MartinH

https://youtu.be/_Nfd1jO1JQ4 Since my completion of Mega Man 3 Full Remixed Soundtrack I often thinking about doing something like that again - one complete soundtrack. During my work on this remix I really got fired up about doing that all over again. Mega Man 2 is the MM game I played the most as a kid, even more than MM3 I think. Despite that I totally forgot what order to bring those robot masters down. But damned, did they have some cool themes. Anyway, I wanted the first section to sound a bit like a 80s creamy and romantic scene, thought a lot about colors as pink, deep blue, neon purple and so on. So from the opening to the title, a SFX sounding like a screaming machine, just like some kind of aerial strike alarm from the future, then go straight to the original title theme. I believe that's one of the most classic themes in the whole Mega Man franchise. After that I made some spinoff to the title theme with a close variation at half tempo (I need those half tempo sections in ALL of my remixes) ending up with a more atmospheric and delicate melancholic section (I think the chord progression is inspired by some of Dream Theater's work). Then I bring that original section that I can't remember ever listening to, I guess I was to eager to press start and begin the actual gameplay that I missed that cool part of the song. Continuing as the original, however instead of end the song just like the original - I inserted a short pause and took my MM3 title theme ending and put it in here too ending the whole song with that long string chord. For you who's interested, since the Snow Mountain remix from SM64 I have lowered the frequency of my music from 440 hz to 432 hz to get closer to the natural frequencies of earth and at what music in the passed was set. 432 hz have a lot of sayings and theories, but one thing I can say for certain is that when listening to something at 432 hz instead of 440 hz, I feel way more relaxed and balanced. Can you feel any difference?

https://youtu.be/1Bnz6yZf67g I've got so many alternatives for this year's Halloween remix. I'm not sure why I didn't write one of all those, the Twisted Mansion just called out to me in the last minute. And since I love Mario Kart games and all of the soundtracks from them I just couldn't resist making. The original first seemed messy and unstructured, but when I really started to listen to it my first impression was the complexity of harmonics and layered melodies. But it all winded up pretty darn genious when I got a bit into it. I felt it was a challenge, and at the same time very joyful to write it down and make my own interpretation. The most time consuming part ion making Twisted Mansion was the instrumentation and modification of all instruments. As you can hear there are several instruments I never used before, like the first classic spooky melody, the female choir, pizzicato strings, staccato strings and not least the pipe organ. When I use new instruments I need to set them up pretty thoughroly to make them fit in the total soundscape as to speak. Much tweaking with equalizers, attack, delay, sustain and release. At the end, it felt really great to be on time with this Halloween remix, because I really thought I would be awfully late xD So what saved me... yeah I got THE WORST MANCOLD, as usual at this time of the year when my kids started school and so. I got to rest at home, and dedicated many hours into making this remix, it was worth it! I hope this get you in the mood for Halloween! I won't go into how I build it up and commenting on sections this time, I'm just gonna let you listen and discover things for yourself. Take care folks, it would be the world to me if you listened and shared this with friends! Thank you so much ❤️ /Neon X

https://youtu.be/DiNE7keAT_E Finally finished this banger track! First of all, thank you for your patience, I know it goes too long between releases right now. I think that will be changed anytime soon since I'm off my current workplace by the end of october. And that also reminds me of that this year's Halloween remix will be a late one I'm afraid. Sewer Surfin' was not quite planned to create at this time, but when I listened to it a couple of times I came into the right mood and got very inspired by it's high pace and rock n' roll sound. I really hope I managed to capture all that, at least I tried, along with keeping the original parts close to the actual original. I must say, it was a lot of fun and developing taking this one on. Learned some new stuff in my DAW and also further developed some of my standard instruments used in my remixes. Thank you all for listening! /Neon X

