prophetik music   Judges ⚖️

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

This is the first section of my Zelda series Sky Themes Medley, featuring Steven Higbee (ocarinas, clarinet, bass clarinet), Gamer of the Winds (alto flute, flute, piccolo), and Brooke Ferd (flute, oboe, english horn). I also plan to compose a fourth medley for the fire themes - I'll be sure to hit up these artists for that one too! Games & Sources 0:00 Ballad of Gales (WW) 0:16 Title (WW) 1:54 Wind's Requiem (WW) 2:03 Sheikah Tower (BotW) 3:32 Wind Temple Phase 1 (TotK) 4:47 Wind Temple (WW) 6:06 Palace of Winds (MC) Wind Waker - Ballad of Gales Wind Waker - Title Wind Waker - Wind's Requiem Breath of the Wild - Sheikah Tower Tears of the Kingdom - Wind Temple Phase 1 (proph note: i believe this is 0:00-1:30) Wind Waker - Wind Temple Minish Cap - Palace of Winds

opens with some muted pads and some snippets of the melody. the beat comes in at 0:27 and it's overwhelmingly loud - i can't hear anything but the loop and the arp synth that doesn't appear to be matching the chords. the first break is at 0:56, and it's more of a drop and build than a break. the following drum beat is again way louder than everything, and it's again fairly repetitive. 1:32 is the next drop, and i'm noticing we haven't really actually seen any melodic material by this point - there's a few very simple bloops and blurbs that might sound adjacent to some of the melodic material, but i haven't heard anything that actually states the melody. there's another way over-loud drum section - very close to 0:27's section - one more break and build cycle, and then a last big shout chorus that's more of a hardstyle feel. from an overarching perspective, while this roughly follows the original's chord structure, i heard nothing of the original's melodic or harmonic elements. so that's a no there. separately, the balance in each section is way, way off - you could easily turn all of the percussion down by half, bring your overall volume up, and the drums would still be really big and punchy and probably too loud. this one needs some workshopping to balance out the parts and inject more of the original into the track. i like the idea - the original's very chill, so a big dancey version would be really fun! - but what's here isn't it yet. NO

what an artist name. ~3db headroom. big drum opening, and we're right into the meat. i like the harmony on the lead on the first ascending riff. the backing parts are mostly mush and i can't really hear rhythms, but they're nothing wrong that i can hear. i'm appreciating the personalization of the lead especially - lots of vibrato and grace notes, the attention is nice. 1:14's a new chord progression and i like the changes, as well as clearer rhythm in the backing parts. this section is a recap of the main melody line a second time, but there's a lot changed from the first time which is nice. we shift into The Required Acoustic Guitar Break for a bit, and i like the backing elements and the overall tone of the guitar here a lot. we don't spend much time there, as it's quickly back to screaming guitars on the main melodic riff in a big build (on the big bridge?). 3:28's a solo section with a nice prep, and there's a lot of technical ability showcased. 3:55's rhythmic breakdown is nice as a quick shift before getting back to faster stuff. there's an arp at 4:13 that's hip but it's hard in the right ear and i wouldn't have minded it being a bit more centerline to avoid it being so focused and loud there. there's a build into the last bit, and it's done (with a hard cut at the end which doesn't make much sense). this is a blast! everyone's covered this tune, so it's nice having one that spends some more time exploring it. the master's pretty heavy and it can be hard to hear some backing elements, but i honestly didn't mind as the total package is over the bar for me. it's big and loud and fun and i like it a lot. the ending needs to be fixed - figure out what you want to do and get rid of the hard cutoff (extend it a second and fade it? let the cymbal ring?), and it's good by me. CONDITIONAL (on fixing the last few seconds) edit 3/19: PANJ supplied an updated version with a false ending and another 45s of material! because that's what you expect from princess al and their nuclear jamboree. the ending is at 110% for the entire thing now, and it doesn't end on a hard cutoff, so it's good by me. YES edit 9/30: if it's AI, it's a NO, so that's that.

