prophetik music   Judges ⚖️

boy, that EO2 track is fantastic. opens with some intense strings and koto. sfx and later some guitar join the party, and the soundscape is great. synths really hit at 0:42 with the SoR2 high riff, and the kick and bass hit at 0:50. the flute riff as well sounds fantastic - i can't believe that isn't live. we get some guitar after this that appears to be outlining the EO2 chords and rising pattern - neat build effect, but it doesn't go anywhere. after a filtered break we're back to more arpeggiated elements (i think this is from EO2?) before another drop. the change here is abrupt and i wouldn't call this a particularly well-handled transition. the ep tone however is just beautiful for this (love the wet wahs in the tone). CW's voice is so low and rich in this key - the 'high' notes sound incredible. i think there are a few points where her voice is just a touch loud, and i wouldn't have minded some harmonies or countermelodic elements behind the scenes of that section as well. there's a big build with stutter synths into the 12/8 section at 3:42. i think CW's voice is too loud here, especially considering she doesn't use vibrato or have a particularly strong tone in this range - there needed to be more treatment on her voice and to have it pulled back to really make this section pop. 4:26's build with guitar work behind it is really fun. again CW's voice needs to be farther back so as to not overexpose the lack of vibrato, but i like the concept. i think this section does drag a bit by the end of it around the 4:45 mark, and something to keep it moving forward would have been great. 5:11's balance is again off - CW's sustains need to be turned way down, like half the volume they are. they compete a lot with the lead part, which i think sounds really solid (but probably could use more room tone as i can't really hear any overall, might just be because of the competing sustains in the back). the backing parts here have some fun stutter synth stuff but i definitely could have used a bit more guitar. there's no ending =( like, at all. this is an interesting one. the skill throughout on the execution, sound design, and arrangement is super clear and comes through easily. there's so much breadth to the scope and i love that. i think that the vocal treatment after 3:42 isn't at all what i'd hoped for, and i think that the big transition at 2:40 is almost different-song level of change, and i don't like the lack of ending at all. but when this track shines, it really shines. what's here is certainly over the bar, even if the ceiling for this track could be so much higher than this. YES 6/11: listening to the 5/30 new version. i think CW's vocals fit a lot better into the section at 3:42 - the higher parts have been pulled back a lot, and the countermelodic line is more balanced as a result. it sounds like possibly some more verb on the lines as well. 5:11's more balanced as well, although her voice sounds a touch muffled. either way, it's a lot better than it was and makes for a much more balanced version. thanks for taking another look! still a YES from me.

Team Lead Xaleph Arranger Xaleph Guitar Sallekhana Tribal Intro Dj Mokram Chiptunes JSABlixer Vocals Colorado Weeks Lyrics Dyluck Mastered by Zack Parrish edit: xaleph asked to put this on hold to address some of the wordless section vocals. edit 2: new version as of 5/30 We had a lot of fun with this one. I really enjoyed working together with my childhood friend (Sallekhana) for the first time since high school. I thought the chiptunes that JSABlixer added a lot of energy, and the fill she uses at the end, I reused for the fill later (with different instruments) to give some repetition. Originally, I was going to reuse the intro Japanese instruments (Koto, Taiko, and Shakuhachi) to build up the psytrance part and then replace them with metal elements - but after a quick idea session with Colorado Weeks (vocals) and Dyluck (lyrics), I decided to just build that out and finish with the vocal section. I have some guitar parts from Sallekhana that I may reuse later if I do a re-remix, I was thinking of extending this song but the current length seems right to me. I used the backing strings to do the octave jump that you hear in streets of rage. I also alter the bassline to 12/8 from Streets of Rage, bump the halfstep 2nd to a fullstep 2nd (so it matches the EO key) and try to have both song concepts mashed up / playing together in the build up through the end. I kind of do some of this in the intro and first psytrance section, but it's a lot more obvious in the ending sequence. I also added a few changes to the fills and mixing in this version than the one in the competition. Should be fun to re-listen. Enjoy and thank you! Games & Sources Etrian Odyssey II - Wings and Cherry Blossoms [Event: Ones with Wings] Streets of Rage 2 - Never Return Alive