https://youtu.be/q3skfM-cH9Y A game I almost forgot until a couple of years was Little Nemo Dream Master. The first stage, Mushroom Forest, had such an unforgetable theme and it brings back both feelings and memories I also think it has this melancholic amtosphere which I believe comes from the harmony in the chords that's used. Another thing I loved with this stage was the big mushrooms and enemies lurking around in that dark forest. It really fits into what is supposed to mimic the dreams of Nemo. Of course I remember one more thing, this game was dead hard. I didn't manage to get through many stages, but I really wish I had because I heard the ending is great. Did you guys beat this game? As you can hear I made some difference in the chord progression in the first section, starting with minor chords instead of major. It gave a bit of a new atmosphere with just a little distance to the original. The bass line is very influenced by one of my favourite synthwave artists/producers - Mitch Murder. Listen to the song Assembly Line and you hear nothing but perfection in sense of production, mixing and quality. The perfect reference music if you're looking for a clean sound. I hope that I could come close to that some day! I was fooling around with a distorted lead sound during the creation of this remix, and at the same time was a bit inspired by metal (which I listened to a lot in the past). This resulted in the section starting at 1:11 (right after a heavy metal inspired solo) with double bass drums following what sounds like down tuned distorted guitars/basses in a not so common but hot rhythm. The forest ambience sound is found on freesound.org and contributes to the total atmosphere of forestness. I hope you enjoy this one! Maybe not a very common game, but I played it at some friends houses and liked the music back then as much as I do now. Hope it can bring back some memories of yours too! /Neon X

https://youtu.be/dFGHPBSCf8U Hey guys! This was a really delayed remix due to IRL schedule being too much lately. I'm never satisfied with some of my remixes and could rewrite or add new stuff for months before feeling that it is complete. But we all know we need to leave some ideas behind and just be happy with what we got at the moment. I'm suspecting this could be a song I'll come back to in the future when I really starting re-remixing my older songs. Starting just like the original with part 8-bit drums, and part ordinary drums. Then halfing the already fast tempo by adding my usual snare and taking back the 8-bit one. Then when the original loop ends I've added a fresh solo/melody over the original chord progression. After that I take the intensity down a bit with a Steely Dan inspired part followed by my usual atmospheric part (where I use one of my latest syntesizers for that tenor sax) with a smooth jazz-ish section. Back to the original chord progression with a solo that's actually a melody from the original song. You can hear it in the background a bit in with an oboe sounding brass instrument (not sure exactly what instrument it's supposed to be). I end the remix by repeating the main theme followed by strings and tenor sax at descending tempo.

https://youtu.be/FYVmcrusVok Quick remix with a new synthesizer that combines and resurrects the sounds of the tape replay keyboard Chamberlin (from the 1950s) and the Mellotron (one of the first samplers). Starting with that classic guitar arpeggio we all remember from Kakariko Village, I used the sound of a 12-string dreadnought guitar. First melody section is played by a tenor saxohpone, very 1950-60s. I couldn't resist putting in some drum beats here and there. Second melody section is played by a clarinet and a flute, backed up by an ambient harp. Then a simple short solo with my signature lead before ending the song with another ambient harp playing melody over that first same ambient harp. I tried to end it with the feeling and vibes of a lullaby. That's why I chose the background art, made by a cool guy from DeviantArt: https://www.deviantart.com/rainbowphilosopher Ocarina of Time had an initial experience I don't think any game after could achieve. It was that groundbreaking technical and graphical step everyone had been waiting for. We all had dreamed of a Zelda adventure in an (almost) open world 3D game. Ocarina of Time fulfilled many of our dreams. Critics we're amazed, players we're having their time of their lives, saving Zelda and facing Ganon was on a whole new level now. I too experienced this, from loving A Link To The Past so much, into this was just amazing. I don't think there ever have been a jump of experience from an era to another like it was from SNES to N64. So much happened here. This remix was not intended to go as one of my ordinary releases, just like a fooling-around-with-a-new-synthesizer. I hope you like it anyway guys! Good night, Neon X

