Chimpazilla

I agree with the guys on the mixing being a tad flat. I agree with MW that the main hook is played on violin a few times more than I'd like. The breakdown is epic and the trumpet is sequenced well although the volume gets too loud at one point. The sudden chiptune section is an excellent surprise, and the chiptune elements mix in a very cool way with the orchestral soundscape when they play together. Overall a unique and creative take on this source! YES

I agree with the other Js that the vocals sound like they aren't nested into the track well, they sound pasted on, perhaps they are just too loud, fx and all. Other than that, the track is very well crafted. Drum groove gets repetitive after awhile. This track is almost good to go for me, but I have to agree with Sir_NutS here, the too-quick fadeout is a dealbreaker. It would be so easy to end this on the downbeat with a nice crash or something, but the quick fadeout sounds too awkward. I hope we can get that fixed! YES (conditional on fixing ending)

Really unique and creative arrangement. I agree that the mixing could be refined, some leads are a tad loud, and Larry's right about the drums not fitting the soundscape, the main snare is much too snappy and the hats are too loud, and there's an electro-shaker that doesn't fit well at all or is just mixed too loud/dry. Regardless, I'm loving the creativity here. YES

Ah yes, this sounds so much better! The low end is a bit distorted, but it sounds intentional to me, based on the instrumentation used. The beats didn't change too much and I still find them a bit repetitive, but it isn't bothering me too much. I like it! YES

I was ok with the resub last time, and I'm still ok with it now, I still like it! Let's post it already! YES

LOUD. This track hits -5.6db RMS, and is generally a sausage waveform all the way through; it's a bit sonically exhausting just due to the strong compression. That said, the track is very well mixed especially for how loud it is, I hear no distortion. I love the track. It's long, but it never loses my interest. Well done! YES

What an interesting approach! I am one who loves vocal clips in songs, as long as they are cohesive and tell a story, and they fit in nicely here. The arrangement is great. Expect some hate for the vocals, but you'll get none from me. The parts are performed wonderfully and the mixing is tight. Love it! YES

Oh man this is fun, so varied, so cool, so much detailing. Nice work with the horns, very well sequenced. The tempo speed up is wicked cool. The kick does get a little tedious, I think because it may not be the best kick for this sonic palette. Regardless, I love it! YES

This is incredibly creative considering the limits of the sonic palette you've chosen. As Deia said this one won't be a fan favorite, but it is one of the most unique mixes I have ever heard. And I adore bells. The mix is well crafted and mixed. Very nice! YES

This is great! Starts out really conservative, but moves into some very cool mood changes. The humanization is good enough I think. I really like this, it's epic! YES

I'm really torn here, the mix itself is beautiful and well put together, but I can't quite get into it because of the repetitive nature of the arrangement. I get that the source is repetitive, but that doesn't mean the remix has to be. The mix builds and things are added, but the way the writing is, it feels like a four and a half minute build to nowhere, followed by an extended outro. I feel like if the arrangement were broken up just a bit in the middle that would help, even if something like the outro were to appear halfway through and then something similar at the end like you have already. As it stands, the arrangement just doesn't keep me engaged even with all the additions made. I may be in the minority with this opinion. Good luck with the rest of the vote! NO (resubmit)

The kick feels pretty heavy/punchy for this instrumentation, especially when it's exposed like at 0:51 and 3:38. The instrumentation is somewhat odd, especially the two leads, but the overall effect is completely unique. The lead in the final passage is very vanilla and dry. The breakdown is almost too bare. The arrangement is great, though, and I am enjoying it. I especially like the kettle drums. YES

What an interesting take on this source! Very groovy and chill. I don't care for the long pauses, especially when they fade to more than a second of complete silence, but like Larry I am not bothered by them. My main gripes are: 1. the Christmas bells are too loud and up front when paired with the snare, and 2. fade out ending. Still, unique, creative stuff here. YES

Very nice arrangement of these two sources. I agree with the crits on the instrument attacks, but overall the instruments are sequenced very well and the chants fit in quite well. Nice work! YES

