Rexy

When I aired this on SEGA Mixer Drive during the Season 7 premiere last year, I was once again blown away with your production prowess. The guitar tones are meaty, the balance is clean, the performances are tight, and the energy is on point. If Sir Nuts needs a new face, then I need a new full set of teeth! Alas, the main reason why I decided to panel this one is because of its nature as a medley. There's no interplay between each of the themes, the sources come and go, and aside from the genre adaptation, there's nothing new and refreshing done to the sources themselves. Should you ever get the chance to either revise this track or do another medley, consider the idea of including parts of other sources in each section, or even the idea of interpreting one or two sources with an extra variation drastically different from the first. It's a fun listen, absolutely, and if anyone requests it for SMD I will gladly take the chance to air it. But medleys are a no-go for OCR unless there's more considerable unification between themes and interpretation of the sources in their own right. Whatever you do, Daniel, don't stop sending tracks our way - we want more visits to the hospital! NO

Remixer name: Kamex Real name: Erick Nunez Email address: Website: https://www.youtube.com/user/GreatGabite Userid: 32509 Name of game: Deltarune Name of arrangement: Funk Buster Name of songs Arranged: Rude Buster (Deltarune) [Main Source] With a couple of references: Gaster's Theme (Undertale) [Specifically at 1:29 - 1:59] Asgore [Specifically at 2:45 - 3:00]

From the eyes of a casual listener, I can understand how difficult it would be to listen and identify the source right away. But for me and in this kind of framework, I heard variations aplenty. It goes from one transformation to another, all while keeping to the brisk 3/4 nature of the genre adaptation - a great way to play around with the source while still keeping it dominant at the same time. It's a fantastic approach and a textbook demonstration on how Jeff tackles more challenging ideas head-on. I did, however, feel mixed with the production values. The instruments are all mixed in well with no glaring overlaps, but the Kontakt Factory library samples are difficult to push for realism, as Jeff pointed out. The strings are the most significant example of this - even without the subtle envelope movements and velocity shaping, they have a sound expected to grace a fifth-generation videogame sound chip, sixth if we're lucky. One way I can think of to remedy this is to layer different string textures at once, giving more of a thicker feel and multiple characteristics getting blended into one. A similar thing can be done for other instrumentation like the brass as well. While I did end up blowing open a hole into realism faults, the fact remains that it's still a balanced track with an equally creative arrangement. I honestly would like to hear it on the site as it is due to the strength of Jeff's ideas and its placement over the bar elsewhere. Good luck with the rest of the vote! YES (borderline)

Contact Information Juke Luke Williams https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCykxIXZVlPjV_dR4dhvpN3g -or- https://soundcloud.com/jukeremix User ID - 35090 -or- http://ocremix.org/community/profile/35090-juke/ Submission Information Game: Mario Kart: Double Dash Arrangement Name: Vacation in the Mushroom Kingdom SoundCloud Link: Song arranged: Peach Beach / Daisy Cruiser Themes Also Used From - Sherbet Land Double Dash Title Theme Rainbow Road Yoshi's Island Original: Comments: Mario Kart: Double Dash is the best Mario Kart game. This song has been posted on the vg thread and recommended for submission: https://ocremix.org/community/topic/47146-mario-kart-double-dash-beach-remix/ Please let me know if you need anything else, and thank you for your time and consideration!

