Rexy
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RebeccaETripp
Rebecca Tripp
http://www.crystalechosound.com/
ID: 48262
Game(s): Breath of the Wild
Song Title: Forest LabyrinthSongs Remixed: Lost Woods
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ReMixer name: Michael Hudak
Real name: Same!
Name of game arranged: Conker's Bad Fur Day
Name of song arranged: Rock Solid (mostly the 2nd half of the song), by Robin Beanland
Name of my ReMix: Xerrox Salad/Memories of Memories
Original source song (I didn't use anything before 2:38):
(The source usage in my song starts at 0:56 and goes throughout, minus a few interruptions. Much more than 50% usage, though, I'd say)
Hello! It's me again. This is a weird one, and if it gets posted, some people are going to just hate what I did with the source. Ah well. I'm very proud of this, but explanation is needed. I've been obsessed with the work of Alva Noto (Carsten Nicolai) for years now, and this is another piece that was heavily influenced by both his "Transspray" series, such as this, and his piano cut-and-pasting work with Ryuichi Sakamoto, such as this and this. In fact, he has an incredible series of several album called "Xerrox", which has a lot of office machine sounds as part of the pieces, which I obviously drew from heavily, here. I don't want to give you a huge rundown of his discography, but to let you know where I was coming from with my own "Xerrox Salad" (an homage to Noto and a pun on Robin Beanland's "Rock Solid"...hopefully that extra r will keep the hounds at bay), it's a combination of the machine sound stuff, the piano stuff, and the source tune.
"Rock Solid" is essentially a 90s club song with a simple repeating chord progression, so I added some heavy sidechained bass...but it's mostly sub, not in the right key, and eventually disappears. It's just as much noise as anything. There are tons of cut-up piano snips here, and much of them have the gain cranked and compressed, which is another EDM trope, but that kind of signal boosting also brings out the strange background noises in some of the sampled piano notes (often it's little noises from the sampling room). Piano is a percussive instrument, and bringing that kind of hidden clamor to the surface and then using snips and stabs of it really creates almost a new kind of instrument that amplifies both the percussive and melodic qualities of it. Not rolling back transients so you get that tasty "pop" when a new clip starts is a big part of that, too. This is also a kind of an "art-damaged" way of composing, but the source is a dance track, so I also tried to keep the pretense down and keep the song interesting and somewhat with a beat. That said, I did add words by Longfellow recited by my great-grandfather in front of his fireplace (from a tape from 1979 - I never met the guy but he has a great voice) taken from the song "The Legend of the Crossbill". The final section has that sprinkling of nostalgic fairy dust, I think. Whew!
I think this track is ugly and beautiful at once. I'm sorry for such a long write-up.
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Hello,
Here is another submission from us once again!Contact Information
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- Your ReMixer name - Elrinth & PsyNES
- Your real name - Nicklas & Jari
- Your email address - &
- Your website - https://soundcloud.com/psynes & https://soundcloud.com/Elrinth
- Your userid - 20309
Submission Information
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- Name of game(s) arranged - Mega Man 2 NES
- Name of arrangement - Bubbleologists
- Name of individual song(s) arranged - Bubble Man
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Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc.
It's been about 6 years since we made this (with Renoise ofc!), and never tried to submit it in OCReMix, so here we go! I hope you guys enjoy this who hasn't heard it before! (If it gets released I guess :P)
This time we have Bubble Man ReMix for you! I think its more trance'ish than the other two tracks we did and more like our Flash Man than the Metal Man ReMix in style.
We tried to put some water themed samples to it, like beach sounds, some bubbling and also the drowning for ending. I actually fixed the ending too like Rozovian suggested in WIP Forums a few years ago, hopefully it's better now.
Cheers! Enjoy!