big synth horns to start and a funky bass synth. i like the half-time tempo and feel right off the bat. it picks up and we get the first bit of trumpet. this is interesting, because the bass is pretty rhythmic in what it's playing with a lot of space, and the trumpet has a lot of verb on it and is playing very legato. 0:57 is a piano break, and this is very stripped back - it's just the keys initially. there's some build for a bit bringing in some nice right-hand stuff in the piano, and then it's back to the melodic material at 1:22. this is a pretty low-energy version of what was playing before - the half-time feel definitely is more laid-back, and the lead's slow filter fits into that too. the bass starts to do some more complex stuff after this and there's some backing elements that are also building up a bit, but there are a lot of false builds and drops for a while. this part of the mix felt a little more directionless until we got back to the melodic material in the trumpet at 2:26. like, 2:23 should feel like a high point in the piece based on what the trumpet's saying, but there's just nothing there to support it, and it immediately goes to a very reserved feel in the chords and timbre there. there's one more blow through that melody, and a short tag after the last chord. i think overall this piece suffers from a lack of cohesiveness, and that while there's some big builds and drops, there's no real payoff sections. for example, in the opening you've got this big build over time, with a switch to double-time right as the trumpet's about to come in. i expected this big wall of sound at 0:25 to really be a banger start to the track - but the trumpet comes in and kind of legato plays over the existing elements, and there's no intense wall of sound there or anything. so that build didn't feel like it was for anything. the next section is a big step back to the piano, which is nice (but we never get solo piano again in the piece), and it quickly ramps back up to the recap of the melody in the slow-filter lead with the chippy arps behind it. this is a cool vibe, but it's very similar to the opening section in that it doesn't really go anywhere during the section, and it feels light on content even though there's a decent amount going on because a lot of that is sustains. the next section is very different, with a highly rhythmic bass element, but again there's not a lot going on so the soundscape feels empty, and it doesn't really correlate to anything else in the track outside of being the same bass element. we do get to a recap of the melodic material, but again there's nothing to drastically make this section stand out - no big wall of sound, no changed chords, no altered rhythms, no payoff chorus - just a few flourishes in the trumpet, and it's done. this is a tough vote because i actually really like the concept. there's some really fun few-second snippets that are very chef's-kiss. but i really feel that the verby trumpet over washes of strings and synths with a highly rhythmic bass instrument below it felt jarring and disconnected throughout, and that the whole track never really gets to that "ok, this is what i was waiting for" moment. it's got the pieces but the picture on the box never quite comes together. i'd love to hear more intentionality with the soundscape on the melodic sections to give them more verve and body from an instrumentation and contextual standpoint, and i'd love to hear more overall dynamism in the work. NO

as soon as i heard the original, i knew what to expect from you =) this is so right up your alley. big Dirty Loops feel on the opening, with the flourish in the keys and the moving synth lines right after. melody's in right away after that, and it's very peppy and has some fun drum work going on. there's a quick half-time(ish?) section right after that which is pretty forward-focused still and has a lot of fun synth work going on. 1:00's a bit of a break, and the kirby 64 cameo comes in right after and sounds great in context, really nice idea giving it a flowing melodic line there. it picks up right after and we get some keyboard soloing. both of these get a touch shrill on the end of each, but i love what they're saying. the chiptune arps bring us back around to the original material nicely, and we're back to a building section with lots of little call-outs. there's one more set of riffs, and it's done on an extended chord. this is a lay-up as expected. tons of clever arrangement, the band sound is great, and it's mixed well and performed better. excellent work. YES

Aaaaaaaaand another DoD track! This is my submission for the latest free month (March 2025), where I got second place! Chosen source this time was "Chasing the Miniboss" from Kirby: Triple Deluxe, aka the miniboss theme. Ever since I first played through the game this theme caught my ears since it has such a weird chord progression for the first section. I had always wanted to remix it but was never too sure where to take it until this month, where I basically went ham on making it a crazy prog. fusion jam. Main inspirations are bands like Frost* and KNOWER (my template for the drum writing). Also, since there's nothing that Kirby composers love more than cameo-ing old tracks in their stuff I decided to add a fitting cameo, putting a melody from Kirby 64's Boss Theme into the arrangement. As usual, here comes the breakdown! 0:00-0:04: Based on the intro, it's basically the same really. 0:05-0:32: Riff based on the one right after the intro, not exactly the same but pretty similar. 0:32-0:44: Bit of a feel change but it's still based on the main riff, using the same harmony but changing the speed. 0:45-0:59: Now a more direct adaptation of said riff. 1:00-1:11: Melody is based on the melody that plays over the main riff (first around 0:15) but I changed the chord progression completely. 1:12-1:26: The Kirby 64 cameo! Melody plays at 0:55 on the source. 1:27-1:52: Bass riff! Taken from 0:42 on the source. 1:40 has a keyboard solo over the same backing than the source (piano melody included). 1:53-2:05: Second keyboard solo, bass is still based on the previous riff but with some original writing as well. 2:06-2:24: Chiptune arpeggios! These are based on the piano melody from 0:42. 2:25-2:38: Variation over the main riff. 2:38-3:05: Another variation over the main riff, keeping the main chord progression. We then get another repeat of 0:45-0:59. 3:06-end: Intro repeat and the track closes on C# minor. Hope you enjoy! Games & Sources

