Marmiduke

Only in a thread started in 2002 would you find people calling DarkeSword amateur sounding. I find that highly amusing. As for the mix, I guess it showed some promise of what is to come, but there's a lethergy to the overall design and the production here that doesn't make me pine for the early days that much. DarkeSword only went upward from this point, which is for me, a standardised bit of techno fluff and a solid, yet unremarkable debut. Maybe it would be more impressive if there wasn't such an amazing succession of top-tier mixes that came from DarkeSword not long after this one. But since there is, this mix is largely eclipsed by greatness, giving me little to truly get behind. And after all, starting small is so much better than the alternative.

I am really feeling this. I love that it totally could have gone cheesy, but didn't. The treatment of the theme is extremely well done, but then, Castlevania songs always seem like they were written with rocking solos in mind somehow. I actually expected this mix to attract a fair bit more attention than this. I very much hope people aren't snubbing it just because it isn't from a NES Castlevania. This is right up there with the best of the metal mixes on the site for me. It's not overplayed, it sounds like it put arrangement as top priority and overall, it just sounds masterful. Rize shows everyone how much you can improve if you just take a 6 year break every now and then.

Despite being pretty out there, and probably clashing with the expectations of someone who is after a bit more of a refined listen, I actually believe this is one of the most accessible Shnabubula tracks. It's almost like a Mazedude track for me. And that is in no way a bad thing, obviously. The backing orchestral stuff is absolutely brilliant, and totally unexpected. The cliche "This is something you've never heard before" really rubs me up the wrong way, but for this I have to make an exception. It's quite a unique blend of elements. Far too short though, and the ending is one of the most abrupt in recent memory. But these are minor gripes to have when the mix in question is so damn cool and interesting. Kudos.

Awesomely emotive. I love a mix that can tell a story without stating a thing. There's a sense of grief, tragedy, hope and the inheritance of power brought to life through the very fine orchestration. Yeah, it gets pretty manipulative with the constant upping of key, but it does progress the narrative of the piece. If the track were extended to a full movement, things might sound much more seamless. The beautiful section at 2:44 with the harp proves that the theme doesn't need the big sweeping key changes to be touching and effective. But as I stated, things are gained as well as lost from them. I love this mix. It's one of the few that really put me in a creative and interested mood, which is something I cheish very much.

Rave songs intimidate me. Everytime I hear something like this I feel like I'm on the verge of an epileptic fit. So Many BEATS. This is pretty much the most repetitive song on the whole site (maybe I'm wrong?). I'd prefer it with 1-2 minutes shaved off it. By the point that it didn't relent just for the sake of being unrelenting, I was very over it. Other than the staple rave aspects, production and instrumentation is substandard but not complete rubbish. However, there is minimal arrangement here or indeed any attempt on expanding Wise's original theme. I don't know, rave's not my thing so I'm probably a terrible judge for this sort of remix. But this is definately on the low end of the OCR spectrum for me.

This is why I don't need to do drugs. I can just trip out to this; better still, it's 100% free and legal. Anso and Fishy are amongst the best collaboration act on the site, and this mix cements that into history. I like that there is a little bit of venom in the leads instruments in contrast to the rather delicate support. The pacing is so spacious and deliberate, it plays out like a rock-infused serenade to Nobuo Uemutsu, Final Fantasy and music itself. A really beautiful and very smartly executed remix of a cherished theme. This is as solid a mix as you can find.

There definately seems to be pieces missing from this. You can almost hear the imprints of where things had once been, or at least should have been. It's okay for what it is: very standard, dark techno. But I really think it's one of the obvious early ones. It's a good base, but I would have wanted more built upon it.

Well orchestrated and structured, although I had a real hard time hearing the source in this. I'm sure it was there somewhere; traces of it can be definately heard; but the mix always seemed to be coasting just above it in original territory. I think the transitions between orchestral styles and instruments were well handled. The mix was short, so I'm not sure if it required the diversity it was given, but I'd rather that than risk it be boring and monotonous. I prefer tracks that stick to a recognisable melodious core and build their creativity around that core. With this, I got the feeling the melody was played with too much and bent in a way that it doesn't trigger the same response as the original. That's why I'm not fully behind this one, but I still see it as a mild and pleasant adjustment to an enjoyable CT theme.

Cool oriental-styled head-bopper with identity. The sound bytes are really quite charming and also sound great. Everything else is short and straighforward, but there is also a liberal amount of variation on the theme within the constraints. It's cool and nice to hear between songs, but it's also only truly remarkable for its quirks.