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Contact Information
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- ReMixer name: Danilo Ciaffi
- real name: Danilo Ciaffi
- email address:
- website: youtube.com/c/DaniloCiaffi
- userid: 34668
Submission Information
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- Name of game(s) arranged: Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow
- Name of arrangement: Farewell Beloved Ones
- Name of individual song(s) arranged: Lavender Town
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Comments: I liked the idea of turning this creepy track into a mourning/death-is-part-of-life track, and went for a post-rock vibe
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I liked how you transformed the limited content behind the original track. Particularly throughout the first three minutes, I heard a lot of additional notation, harmonies, gated synth work, and sneaky references of that theme in more original writing passages. All this is while changing the time signature to 4/4 from the original's 3/4 - extremely impressive for its 5-minute running time. It took me a while to get used to any funky dissonance that popped up especially when going through the source's A-section, but I can argue here that this is the Black Waltz we're talking about - so it makes sense to add that sense of threat into the writing in the grand scheme of things.
Yet, despite all this transformative work, the track bubbled under the 50% source mark by 7 seconds after I made my calculations. A lot of it can be due to considerably less content in the second half. Despite missing the target, the various transformations are significant enough to consider a strong representation of the source, so I feel the arrangement overall is barely over the bar.
I agree with the synth palette as well - a captivating variety of textured sounds, all appropriate to the synthwave genre. The mixdown is also very clean, and the parts are well-balanced. Regarding the arpeggio at 3:28, I agree that it can get brought down just a *touch*, but the main melody didn't get drowned out and fought its corner, so it's not a dealbreaker in this case.
Nevertheless, I approved of the manipulations and stylistic direction - and along with some polished writing and production work, I can see it on the front page. Fun stuff, Drew!
YES -
You've shaken up the bass, melody *and* percussion notation like I've asked in the original DR - and that's a huge step up! In comparison to then, the writing has pretty much gone from "proof of concept" to "stable tech demo," so be proud of what you did there. But the "only four instruments" setup is still a problem, and I didn't sense any additional layers/instrumentation other than the new voice clips. Room for pads and other rhythm/hand percussion parts could work, so like I said last time, keep listening to your inspirations and see what kind of additional parts would suit this setup.
Production-wise, some things alarmed me. Firstly, the headroom problem is worse than the original DR - when that barely went above -9dB, the resub has hardly gone above -12. If you haven't got a master chain at this point, consider building one - something like this can help with both the volume problem and getting more depth out of your sounds.
As it is, though, I've sensed more care into the EQ balance, and it's good to hear the non-bass sounds have some power. The soundscape, however, has ended up with some mud - so by making cuts on whatever instruments you feel, you can let others in the same frequency range stand out more.
It's a good improvement from the original submission, and I'm glad you decided to work on it some more. It's still not quite there yet, and it'll be nice to hear another pass with new textures, a cleaner mixdown, and a significant volume boost. Keep going!
NO (resubmit) -
The arrangement's great for what it set out to do. Not a lot of trance tracks we receive are source dominant, but this one barely hit the 50% quota on melodies alone, so you should be happy you nailed that aspect. Of course, for the style, treatment of the motif is generally straight-forward. Though, I do like the treatment of the 3/4 section at the end and its adaptation to 4/4 from 3:03 onward. The builds are also on point, so consider it a job well done in terms of the writing.
However, I'm going to have to agree with MindWanderer regarding the mixdown. I don't mind the side-chaining going on, as it's okay enough for the genre, but the leads don't have the expected power behind them. Consider a re-eq on your mid-range sounds like your arpeggios and pads, and see if that can bring some breathing room for your melodies. A volume boost on said leads would also be good - I'd like to be able to hear those harmonies with much less effort.
Honestly, the arrangement checks out, so don't touch it. The production, however, isn't quite there yet, and it will be desirable to hear a version that brings the leads further to the front and addresses the clutter in the mid-range. Please get back to this one!
NO (resubmit) -
I'd love this track to be warning audio for my PC as well, lol.
After listening to a couple of examples of the Sakamoto-Nicolai partnership, I understood what you were going for in regards to the arrangement's direction. It's a very unusual approach - aside from chords that last for two measures, the only thing that resembles a melody is the progression of chords in the first half of block 4, and I sensed variations aplenty within the constraints of the art form, as prophetik brought up. Given how minimal the source is, I would've liked to have heard some reference to the rhythmic drone throughout for further familiarity, but that's more like something that's "nice to have".
