tweex

Another excellent intro. I really like the transition from the chip tune sound into the orchestral stuff. Shortly after, the full extreme of the electro pop hits and it sounds great! The rhythmic synths really help drive this piece. The drums are great as the switch between break beat and a more four-on-the-floor style. I've always been a fan of great production with a cool chiptune lead in there. You pull it off really well. The marcato strings and how you use them remind me a lot of Audix's work and it sounds wonderful. The brass is hurting a bit in this track like it does in some of your past work, but again, that's a small complaint. Lots of dynamic shifts make this interesting and keeps my interest. Once again, the arrangement shines here. Love the Mario cameo in there. Terrific work!

Excellent intro. It's what would imagine Steve Jablonsky might do for Desperate Housewives. Great cinematic vibe to it. When everything kicks in, the vibe changes to a very ethnic sound with the combination of the percussion and the pan flute. Sounds great! The brass is a little synthetic sounding, but since you have it so buried and layered, it's not terribly noticeable. The soundscape does get a little cluttered towards the end and there is some pretty heavy compression, but that's a fairly small qualm on the whole. The dynamic shifts and classic Trenthian and they sound fantastic. Great track mate!

Ah, boy do I remember this. This mix was the shiz for me back in the day that it was still just a WIP. I remember thinking that if the judges voted NO for it, that I would leave OCR . The choir from the source is a really cool idea. It almost makes this a mashup in a since, but your ideas are all over the place. The orchestral samples are a little better here than your first mix. The drums are great! The percussion adds sooo much to this mix! Like your first mix, there is a little over compression/clipping that I hear when things get especially dense. Once again, the arrangement is really where this shines. Trenthian's attention to dynamics is a shining example to us all! It's how you make a 5 minute track not feel like 5 minutes. Phenomenal!

The first track by Trenthian. Very cool intro. Some of the orchestral samples, when exposed, are a little synthetic, but no where near a deal breaker. The drums help drive the piece and give it a great groove. Synth choices (both rhythmic and lead) are great. The acoustic guitar strumming adds a really nice touch. The oboe sounds great! There seems to be a little overdriving/clipping on the kick, but it's not terrible. The arrangement here is fantastic beyond words! The busy kick sections get a little overwhelming, but it builds the dynamics well. Interesting idea with the SFX. Not my favorite, but still a very very interesting idea! The breakdown about a minute from the end is great. The track moves in so many different directions that it's crazy (and not in a bad way). There were a couple production issues, but outside of that, this is incredible for a first piece! Excellent!!!!

HAHAHAHAHA. I agree with some of the comments from the article. If apple were to take this, that would be hysterical!

Also, take a look into the new EWQL sample packages (like Silk). It offers something called microtuning which essentially does exactly what you're talking about. You chose your scale type and key, and it only gives you the notes in that scale! It's kinda cool, however, I haven't had a chance to work with it yet.

It really is, isn't it? To see the before and after really gives you perspective on the piece. I appreciate the comments guys and I hope that everyone enjoys!

T|M Composes Music and Creates Sound Design for Animation Short: Spotlight Tweex Music just finished music composition and sound design on a new animation short film. The short was created, directed, and animated by Himanshu Sharma, a recent graduate of Animation Mentor. Having worked with several students from the school, I can honestly say that these are some of the best character animators in school right now. Himanshu has worked very hard to create a film that is just as entertaining as it is impressive! The project began as only a sound design endeavor, however, Tweex Music composed music as a “trial” for Himanshu. After hearing the piece, Himanshu and Tweex Music both decided that the custom music was by far the best choice. The music has two main themes: the burglar and the dog. For those who haven’t seen the piece, that may not mean much, but I guarantee it will once you see it. The project turned out phenomenally. Be sure to keep up with Himanshu’s Blog as he will be updating it with new projects and jobs. As always, the piece can be found on the SFX PAGE. For Those of you who would like to see (and hear) the piece before Tweex Music composed the music and sound design and before Himanshu polished the film, I HIGHLY recommend that you check it out. You can find the OLD VERSION HERE. You will truly be amazed at the difference! Be sure to return for more Tweex Music news as new and very exciting updates are on the way! ___________________________________________________________ Watch Spotlight Animation Short

NEW REMIXER Trenthian Final Thoughts: Wow. What's there to say here? Trenthian knows his craft well. There is definitely growth from his first mix to his most recent track, but Trenthian started way above the bar from the beginning. The tracks, while having some similar ideas, instrumentation, and other production elements in each mix, each mix had a very unique sound that evolved with his growth as a composer/producer that lead up to a great mega sound for his most recent track! Each arrangement that he has done is phenomenal; the dynamics and attention to detail is superb and sets a great example for all OCRemixers out there; I know I've come away with some great ideas. All his tracks include a hot beat, synths, and orchestral elements, but still each track is it's own creation and stands alone. It's no secret why Trenthian has been part of the OCR Hall of Fame for a long time. Great work from a man named Trenthian!

