Disco Dan
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Posts posted by Disco Dan
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Oooooooookay, I'm not sure if this got overlooked before or what, but he said he submitted it before... but DAMN. I'm gonna say right now, this has a big fat YES from me. Everything is in place, including live guitar and violins, (you can tell because they're just so slightly out of tune, plus he told me so). It's a solid mix, a creative arrangement and layering job from beginning to end, and all the playing is top-notch. No question in my mind.
The link:
Remix0r: Midee (feat. Prozax)
Original game: Axelay (stage one)
Remix title: Kick my Axe
E-mail: j_zaffary@hotmail.com
Vote. All of you.
DC
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Ok, so I was talking to this fool named "Carbunk1e" (yeah that's a one, not an ell) and he's like "I submitted this shit back in april and I never hear a word from any of y'all bitches" and I'm like "Shoo, foo, you trippin" and he was like "nah, it ain't like that yo" and I'm like "Well shit n**** 'at ain't MY fault" and he's like "well how 'bout you represent a brotha and make sure this shit don't happen twice, a'ight?" and I'm all like sweatin now 'cause the brotha's trippin an' I'm like "shit, it ain't no thang, I got it covah'd. We coo?" and he's like, all tryin ta pretend he wasn't just 'bout to cap ma ass and he goes "Yeah... we coo."
So yeah that was sort of paraphrased, but this is the song he was talking about. LET THE TRIAL BEGIN!
Though... really... "THIS IS A MOCKERY OF JUSTICE!"
Remix title: Journey to Thor
Game title: Tales of Phantasia
Remix0r: DJ Carbunk1e
E-mail: XAL3PH@yahoo.com
DC
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Well...
I don't know what to say really. The quality of this mix is exceptional, beyond what I expect of "video game remixes" in general, since they're not usually made by "professionals" in the music business, but by aspiring musicians who just love video game music and want to share what they had in mind for a given piece. But a few mixers, such as Peeples, and McVaffe, to name the first two that come to mind, have always had this level of quality that you can always count on to sound like something you'd hear on the radio or in a club, and this song is no exception. Incredible quality, great choice of samples, except for that string sample near the beginning, as it's a bit flat on one of the lower notes, though generally only picky people like myself have the unfortune of noticing this kind of thing.
The only other beef I had was with the chord progression. Not that I mind a change in chord progression from time to time, but when I listen to music, (and this is just me, 'cause it's different for everyone), I hear the melody+chord progression as one. Like you can't have one without the other. For most people, I think, the melody is more important. And I noticed this when I would be in middle and high school and I could plunk out the melody (one note at a time) for any popular song on the radio and people would think it was amazing. Meanwhile I would think "Well, really, that's just the melody, and the chord progression that fills in the rest of the picture isn't there," but it was enough for most people. So I think the fact that you represented the melody accurately, is more than enough for most people to recognize the song and sing along with it. For me, with a different chord progression it makes me look up from whatever I'm doing and go "Ew. What was that?" Now this does open up a forum for all sorts of debates such as "was the change in progression intentional or not?" and "Are there good and bad changes one can make to an original in a remix?" and "Is there a Dog?" The answer to these questions and more will probably remain a mystery to us all for the rest of our pitiful and miserable lives, but we can almost all agree, that this mix, from beginning to end, was very enjoyable.
DC
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I don't know that "the original was repetitive" is a good excuse for a remix being too repetitive. I don't feel this mix is TOO repetitive, but it definitely starts to grate after a while. But at 1:35 or so he does add another element to spice things up and I'd say it's used quite effectively. Just as I was thinking it was too repetitive the new elements came in. Now if he could figure out how to layer more creatively and with more variety, isolating some elements and not others more tastefully, it'd be a really solid mix.
DC
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ya know, this reminds me of starla's (injury) early work. mostly 8-bit feel. But like it's played in a warehouse. Ok, good points. Nice sound to it, but I almost feel like we've completely done the reverse of a remix, once again, and while creative... I don't know. Bad things about it are, it doesn't really go anywhere. Just intro, a section, b section, end. Just like the Snes song. I guess that's the only real problem. I mean, the mix is called "old skool" 'cause it's supposed to sound like the nes... so... I guess on that merit, I have to give it credit. Yes, so I think the only problems I have with it are its length and lack of variety. Just because the original is short doesn't mean you can't make the remix longer. Do something with it. And just because we're dealing with 8-bit sound doesn't mean variety can't exist. It's a good idea I think, but it could be more. I think it's gonna be sort of a draw on this one with the judges so I'm gonna go with my gut and say no. Please do something more with this. It has potential, but that's it. Potential energy, but no kinetic energy.