Top marks for arrangement. The instruments, though. My ears couldn't grasp them as much as I wanted. It was weird, because on the one hand, I was loving the arrangement and the mood and the tempo, but on the other, I was wondering "This sounds like it should have been bad." Luckily it isn't. I've always been very leniant to dated, overly-familiar or just plain terrible samples, because they are only the tools we use to express our talents. The talents are mostly untarnished by them, which is the main thing. Besides, the sounds in this mix are FAR from unbearable. In a way, they are actually fun and lively. The trumpet is bleh, but its inoffensive. Same goes for the guitar on a lesser extent. The percussion and epiano were actually quite nice. Would this mix be better off with a more realistic sounding approach? Yes, and it's a tiny bit of wasted potential in that regard. But I still recognise this as a top-notch effort by Rayza. It's hot, bright and gyrates all over the place. Very well-made, despite the tools used.

Another of djpretzel's onslaught of crazy mixes during OCR's infancy, only this one is a big step up, I think. Simply, it's just a very compelling piece of instrumental hip-hop. There is maybe too much scratching crammed into it, especially since this is a downhill ride all the way, but besides that, this is one of the the earliest power pieces on the site. It's the perfect length, and is busting with suave energy. I'm practically in love with this mix, which is even more surprising when you check out how old and dusty it really is.

Awesome levels... off the charts! This is some good axe squealing right here. It's also so 80's it hurt. It's more 80s than Marty McFly. It's more 80s than Corey Feldman. Shit, it's even more 80s than Double Dragon 2. And I'm loving it. Technicaly brilliant, and as always when listening to a Sixto track, I never want it to end. Insanely quality mix.

It's a shame it is so slim, but I still think the theme was represented quite well. It's a great sounding cover, and there's some real feeling to the notes. It's a treat to hear something so bare and subdued. But at this length, and with those tools, the mix was always destined to be lost amongst the sea of greatness. It's definately nice while it lasts, though.

This mix was one of my early favourites at a time where I was young and let a LOT of music pass over me without caring. Pretty sure it is impossible for this mix to pass over anyone. This captures the universe of Kirby much better than the NES chip ever could. The music simply explodes with colour and character, bizarreness and sweetness. Fabulous use of transitions between styles; always unique and always true to the concept of the piece. It's crazy that with a mix this busy and constantly weaving in and out of phases, it still manges to have a flowing pace. Not to mention the amount of love and fun infused within every second of the mix. It's not hard to hear that Kirby MEANT something to Adhesive_Boy; it can't just be a simple melody he liked and decided to remix. It's a definite classic for me.

This is almost a callback to the OCR of yesteryear; it's contemplative and unstuck from big ideas and concepts. It doesn't need them... It has its source melody and it does what it wants with it when it wants to. And that's very refreshing to these ears. I have to admit, it took a second listen for the pieces to align and click in for me. The first time through it sounded like someone slowed down and distorted the hell out of a Mario Galaxy track. But for whatever reason, that facade crumbled and I heard what was going on. Fantastic use of sounds, vocals included. They add such a spacey lift to the dark and fuzzy material. The production, while it doesn't stand up to some of the behemoths of the past few months, doesn't fail to impress. This is really clever stuff and I'm overjoyed that OCR still finds the time for understated yet excellent submissions such as this.

Amazing. I can't freaking believe how much life was breathed into this theme; one that is quite tired due to overuse. It's electric, it's up and dancing. IT'S ALIVE! Star does his usual big, bursting-at-the-seams delivery which I love above all else and keeps things pretty loud and furious. I mean, it's not like the concept of this piece hasn't been attempted before, but it's the little things that push this up into the stratosphere. The drums, the restrained orchestral backing, the unrelenting momentum. There is so much freshness brought to the table, and I'm such a fan of it. This may just be the definitive version of this theme. Very impressive.

Ah Psychonauts. I thought the game was a lot more interesting than it was fun. Sort of a once only experience. Its soundtrack was a bit of the same for me, although there was some great orchestral themes in it. From what I remember, this mix is pretty faithful to the original. There is more of an edge here, obviously, and is embedded with a lot more cameos (although I'm pretty sure some of them were in it originally). I don't think I'd label this as essential listening, and is more of an acquired taste. A lot of it has to do with the theme, which teeters on dissonant with it's high-registers and unpredictable progression. It's a great recreation of the source game, however, and really captures the tone of what it was about. Insane characters entering the insane minds of other insane characters. Who better to deliver the perfect soundtrack to that but Mazedude. Whereas the source was a bit dry for me, I can enjoy this update a great deal more. Great work as always.

