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here is another track that i could have gone on for days about because i love to pick apart guitar tracks into its bare essentials but whaddya know... jesse already went and did that. i have utterly nothing to add but constructive criticism... you have to be more careful with your guitar work. its too sloppy. try working out kinks in your rhythm work before recording... in other words, learn the rhythm of your song it seems intuitive to me that you'd be aware of the rhythm of your own creation. also, there's no need to pick like you're killing the strings. i have nothing more to say that won't simply echo vig's review. the good news is that i really enjoyed it but then again, i like sloppy, rough-around-the-edges sort of things and there are a lot of good ideas that are right on the doorstep in this arrangement but just not polished enough to be accepted here sorry but you have to be a little tighter than this and if you're going to be loose by choice, bring something to the table that is stunningly innovative or catchy to counter it... i NO

this should be approved already. it has plenty of arrangement, variation and is well executed in all facets. i usually spend more space/time discussing things that are borderline and this isn't. it also is no surprise to me that the work is inclusive and encompassing in terms of the connection between title, source material and the profound effect the piece has on the listener when beholding all those things at once. predertimination is not simply a title but a part of this piece. this is nearly a no-brainer. good work YES

the groove is nice. i like the beat and it moves nice but the arrangement lacks too much in terms of quality and a working structure to post. there's nothing wrong with trying and failing and we are here to help you improve your means of making your music. your instrument choice needs to be refined, you should spend more time thinking on the product of several different combinations of instruments and understanding what it means for them to mesh together because there is a lot of clash in this track and its hardly intentional. there are the groundings of a good artist so keep at it for now, though, NO

ok i don't get it. the wolf of the opera piece that was posted a while back had the same or worse dynamic than this piece and somehow this is being voted no on because of lack of dynamic? this is a good piece. there are points of trouble, yes...some unnatural sounding piano notes... but this is an awesome piano arrangement. the arrangement itself is topnotch - there's a lot of textural gems in this one... there is a great driving presence with the distinctly rhythmic character of the piece. its constantly moving the intro walks into the first driving section very fluidly. i think we shouldn't fail to see that as a work of quality, it is one. i really don't understand why this would be considered a sub-par piano arrangement because of a few unnatural notes here and there. its not as though every piano arrangement on the site is performed live. all in all, a very good piano arrangement and a YES from me

i didn't think this track was at all bad. in fact, after the first listen, i didn't get why it had 2N rather than 2Y. the recording quality is impeccable, the performance is top-notch and inspired. the problem is the arrangement. it does get boring because the rhythm chord progression does not change for the climax as it was already put into place right at the start of the track. you want that rhythm section to drive your climax because the fact that you're playing it more intensely (in such a loud mix) doesn't do a thing - it will almost seem as though the track had one dynamic throughout. in its defense, there is good layering and composition with the guitar lines. i can count at least 3 or 4 instances of guitar at times and it creates a nice, rich acoustic soundscape but i really wish you had gone somewhere else with this arrangement because it is all that keeps it back. this is something that needs to be shared, however, and i urge you to do so sorry, NO

you must be hot shit

i understand an artist's desire for his work's integrity... i can never allow myself to go back and change older work drastically in terms of arrangement, instrumentation or plan concept. so i respect your decision not to re-sub again if this is rejected. however, i do not think this track works for me as it is right now. there is little going on in this track. its been mentioned before about the length - it doesn't bode well for a song that the listener's attention wanes a bit... i found myself distracted by other things several times and not in a good, zoning way... for an emotionally charged track, this comes across too detached. far more than i'm willing to ignore and pretend isn't an issue - a couple have already mentioned a few things about the general lack of dynamic. i'm not so concerned about the sound quality. the violin did bug but you already mentioned that the tone is part of the vision so there's no point criticizing it. i'm sorry man but this just doesn't do enough to offset its bland demeanor. have to give it a NO

awesome rain. awesome reverb. very dreamy - i wish i could get my hands on some clean rain samples this is boring. it doesnt do ANYTHING. i like its vibe but if that instrument is supposed to be a guitar then i'm mickey mouse NO