The mixdown is also very clean as well - which makes sense as the palette only consists of piano and some glitch effects. None of those SFX were louder than the main lead, which was luckily needed in a track like this as it needed to show itself off with those manipulations - varied panning techniques, wave-forms getting spliced, pitch-shifting aplenty and some brief EQ changes. I can see where MW is coming from with the pink noise at 1:45, but technically it's just simmering next to the piano and not out to dominate the soundscape. These are unorthodox techniques, but they function together in context, and I'm okay to consider this over the bar.
All in all, you did good with a minimal source and have continued to push for more musique concrete onto the front page. Due to inspirations, it's a more accessible form of this sub-genre, with enough source and sound manipulations to keep the listener engaged. Excellent work, Michael!
YES -
Hello there! This is my first submission, so I deeply apologize for any mistake I could make. I hope you enjoy this track as much as I enjoyed making it.Thank you!
Contact Information
ReMixer name: Eidenlux
Real name: Lucian Lazzaro
Website: https://www.facebook.com/EidenluxMusic
UserID: 36170
Submission Information
Name of game arranged: X-Men vs Street Fighter
Name of arrangement: Royal Flush ~ BGP Groove
Name of individual song arranged: Gambit's Theme
Additional info: Composers: Yuki Iwai, Yuko Takehara; Platform: Arcade, Playstation, Sega Saturn; Developer: Capcom; Release date: 1996 (Arcade).Comments: This track was originally composed for a side project of mine, "Brutal God Project", which covers music from fighting videogames, along with some original tunes. Music-wise, it aims to be a strong blend of Synthwave, Cyber Metal and Symphonic Metal, among other electronic-driven genres - mixing the nostalgic, psychedelic leads and ambience from Synthwave, the powerful riffs and sophisticated arps and sequencers from Cyber Metal and the epic and marvellous presence of Symphonic Metal. Some non-VG inspirations for this project are Neurotech, Sybreed, Deathstars, Droid Bishop, Gunship, among many others. Production-wise, I tried to retain the classic spirit of the original instruments for the lead synths, while at the same time making use of modern high-quality techniques for mixing and synthesis; along with a very layered mixing style. Most of the instruments used are my own, the leads in particular, which I try to make constant use of, as a "signature" method. An interesting fact is that a reduced version of this tune was played live at the 5th edition of the Argentina Game Show, held in Buenos Aires - in the first BGP live show ever.
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Name: Hypetreme
Website: www.youtube.com/Hypetreme
UserID: 32731
Game name: Mega Man X
Arrangement name: Chilling In The Snow
Original song name: Chill Penguin Stage ThemeI wanted to make jazz cover of the song but it didn’t turn out like that exactly. It is little bit jazzy and has some 80s -90s pop rock vibes too. It is certainly something relaxing you can fall asleep to. I tried to make it very natural sounding and avoided using too much compression. The song has this chaotic jazz walking bass part and relaxing creamy ”chorus” part. I never did an arrangement like this before and I’m happy how it turned out. Guitar and synth are played by me, everything else is programmed.
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RebeccaETripp
Rebecca Tripp
http://www.crystalechosound.com/
ID: 48262
Game(s): Final Fantasy 10
Song Title: Macalania ShamanSongs Remixed: Macalania Woods
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The submission letter didn't make it clear, but Luis's contribution was with editing and mixing.
-Rexy-
ReMixer name: TheChargingRhino
Real Name: Lauren Stanisz
No website
User id: 33732
Name of Game(s) arranged: Mega Man X2
Name of Arrangement: Trial of the X-Hunters
Name of individual song(s) arranged: X-Hunter Stage 1 (aka Sigma's Fortress 1+2)
Own Comments: This remix is from the recent release of Pixel Mixer's MMX tribute collection album, "Mavericks of Destruction". I used Super Audio Cart for the entire mix, and two members of PM helped me, they are both on the Quality Control Team: Dewey Newt and Luis Vasquez.
