Sir_NutS

I like that you kept the dissonance from the original, pretty tasty. The intro felt a bit dull to me but once the guitars hit, they hit pretty damn hard. I think the mix gets quite busy at some spots specially with the strings and rhythms+lead guitar but it never gets too messy. I, like Kris, also found the string performances a bit mechanical but they're serviceable to the mix since they aren't the main focus. Overall, I wish the mix was a bit cleaner but what we got is good enough for me. The arrangement was good, with recognizable source and interpretation in the main melodies and backing parts. Very solid remix overall, so a short vote from me but a big YES

I have to agree with D...Kris about the bass being slightly boomy. Not a huge issue for me. I don't think the drums get lost in the bass, I can hear the kick and snare very clearly. The choice of textures fit the arrangement pretty well, the mix sounds full and nice. I thought more could've been done with the rhythm guitars besides the long chords and basic chugs but that's perhaps my preference. The arrangement is pretty good, never gets boring and evolves pretty well over time. Highlights for me were the break in the middle of the song, with the piano background and textures, and the buildup back to the main guitar section. The second half was much more interesting for me, even though this section was more conservative regarding the original, but its not a bad thing by any means. Loved the small riff and slowdown towards the end. This is a solid track with plenty of energy, no doubt it deserves to be in the front page. YES

Jorito will provide a version with fixed mixing, eq and balance in the next couple of days. I'll update this post with the new version but for now I ask to hold on till the new version is provided. EDIT: Jorito provided an update: The mix is much better balanced now, and everything sounds cleaner. Since my qualms were production-only and they've been solved, I'm happy to change my vote to a YES.

wow, I certainly wasn't expecting these themes to work in this context. I didn't have an issue with the overall mix level, and I think the instruments feel well balanced and although the mix seems less full than our usual orchestral submissions, it doesn't feel empty and everything sounds pretty clear. I'm wondering which spitfire library you used for this, as I know spitfire is one of the absolute best out there, some of their libraries are even better than industry leaders like EWQL, but these instruments don't sound like the greatest, they're good enough and the performances are dynamic and reasonably humanized. The arrangement was the best part in my opinion, as Ganaé marries both sources seamlessly and in very natural ways. I think Guile's theme eased itself better into this genre, but Ryu's theme adaptation was ok, supporting by original additions to both the melodies and accompaniment. towards 2:32 we hear the two themes interacting and it feels very natural. I think the arrangement would've benefited from a short break, as the song is on an almost constant high, with some small exceptions where things calm down slightly, but it doesn't last for too long. Overall it doesn't hurt the arrangement but a break with a softened instrument palette would've added more depth to the structure. I think this worked surprisingly well and it's an adaptation that caught me off guard in a good way. Nice Work. YES

Agreed with Deia on all accounts. The guitar instrument is very fake sounding, though the lack of humanization isn't helping much, and although there's nothing wrong with the synth used for the lead its constant use throughout the track tired me after the first 2 minutes. The transition towards the break at 3:10 wasn't set up very well, and this section is a very stark contrast to the rest of the track, as when it comes up it feels really empty. The drums aren't exactly disappearing in the mix, but they could have more presence. This is also VERY close to the source, with very little original material and a lot of looping. It doesn't help that the style is also very close to what the original sounds like. You need to try to put your own spin on these arrangements, so it sounds less like a cover and more like a reinterpretation of the artist's vision. NO I'll leave my Kris-Deia mix-up as public punishment for my folly. In my defense, I didn't get any coffee this morning.

I really liked this arrangement, it is very expansive on the original, plenty of customization and different elements, it never stays on one phrase for too long but it doesn't feel like it's jumping around randomly either. The guitar soloing was crazy. I think the initial section, with the orchestral elements playing along the drums and synth elements was odd, and didn't blend well, but this wasn't a big gripe for me as the rest of the arrangement made up for it. My main issues with this track lay in the production side of things. The mix feels muddy and distant, and needs better EQing. The mids are too dominant and make the song sound as if played through a tube, and the highs lack a bit of brightness. I loaded the song and did some hacked up EQing and I think your problems lie around 500-1.5k hz, carving those freqs nicely, or eqing the individual instruments that occupy this space may clear things up a bit. I also felt the mix's compression could be brought down a notch. Even though the mix feels distant I can hear the compression acting up on the guitars and orchestral elements pretty badly. This is a really creative remix and I want the production issues fixed before I can pass it. They aren't hard to fix so please take this into consideration and resubmit asap! Edit 07/05/2016 Issues have been addressed, the mix is cleaner and better balanced now. YES

