Sir_NutS

Pretty emotive. Dynamics are handled very well, although I think this is a little rougher around the edges than your other submissions, with regards to the performance, but the little kinks here and there don't take away from a really enjoyable piano solo. I don't mind the extra headroom in the levels at all, as that allows you to expand your accentuation dynamically as the moment calls for it. I think some of the changes in tone went a bit too far such as near 1:33, but only just, as you reign it back pretty quickly. Nice Work. YES

This is another case of a track sounding very conservative at first glance but having a lot of subtle details that add to the interpretation. As noted by Gario the underlying additions behind the much more conservative main melodies are what distinguish this track from a straight-up cover. However how much they add as to make the track stand out on its own is the question. I believe enough is done, specially in sections where harmonies and keys are switched, and where themes are meshed together, such as near the end. Performances were good for the most part, some of the instrumentation felt stiff in some spots but enjoyable nonetheless. Overall I think casual listeners would probably need to listen attentively to hear the differences, but wouldn't need to put much effort to enjoy this piece which was well crafted, performed and produced. YES

Love that lofi organ, even if the panning effect gets a bit old after a while. The arrangement grabbed me from the start, and even though I am not very familiar with the Paper Mario soundtrack I found myself really enjoying the melodies. The bassline is kind of a contrast to the rest of the performances, which are squarely on the jazzy side but the bass had a really funky groove going for it. All the brass performances are awesome, as expected. If I had to nitpick it would be the ending which was a bit more sudden than what I would've expected, given how smooth every transition in this piece is. As far as I'm concerned this should be on the front page asap. YES

Pretty surprising departure from the source. My reservations with this song are similar to MindWanderer's, so I won't write three more paragraphs exposing the same things, but I'll note that they are the Brass synth and repetition. The brass is soo overbearing and cheesy it just gets really tiring after the first couple minutes, and the repetition of several parts is pretty obvious and I feel not much was done to keep the copy-pasted sections different from one another. I did like the idea to adapt the source to this genre, but this needs more work on the sound-design level, with more palatable, better balanced synths and also on arrangement to get it over the bar. NO

Interesting. This is some pretty good stuff coming from a rather simple workstation like LMMS. What I liked the most about this song was the soundscape building and the groove it builds to in the busy sections. I do have a few issues with it, first, the dubstep bass feels, for lack of a better word, weak. Exposing it at the end of each measure, as you do in later iterations of the groove, doesn't help much. Second the kick is causing compression issues specially on the rolls. If you're using sidechain you have to make sure it's not going into effect on those rolls because it's ducking the rest of the mix. If not, you may want to balance it out so it doesn't act like this. The arrangement does get a bit stale at some points, and the celesta arp. is almost a constant throughout the track, which I think is contributing to making the whole thing feel static. These aren't deal-breakers for me, but something to be considered. I feel there's a lot to like in this mix but it needs a second pass on the issues above. It's very close and the votes could go either way. NO (resubmit)

Didgeridoo YES oh the rest of the song? it's pretty good, albeit sticking to the original concepts quite a bit. The more exotic instrumentation does add a bit of identity to it, though the original wasn't short on the exotic instruments department either. Production is solid as expected, and the fusion of both songs works, helped in no small part from the sources being similar thematically.

I was part of the first evaluation, and I remember a bit where the issues were present on this one. I think the artist did a commendable job fixing almost everything we asked for. I still have a few issues that need mentioning: First, what is that at 2:45? sounds like an impact hit but it seems to clash with pretty much everything around the lows and just creates an indistinguishable rumble that kinda ducks other elements and takes away from the impact of coming back to the track after the break. I would like this removed, or perhaps switched with other impact effect that doesn't clash with the lows/subs, or see it high-passed. Second I do have to agree with Larry with the drums being sort of basic and to a lesser extent, the lead being vanilla. However I don't think these are deal breakers, the drums could be more varied but I think they just do what they have to here, which is drive the song along. Most of the heavy work is being handled by the soundscape-building and melodies that the artist is crafting. Regarding the arrangement I still think it's very good, love the bending synths and pads and the dynamics of the arrangement were well constructed. Overall I would give this a pass but I would also like that we contacted the artist to fix the impact at 2:45, in case this makes it through the panel, @Liontamer YES (conditional on fix)

