The Vodoú Queen

Additional ears? You got it. I'm coming in cold on this one so you're going to get all of my impressions - not saying that all of this needs to be addressed to pass a resubmission, but hopefully you can make use of the brain dump.
The intro brings some really cool flavor - the noisy distorted elements remind me of Porter Robinson's Fellow Feeling (see the 3:00 mark if you're short on time.) If you're going for random blasts of noise, I think this works - if you're trying to make it sound like footsteps stomping through, it's not giving that impression at all because every stomp is exactly the same. There's no variation in the sample and it reaches uncanny valley territory fast when you play the sample multiple times in a row. This all boils down to what you are going for here, but either way, I think some subtle variation with each repetition of the sample/layer of samples (without knowing how you actually did this) would build immersion.
Some of your orchestral elements (flute, glock) are very resonant, oftentimes peaking at their fundamental frequency between 3-6db above everything else. The bells in the intro also feel comparably dry. This will probably get ironed out in your next pass, but I'm going to point it out anyway. The orchestral sequencing sounds workable for the most part, you're getting good mileage out of your samples. It's not the best but I do think you're using them effectively for the most part - the main areas that sound really noticeably fake are the half-step chromatic runs on the strings at times like 2:48. I just don't think the big ensemble patch moves fast enough to accommodate that writing, and would recommend adjusting the lead writing to fit better within the limitations of your samples.
I also feel like the intro could use some deeper sub bass presence. It's not that the stomps aren't contributing any bass frequencies, but a big cinematic sub drop or sustained bass to accompany the stomps (see Fellow Feeling) would make this feel much more dynamic, or have some risers building up tension in the low end leading into :49.
The decision to intersperse various melodic elements (glock, harmonic strings, cello) was a good one - otherwise, this intro would be way too long. It already feels a bit lengthy as-is, but those additions help pad it out quite a bit and justify the length. However, this gets to the problem of transitions and buildup, which I think is my biggest gripe currently. There is rarely much going on to signal that we're approaching a new musical idea, so even though you have some very dramatic changes throughout your arrangement (which are quite inspired and interesting, I must add!) they come on very suddenly. Cinematic risers, fills, sweeps, etc. are a part of this equation and could definitely be used to greater effect here to bridge your gaps, but there's another element I want to touch on: the idea of movement in your part writing.
You do a great job building atmosphere and have all the makings of a very dramatic song, but there's a lack of movement on a compositional level. When cinematic music is clicking well, composition and sound design have a lot of synergy. Right now, you are doing a good job building an interesting sound palette for each individual section, but the underlying chord progression feels weak. It hovers around the tonic chord for most of the time, and even when you do have chord changes, they don't feel properly supported with anything strong in the lower frequencies. This is where a bit of music theory troubleshooting could go a long way - your melody has many opportunities for powerful chord movements that build drama and tension, especially as you lead into new sections, but you're not fully capitalizing on that potential. I don't think it would even require changing up much fundamental about the rest of the parts; just identify the chord progression you're playing and make sure that there's strong support in the bass for whatever chord/root note you're trying to play. I don't know how else to suggest addressing this without studying up on some fundamentals of music theory, but certain chords just move naturally into others and can help you allude to future changes and help transition between vastly different musical ideas in a way that feels rewarding.
I think you're running up against some of the same problems I faced before I made the decision to finally start researching music theory. I had a conceptual idea in my brain for what each section of my song was supposed to do, and could support it in terms of selecting sounds and picking grooves/effects/etc., but it boiled down to luck whether or not it worked on a fundamental composition level, and I spun my wheels trying to fix that issue with every other production tool known to man.
I think if you were to pick an area to focus on, the big orchestral section starting at 2:36 would be where I'd focus my energy most. Everything else before and after that can skate by a little easier, but when you're trying to make a big melodic orchestral statement, the fundamentals need to be strong first. Figure out what chord you're playing on each measure and map them out in sequence using just a basic patch. I find that it helps to actually just plot my chord progressions out on piano so there's no temptation to get distracted by sound design. See if the song sounds strong and compelling when it's just played on a single instrument, and go from there.

Really hoping this one is eligible for OCR. Loving the Jungle/Breakbeat vibes, and it worked so well with the source material. ♥ Keep up the good work, and good luck on it getting through if you decide to submit it. :D