DC
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er...
later... yes... much later... I can't decide. It's almost like... the reverse of a remix. Like, taking snez and remixing in nez style. Kind of disturbing, actually. But... still rather enjoyable. At least he got most of the notes right. meh.
Later.
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From Malcos's rave reviews, this better be good.
Ok, that delay? It's off. Delay is only good if it doesn't make you wonder "is that on beat?" I can't tell if the midi clock is off on this song or if it's in swing time. I'm sort of wondering why this came to the judges panel...
Ok, it's in swing time. It's not bad. Reminds me a little of the smooth jazz around here.
Ok, I like the jazz guitar. Fits really nicely. The flute/synth thing is almost nice except all the notes are wrong. I mean, he manages to make it fit, because he improvs in the right key, but the melody isn't right according to the game. Now maybe I'm too picky about sticking to the original... and now that the guitar is doing the melody too, it's off... maybe I need to listen to the original again. The timing does sound bad on this though. I'm really wishing swing time wasn't turned on for this.
Ok, after listening to the original, it's not off. I guess I just haven't heard it in a while. Ok, so my only gripe is the swing time that affects both the delay and the drums and sounds awful in MY opinion, but other than that the mix is great.
So I give it a yes, though it's like warm soda to me. Tastes good, but it being warm makes me feel not so refreshed.
DC
I'm also giving it a yes because I haven't given a yes in a while. No, I'm kidding. I gave my reasons. I feel satisfied with my stance.
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Ah, several hours later, the download has completed. What a host you've got there Mr. Jennings. This isn't BAD, I wouldn't say. It reminds me of my snake man mix a little bit. Well... just the bass and drums part...
Ok, here you've gone and done something that I really just hate. People do it once in a while and it bothers the hell out of me. There's swing time and there's straight time. Swing time means the sixteenth notes are slightly less uniform, and ... I don't know how to describe it in text without wasting a whole lot of time and effort. Anyway, my point in bringing this up, is that we've got swing time OVER TOP OF straight time. They don't mix. but it's only for that segment. The rest seems pretty ok. Pretty much, straightforward techno. um
ok
what was that
at 3:26
that's way out of tune. I despise. My ears bleed. Slowly all senses fade...
oh
whew, I lived
Ok, the next part is pretty decent. I don't know this mix has some good and some bad parts. It looks like another one that's sitting on the line for me! Gotta find my quarter....
Ah.
here it is.
here we go. Flipping:
oooooooooooh
you got lucky
Tails means yes. I stated this in another review, but that's the low down. You got tails. So I vote yes. It's mostly good though, seriously. The mix. Maybe it drags on and doesn't do a whole lot. Just layering and all... but ... hmm. .. . maybe I need to flip again... no
no I don't need to flip again. My reasons:
Out of tune part is painful
Song is long, with little variety, save the out of tune part, which, while different, isn't really a nice break from the rest of it. And as for the rest of it, it's sort of the same thing over and over again, for almost 6 minutes. And what does the beginning have to do with the rest of the song? It's irrelevant. I've heard intros that are misleading before and they can be done in artistic fashion so this intro isn't bad in that sense. I just wish more was done with the rest of the song. Same bass line, same drums, same piano part, same single-note strings. I ... can't let this one pass. Coin or no coin, I must... I must... vote... no...
NO
DC
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Well since I'm still waiting for that other song to download and I've since ordered and eaten a pizza. It was good. Nothing like this Girl-type pizza I once had, but still... ok this song was over and done with before I realized it was playing.
!!!
The golden Axe remix finally finished downloading! Great. Now I can unzip it.
anyway, this mix isn't bad. It's got a sort of calypso feel to it (whatever calypso means). Well, it's SORT of calypso. There's sort of a hatecore beat to the beginning. That fast kickdrum/crash beat thing goin on there. Anyway, I wouldn't give this a "you suck so no" vote, but it's kind of weak. The guitar sound sucks. But ... it is sort of catchy. Really short, but catchy. Though that may be due to the original. I don't know. I'm gonna hold off voting on this one for a bit.
DC
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Hmm... this is taking all day to download. I think I'll order a pizza for takeout. Then I'll walk to the pizza place, and pick it up. Then I will return to my place of dwelling and eat the pizza.
