Rexy
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Posts posted by Rexy
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Contact information
ReMixer name: DevastusReal name: Jani Syrjänen
User ID: 24166
Submission information
Name of game arranged: Tekken 2
Name of arrangement: HEADHUNTER
Name of individual song arranged: Black Winter Night Sky
Link to original:
Comments:
In the year 2077, the umpteenth King of Iron Fist Tournament begins with a bang, as the Mishima Corps' head figures are attacked by an unknown, ironclad assailant.
This song is a huge nostalgia trip, I played the hell out of Tekken 2 and 3 as a kid and really liked this intro. A friend of mine linked the original song to me a while back and that kinda got my creative grooves going. I've had a long break from making music, and an even longer break from making remixes, so this was an ample opportunity to take a shot at it once again. Maybe it's the quarantine, but I've been drawn to cyberpunk-ish dystopia stuff lately, and decided to pull a twist and try my hand at fully (well, 99%) electronic music instead of metal or orchestral, which I've been usually doing. The end result is that I really enjoyed the process, and think it turned out intense, brooding and hard hitting (the holy trinity).
Stuff used here consists of Reaper DAW, Surge (it's amazing, I used it for literally every synth sound in the song), some freebie odds and ends for the drum sounds and a guitar. Hope you enjoy!
- Devastus -
Hello! i'd like to submit a song to you guys.
ReMixer name : Tikaal
Real name : Corentin Rahil
Email address :
Website (youtube) : https://www.youtube.com/user/ike6252/featured?view_as=subscriber
Userid : 36843
Name of game arranged : Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal
Name of arrangement : Past meets Present
Name of individual song arranged : Ecruteak/Cianwood city theme
Additional information : Pokemon Gold and Silver were first released on the 21st of november 1999 for the GameBoy
Ecruteak/Cianwood city theme was composed by Go Ichinose according to VGMdb
Pokemon gen2 was one of my first video game and what got me into music. Ecruteak/Cianwood's theme is a very nostalgic track to me and always stirs me a bit haha
i wanted to see what it would look like after i remixed it in my style, 15 years after playing the game for the first time hence the title : Past meets Present
the title is also a nod the city description of Ecruteak city which reads : "A Historical City Where the Past Meets the Present"
It also has references to Azalea/Blackthorne city themes, National Park and the main theme from the series.
hope you'll like it!
thank you.
Corentin
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Remixer Name: Faseeh, Joshua KruszynaReal Name: Faseehudeen, Joshua KruszynaEmail address:Website: https://www.youtube.com/user/GottaGoFas , https://www.facebook.com/creationfromcrisisofficialGame arranged: Sonic Unleashed
Name of arrangement: Adabat's Sunset Speedway
Hey OCRemix! Been a while, haha.
Sonic Unleashed is a game I admired greatly. I pretty much got a console just to play it when I was young. I've loved 'Jungle Joyride - Night' since I first heard it. The track perfectly fits the level, with the serene sunset view, waterfalls and jungle depths. It feels melancholic and yet calming.This arrangement is filled with Jungle (hah) influences. Just like my last submission of Spider Dance in 2017, this is a Rock N' Bass track too. Sonic music is filled with awesome rock guitars and the Daytime levels in Unleashed featured lots of DnB/Breakbeat influences so flipping this track into this style just felt right. Just picture Sonic boosting through the level.I'm glad to have Joshua (formerly known as EXShad) on this track. He's a joy to work with and we've been friends for quite a few years. Felt like making an unapologetic banger, hope we succeeded! Thank you. -
Hello!Here is my first submission to OCR.Contact info:
Gamer of the WindsGregory OroszSubmission info:Octopath TravelerReminiscing By The RiverThe RiverlandsI wanted to add a little more depth to the piano part but also do a live remix that utilizes the piccolos low register and also the flutes low register.I hope you all like it
Thanks,Gamer of the Winds (Gregory Orosz) -
You put together a lovely orchestration, as always. At surface level, it's the usual affair of two different textural variations on the source. But the first 40 seconds consists of using the melody to develop a build into that first proper riff, while the ending goes back to it on the music box to close it out carefully. For a 30-second loop, this is more developed arrangement-wise than what I would generally expect from you.
