K. Rool remix (Donkey Kong Country)

[Bren]

Link: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=189668

(it's the one on top of the list. it says "k rool remix.")

This is something I've been working on for a while on and off. It's got percussive elements from Captain K. Rool (DKC2) but the source tune is mostly from the first DKC.

I know the intro kinda sucks, so please excuse that. This used to be a mix between King K. Rool and Captain K. Rool; DKC 1 and 2, respectively.

Also, please don't tell me if the song is too close to the original or not. I know what the original sounds like, and I'm not terribly worried that. I'm looking more for constructive criticism, ideas & suggestions.

Please, have a listen after I sweep a couple pounds of dust off my soundclick account. *cough* *hack*

[Nekofrog]

ARRANGEMENT / INTERPRETATION

[X] Too conservative - sticks too close to the source

PRODUCTION

[X] Drums have no energy

STRUCTURE

[X] Lacks coherence overall (no "flow")

[X] Not enough changes in sounds (eg. static texture, not dynamic enough)

[X] Too repetitive

PERSONAL COMMENTS (positive feedback, specifics on checklist criticisms, any other thoughts)

There are a lot of nifty ideas here, and it helps that you're working with some of the best 16-bit music in existence (particularly K. Rool's DKC1 theme). Just a few issues that might help you turn this into something even better:

1. The introduction part (essentially from :00 to :16) seems to me the only original idea in the whole thing -- it's what OCRemix is about -- taking pre-existing music and changing it just enough so that it evokes the same feeling as the original piece, but changing it so much that it makes it lose the integrity of the original. If that statement makes any sense.

In short, most of it seems very cover-ish.

2. Percussion is an issue. It seems like it's weighted to the right over-abundantly; try moving it to the center. Finding better samples might help too.

3. The synth strings at the beginning don't fit with the piece (the dundundundun-dun-dundundundundun-ness of the strings). The strings sound better when they're drawn out.

4. The synth brass doesn't seem to be very present in the mix. I hear it, and I know it's there, but dynamically there's just not a lot to them. They just plod around the same basic melody.

I guess what I'm asking for is more interpretation and less reliance on the source.

[CursedByFire]

I think it sounds great. I agree with Nekofrog in that the drums are a little too in the background. I definitely boost those up. All in all I have been waitin for a good K. Rool remix and this one does not disappoint. Add a few minor tweaks to it and its gold

[Diseased Project]

My connection won't let me play the song. It just says undefined and the song never starts. meh