Sir_NutS

YES

I can't believe this mix turned out so good from such a short source. Production is top notch, chips are crisp, arrangement is surprisingly expansive. This is just great and should go to the front page ASAP. Oh and submit more stuff. YES

I had to jump into this one right away because I love this theme. First, the good. You have a great handle on how to buildup energy to your drops. Beats aren't copy/paste and actually have a good amount of detail to them. Seems like you also know how to use some stereo-spreading techniques to widen your mix. You also have a pretty good grasp on EDM structure. The adaptation here is alright, chopping the original melody and rearranging it differently for the drop. Now for the not-so-great. Although your buildups are ok, the drops needs quite a bit of work. The synth bass, which should be powerful and interesting is more like a drone, sustaining a note with no modulation or any interesting filtering and the texture isn't pleasant or intricate. The second drop is a bit worse even, with the harmonies getting a bit dissonant and feeling pretty exposed and static. Also even though you have the structure down, the second buildup and subsequent drop feel too similar. I also think that you can take your buildups from being ok to being stellar by adding some more detail to them, maybe an underlying riser effect in sections like 2:10 which feel too empty with just the one synth alone. I don't feel you're too far from making it there, as you have some solid basics for the most part. But there are other areas that need work, making your drops hit hard is a priority, as these genres are mostly defined by it. Introducing some variation between the second halves of your mix also would go a long way. I recommend listening to a lot of EDM artist that work in genres similar to what you are trying to accomplish and analyze their use of synths and what they do to fill space in a track to make it sound huge, and also how they add complexity to the synths in the drop to make an impact, that helped me a lot. You're not that far as I said, but for now I'll have to decline this one. NO

The arrangement feels extremely blocky and robotic. The soundscape feels pretty empty as well, and the connection to the original feels tenuous. I think what most people remember from this track is the main melody line but this remix focuses more on the harmonies. This is not grounds for rejection but it does result in a pretty repetitive affair. I wasn't impressed with the sound palette, though the drums felt clean and crisp. In the end, this needs work, a better, more engaging and natural sounding arrangement and a better use of the soundscape. NO

I really liked the harp and string lines on this one, very cool. I was expecting more of Rebecca's folky/mystical style, and this one has some of that, but it is a bit different this time around and I'm glad that she's taking some slight detours to explore her style a bit further. Other than that, it's the usual very good sub from her. I also didn't think it was too close to the original... sure it repeats some of the lead melodies verbatim down the line but this doesn't feel like an upgrade or cover. YES

This stuff brings me back to the late 90s/early 00s when Big Beat was still a hot genre. I think you managed to represent that very well here. It's not a big departure from the original, and the genre doesn't lend that much into melodic content so it's mostly repeated synth lines that evolve and modulate with time. There's always some addition/subtraction of layers going on and I never felt it got too crowded. I think the strength of this track lies in its solid synth work and representation of this genre at its peak, while also doing justice to the original track. Hell, I think this one is better than the original actually. I'm onboard with this one, let's go. YES

Sort of a classic rock approach here, I like it. The synth work is simple but it works. Loved the triplets section. Even though the track is a bit too long, the arrangement is interpretative and fun, so it kept me entertained for the most part. The performances are pretty good. This should go straight up to the front page, let's go. YES

Not sure how much her brother had a hand in this one but it indeed sounds a bit louder and less delicate, neither better or worse, just different. That aside, this is yet another good piece from Ms. Tripp. I do think this one is much closer to the original than other submissions in both feel and arrangement, and I think it could've been pushed a bit more on the interpretation side of things, but the original's style closely resembles hers so it would be harder to achieve this. Either way, I don't have that many gripes, other than the low wind instrument that serves as a backdrop to a large portion of the track, and it kinda gets in the way sometimes, and it just drones on one note for too long. But overall, solid stuff. YES