my original vote had issues around the need for volumization, some drum EQ work, repetition, and some sections that were lacking in energy. opening still feels light on the bass and kick, and the snare is a touch loud even when everything's playing, but it's not as bad as it was in the last mix. the vibe is still really fun. i think the guitar part at 1:25 is new, right? that's nice to have something else happening there. there's some sfx in the recap at 1:49 too which is fun. i'm noticing the instances where the drum parts are not quite in line more this time around. 2:35's still kind of static with the marimba octaves - i wish we could get something simple alongside that to make it less static. overall, i think my main mix complaints from last time - the very loud rhythm guitar and the weird-feeling drums - are a lot better than last time around. i think the levels throughout are much more balanced, and i think there's some added content that wasn't there before. i don't think this is perfect, but it's much improved overall, and i think this is probably good enough to get it over the line. if it isn't, i'd focus more on helping the overall feel of the track not to feel like there's too much repetition, and getting more dynamics overall in the work. YES

original decision Arrangement: Mel Decision Bass: darmock Guitars: Siolfor the Jackal All percussion: DeLuxDolemite This arrangement was created for Dwelling of Duels' Party month in September 2024, and got 9th place out of 24 tracks. This was my first month participating in DoD. I had a bit of trouble figuring out what to arrange—some of my first choices didn't fit all the criteria—and fell back on the first Mario Party on N64, since I'd recently played that with a friend. Yoshi's Tropical Island is a jam, and got me inspired to dive in the prompt. While it's a fairly conservative arrangement, I've taken a more laid-back approach to the piece's beach vibes. This is the kind of party where you sit back and relax with a piña colada in hand or bust out the grill. Collaboration, not competition, you know? I've subbed the steel drums for guitars performed by Siolfor the Jackal, added some additional movement to the bass, performed by darmock, and added a bunch of additional percussion including a full drum kit part, all of which was performed by DeLuxDolemite. DeLuxDolemite also improvised a conga solo for the piece. In place of some of the default percussion from the song, I subbed in some samples from Mario Paint and Yoshi's Story. With the guitars, bass, and percussion, I did more processing of live instruments for this track than I have on any previous track and learned a lot about mixing everything. The drum kit was especially a learning experience; instead of working on one or two midi tracks, I have audio tracks for each section of the kit. This piece also inspired me to go out and buy some additional percussion instruments so I can play some myself in future arrangements. In fact, I've already recorded some for the next DoD prompt. :) I focused on redoing the mix from scratch for the resub, paying close attention to how the rhythm guitar and drums to address judge feedback. I also added a few spots with steel drums to reinforce the marimba per @pixelseph’s suggestion. Games & Sources "Yoshi's Tropical Island" from Mario Party 1, composed by Yasunori Mitsuda

some nice glassy pads to start, and the melodic line comes in right away. the scattered nature of that lead there is very fitting for an opening element. the beat comes in pretty soon after, at 0:28. bass at 0:32 is a little weird. this is a very dynamic approach, and quickly expands into mixed meter with the Taupe Hollow section. there's some really wild stuff here which is such a shift from the initial premise which felt more poppy to start. i love the progression of styles. 1:27's a transition and build into a new feel with a very dynamic lead element at 1:39. this might be my favorite build and texture out of any of your music, truong - it's so intense and vibrant. i like the little countermelodic shouts in the background. there's some settling action at 2:07. the high lead here has some (obviously intentional) weird stuff that it's doing like at 2:11 and 2:22, but i like it and think it fits into the feel. there's a half-time section at 2:30. there's a ton of long-delay elements here and some chromaticism in the chord work, but it doesn't ever fall on itself (although it does sound pretty dynamic). 2:58's back to a more driving feel, with the forest melody chopped up on top for a bit. this isn't quite the same as the opening section at 0:28, but it's very similar. same with the following mixed meter section, break section, and shout section right after (build has an extra measure) - so that's actually a lot of repeated material, over 90s, before we do finally get some different material around the 4:30ish range. we get a nice final chord at 4:50, and there's some outro as keyboard cat plays us off. this is a fun ride through a variety of themes. i never got the feel that there was multiple melodic sources here - it's very well-connected and a great whole. there's more repetition than i cared for, but overall i found the track to be well-handled with good synth choice, a solid master, and a fun arrangement. nice work. YES