Everybody knows I love synthwave, so this is right up my alley. Sadly, I think this needs another pass before it reaches the front page: First, the static groove is an issue. As I said, I'm very knowledgeable in this genre, and I know it's sort of a staple, however there's staple static and there's this. I think much more could've been done to keep the retro groove going while also keeping the drums from becoming a bore. Even popular artists in the genre know this and do spice up their grooves a little. The track being fairly long in duration makes this issue more evident, IMO. Second I think the track restarting at the 4 minute mark just makes the issue of the static groove worse, as it just comes back to the exact same thing over again after it gave a really good sense of finality to the track before the break. Ending in a fadeout just adds insult to injury. Overall I think it's a well produced and arranged track but suffers from being too static and an extra section that doesn't really fit at all. If those two things are addressed I would be more than happy to see this on the front page. NO (resubmit)

I have to disagree on the lack of interpretation on the first half. There's quite a bit of it, although it is very subtle. The pizzicato sequence is not the same as in the original, it changes to harmonize with the progression instead of being static, and the changes from measure to measure are different as well. The background strings also do not follow the progression verbatim, although they do start on the same notes. The piano as well has some subtle changes and addition of extra notes in the higher registers that are all new. The main melodies remain very closely tied to the source but there is work done in the first half and calling it a straight up cover is really not fair. The second part expands on the source in more evident and creative ways. I did enjoy some of the chord resolutions which fell into more pleasant harmonies than the more somber tones expressed in the source, 1:32~ is a good example of this. In my opinion this track is totally fine arrangement-wise. Production-wise more could have been done in regards of humanization and the performances. Some envelopes in the string seem identical to one another giving them quite the mechanical feel. I hope @Gario takes a look at this one because he's much better than me at expressing how orchestral instruments could be humanized better. Overall, even with the not-so convicing handling of the performances I think this is a few inches over the bar for me. YES (borderline)

Crunchy guitars that are very well mixed, they aren't necessarily melting any faces but they are filling up the necessary space very well. The lead synths blend with the rest of the track pretty cleanly, though I found the lead around the first minute mark to be a little on the quiet side and sometimes got behind the other elements. I was a fan of the synth strings used here, they evoke some of that classic string machine sound to me. The lead guitars are clean and well performed and the solo writing is ok, though I found it kinda vanilla in its execution. The ending left a lot to be desired, and I felt that something more interesting could've been done with it instead of the full stop. Overall the fusion of both themes was well done and this is pretty solid. YES

4/18: I started writing my vote on this around february but I stopped after listening to this track several times and being unable to make a connection to the source. I left it and came back around March and did the same, but still couldn't make the connection, at which point I brought the discussion to the other Js to see if I was just completely deaf. Turns out, there's really not much connection other than the mood here. The bassline in the original is a simple repeated note that hits on every beat, with a single accent, and I don't think you can base a remix on that, since such a simple sequence of notes could really be anything at all, and even then, it's not present in the remix. The bells in the original offered an opportunity to connect both tracks but again, I failed to hear a concrete connection between the two. It could be argued that the drumlines are similar, but not enough in my opinion. The Remix evokes the original's mood and feel, but it could be said that it could work as another track in the same soundtrack, not as a re-interpretation of this. Unless someone can clarify how both of this tracks connect in a concrete way I'm afraid I have to vote against it. NO Below is my (incomplete) vote I started on february (hooray for IPS saving these even months after the fact!) huh, interesting. Remixing this ambient/dnb source is definitely not easy, not much melodic content to work with as the original's focus is more on setting up ambiance rather than weaving harmonies and melodies. The remix feels on the same page however I'm having a hard time making this connection. The production is great for the most part and the industrial elements are pretty evident.

Hmm as others have mentioned I ended up feeling like this was just a smigde too quiet, however, that's minor and something we could ask Rebecca to do before posting. This track can be sparse at times, but the fusion of the three themes works very well for me, although this is low on the interpretative side of things, but nails the adaptation. I think Rebecca's style excels with these kind of mystical-ethereal sounding tracks, although this one is sort of in-between that an a soundtrack-style orchestral song. I do think the bird chirps need to be lower too. Since my only two issues with this track are extremely simple to solve (raise the overall levels, lower the chirping), I won't ask for a resubmit but a conditional. This should be on the front page and getting such simple fixes from Rebecca before that should be no problem . YES (Conditional on level adjusting)

Ah I've heard this one before I believe. Going off the last version provided, I feel like the drums sound very compressed compared to the rest of the track.... not sure if they've been heavily processed separately but the contrast kinda threw me off, specially considering the track isn't straight-up EDM. Also I have to agree the bit at 2:00 sounds a bit odd to me, and I really love dissonant stuff but that bit ends up fighting against the harmony instead of just being just sour enough to sound interesting and flavorful. Either way, these are fairly minor complains for me, as I think the track as a whole works well. I love the combination of guitars + synths, and I find it interesting how you used the guitars on the offbeat instead of the traditionally used saw synths for that. On the whole this is pretty upbeat and enjoyable, and over the bar. YES