Meteo Xavier Jeff Lawhead www.meteoxavier.com Notes: This is my collaboration with Jeremy Robson on the Seiken Densetsu 3 remix album which I think you are already familiar with, I wanted to submit it on its own for my personal vanity of having a spotlight on it and get my remixer count to go up. Funny story on this track. Rozovian liked the idea of having even some of the short cues have remixes on their own and I was talking to him about the source track on this one on night 10 years ago (I think, ***damn how much of my life has been tied to this project???) and he told me he'd like to have it as a waltz. I later learned he was joking, but for some reason I actually went to go do it. For 5 days in my later-to-be-haunted-apartment-after-I-married-a-Japanese-Hawaiian-Exorcist inbetween work, I labored over trying to make an orchestral waltz with a .mid file in the hopes I'd get someone to help me do the proper orchestral production with the notes I did. I'd never done a waltz before, and I hadn't really done one since, but generating one I really liked in .mid remains one of my proudest moments in music. Primarily to study how I wanted to do this, my models were the waltz scene from the 1991 Addams Family Movie and the waltz scene before the Chardash in Mel Brooks' Dracula: Dead and Loving It (that movie is seriously underrated). In 5 days, I had my MIDI. Next step was to find a collaborator and that man was Valse Aeris hero Jeremy Robson. I was pretty surprised a no-name lunatic troublemaker like me was able to work with someone of his arrangement pedigree and the collaboration went quite smoothly. I'm told he used Kontakt 4 Factory samples here, which while it loses a couple degrees in realism makes up for it by having a couple more degrees in "fun" and energy that you don't get in every library. About 80% of the track is my MIDI arrangement and 20% is Jeremy re-arranging that for the final quality, with more of his work towards the end as opposed to the beginning. Thank you.

RebeccaETripp Rebecca Tripp http://www.crystalechosound.com/ ID: 48262 Game(s): Hollow Knight Song Title: Blue City Songs Remixed: City of Tears

Let me say first of all that you have guts to arrange this source! With no definite backbeat and muddy melodies, figuring out a direction at all is easily no small feat. The boys above me got the production nail on the head. You have all these lead melodies pushing other instruments into the background, only letting them appear into prominence when they decide to take a breather. The sound design also feels mixed - you have an intriguing combination of meaty synths and percussion, and yet you have thinner sounding leads like the one going through Melody B at 2:42. That, to me, is also a shame because there are some fun envelopes behind it otherwise. If you ever get a chance to re-master it again, consider making some minor frequency cuts on the leads while making room on the other instruments to step through, as well as adding a quiet and warmer under-layer for said leads. The arrangement, while fun, is also flawed. Just like in the source, the Melody A section still felt tough to follow without knowing where all the note rests were. I can't fault you on that, as it's more of the BGM's charm. The Melody B section's writing, despite the thin lead, had a solid direction with several variations. But the main problem I have with the arrangement, however, is source content and a slight lack thereof. Here's what I figured out: 0:06-0:12 - Rising string stab from source intro. 0:17-0:21 - Swept in descending string parts from the track intro. 0:22-0:59 - Melody A. Deduct 3 seconds for source break at 0:46. 1:20-1:23 - Return of the sweeping strings from the intro. 2:37-3:36 - Sweeping string return, before going straight into Melody B. 3:39-4:57 - Melody B, switching back to Melody A at 4:33. That barely makes 45% source content, which offers a good enough reason to cut the last quarter short. As MindWanderer stated, it didn't introduce anything new that wasn't already between 0:59-2:37, so consider figuring out how to close the track quicker. If you insist on keeping it, you can try to find more ways to include the source or other Skies BGM, though this would be a much trickier direction. Honestly, I enjoy this in a vacuum. This remix is the kind of track I'd love to include in a future set on Last Call. For OCR, it's unfortunately not there yet. It'll be nice to hear another version with a much cleaner production, improved synth timbres, and thicker source dominance. You're pushing hard, Glenn - I know you can make it back on the front page again soon. NO (resubmit)