The presets that are used are (not in order of appearance as they are all over the place) Narrow Escape, Clubbing in the Cave, Rage in the Cage, Robotix Groove, Turbo Guitar, East vs. West, and Exploring the Demon Maze
Source Times: (via actual file time, not Drive)
0:00-0:48 - source (intro + A) (48 seconds)
0:49-1:02 - original (14 seconds)
1:03-1:17 - original solo by Dewey - kinda source at the end (14 seconds)
1:18-1:24 - source (B) (6 seconds)
1:25-1:38- source bass/rhythm mix (14 seconds)
1:39-1:52 - original (14 seconds)
1:53-2:31 - source (A + B) (38 seconds)
if my math is correct, the source time should be around 1:32.
Original sections are 0:56 seconds over the course of the track
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I rejected it last time based on its mixdown. Since the arrangement has stayed as it is, it makes sense for me to quote what I said about that.
QuoteThis idea sounds neat - a digitized orchestra makes me think this is what Wendy Carlos would do if born 50 years too late! It follows the structure of the source up until 2:38, where it decides to do one last build based around the central three-note motif. Surrounding all this, the choice of synth textures and percussive sounds are so distinct and compliment the track's vision.
The mixdown is also a vast improvement. The airy white noise has gone, any distortion left lingering is a subtle use of effects, and the palette is much more defined - I can tell what each synth is doing now. If there's one irk I have, it's that I would've liked a volume boost for your leads in the final third - but considering the very nature of the track, I don't consider it as a dealbreaker.
Nevertheless, I think it's good to go for the front page - so glad you decided to go over your feedback and workshop it some more. I'm excited to see what you'll bring in future subs!
YES -
Agreeing on the headroom - it's quiet even in comparison to past work, Reuben. The live instrumentation all sound clean, but it's hard to make out the melodies when the accordion is too far out into the front. Even with that gone, both flute melodies at 1:55 are so similar they bleed into each other. To remedy this, I feel one part is better off being either performed at a lower/higher octave or on a different wind instrument altogether. The cymbals also overpower the kick and snare, so by bringing them down a touch, you'd get more out of the rest of the drum kit.
The arrangement is straight-forward though - some changes to the melody with one or two additional notes, along with those lovely flute harmonies at 2:24. Nothing mindblowing outside of Greg's solo spot at 1:26, but the subtle modifications are enough to consider this a decent framework. It does, however, have some problems regarding autopilot. The bass does the same style of rhythms throughout, and I would've liked to have seen some form of a shake-up after the drums' introduction. And talking of the drums, they go through the same four-bar pattern until the end. See if you can find areas of the track where you can change up the groove and break that monotony.
Indeed, a lot of smaller problems have added up for this to get sent back to the drawing board. The bass/drum autopilot issues, mixdown, flute melody clashing and master levels have all contributed some significant areas of improvement. The framework and performances are delicate, so I say keep the structure as it is while you take a look at these current flaws. Keep at it.
NO (resubmit) -
I dug the arrangement aspect a lot when I paneled the original submission, and I like it even more now with those bass writing tweaks. The source made its introduction at 0:49 and started straight-forward, then branched into some interesting parts at 2:21 and 3:17 where the backing remained in place, and new melodies appeared over the top. The structure is solid as well - an ominous opening with pads and pitched percussion, the meat of the groove at 1:42 and 3:18, plus the chance to squeeze in some involving bass LFO work in the breakdown at 2:21. It's a robust framework and a great example of how to handle something relatively brief.
Letting go of the heavy limiter also helped a lot with the mastering, giving the calmer sections some room to breathe with the newly expanded amount of headroom. All parts sound clean, are well articulated in the bigger picture, and the amount of distortion and reverb throughout is considered more tasteful than the original submission. I'm not too sure where prophetik is coming from with the lack of bass, because the sub-bass here is intense and appropriate for a track of this type of EDM. If anything, I would've wanted a slight boost in the high-mids on a master compressor to get the arpeggios and melodies some more presence, but it's no dealbreaker at all in this case.
Nevertheless, it's a vast improvement, and I'm so glad you decided to get it fixed. I'm all in favor of seeing more Vermilion rep on the front page after hearing this revision - great work!