The mixdown is appropriate for the genre and leaves enough room for dynamic shaping. Though, I can't help but think the timpani's usage also left behind more sub-bass emphasis. It does feel funky listening on headphones due to this, but I couldn't think of any other way to give that instrument power in this setting. I agree with Larry and Joel on the brass's bland sounding tone within the first half, sticking out glaringly against the other instruments. But its articulations have been well utilized, letting the virtual players have room to breathe and shape their expression as the track goes on. Usually, it's the other way round with you, having a pretty sample and minimal articulations going, so consider me surprised with you pushing to make it work.
Nevertheless, it's a short and sweet interpretation with some lovely part writing and playing around in the tail ends, with enough attention to detail on the production side (minus the brass) to carry it through. I wouldn't mind an updated render with a more polished tone on the brass, honestly, but it's still good to go as is in my book.
YES (borderline) -
What a creative arrangement! You guys took a tense final dungeon theme, then transformed it into a smooth 5/4 jazz jam session. A setting like this runs a risk of source unfamiliarity when reaching the one part with all the instrument solos (1:56). Luckily enough, 1 - the A section's chord structure held the foundation down for a good 80 seconds and kept that familiarity, and 2 - source melody is present everywhere else. You have a clever call-and-response between the violin and trumpet, your countermelodies elsewhere kept adding color, and how the leads cycle - particularly during the jam section and climax - keeps the soundscape nice and refreshing.
Yet, that mixdown got me in two minds. The recording quality, balance and timing between performers are tremendous and precise, and they've all got their places in the mix to stick out. Though, I felt curious about two things here. Firstly, the mixdown feels as dry as a bone - as if the performance happened inside a cramped booth. That's something that slight amounts of reverb, particularly to your leads, could've helped mitigate. Secondly, when the drums start rolling initially, the snare feels boomy and congested in its tone, so it's not as sharp as I would've liked - but ultimately, it gets masked once the other parts get going.
Ultimately, the pros of this submission outweigh the cons. It's a fun jam that takes the source in a unique direction, all with effective co-operation between your performers. Lucas, your growing social network is showing no bounds!
YES -
This track is a resub of a Direct Rejection from May 2019 - hence the prefix.
-Rexy
Name: Michael HudakGame Arranged: The Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of TimeSongs Arranged: Zelda's Lullaby (plus a bit of Prelude of Light at the very start and last final minute)ReMix Title: Princess's NarcanSources:
Notes:I know the main source for this is first heard in A Link to the Past...but several other remixes of it are listed under OoT, and that's when I first heard it, too, so I'm going with the flow in that regard!This is a resubmission from probably 2 whole years ago now, and partially inspired by the music of Lorenzo Senni, who uses supersaw synths (and almost nothing else) that act as both percussive and melodic instruments. I used layers of supersaws detuning themselves at various rates, slammed through compressors with various thresholds to try to make something percussive and almost overwhelmingly (painfully?) heavy/intense. This is maybe the 4th or 5th version of this track, and I hopefully found a happy medium between good production value and extremely abrasive sounds. I wanted the compression to almost sound like gunshots, like the drum & cymbal crashes in a modern rock album. Very whalloping and heavy. It's a heavy issue...Narcan is a drug that's used almost to instantaneously treat opioid overdoses. The opioid abuse crisis in the United States has been on my mind fairly regularly since 2017, and I think on the minds of many, many others. In the US, and especially in places like Philadelphia, where I live, it seems that "everybody knows somebody"; no one I'm close to is more than 2 degrees removed from either a struggle with the stuff already in progress, or a previous struggle that had a happy or sad ending.This song has a female protagonist, and she is in a very bad situation, but she lives to fight another day. The start of the song is an altered piece of the end of the song, representing a vicious cycle. I don't want to say explicitly that this remix represents an overdose and overdose reversal, but it intentionally goes through 3 different plateaus of intensity, and then a gradual "coming back to life" coda.I was hesitant to have a song from a (very popular) game provide the structure to a piece relating to drug abuse, thinking that it might trivialize or add inappropriate undertones to the issue. In the end, though, I think game music is more than respected enough to be used as a viable, honest weapon to fight against this kind of thing, and hopefully a song made for OCR (with an aesthetically sensational title) will add a couple of heart containers to *someone* out there fighting their battles. Alternatively, you can, of course, ignore the title and meaning and just try to enjoy the song. -