Production isn't the cleanest, but the rest of the mix overcomes this fact. Although the performances felt really sloppy at some points, it recovers in time before the whole mix collapses. I think the instruments used mesh in a very odd way that works really well in favor of the arrangement. I really like the usage of voice to complement the instruments in some sections. The arrangement threads the same path as the original for the most part, but this is no cover, there's interpretation everywhere in the supporting elements, and some added sections where you go deeper with the different dynamics between the instruments, such as around 2:10. I really liked at 1:48 where the syncopated elements played off each other leading into the subdued section at 2:06. I would've liked to hear your take on variations on the main melodies but what we get is fine. Nice work on this very unique submission. YES

That funky bass doe. I like the funky nature of the track, very nice adaptation from the original. The production here was not very good in my opinion though. The mix seems to be overly sidechained, which is fine for the bass but creates some weird dynamics on the leads. Said guitar leads felt like they weren't properly eq'd, as they were very biased towards mids, lacking air. I didn't have an issue with the drums though, they fit the mix. I have to agree with the other Js on the repetitiveness of the track. The bass hook is a constant throughout the mix and the only change I noticed was dropping a fifth in one of the sections. The sections with the long chords served well as a bridge but they were used 3 times throughout the track without much change. The ending was very abrupt. Funky, but needs work on variation, cleaner mix. NO (resubmit)

The weird voices in the intro were... weird. Nice textures used here though, but beyond this intro, there's not much to be interested in when it comes to this song. The bass is VERY weak and the drum sequencing is very basic. The lead at 1:13 seems to be subdued under the main arpeggio, which should be the opposite. 1:55 is very nice and feels closer to what the proper balance should be. I feel that overall the track lacks energy due to the weak bassline and drums. In main four on the floor sections, even a small clap would help accentuate the drums a little bit. Regarding the arrangement, there's plenty of interpretation, 2:45 is a section where you expanded the melody with your own original writing, sadly this feels very weak still due to the bare bones elements, and this section drags too long in the same level with not much evolution. I felt sections like 3:25 felt better than the full sections because they felt fuller and better balanced. There are some odd drum variations around 1:25 that don't feel like they fit well and break the groove pretty badly. Overall this is not bad but not good enough for a pass yet. I think you need to make your main sections more prominent and fix the balance regarding your kick and bass with rest of the mix. If you want to keep the drum sequencing minimal that is fine but having a very basic drum line also keeps the energy levels pretty linear which is not helping much differentiate the different sections. NO (resubmit)

Enticing.

Well, usually Deia and I seem to be in the same wavelenght regarding our evaluations but I'm going to disagree here, I thought this mix was great! I think samples are more than fine, performances are believable for the most part, and there is detail and intricacies put into the sequencing. The mix levels seem a bit biased towards the low end, and some rumbling can be noticed in the sub frequencies due to the heavy and constant percussion going on. I also think the reverb could be toned down a notch. I know some of these sample libraries have their own reverb though, so that may prove difficult, but overall I thought the production was over the bar. Now the arrangement was what I loved here. Those soft sections are a mix of eerie and mysterious with a touch of trepidation and impending doom that I loved. The way you handled the melody at around 1:04 worked so well, I absolutely loved this. It made me feel something, I'm not sure what it was but it felt awesome. The busy sections were powerful, although the constant percussion wore on me after a while, but they were separated by soft sections like 3:03, full of delicious dissonance and the handling of the original motifs at 3:57 was genious. Delicate use of choir in there just made it all the sweeter. This song is not without flaws but I think it's well above the bar. Simply stunning, loved this arrangement. YES