DC
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Well the hype isn't as bad on this one, so I'm not really sure what to expect. My butt is hurting though. I think I need to shift my posture. Ah that's better.
Ok, I... yes. I've heard this before I think.
...
why...
oh well. Just listen.
Listening....
Ah. that was satisfying. See, I was sort of listening, and in my head I sort of was like "ok, kick drum comes in NOW" and it DID! Ah that was nice. ok, this is kind of kooky, but I like it. er... ok up to that bad chord around 1:34-1:35. Boy I hope that doesn't ruin it for me. Ever mostly like a song but because of one little crappy part, you're unable to listen to it often, or you cringe everytime you hear that part?
Strange thing about this piece. It almost has an ambient feel at times, but the drums sound so raw and dry, it's strange, almost not happily mixed.
Well, ... ok I'm in an elevator now, at 3:00. I don't have anything against elevators, don't get me wrong, but I don't usually like to listen to elevator music outside of the elevator... and come to think of it, I don't usually like to listen to it IN the elevator either, but this is a step above elevator music. Granted, someone's making a killing off of elevator music.
You know what I would have liked to hear? Delay on that piano. Right before 3:50, where it does the melody. Some nice delay would have been nice. Just sounds too dry. Oh yeah. right here. Ugh. Ok, way too dry for my tastes. Wow. this one really sits on the line. It's GOOD in some parts and poopy in others. It'd be like eating an incredible pizza knowing that one out of every 3 bites would contain an insect. Ah well, I think I'll hold off voting on this one, and then at the last minute I'll flip a coin. Eh. Why wait. I've got a dime right here. Ok. heads is yes, tails is... no wait, I like tails. Ok, so tails is yes, and heads is no. Ok. No wait, I wanta quarter. Ah, found one. It's a Kentucky quarter. the one with the horse on the back. I think I already have this one. Ok. Flipping now. AWw.... I'm sorry Koop. It came up heads. But I think most everyone else is going to vote yes on this one so I don't think it really matters, but for the sake of going through with what I said I was going to go through with, I give it a NO.
DC
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Ok... there better not be anything wrong with this one. All those Yes votes have gotten my hopes up. Don't let me down guys...
Downloading still....
Almost done...
OMG I'm so excited!
playing:
Hey these strings almost sound real/fake! Ok nothing wrong with it. Just slow and lame, like Bryan Adams. Ok, now we're talking about a bad trumpet sample, but good ones are hard to find. Anyway, it's cheesey, but I can only assume this is how the game music goes and I feel sorry for anyone who cried while playing the game when this music came on. Seriously folks. This is some lame shit. But it's well arranged. Oh.
Those are the drums. I see. Yes, I have mixed feelings. Ok. Imagine you're watching a guy on stage. He's sitting behind a drumset. A tape plays some schmaltzy orchestral stuff for about 2 minutes, and around the 2 minute mark the drummer starts playing along with the tape. It sounds kind of like that. They just don't mix well. OR maybe they're both just mixed badly. I can't tell which. Musically there's not much I can complain about here, which is a shame, because I enjoy complaining about things. Yeah the notes are all right. I just... yeah those drums against that orchestral-esque background... it's grating. I don't know. If you guys have no problem with it, I'll just go ahead and vote NO anyway just to see what happens. It's iffy, but I'm gonna stick with my gut on this one.
DC
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Sorry for the delay. Do you ever listen to a mix, know that you don't like it, but can't figure out why, so you put off voting no on it in the hopes that everyone else will vote no and thus eliminate the need for your doing so? Ok this was one of those. But I think I've figured out what I dont like it about it. First of all, as you mentioned the bass is high. Nothing wrong with some good bass. I live in ghettoville USA and on thursday and sunday nights "club boss" has "hip hop night" and so all the ghettoville citizens gather outside the club, in the parking lot, up and down broad street, in any parking lots they can find and play loud music, pimp their Cadillac Escalades, shiny chrome wheels and wicked ghetto attitudes. When Ronnie (my girlfriend) visits on one of those nights, she complains about the noise. I tell her "They're YOUR people. Go tell them to stop." (AP, you should get that one...) Anyway, my point is, I know what good bass can and should sound like. This bass is peaked out though. Distortion isn't great. It's really not very evident until 0:55. I won't submit a mix if I find distortion in it, unless it's not noticeable and I don't have the patience to fix something no one's going to notice anyway, but as we can see by the other reviews, people HAVE noticed it in this one. Ok, things I like:
I like the kickdrum/record swipe used at the beginning. I like the sleighbells. Even the bass drum wouldn't be so bad if it was mixed better. And for the most part, the sounds are ... ok, let me rephrase. Some of the sounds are good quality. The guitar sounds fake, or whatever that sound is. There's this fill drum that sounds like the basic midi drum on every GM kit, and to hear it used reminds me of those annoying midi songs that play on E-greeting cards. It can be heard very clearly at 2:27. At 3:41, the mix could be incredibly tight if it didn't max out on the EQ. In fact, this whole mix could be a lot better if it were layered more creatively and not as repetitively (is that a word?).