https://youtu.be/dRG3V8c1j4M An incredible underrated theme from the latest DKC that was released on Super Nintendo back in the days. I invested in a symphonic synthesizer a while ago. This is the first song I use it for where all strings, harps and xylophones comes from that. The style of this remix is really standing out from the rest you're used to hear from me. It's more inspired by my classical and cinematic side, which really is what I've grown up with since both my parents practiced classical music. I wanted to try it out for a variation to the synthwave I usually do. I hope this can set you in the mood it was intended for - mystical, beautiful and haunting. DKC3 is an amazing edition among Donkey Kong games, even without the musical genious of David Wise in this piece, Eveline Fischer did such a good job in finding the atmosphere and harmony for an underwater stage. One of my favourite underwater themes out there, no doubt. I focused a lot on the chords and harmony in this one, which is best represented from 1.30 until the end which I especially wish for you guys to listen to, it's for you! When I listen to it myself I realize I took much inspiration from the cinematic music of Skyrim

https://youtu.be/w6l0ClbHUNo First thing, I actually mained Sagat for a while in SFIV when it was new, back in 2009-2010 ish. Loved that round house kick into ultra, and man did he hit hard. He was really strong in vanilla SFIV. Before starting this project on Sagat's theme I remembered since I was a kid that this song had this odd time signature, meaning you can't keep diggging to it like those straight beat songs. This goes into one of the most unusual time signatures ever heard in a video game song - 11/8. I knew from start that I was gonna change some chords here and there and keep the melody true to the original. I also knew I wanted to use the sharp marimbas I used in Distant Thunder (Secret of Mana). This is therefore applied here and there in this remix. This theme has a nice ambient touch to it, I love the pluck played in the background during most parts of the song. I found a pad sounding like a soft ambient horn which I modified to playing chords in some of the calm parts, and also remodified it to play some cool melody parts, for example the very last notes you hear in this remix. It took a while to put this together, not only because of the odd time signature, but also because the original is not very varying. I know I have done a lot with other songs without variation, but it was harder thanks to this time signature. Every bar is longer and the melody and ideas didn't come very natural (much easier with normal bars in time signatures like 4/4 or 3/4). But enough with that time signature, yes it did affect a lot. /Neon X

https://youtu.be/DFi1biixRFY It took some guts for me to start creating this. The song is kinda hard and I wanted to stay really close to the original since it's already so good and chill. Everytime I see or read something about Secret of Mana this song pops up in my head instantly along with Into The Thick if It (which I might actually do soon as well). My biggest challenge with this one was the drums, both rhythmically and soundwise. I tweaked, adjusted EQ, tone, and kind of everything else. But I'm happy how they turned out! Also that marimba lines, it took a while to find a good base instrument from which I modified to this current sound. It wasn't actually a marimba sound, it was more like a typical electronic pluck sound. However, it turned out quite good as well. I kept many of the instruments at a "dry" level, took away most reverb and delay, except from the lead melody. And then my fatter synthwave parts where the reverb and delay peaks at huge levels. I love reverb I also put an overdrive effect onto the bass which gave more life, more dang and way more punch. I liked that a lot and will be reusing that one a lot in future remixes! It was pure joy creating this one, I really love the original and hope you like it too, the orignal as well as my remix.