i've never heard this original track, but it's a bop. opens with a big, bass-heavy approach right off the jump. drums come in soon after, but the bass is super-loud and way over the top of everything else. i think what the drums are doing is interesting, but it's hard to hear what it is. i like the significant verb and delay on the lead piano and the tone as well. there's some definite stepping on chords in the 0:44 range and right after - several pad chords overlap each other and makes for some crunch. there's a very random and funny break at 0:52 - for real, i'd love to hear more of that! - and a recap of what we already heard at 0:07. i believe that was pretty close to a copypasta. 1:21 is a big shift, complete with amen break and some other material that we haven't heard yet. again there's some pads stepping on itself here. we have to goofy break one more time, one more ascending bit of melody, and it's done in under 2:00. there's some really fun ideas here! the main concept is the sound test from 0:07 to 0:52 - this is an exciting and energetic take on the original that would be right at home in a racing game. the bass is far too loud and the whole mix is really messy, but the feel is straight out of Ridge Racer or something similar. i think if you use that as the core (fixing the chord issues at 0:44) and expand some more while improving the balance of the instruments, you'd have a really fun remix. i suggest checking out the workshop - either on the forums or on the discord - to get some feedback and refine some more. NO

classic original. such a simple but beautiful melody. long-evolving opening pad - eventually it opens up and we get some other synths as well. melody comes in at 0:23 with some nice wind chimes. flute is right on the edge of uncanny valley, but what it's doing is nice. as the chords move faster (at about 0:48) there's a bit of overlap in the backing pad. this is pretty conservative through the first minute. we get a beat at 0:56 and a bunch of filtered elements that open over time, and some personalization of the melodic material near the end of this section. at 1:36 the mix feels like it's finally arrived - there's a snappy beat, the first bass instrument, and a more personalized melodic line. 2:10 goes right into the fourth repetition of the melodic line - this may have been an opportunity to mix it up by having a bit of space before diving back in. still, what's here is nice, and i liked the measure in the middle where the backing elements drop. i also like the bagpipes that come in near the end of this section. we get a subtractive version of the melodic line after this, in what is clearly some falling action. there's a bit of a settled last chord, and it's done. i wouldn't have minded if that chord had lasted an extra second or two to help it feel more settled. this is short and sweet, pretty straightforward but featuring some nice ideas. i think the opening's a little long and i'd have liked to hear some breaks from the melodic material in the middle somewhere, but what's here is over the bar and fulfills our criteria. welcome back argle =) YES

@Liontamer @Emunator updated version in first post with slightly reduced high freqs on shaker. enough?

opens with strings and timpani, and quickly gets very cinematic and dense with the first swell. the iconic theme comes in soon after with some really interesting choices from an instrumentation standpoint. i particularly like the combination of horns and strings on those marcato eighth notes. a few times i think there's a little too much sculpting on the velocitizations - for example, in the horns at 0:36, with the lead notes being buried so that there can be a big swell. 0:51's a fanfare section, and there's some play with the time signatures that took a few listens to grok. i liked the different feels that you were able to represent in such a short period of time. the trumpet fanfare, running string patterns, and later ascending lines at 1:22 all were very A New Hope-esque. a triumphant theme is announced, and then we're into the falling action. i am normally so against extra-short remixes, but this accomplishes so much in such a short period of time. this is dynamite and i really just want a version that gives you more time to expand on some of these elements! what a great reimagining of the original. excellent work. YES

