Marmiduke

I always enjoy coming back to the early days. Because my expectations never match what I rediscover. I have this myth in my mind that the earlier I go, the less creative and tolerable things will become. Obviously, that can clearly be dispelled by mixes like this. I shouldn't doubt the pretzel. With a mix as old as this, you get the usual hiccups. The samples are pretty campy, especially the guitar, which I don't think handles the rapid solo breakdown at the latter end of the song too well. It less resembles a guitar, or any string instrument for that matter, and begins sounding more like an organ. A pitfall of retrospect, sure. But it is something that could sound better today. That said though, it is a brilliant piece of music and one of my favourite examples from the dawn of OCR. The aforementioned solo is to die for, and djp's melodic interpretation of the theme is consistent even with his current mixes. Simply, this is awesome. Sample niggles aside, this could be the latest mix and I wouldn't care at all.

The live quality keeps me coming back to this. There's a humanistic air about this that adds so much to the emotive aspects of the theme. I'm all for synth instruments, but in this instance, the outcome of actually performing this was an extremely smart and productive move. Of all the instruments, the drums stick out as the weakest. But it almost doesn't matter. This mix isn't supposed to be flashy and robust. Merely emotive. And that it is. The trumpets sound incredible, and as per usual, JJT is a master of the ivory. The organ solo, whilst unnecessary, also sounds great. I could have listened to five minutes of this, even if it were just just the piano and trumpets. Everything else is just spoiling me. I wish we'd see more mixes convey the feelings and conviction present here. I'm a massive fan of this mix, and what it stands for.

A bit hit and miss for me, only because I don't think it always achieves its ambitions. As symphonic rock this is decent, and to be sure, it never falls into substandard levels. However, the superior rock sections seemed a little marred by all the orchestral effort put into things. Don't get me wrong, I like a little infused orchestra as much as the next man, but not when it competes with the driving power of the song. There's some great sections of electric guitar work, and it shows that a lot of thought went into what this mix would be and how it would sound, but I personally think for all the brass and the strings, it's really only distracting from the star of the show. Maybe a reshuffling of emphasis on certain aspects would have satisfied me a little more. As it is, it's a competent and interesting take on the theme and definately showcases a lot of talent. Though I can't say I thought it soared, due to what I percieved as a confusion of power. Minor gripe to some possibly, but I couldn't get past it. Well made all the same.

This is one of those source tunes that seems to be made with remixing in mind. Short, distinct and ultra-flexible. I like that McVaffe hasn't messed with the tune's simplicity all that much, but rather made it much more structured and easier on the ears. Gone is the grungy, wonky sensibilities of the original and replaced with some very pleasant strings and piano. The sitar brings in that world influence and some much desired expansion on the short theme. In all, I don't think this is anything earth-shattering, however for a source that has a lot of cool ideas but in a less than ideal form, this mix is just what was called for. +1 point for McVaffe.

This is eerily similar in concept to Radiohead's 'How I Made My Millions', which is another piano piece with subpar recording and someone doing the dishes in the background. I found that a little odd, especially since this mix was made well ahead of Thom Yorke's song. But moreso, in this I get an overwhelming sense of listening to something that has been lost from the world for a century; like a masterwork of a composer who died unappreciated. Unintentional or not, the disregard for recording quality makes this piece quite special, and speaks to me on a lot of levels. This is one of the best arrangements around, if you ask me, and the roughage that is supplied by the production quality actually goes down smooth as well. Perfectly imperfect, and something we aren't likely to see ever again to this magnitude. Which is probably just as well. As a one off, this achieves so much.

Once again Protricity shows the world that he has the perfect ear for arranging. Although I'm no fan of the anything but convincing orchestral samples used here, that is made totally inconsequential when the way they are so effortlessly maximised. Things glide along real slickly, though people might have reservations about the pacing. I liked the presentation, and see it as more of a series of movements in a full piece. With that in mind, it definately delivers a lot of punch with a little poignancy. It does sound mechanical at times and would have benefited from a more humanised set of samples, but this mix reaches such a level of awesomeness that what it could of been no longer matters to me. I just thank the gods it's here at all. And Protricity, of course.