Now, this is a great adaptation! You took a 6/8 acoustic BGM and transformed it into a synth-driven 4/4 arrangement. Aside from the minute-long intro, the source material is readily identifiable - either with the melody proper or with the transformation of the original's acoustic guitar loop. It's a solid structure too - intro aside, it's ABA with no drums in the second A variant and some careful extra segueing between them. I also feel like I'm the only one who can appreciate the ending as well - ending on a chord that isn't the root is always going to feel unconventional, but that's what makes the explorative nature of electronic chillout what it is. I can also live with the "premature" fully established instrumentation at 1:46 - it aimed for a chill vibe with both the sound palette and the initial groove, and any jarring jumps in the momentum would break that immersion. All that is despite the double-time section at 2:24 - it refreshed the drum writing, while at the same time, the sound palette remained focused on keeping that momentum stable. And then, there's the production. The synths indeed feel very rich, with great attention to filters and layers - and I also can't ignore that initial drum bit crunch either. Yes, there is 2dB of headroom, but you mixed your instruments tightly, ensuring the track doesn't feel on the quiet side. Synth layers also meant there's no real overlap, and you can feel what each one is doing. The only exception I noticed was when the source arpeggio got introduced at 1:02. You started with a low-mid range of pitches that hid too far into the droning pad that it was difficult to make out. But four bars in, you overlaid it with a higher-pitched echoed arpeggio, doing the same thing but two octaves higher, and that added layer gave it some much-needed presence. Weighing up everything, I sensed a sweet arrangement direction and some solid production work, yet I developed conflicting thoughts regarding critique already mentioned so far. To me, this track feels like a complete package, and I'm more than happy to see it get posted. Waiting 17 years between first submission and first mixpost sounds daunting, but I'll be pleased to see this as the track that made it. YES

Arrangement wise, it does play safe and maintain the source's elements verbatim. But the accompaniment has some excellent additions like synth guitars and brass, sweeps when appropriate, harmonies in 5ths at 0:48 and 2:45, and even referencing both Deltarune sources during that 1:20 solo. I also really enjoy that 7/8 breakdown at 0:55 from a technical standpoint, too - it pushed itself out of nowhere and added a refreshing break in the run-up to the improvisational section. Including "Fields of Hopes and Dreams" also helped to break the momentum and build things up for the final part. And yes, just like MindWanderer, I also feel that fade-out ending fell flat. It's not a dealbreaker regarding site standards, but I'm just not a fan of ending tracks this way. The production's also okay - the instruments are clean, I can identify them all in the mix, and I too can understand the desire to emphasize the funk bass over the piano based on the rest of the instrument palette. It doesn't necessarily pump the adrenaline like you think it did, but the soundscape does have a meaty undertone in comparison to the original's aired nature. You used volume envelopes well to express your synths, though I'm also with prophetik in regards to the potential of looking at further articulation for next time. Additionally, I would've preferred a hint of reverb on your snare, so it's not too dry in comparison to everything else. It's just a small subjective observation, so it's nothing too serious. With all parts weighed up, I consider it good to go for the front page. It's a fun take on an equally fun source, and I'm crossing my fingers to see how you can top this in the future. YES

If you want my take on the whole thing, it's the creation that matters so much more and not the person behind it. As a radio show curator, I've aired arrangements of music originally done by some known jackasses - and I air them because the arranger saw something in the soundtrack, and not the person. It has been some time since the whole debacle, and I too hope that you haven't changed your mind regarding this track because let's be serious - the arrangement and ideas are brilliant. Yes, you presented this track like a medley. But each source ties into a larger picture and have also been substantially interpreted individually. The backing consistently evolves throughout with its consistent accompaniment switch-ups. I like the pacing changes for the melodies too - like at 1:31, where the second half of Home Again had breathing space to draw anticipation for the next movement. Most importantly, you gave enough care to link all segments together seamlessly, so it feels more like a rhapsody rather than a medley. It flows, it draws upon the recognizable parts of the sources, and the message got carried well. Granted, I do agree with both MindWanderer and prophetik, regarding the orchestrated parts not sounding all that realistic. But with the electronic side of the palette feeling lush and sophisticated, the orchestration doesn't need to be realistic - instead, it needed to compliment the synth palette and not de-emphasize either side of the setup. As a collective whole, they sound clean, they're mixed in well and remains tight for its 8-minute duration — definitely no small feat. If I didn't spell it out by now, I'd accept this, provided that you'd still go through with the mixpost. But regardless of what happens, this track has signs that you got what it takes to make it onto the OCR front page. Some of us judges, past and present, had also been scared of sending music to the panel at one point or another, but there's absolutely nothing to fear - we post it if it gets accepted, or there'll be useful critique if it doesn't. So I commend you for plucking up the courage to submit. It was an extraordinary experience, and I hope it gives you the motivation to keep contributing! YES