I didn't vote on this one, but here are my quick 2c: -The arrangement is great, the many SFX in the background are too distracting though. -I do get what you're going for, but the song would really be better off with less background (and in most cases, foreground) SFX, IMO. Sometimes it feels like pure noise instead of controlled chaos which I think is the intention. Personally I would go for sporadic use of sfx to accentuate the mood instead of the constant barrage... but that may not complete your vision for the track. -I love Little Nemo music and know the entire soundtrack by heart, and I kinda enjoyed this remix, but I also agree that it's not ready for the front page yet.

Pretty nice pacing and use of dynamics. Simple approach that just works, the switch to adagio to finish the arrangement was very predictable but, again, just works. Although this was pretty by-the-books, it wasn't boring at all, I quite enjoyed it. Not every track needs to put the source upside down in order to work. YES

For electronic sounds, there are many, many free options out there that are fantastic sounding. These are synths that I use in a lot of my own music: Synth1 Charlatan OBXD Helm SQ8L Tal-U-No Tal-NoiseMaker TyrellN6 All the GTG synths I've used all of these in several tracks of mine, and some of then like Synth1, Tal-u-no and SQ8L are present in the great majority of my songs. They're all just a google search away. Regarding Effects, here's a comprehensive list of great effects that you can use and again, some of them I use in many of my tracks, like the great reverb effect Ambience, great eq effects like SonEQ and SlickEQ: http://bedroomproducersblog.com/free-vst-plugins/ I also recommend getting EVERYTHING from Variety Of Sound. FerricTDS is a staple of every single one of my mixes. https://varietyofsound.wordpress.com/ Good luck! EDIT: Forgot the TDR Nova: http://www.tokyodawn.net/tdr-nova/ This is a MUST for any producer in a budget to help you mix and master your tracks. There are very few multiband eq/dynamics vsts out there that are this good, even ones you actually have to pay for. Must have.

Just great. Excellent adaptation, production and performances. It was awesome how much you managed to get out of the source here, spinning and expanding it in so many different ways and they all make sense. Kudos. YES

Cool, this is one of my favorite themes from the soundtrack (I need to remember to remix this someday myself) Regarding your remix: I'm afraid I'll have to side with Gario on this one. The main issue here is the mix, as it feels very crowded throughout the track, and the sounds lack clarity. I think the amount of ambience or perhaps reverb from the pads/textures and melody lines is contributing to the lack of clarity and focus, as the bass synths seem clear for the most part. Feels like everything is fighting for space here. I think that the mix follows the original's structure very closely, though the arrangement/adaptation are far enough apart to make it different. So although my issue with this mix is mostly with the mix balance, is a big enough one to ask for another pass. NO

There are some good ideas at work here, but I feel there are several issues that pile up and surpass what could be enjoyable about this remix. First the arrangement is quite static, there are several different sections but the progression of the track feel very stagnant. We get a small break at around the 3 minute mark but by that point I felt already drained by the monotony. Regarding the production I feel like the mastering on this one could be relaxed quite a bit, since it's not trying to be hard-hitting but the mastering is done in a way that would better fit a hard-hitting edm track. The grainy, low-pitched saw bass is a constant throughout the track that gets old after a while and adds to the overall static feeling of the arrangement. The main snare felt a bit splashy, as if all the bottom end was cut, but since this track doesn't necessarily need hard-hitting drums, I don't think it's a huge issue but I would have preferred a snare with a bit more body to it. I could tell the different layers of this track apart so clarity wasn't too much of an issue, but the static nature of the track really brings down the whole thing along with the hot mastering and other production details. NO

Although it's written in the rules that remixes must have normal levels compared to average recordings, we don't have a written rule on how loud or quiet a track needs to be, but there are issues when you go both extremes: if a track is mastered too loudly it will usually get rejected because many times this will cause distortion, lack of dynamics and also obscures details. On tracks mastered too quiet, or with very wide dynamic ranges, this causes some issues with the listener's ability to appreciate the details without cranking up the volume, or in the case of tracks with a very wide dynamic range, it causes the listener to have to change the volume during playback in order to appreciate some sections. As for myself, I can't tell you if I will accept a -16 RMS track because there are other factors at play such as genre, and well, the nature of the arrangement, but unless the dynamics are interfering with the listener's ability to appreciate the track I don't have an issue with it. Personally, I appreciate tracks with wide dynamic range, but it has to make sense why they are that way, it can't sound like an oversight.

