Hemophiliac   Judges ⚖️

Warm, lush, minimal. 3 words I expect from lo-fi, even though two of those are opposites of each other. Lushness of the parts filling the spectrum and minimal parts used to do it. The very slight detuning and subtle filter sweeps throughout are really highlights for me. They add so much despite being very miniscule in the amounts of each. The arrangement doesn't overstay it's welcome and we get variation and changes to new sections right when we need them. The subtle hints at the main Zelda theme also were a nice touch for 1:47-1:59, right before we get the final recap. YES

Synthwave is one of my favorite things to listen to from the last few years, and I love all of the live elements in this. The sax, flute, and guitar are all superb. I really want to hear more people add live elements to synthwave styled tracks, and your choice to add them is great. Very cool. No issues with the arrangement as you cover all the bases with it and you have done so much to add to it by adapting the genre alone. I like that have some clear contrast between sections with actual dynamics that are more then just loud and soft as well. I do however, have to concur with Chimpazilla on this though. The mix is very rough with a heavy imbalance between the parts. The leads are much louder then the other parts. They could all be brought back by attenuating their channels ~2-4db each, and/or utilizing side-chaining can absolutely help them sit within the rest of the mix better. Let them sit back into the mix so everything can work together and create a wave for the listener to ride on. The kick is also quieter and feels like it's lacking some punch/weight to it. I want to see this through, but I can't in the current state with the mix imbalance between the parts. NO (resubmit please)

Do Chee-TUH-men carry glowsticks for weapons? These ones do. Fairly thick and full sound design from the get-go and that's the biggest strength of the track. The synth lead is borderline vanilla for me, but for some reason it doesn't seem to be focal point of the track and other instruments take over often enough that it doesn't become and issue. Would've liked more melodic embellishment or variation to change it up from the first source during 2:54-3:25 to help give the final recap something to differentiate itself and/or add more energy to it. Because it was a short section it wasn't a huge deal for me because it's gone so fast. The added lower harmony in the build up to the final recapitulation 2:49-2:54 did at least give a very subtle variation from the first initial build ~0:39-0:45. The production is strong, and your interpretive melodic rhythm changes were appreciated. YES

This is a total throwback. Almost feels like it would be what we would call a "sound upgrade" for the time period the game came out in. While I understand why Liontamer felt the sound design is underwhelming there's still things Gaspode did to liven up the synth choices. There are multiple filter sweeps that are either programed to hit the top or bottom of their peaks and valleys right on the beat. They are either automated by hand to do that or tempo-sync'd. That tells me there was at least some thought and care put into those decisions rather then presets chosen. I agree with everyone else that they could be improved but do not detract from the overall piece. The sources are well adapted and the book-ending with the "danger" sample is a great choice to start and wrap up the piece. YES

To me, this feels like modern lieder (art song). I may not like this specifically, but I can certainly appreciate the artistry and craft behind it. Andromeda's vocal performance is stellar, and the vocal harmony is lovely. Your round low alto range is superb. One of the German words really stood out to me because it was pronounced incorrectly but it's a minor note because the rest of it was fine. You give us some word painting in the second section by quoting Tchaikovsky's Black Swan ballet immediately after the lyric "Could we dance again". I can appreciate the quote's usage as it was brief. However, the mixture was a little unusual for a moment with a strong dissonance. That said it is an intentional decision and goes away quickly. The direct modulation to section 3 at 3:13 caught me off-guard. Again, intentional decision to change keys in that way to create unease. The fourth and final section is a huge departure from the rest of the piece. This really feels like a completely different song to me, it makes sense to have so much space proceeding it otherwise the contrast would be too great. All of the above didn't do anything against standards, but this might be a challenging listen for some people. It is art and not everyone will grok it. YES

All-star breakdown, made that very easy to identify the source and get through that quickly. Thank you. All-star cast of characters! Well performed all around! I particularly liked 2:27-2:42 and how the themes jump back-and-forth between instruments as a call and response. That was a great idea and works very well to bring separate sources together seamlessly. Really cool how Siolfor managed to get the slide steel sound on the guitar. Also how cool is it to have some live steel drums? Get me drink with a little umbrella in it! My only nitpick is the piano and the steel drum step on each other's toes at times, particularly when they're occupying the same space such as 1:17-1:40. Changing octave of the piano or sitting either would remedy that. Doesn't detract from my overall enjoyment though. YES

