tweex
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Ah, good ol JENOVA. Justin kicks into this one full force with very little intro, which I actually really enjoyed! As this is one source tune that I'm fairly familiar with, the opening section is very similar to the original, but hell if I mind. I really like it. This is something you'd hear from the Black Mages live at one of their concerts. It almost goes without saying at this point that the performance of the guitar is near flawless. I love the brief moments of orchestral percussion in there. I always have ear gasms when I hear orch in with metal. This is how Metallica would do FF7. The strings in the middle breakdown were a bit thin and could have been layered on top of one another to make them a little bigger. The idea was great, but the implementation just felt thin and a little out of place with the samples that were used. Being an orch guy, I'm pickier than most, and I have no problem admitting that
. However, those VERY minor gripes aside, Justin has really come a long way in the 1-2 years. -
YES!! There are the drum tones I was hoping to hear. The kick is strong, but not totally overpowering or pervasive on the mix. Lots of compression in there as the cymbals have little to no breathing room, but being a mixer who has been known to do that in that past, I kind like the sound. The guitars are just as clean as before and sound great. I do have to say, while I LOVED the breakdown, I really dislike guitarist loading in a "Acoustic" setting into their amp and using the electric to simulate it. I just sounds so small in comparison to the full body of the real thing, however, that is just a pet peeve of mine
. The brief hammer on section was performed beautifully. Neko came into the game being able to play the hell out of his guitar, and his production technique just gets better and better!!!! -
Ok, right out of the gate, you can hear a VAST difference in the tone of the drums and the guitar from Justin's first solo remix, and the change is fabulous! The backing pads are very Halo esque and do a great job in bringing all the parts together and filling the empty frequency spaces. The lead guitar tone is crisp and clear. The performance is top notch, but that has never been an issue for Nekofrog. The drums feel a little sequenced and shot-gunned here and there, but that's more the beat pattern. With a little more variation in the sequencing, this would have felt a bit better. It's interesting that Justin used more acoustic sounding drums when he was programming a very DnB esque beat. It would have been interesting to hear how this would have sounded with synthetic drum samples, but I digress. The production quality of this piece is definitely better than his first, not to say that his first was bad, but he certainly brought something new to the table with one. Great job Justin!
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Now we get to hear Neko's first original/solo remix. Nice atmosphere coming in at the beginning. The drums feel a little thin as do the power chords, however, it's all performed admirably well, especially the guitar. The lead has a great GREAT tone to it. It reminds me heavily of Fishy's first remix from Pokemon (that still hasn't been released yet, but soon). The crazy double kick pedal section was a nice touch and really drove the intensity up right before the breakdown. I love the meaty-ness of the power chords during the breakdown section. The tremolo on the high strings right at the end were very well done and added a layer of texture there that was great. All in all, a very good first sub from Justin!
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Nekofrog Review:
Being a HUGE fan of B-K, I loved this remix all the way. Greg make the perfect choice by bringing in Justin for some guitar goodness. The metal guitar added so much to it. The playing is executed perfectly. The sound is a little thin, but for everything that's going on in the track, it's not a bad thing as it sits very nicely into the mix. The power chords just gave it a new level of drive. The Pendulum sound is never really lacking drive, but the guitar opened it up to new heights. I would have loved to have heard a bitchin solo in there somewhere to give a mix a little variation, not that it needed it, but that dynamic shift would have been awesome. The rhythmic guitar lead at the end was a good middle ground. All around, a great first mix from Neko!
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Damn. Hate that I come up for review before my two best remixes even make it onto the site.
D:
Check my youtube for my better stuff.
Send me a PM with links to your two newest soon to be posted mixes. I'll listen to them before I do the final write up.
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NEW REMIXER
Final Thoughts:
If you like Metal, then you've come to the right place, as Nekofrog's music is STEEPED in it. Justin entered the scene with a profound ability to play really well. The execution of his guitar in ALL of the mixes his done has been flawless. His production values have been his greatest growing point over the last couple years, and it's only been getting better. He's been learning how to coax the full range of motion from his guitar, drums, basses, and all other samples AND capturing them expertly. Neko has some phenomenal tracks coming out soon that just further prove my point of his growth. He is a FORMIDABLE guitarist, who should not be surprised to see me asking to collab in the near future. Amazing job from a man named Nekofrog.
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AE review:
Once again, AE brings the sexiness back. His time away from OCR proved a valuable time as he has great increased in his skill. Collabing has given AE a chance to work in another area as this track isn't nearly as classic synth heavy as it is guitar driven. The arrangement is very straight forward which is really different for AE, but it works well. The Pendulum style fits nicely here. My biggest qualm lies in the fact that the song feels and sounds like it's overdriving/clipping most of the way through. Toning down the hi freqs would have taken some of the edge off, but it's still pretty bad ass as is.