Hi VQ!
I’ll be giving this one a listen in full a few times, along with re-reading the judges’ feedback, before giving you some recommendations. It may take a bit, but don’t fret! - the goal is to improve and that’s what we’re gonna do!
Will likely need to edit this space several times, so I’ll make another comment once all the thoughts are put together!
- Opening SFX set the scene. Bar 9 (around :15) is when the mallet percussion and cello enter. The cello seems to be giving a low pad/bed for the percs to lay on; the reverb here is good, though the stomp sfx bury the instruments by about 1-2dB when they occur. I would recommend dropping the volume on the stomps at this point by about 3dB and see if that doesn't open the space up more for the melodic content to come.
- Around Bar 21 (:40), we've reached the transition to the A section of Blizzard Buffalo. The cello swells up to a peak around :44, and the sustain on the peak here softens the impact of Bar 25 (:48) where the A section kicks into gear. The sustain seems to be a combination of the reverb tail and compression on the low-end; automation on the reverb (decay first, and then the reverb bus as a whole) would be my first area to tackle.
- Bar 25 (:48) has harp (or pizz strings) running an arpeggio against the chords created by the perc, cello, and added violin(s), as well as the thunder sfx in the back. The reverb here is really strong, making the articulations on the strings harder to distinguish. The instruments feel stacked on the center channel as well; I would consider spreading the percs suuuuper wide to free up some space for the arpeggio. The cello will maintain its center channel position throughout to give a solid foundation, and a slight widening of the violins will also help give some room for the arpeggio.
- Bar 41 (1:21) has a wonderful solo violin swell! This is good dynamics here! The reverb level is appropriate given the space it's filling out, however, it's worth automating the level of it down for the next section at Bar 45 (1:28) since the soundscape is about to be more dense with instruments. I would also keep the violin center here, even if you panned the violins earlier.
- Bar 45 (1:28) trades the mallet percussion for a piccolo and adds a muted piano(?), with bells at Bar 59 (1:56). The first bell strike comes in late (about 50-60ms after the rest of the orchestra) and makes its addition feel awkward until the tempo change around Bar 60 (1:58). This combined with the reverb still being too high in this section makes distinguishing the individual parts harder, just as before. Before we look at addressing the EQ of the reverb, let's see if we can't fix it by adjusting (and automating) the verb's output volume first.

Heya Seth, here's my thoughts on it so far:
 
Arrangement-wise -- right off the bat, @ ~ 00:48, the two distinct genres between your EDM and Industrial / change-up jarred me. IMO, they both work separately but not together. I think if you were to introduce your remix with the slow dance-like beat, and then rise it up to the hype / fast-paced beat, it would work better. Perhaps start with the violin, drop it for the plucky synths, and then re-introduce it later on in a sort of interlude / mixing the two genres, before the end? That might make your groove feel more fluid and coherent between the two styles employed here. Instrument/Mixing-wise -- I had no issues with your synths, really. I found them all to be nice-sounding in timbre and appropriate, even though they might be a little basic, but I am unsure if that is because these are still your stems from your original work from 2016 project, or because you had to rework/rebuild this from scratch and some of the sounds are currently placeholder. The plucky synth around 00:15 is a bit soft as well, but unsure how mixed this remix is currently...or how far in production. However, everything sounds clear, I love the vol raise and contrast you have with the additional synth playing the same melody with the plucky synth, and your bass and kick/drums are hella groovy. :)  
Hope this all helps. :D I look forward to hearing more work on this. :3 Good luck with it! o/

I only now realized I got another wooden spoon to my proud collection in the final round ?

Great use of effects! The vocal stuttering was cool and fit this remix well!

What an experience!  I didn't realize how long this was until I finished, it uses the time well!  Superb. 

This song was such a trip.  I was never sure what direction the remix was going to go.  What a wild ride!

Great fun and a super enjoyable! That's Elizabeth Fraser, isn't it? ?

The bass in this remix is super ultra cool.

Voted. ♥ :)

Voted. ♥ :)

Voted! ^_^
100% agree with Seph on every one of these, (so, ditto!) I wanna see them on dat Panel and passing!
I LOVED every single one of them, (and all of y'all are killin' it.) ♥
Looking forward to the Final Round! :D

Voted! ^_^
100% agree with Seph on every one of these, (so, ditto!) I wanna see them on dat Panel and passing!
I LOVED every single one of them, (and all of y'all are killin' it.) ♥
Looking forward to the Final Round! :D

This round is another hard one to vote! Both teams brought forth polished mixes and executed really creative ideas.
Infected Waters: Psytrance heaven! The gated vocal, triplet transitions, and distinct sections make this a wonderful listen. The Bloody Tears motif from Purification comes through strongly even with the syncopated line, and the Maridia theme holds tightly throughout the piece.
Pure Zebes: Enya vibes proudly on display! Despite having zero melodic correlation to it, this piece would feel right at home in RuneScape - I’m attributing that to the instrumentation (flutes and strings and pads over light percussion). Both themes are strong throughout; the 3/4 meter helps bring both ideas together.
Livin' Out Our Last Days: It's Metroidvania but if the Gorillaz did it! I love nothing more in a mashup than taking the structure of one piece and applying the melodic and harmonic content of another to it, and this track does exactly that - Feel Good, Inc is clearly the template here. I'm hearing Overture in the "theme"/verse riff and Tallon in the choruses. The organic instruments (guitars, bass, and vocals) are well performed, and the mix is tight.
Cruisin' Down Overture Blvd in the Depths of Tallon Traffic: Synthwave magic! That Tallon bassline rides through the whole piece and never once gets stale. Love the way the melody trades Overtune and Tallon back and forth, and the little chromatic splashes here and there keep the lead interesting.
Smoke and Marbles: Live jazz club sound! Great mix on the quartet throughout - the lead trade between piano and guitar on the Marble Gallery theme is brilliant. Bass and drums hold the groove tight. Environmental Mystery as the bridge is another brilliant choice for such a short source.
Gallery of Mysteries: Progressive metal time! Periphery and Tigran Hamasyan meet a sort of Darude vibe on the intro. Lots of time signature shifts for those wanting to count - 4/4, 5/8, 7/8, 5/16... math music nerds, get in the comments! Love the use of Environmental Mystery as the arp throughout the piece.
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Great job everyone! As with round 1, I can't wait to see these pass the panel!