NGL Jaleco games didn't have the most memorable music, but Shatterhand has some decent tunes, albeit it retained the highly repetitive nature of other soundtracks from this company. This remix starts out in that same vein, with the main hook being repeated a lot... and really, it never stops repeating. You had some good ideas to get around this: first, you switched instruments on this hook after a few measures, also made some small note changes here and there to keep things fresh. There are some interesting instruments supporting the main melody line as well, though I found the main beat a bit lacking in power and kinda forgettable. There's also a small break and near the end, a weird slowdown of the track's tempo. hmm. Another thing is that you kept this track's length very short. These are all good measures to take when remixing a short and repetitive song but I'm trying to decide if it all worked well. Despite everything the track still feels very repetitive and under-developed. I think that the 1:28 section is brilliant in that it's right where it should be to break the monotony, but sadly it's underdeveloped and just a couple measures later we get the main hook back. I think that if you extended this section even just a couple measures more, adding your own interpretation and takes on the original's progression or even a short solo of your own making, coming back to the original hook wouldn't feel so bad. I'm not sure I like the slowdown near the end, feels out of place... although if the track was developed more, and the slowed section was shortened, this ending could work. I would like to see you extend this just a little bit and giving it more of yourself instead of relying too much on the main hook which brings too much repetition with it. I think you got a great idea here just needs a bit more development. NO (please resubmit)

Anthem trance/eurodance seem to go hand-in-hand with japanese arcade racers. TBH I wasn't impressed with the original tune but your remix BLOWS IT OUT OF THE WATER. Great energy, tons of original arrangement ideas thrown in while respecting the original... though really the original was very repetitive and not that hard to follow its two-chord progression but still! Awesome blend of metal and edm elements, this remix just rocks. YES

Pretty close to the original, but that's by design due to the original album's restriction. Even then, that shouldn't be a valid excuse to get past the panel, but I'm happy that this excuse isn't really needed because Chimpazilla does more with the arrangement, textures and even structure to separate itself from the original, where this one feels different enough to stand on its own. Hell this is definitely more than what I managed to do with my track. Sadly those restrictions carried over to the ending, which is underwhelming, to say the least, but one of the few gripes I have with this. Production is good, great energy carried over from the original. Good stuff. YES

A few issues with this one: first, the track feels extremely static, this may be due to the buildups not being handled properly or large portions of the track extending for too long without showing much development or interesting stuff to listen to (the pad/choir breakdown is a good example of this). I think this is an issue that extends throughout the rest of the mix and the duration could've been cut down significantly without losing much. This spills into the structure making the whole thing feel drawn-out. The production could use some work as well. The samples feel simplistic, although this may be on purpose, it doesn't work very well here. The main snare has tons of splash but no oomph, which makes it sound sorta silly when isolated as in the first few minutes of the track. The bassline of four octave-jumping notes tends to get in front of a lot of other elements and doesn't sound very interesting. Some elements like the bells are alright and fit the mood of the track well, but for the most part, the texture selection here is a mixed bag. 8 Minutes is a lot of time for a single track and you've got to make sure you keep the listeners' attention if you're asking for that much time, and I don't think this track manages that. Cut it down to something more manageable and make your ideas more concise. A neat, solid and to the point package will fare better than something that feels that it takes longer than it should for little return. NO

A pretty basic arrangement with not-so-great instruments. The kick has a weird noise release on its click that doesn't sound too great and is pretty exposed. The main beat kicks in at 0:30 only to go back to the four on the floor kick-only pattern a couple of measures later. This happens several times, and well, these are buildups that build to nothing. In electronic music you have to make your buildups count, otherwise, they end up sounding pretty amateurish. The real buildup to the main melody happens at around 2:03, and it works there, building sufficient energy and expectation for the main hook, but the payoff is not there, and the main lead is pretty flimsy and weak sounding. The backdrop, bass, and harmonies are being eaten by the drums and so they can hardly be noticed. The second section after this doesn't bring much energy or anything new to the table, arrangement-wise. Also, there's an audible click at the end of the track. I did like some details such as the reversed drum hit to segue into the next measure of the beat, and some of the transition effects but overall, this needs a lot of work. Don't get discouraged as this is some of your first work and there's still a lot to learn. NO