K. Praslowicz Review: The crunchy glitchy guitar in the beginning is a great texture! The lead is glorious. It stands out well and cuts the soundscape grabbing the listeners attention!. The resulting feedback is another great touch to the tone of the piece. The guitar, as a whole, sits perfectly into the mix here. I really love it. The heavy reverb sections work really well too by changing the mood and tone yet again! In terms of guitar work, I would say that this is KP's best work to date! Excellent work mate.

Chiptunage. Let's see how you build this. The piano has a nice, distant tone to it. When by it self, it sounds pretty cool. However, when the rest of the track busts in, it's very noticeable. The rhythm guitars, like in your other work, really covers a lot of frequency ranges and doesn't allow for much else. The drums, while they drive pretty well, feel a bit repetitive and lack a lot of the punch that could make this totally kick ass! The breakdown is a cool idea, but it's swimming in so much verb, it's hard to tell what's going on. When the track comes back in, it sounds better. The lead that simulates an alarm going off is really cool. Once again, there was a lot of potential with the track and if the production quality was a little better, I have not doubt that this would rock. However, it does still have the garage band sound which is very very VERY prevalent in you other tracks!

Very cool intro with the vinyl sound. The intro builds slowly, but that's not really a bad thing. The different elements in there are pretty cool. The lead guitars sound pretty cool! The panning really makes them sound polished. The drums, while they do drive a little more than your other mixes, sound pretty rigid for the style of music you're aiming at. However, the track, as a whole, sounds very experimental and trippy, and I'll be honest, I kinda like it. The improv sounds off. You may have meant to soudn like you were in two different keys, but it was a bit distracting for me. The ending was nice except for the synth cutting out at the end. A fade out of it would have been good .

I like the theatrical intro to this. The crunchy, distorted drum kick made everything sound like it was clipping. The rhythm guitar wasn't my favorite and there were some timing/performance issues with it. The drums do sound a bit thin for something that it supposed to really rock. THe breakdown with the just the guitar, pads, and drums is very nice. Gives it an interesting dynamic! I'm really not a fan of that guitar, but again, that's personal preference. Let's hear what we have next!

Cool intro. Very grating and it creates a great tone. The droning synth actually sounds great to me as it creates a tension in the mix that the original didn't have. The drums that come in are very much like your Rygar mix. I pray they go into a heavy rock beat at some point!. Guitar lead is by far the best sounding one you've had up to this point. Crisp, clear, and very well defined! The track gets a bit repetitive. The "chaotic" parts after playing the main melody create a great cinematic feel to the track. Very Dark Knight, but it is a complete wall of sound. The abrupt ending was actually a nice touch. KP, while I know that this may be a personal preference on my part, I feel like this track had the most potential out of all the tracks you've done up to this point but the dynamics of the track never changed and it was hard to get into it for me. I also missed the chord progression that the original track had. The droning reminded me of your first remix, and while a cool idea, it seemed to cause the track to become a little repetitive. Bottom line is that the production value in you mixes is growing and I can't wait to hear what you have in store next.

Very interesting intro. The volume is a little up and down, but not too bad. The drums give the track a very grandiose feel at the beginning, as though you are building up to something. There are a few rhythmic issues and timing mistakes, but it's not a huge deal. The lead guitar has a pretty cool sound to it. I kinda like it . The backing synths creates a very unique experience. THe piano breakdown sounds pretty cool. Certainly helps break the mix up a bit. Reminds me a bit of BT with the glitchy synths. When the track comes back in full force, I was hoping for some kick ass rock drums, but hey, that's just me. You certainly give the impression a few times that you're gonna go in that direction, but you always pull it back at the last second. Not a bad mix, mate. On to the next!!

Interesting intro. A little deceptive for the rest of the track and I do enjoy it when people can do that to their listeners. Like your first track, this one has the crunchy, edgy, garage band sound to it. The rhythm/power chord guitar is a little overwhelming and takes up most of the frequency space. A very interesting sound on the whole. What the track may lack in production quality, there is certainly something to be said for the edgy sound! Can't wait to hear what's next!

Interesting collection of sounds. The sitar mixed with the guitar is pretty cool. The drums get a little repetitive for me and feel a little thin, but that's my personal preference. The sound scape does get a bit muddy, but it's a cool vibe you have going. The production work on this is a little off what I might normally be drawn to, but it does have a certain garage band sound that is nice. I think OA said it best, it's an interesting idea just using this to drone through the track. THe abrupt ending was uncomfy, but I can get past it . It's a very interesting idea that, with a little more polish, has great potential. I'm greatly looking forward to new work from KP!