Contact Information ReMixer name: Reuben Spiers Real Name: Reuben Spiers E-Mail: Submission Information Game: Super Mario 64 Name of Arrangement: Sleepy Snore Spores Name of Original Song: Piranha Plant Lullaby Also featuring GameroftheWinds

Here's the big one! Contact Information Your ReMixer name: PirateCrab Your real name: Daniel Woodyer Your email address: Your website - https://www.youtube.com/c/piratecrabuk Your userid: 28881 Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged: Sonic The Hedgehog Name of arrangement: Sonic's Metal Marathon! Name of individual song(s) arranged: Green Hill Zone, Marble Zone, Spring Yard Zone, Labyrinth Zone, Star Light Zone, Scrap Brain Zone, Boss Theme, Scrap Brain Zone, Stage Clear Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc. "Back to my roots! This was the first game that really stuck with me as a child and so did the soundtrack. Nostalgic, mesmerizing and still fun to play now!" (Feel free to suggest an alternative name for the arrangement, I think the above one is terrible :D)

Dear OCremix team, I was just emailling to submit one of my covers of the 'Dancing Mad' Theme from FFVI. Remixer name: AdLibPiano Real name: Adeel Jafree (no website, all content posted to my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuG6LTDriDZ2LbGJeR1wHiw?view_as=subscriber ) Userid: 35420 Game Arranged: FFVI Name of Arrangement: Kefka's Last Dance Name of Song(s) arranged: Dancing Mad (also victory theme from Final Fantasy franchise is referenced at the end) First submission so I do not think I have been added to the site Link to original soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbXVNKtmWnc Inspiration: Wanted to challenge myself by doing a cover of this piece as I found it quite complex both rhythmically and harmonically. As opposed to creating a remix/cover similar to the original, I adapted the main theme quite a lot to fit into a simple 4/4 time signature which I hope works well. All parts are midi files but all played in live on the piano/keyboard. I hope that's alright, look forward to hearing your thoughts/judgement, Many Thanks, Adeel Jafree (AdLibPiano)

According to Jordi's Youtube page, he created this track all the way back in 2002. It makes me wonder why he wasn't aware of OCR at the time, but there you go. I consider the arrangement decent enough to warrant a shot at the panel - and if it does pass, it'll obviously need a new title. -Rexy Your ReMixer name - jordibabot Your real name - Jordi Babot Casacuberta Your email address Your website - www.jordibabot.cat Your userid - 35883 Name of game(s) arranged: Tecmo cup - Soccer game Name of arrangement: Tecmo cup - BRZ Theme Name of individual song(s) arranged: Team Brazil Jr Additional information about game including composer, system, etc. (if it has not yet been added to the site) - it is Link to the original soundtrack (if it is not one of the sound archives already available on the site) - it is Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc. This song was made with Impulse tracker in later 90's. This was a super cool game and I consider this remix my tribute. Go Razors! PS: Char3 was my nickname by that time. Bitrate is a little low due to those times limitations.

Contact Information thebitterroost !fname thebitterrooster.wordpress.com 32609 Submission Information Faxanadu Faxanadoom Name of individual song(s) arranged: Elf Town (Eolis) June Chikuma, NES https://youtu.be/77m6aTJb-yk?t=47 Made with cheap mics, cheap drums, cheap(ish) audio interface, freeware amp sims. Kind of a medium-slow/sludgier/doomier/whatever metal take on the tune, with just a hint of Opeth and a possibly misguided bit of bitcrushing. And it loops!