That's one way to keep up source dominance - by having the bass push through a modified version of the main pattern (first appearing at 0:20) for most of it. And given that you referenced Martin Garrix as a reference, I can understand with the emphasis on bass grooves and varied breaks every four bars. The melody's usage starts straight-forward with some questionable fifth harmonies, then brought in some rhythm alterations at 1:56 that synergized nicely with the bass kick. The effect work going on during the B section at 2:24 feels almost Moroder-like and works well as a bridge between segments. Ultimately it goes into one last major groove at 3:19 that borrows ideas from the previous two melody uses and weaves in and out into the B section climax. In the grand scheme of things, it makes a lot of sense for you to interpret a bass-heavy source using Big Room influences - so much that the structure fits like a glove.
The presentation works well too - well-balanced instrumentation, nothing clashing with another part, and plenty of fun EQ sweeps and synth envelopes to keep the pace going. Despite the lack of part-writing, the soundscape feels surprisingly full - and while I would've wanted a little less emphasis on the higher frequencies overall, such a decision to carry the non-bass writing forward is still very welcome.
Nevertheless, what we have here is a well-developed arrangement that fits nicely around Big Room writing norms, with enough engaging in the soundscape to hold interest. It's also a potent sign of your continued exploration across different types of EDM - and I hope we'll hear plenty more of that on OCR down the line. Great work, Rob!
YES -
I appreciate how you turned this 6/8 source into 4/4 and let the new time signature dictate the genre direction - a very charming idea with an alt-pop vibe. The mixdown has an intriguing emphasis on warmth - felt more in the snare and the timbre behind your pads. If you want my thoughts on the balance, I believe the vocals should be louder in the mix as they're doing half of the melody work here. Some further EQ separation between said vocals and pads won't go amiss either, but see what happens with the vocal volume boost first and then decide.
But Joel has nailed the pacing spot on. Every backing instrument makes the same 2-measure pattern throughout the entire track, and over 5 minutes, it does get stale very quickly. Even the uses of the source's A section differ little from each other, give or take the intro where you only used any notation present every two beats. See if you can find a way to make the second verse-source section (1:57-3:22) more texturally unique from the first. As for the auto-pilot drums, I'd suggest finding some subtle ways to embellish your percussion - whether it be changing up the kick-snare pattern on occasion, adding cymbals/hand percussion, or anything else that comes to mind.
This track could be a more quirky entry to OCR's front page, but it needs more TLC in the background writing first. A volume boost to the vocals would be nice to have as well. It's a good start, Ian - so I hope you get to keep at it.
NO (resubmit) -
Contact Information
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- Your ReMixer name: Ian Martyn
- Your real name: Ian Martyn
- Your email address:
- Your website: https://www.ianmartyn.com/
- Your userid: 35158
Submission Information
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- Name of game(s) arranged: Final Fantasy III
- Name of arrangement: It's On My Mind
- Name of individual song(s) arranged: Below the Deep Blue Sea
- Additional information about game including composer, system: Nobuo Uematsu, Famicom
- Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc.: I decided to see what this piece would sound like in 4 rather than 3, and found that it worked well as a chill track.
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This event had been discussed behind the scenes, and after much deliberation, I feel it's time to spread some holiday cheer!