I've played more Diablo II then I care to admit, and because of that I'm excited to see what this has in store. This reminds me of the opening intro to A Clockwork Orange by Wendy Carlos or even some of the work of Vangelis. I wonder if the subtle filter sweeps were performed live because they have a very nuanced artistic quality to them. Each time I listen to this, I pick up on an interesting different element that I didn't catch on previous loops. The opening chords hit and the detuning is very apparent, a choice to emulate a throwback feel akin to analog synthesizers. While it is almost over the top with the amount of detuning used, I enjoy it. In terms of arrangement this is highly conservative and remains very close to the source in both structure and melody for the first half. In the last section before the ending (5:07-6:08) is when we get the most new material added in the rhythm/chords. The ending does cut off on an awkward beat and leaves me hanging and wanting more closure after a long 6 minute journey. I think if we had got one more beat to end on one, it might have helped with that. Many of the decisions you made feel very intentional despite them causing muddiness, but are textural and add to the progression of the piece. These don't come off to me as violations, but as artistic decisions. This will not be everyone's cup of tea, but I can get behind the synthesized "analog" warmth. YES

You've replaced the lava and acid underneath Lower Brinstar with smoke and water with this reharmonization. The reharmonization is biggest strength in this arrangement and those chord changes fit very well. The sparseness of the arrangement isn't a factor as you fill the space with the percussion and SFX. Because this is a short compact arrangement everything is really needing to fire and all cylinders. I would've liked to have seen some melodic embellishment in the second half to help differentiate it from the first half, but not necessary. The ending with the shaker isn't feeling 100% complete, this could have been stronger. The shaker is very wet with reverb in comparison to the other percussive elements. I'd like to see the drums matched so that they share the same amount of reverb. The snare is very much the same from hit-to-hit, and needs variation in velocity or even just alternating between different samples. You've shown that you're capable of doing that in the usage of the shaker, it has accents and deemphasizes the weak beats. More variation in the drum pattern would also help this track progress as it feels fairly static in the percussion. I can see this one going either way, but I can't get past the drums as the snare and other percussion issues detracts from my overall enjoyment of the piece. NO (resubmit)

The story and journey are the great strengths of this track. I especially like how you’ve brought the Battle Theme 1 as the “B section” that starts at 3:01 and then builds back up to a recapitulation of Towering Mountain. The main source however is the Towering Mountain theme and it’s the one that the majority of this is built on. There are some nice contrasting sections that have less going on so when we get back to the full sections they really feel big. For me a highlight of contrast is the switch to longer bass notes at 2:34, coming from the shorter length notes makes these ones feel much more impactful (that might even be a different bass sound too?) The arrangement's structurally well put together and my only gripe with the arrangement is that the ending does lose a bit of energy as it comes to a close. Maybe the ending could have been shortened some to help keep some of that energy, start it out very quiet and have a long crescendo until the final reset, or some crazy effects build up? There are some production issues that do need to be mentioned. The bass is lacking presence and the mids are scooped out making the top end feel hot. You could bring the mids up and the highs down, as this is the area they generally sit in. That could help to give the melody more clarity. Those imbalances are there, but they aren't so off to me that it takes away from my listening to it. I get swept up in the cacophony and hold on for the wild ride hoping that it's not going to reset on me and start over. YES (borderline)

I don't get the pleasure of hearing where this came from to see the growth that everyone talked about. I trust them all and believe them when they say it. So with that in mind I'd also like to reiterate what some have said about being proud of the progress you have had. It's very important as an artist to occasionally reflect on that, see/hear the gains :) I like your interpretation of the source melody. By taking it and shortening it down it brings a different energy that the original does not have, that's a great way to inject yourself into this track. Unfortunately the repetition of the melody and drums causes the track to be static. A couple suggestions on how to improve that could be changing up or pass around the lead instrument to another or move it up or down and octave. Or you can also cut a repetition or two. The drums are fairly repetitive and change up between sections. They would definitely benefit with small variations within each sections to help keep them progressing. Overall, there is enough interpretation of the source for me, but what holds it back is the static-nature of the development. Another thing of note is the drums and the synths have very different reverbs going on. The drums have a shorter reverb and the synths have a longer tail. This is making them feel like they are occupying different spaces. I would recommend reducing the reverb tail on the synths as the reverb on the drums feels ok where they are. To summarize, the interpretation of the source in the melody is not bad and brings a different and unique energy than the original. What needs to be improved upon is the static feeling the overall arrangement has and the reverb amount on the synths. NO