i'd rather write a long review as to why i think this is good DnB the intro is ridiculous after the 2nd or 3rd listen but it is at least of good quality. very reminiscent of pendulum in that edgy, smack you in the face manner but more could have been done with the reese (or however you spell it) all in all, its solid but i'm afraid the reason that i'd RATHER write a long review than a short one is because inevitably, i have to get to the point that this does not pass because it is not an arrangement of a previously existing medium. its possible that whether or not a track is the derivative doesn't matter ... but i think it should. i don't agree with darke on this one. i honestly think if black sabbath came to submit paranoid, we wouldn't just accept it for inspiring the music in rock n roll racing. if your rebuttal addresses comparison of media, then allow me to remind you that whether or not the piece is released on a CD, in a movie, in a game, or not at all... it is equally copyrighted under all scenarios. in which case, it is, in fact, the same thing and not admissable sorry, rundll you guys rock but NO

i'm going to agree with DC on this one. the track is very boring and although i like the theme, i don't think you were going anywhere with this arrangement. i'm assuming you were trying to present this in a nostalgic old school sound but it just doesn't sound like an NSF. sorry, NO

whats up folks. this is from crackdown on the sega genesis... a pretty old school game with awesomely addictive gameplay and a badass soundtrack. very underrated, forgotten game. this piece is a different version of The Man who broke his Smile at vgmix. whereas the former is a centric arrangement (A, B, C, B, A) this is a further interpretation of just section C of the original arrangement. the original clocks in at a whopping 12 minutes but i felt section C got lost in the midst of the original mix rather than stand as the climax as i had intended it as... and so i bring you the climax of The Man who broke his Smile at 4:20 AM. enjoy

i didn't get to vote on this one but i think this is a very solid work - BAM! i was blown away by the groove and the mood of this track. the leads are soft and subdued but come in an out of the mix smoothly and soothingly. this is such chillin music even when it picks up it is hardly abrasive excellent work on this one. definetly check it out.

i think this genre-based rating is getting ridiculous. lets just judge whether its good music or not and leave it at that

i had huge problems with this when i first heard it back on vgmix. my main gripe is the complete lack of touch - this is a mechanical mix of source material that NEEDS and BEGS for a very dynamic, human performance... the original didn't have it and the arrangement should. unfortunately i got bored listening to this and its likely to bore others as well. you need to work around having such a mechanical sound unless it was actually intentional in which case, you did not make that obvious... and so it smacks of a simple lack of dynamic bold attempt, just a bit short NO

ugh. we need to make some sort of super popup banner that popup blockers cannot block and that stays on top whenever you come to the site and exclaims in big flashing red lights: NO COVER please, save us the pain of saying no to awesome music NO

this one is tricky for me but i'm gonna use elements of the review i already wrote for this a couple weeks ago to work around it. first off, i'm a little upset about some of the mood in this - the intro and outtro smack of cartridge music. the fanfare in the beginning is standard kondo and the ending left me scratching my head in between a yawn. it just sort of sputters especially with the buildup i was expecting. the middle section which features the actual racing so to speak... is where the problem with judging this comes for me. its lined by an extremely addictive groove (albeit weakly eq-ed drums) and a funky bassline that is topped by at, varying points, a sharp console synth, a well performed but boring guitar lead and then mustin's sax. i just didn't like the guitar parts at all and i have a lot of respect for william as a guitar player but there was something lacking in this performance - i've heard him play better with a hand tied to the side of his head. mustin on the other hand did well with the sax and all in all, i did think the mix's middle section worked well as a whole and there was no individual part that i could point my finger at and say "there. there's where you screwed up" but i did walk away from this a bit bored after the second listen now that isn't to say that it isn't quality and therein lies the problem with voting it a NO. i initially wanted to because this just lacks life in too many places to just YES it but how many quality, performed mario kart mixes do you hear? the orchestral sections may be boring to me but they are very well arranged and these guys bust out a middle section that relies on their performing abilities as musicians and is an impressive display of it. still a YES