Anyway, I'm sure by now you know how a Secret Santa works - get assigned to someone, send gifts and the like. You can do so either physically or digitally - though, whether's the most convenient option is up to you.
Please use this form to add your details. This will make it easier for me to keep entrants organized, and less clutter in my PM box.
The deadline for signups is November 1st at 2PM Eastern Time. I will then match people up and send details out.
Keep in mind that you don't need to spend a fortune to your recipient. It's possible to give memorable gifts that don't cost as much.
Otherwise, come along and join up! Ho ho ho! -
1 hour ago, MooglePower said:
Okay, now that the DoD month is over, do I just submit the track as normal here, or is there some other process because it's a special DoD thing?
That's exactly it! Just submit as normal, but make sure to mention you sent it to the DoD x)
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- ReMixer name : The Geeky Guitarist
- real name: Ricardo Basora
- email address:
- website: www.youtube.com/TheGeekyGuitarist
- Name of game(s) arranged: Mega Man II
- Name of arrangement: Dr. Wily's Castle
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Name of individual song(s) arranged: Dr. Wily's Castle
Thank you so much!
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Wow, what an arrangement! I don't know whether to go introspective on life, shred an air guitar or pull off an indoor rave - it's a mishmash of styles that so fittingly work cohesively around a sparse arpeggio of a source. There are great techniques involved in all of them - the first one during the intro is handled straight and gets more warped from the bit crushing at the end of the loop, then it returns during the Basshunter-style hardcore section at 2:10 and adapts to the sudden time signature change. And for the final two runs at 2:56, you changed the key and doubled up the arp's notation. The chords remained uniform across all four showings, though, but it's required to demonstrate the rhythms' creativity.
Oddly enough, I can't see any significant mixdown problems in the first metal section at 1:47. Yes, it's a textural shift from the intro that swaps out warmth for crunchier tones, but the soundscape didn't feel empty for it. The second metal section at 2:56 improved on that front due to the rhythm guitars providing support from the low mids to compliment the synth lead. If anything, I was more concerned about the lack of any other percussion at 2:10, with only a four-on-the-floor kick drum present - but the occasional sharp attacks on your synths and gated pads provide a suitable hi-hat replacement. The mixdown otherwise feels clean and smart, and while I can't be able to hear your non-Morse nuggets, I can feel your intent from the sound design and expression work - and it made me wonder how you put in this imagery.
Even with its flaws, it has treated the source well and has a cohesive enough production to get onto the front page. But in a vacuum, the choice of source material and arrangement direction was what I needed to unleash buckets of built-up energy all at once - so I thank you for submitting this. Consider it an impactful debut!
YES -
Like with a lot of your arrangements, the interpretation is a tale of two halves. You have a straight-forward run at the beginning, then during the second half, you added original flute writing and went on to blend phrases from different parts of the source together, all before closing on one final run on the slow-string C section. Along with the textural developments in the background, everything adds up to a well-personalized orchestration.
Now, the production side left me torn. Firstly, you have an intriguing mix that has more of an emphasis on low-mid-to-mid EQ than there is high, and with your notation being in a similar mid-pitch range, you've hardly utilized it. Brad's comment about the stagnant articulations and minimal percussion on your percussion and plucked strings gave me a suggestion - increase the reverb across both instruments, while also putting a high-pass on the effect to let the attacks feel more natural. Even on the legato-based parts (namely the bassoon and voice patches), the lack of release and volume shaping exposed their flaws.
Don't get me wrong- the orchestration and personalization are great. But when a handful of essential instruments feel robotic, it adds up to a tough sell and a plea to further develop the overall articulations. I hope you'll get the chance to revise it.