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A big five year break from AE, and this is his debut mix back into the fray. RIght out of the gate, we hear the classic synth, but this one is different. They have the same concentration of lots of filtering, oscillation, etc, but this one brings it to a new level. Having collaborated with a few other people, this pushed AE out of his comfort zone more than usual. The dynamic progression of this mix is VERY different from his previous works. The rapping is excellent, the guitar was a great addition, and the more natural sounding drums really bring this piece into a new domain. The lead synth is big and meaty, and I love it. The vocals were captured really well and they fit into the mix really well. The arrangement is simple, but this arrangement is in the details, like more AE tracks are. I love hearing him collab with other people as it introduces a lot of new elements. Definitely one of his bests mixes to date! Awesome work AE and the rest of PlanetSkill!
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Crazy opening. Classic synth sound, but AE creates a great atmosphere here. The drums are phat and the kick has a lot of meat to it. I really enjoy the slightly downtempo DnB tracks. Lots of synth counterpoint going all over the place. And there's the breakdown section that we've come to expect out of a AE mix
. The piano was a really nice touch as he doesn't use acoustic instruments much at all. It was a nice break. The oscillating and filtering effects are glorious, as are all of the glitching and stuttering. Very BT esque, but with the classic vibe. The pulsing bass is really nice and I loved the halftime beat section. The violin was a WONDERFUL touch for the same reason the piano was. Interesting ending; very cinematic! -
Love the opening of this! He really creates the tone well with his synth choices. Same classic synth sound all around. This track shows his growth as an arranger a bit more as he has more counterpoint written in this piece that he has in past pieces. Very good! Lots of filter automation, bit crushing, stuttering, glitching goodness in this one. The funk drums at 2:45 were interesting. The groove of them didn't feel as solid as his previous groove, but that's personal preference on my part. The ending was abrupt, but it worked well for this piece.
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Ah, another classic remix that I remember from long ago. The feeling of this track is very different from the others that we've heard from AE up to this point. Even though the synth choices are very very similar, the down tempo beat gives this a great feel and proves a nice change of pace! You can hear AE stepping out of his shell a little bit with this! The low oscillating bass is great. He loves the high quick synths in there, and I can't fault him for that as they work really well. The brief key change was a very nice touch in helping to break the track up a bit!! Ah, 3:00 brings us more traditional AE flare with the crazy busy drums! But he brings it back down to cool and smooth. It's interesting to hear him use synths to create an atmosphere instead of just using them to create a melody. That's talent! Great stuff!
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Man, AE loves these classic synths! The opening synth really did a great job setting the tone. I wasn't a huge fan of the low saw synth as the attack felt a little too slow to be doing what it was doing, but that's personal preference. THe drums have a good drive to them. I wish the kick has a little more meat to it; more thwack in it. But that's minor. As much as I like the opening synth, it does become very repetitive through the piece. Some more processing and automation to it might have helped a bit more. 2:48 was epic. I love those kinds of builds into a big part! THe breakbeat section that immediately follows calms the drums down, but in a since, the lack of franticness helps this song kick even harder. I'm definitely dancing in my seat during it! THe ending was a little abrupt, but I felt it wasn't as bad as the two previous mixes. Good work all around.
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Right out of the gate, you can already start to hear the "AE" style. Very old school and very cool. Very similar in its progression from his first remix, "FlashFire". The synth and syncopated drum breakdown was a nice touch. However, it certainly doesn't come across as a breakdown. The drums are crazy fast and intense, minus the low end. The synth solo is wonderfully done. If that wasn't sequenced, then oh my goodness. If it was programmed, then OH MY GOODNESS! The brief reverses, glitches, and stutters were a very nice addition. The track becomes a little repetitive in the drums, but its not overly terrible. The ending was very abrupt which I wish wasn't the case. However, that aside, this is still a very solid piece.
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If there are remixes that have stood the production test of time, do no further than AE's work. I remember listening to this in the dorm with Sephfire back in the day. The opening synth is gorgeous. It captures the listener completely! The drum break down is nice and it gives this bad boy a nice dynamic shift. The processing and filtering of the synths is masterfully done. The bass is super perky boarding on the frantic. That's mega man for you
. The song is short and to the point. It's doesn't stray much from the A section, but thats not a bad thing. All around, this mix is bad-ass. Take into account that this was done back in 2000, and.....well.....damn!!! -
NEW REMIXER
Final Thoughts:
To say that AE has a particular style is a vast understatement. His classic style synths are present in EVERY remix he's done for OCR. His production was slick and well polished from the beginning (2000) and has only gotten better. The dynamic progression in his mixes were very similar in his first submission era (2000-2002), but when he broke back out into OCR in 2007, he brought not only his A game, but also a new strategy to the fray. His collaborations have pushed him outside of his remixing comfort zone which was great to hear. His earlier pieces have been classic OCR material and I remember them back from the days of the dorm while playing FFXI with sephfire. I pray to the remixing gods that AE will not only come back and give us some new goodness, but also that he will try something entirely new in terms of genre choice. The man knows his craft exceptionally well; I can hardly imagine the awesomeness of what he could come up with. All in all, amazing work from a man named AE!
