounds like a midi with the instruments changed to your Chinese libraries. These instruments sound great! Although they need some finesse to sound natural, some humanization and reverb, and in this case I think some fleshing out with other timbres would make it sound fuller and nicer (like a nice full bass instrument, and some taiko or other drumming). There isn't much arrangement here other than the original writing with very little interpretation, and the whole thing barely clears our "two minute minimum" standard. This definitely sounds like a concept demo more than a finished track; the insufficient mastering and premature ending cutoff don't help change that perception. I'd love to hear this again fully fleshed out with a longer arrangement if you're interested in revisiting it! NO

MW pretty much nailed it in his writeup. I love the idea for this mix, and what's here sounds so promising. The instrumentation is dreamy. I hear what he's saying about the intro pad. It doesn't bother me as much as it bothers him, because I don't think it's trying to be bass. When the bassline enters it is clear, but the bass is very quiet though, it could be louder. At 1:26, the writing changes totally, and the previous writing's delay is still playing, making for a few seconds of horrendous clashing. The first part with the delay playing should stop abruptly (render it out and cut it if necessary so no delay plays) as the next bit is starting up (right at 1:24 with those intro notes to the next section). Overall, this arrangement is just too short. I would love to hear a proper soft breakdown where you now have the outro starting up, followed by a second lively section with unique writing, solos or variations on the theme, different instrumentation or drum patterns or other elements to differentiate it from the first playthrough, and then the outro. I'm in agreement with MW also that fadeouts, while not an OCR dealbreaker, are such a disappointment. I'd much rather hear some thoughtful resolution on the track to wind things up. NO

What a perfect source tune for Michael Hudak to tackle! I love the source, and the remix. I have no problem with the crackly effects. But others clearly do, so I suggest we reach out to Michael and see what he's willing to dial back or part with, and/or if he has any ideas to replace the "unpleasant" sounds with some other effect. YES

This mix is cool, it would be right at home in the actual Mario Kart 64! I love the synthwave, but to differentiate this even more from the source tune while keeping the synthwave, I think it would be a great idea to expand the arrangement with more changes in writing and instrumentation, a proper breakdown, drums dropping out for a section, more varied writing at some point, solos, altered drum patterns, etc. just more ways to keep it interesting and give it some dynamics. This arrangement sounds really repetitive as it stands. I agree with DarkSim that the track is mastered way too loud. I don't hear any crunchy overcompression artifacts but the track is pumping from the limiter being driven so hard. SPAN says the track is clipping billions of times. The production is good enough, it's the mastering that is a problem. I always recommend cutting lows from every element that isn't kick or bass, so you're not mastering any mud. Also, you can lower your input gain into your master channel, I do that by 5-8db before I even begin to write. This allows you to mix louder while not actually being louder. Then, you can bring up the volume in the master chain through a couple of compression and limiting stages, and get a really clean, loud mix with zero clipping or overcompression. NO (resubmit)

Yikes, between 0:35-0:50, that is a crushing wall of sound, almost physically painful. I agree with MW this is an eclectic mix but it works and keeps it interesting, but I also agree with him about the mixing. He said the hats can't be heard, and that is because every other element is absolutely screaming in the range in which the hats should be heard. The mix needs a major EQ overhaul, cutting lows out of everything that isn't kick or bass, to make sure no low-end mud is getting mastered, and toning down highs and high-mids on elements that don't need to be that crispy, so that things like hats can sparkle and shine. I like this arrangement though! Also, the mastering is WAAAAAAAY too heavy, it is clipping according to SPAN, and hitting -6db RMS which is just stupid-loud for a mix of this type. The heavy master compression is surely adding to the over-crispy wall-of-sound effect. Once you've addressed the mixing (primarily EQ corrections and cuts) I guarantee this will master much better, sounding even louder but without the uncomfortable crispiness. I'd love to hear this again with the mixing and mastering fixed up! NO (resubmit)

What a fun idea you have here, starting out with nature and monkeys, then monkeys flipping channels, and finally your computer-voiced narration of the songmaking process. This kind of thing is entertaining for SoundCloud or YouTube but not for OCR. For OCR, just the actual song would be appropriate, as we have a rule against making a song (or in this case a large portion of a song) out of pure SFX. The bigger issue is the production. The writing parts are very simplistic and they repeat all through the track. There are clashing notes and instrumental parts all throughout the track. The piano begins clashing note-wise with the pizzicato strings almost immediately. When the bass starts up at 2:25, the bass writing is so off from the other elements that it sounds like it is playing another song altogether. The parts are just so simple, robotic (not-humanized), clashing in writing, and stepping all over each other in the frequency range. You're going to want to start by listening to the parts individually and in small groups (i.e. just piano plus strings, just strings plus bass, etc.) and look for clashing writing. Ask for help if you're not quite hearing it. Once the writing is cleaned up, you'll need to work on making some of the writing a little bit varied, so it isn't the exact same pattern for the entire seven minutes. Then, the next step is to learn how to mix. You'll want to watch tutorials or have someone teach you how to properly use EQ to make sounds fit together in the soundscape without clashing frequency-wise. Reverb can be used to fit elements into the soundscape; as it is now everything is bone dry (the vocals and SFX are painfully dry). Then, learn about creative sidechaining to make the whole arrangement breathe and groove. Lots of work to do here, but I want to highlight what you got right here: 1. Your storytelling idea! This is so creative. (not for OCR due to our standards, but you get credit for the creativity!) You could still have monkey sounds or other small SFX throughout the track for OCR if you wanted to. 2. Your sound selections (strings, piano, vibes, bouncy bass, fun drum groove). The sounds you chose fit nicely together, they just need to be mixed better, play more interesting and varied writing, and sound much more natural. 3. Your layering of sounds, dropping things out or adding them back here and there as the arrangement moves along. That's probably the biggest way to keep an arrangement fresh! This remix makes me smile! I hope you will take my words to heart and learn how to address the issues I've mentioned, because your creativity deserves to shine! Good luck and please let us hear back from you in the future. NO

