*NO* Rolling Thunder 'The Geldra Mix'

[Liontamer]

Source tunes? - LT

Hi Overclock remix,

I'm submitting my Rolling Thunder The Geldra Remix to your site. The music from Rolling Thunder was one of my favourite arcade games and I had to have a go at remixing a version of it. This version had been submitted to the C64 kwed.remix site but they thought as it was an arcade based remix, I should sent this track to you. I hope you like it and that it is worthy of this excellent site. I have some other C64 based remixes at http://kwed.remix.org under the name of Martin Dodd. Check out my Powerdrift remix on that site if you have time!

Thanks,

Martin Dodd.

[CHz]

http://www.zophar.net/nsf/rollthnd.zip - Tracks 5 & 2

http://www.lemon64.com/music/sid/GAMES/M-R/Rolling_Thunder.sid - Track 1

As far as I can tell, the source usage is as follows:

• 0:00-0:25 - NSF Track 5 / SID Track 1 (0:00-0:07) - orchestral fleshing out of the source
  
• 0:25-0:53 - NSF Track 2 / SID Track 1 (0:07-0:17) - very liberal simplification of bassline from source in piano
  
• 0:53-1:06 - NSF Track 2 / SID Track 1 (0:07-0:17) - same piano line, strummed guitar following same chord progression
  
• 1:08-1:32 - NSF Track 2 / SID Track 1 (0:07-0:17) - same piano line, plucked guitar playing more direct cover of the NES bassline (doubled notes from SID version)
  
• 1:32-1:58 - NSF Track 2 / SID Track 1 (0:07-0:17) - same piano and plucked guitar with the same strummed guitar from before
  
• 1:58-2:23 - NSF Track 2 / SID Track 1 (0:07-0:17) - bass covering the same bassline from source (more obviously from the SID version) with the same strummed guitar from before, occasional rising piano figure following same chord progression
  
• 2:23-2:46 - NSF Track 2 / SID Track 1 (0:07-0:17) - everything from the last section with the plucked guitar making a return
  

I went to this level of detail and repetition to emphasize that, not counting the intro, the entire arrangement substance of this remix is based solely on two arpeggiated chords from the bassline of the source. The mix doesn't touch on the main melody at all, and, aside from the first twenty-five seconds, sounds so far removed from the original by focusing on this wussy little pattern instead of anything distinctive that I'm really hesitant to say it feels anything more than merely inspired by the original. You got a lot of mileage out of the material (albeit with some heavy repetition of parts), but I can't say yes to this one on an arrangement level at all without more work in tying the mix in with the original.

NO

[Liontamer]

Gonna point out the minor stuff first. The brass sample in the intro sounded ultra cheap/fake, but was handled in a decent way as to not completely expose the sample. The ending at 2:46 was too abrupt, but that wasn't much of a negative. The use of the laughing SFX (which is sampled from the game) seemed a little out of place and could have had some more effects on it to make it fit better in the soundfield, but it was still a good concept. The dynamics of the arrangement were solid, the textures weren't overly complicated but were still excellent.

With that said, after getting CHz's breakdown, I'm definitely on the same page as him. If you're listening via the NotSo Fatso plug-in (and you need to be in order to easily make the connections), just pull up the "Channels" tab on the window that pops up and disable every channel you see. That leaves you with the N106 expansion channels playing. You can also disable channel 5 in the "N106" tab to further isolate what's providing the base of this arrangement.

I also made the connection to the main theme CHz covered, but saw how 1) it was hugely simplified here, and 2) the progression here is too different from the source tune's bassline. At that point you've simply changed the chosen progression around too much, to the point where its too liberal an interpretation. If you had held fast to the same structure of the source tune, and the rest of the arrangement and performance style were the same, I'd pass this easily. As is though, NO. You shouldn't be discouraged from submitting something here in the future, Martin. You definitely sound like you know how to put together a good track. This here is only an issue of how your interpretation sounds too far off from the Rolling Thunder bassline.

[Palpable]

This one sort of reminds me of the Star Fox - Barrel Roll vote. The connection to the original is all in a short passage, and it's never played exactly straight. Like that song, there's some parts where only the chords tie it. Your song, while good, just doesn't feel enough like it's an arrangement of the original, and that's an immediate killer for me. Also notable but not as important: I didn't think the intro connected in any respect to the rest of the song - not in instruments, mood, or key - and probably should have been omitted. The laughing at the very end was out-of-place too, and it worked better woven into the song.

Production was pretty good, but had room for improvement. Sometimes the sounds fought for space, especially the rhythm guitar and bass. The toms introduced at 1:35 didn't sit well in the mix either, perhaps unsuitable for the mix or occupying too much of the same space as the other instruments. I also thought the song needed more steadiness before the climax - no element served as an anchor until 1:58 when the drums came in. I'd consider emphasizing the attack of the ride cymbals more or using more staccato hats. Just some tips to help you hone your already fine producing skills.

NO