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Wow, a very different sound from Jon! I never thought I'd hear Smash Mouth's "Disconnect the Dots" on OCR
. I love the ska sound. The arrangement is very quirky, but I love it. The rockin' keys solo is classic Jon. Excellent trombone playing from his brother. The intonation is fantastic, which let's face it, can be a rare thing! The drums are excellent as well. It's almost unbelievable how much Jon's drums have improved over the years! His full band production quality has also changed for the better! It was a very interesting choice for the mix, but Jon pulled it off! -
JJT Review:
As this seems to be Jon's brain child, it's only appropriate that I start with him. This has got a wonderful rock & roll sound to it. All we need is a music video with girls in poodle skirts. The piano playing is spot on and different from what we've heard from Jon, but still very reminiscent of his style, especially during the piano solo. He changes the job of the piano around constantly. At times its driving the rhythm and others it's just giving some color here and there. The 16th note octave hits were a little goofy here and there, but it's all made up for with the hilarious ending
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Another piano mix from Jon. I'm excited. This one starts out very different from the others and sounds very majestic. However, that doesn't last long before the Guaraldi influence hits, and it hits hard. Love the feel of it! Jon's skill on the piano, both in the performance and the arrangement, has gotten better from his past works! I continue to be impressed with his style. It's also interesting to hear how he mixes the Guaraldi sound with the majestic style about half way through. Very nice combination. Jon has created song that, rhythmically, is quite peppy, but it still sounds very solemn and contemplative. That is a rare gift. Awesome work!
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And we're back to the aggressive indie rock that Jon debuted for F-Zero. You can REALLY hear how his ability to work in this genre increased. He brought his A game for this one. The LFO on the bass sounded great. The mix of synthetic/reverses with the acoustic drums and rhodes/piano was VERY well done. This is the first song that Jon's drums really have a lot of meat behind them. The trumpet playing lends itself well to the indie style; i.e. throw everything in there but the kitchen sink! The piano is a thinner sound that what we've heard from Jon, but it works well in context. The guitar playing was solid as was the recording of it. He captured the sound well. I love the sonar pings in there. They really sounds great! When everything comes back in at the end, it really kicks hard. Great vibe, great sound, and excellent execution from Jon!!
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Another F-Zero piano arrangement. Some said it couldn't be done, but Jon said "NAY!" Once again, Jon brings the arrangement to the forefront and makes it very clear that this aspect of the remix is the most important aspect. The performance has great character to it that comes from the very well played parts as well as the slight mess ups here and there. This is the real deal; no programming here! I can hear how Jon's ability of the piano has increased since his first piano remix for Xenogears. Production quality of this piano on this one is a little different than the others. This one has a lot more high end in it that the others. It definitely gives it some great definition! Good work mate!
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Wow, very different sound from Jon this time around! We haven't heard this kind of heavy indie rock from him yet. It's a little chaotic, but I can hear that you find the pocket pretty quickly. The drums sound much better in this mix than your others that also utilize the more acoustic sounding kits. They are compressed as hell, but it matches the genre well. I do wish the kick had a little more oomph to it, but hey, what can you do
. The guitar solo with the rockin' drums was a great part! I would have loved to have heard the guitar parts doubled to give them a little more depth, but they still have character as is. The mellow delay guitar has a great tone to it. The ending was very abrupt, but there you go . It's great to hear Jon step out of what he had been doing! -
The opening SFX were an interesting choice. They sounded a bit Low-Fi for my ears, but the guitar was very cool and the rhodes was a great touch! The bass was wonderfully quirky and peppy. I like the ambient female VOX in there. The muted trumpet = sexy. The cymbals were a little loud but not earsplitting. The muted trumpet playing the main theme was total pimp-age. The drums felt a bit sequenced especially in the fills, but the tom rhythms sounded good. The low key improv section was well done.
The ambience for the piece was a great choice. It really took the original and redefined it with a new sound! Good work!
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Great piano vibe that gets us started. It's hard to tell someone that a piano arrangement from F-Zero actually works, but it does. This similar to your Xenogears piano piece in the play style, but this one has a personality all its own. A little more straight forward without the jazz interpolation until the back half of the piece, and I like. The fast runs in the middle were well done. The arrangement definitely keeps thing interesting and the piano production quality is tops once again. Not much more to say other than, great stuff!
Reviews for an Artists Catalog - ReMixer: Children of the Monkey Machine
in General Discussion
Posted
NEW REMIXER
DrumUltimA
Final Thoughts:
Well, Mr. Perry is our resident percussion expert, and that fact is certainly not lost in his remixes. Even more so considering he made an ALL PERCUSSION REMIX! No easy feat by any reckoning. Doug came into the scene with his drumming knowledge firm and it showed in the complexity of it in my mixes from the very first one. However, his production value has been a great source of growth for him. Each one got better and better. His ability to capture live sound grew tremendously and his knowledge of the software increased and sounds great. It was fantastic to hear him move outside of his comfort zone for his last and most recent track as he made a piano-only arrangement. With his EXTENSIVE musical background, it will awesome to hear would Doug will come up with next. Great work from a man named DrumUltimA.