NO (resubmit) -
Short loops are never easy to make much out of, but you still broke the three sections down, developed them individually, and turned the B section into a dynamic mid-song bridge. I don't mind the slow-burn intro, as it relies on the A section's chords to add a cinematic rise, introduces the melody at 0:34, then let the C section take prominence through the beat drop at 1:36. Since then, both segments of the source had separate developments - delaying a phrase by a whole bar (1:47), keeping rhythms while altering pitch (2:09), stopping and starting the melody at the start of each bar (2:46), and several occasions where the A section's theme rode on top of C's chords. These techniques all work with the cinematic/DnB combo writing, allowing for sturdy sequencing (including the guitar VST) to carry the ideas forward.
The mixdown is also great - sharp and punchy, with well-balanced instruments, and with enough clarity to let the backing strings step in as well. I could comment about the palette, but it's classic Justin - and he certainly didn't put a foot wrong there. I am, however, with Kris regarding the loud master - maxing out at -8 dB RMS with an average of -11, which is barely more powerful than the recommended value for the Youtube upload. I'm okay with it getting hosted as is, but it's worth taking note for future renders.
Minor flubs aside, everything checks out both on an interpretation and production level. It feels so surreal seeing the thread await a revision when I joined the panel, and that revision didn't disappoint. Nice work!
YES -
Oh, that arrangement is definitely on point! Naturally, its strength is how the sources weave in and out from each other while keeping a singular cohesion. It's so prog it doesn't use the same idea twice - a suitable foundation for all performances and assigned permutations. Energy-wise, it doesn't drop down once, though luckily, there's enough variation in the rhythm section and drum writing to keep the momentum stable. This approach made me love it on the first listen!
Like with Wes, I had a close look at the waveform and noticed a loud mix - and by that, I mean -10dB RMS loud! Thankfully, the mixdown sounds precise and balanced, and all guitar recordings are as clean as detergent. As expected from both you and Juan, the performances are tight, with nothing out of place. I'm also used to hearing your vanilla-sounding synths and was hoping for them to be as expressive as your guitars, but at the same time, they also provide sturdy support in the background, so they don't sound like a problem.
Everything adds up to a cool mixpost that ties three themes into a cohesive whole, has an energetic presentation, plus some fun performances to secure everything together. Ivan, you and Juan did great - excellent job!
YES -
Hi,
I'm Laurent from the Grospixels team. I'd like to submit the latest song we made : the intro theme from Nicky Boom, composed by Alain Lambin (who also did the game's graphics). Nicky Boom is a 1992 french platform game for the Amiga, published by Microids.
Here are the informations :-
- ReMixer name : Grospixels
- Real name : Laurent Roucairol (along with Jean-Christian Verdez, Max Noël and Olivier Tamagna who are from the team but don't play on this submission)
- Email address :
- Website : https://www.grospixels.com/site/remixang.php
- Userid : 29807
- Name of game(s) arranged : Nicky Boom for the Amiga
- Name of arrangement : Intro Theme
- Name of individual song(s) arranged : er... it's the song playing during the game's intro, I don't think it has a title.
- Composer : Alain Lambin
- Link to the original soundtrack :
Comments about the mix :
The original is, I think, quite a relaxing and moving tune. I did the cover by myself because other Grospixels members are not presently available. I wanted to pay a tribute to this charming game and this very nice music, aiming at simplicity.
In 2008 I tried a submission at OCR and was rejected, wich was a shock and refrained me from trying again until today. I think our productions sound better now.
The main inspiration behind this arrangement is the slide guitar : I wanted to use my bottleneck and gain some confidence with it (I'm no expert). I also wanted to use vintage analog synth sounds : Moog, Mellotron and Hammond organ, since I'm mainly into seventies music. The arrangement is pretty faithful to the original, wich I hope is a good choice. I think this music is not very well known, so the priority might be to make people discover its original melodies.
As for the software, I used FL Studio and mainly freeware plugins (except the drums, programmed with EZDrummer). I programmed the keyboard parts and played bass and electric guitar with an amp simulator.
I hope you'll like this recording !
