Jason Covenant - Pokey the Choker (Pokey & Gades)
I definitely enjoy the chill/fun mood in this piece, and I feel you used the source material generally very well. For me, when Gades comes through at around 0:55, I would've enjoyed for the strings to have more texture and crescendi. It seems to function as a mini-breakdown and introduction of Gades, but I think that as the melody changes there's an opportunity for the instrumentation to change slightly (let the strings help tell the story). Just a personal inclination. Thereafter, everything's fun and groovy again, but around 2:17 it all becomes a little repetitive. Maybe having Gades' theme take the reigns back again would've added variety.
MindWanderer - Mother of Sinistrals ~ Lament (Gades & Pokey)
There are some cool things going on in here. I actually really like the structure of this piece. Both themes are used frequently and often, and with variation in notes and/or instrumentation. If given live instruments and top notch samples, the composition here could really shine through. I'll admit, I was intimidated by the length of the track and expected some cut and paste, but you definitely kept things interesting. I honestly love the idea of (what sounds like) a saxophone solo thrown in there, and I genuinely like the symmetry of having the piece begin and end more or less the same.
Xenonetix - A Demon's Executor (Shadar & Sherincal)
I really like how you took parts of the brass from Icewind Dale and the strings from Ni No Kuni to make a somewhat combined ostinato. However, where in Icewind Dale that brass part is used sparingly to create action and, at times, syncopation against other parts, in your piece it creates a slightly frantic mood, but maybe that was exactly what you were going for. It's fortunate that both themes begin and center around a P5 (sometimes augmented 5th) interval, it allows you to reference both simultaneously. I enjoy what you do at ~1:12, bringing in the trem. doublebass to reference the tail-end of Icewind Dale. It's my favorite part of the piece and it establishes some nice tension. Unfortunately, the ending feels abrupt and as though you weren't sure how to finish it.
Ghetto Lee Lewis - Gratuitous Sax and Violins (Sherincal & Shadar)
Oh, god. This is so... ... awesome. Way to completely change the mood. Haha, I'm so taken aback. Ok, so you obviously focused far more on taking only the melodies from each piece and making them fit the feeling you wanted. Which can be awesome or lack lustre depending on who's voting, I suppose. I love the way you implemented the Ni No Kuni theme around 1;09, it sounds very motown-ish. I feel like I'm watching the opening to "In the Heat of the Night" (I'm old i__i) albeit less bluesy. The percussion, bass, etc. are all done very nicely and really like the way it ends. I'm taking a note from this to flip more songs on their heads, that's probably more toward the point of remixing in the first place.
Has the remix album been posted? I've tried looking for it but I haven't had any luck. I'm excited to hear everyone's interpretations. Also, grats to the winners!