I re-scored the Star Fox 64 opening cinematic -- the one where Fox & team receive General Pepper's distress call, run down the corridor to their Arwing hangar, and blast off to save Corneria. I tried to make it as cinematic as I could, as if scored for full orchestra. One thing that always stood out to me about the original was the corridor running sequence -- I felt this amazing cast of characters didn't quite get the warm welcome I was looking for. Their close-ups are so iconic -- was there an opportunity to musically personify them one-by-one as they are introduced? I tried my best to address that. The original cutscene music (“Opening” followed immediately by “Title”) forms the structural framework for the arrangement, and I weave in material from “Mission Accomplished,” essentially the Star Fox team's Main Theme, to provide that thematic movie score feeling. On the use of reference material: Although I approach the star-dusted opening sequence differently (scoring the lens flare and N logo with string glissandi and brass swells), keep your ear out for the "Opening" theme's ominous rising four 16th notes ostinato, highlighted in the strings. When the Great Fox appears, you will recognize the familiar "Opening" theme, which I first pare down in the horns and woodwinds (the tuba’s round-like response reharmonizing it) and then orchestrate in grander fashion as General Pepper reveals Andross' war. As we cut to the corridor running sequence, I turn to the team's 'Main Theme'. You will know it when you hear it – it is an 8-note motif (the "do-so-laa" one) that is heard in various parts of the soundtrack (notably "Title"), but in Kondo's "Mission Accomplished" he fleshes it out across six phrases. The first phrase, re-orchestrated and re-harmonized, forms the basis of the shot of the whole team together. As we move through the individual close-ups, I move away from this material, giving each character his own phrase -- Slippy's surprisal, Peppy's staid approach, and Falco's antagonism -- which sets up a triumphant return right back to "Mission Accomplished" for Fox’s close-up. The final phrase of "Mission Accomplished" with its repeated 16th-16th-dotted quarter figure forms the basis for the next several shots, from the melodically ascending transition away from the corridor, to the march-like section accompanying our initial views of the hangar, and finally to a melodic variation that rises through the orchestra as the Arwings fire up and blast off. Finally, I arrange "Title" for the title splash. As the music fades, the flutes quietly reference the intro to "Mission Accomplished.” If you're curious, the re-scored cinematic exists (over here: https://youtu.be/MIZyl-Eogx4 ), but this one’s for the film score fans. Thanks in advance, I really appreciate your consideration & feedback! -Mark Reference Material Opening The well-known part (starts at 0:25) The string ostinato (starts at 0:50) Title Title Splash / Main Theme (0:00-0:10) Mission Accomplished Main Theme First Phrase (full team shot) 0:12 Main Theme Penultimate Phrase (Fox’s close-up) 0:28 Intro 0:00 Games & Sources Star Fox 64 Opening (https://youtu.be/UW-7Em3BYiA) The well-known part (starts at 0:25) The string ostinato (starts at 0:50) Title (https://youtu.be/-Z99Xi4ES2Y?si=yxU-Q4jK-3woJeVs) Title Splash / Main Theme (0:00-0:10) Mission Accomplished (https://youtu.be/GuB1S_avUWw) Main Theme First Phrase (full team shot) 0:12 Main Theme Penultimate Phrase (Fox’s close-up) 0:28 Intro (0:00) Tracks by Koji Kondo

opens with some very quiet sfx and strings in the right ear. they don't sound particularly realistic at this volume and the right ear is really heavy here, so this is not the greatest representation. the flute and clarinet handoffs here are obviously something that'd be really hard to coordinate, but they get off a few times in the flute part (ie. the part that one person can control), notably every time there's a rising line the upper flute part rushes. the little picc and ocarina flutters in here are really nice though as we get into the eagle's tower section, and i like the shift in tempo and time signature through this. city in the sky's opening is nonsense, so it's fun hearing it realized here at 2:28. this section is a much broader realization than the prior song in this medley, and it's pretty without being overwhelming. i will note that i didn't get the hard stops in the realization (2:57 and 3:04, and often following), even more so because there's sustain in the harp and bells in those areas - it didn't make much sense to me what those were there for and why they weren't complete. moving into something as traditional as astral observatory right after that is a significant change, and i thought it was handled pretty well. it's a pretty short cameo for the theme though, which is a bummer since it's such a nice original. revali's theme right after it though is also a strong melody, so that's a nice one to embellish more. this is easily some of the most lush orchestration in the entire work. the violin lead at just before the five minute mark isn't particularly realistic (especially when compared to some of the live instrumentation) - it would have been nice to hear an oboe there, for example, given the original. rito village comes in soon after and has some nice settling action before again building up some energy with sfx and some nice flourishes in the flutes. the last source, crimson loftwing, is represented in some beautiful oboe work and then english horn - what a beautiful tone! i wish it was used more in this, it's such a resonant and rich sound. there's a slighly sour note at 6:57 in the ehorn (sounds like a chord isn't done behind it when it plays that descending line). there's some wind fish cameo at the very end, and it's done. this does what it says on the tin, as we'd expect. the transitions are solid, each theme is represented nicely, and the overall package is enjoyable. it doesn't push any boundaries, but what's here is above the bar. YES