Best regards,
Laurent, from Grospixels -
Ooh, I also like this genre translation! The framework's very straightforward - a run through the theme, an opportunity for solos over the A section's chord structure, then back to the source to finish with both segments swapped over. A mellow groove like this has an irk with causing autopilot, especially considering reggae rhythm norms - but a dig deeper revealed subtle percussion differences in both source iterations, notably differing tambourine accents and off-beat cross-stick placements. Cap it with how well the melody transformed itself to fit this more laid back groove, and it's got more than enough strength on its writing and interpretation to get over the bar.
The presentation is also serviceable, but not without a couple of minor flaws. The best asset is that you kept all the live instruments clean and well-presented throughout the mix, which is essential to carry the arrangement forward. It's got a decent balance, too - no part is clashing with another, though I noticed an emphasis on the sub-bass and low-mids, yet that's common for genre standards. The headroom problem, however, does need addressing before getting posted.
I honestly think this is almost golden - just a louder master is all it needs before getting out there. You've got this, Mike.
[EDIT 2020/09/28: I received an updated version and not only is the volume up as requested, but the mixing got further cleared up. You know it's a great one when I can now hear a shaker in the mix - so glad to see you went the extra mile. Let's go!]
YES -
With the staccato notes in the original, I can see why you thought the composition could've been on an early synthesizer x)
Nevertheless, with you mentioning Sakamoto as a point of reference, there's no surprise that you went into a writing direction that your Persona 3 mixpost introduced the concept. Everything is in time, and the timbres for your instruments remain as lush as ever for the genre adaptation. The synthetic piano's tone is on the bass-heavy side, but no chopped note or effect sticks out, and it complements the more treble-based presentation of the organic piano later on - so that isn't a big deal.
And let's not let the composition get washed out either. The source translated itself surprisingly well for 4/4, so that alone is an excellent start in my book. And for a considerable bulk of the track, the composition bounces back and forth between interpreting the piano arps in the source and moments of intentional glitching while interpreting the staccato left hand. The right-hand use has various note voicings like in the original, plus effective use of double-time starting from 1:04. Meanwhile, the left has more of a focus on thickened harmonies to support it. The slower natural piano at 1:43 is a neat original touch and has a more realistic contrast to the electronic backdrop. I also agree with Kris on the secret jingle easter egg at 1:01 - it took me back on first listen, and it's still charming to hear on repeat.
This track sounds like a complete package to me and continues this bizarre goal of seeing how musique concrete can have a home on OCR. Great job, Michael, and never change yourself!
YES -
Hey there!
2004 is more and more of a hazy time for me, but I suspect Blue Magic tagged the track in advance before sending it into the submissions inbox (as indicated by the instructions back then). And yet, there’s no record of him sending it to OCR, which is odd.
The VGMix archive (where Chrono Compendium obtained a fair chunk of coverage back then) has a similarly titled track known as “Tower of Nightmares”, and it’s safe to assume they both are either identical or follow the same principal idea. So I have a feeling you got the track from VGMix when it was active.
I hope this answers your query x)
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This groove and the level of polish is just what I expect from you, Alexey! It's a clean and engaging soundscape with fun synths and effect placement, and the "heroes in a half-shell" vocal feels so full of cheese but fits so well with the source. I'm not the biggest fan of your saxophone sample, as it feels so fake with its articulations, but luckily it's so wet you've taken some of that edge right off.
You have a solid framework as well - it's framed well with a slow burn intro, two uses of the source straight, and that saxophone and mellow break in the middle before going back. I also like how you decided to change up the chord progression entirely for the A section, and yet the simplicity fits so well with the quicker pacing of the source melody. Both theme run-throughs have minor differences in the pads used, but I believe they could benefit from a pinch more variety to distinguish the two. Yet, under normal circumstances, that wouldn't be a dealbreaker.