NEW REMIXER K. Praslowicz Final Thoughts: Simply put, KP is grungy and edgy. His music a little edgy too. I kid. I kid ! The garage band esque sound is undeniably present in almost all of his tracks. KP uses an interesting mix of synthteic elements combined with a grungy rock guitar. THe drums, while never super driving or powerful, typically guide the track rhythmically! Unlike some of the other artists I've hear, KP's production value didn't grow significantly from his first mix to his last solo mix. However, his most recent track, in collaboration with Beatdrop and COMM, is fantastic. It took the best elements of KP guitar and combined it with the talents of those two other men. On the whole, it was interesting to hear KP's work. I would be interested to hear something he's done recently (in the past year or two) and see how Kip has grown as an artist and a producer. Good stuff from a man named K. Praslowicz.

Excellent start with the piano. Creates an ambiguous tone for the track which leaves so much room for progression in the mix! The strings are very synthetic, but for a track that was done 8 years ago, I can't complain. In fact, they sound downright glorious. I don't know how you do it, but in this track, like you other tracks, I can't help but be reminded of aquatic ambience from DKC. Brilliant! The introduction of the trumpet and the militaristic drums is a little jarring, but it's not too bad. I would have liked to hear them doing the melody a little slower. I.e. double the length of the notes played. However, that really is personal preference. It's a good arrangement with a lot of ideas. It's similar to your other pieces that percussion really doesn't play a big part. It's a very interesting creative choice that certainly works. Very good stuff!

Right off the bat, you have an excellent cinematic style going on. The chord progression and your choice musical textures creates a great vide. The drive of the piece is similar to your first piece (or at least the first part of the mix is) in the since that the synths carry the rhythm. The small sounding drums that come in are fantastic! This really does remind me of the aquatic ambience from DKC. That in itself is a feat in and of itself since this comes from Doom. The soundscape is just as lush as your first track was. Excellent work all around.

NEW REMIXER Rimco Final Thoughts: Rimco is another one of the OCR old schoolers. With his mixes being posted in 2000 and 2001, he really takes us back. His sound is interesting and moves in a direction that is very different from my personal style. He seems to use synths and instrumentation, rather than percussion, to drive his mixes. While they all sound somewhat ambient, they all have a firm foundation in a rhythmic pattern and it still drives or grooves it was through the track! His production value, when considering the time, is very very impressive. We really need Richard to come back and do another mix for OCR as I know his material would be great. In the meantime, find a Rimco track, sit back, and lose yourself to the lush soundscapes of Rimco!

And for our last/most recent Quinn Fox piece, we return to his very chilled out sound. I like it. Some commented that it took too long to develop but the dynamic shifts and slow build works wonderfully for me. The chip samples sound excellent in this context. The arrangement is phenomenal. The rhodes piano sounds fantastic. The dissonant underlying chords adds a dark almost foreboding tone to the piece and I really like it. The brief break down is a nice dynamic shift. The piano sounds great. Excellent work, as usual, Quinn and I hope we get to hear more from you in the future!

Very cool intro. Mysterious and sets the tone well. The rhythmic synth sounds really cool with it first comes in. The sound here is a strange (good strange) combination of the chilled vide you're known for, but with some very aggressive electro elements. The dynamic shifts, while drastic, still feel natural to me, in a strange way. The guitar crunch was a little much, but personal preference is what it is. The faster breakbeat section is very cool and very different from you're typical style. Guitar does end up covering a lot of frequency levels and starts to drown the choir and other elements out when it's going full blast. Very interesting mix of ambient/chill and aggressive pieces. Good job!

Ahh, we're back into the Quinn Fox chilled vibe. Classic sound. I'm not totally onboard with the panning decisions, but that is personal preference. The piano performance and sound is by far the best that you've done and it sounds great! I really wish the bass would have been centered. It would have really balanced the track so well. It's such a great rhythmic line that we lose from the panning. The chill vibe here is excellent. The militaristic snare pattern is a great juxtaposition on the track as a whole. The trumpet, while clearly synthetic, adds a really nice touch to the sound. I can't imagine how this might sound if you were able to get studio musicians to rock this bad boy. Classic Quiin chill material here and highly recommended!

Holy crap! Quinn Fox steps out of his bubble and does something completely new! Regardless of the sound, kudos for trying something different. Interesting idea with the quick fade in at the beginning. Even though that's unconventional, it didn't feel awkward to me. The high of the track is what holds this mix back so much. It just doesn't feel/sound like it breathes at all. The arrangement is were it's at. The constant shifts and dynamic changes keeps this bad boy fresh. The guitars could have had a lot more meat behind them since this really is a metal track. The bass has a great crunchy rock sound to it. Very nicely done there. Not the best I've heard from Quinn, but again, it's awesome to hear him trying something very new.