This is the middle part of my Zelda sky themes medley! As before, the wind parts were performed by Brooke Ferd, Gamer of the Winds, and Steven Higbee. :) Games & Sources 0:00 Vah Medoh 2 Terminals (BotW) 1:13 Eagle's Tower (LA) 2:12 City in the Sky (TP) 3:27 Astral Observatory (MM) 4:13 Revali’s Theme (BotW) 5:12 Rito Village (BotW) 6:04 Crimson Loftwing (SS)

opens with some heavily filtered arpeggiated elements and pads, and some really ringy vocals. the big hit at 0:31 reminds me of another remixer's penchant for huge transitional synths. there's some trancey keys doing the arpeggio and eventual melody line, although they're not particularly idiomatic. i found the wide spacey synth with the long delay on the attack to be a little too fast for how slow it was, but i liked the vibe for sure. there's a big transitional element into 1:39, and there's some really wild sound design here that's fun. i appreciate that it never quite settles down to a normal - it's constantly changing and evolving. 2:10's a hard drop in style, and the keys here sound like they're releasing early which is interesting. the lack of sustain compared to earlier feels is unsettling. another big build into 2:44, and there's a particularly filthy bassline synth that i really like here. there's also a lot of rumble which i'm not as big a fan of. the lead here is outrageously mean and over-the-top extreme, and the transitions are all really janky, so this is very intense. 3:30's long falling action functions as a great palate-cleanser to that intensity, and we hear the docks come back much clearer this time around. the sfx in here on the vocal clips is enough that i couldn't tell at all what was going on in them. i don't know if that was intentional or not. the piano in here is a little too high and piercing for me, and combined with the overtones from the vocal clips, this was kind of uncomfortable to listen. we finally reach the third section, and it's a much more straightforward, heavy feel. most of this didn't seem to be clearly able to be mapped to the original in any way, but there was some clear intentionality at 5:11, and later when the keys come in at 5:41. the intensity of the drums especially is nuts through this whole section. i found myself liking the setting more than everything that the lead was playing - especially initially, that low bend sounded nowhere near the key that was being played. 5:41's a significant falling action, and this is clearly the end of the road here. there's some sfx to end it, and we're done. what a ride! this is so broad from start to finish, showing a ton of versatility and stylistic influences. i certainly don't think it's perfect, but what a broad spectrum of approaches and concepts. i certainly don't know of another DDD concept that comes at the original from so many different directions. it's easy to nitpick something so broad, so i'll just say that i really enjoyed it, there's more than enough source for it to count, and the perspective here is intense. nice work. YES

much more aggressive perspective initially than the original. i like the the short bass tone and the punchy kick, although the wide disparity in reverb between the set and everything else was confusing to me initially. the opening section also exposes how short and clipped the kick and snare especially are, and they sound weird exposed like that. there's the first real focused application of melody at about the 0:40 mark, and i like the harmonic shout on the middle part of that. there's a little bit of a break for a moment at 1:12, and there's some playing with time in here that felt awkward given how simplistic the drum work is through here. 1:28 has a bit of a synth solo section that weaves in and out of time for a bit before another more significant break. there's some bell tones in here that have a neat vibe to them, no pun intended. the following section sounds a bit crunchy around the 2:05-2:15 mark. melody line synth gets mixed up at 2:16, which is a great choice. there's some solo elements to what it's playing, and with that in mind i'd have preferred a bit more presence on the delay and reverb effects on the line to help it really jump out. speaking of jumping out, there's a cowbell or woodblock tone that gets used in this section that really starts to stick out over time because it's so dry. it's very noticeable at 2:46 for example. we start to get into the falling action at 3:09, and there's some altered elements about this section to help it start to come down. there's some keyboard noodles, and then we start to hear the bass and kick/snare being exposed again like at the beginning. the choir synths are a nice choice given how that's how the original track ends. there's a clip there at the end that'll need to be adjusted for. overall this feels loud and a bit repetitive, but there's a good amount of variety of the original in it and it doesn't ever stay in one place too long. i like the heavier focus on noodling through the melody in various ways instead of just playing it all in a row like some of your past tracks, and i like that you don't stick with a single drum loop the entire time. what's here feels like it's over the bar. YES

As we are celebrating Command & Conquer 30th anniversary this September 26th, I think there's an excellent opportunity to talk about Remix & Conquer: Deluxe Edition with remixes from my past two Command & Conquer EPs plus some additional surprises! A song from the first EP was already featured on OC Remix some years ago. This remix is part of the second EP from the series, but I never submited anything from it until now. I tried to keep the 80's vibe of the original song and make it more upbeat instead of ambient, you'll notice the nods and references to some of the late eighties new wave sounds and mood in general. I hope you'll enjoy it! Games & Sources Jarrid Mendelson - Lone Trooper from Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun

opens with a much slower and relaxed vibe than the original, for sure. melody comes in at 0:19 and there's some fun altered/extended chords in there that i don't remember from the original. this is definitely a city pop feel, i agree there. i appreciate the tight tone of the drums as well. there's a recap of 0:19 at 0:57 (it does sound exactly the same for maybe 20s), and some altered chords for the second half of the A section in the vibes. there's a bit of a break, and then we're into the B section at 1:35. there's some wooble on the leads here that's a neat idea - i didn't notice it in the earlier section. this section kind of just trucks through the material before getting back to the A side as fast as possible, at 1:54. it's a little noodly there, but the track finds where it's going when it gets back to the A material. around here i started wanting a bit of a break, and while we get a bit of one with yet another copypasta of the second half of the A section from earlier at 2:32. and then more copypasta - 3:00 is 1:35 again, with some changes on the second half of that section. 3:29's a recap of the opening, and this is also copypasta. this block repeats for a while and then fades out. so most of the second half of the track is repeated exactly =( i think this is a nice idea, and i like the execution of it in terms of synth choices and instrumentation. it's a real nice vibe. but the repeated material is excessive. one or two sections repeated is one thing, but this is half the piece. i think it's fine to repeat concepts as long as you're mixing up the next time it comes around - however that's not what's happening here. get me some variety! and then i'll be very happy to pass this. NO

Hey guys, This is my version of Sakura's theme from SFA2, which is a bit of a fan favorite track if I am not mistaken. The point of departure here was, like my previous submission, using sounds similar to (or inspired by) the og CPS-2 board, but I took a song in a very different direction than the original: it's slower and a bit more wistful. In retrospect, I think it sounds a bit like City Pop ballads? Games & Sources Stage Sakura - Street Fighter Alpha 2

opens with a cameo of ballad of gales in the choir and sfx, and then jumps right into WW's title track. the taiko pattern is pretty recognizable, and the initial live elements are fantastic. the elements are heavily panned (there's a lot in the right ear that's just not in the left) and that's confusing on headphones but would probably be more impactful on speakers. i wouldn't have minded hearing a lower instrument to underpin this entire section given how high most of the parts are. i'm not a fan of the choir at 1:57 - it feels so fake as compared to the earlier uses of it - however the intro to sheikah tower is fairly delicate. i really like the low flute work. the intentionally blocky representation right after that is also a clever adaptation of the stutter synth in the original. the TotK wind temple theme is woven in here nicely as well. very delicate playing again. the the transition into the WW wind temple is just so not what i expected at all. the original's quite weird so this was an interesting idea. i wouldn't have minded a more fleshed-out background here than just the choir initially, but i like the bigger variety you give it as we get into the 5:15 area. the breadth of the arrangement continues to expand as we get into palace of winds, and the scope increases as well. i liked the bass clarinet in here especially, one of my favorite instruments. the bells in the right ear are too loud here, and feel very shrill and forward. i realize this is part of a suite, but the ending still feels very abrupt and unprepared. the track is fairly imbalanced between the ears. most of the content throughout is in the right ear, and the panning is more significant than it probably should be. separately, i wasn't a fan of the ending, although i recognize at least partly this is due to the edit made to allow this to be on the site. the rest of the arrangement is aces, though - really nice transitions between most of the themes, and the adaptation with live instruments is really nice. YES