man i would love to be part of this but my schedule might be packed! if anybody's interested in a collaboration partner born before 1999 i'm down!
edit: stuff i can contribute as a collab partner can be seen on my OCR profile!
edit 2: if anybody's down for collabing with me on a Deep Rock Galactic or a One Step from Eden remix please hit me up! i would love to do arrangements of either game and i will move heaven and earth to make time in my schedule to do one, but i might need some help!

@colorado weeks I would LOVE to do Deep Rock if my schedule allows!!
(Would also like to do my own if I have time)

Won't say much here, considering the circumstances and can give in-depth feedback on each track if people would like me to (on here or Discord)...
...However, I wish both teams great luck, and Team Whips--lots of love and I'm cheering over here with pom-poms, for real. Unconditional support all around. :) *hugs*
Also...Dracula Flow. ♡ *kiss*

Won't say much here, considering the circumstances and can give in-depth feedback on each track if people would like me to (on here or Discord)...
...However, I wish both teams great luck, and Team Whips--lots of love and I'm cheering over here with pom-poms, for real. Unconditional support all around. :) *hugs*
Also...Dracula Flow. ♡ *kiss*

Glad to see this one finally make the light of day. ...Well deserved.
@aeroprism @colorado weeks
I had expressed before in GSM1 how much I loved this song, and I'll reiterate it again here. Congrats to you both, esp. Seb, for becoming a new ReMixer. If y'all do revisit it (and hope so) would be lovely to hear the extra take.
GL. HF. Hugs all around. Nice work. ♡

@Eino Keskitalo I had to look her up... XD Actually, the vox samples for this remix are from places like Cakewalk/BandLab, so I do not know necessarily where they originate from, but...now Imma research up on Elizabeth just to see (curiosity)! :P So, it might be!
Thank you kindly and so much for the comment, and glad you enjoyed it! ♡ :D

Glad to see this one finally make the light of day. ...Well deserved.
@aeroprism @colorado weeks
I had expressed before in GSM1 how much I loved this song, and I'll reiterate it again here. Congrats to you both, esp. Seb, for becoming a new ReMixer. If y'all do revisit it (and hope so) would be lovely to hear the extra take.
GL. HF. Hugs all around. Nice work. ♡

Haha!!--another one of the FFVIII OST I very much looked forward to hearing the remix of, "The Legendary Beast" is another that's been duly given its shine by those who made it.
The fact that Earth Kid recites the *actual* in-game dialogue throughout, with all the full level and extent of fervor, showmanship and fun I always expect out of her vocal performances? Even better. From Ultimecia to Ultimecia, girl, I can tell you put your absolute ALL into this, and it not only surprised me, but damn...it reflects the lighter-voiced psychotic, chaotic nature of her character to a T. ♥
As usual, Zack and Viking has 'dem axes on pure CHUGG MODE, and I love it. The acoustics were the chef's kiss, honestly, and the synths glorious--couldn't (and wouldn't) expect less for the source covered here. Both parts of Ultimecia's fight done for the album were spectacular, made even more lovely by the fact her 3-part boss encounter is one of my favorites in the whole of the FF series (besides Kefka's and Zeromus'). My hats off to the chefs, and Devil horns all around. :)
Nothing more to say here other than "keep 'em coming". ;)
Huzzah for everyone on the SeeDs album--you all absolutely fucking ROCK. :D

Massive respect to everyone who reviewed every track from this huge round! Wow! Thanks for all the nice comments. I sure intend to finish my track. It would be nice to get posted in 2025, come to think of it ?
I'm proud of every wooden spoon I've received from PRC! (And I'll be honest, my ego is inflated seeing myself so high up in the hall of fame ?) Such good times! Once again a big thanks to Bundeslang for running the compo for so long.
Congrats to coloradoweeks! That's some saccharine Shimomura right there ?

so, shout out to Hemo and HoboKa letting me know on two separate occasions during MAGFest (sorry, the internet was bad!) that my silly little city pop romp won this round of PRC. thank y'all so much for the love! it was my first time attempting the genre for a track from a silly game that meant so much to me. i'm sending all of my love to you, suspended on silver wings! you all did such amazing tracks.
i've been thinking about my winner's pick for quite a bit. while it was tempting to suggest another city pop-leaning piece (lookin' at you, hazure02!) i wanted something sentimental, something to spark inspiration while we're all feeling sentimental.
my source pick is "the afternoon streets" from kingdom hearts, by Yoko Shimomura.
midi download link (VGMusic): https://www.vgmusic.com/file/12681e383f82817929690513b1ea8f39.html
hope to see you all around! keep making bangers!