I really can't get into this, mainly because I found the drawn out intro so dreary, uninteresting and just plain uncool. Once the hardcore stuff comes in, it brings a bit of relief with it, though even that doesn't really save this from being dull. It has a bit of pizazz on its surface, but the repetitive piano gives it a dullness right from the core and it makes me really resist the whole thing. The piano needed to progress from where it was stuck at for this to work. It's not badly made, and perhaps I'm being too harsh on it for one thing I personally minded, but I didn't get into the energy of it at all. Not something I'd think to play on an impulse, I don't think.

Ah Final Fantasy 2. The troubled deadbeat family member of the Final Fantasy music scene. Noone but NoppZ is charitable enough to remix music from it. He's a living saint, I tell you! This is a slow, upbeat mix, and while I appreciate that is basically what the original was as well, for some reason slow and upbeat tracks depress me a lot. And for some reason, I got a lot of foreboding out of this mix. I felt like I was in the happiest village around, looking at townspeople going about their days oblivious to a scourge of destruction descending upon them. But that's just me. I craved some meatier arrangement in this. I thought it did its routine thing too often, and the key change didn't make things that much more interesting. The samples sounded a little soppy, but generally they fit well for what this mix is. Not my favourite style of mix, but nevertheless, I'm glad to see FF2 actually has some representation around here.

I liked it. There, I said it. As far as bringing an awesomely complex melody into the larger-than-life over-the-top style that was the original OverClocked Remix, this is a huge success. It may represent a more juvenile direction, especially in retrospect, but for me this is fun, infectious videogame music turned up to eleven. You need a selective palatte for this sort of stuff, maybe. But to me, this is still strong on all fronts, almost ten years on. Doesn't hold up to the output of the site nowadays obviously, but I consider that an irrelevant observation. More than worth a chance.

As good a Street Fighter mix as I've heard recently. Seriously good stuff. It's pretty brave with the sound choice, but it hits it out of the park for me. The blend of textures and shades reminded me of a city at nightime; slick lights, bustling streets. All that cool stuff. This acts builds some maturation on top of McVaffe's Cammy mix, and in doing so creates something that sounds quite delectable and special. The sax sample sounds amazing and the decision to use it sparingly benefited the arrangement in spades. The synth is odd but in a cool way, and I don't really hear too much clashing that has been complained about a lot. Simply put, this is the level of quality I look for first when I download a mix. I am in love with this.

Gloriously busy and pinging with sonic energy. You really have to admire the intricacy of Beatdrop's sound. It fleshes out the rythmic and percussive elements of the source tenfold and superheats it until it's whitehot. Debatably, this is everything that Sonic music always should have been. It may not be the friendliest mix, what with the squinking synths, multiple layers of percussion and a source tune I've always found quite unlikable, but there is a tonnage of enjoyment tightly packed in here if your ears are calloused and ready. Recommended for people who don't require their mixes clean and soft-spoken. This is how to make a lame tune awesome and then some.

The structure was what kept me out of this. It's a lot of build up, only to climax in the centre and then just wanders onward from there. Not helped by the fact that the instruments sound pretty limp and it doesn't have too much to say on the source. I didn't mind the intro and outro segments; the piano added a little something to what is a pretty anaemic techno session. I can't help but feel uninspired by this. It's Rayza, so I know that it has technical chops backing it up, but I still get a bit of a "so what?" vibe.

Here is a mix that comes into the arena flawed but with a great secret weapon up its sleeve. The mix is definitely hit or miss up until it whips out the amazing piano-synth interplay, and then everything suddenly becomes clear. All prior discrepancies are forgiven and forgotten and for that small amount of time, everything is perfect. To say I love a mix for under a minute of its five minute running time would be incorrect though. While the samples sound dull and dated and the transition just doesn't function, the whole mix has something to say about the source as well as supporting the standout moments quite well. A real favourite of mine, but only by the skin of its teeth. Small hidden pockets of genius catapulted this one, definately.