Well contrary to Deia I can appreciate the mix for what it is because I'm not familiar with the original soundtrack as I never played SoM beyond the first 5 minutes (Gasp! heresy!). I don't think the mix lacks melody, as the bell-ish instrument at 0:26 and on serves as the "lead" melody for me. Anyways, the production here is so-so. Nothing sticks out as particularly bad or annoying at the mix level, but the performances of the main instruments feel stiff. The strings, piano and lead instrument lack articulation and emotion. The textures mesh very well and create a pleasant soundscape but they lack soul and have that robotic feel to them in the performances. The drums feel on autopilot. Regarding the arrangement, It's very conservative and I feel much more should've been done to set it apart from the original. It has the same feel and selection of instruments, although what we hear here is an improved version over the snes samples, there's still very little difference in the sound design department besides there not being a trumpet sound for one of the leads. Overall nice setting but needs more work with the humanization and arrangement. NO

I really enjoyed listening to this, even though it felt a bit long, it was powerful and with plenty of interpretation, I love tracks that focus on bringing out new things via arrangement. Nice Work.

Just chiming in to agree with the other judges. As I said in my previous vote, I loved this rendition but the performances weren't up to snuff. This however is a big improvement. I do think the mix could've been cleaned some around the low-mids to make it pristine but this is ok, it adds a bit of a homely... or heard-in-a-country-tavern flavor. Very happy you took the feedback to heart, and answered promptly! YES

Production wasn't too bad, although the woodwinds were loud and piercing, and overly fake sounding. Some other elements and performances weren't that belivable either but it works for the most part. The arrangement however is too conservative, where it almost seems more like a cover. It retreads the same structure as the original, and does it three times. I didn't hear much variations between those, and if there was any was subtle enough not to have any effect on distinguishing one repeated section from the other. Overall, not a badly produced song but too conservative for us. There was some reorchestration and elements added in the background but the structure of the song feels more like a loop that repeats a few times than a cohesive arrangement. NO

Clean, exuberant and personalized. Great sound design, fair amount of interpretation. So many times I've seen tracks trying to build ambience but end up drowned in reverb and muddy. Not here though. Sure, there's plenty of reverb but I can heard pads, sub, leads, drums, come out very clearly. That lead specially is cutting really well through the mix even though it has plenty of delay on it. Great use of filters and automation. I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, but other than that, I can't find many faults in this remix. post plz. YES

Definitely need more Ninja Gaiden on the site. Sample quality is good, as noted by the libraries used in the building of the track. The drum programming wasn't great, as the hits felt a bit dry and exposed, and the marching beat felt a bit mechanical. The arrangement is my biggest gripe here, it's very repetitive using the main motif from the original. There are variations around it, and the lead jumps from one instrument to the other to try and keep things fresh but I can't help but to feel like this could've used a section in between to expand with original material referencing the source but not directly citing the main melody, as it goes on for far too long on the same phrase. However, as I said there are elements going around the main melody which change and add more to the remix, but this could've been much more. I think it's close enough for a pass, but I wouldn't disagree with other judges who find the repetition and lack of variation enough to deny the pass. YES (borderline)

The mix needs some cleanup. The bottom end is eating everything up while being very muddy. The beat is very dry and thin. The bass is lacking character and presence, it's being obscured by the low pads and its subs. I'm not a fan of the sound selection for the main lead, as the tone doesn't fit very well in the mix. The compression is acting in a strange way, as can be heard near the 4 minute mark how it's making the arpeggio vary in amplitude in a way that's not in sync with the dynamics of the song's rhythm. The arrangement itself is not too bad, but gets repetitive in some sections such as 3:25 where it goes on for too long on the same pattern, this would be a perfect moment to introduce some personalized content. More interpretation is welcomed. Overall, there are glaring production issues that need to be addressed before considering the arrangement for posting. NO

This remix starts off really strong with a very interesting and dynamic intro, but I think it dips over time. Regarding the production your levels are good but the instrument quality and performances are hit and miss. The lower brasses and strings, as Deia mentioned, are the most evident here. I liked some of the ideas in your arrangement, like the variations at 02:18, but the arrangement overall felt like it needed a little push towards interpretation. It lacks the subtleties and details that your posted forest medley mix has. I think it repeats the source motifs too often and too close to the original arrangement. The structure felt very straightforward, and although that's not a problem per se, it could've benefited from shaking things up a bit. Overall this isn't too far from the bar for me, but I think more could be done to hide the sample quality, and more interpretation could benefit the mix more so it doesn't feel like its repeating itself too much. EDIT: I could definitely switch my vote later if I hear enough reasons from the other Judges, as I think this is pretty borderline. I think my observations are valid but I will keep an eye on this thread. EDIT 6/14: I was pretty borderline on this one, after listening again and reading all the comments I think I can flip this one for a borderline pass. YES (borderline)