opening is indeed adjacent but not quite the same as the intro. that ascending string riff into the melody line is pretty recognizable though! 7/8 for 0:29 is a revelation, i love that change - it emphasizes the already heavily rhythmic approach of the original. i liked the backing feel of the solo especially, and felt that was very Metropolis in feel at least initially. 1:46's new chord progression made a lot of sense and sounds great, especially when it gets harmonized. i wouldn't have minded a bit of vibrato on the lead guitar for a few of these sustains. 2:37's transition was surprising but does make some sense based on how the Terran campaign's music works. the sustains on the initial keys made it sound a bit cheesy, but it quickly settles into a better feel. this section overall feels a little less baked - the bass guitar is kind of far in the back and hard to hear, some of the synths are a little thin, the texture at 3:07 is fine but the lead's pretty light. i liked the solo line over it, especially starting at 3:30. 3:36's transition and backing parts are a bit on autopilot in the drums, and the guitar isn't quite as big as i'd have expected for this section, but i like the transition into the 4:07 section, and that section does a great job of providing some different textures that we haven't really felt. there's a jump into 4:22 as the tempo picks up, and then there's an outro section recapping the 7/8 section from before. what a fun arrangement overall! the track is so obviously Starcraft that it was very easy to grab onto the arrangement elements and just enjoy the total package. from a mix perspective, my biggest complaint is that i felt that the drums lacked some punch throughout. i would have liked a more present kit, i think, and a more dense kick especially. but the track still rocks and this is absolutely not a dealbreaker. excellent work exploring a classic track. YES

opens with a big wall of sound and quickly gets down to business with solo sortie. the melody comes in at 0:27, and it's pretty hard to hear initially as it's pretty low in the range. there's some compression artifacts at 0:55 from the snare to my ear. some nice changes in the drums and backing rhythm at 1:08. whatever gating is on the guitar initially at 1:36 is a bit weird. the transition at 1:43 is a slam transition but it works pretty well considering how counterattack '91 starts. and it's off to the races very soon. this is another very straightforward adaptation - just once through, and then it's onto the fish track. as wet as a fish is a nice break from the initial beat - lots of sustains, and when it does come back in, it's got a half-time feel that functions as a nice break from the wall of sound. submerging titan is where the track goes back to normal time, but i admit this transition was too sudden for me. i'd rather have had more time to get into it before hitting the initial riff. and before we really even get a chance to ingest this, we're onto labyrinth. the transition here again is sudden but works because of both tracks keying off of a complex riff to mark what they're doing. speaking of complex, the creature track hits with the opening riff, and then goes to town on a more complex drum pattern initially. i appreciated that you spent more time on this one, although i'd have preferred that you personalize some of the melodic work a bit more given that this is mostly straight out of the original. there's another slam transition to the next zone track, and i'd have loved to hear the keys match better to the previous track so the transition wasn't so obvious. i'd also have loved to hear this expanded a touch since it's so sudden and then it's done. i'm on the fence about this one, honestly! it's a big rocking track and i like the variety of drum and guitar grooves brought to the party, and there's a lot of intentionality in how you chose what tracks led to what to fit them together. the track sounds big and in your face, and i like how aggressive it in in several sections. i don't however like at all how brief some of the cameos are, nor do i like how fast some of the transitions are. i can't hear a bass essentially anywhere in the track, and i don't like that the same synth is used for the lead throughout, and similarly i don't like that it's so rote from a melodic representation standpoint. i think i'm going to come down on the side of a no vote here. if you took a bit more time in some of the more abrupt transitions, if the ending wasn't so tacked-on and was more integrated/fleshed out after 6 minutes of rock, and if there was more personalization in the melodic representation, this would be an instant yes. as it is, i think it's just too medleyish without much of you in the arrangement. NO