Barely scratches the surface of the melodic goldmine that is the Banjo-Kazooie franchise, but it will do nicely anyway. I wouldn't say DnB was a perfect fit for Mad Monster Mansion; simply because it's a tad too optimistic and upbeat played at that speed. For me, DnB is appealing because it usually cuts through the breakneck energy through registering darker, lower tones into it. As well as that 'In the Darkness Lies' showed that the MMM melody is versatile, slowing it down and bringing out the morose nature of the piece. This mix enblazons the 'mad' part of Mad Monster Mansion, influenced noticeably by Pendulum (sounds like it is stuck between the sounds of their two albums) While some areas click into place more than others, the source and the intended sound of the mix did eventually align and I was happy. I thought the more rock-based stuff at the end was the strongest part, but generally, everything is of pretty high caliber. I really like the original melody, which is why hearing it be raced through is a little offputting for me, but that's what you get when you download a DnB mix, I suppose. It's DnB without the edge, which shouldn't be a turnoff really, but I've heard better examples of the genre by Audix himself.

Nice way to brighten up the place. Lots of kinetic energy and lively jazz sounds going towards something that isn't as jazzy as one might expect. It's an interesting mix with its own identity and agenda, and I respect that. The live sound has been captured brilliantly, and while the fairly large shift in tone from the original makes this sound a little quirky, it nonetheless works at holding interest and fitting the melody. The late inclusion of a mellowed battle theme is just icing on a nicely made, cool sounding jazz-rock treatment, of which I think is an overly somber series of soundtracks. I always welcome a little illumination into the sounds of Final Fantasy.

Pretty overrated if you ask me, but it's gone gangbusters globally and benefited the site immensely, which is very cool. I can see where the comparisons to Serj Tankian come from; the falsetto harmonies, quirky shaping and grizzled yelling are signature for the System of a Down singer, but I'm pretty sure that's where the similarities end. As far as production quality, this doesn't even come close to a SoaD soundtest. As a bit of music, I would never select this as an important piece. But from a historical perspecitve, it's a very crucial, very significant monument for the site. A lot of people, including myself, should be indebted to it, but that doesn't mean I have to praise the music itself. It's nothing more than some slapped together lyrics jammed over a barebones, straightforward cover of the Zelda theme. No magic to speak of for me.

I can see why people minded this, and I certainly have issues with some elements in here, but I also really get something out of it. It's not just repetitive music; it sort of transcends that. In fact, the only problem I have with the mix is that the two sections don't gel like they should. Transitioning into the heavy part was a lot less jarring than coming out of it, but both left a bit to be desired. Most of it is the fault of differing levels of production quality, or approach to production quality. The result is the disorted guitar work drifting over the acoustic stuff like a murky fog. Aesthetically and cohesively, it creates problems for me; stylistic choice or not. It could have been a much better bridge section if it didn't make everything seem unclear and cloudy. It's like listening to a bad song and a good song over the top of one another. As for the rest, I understand that it needed some sort of variation shift with the bridge, but I have to say that I liked the drawn out approach and thought the added drumline worked a treat. Pity it didn't knock it out of the park though. A misfire maybe, but an intriguing one nonetheless.

As far as being divided into sections, I think this mix steps up every time. Most of the action happens in the middle section, which is regrettable for me because I much rather the stuff that happens in the intro and the final switchup. But that's not to say the main section was rubbish, it just wasn't as interesting. Perhaps it could have been trimmed to not flatline within a mix that is otherwise constantly building. There was nice detail thrown in, and it showcases a good layered approach; not exactly commonplace back when this mix debuted, which deserves recognition. It certainly has a full and polished sound in a more laid back era where that wasn't mandatory. As a mix, I think it has quite a bit to offer. As a DnB mux however, I think it's had it's day. Fans of this one are surely in it for the cool treatment of the Punch-Out! theme, not the beats.

It's ridiculous that hasn't been beaten to hell by the unforgiving hands of time. From the beginnings of OCR to today, and it can still get me moving. I don't get any resistance from the samples or the arrangement amd I don't hear any artefacts that give away the fact that this is about as old as they come. A huge triumph and a great track. If only every genre could withstand the effects of aging as gracefully as chiptune techno.