You can say that again my dude. Elemental master has an INSANE soundtrack. I've heard it remixed in other places but it's a shame we don't have much of it around here. It's that classic Technosoft soundtrack full of rocking tracks, high-octane riffs and just full of energy. Enough about that though and more about this track, which tries to follow-up on the steps of the original with some progressive rock. The performances are very good overall, but the arrangement is not that deep, it's mostly following in the same steps as the original tracks, with some personal touches. My biggest gripe here lies with the production though. Some instruments, mainly synth lines, sound muffled and behind the percussion, and it gets super cluttered at some points, especially near the end, where it completely breaks apart and just becomes loud and messy. I think a second pass on this to lighten the overall compression, brighten things up and giving some air and headroom to the track would help a lot, plus it would fix the last section which is just not good. I also think this would benefit from a bit more work on the transitions and perhaps the structure/interpretation but that could be a bit much to ask when these are all live performances. And no I didn't miss the YYZ reference at 2:58. NO (resubmit)

Not much left to say here as I was about to write about the same things Gario has pointed out... I'll babble on anyways: The production is actually alright here, I like that everything sounds clean and has its own space in the frequency AND stereo field. Instrument quality not that much, but I do think some of it is passable. Two sticking points are first the strings carrying the main melody, which won't fool anybody and I strongly believe would be better off with some organic-sounding synth pads instead. The strings wouldn't be that bad if they were the only questionable choice though, but the main guitar lead is something that I can't let through, sadly. The arrangement is good, and I'm really surprised this is your first try at a full remix. If so, you are well on your way to great things. But as with most first tries, this one needs some polishing before I can sign up for it. And really, my main gripes are with two specific instruments so your work here is not that hard. Sadly, for now I'll have to go with a NO (resubmit)

Really good stuff here. What I enjoyed the most was the detail in the ambiance textures used throughout the track, though that's only one thing that makes this track pretty awesome, as arrangement itself is pretty creative and unique. some sections like 2:22 or 4:07 may throw off some listeners used to the original due to the unusual harmonies and structure but I really loved them. The production side of things is good as well, with great sequencing and performances. The fadeout ending is kind of a bummer, but there's tons of attention to detail everywhere, great production and most important of all, oozing creativity. YES

This track starts out pretty conservative but it does evolve after a while, and the additions and changes fit extremely well. I have a few issues with this though, and it's that some aspects of it can get pretty repetitive. The main rhythm hook is pretty prevalent throughout, and the drums can feel on autopilot after a while. The production is ok, although the different guitar parts can get cluttered and lost in some of the busy sections. Overall I think the pros outweigh the cons here and this is an enjoyable track with some solid interpretation that is seamlessly introduced with the original arrangement. YES

Listened to this several times before, it's a great track. The Nightwish feel is very close, it would've been pitch-perfect with more heavy metal arrangement tropes, but it doesn't need to be a straight-up copy. Production is clean and the vocal performance is great. It's a huge undertaking that turned out very well. YES

Artist: Sir_NutS Name of the games arranged: Twin Cobra System: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Name of the arrangement: Blade Pitch Name of the individual songs arranged: Break a Leg! (BGM 1-6) Link to Remix: Link to Original: My friend F4T4L and I are fans of crazy synth rock FM tracks with screaming guitar lead solos on the Genesis, so one day I decided to give this one a go. At the time of release for this game, Taito was putting out great arrangements for their arcade and home console games, and this is one of them. Full of energy, drive, and crazy solo arpeggios which are all a great fit for a SHMUP. I thought I would give it the same treatment with my remix, so I kept the same fast bpm but upped the ante on the arrangement by going even more ham with the soloing and expanding on the original arrangement with new sections. The synthwave style I thought was a good fit as well, given the date of this arrangement. I added a few references to the game such as the helicopter blades that can be heard in the breakdown (not a sample, made with synths!), and a lead that cuts right through the mix. I had quite a bit of fun with this one and it also helped me get back into making music again. Enjoy!