Your ReMixer name: Zevin Your real name: Kevin Zeiger Your email address: Your website: https://zevin.bandcamp.com/ Your userid: https://ocremix.org/community/profile/34711-zevin/ Name of game arranged: Mega Man 5 Name of arrangement: Falling Up Name of individual song arranged: Gravity Man originally composed by Mari Yamaguchi ("Mari") from the Nintendo Capcom release Mega Man 5 (1992) Link to the original soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Pkpp49aMk Your own comments about the mix: I've always loved the Gravity Man stage song; a standout track from the entire NES series. I was simultaneously looking forward to this song and dreading it, both because of the extremely complex and awesome-sounding melodies. I'm very happy with the result. Neil deGrasse Tyson unwittingly makes a cameo attempting to define what gravity "is"... Thank you for your consideration - Kevin Zeiger

RebeccaETripp Rebecca Tripp http://www.crystalechosound.com/ ID: 48262 Game(s): Oracle of Ages/Seasons Song Title: Tranquil Homesteads Songs Remixed: Inside Houses

My first impressions from hearing it in the inbox haven't changed. I loved all the playing around with the melody, whether it be with altering timings, added harmonies, and adaptation to different chords in sequence. The synth solo at 1:12 also sounded exciting and expressive, getting more dynamic and dense as it continued. It's additionally bright mastering as well with an overly punchy master compression, but the instruments are mixed clean and are all readily identifiable in the mix. The main reason why I moved it into the panel from the inbox was simply one echoed by my fellow judges - there's repetition in everything else except the lead. It's one thing to have reservations on something but said lead writing and breaks have helped ease off the monotony, so I can barely see it as a pass. All in all, it's a fun listen and different twist on the Tetris A-type music. With sharp production values, packed variations of the melody, and some powerful original writing to offset the repetition, it's one I can see join the other mixposts and Conor's continued love for all things Game Boy. Nice work. YES (borderline)

NOGames Nathan Oldroyd 36076 The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Sandy Steps Gerudo Valley

Hi, guys! I'm contacting you again to submit a new Legend of Zelda' "The Dark World" METAL cover / remix (original song from the game The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past, later re-recorded on The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds). Thank you for your time and, of course, enjoy it!! Here's all the info you requested: Contact Information Your ReMixer name: mikestamper (Mike Stamper) Your real name: Aitor G. Your website: http://www.mikestamper.es Your userid: 32612 Submission Information Name of game(s) arranged The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past / The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Name of arrangement The Darkened Land Name of individual song(s) arranged The Dark World "The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past" was one of the first games I played during my childhood. It's songs got stuck on my head for all my life, especially this one. This epic piece of music inspired me to make something heavier, keeping the amazing original melodies. And so, this is the result,

Z Megaman X - Kuwanger Theme

ReMixer name: Astral Tales Real name: Ernesto Bernal Email address: Website: astraltales.bandcamp.com Submission Information Name of game arranged: Metal Gear: Name of arrangement: Snake's in the Jungle Name of individual song arranged: Jungle Own comments about the mix: I've had this song stuck in my head since a long time ago and I wanted to write a Synthwave version of it. The OST of this game is great and I am very happy on how it turned out! I hope you enjoy it.

Contact Information ReMixer name : Bak.R Real Name : Backer Ruth Website : www.Bak-R.be Userid : 34757 Submission Information Name of game arranged : Final Fantasy IX Name of arrangement : Crazy Moon Name of individual song arranged : Jesters of the moon Link to the original soundtrack : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUCeXApQxNw Comments : This is my arrangement of the song. I try to keep this clownly mood in to the hole song. I have added a new variation on the song, trying to keep the same spirits with this new original composition. It’s orchestrated a lot of classical instruments with modern cinematic touch.

RebeccaETripp Rebecca Tripp http://www.crystalechosound.com/ ID: 48262 Game(s): Skyward Sword, Breath of the Wild Song Title: Hidden Shrines Songs Remixed: Temple of Hylia (SS) Cave Shrine (BotW) TPR Collaborated with me on this piece. Here is a link to his channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/phoenixrisemusic/videos He’s already agreed to let me submit this.

ReMixer name: Deadly Ax real name: kouichi naruse website: https://da-pf.blogspot.com/ ID: 30500 Name of game: MEGAMAN X (ROCKMAN X) Name of arrangement: Armored Armadillo Additional information: Super Nintendo Entertainment System,山本節生(Setsuo Yamamoto) about the mix: I used VST Instruments for all tracks. When I was young, I played MEGAMAN X over and over again. The days passed and I started to like Metal. So when I arranged,made the genre Metal.