wow... are you kidding me? after listening to that source... and then this remix... man, some people get inspiration from the weirdest of places. First thanks Larry for doing the heavy lifting with source checking. That such a short melody line could get expanded like this is commendable to say the least, but it's good to make sure the reference wasn't just fleeting. I think this piece would've been perfect for the Esther's Dreams album we released a while ago. The lullaby theme is executed pretty well, and overall the arrangement is pretty cute. I didn't have any issues with the mix, and the instrumentation fits the bill and is fairly well sequenced. YES

Yeah, I don't hear offkeys in this one, the vocals dip momentarily in some sections, but not at the timestamps MW mentions. I do hear some dissonance, which is for the most part, in taste, although pushed slightly towards the end. I've found Castlevania tracks to be rich in this aspect for the most part, so I pretty much expect some of it in remixes as well. I think the feeling of a Nightwish track was definitely nailed for the most part, although some sections drift away from this style. I didn't find this jarring but transitions definitely could be smoothed out, or perhaps sections like 2:15-3:13 could be adapted better into the proposed style. I do have to agree with the mixing critiques that Joel has provided, the mix seems like could use some clarity and better balance. The last section seems to expose the vocals too much, while the mix gets overwhelmed in other sections, with different instruments trying to share the same space in the frequency spectrum. I don't think this one is ready yet, and needs a second production pass, while taking in consideration smoothing out the different sections so the change in styles and mood isn't as pronounced, this is minor however, and some of it expected when trying to merge so many sources. I do agree with MindWanderer in that some dialing back in trying to do so much would benefit the track's coherence, but that's up to your (collective) artistic vision for this one. EDIT: I would like to hear Larry's opinion on this one before closing. EDIT 4/18: Listened again to this track today, and after reading the other J's opinion I have to stand by my initial thoughts and ask for a revision on the prouction side of things. Also, the feeling of having sections that don't quite fit with the overall mood of the track, or the Nightwish-styled metal (the sections around the middle of the track) was more prominent on subsequent listens and now I really think some fat needs to be cut for the track to feel more cohesive and complete. My previous comments also stand. NO (resubmit)

Very somber and dark, with a deliberate, plodding pace. This sounds equal parts menacing and drearily, which seems fitting for this theme, or most of the ff7 soundtrack in general. Left me feeling slightly uncomfortable to be quite honest, which in my mind, tells me this accomplished what it sets out to do. I have no issue with the piano sample used, it shows proper strength when the arrangement sees the need for it, and can be delicate in other times too, which also speaks very well about how the performance handled the required subtleties and detailing. YES

Ah I remember this one. Bluelighter's tracks tend to stick in your mind whether you like it or not (I do though). Now, regarding my previous vote: Although I didn't get sidetracked again listening to some good ol' Gershwin, I did feel the compulsion to. I've compared the production on both mixes and the new version sounds remarkably cleaner. Also the humanization seems much better, just listen to those staccato strings at 2:28, much more natural sounding now. Regarding the arrangement, that hasn't changed much though I noticed small details here and there that were modified/added. All the praise I had for the previous version stands, with the added cleaner mix and performances, this is an easy pass for me. YES

Oh man. Beneath a Steel Sky is such an underappreciated game. It's one of the best adventure games of all time, with a markedly more adult approach than what we used to get from sierra at the time (with exceptions, like Gabriel Knight), oozing an oppressive, industrial-cyberpunk feel, striking art direction and excellent dialogue. With a setting that I would say it's the perfect mix of 1984, fahrentheit 451, and Narshe. Also a fitting soundtrack, which leads us to this remix: Ninecoins here decided to not change much in terms of arrangement, but makes up for it by making an adaptation to a different style. It succeeds in that regard, as this certainly sounds like a dub track. It somewhat keeps the feeling of desolation and industrialization from the original, but overall the additions give it more dynamism while keeping the disconcerting cyberpunk ambiance. The tempo slowdowns, while odd at first glance, do help in this matter. The soundscape starts up rather simple but evolves when more complex textures are introduced as the track progresses. This remix is kinda low-key, but I feel it makes it over the bar, just barely. I think perhaps more could've been done with the source in terms of expansion, as well with the sound design. But for me what I hear seems compelling enough. Plus, I would be pretty happy to have this game represented in our library. YES (borderline)