A simple, delicate rendition of a Final Fantasy 6 theme. Even with the McVaffe polish and the ageless quality of the production, I can't say this is remarkable. Nor should it be, really, but it's a definite "What you hear is exactly what you get" mix. Whereas some mixes have a lot to say underneath the vineer, this is solely about extracting the maximum amount of feeling from the melody, and putting it out there in a way that is respectful to the source. It does that; not much else. An early McVaffe success, but not something that is going to turn a lot of heads, in 2000 or today.

Overly familiar source melodies are in no better hands than The Pretzel's Hands. There is a very satisfying combination here of elements that shouldn't gel but do, like the blending of contemplative moments with full-sounding orchestral support, as well as the more obvious clashing dynamics of the electronic and orchestral genres. Classic rise and fall delivery, excellent arrangement; it's all pretty standard pretzel praise, I'm afraid. As I've come to expect, production is top-notch. The piano and the violin especially are put to stunning use, serving as standout points in an already rewarding, expertly crafted piece.

Nice. I love it when a mix makes absolute perfect sense to me. There is nothing overly complex to listening to this, despite the music actually being deceptively dense. Funnily enough, this reminds me of the sounds of a flowing river (not a space station crawling with enemies) in that 10 seconds is all you really need to "get" where the sound is coming from, where it is heading and whether you like it, but you could listen to it for hours. I also think this channels some of the early djpretzel tracks, as well as some of McVaffe's stuff. And I think we all know there is no better company to be compared to. Fantastic, understated and ultra-cool electro-ambience. I like.

Wh... what? Conservative Mazedude? This is the sort of music Bizarro Mazedude would consistently produce. Actually, as safe and riskless as it is, Mazedude's knack for choosing the perfect blend of sounds and instruments is still here. And truth be told, I'd much rather listen to this over some of the other drab renditions of this theme; I even prefer this over the original. However, this mix doesn't hold up all that well, even after disregarding Mazedude's asskicking experimental future. The small amount of arrangement sounds nice for what it is, but is it enough? I think not, and it seems to be the general consensus. An interesting first OCR mix, but perhaps interesting for the wrong reasons. Humble beginnings, indeed.

Pow-AH! Deafening, brain-punching Pow-AH! An almost frustrating level of awesome. It's so good I went through various emotional phases throughout the track until finally settling on a focused resentment for midee and prozax. At first I thought they combined their talents to share good music to the world, but with this mix I'm convinced that their main goal was to demonstrate how many times more awesome they are than me.W hich is something I don't dare to even dispute. This mix kicks ass and doesn't even bother taking names. It's too cool for names.

This mix throws me every time I listen. From the introless beginning, I get the impression that I'm in for some predigested boppy party fare; pleasant to chew on but no nutritional value. But after a while it reveals its full hand, and the mature, deeper tones of the piece are exposed. It's a class act wrapped up in some cellophane, and strangely the juxtaposition works. The compositional prowess shines through tainted, but in a pleasing hue. I seem to be saying the same thing over and over in relation to McVaffe. I love this mix. Making a good remix seems hard; I can't fathom how someone made dozens, whilst making them consistently good and whilst ensuring they stand the test of time. Lifetime achievement award?

This doesn't have technical prowess backing it up, but wow, when it gets moving, I couldn't care less. It transcends its own limitations through the resounding use of synths and organs. However, the drums do come across over-reverbed and obvious, mainly because they open the piece and are vulnerable for all the world to analyse. I can't say I've ever played or heard anything from the source, but my interest is now peaked. Here's hoping Youtube has the goods. If it is half as inventive and cereberal as this mix, I have some nice listening ahead. If not, I still have the Cheeze Mix.

This is one I've overlooked for quite a while, and I can't imagine why. With its kickass intro and cool, deliberate approach to melody, I've really been missing out. Samples aren't as crisp as they would have been back in 2001, but they still have plenty of life in them. It's sauve, sophisticated and yeah, as the name suggests, there is that cosmopolitan London tinge to it that may not suit the character of Cammy to a tee, but it goes really well with her theme song. It took me a while, but I can finally say I'm sold on this mix, and that it lives up to the stellar McVaffe reputation.