All in all, if this had lyrics, it would very possibly make a good rap track. If you've ever listened to rap/hip-hop music without the lyrics, it's usually pretty dry and dull, and depends on the lyrics to make it interesting, though in my personal opinion, it usually fails on both accounts. Ok, I also like the porsche bit. Anyway, I'm gonna give this a no because it needs to much, and doesn't deliver. It's too drawn out for too little material. He could have made a 3 minute mix that slammed (no pun intended... or is there?) and was good from beginning to end, and no one would be left wanting more or less. As it is, I want both more and less out of this mix and it leaves me feeling like I just ate a large piece of pizza with no coke to wash it down.
DC
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er...
yeah.
ok, first of all. Once it gets into the song, the beat is WAY too cliche, and the sound is from the actual game boy, so it seems that both have been done before. Now for the organ part. Not sure where it came from. Though I like the dynamics with the crescendos and decrescendos, I'm not sure about the transition to and from it. They're in different keys. Usually you're supposed to modulate to and from, or at least put some sort of space in between that satisfies the listeners' ears and leaves them feeling peachy about the change in key. All in all, a very basic and beginning type of mix, though maybe some will love it. But I say NO for the previous reasons.
DC
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something else. I'm starting to wonder if DJP is not only giving us the tracks he is unsure about but also the ones that he's more than sure he doesn't want up there, but doesn't want to be the one to break it to the people who did them. Not sure. Anyway, these are just my thoughts.
Cotmm, in regards to your question, I'm pretty sure it's a default bass sound from Fruity Loops. Listen to Mellogear's Journey to Silius mix for reference.
DC
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I'd have to agree with Cotmm when he says NO and for mostly the same reasons. While, it's got potential (whether that's inherent in the original or in the mix, I don't know) it's very shoddily put together and VERY unpolished. Especially the ending. I've written music as have all of you. What happens when we get to a point in a song where we don't know where to go next? We either come up with an ending that usually sounds like crap or we just stop work on the song. And when we stop work on the song, what does the ending sound like? Like this. I say, once again, NO because it's unfinished and unpolished.
Please guys can we make a rule that the remix needs to be FINISHED before it can be submitted? I would really like to see this put into play because this is one of the biggest killers of a good song. The lack of ending. That sound like "well, this is all I have done now, so sorry it sort of drops off like that." I've seen the Beatles do this tastefully and a handful of others, but usually on a bonus track or something, not usually on the ONLY track there. Anyway, PLEASE consider changing your mind on this one. We have too many unfinished tracks on this site as it is.
DC
In case I hadn't made it clear, my vote is NO
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No, that's not quite what I meant AP. What I meant was, that while the game does include MOST of the theme, this remix doesn't. This remix isn't using a theme that is in the movie OR the game. Listen to the theme from your soundtrack then listen to this mix, and you'll notice a big difference. Then play the game and listen to the mix. Big differences again. I'm saying this piece could almost be claimed to be original because it's that different from the game AND the movie.
DC
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well actually, I've played that game in and out and while this music is sort of close kind of to the music from the game, I'm pretty sure it's not there. It's an interesting variation. The voice samples are from the game. So then we come to another issue, the idea of writing a song, that's mostly original, but because it contains snippets of music from a game or sound samples, might be considered a remix of that game? I say no. I say it's a nice cameo, but it's not the main thematic material. In this case we've got some bastardized version of the imperial theme that only hints at the beginnings of it. The REAL imperial theme has more than one section and goes on for a good bit past the "bum bum bum bum da bum, bum da bum." The in game theme is even MORE complex because as is true of most of the LucasArts games that had the iMUSE system, the music constantly changed depending on the scenario. So anyway, I'm gonna say no, and I hope some of you will consider that there is so little of the game music material in this mix that we don't just post it for it ALMOST sounding right...