YES -
Dear OC Remix,
Please see details below regarding my submission: Dr Robotnik’s Revenge, links to composition are at the bottom.Contact Information
- Your ReMixer name: Pyrus
- Your real name: Andy Bryer
- Your website:
- Your userid: 35471
Submission Information
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Name of game(s) arranged:
- Sonic the Hedgehog 1 (Sega Genesis)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega Genesis)
- Name of arrangement: Dr Robotnik’s Revenge
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Name of individual song(s) arranged:
- Sonic the Hedgehog 1 – Boss Theme
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – Boss Theme
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Additional information about game including composer, system, etc:
- Sonic the Hedgehog 1 – Sega Genesis – original composer - Masato Nakamura
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – Sega Genesis – original composer - Brad Buxer
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Link to the original soundtrack:
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Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc.
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I love the ominous feeling of the Sonic 1 boss theme – it’s so menacing and badass – which really lends itself to slow, lumbering, downtuned heavy metal. It really is Robotnik’s theme in my opinion.
By contrast, the Sonic 3 theme is great in a different way – it’s high energy, fast, and has a really heroic feel to it – this theme belongs to Sonic and it spells Sonic’s triumph more so than Robotnik’s fury.
I thought it would be cool to contrast them in the same composition and I think it works well. I titled the track “Dr Robotnik’s Revenge’ when I decided to repeat the Sonic 1 boss theme in the third and final part.
Composed using Abelton Live 9 with Superior Drummer 2.0 (Metal Foundry) and various other free VSTs. The project took about a week to compose, mix, and master. I play guitars and synthesize all other instruments.
I hope you enjoy.
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I love the ominous feeling of the Sonic 1 boss theme – it’s so menacing and badass – which really lends itself to slow, lumbering, downtuned heavy metal. It really is Robotnik’s theme in my opinion.
Thank you for considering my submission.
Kind regards,
Andy Bryer (Pyrus)
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Artist: Sole ParadigmReal Name: Devin PaquetteName on Forums: SoleParadigm
Song: Thrashin' the TempleFrom the game: Zelda II: The Adventure of LinkRemix of: Temple themeOriginal Composer: Akito NakatsukaProbably one of the coolest songs from any soundtrack has to be the Temple theme from Zelda II. Even as a kid I rocked out to it. The track always sounded metal to me. I know some would disagree. But I could hear it clear as day in my head. In 2007 or so I took a crack at it. The first time I made an attempt it wasn't fast enough. I had matched the original tempo and was just not happy with that. So I sped that up. And also, I was playing through a Spider IV combo amp mic'd with an SM57 and the guitars just sounded way too thin. Starting from there, over the years I've taken several cracks at it using different mixing and miking techniques. But it wasn't until a few years ago I realized that for this to be as epic as I wanted it to be I needed to think bigger than just metal. My thoughts turned to Dream Theater's Octavarium album and Metallica's S&M. So I saved up for a copy of EWQLSO Platinum and Symphonic Choirs which took a couple years. Once I learned how to use those I went to work.For the final version, I used an Axe FX II amp modeler for guitar and bass plus Superior Drummer 2.0 with the Progressive Foundry kit. The thing about this track is that it's loud, fast and heavy with just those instruments. When adding the orchestra and choir parts I had to be careful that they didn't get lost in the mix. So when using the mod wheel for dynamics I didn't go too low so as to not lose those instruments. Some EQing helped as well.This track will punch you right in the face from beat one and will give you a pummeling with little room to breathe. It's heavy as all hell but it also has heart and soul. It'll make you wanna pick up a sword and shield to fight whatever battle you're fighting in life.I hope you all love it as much as I do. If not, well... at least it gets my head banging on my way to work.