Welcome to the forums @Nicole Tanner It's very nice and exciting to see first-time posts from long-time followers. I did a very quick listen through and I agree with what you said, there is one big thing that would not work out. https://ocremix.org/info/Submission_Standards_and_Instructions Under Section 4. Arrangement: Aside from the sound effects it does sound like the original sliced up in the background as well. This is well done but would not work as a submission, not everything needs to be submitted. This is a sweet vibe though, and thank you for sharing. I hope you post more things in the future :)

Enjoyed the loose and mellow vibe from this one. The melodic embellishments were very fitting and was a really good way to put your own spin on this classic Uematsu tune. The bass tone is very warm and round, and feels like it would fit right into a track from the 60s. It's perfect for this style. I loved the structure of the arrangement, except for the ending. It really sounds like you’re about to take off on another, higher energy solo at 2:00 and instead it stops. It’s not abrupt because you resolve the phrase, but I was definitely not expecting an end already. While this is short and could be expanded on further, the length itself was not a deal breaker to me as there was very fun rhythm changes in the melody throughout to give it the loose feel. Where this goes wrong for me is the limiting on the track and a couple small drum issues. Ease off on the limiter to let those parts breathe and create space in the track, it shouldn't be brickwalled and have the peaks be clipped. This is an organic performance and that should be highlighted. The ride cymbal sounds like it’s getting cut-off, not sure if it’s just the sample itself or the reverb tail being cut by something else. It happens at various points through the track, but it’s more noticeable during the sections where the drums pick-up the energy such as 1:38-1:56. The tambourine that starts at 1:13 is very dry and seems to occupy a different space/room then the rest of the band. In the end this was a couple issues that compounded on each other in the limiting and minor drum issues. I'd like to those fixed-up and the track sent back as this is a vibe I can enjoy and chill to. NO

To open the synths feel dry. The open hat sizzle is hot, bring that down ~2db. The arrangement is solid with plenty of interpretation, but the production is what needs the most work. The parts don't feel like they blend together for cohesion so much, they feel like they are all the foreground and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to focus on. The panning is favored to the right it seems, I think it's the open hat just standing out so much. Open sections like 0:58-1:11 and 2:25-2:54 could benefit from having another soft lead play a countermelody or pads with filter sweeps to fill the space in. You give us textural contrast by dropping out parts to create less going on but what about dynamics? Could definitely use some dynamics with the track staying at close to the same level throughout. Fade out? After 4 minutes, it'd be nice to have a more refined and conclusive ending. After all of that it's gonna sound like I'm really ragging on this, but it has potential and I want to see you develop it more.

1:06 gets muddy for a little bit and then comes back shortly after. Not bad to do that momentarily, but I just want to point out that it does happen. The elements pulled in from the source are nice and don't overstay their welcome. Nice interpretation and nice solo.

The synth ostinato repeating for a long time without much of a break from it is rather tiresome, it doesn't feel like it should be the main focus of the piece. I do like pattern it plays and the timbre isn't bad, but a break or a small variation in it would do wonders on a long 5 min+ piece. I'm hearing tiny variation in the second repeat after 3:15, especially in the piano. I'd like to see those variations more as a focal point and some dynamic changes as well. The vibe is cool, and I could enjoy this while getting work done.

This is fun, the groove is nice. My main gripe is the brass sforzandos being very continuous and connected to each other when you have multiple next to each other. I think it might be helpful to give a little breath for the "players" every so often on those. After the 3 minute mark an electric piano or clavinet solo might be cool. Also brass stabs might be the "big thing" you're building up to. Just a couple suggestions to maybe inspire an idea.

Hello, and welcome to the forums. There are some textural changes as you go through the piece that help to keep the piece from being just a sound upgrade. However the dynamics do stay relatively flat throughout the piece, and the lack of humanization is very apparent as well. There is no expression, give us phrasing or dynamics to help the piece move forward. The kick drum that comes in at ~1:51 and 3:46 is very quite and lacks the punch it needs for adding a new instrument. Definitely something you want to increase if you want it to make an impact.

https://ocremix.org/info/Frequently_Asked_Questions#Can_I_use_OC_ReMixes_in_my_YouTube_video.2C_website.2C_livestream.2C_podcast.2C_radio_show.2C_etc..3F I'm sorry my reply isn't in Portuguese, but you can read here to learn more about using ReMixes for streaming.

This source is probably my least favorite on the entire OST. That said, I love it when people take something I dislike and transform it into something more and something I enjoy. I'm a sucker for the genre, and the piano here fits very well. The semi-synthwave-cinematic feel fits the source very well and I would not have imagined the direction this went in. Glad to see some work from Hy Bound after all these years!

