zykO

that's not true, bro! =)

i think this is a pretty good question as it also ties into an earlier question concerning BRAND NAME authors. as you can imagine, it can be a little difficult to entirely ignore who the author is. luckily for me, i hardly ever look at the thread very closely before clicking the link, in turn, completely surprising myself. so unless i already recognize the artist for being unique (i have a good ear for signature sound), i won't let who it is dictate my first impressions. however, that can be a lot more difficult than it seems. i have rejected nearly half of the tracks that i've liked because my role here is dictated by the standards of the site, not by my own standards which, at most times, differ greatly. i'm definitely a sucker for raw, emotive music that is rough around the edges... much like my own. i've had a fair share of my tracks rejected from the site so im very familiar with where the line is drawn =) i've also been able to effectively review and accept tracks that i would never listen to again. i pride myself on enjoying many different flavors of tea but even when it isn't my cup, i still can taste the goodness in it. bias is often where a judge prospect fails miserably. as for brand name authors... well it is hard to reject music by a guy like mazedude or mustin. hell, recently, we rejected JJT's halloween mix... and we know he's one talented sucka. the dilemma in having a bar is that it has to be applied consistently and fairly. i learned this lesson as a parent of a toddler girl. not everything is cut n dry or black n white in judgement and this is why a judge of any capacity is such a unique position. when afforded the position to dictate, one has to dictate with a consistent authority. i'd hate to reject a mazedude track again as he's amazing but if it doesn't cut it, it just don't cut it. very hard unless i'm completely stoned. when something is pretty good, there is nothing to say short of gushing admit it: it's much easier to rant and rave about something that has something to rant and rave about and verbosity comes natural to negative criticism. i do make a concerted effort to let up off the gas pedal sometimes as i can, inadvertently, start to rip a hole in places where one might not have wanted one. the difficulty, i believe, stems from the desire to criticize in a fashion to inspire or instigate a motion towards refinement of either the specific piece or the artist, in general. seems elementary but it actually takes a considerable amount of manipulation... in other words, not everybody reacts the same to "NO:resubmit" (i know i don't ever resubmit hehe) so sometimes (and the trick is to know instantly when) it is more viable to just trash the thing into oblivion and try to light that fire underneath the artist to return with something considerably better. sometimes something is so awful, you are left with not saying much. i try my very hardest not to judge the ones that need the most criticism because it can be quite difficult to dedicate that sort of effort when faced with a lot of voting. truth is, the easy out that i've seen other judges use in the past and that i've used, myself, is to refer the artist to the WIP forums. plenty of visitors there are more than happy to take their time to break everything down and they are usually full of great ideas. not name their pieces. not end their pieces. not actually remix the track they claim to have remixed. ======= hey nobody said this shit was easy =)

the only thing that could possibly make it at all cooler is that i totally made the pick in my sports blog! i was called a lunatic. i was mocked. i was right

about a month ago, i went to visit a friend. i had just played Jackal on the NES (i love that game more than i love you). afterwards, when i arrived at my friend's pad, we got faded and he showed me Assassin's Creed for the first time. i felt like an old. fucking. man.

Yesssssssssssssssssssssss!

brother, happy birthday!!!

absolutely =)

stiff is the best word for this. it just keeps attacking your ears and doesn't relent. for the genre, this is acceptable but i've heard much more done with these sorts of ideas than this and i know you can give us something that isn't so strictly constricted sorry NO

to borrow palp's waffle notion, i'm waffling more than belgium right now. this grooves nicely and i dig it but the track needs a little more changeups than it has now and it definitely needs a better ending. there shouldn't be such a solid movement throughout the piece and then suddenly, peace. it doesn't even make sense stylistically and i reach pretty far in terms of style... on other points, it also feels cramped at points and while it doesn't detract so much on its own, i think what Chz said was spot on; it is more or less a combination of all these things that makes it hard to pass. the piano also really does stay the same throughout the track as though on loop. it is close and it just needs a little more attention. NO resubmit