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Contact Information- Your ReMixer name: overflow
- Your real name: Sebastien Skaf
- Your email address:
- Your website: http://sebastienskaf.bandcamp.com/
- Your userid: 23598
Submission Information- Name of game(s) arranged: Shovel Knight
- Name of arrangement: Beaker vs Shovel
- Name of individual song(s) arranged: The Vital Vitriol
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Link to the original soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc6iIij7FgA
The source tune is all there, but I broke it up between segments of original riffs & solos. The first one starts at 1:04 and lasts until 1:26. The next is from 2:20 until 2:44. At 2:44 you've got a restatement of the main theme but in half time with some sparse instrumentation, and at 3:04 it transitions into a guitar solo. At 3:47 the guitar solo transitions into a tremolo picking version of the main theme, and at 4:00 the full ensemble comes back one more time to hammer it home.This tune is fairly chromatic in a lot of spots and I probably hit some bum notes, but I think for the most part it's still recognizable. -
Contact Information
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- thebitterroost
- thebitterrooster.wordpress.com
- 32609
Submission Information
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- Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors 2
- I Can Carry You No Further
- Level 1, Level 2
- Additional information (has [already] been added to the site)
- (one of the sound archives already available on the site)
- This mix was done with acoustic drums, mic'ed with a single overhead as an experiment. No samples reinforcing the kit. Guitars and bass are DI, amp-sim'ed with the freeware LePou LeGion and Audiffex GK Amp 2 LE. These two tracks have a similar feel, but the level one theme had to have a key and time signature change in order to be incorporated with the level 2 theme.
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I'm surprised you mentioned New Order because this minimalist setup is making me think more in the lines of Joy Division myself. It's also very odd to hear just drums, bass, melodies, and a load of different countermelodies peaking in as they see fit. As propetik pointed out, there's a gap in the low-mids to fit something in like a set of keys or a lower pad, so feel free to experiment with adding other parts. I also believe the bass is lacking a bottom, so consider adding a quieter sub-bass layer transposed down an octave as well.
I'm also surprised neither of my fellow judges touched upon the arrangement - because it feels liberal. I appreciate your intention to mold the melodies into the genre adaptation, but some sections sound less like the source than others. Here's what I sensed:
0:30-0:34 / 0:52-0:56 / 1:47-1:51 / 3:29-3:33 / 3:40-3:44 / 3:51-3:55 / 4:02-4:06 - one reference of the A melody within the entire main hook
0:57-1:08 - playing around with the B melody
1:20-1:31 - a different way of playing around with the B melody
1:53-2:37 - clear use of the C melody
2:44-2:50 - brief use of "It Can Waiver and Fight"That's exactly 100 seconds of source in a 4-minute song, so by that alone, 40% evident source use is not enough. The autopilot nature is already an issue, especially with the VGM-free hooks (0:13, 0:35, 1:31, 2:50) sounding near-identical to each other. Consider going back into the hooks and seeing what you can do not only to add more of the source melodies but also to give the hooks something to stick out from the others. One could have a unique countermelody; another could have added grace notes into a more refined melody variation; a third could have the drums brought into half-time all of a sudden. These are just silly ideas from my head - the world is your oyster with these, so feel free to experiment with those parts.
It's a bold attempt with distinct inspirations, but the empty sound design, autopilot nature and lack of source all hurt it right now, so I can't pass it as it is. It'll be nice to hear another version that adds more parts into the sub-bass and low-mids, varies the hooks, and above all adds more evident BGM use. I hope you get the chance to revise it in the future.
NO (resubmit) -
Original Decision
Contact Info:
ReMixer name: about:blank
Real name: Chris Bouchard
Email address:
ReMix info:
Name of game ReMixed: Sword of Vermilion
Name of individual song ReMixed: Stats
ReMix title: Treacherous Road
Here's a resub of my Sword of Vermillion remix. I fixed the limiter issue right away, which I really should've checked before sending the first mix through. I also tweaked the distorted synth arp and all of the bass synths, applied a gate to the snare at the end, and added some much needed sidechaining throughout.
Let me know if it's worthy. Hope everyone's staying safe.