opens with some moving clarinet, and that moving line quickly passes between each part. this unfortunately highlights the difficulty in chamber music that's remote - it's so hard to truly pass off lines like this in an even fashion, although you do a decent job here. 0:35's sustains are a nice change. the repeated notes under those sustains really needed more intentional dynamics in the performance. there's another recap of the moving lines moving around with 'pizz' underneath them, and this sounded similar to the opening but voiced differently. there's a few obvious mistakes in the bassoon line at 1:22, although admittedly that's a tough range. i really liked the passing-off of the phrasing at 1:27. the following section has some more counterpoint which is nice. i'd have loved to hear even more interweaving of parts here, and especially some more dimensionality - spreading out the ranges a bit to fill in the chords instead of having everything so tight would have really added space. the chorale section at 2:09 is another space i'd have loved to hear with more range on the parts. shifting to ensemble articulation at 2:23 was really nice too. i wasn't as big a fan of the subsequent silence in the sax solo - it loses some energy and then tries to get right back into it, and loses something in the process. there's some more consistently moving counterpoint for a few more seconds, and then we get one last chord and it's done. from an execution standpoint, the arrangement is overall really solid. i appreciated the contextual changes between the articulated elements and the more sustained sections. there's enough repetition of concepts to hold onto without being overly repetitive, and there's a nice payoff at 2:09 with the chorale (although i'd have liked to hear more range explored on the instruments there). from a performance standpoint, i found the alto to be both too present in the mix and too sharp a tone as compared to the other instruments - a touch of EQ to tone down the edge on it would have really helped it mesh better with the other instruments. intonation across the board is fine but not stellar, and timing is pretty darn good considering the recording method. i think this is definitely a good representation of the medium and the original. performance is pretty good considering it wasn't done in-person and the arrangement has a lot of good contrast. nice work. YES

This is a medley of most of the main stage themes and boss battle theme from Super R-Type. Not everything is included, but it's most of the tracks. Recorded, mixed and mastered by me. Games & Sources 0:00 - 1:42 --- Solo Sortie 1:43 - 2:23 --- Counterattack '91 2:24 - 3:08 --- As Wet As A Fish 3:09 - 3:52 --- A Submerging Titan 3:53 - 4:37 --- Dream Of A Labyrinth 4:38 - 6:10 --- Return Of The Creature 5:55 to 6:12 --- To The Next Zone

opens with some very defined percussive elements and some vox samples. the snare tone is a unique one. there's a lot of space in this opening. 0:16 brings in the hats and some chordal elements. there's a bit of original cribbing and then it's off to what sounds like a tracked guitar or synth right away for a bit of noodling around the melodic minor scale. 1:03 is a filtered section, feels very next-door. we get the main tonal center back at 1:18 and there's continuing to be a lot of exploration of the minor key but not much direct adaptation of the original. the first few bars are used in this section at 1:18, expanded out to fit the time signature, but it's honestly hard to recognize anything else. by 2:15ish everything sounds very much like we've heard it before, as well. for example, 2:22 is a straight copy from 1:18, and 2:37 is a copy of the section that starts at 1:18. there's a b section that starts at 2:52 and is initially more of a chorale - it's nice to get something new for a bit! this quickly transitions back to the original groove, and there's some crunchy notes as part of this layering doesn't quite line up. the track also just stops at the end of a snippet that was used earlier in the song. elephant in the room: i don't think this has enough source. the repeated Ab-G pattern in the chords is only present in the opening of the original in a non-counterpoint fashion, and that's honestly the main bit i catch here - and that's a pretty common progression. the high descending line apes the second measure of the original's chorus, and there's some sections that sound like they're straight from the original as-is (0:27 for example). i'd consider the lead at 0:31 to be adapting the first few verses of the original as well. i would consider 0:27-0:42, the backing parts at 0:47-1:00, backing at 1:24-1:46 and 1:50-2:19, and that's probably it. that's less than 90s overall so that's under 50%. i get if someone wants to use the chord progression, but given that so little of it is used and it's not particularly unique, i'm not really there. most of the main melodic concepts you'd hang your hat on in this arrangement are noodles and just exploration of the key, not actually from the original. separately, like i mentioned, there's a lot of repetition. you've got at almost 30s that's straight cribbed out from an earlier part, and there's not a lot to differentiate the individual sections aside from that. the ideas are cool! i don't think they're developed enough. the track really needs a true B section that then recapitulates back to the original idea to keep it moving, or else it needs like 45s taken from the duration. there's also a lot of opportunity to relate back more source to flesh out the arrangement itself. NO