so here's the deal. i love this song. i'm not particularly impressed more by those meticulous shredfests of top tier yngwie-clones and moreso by raw, funky, grunkly playing. in that regard, this track is everything i want from a guitar driven track - reminds me a lot of deodato and most late 70's funk rock. i don't have as much problem with the misplayed chords or the errant notes throughout as did vigilante - the playing has a lot more character than most guitar mixes i get to hear. the solo around the 2 min mark is a very good lead. i love the style and think you nailed it. also liontamer mentioned the tone. the tone's fine - in fact, it is precisely what it ought to be... its fairly easy to mimic the seventies in terms of guitar tone since we have advanced so much in processing guitar sound that the old methods are second nature to experienced guitarists ... so it isn' as if his accomplishment with the tone is one of great achievement but it is so spot-on, its ridiculous the only other track i can think of right now that equally nails the era as this does is virt's sky high track but then again, virt can write authentic bali shaman/monk music if he wanted to. honestly, i'm not bothered by the pseudo-bassline - i just think you should have a real bass line going underneath that even because i think the clean tone guitar part that is tryin to serve as the bass is a good part and is well phrased but is not filling out the soundfield. the arrangement doesn't bother me with one exception. i think all things considered, its structured in fairly standard fanfare except that ending needs some attention... when you come out of the solo, you really ought to consider changing yuor approach of the main theme. solo's rockin and then we get into the same bland main portion before you fade it out. there are two different types of fadeouts - fades that just end a track that otherwise won't end... and fades that carry the burden of intent, purpose and design. this is definetly not the latter it just falls slowly to the ground into a crumpled pile of ash and that is hugely disappointing. in fact, the track's immense failure coming out of the solo absolutely kills this track's viability. and that sucks because you're an awesome guitarist and this is an awesome track. refine. resubmit. please. but as it is, this is a NO

in that respect i cannot disagree with you. my initial vote was a NO based solely on what i felt was an arrangement compromise. but this does, in the end, sound very nice and it does entertain and the quality is something difficult to scoff at. i think this vote should go past 5 because it seems like it will be a tight one and maybe that's what we need to really know if this should pass. all in all, its solid but the lack of a climax (and apparently that anti-climax that i somehow overlooked but now recognize) is a definite issue.

eh at first listen, this seemed overrated. i didn't think that the arrangement worked as well as it was intended to as there were segments that were simply too mechanical and reached across as stalely as would a Genmidi on steroids. those flutes get very loud and though i love the abrasive tone, too much of it all over a long repeated time at only one volume setting is too brutal. most of the guitar was just ridiculous. the part went to completely gratuitous places during various stretches. dont do that the good, though - this is an ambitious arrangement. the note schemes and a lot of your phrasing both on the "acoustic guitar" and the flute lead are amazing. this whole piece reminds me a lot of Al DiMeola's World Sinfonia album which pretty much sounds like this throughout. but perhaps the biggest player here and ultimately the defining element of the piece for me was its mood - it was dead on what i wanted to hear. it did struggle at times with relating the cold calculatted transylvanic, euro aspect of the mix with the much different middle eastern stretches as they were so distinctly ... different. but i suppose that may have been their function, in which case, bravo. but i did feel a bit quartered by it. makes me think i'm in the crusades. all in all. excellent piece. if simply for its mood, which it so perfectly grasped and yanked me out of my chair and to the middle of a dire struggle between two very opposite entities. you YES you

i'm gonna disagree with vig on this one. the first couple minutes are great, i was really impressed by the way you put all your parts together - both in terms of orchestration and in terms of structure. this sounds very powerful, indeed and the synths are thick but there just seems to be one dynamic throughout the entire track and i'm afraid that the lack of a climax really does detract a bit from the piece but is generic even for an electronic work and still is functional and impressive. however, i don't think the track can lose credibility as a viable arrangement based solely on its faithfulness to its style/genre YES

this sounds like a casio keyboard or something. i just don't like how everything is right in the middle of the soundfield all the time. the piano parts are boring and dynamicless. when the drums start up, i like the beat but the sound quality is so wrecked that there is little to be excited about. the strings or whatever pads you got goin for ambience are not full enough to be used. there are some great arrangement ideas in this one but ultimately, they are not helped by the overall quality of this track making this experience sound very amateurish even if you aren't one. in any case, sorry but production and presentation is so lacking that this is a NO