This, exactly. YES

I don't know this source, but it's a pretty simple source. I listened with MW's timestamping and I find it to be plenty accurate (Gario, your timestamping seems too harsh here). The arrangement itself is unique and fun and the production is tight although the bass has a bit of an odd tone. The piano intro and outro feel so different to the rest of the arrangement stylistically that they feel somewhat tacked on, but they work well enough. I can tell there is a "kids' show" influence in the track, it's bubbly and upbeat, while still having good emotional content. The instruments are fun and varied and everything is sequenced very well. I'm curious, what tin whistle did you use, it sounds great. The arrangement is quite liberal and it feels more original than remix to me, but I love it and I've gotta go with it. YES

I just listened to your other Zelda mix, and this one sounds SO much more 3D by comparison. I agree that the brass does sound quite lifeless by contrast to the strings. I hear those same little distortions that DA pointed out, it doesn't bother me enough to send back to fix. The entire mix sounds too dry, so my same advice applies here as in the other mix, some more creative eq, positioning and especially varied reverbs would make the soundscape even more alive and 3D. But this is lovely! Another fabulous arrangement, so full of feels. YES

Humanization is tricky even when strings or woodwinds are used as backing elements. In this case every instrument is super exposed, and given that situation, I feel like the humanization is more than adequate. That said, I wish the production had a bit more shine on it, perhaps a bit more eq or instrument positioning or varied reverbs to make the soundstage more 3D, with leads sounding more upfront and backing elements more in the background, and more of a feel of being onstage in a real hall. The arrangement though, caries it totally. It is absolutely lovely and so emotive. YES

I didn't hear the original submission so my vote is on this version. This is a source tune I adore, but I'm not sure this remix approach is working so well. The track has two very distinct vibes that are sandwiched together and the transitions are minimal. I'm not a fan of the lead guitar panning back and forth. The drum writing plods and feels super simplistic and at times the groove feels quite awkward and forced. The arrangement itself feels repetitive and choppy and it drags on for four minutes. The performance is loaded with timing errors in the guitars and drums. Good luck with the rest of the vote and I'm sorry to come down so hard on this but this track doesn't feel ready for prime time to me. NO

I agree with the mixing critiques, the intro panning is distracting, the overall volume is low and the middle section gets a bit overcrowded. My bigger concern is that the source is a super simple series of notes, and the way those six notes are used here is so completely different from the source tune as to be unrecognizable. This is one of those rare instances where even though the source is used verbatim, I cannot hear (or feel) any connection to the source tune at all. I only recognize Minuet of Forest at 2:02, right before the track ends. Cool track, but I don't feel it fits OCR standards. NO

Wow what a mix of moods and genres. It's a very unusual mix, but it works well to tell a story, something I appreciate. The transitions are a bit awkward, but well enough executed considering the huge variation in soundscapes stitched together. The organic instruments are sequenced well, and the synths are well blended in. Creativity wins the day here, and the varied harmonic soundscapes and chord structures are wonderfully emotional. I feel like I just watched a movie about Midna's life! Source is woven all through the track. Well done. (I love that Boss Defeated theme, I have remixed it myself) YES

This mix could be HUGE if things were stereo-spread better. The entire drum track is hammering away in mono. If this were my track I'd make copies of the clap track and the hats too, and make them very wide (haas, even) and mix the copies in with the original, and what a difference that trick makes. Many of the synths could also have more movement, either filter movement or creative panning. Even with the synths being vanilla, some creative movement would bring this track to life. In a track like this, having a soundscape that is alive is everything. I like the track, and none of what I've said here is enough to reject it, but I see a lot of lost mixing potential here. Perhaps suggestions for next time. YES

This is a great cover, wonderful performances. I agree with the production crits though, the track is bottom heavy, and hopefully this is a fairly easy mixing fix. The sour notes at 1:38 really need to be fixed also, I hope that is an easy fix too. Otherwise this is good to go. Hope to hear this back quickly. NO (resubmit)

This is so, so, so good.

Sorry NO judges, but I'm with Larry. If this were my track I would mix it with the lead violin more upfront (less reverb, longer predelay, tad more volume) but dang, nothing dealbreaker here. Sounds good to me, so much to love here. I feel like this NO vote is a case of groupthink. Our standards are high but we generally allow for some flaws. I don’t disagree with the comments of my fellow judges, but even though the criticisms relate to the lead instrument, I still don’t hear anything dealbreaker. If the artist wants to make the revisions, that would be great and would only make the track stronger, but if the artist cannot or will not make the changes, I’m still a yes. TABLEFLIPPING YES