Don't post here often, but I go through the forums every once and a while to download remixes I like for my iTunes. I found your old version a while back and rated it 4/5 stars, so I'm looking forward to the update.
Also, I'm no music expert, but I do listen to a lot of game remixes.
Thoughts on old version:
- I love the opening
- The main theme of the song isn't really my style which is why I probably gave it 4 instead of 5.
- The breakdown in the middle is fantastic.
- Love the use of 'wubs' or 'silences' or whatever you'd call them in the first half of the song, it adds some needed variety.
- The part where it picks up pace and and has that ambient sound in the back is also really good and builds up nicely to the pokemon sound (I believe you said that was what that was). The pokemon sound is just strange and pitched right to not grate the ears, and I personally like having it in the remix.
- Then it goes back to the main theme, which seemed to be lacking in some way, and then finally the song has the cool outro.
Now with that being said (and after just listening to the old one), here's my thoughts on the new one:
- The drums just sound flat or something, especially when starting up around 1:23 where it gets a little distracting. (on further listening, I like the 'bassy' drum hit, but the higher pitched one sounds out of place for the tone of the song)
- Don't like the drums at 2:02, again they sound flat and seem to cut off, I guess so did the old ones but they sounded more in place with the song (less intrusive).
- The cymbal at 2:10 seems way out of place to me
- Pokemon sound is now ear grating, I think the old one was perfect.
Overall, I think what is clashing is the use of realistic sounding instruments with the weird bassy techno style the song seems to be going for. In the previous version the percussion seemed to be muted and in the background. They did need a little work because they sounded fake, but now they're too real . I do like the leveling and base improvements though.
I do very much like the arrangement, which I guess means something since I have never heard the original soundtrack that this is based on.