Liontamer Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Remixer name - Theory of Nonexistence Real name - Dustin Lagaly userID - 19501 Game remixed - Super Mario Galaxy Song remixed - Battlerock Galaxy Composer - Mahito Yokota source: remix: I recently bought and beat Super Mario Galaxy and was blown away by the soundtrack...so of course I had to at least attempt a remix of my favorite track from the game. The instrumentation is definitely really weird with a really verby guitar/vibe combo for the lead most of the time and in 7/8, but I like it. Uh...I'm not really one to comment on a mix in extensive detail, so I'll let you guys listen and figure out the rest. enjoy ToN ---------------------------------------------------------------- Super Mario Galaxy Original Soundtrack Platinum Version - (111) "Battlerock" Great source tune choice. I didn't care much for the military drums in it at first (I warmed up to it), but the string work was gorgeous. Yeah, pretty verby, but the result ended up sounding lossy to me, which I don't think you wanted and I don't believe works. Wasn't a fan of the beats at :15 either; as is, they sounded lonely in attempting to fill out the track. You had effects in play, but the soundscape felt too sparse. You seemed to have some padding in use, but it's practically a non-factor. 1:38 repeated with the warbly synth supporting 1:01's section, which seemed way too soon to be repeating it. The belltone/vibe-ish sounds used from 1:55-2:27 cluttered up the soundscape; you need to re-EQ this and better separate the parts there. The bass writing from 2:25-2:40 would have been good, except that the notes being played were both quiet and indistinct, so they didn't lend movement or textural depth to the piece. The notes should sound plucked rather than gliding, and they need to resonate more to fill out the background properly. The lead at 2:54 was aight, and I don't really have many comments on the rest that don't echo previous production issues. The dynamics of the arrangement were a bit plodding. I felt like this had only 2 gears: one with beats, one with no beats. And that's OK in principle, when you're going for a deliberate pace like this. But the core beats should have used more variation rather than using basically 1 pattern (outside of that one jazzier section from 2:25-2:40). You don't have to do anything drastic with the beat patterns, just a little something different to provide more variation, e.g. the slight beat variation for the ending section at 3:26. Solid, promising base with some creative treatment of the source theme, but the end result isn't cohesive enough yet. If the other Js have other crits on the arrangement itself, you should definitely keep them in mind. But I felt the biggest flaw here was the production. Even with the arrangement left as is, this would sound leagues better with the parts properly balanced. Reiterating, you don't need to drastically alter this in order to get this passed. Don't overhaul what's it place now, Dustin, just get judicious with the details. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palpable Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 Interesting take on the source, very jumpy and restless, while keeping the melody identifiable. There were a number of individual moments I liked also, like the Metroid Prime-like whistle synth drifting in and out, and the glitchy 1:16 section. I think the arrangement concept is pretty solid, though at times the bends on the guitar sound a little silly. I'm willing to cut you some slack there, it's clearly a more whimsical piece. Production needs some touching up. The combo guitar-vibe lead takes up a lot of the track's space, leaving little room for bass and drums. Some EQ work may be required. Larry makes a good point that in the quiet 2:25 section, it's hard to hear the bass writing, even though there's not much else happening there. I think the bass and the drums need more presence, possibly a fatter snare sample or a deep snare layered with the one you have. The hi-hats could also use some high frequency boosting to cut through. These problems make the beat of this song not strong enough, especially given how focused it is on rhythm. Towards the end, you introduced some heavier drum sounds and I liked the contrast there. A lot to like here, Dustin, and this is definitely most of the way there. If you can fiddle with the mixing of the song, make things sound fuller and clearer, I could see this passing. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted October 20, 2008 Share Posted October 20, 2008 The opening sounds empty; you've got this reverb on the percussion that sort of pushes it back and gives it a dry, small room sound; not sure if it works here. Your horn synths lack definition, but that's a minor gripe. I think you're relying too much on your bell's delay effect to fill in the spaces (and I realize saying that makes me a hypocrite, but whatever). Anyway, I like the percussive breakdown in the end; it's pretty good. Overall a nice groove, but I think you need to take a look at your overall soundscape and try to fill it out. It sounds empty, yet confined, as if it's all being played in a very small room by not enough people. NO, resub Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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