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Hello,
Contact Information
ReMixer Name – DiGiovanni
Name – Dylan DiGiovanni
Website (for original music only) – digiovanni.bandcamp.com
UserID – 36252Su
Submission Information
Game Arranged – Undertale
Name of Arrangement – Dance of the Lasers
Song Arranged – Another Medium
Comments – I’ve always wanted to make remixes in general, especially of video game music, but I’ve always struggled with it for one reason or another. However, one morning a few weeks ago I decided to tab out Another Medium in Ableton Live using my Undertale Piano Collections book and some fan-made sheet music online. After I laid out the kind of sweeping pattern over the top of the song, I threw in some drums and was like “this could really go somewhere”, so I stuck with it and in about 3-4 hours I had written out the first third of the song and loved what I had so far! Now here we are, my first remix is complete and out there for everyone to see
Thank you,
-DiGiovanni
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Remixer name: Bluelighter (ID 21840)
Real Name: Guillaume SAUMANDE
Mail:
Game & Songs: Final Fantasy 5 & Airship – Legend of the Deep Forest
Composer: Nobuo UEMATSUInterpreter:
Bluelighter: Piano
Comment:
Hi OCR,
For a long time, I wanted to make an arrangement of the “Forest theme” in piano. Several attempts, but without idea sufficient to start.
“Airship theme” interested me also; but no more satisfying result.
I didn’t think to marry these two themes, because of their atmosphere completely different (heroic for “Airship” and nostalgic for “Forest”)
Later, I tried to play “Airship” in a different mood. It was nearer of the “Forest Theme” and it was more natural to arrange these two themes together.
In parallel, I trained myself to improvise in piano in these melancholic harmonies, trying to use scale in a cohesive way.
With all these elements, I had good material to start my arrangement.
It’s played globally in a melancholic and peaceful mood. The accompaniment is discreet and repetitive to emphasize the right hand playing. But there are also some parts more rhythmed. In this arrangement, elements from “Airship” and “Forest Theme” intercede between them.
For the title, it was natural to imagine the airship flying over this quiet forest
Enjoy,
Guillaume
Breakdown
- 0'00: Intro – «Airship» (soft)
- 0’15: «Airship» 0’05 – 0’15 (soft)
- 0’35: «Forest» 0 – 0’33 (soft)
- 0’45: «Airship» 0’05 – 0’26 (rhythm marked)
- 1’05: Transition: improvisation around «Forest» 0 – 0’33 (soft)
- 1’16: «Forest» 0 – 0’33 (soft)
- 1’30: «Airship» 0’26 – 0’50 (rhythm marked)
- 1’44: Transition: «Airship» 0’50 – 0’55 (soft)
- 1’50: «Forest» 0 – 0’33 (soft)
- 2’03: «Forest» 0’33 – 1’10 (rhythm marked)
- 2’20: «Airship» 0’05 – 0’15 (rhythm marked)
- 2’34 to the end: Outro, improvisation around «Forest» 0 – 0’33 (soft) -
This arrangement has its fun parts, for sure. The tail ends have good uses of high-pass filters to secure the rest, there are some well-planned sweeps throughout, and the DnB bass breakdowns are a fun idea. You've also kept it source-dominant throughout, so that's a plus - however, not a lot of it had gotten played around.
You made a start with varying the opening chords with the high pad breakdown at 2:40 and gated pads at 3:33, as well as bringing the central motif onto the piano briefly at 3:23 and 3:55. But aside from those changes and the different key, there's not a lot done - the melody is presented as-is throughout, with no engaging changes other than a brief instrument swap near the end. Hence, I have to disagree with prophetik in that the melodic content isn't quite there yet. There are a lot of ways to vary up the notation - changed rhythms, grace notes, and pitch glides are the first three ideas that popped up in my head. Feel free to experiment.
And of course, I also noticed that the mixdown feels empty. Don't get me wrong, though - the current instruments are neat and have the potential to engage the listener deeply. But a lot of the time, the bass does its sub-work, and then there'd be a gap in the low-mids while pads and melody occupy the upper-mids. prophetik's idea of additional pads covering that frequency range is a good start, though I feel it'll be appropriate to bring in an e-piano or a similar set of keys. If you think the soundscape needs to be thicker, layers can work as well - a different tone on the bass or melody transposed respectively up or down an octave could add more power to your palette.
As of right now, it's a fun and bouncy romp, but this track needs more done to it to push it over the bar. Further playing around with the melodies and a thicker soundscape are two things I'd like to hear in a potential future revision. Please submit again.
NO (resubmit)
*NO* Deus Ex "Reamplified Streets"
in Judges Decisions
Posted · Edited by Emunator
Remixer Name: Marc Chemali