smh

I just went through my projects folder and found a bunch of brief outtakes or ideas for DKC remixes, some which were for this project. http://home.no/qaid/minecart.ogg I was supposed to remix mine cart at one point. As you can hear, I didn't get very far. http://home.no/qaid/factory.mp3 I started a fear factory mix, but then quit after 4 bars when I heard gray's version of the theme. I still like the percussion in this though. http://home.no/qaid/ShiddyMines.mp3 A mines WIP. I did the ambient intro, Protricity did the wacky synthpop part. http://home.no/qaid/icecaves.mp3 This is labeled as an ice caves remix but it wasn't to the point where any recognizable theme was in it. And some random DKC2 things I found: http://home.no/qaid/brambles.ogg http://home.no/qaid/dkclava.mp3

Regardless, the remix of it is among my top 5 favorites from the CD! now see i didn't know there were five songs that had real guitar. The "real guitar" in my song is hardly real guitar though. I chopped up my recording into separate chords and used them as normal samples in a sampler.

I'd just like to take the time to point out that Treetop Rock is the absolute worst source material I have ever worked with in my entire remixing career. I don't know what posessed me to think I could make a song out of it. At least the two levels in the game that used it were fun...

hooray! i can now go down into the OCR history books, having named this remix.

i was pushing star to finish this even when it was back in a fledgling state. i really enjoy how star is one of very few people who are trying to break the boundaries between game music and pop music. very inspired, very good work. oh, and he showed me the submission email awhile back. i laughed for an hour or more. djp ought to post it

http://rks.no-ip.com/~protricity/DKC2%20Redux/Ogg/Protricity_-_Journey_Through_the_Mines_DKC2_Redux.ogg

Protricity does downtempo...and he does it damn well. Over the past few weeks this has become my favorite of all of Ari's songs. The production is really professional. The song, despite being 6 and a half minutes, never drags or repeats too much, which I think is its strongest virtue. The instruments are selected nicely to give a sort of spring/summer vibe to a song that was originally much more haunting. This song is close to perfect, but it gets a 9/10 for being less varied melodically in the second half while the heavier drums are playing. From this point on, one of the main melodies in the song (the one starting at 1:25) is never revisited, so the song starts getting a bit more repetetive and never matches the diversity of the first half. Also, I think the heavy drum beat could be a bit lower in the mix or else have a different tone so that it isn't so overpowering.

I can see why this is a borderline arrangement. The dissonance at the beginning, while not completely horrible, just doesn't sit well with me. There are a vast number of arpeggios that would sound better over the pedal point than the ones that were chosen here. The first section is well played and has energy, but it doesn't introduce any interesting variation on the theme. The bassline with the octaves is cool at first but gets tiring after a while. I'd like to hear this piece played with some more interesting harmonies or a more dynamic bassline. This interpretation offers neither. The second half is superior in terms of arrangement. However, several times it strays so far from the original theme that I barely remember what I am listening to. The arranger has shown their talent at creating a fleshed out arrangement on the piano, but now they must work on finding the right balance between the original material and their own variation, rather than displaying the two extremes separately. I give this a 6/10, but encourage the artist to continue working on their formula, as it holds much potential.

actually the original song switches off like that

i already gave this song a lengthy review over at vgmix, but i'd just like to repeat my statement that i am completely humbled by this mix. i wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone. sure, it may not sound professional, but that's not the point. this guy knows how to bring out the right emotions in a song, and create something that is rough, yet quite sincere.

oh and this mix is really good. i didn't have any problem with the samples used. i never complain about brass samples because i know there does not exist a perfect brass sample. i'd guess it's miroslav, for those of you asking about the samples, maybe with a few other more specialized libraries for certain instruments. but Dan could probably give you the best answer as to what they are.

haha. sorry man, but there is a vast difference in quality between Miroslav and Squidfont i barely even use squidfont because it's nothing special. however, if i had miroslav, i'd be overwhelmed with happiness. unless that's not the point you were trying to make. uhh yeah

i feel it is my duty to say something about this mix, as it is one of my favorites on the entire site. CotMM has created something that is not quite a song, but instead a soundscape that draws you in and makes you feel like you were there. while listening to this song i am swept away through desolate ghost towns and barren landscapes, through the streets of future cities devoid of color, and among the ruins of civilizations long gone. this mix, while simple, transcends over the original piece and creates a world of it's own. thanks for creating an excellent piece of music. my possible only complaint is that i think everything after about 5:30 is a bit extraneous. i like the "day the world revived" theme but the synth sound that is used for it sounds plain and empty after the rich piano chords and pads in the first 5 minutes of the song, and i am not left feeling as refreshed as if i press the stop button on Winamp somewhere between 5:00 and 5:30

and MC again proves to be my favorite piano mixer. except maybe gutzalpus, but he hasn't done much recently. this is a prime example of how sequenced piano should sound. good stuff

i am impressed. this guy knows what he is doing and does it well. before you say to yourself "not another zeal mix!", download this one and listen to it a few times. it definitely stands out above the rest in terms of sheer atmosphere and originality.