There is so much charm and fun in this arrangement. Whimsy and joy in the winds, grandeur in the strings, and majesty in the brass. I can really imagine this from the point of view of a child walking on the beach to only be astonished by seeing large cruise ships docked along the shore. Absolutely lovely and beautiful. Well done!

I'm so glad you decided to resub this track, it's awesome! That breakdown video is great too. Very curious to find out what the right panned transition sound at 0:56 is. In a way, this feels like some of zircon's work with the big beat and guitar underlying progression, fantastic. Keep subbing more stuff!

Thoughts on the round 1 entries: Red Harvest vs. Wir Sind Team Peitsche: This one was really close but in the end it came down to production execution. Both arrangements were very good and mashed up the sources in very creative ways. I really liked the last section of Wir Sind Team Peitsche with the group chanting. That was a great way to bring everyone together onto it. A couple specific notes on Wir Sind Team Peitsche. The brass in the first 0:36-0:58 is very "blatty". Would like to hear more humanization on that section for the orchestral samples. 1:53-2:32, I didn't even notice there was chiptune elements here until multiple listens. Red Harvest: 0:41-0:50 the melody for Brinstar here is very washed out, like when you turn the wet on reverb all the way up and dry all the way down. IMO it got very buried here. Adrift Eternal vs. Back in Cold Blood (Dracula Flow): Difficult to vote for a "joke" track. When I say that I mean, the track was for laughs rather then to be taken very seriously. Back in Cold Blood: The production on the background work is pretty clean and stands on it's own pretty well. I know I mentioned it on voice to you, but changing to the Alucard audio at 3:18 of the way through was a good choice to keep the track moving forward and preventing the Dracula Flow bit from being stale. Good call on the change. Some percussive elements ping-ponging left/right are a little disorienting. Adrift Eternal: This is starting to sound like the modus operandi of Emunator at this point. I have no idea who contributed what on this. Electronic cinematic take on both themes seamlessly transitions back and forth between sources. Very well done. At 4:23 it's suddenly major for some reason did feel a little odd, but I can understand wanting to change the color at the end of the piece to bring more energy. The Heart of Atlantis vs. No Castle for Old Belmonts: This was the toughest call of the 3 pairs. For me I chose No Castle for Old Belmonts due to how the melody was interpreted, used, and embellished upon. Both had good production, and it came down to arrangement/usage. The Heart of Atlantis: The organ echoes of the guitar such as at 2:07 and 2:43 were a little awkward for having close intervals in a low register, makes them get harmonically muddy. No Castle for Old Belmonts: I don't know why, with the title I was expecting this to be country song-like "Take me home country roads". The bass is a little muddy, sounds like someone humming doubling the bass in the first ~minute or so. Not sure if that is a production issue or recording thing. The guitar playing from 2:57 to the end is fantastic and I absolutely love the embellishment here. Whip sfx towards the end is fitting and I'm surprised I had not heard it in any of the other tracks at this point. Production could have been a spoiler on this one, but I preferred the arrangement here.

0:59 - The melody from the original comes in and I think it is the same sample as the game. If you're planning on submitting that, you're gonna need to change to a different sample or instrument, because that's directly from the original game just sped up some. That also applies to the other ones you used later on as well. https://ocremix.org/info/Submission_Standards_and_Instructions See section 4 and 5 of the standards for more details. The drums are very static the whole way through and could use variation to make them more interesting and keep the track moving. The track could also really use more dynamic changes, you give a textural change, but the dynamics stay mostly the same. Fade-out ending after 4 minutes doesn't feel good either. A more definitive ending would be ideal. I'd like to point out 2:28-2:57 because you start introducing your own flavors and ideas to the track, that's the thing you wanna be doing! Add more to it like that!

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Very chill and lush texture. Quite enjoyable. Production sounds better on this one, compared to the last. The kick is not overpowering this time :) I am feeling the source plenty here, again like the previous i'd like to hear more of your own ideas imparted onto it. Could be things like more melodic development, countermelodies, reharmonization, a new original section maybe. The dynamic level stays pretty constant throughout as well, some contrast there would be good. You did a good job of delivering textural contrast. Since this stays relatively sparse throughout the track adding more energy as you go along would be really helpful. You do change things up texturally at the right times, so the 4 minutes does breeze by, but it could really go to the next level with more (see earlier comment about adding more of your own). The feel is mostly the same as the original, which there isn't anything wrong with, it just means you need to add more of your own flavors and spices to get it by. Really consider that if you plan on submitting.