This haunting tune has been on my mind since '92. It appears in exactly one place, a single room you don't need to be in for more than a minute or two - but I'd often linger just to listen. Had to make an arrangement of it for my newest album of video game remixes - it was, in fact, the whole reason I decided to embark on the project. Hope you enjoy! Games & Sources Game: Zelda: A Link to the Past Source: Church (aka Sanctuary) YT:

opens with sfx and a lush bed of synths and guitar strums. there's a funky note at 0:28 for an instant that's pretty noticeable. big build with percussive elements into 0:39, and the lead's variances are a nice callback to the particularly funky first chord of the original and how iconic that warble is. that lead is exploring the initial arpeggio from the original without the echo on it. bass sounds a touch stilted on some attacks in this area, particularly at 0:59 for about the next ten seconds. percussion in here is surprisingly high up in the freq range too, it's noisier than i'd expect given the rich, dense background and how sustained everything is. there's a break at 0:59 and there's some exploration of the chord progression, and subsequently a recording from Genesis - and then we get the big bang (sorry!!!) at 1:42 when everything comes in. this is still focusing primarily on the arpeggio section and not on the 'chorus' from the original or the b theme. there's another drop at 2:23 for sfx, and then a big blow at 3:03 (love that tom fill!). a great guitar solo to soar over the top of the framework that's been put down so far. this is definitely the highlight of the track. the falling action after is primarily focused around sfx, and that becomes the primary sound until the end. so my main concern here is the volume of original content. i hear some easy correlations at 0:39-0:59 and 1:42-2:22, but i'm missing other obvious correlations that may be represented in the chords. i'll check with emu for a breakdown since i'm out of time to do it myself right now. ? edit 3/6: i don't hear the opening chords mapping to 0:08. i don't hear a backing arp at 0:20. i had already accounted for the synth at 0:39. at 1:00, it sounds like you're stating that the descending maj7 arpeggios are from the main arp theme, and i see where that's coming from, so i'm ok with that. i don't hear the chiptune arp at 1:20 at all. 1:42 i already accounted for. 2:42 i don't correlate or hear at all. 3:03 i still don't hear either. i don't hear a chiptune synth at 3:43. that 80/267. so that's a no-go unless i'm using the wrong file or something - i don't hear most of these at all even on repeated listens. NO edit 3/7: the section at 0:20 is clear isolated, but it doesn't actually sound pitched in-situ. it sounds percussive. so i still won't count that, because there's no point where i can pick it out as being pitched. if it was louder, i could probably hear the pitches, and then be able to count it. the first time i can hear the pitches is for about 2s at 3:53. i'm willing to assume that i'm missing the opening chords due to the detuning in the original - i'd have a hard time mapping them by hand now as it is. however, even if i counted this, i'm still not to 50% - i'm at 112/267. the backing on the solo is a bit too much of a stretch for me given i can't really hear any of it. i think this is still a no =/ if someone else wants to point out some other correlation i'm missing, great - but this not close enough right now. i think it'd be easy to find 20s here and there if emu wanted to adjust something, and then it'd be good for me, but as it is, no. edit 4/22: updated mix sounds a ton better in general, but also brings the main clicky arp way more forward so i can find it a lot easier. this allays my concerns about source usage while also dealing with a few nits in the levels that i had before. this is good enough for me. fourth listen's the charm, i guess! YES

