Liontamer Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 Contact Information * Remixer: Platonist * Name: Jonas Loman * Email: kaylynx@gmail.com * websites: http://platonistmusic.com http://platonistmusic.com/reunion (soon to be http://www.reuniverse.org) * forum ID: 16574 Submission Information * mix title: Ghost Grove ReMix * game: Zelda III a link to the past * source: Dark Mountain * info: SNES, Koji Kondo * comments: Well Here it is, the second track in my Zelda-Forest theme Series - yes the source is called "Dark Mountain", but it also appears in the Dark World Lost Woods so I'm gonna stick to my theme-thing the mix is made with Impulse Tracker, well, actually it's its windows clone Schism Tracker, and since I used some of the special features of it in this particular remix, like the filter envelopes (not available in original IT) i would like to state this clearly this time.... I've been working on this track since the summer of 08 and i finally got access to a real studio and its wonderful monitors so i think this mix will sound even better than my usual new stuff. i used Wave Lab for post processing/mastering and encoded it to mp3 with Lame. it holds the Zelda 1 Dungeon theme reference just like Forest of Hysteria, and i still don't think one set of note intervals is enough to call it a Zelda 1 remix... since the chordline isn't in there at all... it's just what i plan to do with all my Zelda forest theme remixes.. i like to do stuff like this, don't ask me why the original material here consists of around-in-the-atmosphere arrangements and one wicked chip tune ish melody at the end. i didn't use the accentual string-thing as a melody, however, i implemented the rhythms of it within the hi hats and swapped their place to add some original feel.. I tried to keep the track shorter and less repetitive BUT since I love to <-expand-> I just had to go the expansionist route once again, dividing the two parts into two longer parts, just like I did with "Forest of Hysteria" and "Diamond Worlds", and I'm gonna have to tell you (*grins*) that if you didn't like the previous Zelda remix due to its noisy appearance and feel, you shouldn't dis this mix, because it's not of the same character.. not even close.. this is because I don't like to stick to one and the same theme or sound through out all my tracks/mixes/songs/w/e... =) well here it is: (do remove if noed) thanx -- - Jonas / Platonist http://platonistmusic.com/reunion legally distributed free music, probably electronic ------------------------------------------------------------ http://snesmusic.org/v2/download.php?spcNow=loz3 - "Dark Mountain" (loz3-13.spc) This was put together with a tracker, so this mostly sounds like a chiptune, but sections like 1:51 remind you that it's more than that. 2:36 would have been a perfect part to offer some new ideas with the melodic arrangement, but 3:05 at least provided something fresh with the supporting writing. I also thought the sound balance should have been tweaked, because the melody was quieter than the supporting writing, and just sounded off as a result. Loved the last section at 3:42 that closed with the fadeout. Would have loved to have heard that anywhere in the middle, since that was just too hot an idea to only drop that at the end. Otherwise, I'm pretty cool with the arrangement. Could have been a little more exciting melodically, and the melody getting somewhat obscured was a negative, but this was still put together well. Good work, Jonas; looking forward to the next one. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anosou Posted May 11, 2009 Share Posted May 11, 2009 I've always been a fan of Mr. Loman's stuff and this certainly doesn't disappoint. The sound quality is good and has some interesting twists when it comes to instrument choices. The deeper more sophisticated synth at 1:37 was a welcome element that kept me from thinking it was a bit too flat. I, like Larry, thought the leads and melodic elements were a bit too buried though but that's no dealbreaker. Arrangement, while minimal in it's approach, works well and you have some good takes on the source. Some small details sprinkled throughout makes it a bit more varied which is always good. Overall, the whole package works. Sonically it was a step back from the jetman remix but the arrangement was a bit more daring. I can dig it. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vig Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I could do without the string synth in the back. It takes up space but doesn't add anything. get rid of it and reduce mud in the mix. Hmmm...sounds like that's going to be my main complaint with this thing in general: too much going on that isn't well-enough separated. some of those busy synths sound too similar and are placed too close in the stereo field, it just gets really messy. I don't think those strings/pad synths add anything at all the whole tune through, so i'd get rid of it. great tune, but work on clearing out some space. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palpable Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Can always count on Platonist for some solid tracker stuff. I agree with Mattias that though the production isn't as daring as previous mixes, the arrangement tries some new tricks, most of which work. Loved the new section at 2:36, and from there till the end of the song, it was golden, going through some excellent synth acrobatics. The first half was a little repetitive in how it handled the source, but lots of small details to liven it, which is Jonas' usual M.O. I wouldn't have minded more of a dynamic curve to this, culminating in the 2:36 section, but I'll let Jonas try that next time. This one is a YES. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I feel that a lot of the beginning rhythms don't line up well- it feels in a few spots to me that it's 2 songs playing, most notably the arpeggio and the drums.. After that, it gets a bit too busy; it seems like new, yet indistinct parts keep getting added, not really adding anything to the track itself, but just makes things more and more fuzzy. Maybe some stronger panning would help define the section better, but as is, it's not working. Once it clears out around 1:36, it's much better, and from there on out i'm totally cool with it. Great ideas, and the fade out actually works very well when combined with the filter effect. Overall, I think things got too messy early on for me to feel right about giving this one the go-ahead. I think either altering that off-sounding arpeggio, or removing it, and then cleaning out the early section, either by taking out some parts, changing the synths used to be more distinct, or using hard panning to push things around would have me feeling this one more. Sorry dude. no, please resub Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 This vaguely reminds me of Infected Mushroom - mainly the drum and bass sequencing. I'm a sucker for heavily-layered stuff, and once a lot of instruments were going at once, I thought the full texture and rhythmic syncopation were just awesome. My only production complaints are that the plain chip sounds are a little dry and dull; a bit of stereo effect via reverb/delay or automated panning would have helped, as well as brightened EQ. The melody was also sometimes overpowered by the harmony parts, such as the center pulse arpeggio. If I had to give you just one piece of advice, though, I'd say go for a slightly brighter sound and don't be afraid to use a bit of reverb/delay! The arrangement here is really great. It drives home the main melody with lots of original writing and some excellent variations. The source tune was a little boring (and more than a little Star Wars-influenced) and I think Platonist's interpretation was much more interesting. Jonas, you're getting better and better with each sub. Keep it up! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big giant circles Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 Jesse and Andrew, you guys realize he did this in Impulse Tracker right? He's not using Logic or Cubase here Taking that into account, I remember I once DL'd IT and tried to mess around with it. I may as well have been trying to write a poem in Chinese for as productive as that endeavor ended up being. This is a very nostalgic sounding piece for me, almost like taking a SNES piece and making it more of an NES piece. Though, that's not entirely accurate, because it's got some cool, more modern electronic treatment. Like the part at 1:50 or so. I'd say my only smirk-inducing gripe would be the drums. Trackers are generally known for creating some of the most awesome/spastic drum grooves I've ever heard, but I thought these were a little boring, truth be told. That being said, they weren't *bad*, just dull. It's not a strong vote, but I'll call a YES just the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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