hmm i love the arrangement and performance of the clean acoustic sections, ryan, very impressive. i like how you placed them sonically although they are missing much needed reverb on at least one channel or the lead... just to give it a tad more life.however, whatever you did with the production on your distorted sections is mindboggling considering how well i know what you are capable of doing with guitar mixes. they are abrasive, too loud and too shrill. the tone on the distorted guitar is just ack. the problem is most sharply defines is that the drums behind it are so uninspired and weak. that sounds like ken ardency drums and not very conducive to the bright element of steel you have in front of it. i just wish wish wish you had balanced it out a lot more and made the heavy sections more bearable to listen to - no problem listening through em because the playing is passionate but tone it down a bit everything else is straightforward in the soundfield. the arrangement screams metallica instrumental... somewhere in between orion and to live is to die... and a lot of spaghetti western. i think there isn't nearly enough to discredit this mix. its a very emotional and inspired performance and although this needs some refinement i enjoyed it for its raw edge and power... often overlooked when giving a YES

don't know where to start with this one. i agree that this is going to need a lot more to YES it because it isn't by any means an easy arrangement to qualify. let me echo gray, zircon and israfel concerning the avant garde - i am highly compatible with this sort of art and on first listen, i was amazed by the drum writing and the tricked out rhythms throughout the track. the filtering on the break beats and the panning on the drums is stellar. it was surprising how much of the offwall, erratic nature of the track was present in the original but what impresses me most is how this still takes it so much further and does not get overwhelmed by the original's loopyness in being fresh, courageous and impressive. the panning is entertaining as shit. i love pieces that consistently test your ears and keeps you interested in the full soundfield all the time. as far as it's arrangement, i don't think "You could cut up this mix into 8 different parts and rearrange them and essentially no one would notice". in the end, we can only qualify what we consider to be the structure especially when confronted by a piece like this does not appear to be structured. having said that, my most defined criticism of this piece is, and ultimately what will factor in my decision, are of the synths; they just don't sound good. though there is a great spectrum of tones in the mix, there is a certain abrasive nature to them that makes it hard to listen to eh. its an awesome work and not everybody is going to like it. perhaps too experimental but i won't take a YES away because its unlikely that a lot of the site's visitors will like it.

its the acoustic guitar that brings this down - i may not like the lead but that is a stylistic issue rather than a practically critical one but really. that guitar. like vigilante, i am tortured. two things work for me in this arrangement - it features some pretty impressive percussion... i have to say, bev, way to go on studying your drums all in all the groove is nice (this has a lot to do with the bassline, as well as it helps drive the track forward). the other thing that works for me are the spacey phaser sounds that go in an out of channels... very nice. the piano work is also excellent. i want to hear you do more piano work in future works because that solo was pretty awesome, i loved it. as for what does not work. like vigilante said, no tension. the track remains relatively the same dynamic throughout and i think that's the only place this is lacking. i wouldn't put too much emphasis on the guitar because i've heard much worse in terms of realism through the community so i don't think its anything to knock this on... but the lack of dynamic is. i mean, the track has this potential to move forward but instead it just "jogs" and this ought to at least "run" it's funky, weird and bold but just not energetic enough. i don't feel comfortable giving it a yes even though i do enjoy parts of it but it lacks some dynamic and i think you can do a lot better, bev. NO

This mix fits in nicely with the theme of the past few months of discussion of the guidelines as it is wonderfully produced but grossly uncreative. i understand that there are a lot of people who's ideology is that if its good music, its good music (i believe this to a large extent) but post it somewhere else, then (to sort of paraphrase what larry was saying). the scene is not defined only by our standards here... this is good work and deserves a lot of praise but this does not belong here. this is a very conservative track and although it sounds wonderful and i love listening to it, it just doesn't deviate anywhere and does not introduce anything new outside of, as prot eloquently puts it, boomtish. sorry, cyborg. good stuff but boomtish an OCR track does not make. boomNO