Very pretty rendition of the theme; a little like the younger brother of a sweeping orchestral version of the theme. I like the gounded feeling of this, and also the added injection of modern style to the mix. It's a perky version, but not too saccharine; a perfect balance of sweetness and melody. I also enjoyed the changes in arrangement and the altered direction of the notes. Maybe it is a tad amiable, but being a McVaffe mix of utmost quality, it's a hard ditty to resist. A pleasure.

I didn't get why the vocals were soooooo far back. I got the sense this was more Ears on Me (Not Faye Wong), since I struggled to hear anything. I'm left pretty confused why the beats sound like they are right next to me and the other half of the song sounds like it is two floors above me. The result takes away from the cohesion that is pretty much essential for something like this. It's important for a strong beat not to feel slapped on, and I feel this comes closer to that than succeeding as a whole. Does the concept work? Yeah. Could it have been better executed? Definately. There were a few odd decisions that keep this from greatness. It's a shame because both the vocals and the beats sound decent enough; just in their current state they don't sound like they are part of the same song.

lolwat? That synthetic speech opening. What a mistake. I dig the attention to giving this a cool arrangement. It actually threw me a lot, because there's so much clutter in this and it has all the ingredients of midi cover garbage, but it shines on the variation and expansion front. I hate samples thrown into mixes for the hell of it, as a rule. These ones didn't bother me as much as some others have because they either worked with the music or were at least buried to not be completely contrasting. Instrument samples need to be thrown into an attic and left to petrify. Their day of producing music anyone would want to hear is over. I'll listen to this solely because I'm all about the personality. Very clearly a stepping stone mix.

ActRaiser given djpretzel's hip-hop treatment. Now there is a fine combo. This has a lot in common with a pretzel mix released just a little earlier called Ghetto Recursive, and while I think the elements in that mix came through much stronger, the sound lends itself to this tune as well. However, it is loud. And not in a hardcore complimentary sort of way. It's overwhelmingly loud and disrupts a few of the aspects that would have benefited from a clearer sound. Whereas the formulae had a little more equilibrium in Ghetto Recursive. But this isn't a contest between the two. There was also a touch of repetition; a sense of the mix folding onto itself to extend its length, which I'm never a fan of. But still, there's an impressive arrangement here that cuts through the gripes, and that's mainly what I'm interested in. It's an inspired blend of urban and folk music bound together with that unmistakable pretzel style, and for that it gets my highest regards. It's taught me to never let a few flaws get in the way of a great song.

You'd never know it at a brief glance, but I consider this among the strongest mixes on the entire site. It manages to be both fast and meloncholic; blurring the lines between those elements of light and shade and varying degrees of intensity. Seeings as I like long, understated intros, I found the setup perfect. Things progress so naturally, you can just hear it all clicking into place, like it's all predetermined. Even the bends and glitches and other experimentation have a real poetic rhythm to them and just sound like they belong. It's a magic listen. And look, while I can't say I'm well versed in every piece of music from EarthBound, I trust the people who say that this mix does represent a small portion of the game's OST. And correct me if I'm wrong, even the shortest piece in the soundtrack is viable for remixing, given that the remixer uses that piece thoroughly for the mix's duration. If there's no doubt on the judges' part that the mix is derived from some specific chords played in an obscure moment in the game, then normal rules should apply and there shouldn't be any more dispute. This is not the first mix to remix a short series of notes that are seemingly inconsequential in comparison to larger themes but are nonetheless part of a game soundtrack and thus valid. I think it's a credit to Rellik that such an overlooked piece of music could be nurtured to blossom into something as freaking awesome as this.

Slow but thoroughly enjoyable. I tend to really get into slower mixes, as long as they don't fall into a cycle of repetition and lead nowhere. I think it's needless to point out that this mix does not do that. I love the soloing work that extends off the theme and adds a crucial amount of variation and contrast over the bassline that would begin to grow stale if action weren't taken. There's a laid back feel to the instrumentation, which I can't say is always my cup of tea, but it's not exactly the worst lineup either. It does the job. I will say that this mix does seem longer than it really is, and that should be taken any way you like. Could be seen as a good thing or a bad thing. I think the most important thing is that Shion Tanaka went to some much appreciated lenghts to keep a potentially slim design into something that sounds great and entertains indefinitely. I'm just not as keen about some of the musical hues that are conveyed in it through instrument choice.