opens with just drums, before we get an FMy bass and some distorted drum elements. it was a touch confusing what was going on in the drums at first, but once the more electronic/effected elements came in, it was more clear what was going on. coming in fresh, the opening drums sound strange due to the effecting on them, but they do fit better once i have context. melodic material comes in at 0:16. i like the distortion on the melody line, and i like the little harmonic shouts in each ear when they come in. i don't like that it's pretty static of a sound with no lfo or delta on sustained notes. there's some backing elements here - bells and an organ maybe? - and they're very oofy and heavily verbed while the lead, drums, and bass don't have any verb that i can hear. those backing elements really feel surprisingly dense. being in the same range as the melody doesn't help, and when they go lower for the second part of that first melodic phrase, it sounds very dull and congealed. the cymbals throughout this section are also essentially just static - the part at 0:30 is actually kind of shrill. mixing up the lead at 0:49 is a good idea - it has some delay on it and sounds so different simply because of that bit of effecting. it also doesn't have anything that helps the sustains sound less grating, which is disappointing. 1:20's a recap of the melody. 1:30's the same as 0:49 to my ears, outside the panning of the melodic blurbs, but there's some minor added harmonic elements on the back half that help it not be completely copied. 1:50's a big dropoff - i wouldn't have minded a more gradual falloff there. the bells in this next section are nice but the hard panning felt a little weird in headphones. at 2:16, animal got tired of the slow dancing at Fozzywig's Annual Christmas Party and kicks it off for a bit, but after one pass, it's back to being quiet again with another hard transition for a bit before it builds back up for one last blow. at 3:01, we've got (i think) the fourth time we've had the melody in the same instrument coming in with the same ascending line. luckily this time there's some changed elements in the melodic representation, but this would have been a great chance to mix it up and not do the same sound again. there's the ascending single chord bit and it's done. the different background synths end at different times, which i'm not sure was intentional. for a track that's 3:30, it's surprising that the texture is the same for almost three of those minutes. the loose, heavily reverbed organ and bells in the background alongside the very not-verby lead, bass, and drums never changes. combined with the lead never really changing after that first change at 0:49 makes for a very static soundscape, and it got tiresome after a while. the melody's always in the same range, it's almost always represented the same way with only minor changes until the very last time, it always has the same chords, and while the backing drums do mix it up and do some neat stuff, the rest of the arrangement feels like it's missing some development. i liked the concept of the quieter sections to help give the band sound punch when it comes back, but in my opinion the first break comes too late (feels like it should be at least 30s earlier in the mix), and the transitions in and out of each section are very abrupt. the energy management feels lacking as a result. some transitional elements would help a lot to manage that, as would giving those transitions a bit of time to breathe. i think you've got some really interesting ideas here, and there's obviously a lot of craft that's gone into the drum work especially. a set of backing elements that more closely fits the soundscape, some more intentional and careful transitions, and more attention paid throughout to making the melody line unique and different each time it's played (via instrumentation, lfo on the synths, altered chord work, more personalization, changing ranges...) would really move the needle on this one. as it is right now, it feels like you're close but not there yet. NO

For the Tetris Attack / Panel de Pon album project. When reviewing the Tetris Attack / Panel de Pon soundtrack, this track immediately stood out as a bop. Of all the tracks, it resonated with me the most as a drummer. I already loved the original drum part, so it felt like the perfect choice for the "drum kit" highlight on the album. I started with a basic arrangement, honing in on the drums. To emphasize their presence in the remix, I decided to feature both an acoustic and electronic kit—using ML Drums for the acoustic elements and crafting my own electronic kit from chip drum samples and sound effects. After several iterations of the drum parts, I asked @paradiddlesjosh for feedback on MIDI programming and articulation, refining the feel to make it as realistic as possible. With the drum tracks starting to lock in, I moved to refining the rest of the arrangement around them. The energy felt a bit one-note, so I experimented with softer, dreamier sections to add contrast and break up the loop. This also gave me a chance to explore different drum textures and the full range of a kit. Once everything was in place, I fine-tuned the mix to really make the drum parts shine, with valuable feedback from members of the OCR community. Games & Sources Game: Panel de Pon / Tetris Attack Song: Lip's theme / Demo

opens with a very percussive electric and some bass, and a SUPER loud drumset comes in right away. drums have a ton of room sound and the bass and guitar have virtually no room sound, so that's a little confusing. the chord progression from the original starts at about 0:19, and the melodic content comes in at 0:33. there's a bit of a transition at 1:12, and we get a recap with a bit more personalization. there's several fills (the timbales especially) that are used repeatedly and it's very obvious quickly. 1:55 is a break section, and there's some interesting bits and bobs in this section as it builds back up. 2:21's a great recap, probably one of my favorite parts of the track. there's a lot of fun stuff going on, and more personalization in this section than anywhere else. a short outro and it's done. this one's showing its age a bit - the repeated transitional elements like the timbales, the trash can snare, and the rigid quant despite it being a backbeat style all definitely are noticeable. but i think there's some charm in this one that isn't immediately obvious - there's a lot of creativity in the melodic approach especially near the end, and i really like the overall shape of the track and how it gets where it's trying to go. the natural feel of most tracks from this OST is just so genuine, and you don't get in the way of that. i think this is probably over the bar, especially given that we can't correct some of the nitpicks i called out. YES

Is there, like, a statute of limitations on incredibly old tracks? If so I apologize for wasting your time. So yeah I don't actually know why I never sent in this back in the day. Felt weird to send two songs from the same OCR album, I guess? That's a stupid reason lol. Anyway, I'm getting back into the swing of things after a really long dry spell and figured I'd toss this one out there. It's a reggae dub version of the file s-e-l-e-c-t theme which is itself just a take on the classic Mario theme. And I'll be damned but I actually have a wave file from the distant past! That's good cuz there's a zero percent chance I could open the project now without a ton of missing VSTs. All in all, is this a low-effort way to get the Argle name back out there? Who can say? Games & Sources Super Mario RPG - Let's Try