https://youtu.be/rbrB1sHScyw This theme has so much potential. Did I manage to bring forth some of that potential? I'm really not sure. It was hard taking this forward, both musically and soundwise. Not matter what, I did bring it together and share it with you, and I'm happy how it turned out. I put a waste lot of time on the original parts, not sure why and what I really got out of that, it just happened. My own composition at 1:27 to 1:57, especially the first part was heavily inspired by a song from the 80s progressive rock band "It Bites", which I listened a lot to back in the days, and recently listen to a lot. Just love their first two or three albums. My initial plan for this remix was one of a very synthwavey sound, which is most represented in 0:38 through 1:02, then my plan got smashed by other ideas. However, I think a 100% synthwave version of this theme would fit very well. One day I might get back to this (with better skills in music and production) and synthwave the heck out of it. I think this is a starting point for doing more Mega Man X themes in a near future!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhWbZ2IMwS4 On January 1st I was thinking about what remix I should initiate the new year with. I've had my mind on the Super Mario Galaxy series now and then, listened to the OST a lot, just love the music. I never had the Nintendo Wii nor Switch, so I actually never played any of those 3D Mario games. One day I will, for sure, because they sound and look amazing. Initially I had a hard time coming up with any natural compositions for extending this original tune, but after hours of thinking and versions of any kind, I finally came up with something to work from (1:05) outside the original. At times like this, when I never played the game, I always do a little research about the original song, when it is played and what happens when it plays. I got a really good feeling watching some gameplay from the Star Festival and the purpose of it - once every 100 years Star a comet passes by and release Star Bits. The Mushroom Kingdom celebrates this festive event by gathering in the castle garden outside Peach's castle to collect these Star Bits, then combines them into a grand star which is brought into the castle. Mario is of course invited to this rare festival. I just love how they built up the little town in which the festival is held. It's so cosy and just screams of Toads celebration and starry vibes. Another place I noticed the original theme was played in, was in the end associated to when Rosalina appears, which is such an amazing character. I just had to put her in the video background, got some really melancholic and nostalgic feels when she appeared in that final scene. I guess I got some kind of crush on her Oh, I actually tried to reproduce the melancholic and nostalgic feel at 1:32 to 2:24. I definitely will play her the next time I take a Mario Kart 8 race at one of my friends' house. I really enjoyed creating this one, I hope you all enjoy listen to it! Or play to it or whatever you do Cheers, Neon X

https://youtu.be/I5QOhGgKSQA One of the hardest decisions of the year, what christmas holiday special should I do?? I'm not sure I even did one last year, I think I worked on the title theme from Yoshi's Island but couldn't release it in time for christmas. I was more prepared this year, starting up much earlier. Since the start of my new job assignment I don't have much time left for this kind of fun stuff. But I woke up one day and had the nastiest of mancolds I could think of. I took the opportunity of more time for writing on my remix, and here we are. Released in good time for christmas. Yay So what about the choice of song. I always liked the Mario games winter stage themes, many of them so happy and kind of cute. Frappe Snowland, which I have raced so many times when N64 was the latest technology, I couldn't resist doing something with it. It's also the theme of the Sherbet Land course, I think both is represented in later Mario Kart games. Besides the happy melody, I wasn't sure how to make it sound more "christmacy", but I did some new stuff for the song, put a shimmering bell in here and there, and a tambourine sounding kind of similar to the traditional christmas bells you can hear in songs like Jingle Bells. At the same time, I didn't want it to sound too much christmas, I want it to be good for all around the year, and maybe be played whenever you want another race in your local Mario Kart winter course even if it's hot and sunny. Of course I also wrote a more ambient part, half tempo with variants of some melodies and a very echoed and delayed solo (love writing that stuff). This is the kind of song I have so many ideas for, still wondering if I shouldn't have put more variations to this, ideas just keep spinning. But I'm just gonna be happy with the song as it is right now. I have come to the point when I've gone through so many great themes in video games, I begin to feel like I need to re-remix them all xD Much has happened to my skills and way of working with remixes since I first started two years ago. Themes I did two years ago will sound so much different now, for sure. What do you think of that idea? Is it crazy re-remixing something from the past? Or could it be cool to see how it would end up today? For now, I wish you all a lovely december, I hope you can enjoy some of my music and maybe come to think of some good old memories it brings to you. /Neon X

https://youtu.be/bO0ZfoGJ5RQ Since my new job assigment started I've had 2 hours less time per day for doing this, hopefully 3 weeks won't be my new upload frequency. This song, however, didn't speak to me like most songs usually do, and by that I mean I can always hear new and extended parts in my head before writing it. I had to fight this one to get the composing going which also affected the time before completion. Hardest part of this remix was the intro, yeah really. Not sure why, I think I wrote 3-4 different intros before just picking one, maybe I'll use the others for another remix who knows! Another hard part was the drums, which is quite the fast beat but it's so chill at the same time, something about those drums in the original. I chose to half the tempo and also rewriting the bass line except for some buildups in my remix where I think the bass line fits perfectly. Oh, and the ending chill synthwave also got that fast original bass line, gave a special atmosphere to it which I definitely will try in many future remixes! Other than that I felt like this went into the category of remixes that could be remixed and rewritten in so many different verions. I'm not sure if that's a good idea for a project sometime, doing the same song in like five completely different versions. Could be interesting! Might try it when I get back my 2 hours a day (that goes to driving to work right now).