What is a dealbreaker, though, is the alarming lack of source content. Here's my source breakdown:
- 0:22-0:24 / 0:27-0:29 / 0:33-0:36 / 0:39-0:42 / 0:44-0:47 / 0:50-0:53 / 0:55-0:58 - snippets of melody used during the swelling intro. (19 seconds)
- 1:01-2:02 - Source melody used straight - A section twice, then one run through B. (61 seconds)
- 2:25-2:27 / 2:30-2:32 / 2:36-2:38 / 2:41-2:43 - snippets of melody dipping inbetween saxophone and bell licks. (8 seconds)
- 2:53-2:55 / 2:58-3:00 / 3:04-3:06 / 3:15-3:17 - snippets of melody heard quietly on the SID-sounding synth in the background. (8 seconds)
- 3:32-4:05 - straight run through the source. (33 seconds)
That's 129 seconds of source presence, and with numbers crunched, that placed the quota at 43%. It's a horrible number to fall short on but falling short it did. You can approach this fix in one or two ways - either cut some non-source sections down or go through places with barely any or no source at all (like your ending) and find ways to squeeze it in. On the other hand, the original doesn't have a lot to work with, so you're more than welcome to integrate different sources initially written for the game, or even find ways to put the source's bassline in.
Honestly, in a vacuum, I enjoyed every second of it. It's one I'd like to have on the site in some shape or form, provided you find a way to increase that BGM quota. Alexey, I believe in you.
NO (resubmit) -
Rebecca, you're no stranger in dealing with short sources like this - and similarly, you made sure to not only keep all three variations distinct throughout but also molded a cinematic framework through it. The tempo fluctuations and dynamic bursts are well placed, the minute-long dramatic twist caught attention off the bat while slowly preparing the listener for the slower main body, and the textural switches are all on point. Even the bridge between the second and third runs at 2:25 experimented with several ideas. You kept the chord structure, did brief re-harmonization on the oboe, and let the piano flourish develop the source's last few notes into a satisfying transition. Very smooth stuff throughout - can't argue with this.
Now, I was initially unsure about the presentation. On a positive note, there's a broad stereo spread and clean mixing, making the parts easily identifiable and balanced. On the other hand, the articulations have been a mixed bag. Velocity placement on your pitched percussion is well-shaped, and the textures for your strings feel lovely. However, you have some exposed legato phrasings across your strings and woodwinds with little to no release - more so on the woodwinds with the gaps representing the theoretical performers taking in air. I've criticized this aspect before, but luckily there's more right done on the arrangement and other areas of the presentation that I can happily let it slide and appreciate the track for what it is. Do take note of this in the future, though.
To sum it up - a vast expansion of a brief source, lovely textural molding, and a sharply produced package. While some of the articulations remain in the uncanny valley, it's nothing more than a minor blemish. I'm all for seeing it on the front page - impressive stuff.
YES -
I've gotten in touch with Chris and I've received that ending fix. @Liontamer, @Jivemasterand @prophetik music, please check it out and see if it will change your vote x)
OCR04156 - *YES* Guardian Legend "Arboreality"
in Judges Decisions
Posted
Ooh, this is a great twist! You changed the time signature from 4/4 to 6/8, allowed the C section to get built on chords (1:04, 3:18), and allowed the other components to drive the rest of the melodic progression forward. Using the first half of the C section like this does sound more farfetched at first, but the full melody addition later on in the first use (1:33) both works with and justifies the applied technique. Admittedly, the comping in the third minute does meander away from the source's foundations, but the dominance elsewhere doesn't make it too hindering.
The presentation works amazingly well, too. The effect work on the synths are sublime with all of their different tones and articulations, the clarity is spot on, and some of the trippier glitching and detune effects add more to the immersion. There are two minor concerns, however. Firstly, the average RMS is a decibel or two higher than what YouTube standards expect, and while it's not a kicker, it serves as a caution to watch out on your mastering. Secondly, I sensed there not being as much in the mid-highs than the lower half of the EQ spectrum, though the later use of polysynth pads and SID-sounding leads negate this whenever they make their presence.
I'm with Larry on the source, to be honest - a straightforward and forgettable one, but turning it to an opposite mood with such execution is a sure-fire way to get it to stand out. Good work, Chris!
YES