Have to agree with Deia, sweet arrangement but performances seem pretty stiff, and the not-so-great sample quality is not hidden too well. The section at 2:33 is a good example of how this is hurting the song overall, as the strings are very mechanical and unnatural sounding, lacking human character in the performance. A revision is in order to make the performances more believable, although I'm not sure it would require new sample libraries or better manipulation and humanization of the ones being used in this song. NO (resubmit)

Original: Enter the Dragon (Movie) OST: As the artist stated, there's heavy sampling from the movie OST. the underlying brasses and orchestral hits are from the ost, as well as the main brass melodies, and I can hear other minor things throughout as well. I don't know how we would feel about this but I'm guessing it would be a NO on those grounds. Regarding the arrangement, there's a lot of original and sampled material and very little from the actual vg soundtrack which was admittedly very simple (BTW Is it just me or I can hear a portion of the TMNT theme in the bruce lee c64 theme? o_0). I did a rough estimation while listening and I'm pretty sure the vg music usage isn't 50% in this. But I could do a timestamp later if necessary, though I don't think it's needed. The song itself was fun to listen though, although on production grounds it was flawed as well, with overcompression and severe lack of clarity hampering the mix throughout. Overall, a cool idea but it's breaking a few rules plus the production wasn't really up to par. NO

Bump for Hype. Nice Work!

The mix feels very muddy in general, leads are failing to properly cut through the mix, and the drums aren't strong enough to drive the song, the kick gets lost in the low end and the whole mix is lacking a lot of clarity overall. The drum sequencing is confusing, it stops abruptly when it starts to get going and changes pace and rhythm too quickly instead of giving the rest of the instruments the hook they need to latch on to. The arrangement does take the original songs into new places but the structure was confusing. I can't really pinpoint climaxes because sections like 1:57, which I believe are meant to be powerful or big main sections, are very lacking in energy, although I think this stems quite a lot from the unbalanced mix, but also the instrument selection and style of arrangement. Overall the mixing and sound design issues couple with some unconventional structure choices that don't work very well overcome the good aspects in the inventive use of the original motifs. Maybe I could see this pass but it requires further revisions on the issues we're bringing forth. NO (resubmit)

Gotta agree with all of Nutritious' comments. Really strong start, I was really wondering why this song had 2 rejections already! but the meat of the song is pretty weak sound design and arrangement-wise. Sounds lacked character and performances weren't very interesting. Very noodly variations of the original melodies, and quite a few wrong notes that I can't attribute to flavor or intentional dissonance. Very abrupt ending as well. This feels more like a Work in Progress than a complete song, if you manage to keep the same quality from your intro for the rest of the song and you fix the arrangement and get a better production going you may have a winner, but for the time being, NO

Nice soundscape, but the performances here are lacking. The piano lacks humanization and emotion, the performance doesn't feel very natural or fitting for the somber and emotional ambience. Some of the drums feel very drowned and lacking presence, that may be intentional but it wasn't fitting. The overall mix feels slightly unbalanced in favor of low-mids and lows, lacking clarity and air in general. The drum sequencing was odd at some places (4:10 had a 4 on the floor kick... maybe it was a buildup, but didn't feel like it as it needed much more energy than that, or fitting). The arrangement overall is quite nice and I enjoyed the small details and flairs scattered through the mix. It is a bit medley-ish but it's not too exposed. Interpretation is ok, some of it felt stilted but ok for the most part. I liked the evolution of the structure and the tempo changes which brought some dissonance for extra flavor. The full stop at 4:24 was unexpected and as mentioned before will benefit from a much bigger energy buildup. I felt the last section after this meandered about for longer than it should and could probably be shortened, but it's not a big gripe for me. Overall this is very close and if the performances are brought up to par and the mix is cleaned up a bit more I'll be happy to approve it. For now, NO (please resubmit)