My first complaint is, this mix doesn't sound Japanese enough!!! ? I mean I'm just not fully immersed in Japan while hearing this. I'm not smelling cherry blossoms or anything. Nope, sorry. ? OK, joking aside, I love this remix! The production is ace, it sounds delightful floating out of my Presonus speakers. The arrangement is awesome, great dynamics throughout the piece, great energy management, very clean mixing. The track is so full of ear candy, fun panning, and it switches up all throughout the track while keeping the source material prominent. The faster source lead writing in the second half is just dynamite, it fits there just right. I love the 90s style breakbeat starting at 1:11, and the taiko drumming starting at 1:45. The breakdown in the middle is utterly dreamy and breaks up the energy perfectly. You've mixed the low-low-lows of that sub boom perfectly as well, without sacrificing your mastering. This is a lot of arrangement smashed into a short 3-minute span, but it never feels too-short or too-long. BRAVO this is just excellent. YES!!!

This is a great arrangement! Lead is sometimes buried by the rhythm guitars as MW said. In the fullest sections, it is a wall of sound that is overwhelming; from 1:35 - 2:01 I would argue that there's just too much going on and it feels oppressive. This is a well crafted arrangement and the production is generally good (drums sound great!), but I think some mixing cleanup is required. At the very least, the final limiter needs to be toned down as the mix is hitting -7db RMS (hardcore EDM territory) and SPAN tells me it's clipping like mad. I would suggest bringing the lead volumes up a tad, and rhythm guitars down by a tad as well as using EQ on the rhythm guitars to make more room for the lead especially during the heaviest sections so it isn't such an assault on the ears. I really dig this track and I just think it should be sounding its best! NO (please clean up and resubmit)

These are two interesting sources indeed, I had not heard them before. I love the metal concept for the remix. But I have to agree with my fellow J's that this arrangement comes across as extremely repetitive. The same phrases are repeated over and over, and the entire arrangement sounds like a backing track for lead writing that never shows up (what about adding a solo somewhere?). The mixing sounds generally good, although the kick and snare are mostly buried. The piece begins in an energetic gear and stays there for the entirety of the arrangement; a quieter/calmer breakdown near the middle would break it up nicely. I could already see that this track would have no dynamics looking at the waveform which is a consistent sausage. Fadeout endings, while not technically an OCR dealbreaker, are such a disappointment for me as they seem to say the artist lost interest in finishing the track. What's here sounds quite good, production and performance-wise, but needs direction, trimming, and possibly some lead work in order to maintain the listener's interest. NO

Short and sweet little cover here. I really like the sounds you used, and the drum groove is a nice addition. The writing is verbatim most of the time, but there are plenty of additions to make this stand out. I especially like the writing from 1:36-2:24. The arrangement works well, although I admit I would prefer another breakdown and another full section before the outro. The arrangement feels unnecessarily short, but what's here works well. However, the mixing needs some cleanup. In the beginning, the bass is heavy in the mid-lows, which is accentuated when the pad begins. I recommend removing the low-lows from that pad, and also from any leads. That alone will clear up enough headroom for a full master without overcompression. As it stands, the master is too loud and clipping during the fullest section. I can hear the compressor pumping as it works too hard from 1:36-2:24. Also, make sure the reverb on your bass instrument is low-cut so you're not reverbing lows (adding mud). I recommend also sidechaining your kick to every element in the mix in varying amounts, not enough to sound "zomg EDM" but enough to clear out space when the kick hits, thus uncluttering the mix. Please clean it up and send it back, it's very cute. NO (resubmit)

Hhhmmm. As much as I appreciate the attempt at a timestamp, I find myself rather confused and struggling hard to hear the source material clearly. Right out of the gate, the source material is clear (first 4 seconds of underworld), but once the glitchy bass begins, I can't understand this writing as source since it is heavily interpreted. The two iterations of "success" are clear. From 1:26 all the way to 4:04 I'm struggling. You are relying heavily on what you're calling "underworld part 2" as your lead writing, and listening very hard I can discern that they literally are the same notes. I hope Larry will chime in here to say if this counts or not. I suspect it might count, but for me, it is so heavily interpreted that I have no sense of the original source tune, and that's a dealbreaker for me personally. I hope another J will help me clarify if this is ok. I only begin to hear clear source use again starting at 4:04-4:25. I like the SMB1 at the very end although I feel like the outro is too long, with the same confusing interpretation of that "underworld part 2." Honestly I feel like you took those few notes of "underworld part 2" and played around with them in different ways until they created something cool, while pulling away nearly 100% from the feel of the source tune. I have done this myself, and I feel it here. This will require a more detailed source-use breakdown. For now, I will just comment on other aspects. From the beginning, I'm concerned about the mixing. This is already a mix filled with unconventional sounds, bubbly glitching and lots of filtering, and the mixing is muddy. Once the soundscape is really full at 1:57, I'm hearing an amalgamated wall of sound. I can't tell leads from backing, and the bass is barely audible. Overall, the mastering is too hot, sounding rather crispy and distorted (not in a good way) during the fullest sections. At a minimum, this mixing will need to be addressed and cleaned up. I like this concept, it's creative as can be, but I'm not sure there's enough source. I am sure however that the mixing needs another pass. NO