opens with a variety of noodles in the keys, winds, and vins. nemo's voice fits this perfectly. the distorted sfx were very confusing for a moment until i figured out what was going on. there's some percussive elements that build into a very cinematic section at 1:00. nemo's voice gets more covered up there initially once the marcato strings come in initially, but it starts to get on top as it gets higher in her range. there's a break at 1:29, and some more whistle work. this kind of falls off more than i'd expect before the verse comes in at 1:50. it feels really early aughts for a bit here between the clean guitar and the very crisp drumset work. there's more padding material at 2:18 and i think it needs it. as the texture fills out, i'm again feeling nemo's voice is fading into the background a bit more than i'd expect. there's more building into another drop at 3:14, and this is very lush. the violin lacks a bit of richness i'd hope for and is again farther back in the mix than i'd expect a lead instrument to be, but the whole section is really fun with the sfx and backing elements added in. nemo's back at 4:17 (love the breath being left in, that's very organic), and this is another build. there is an ascending scale to the the big hit at 4:46. the violin is momentarily out of time which is a bit confusing. the big hit is less than i'd hoped for - i can't hear the snare or kick at all, the reliance on what sounds like a riveted ride instead of a crash for the downbeats in the cymbals adds a lot of colored static to the mix and is just noisy, the rhythm guitar is primarily low-range and not a wall or even really in the mids, and i can't hear the bass either much at all. i liked the vocal solo work by nemo though - that's just not something we hear in this community hardly at all, and this is the first time the entire song that her voice was actually far enough forward to hear what's going on. i didn't care for this part near as much as i'd hoped given the work around it before this. the big section ends suddenly with some sfx and strummed guitar, and then it's done. the sfx fade out very quickly, several seconds earlier than i'd expect. this is obviously over the bar. the realization is really interesting, the arrangement's enough that it's not a cover, and the execution is, for the most part, really solid. there's some specific elements i didn't care for - pushing the leads into the back throughout was not something i liked, and the big payoff chorus wasn't what i'd hoped going into it (but i recognize some of this may be personal preference) - but the overall package is good and it's obvious why this did as well as it did at DoD. YES

opens with percussion loops and some stuttered synths. 0:10's beat feels great. there's some guitar but it's pretty far back in the mix so it's a bit hard to hear. there's a break fairly quickly at 0:31, and then that takes off again after a short build. beat feels great, especially the snare. agree with LT that the original is taking a back seat here (unless i'm missing where the descending triad that the guitar's doing is coming from). it feels mostly original aside from some of the chord work in the first 20s. 1:02 finally brings in some melodic content, and this section feels oddly out of time initially but grabs the beat again quickly. the bass is pretty by itself and feels a bit boosted - there's no real tone there, just fundamental, and it sounds dull in this open section before the kick comes in (and difficult to parse once it's doing licks later due to the lack of higher-end tone). there's some fuzz at 1:15 that i'd call distortion in the lead. i also don't feel that the lead guitar is forward enough in the mix. it doesn't sound like the lead when more starts happening (like at 1:20). especially when compared to all of the super-bright blurbs and bobs going on around it, the tone feels pretty lo-fi - like either the recording wasn't very good or the reverb is filtering the freq range too much. 1:51 brings another drop and chorus, and when the beat comes back, it's a solo section. i heard another fuzzy bit of resonance in the guitar at 2:20 and 2:36. some more scalar patterns and it's done. i didn't care for the extra notes on the end, the bass dropping out so suddenly, or the amp noise (tbh i'd expect it to hang another second before fading, if you're going to lean into that). so the ending's a disappointment. this is surprisingly uneven on the execution front. the arrangement's fun if not overly complex, but the ending is pretty blah, and the execution of the guitar work isn't where i'd want it to be. we certainly have published lower-quality takes of live instruments in the past, but i think this is more noticeable due to how good the backing parts are. and the so this is pretty close for me. i think it's probably good enough, as we don't judge based on potential. YES