First with the obvious here, instrument quality didn't impress me, and the mix feels a bit umbalanced regarding the drums. Cymbal crashes seemed really loud... well cymbals in general. in some sections it seems like background elements take over main leads such as like around 2:20. On the production side things didn't look too hot, and on the arrangement side, things didn't look that great at first with a straight reproduction of the original to start off the track, however things evolve and change pretty soon and most of the track has tons of personalization of the original melodies and even brand new sections. The arrangement is pretty interesting and fun to listen to overall, while not straying that far from the original's feel. So this is pretty borderline to me, but I tend to favor solid arrangements over perfect production so I think I'll give it a pass. It's fun and well arranged albeit not perfect. YES (borderline)

I like the mood you've got going here. I think using sidechaining so heavily it's an stylistic choice, and yes I think the heavy pumping is due to sidechaining, not the kick causing undesired compression on the whole track, otherwise the whole track would sound smashed to bits with such levels of compressions as to make the whole track react like that to a single element. I could be wrong but this is what it sounds like to me. That said, I do think it gets a bit tiresome after a while but it's not a big issue for me, maybe I'm used to hearing this effect on too many mainstream tracks. I do take issue with the static nature of the arrangement. It feels very monotonous and like not much is changing. The piano hook is used as an anchor throughout the track and I wouldn't have an issue with that if we had the surrounding elements feel more varied or like they introduce new ideas. The beat gets a tad repetitive as well. With all that said I still think it's an enjoyable track, you just need to cut some fat from it. It doesn't need to be over 6 minutes long in my opinion, if you cut it down a bit I would've passed it as-is. Of course, introducing more variety instead of cutting it down could also work. Either way, I didn't have an issue with your production, just the repetitive nature of the track. Please take this into consideration for a revision. NO (Resubmit)

Beautiful textures and ambiance. I do like the lo-fi loop with the loose timing, even though it may seem like it will get old at first as it's only a 2-bar drum loop, the artist cuts and extra fills here and there. I was actually getting into the loop manipulation so much that I lost track of what the track was doing in terms of melody and arrangement, which means I had to go through the track a couple more times. It didn't get old. Pretty good stuff overall, chill listen with some interesting elements for those who listen closely. YES

quote-voting here because MW pretty much sums up my thoughts on this. However, I'm more borderline on my vote because man that ostinato got old after the first couple minutes and it only got more aggravating as the track progressed. The surrounding ambient elements are nice as well as the variations and as a whole, I think it barely makes it. YES (Borderline)

Very soothing and relaxing track, the arrangement is mostly lead by the woodwinds, leaving the bells and harps as a supporting role, and it works very well IMO. The additional ambient effects give a "relaxing in the forest" feel. The interpretation follows the original pretty closely, albeit at a slower pace and with more detailed layers and variations. Also, since this is based on the Twilight princess version of this tune, it changes the original dark/mysterious mood into something different. Production seems fine, although the overall volume seems a bit low. Very enjoyable listen that's bound to please Zelda and relaxing music fans. YES

We really don't have enough C64 remixes around. Every time I see a C64 I go straight up for it because I just love the soundtracks and sound of this device that legendary composers like Jonathan Dunn gave us. Regarding this mix, it takes elements and textures similar to the ones you would find in the original machine and puts them together with a touch of modern production. Distorted, soaring PWM leads, noise-sprinkled percussion and the instantly recognizable C64 arpeggios are mixed with subtle choir pads, cleaner plucks, LP-Filtered breakdowns and some percussion elements played at a higher bitrate than the C64 was able to. It all works very well in my opinion, creating that melancholic but catchy sound that, in my opinion, represents the best you can get from this golden era of vgm. Production is solid for the most part, sometimes the low end takes a bit more presence than it should but overall, it's ok. The arrangement stays a bit close to the original but still manages to add (and substract) elements to bring the original under a slightly different light. I loved this and I hope we get more. YES