DC
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I think he means "please"
DC
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It DOES sort of sound a bit too much like the original. Though there is something aurally pleasing about the bit at :47 but it lasts only 10 seconds. From what I've noticed in NSF files basslines are very complex and don't always work as well when put in terms of newer instruments. The thing to remember when remixing 8-bit tunes is that when the original composer chose the notes he did, it was most likely because he was constrained to 3 melodic tracks and a noise track, not because he would have chosen the same notes if he had been writing for an entire orchestra. That's why as a remixer you have to take some liberties with interpretation of the 8-bit tunes, you can't just take all the parts verbatim and add a drum track and call it improvement. In fact, sometimes people will end up preferring the original, because it's got the same stuff, but is more pure. Anyway, I'm off of my soapbox for now and this remix gets a no from me.
DC
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well it IS pretty minimalistic, but not really in the Philip Glass sense, but anyway, strange is not a reason to NOT have a song up here. I personally find great joy and satisfaction in Daknit's "Little Kids Can't Fly" despite its dissonant pangs. Anyway, yeah, this guy holds the attention with varied percussion where the melody would normally be the only thing of interest. Enough changes to keep it interesting the whole way through.
DC
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well not until 1:24 does the chord progression get right. I don't really mind it being done with organ or accordian or jewharp or whatever. Well the ending is kind of interesting with the cutoff and all... but...
ok
This would be an interesting experiment to turn into my composition instructor, but I don't think the writer really knew what was going on here as far as possible fugal episodes, or contrapuntal ideas are concerned, but maybe he does. Anyway, it's um... well it's different, but if it came down to artistic subjectivity, I'd just say it's not what we're looking for on this site, but that's just me. I'm gonna say no for the above reasons, not for the latter.
DC
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I um... ok
Yeah great mix, bravo etc.
I'm noticing a trend here. er... yeah. Don't know how to say this without sounding um...
right
ok
So why host the same file in two places?
That's my only question, and since no one's gonna vote no on this one, I'm gonna abstain.
DC
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yeah I should probably let people know the next time I don't feel like doing anything.......
Anyway, yes.
Keeps it interesting the whole way through, or at least as far as I've heard so far. I kept having to rewind it to just before :52 to hear the percussion come in the way it did at :52. Very cool. Layered originally and produced very well. The only thing I'd change was the end. I'd either add notes so that it held together better and didn't sound like multiple endings or add some sort of ambient sound to hold it together, just so the listener would know for sure what was going on. Anyway, that's all. Thumb up.
DC
*NO* Art of Fighting 'Rock Howard'
in Judges Decisions
Posted
Well, Malcos is right, and I'd have to agree with him on this. I could be biased because I happen to be a big fan of Robert Miles' "Children." Also there's the Star Wars mix. Now with that mix, most people could tell that it was TRYING to be the Imperial theme but just wasn't close enough to either the movie or the game. In this case... it's pretty much Robert Miles' "Children" with added material. And to add to that, I'd whip out "Children" on vinyl and play it on full volume a million times before I'd play this one. Except if maybe I wasn't sure that the quality of the original was as good as I thought, so then I'd play this just so I'd feel better when I heard the original again...
I'm not undivided about this, I'll admit, but I'm leaning heavily towards no for a few reasons. I recall a while back someone wanted someone to remix track 1 of the Goonies 2 game soundtrack, but it happened to be a chiptune variation of Cyndi Lauper's goonie them (I'm not sure if it actually had a name apart from "Theme from the goonies"), and no one really was interested in remixing a commercial tune even if it had been in a game. I'm gonna say no just on the basis that we're trying to stay away from commercial tunes in general. I would also have to argue that there are probably a larger number of people who have heard "Children" than the music from that level of that game so I think the first thing on the review boards would be "well I really wouldn't consider this a video game remix.... "
And lastly... I wouldn't say it's much of a remix. Besides the distorted power chords, and the very XG sounding drums, I don't hear a whole lot that differs from the original, except for that middle section that's obviously where the game was NOT taking from "Children." Between 1:06 and 1:45 and then again at 2:15 through 2:53 it just seems too unimpressive and standard, and then, as I already stated, the "children" parts are basically just the original with guitars and a rock beat placed over it. Now maybe I'm being too picky, but to me this doesn't stand out as a fine quality remix of anything. Maybe I'm too loyal to the original, but what I'm thinking is this:
Someone found an excuse to remix Robert Miles' "Children" and I think the thing that makes this mix great is what Miles did in 1996. So I say no to this rendition.
DC