https://youtu.be/Nw1CIsfYfo0 The winner of my poll for this upload was DKC2 which contains so many great songs, David Wise is a very talented composer indeed. I didn't plan on doing this particular song, I had thought about Lockjaw's Saga for a while. When I listened through the DKC2 OST I got some ideas for Lockjaw but this one, Flight of the Zinger, just spoke to me in another way I couldn't resist. So haunting, yet so beautiful, fits so well to the stage's surroundings. This remix kind of includes and embodies the current thoughts and feelings I carry inside me at the moment. Anxiety for having less time with my family (by driving 2 hours a day to work), the bad conscience when I can't put as much time on what I love the most (family and music), a bit of fear from starting a new assignment (it's always there, when going into something unknown). But as much as I feel that, I had a blast writing this remix, amazing original song that gave me many cool ideas to choose from. It also encourages to never give up what you really love despite how hard it could be to accomplish that. What did you feel when you listened to this? What memories do you have from this game? Thanks for listening! /Neon X

https://youtu.be/FSBk0q9sN0c It has been a while since I released something. This remix is meant to be some kind of contribution to Halloween 2022, this particular song has been planned since last year (a suggestion from one of my best friends). It's this time of the year once again, the world has changed very much since last time. And I want to dedicate this remix to what has become of the world this passed year. A quote from Dracula by Bram Stoker: “It is a strange world, a sad world, a world full of miseries, and woes, and troubles. And yet when King Laugh come, he make them all dance to the tune he play. Bleeding hearts, and dry bones of the churchyard, and tears that burn as they fall, all dance together to the music that he make with that smileless mouth of him. Ah, we men and women are like ropes drawn tight with strain that pull us different ways. Then tears come, and like the rain on the ropes, they brace us up, until perhaps the strain become too great, and we break. But King Laugh he come like the sunshine, and he ease off the strain again, and we bear to go on with our labor, what it may be.” I'm getting references to the real world and what it is as we speak, and maybe always is, behind the scenes and curtains. Many leaders and powerful people (not all of them of course) keep ignoring what happens in the world because of their personal goals they think are optimal only for themselves. Sometimes it goes way too far, and a whole nation is affected in ways that might not be restored even in hundreds of years to come. The people of the nation might be told that there is good in what the leaders decide and that their world will be a much better place. King Laugh comes and gives them hope and trust. 6 months later the nation has been cut off from the world completely, and their leader's closest followers drop off one by one. A future of pain, agony and loss is inbound, and the people of the nation almost if forced to leave their homes, their cities, and even their country. This only because of ONE HUMAN BEING. So unfair. I usually don't bring up this kind of subjects but I just can't shut up on what's happening. But what about the music? It's really inspired by what's happening in the world. Inflation is almost all-time high (for as long as I've lived), food and electricity is at peak levels in costs, my country's currency is all-time weak. It's hard times, very hard times. Halloween is coming up, and I got myself a new synthesizer (with a really nice pipe organ, listen for it at the intro and outro). There is tons of synth sounds from Jean Michel Jarre's Oxygene and Equinoxe albums as well, really cool! The original song is first heard in Castlevania from NES, but returns in several other Castlevania games. It's a great song with surprisingly many sections. Oh, and I found a really disgusting female demon scream you can hear in the intro right after the pipe organ section. I would prefer to never enter a house and hear that scream. My own half tempo section with the solo is all in influenced by the present world and musically influenced by Dream Theater, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and the soundtrack of Unreal Tournament 2004. It's the same kind of chord progression I used in the last section of Bowser's Castle from Mario Kart 64. A really mysterious and dark atmosphere, nothing but minor chords which kind of says it all. I don't want to sound too depressing though, and finished off with a classic sus-major chord from the pipe organ, just like in many psalms, chorals, hymns or whatever. There is still hope! And never shall we give up the world, and how we want it to be. A happy place, where all are friends and acting with respect and love for others. *blink*