ok, hahaha i'm a bonafide recovering metalhead and this is still some intense ass shit even for me viking death metal is fucking ferocious still, this is fantastic. the production is perfect. i would have preferred meatier drums but the way they are right now is a staple of the genre. the guitar work is phenomenally good. i am not a big fan of this kind of metal only because i grew up on the likes of metallica and megadeth but this sure boasts a ton of melodic and temporal overtones for being "viking metal." the lyrics are very well sung, actually. i'm usually very critical of vocals but this is very good. i think what this will ultimately come down to is a question of genre familiarity. i can already see that some judges have commented on certain aspects of the production and vocals that irked them and led to their no's. quite the contrary, actually. i have a lot of exposure to the genre having played in death metal bands myself and i can tell you that everything you hear is actually quite indicative of the genre. the "cheesy" vocals are not that unusual for the genre and are actually quite convincing and credible giving the style. anyways, i think the bottom line is that we shouldn't shoot it down because of the genre... we encourage all styles here. it is unconventional by design. you have a winner. YES

this one is problematic because it is wonderful. i'd pass it for every reason in the book... great performance, great sound, great vision, beautiful source, everything.... except for one and unfortunately it is one of the most critical cornerstones of the guidelines. there simply isn't enough arrangement outside of being orchestrated for solo piano. that does constitute arrangement but is too similar to the original which is popular and which has been arranged in far more bold manners. just so you know, the bit around 2.14 wet my pants. NO

agreed. more kirby and more jacob. this improves so much on the original sub; you took the suggestions on changing up the dynamics and the groove and gave us something that is constantly alive, moving and changing. personally, i love the slow down around 2.20 - very nice touch... it changes up the track on you suddenly and unexpectedly but ramps back up into the full fledged chill drive we had been listening to. reminds me of something i'd expect on the XM channel, Chill. or maybe even on sim city 4. in other words, killer. the groove is still contagious as hell and the production is stellar. this is as sweet as cotton candy and i'm hooked. YES

my name is zyko and i completely and totally endorse this badass idea course of action... thing...

it's a whole new database so none of the old user accounts are valid. we all have to create new ones. this is especially necessary given the long hiatus... some people no longer go by the handles they went by a couple of years ago. this is also the reason the old music isn't up there just yet. just go ahead and re-create another user

don't misunderstand me, i just believe the real purpose of vgmix is to share music. the "bells and whistles" are very useful and will obviously round out the site's capabilities but the purpose has been restored at least.

the bells and whistles are merely the frosting on the cake...

oh yes. it's back. except it's apparently being overrun by thousands of crazed nerds right now and i can't get in for the life of me

happy new year!!

oh shit what have i done! i think i've warped the time continuum. now my birthday will no longer be relevant to the date of my birth and every day, at 4:20, i will be reborn again and what the fuck am i talking about.

haha but that's the thing, man, it is niether 4/20 nor is it my birthday but it'll sure be 4:20 later and that is a fantastic reason to celebrate!

A Million Years Later But This Brought A Tear To My Eye

bingo. there it is.

oh shit, i have this at home somewhere. when i get back, i'll dig and try to find it. you're right, that was a brilliant mix and i am sure i retained it somewhere

haha no no, don't get me wrong, there is no problem at all... least of which with you =) just curious how come nobody can seem to hear midna's theme in an arrangement that just repeats the theme over and over again. oh well

hehe, no problem although, my curiosity is now piqued; "Of Twilight and Redemption" is, in fact, centered around midna's theme exclusively... all the arrangement does is repeat the theme over and over again about a hundred times in a row =) and, if it isn't any trouble, what are you looking for when you say "nicer"... at least in terms of music? like an upbeat, sugary, music-box type of nice? or gentle, soothing, nighttime serenade sort of nice? i'm confused about what "nicer" defines