Palpable Posted October 5, 2009 Share Posted October 5, 2009 Been waaay too long since I submitted something. remixer name: jmr real name: Jeffrey Roberts email: jeffreymr (at) gmail (dot) com forum userid: 733 remix title: Meteorites and Rabbits game: Super Mario Galaxy song: Stardust Road (track 10 on the game OST) source link (youtube): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBZNLSaD0D0 Didn't plan on submitting this one, but after re-listening to and tweaking the PRC version, I felt it was strong enough piece for me to at least attempt submitting it. I wouldn't be surprised if the arrangement is a sticking point. I'll admit it's fairly conservative at times, but the majority of the backing parts (especially in the latter half) are original. Either way, I hope you all enjoy it. -Jeff ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Not an easy call on the arrangement or production side, IMO. It's similar in mood to the original and the main melody gets used over and over, but there are some cool background parts that add a lot. Sometimes the leads sound unrealistic, but most of the time, it clicks. I'd like some more opinions from you, gentle judges, before making a call. EDIT (10/30): After reading the votes below and relistening, I think I feel confident in a YES vote. The strings are the weak factor here, but they only bothered me when they weren't backed up by the other instruments, which was only a couple short sections. Some care has been put into their articulation, but vibrato would have really sold it. More differences from the original would have made this an easier call, but this was a really nice piece to listen to and I think it's a pass! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 This is a tough call, as it is super similar to the original. Production-wise, the solo violin melody sequencing was especially rough, and the ensemble was better but not flawless. The synth sounded fine, and the backing parts were solid, but the melodic aspects need a little more finesse. As for the arrangement- the melody is really really close, there is a lot of unique backing stuff near the end, but with the main melody really solidly planted in the forefront, and super repeating, it might not be enough for all the judges. There were a few new ensemble bits that were pretty cool, and the call and response stuff was an exceptionally nice touch, and for me personally, it's scraping the bar on arrangement, but clearing it. There is no danger of this being too liberal in most cases, so Maybe play with the melody a bit. It's already a soaring and lyrical passage, so you could really alter it slightly in some places and it'd fit right in, and maybe even take us on a new journey across the cosmos. ^____________^ I could easily see this one go either way. I think the arrangement is passable as is, but it took around 10 listens to start to take in the subtleties. The sequencing though, especially the solo violin is way too raw, and needs to be smoothed out. I wish you luck with the other judges! no, please resub Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big giant circles Posted October 25, 2009 Share Posted October 25, 2009 I dunno, maybe I'm wrong here, but I don't mind the closeness to the melody. The vibe definitely does seem similar, but to me it sounds like there's plenty of expansion in just the instrumentation. I love the mood here; I can't quite decide if I'm floating in space or underwater. Lots of shimmering textures and sweeps to go around. Enough for the whole family! Eh. Not sure why I said that. Anyway. I do have some gripes though. First of all, this song took a shower in reverb, then promptly hopped out and jumped in the tub and soaked for a while before diving into the swimming pool then getting out and rolling around in a puddle of it. I suppose I don't mind it *too* badly, considering the mental imagery this song provokes anyway, but it definitely wouldn't have been bad to tone it down a notch. The other thing is that when you mix high frequencies with reverb, they can tend to become a little shrill, and that happens in a few spots. While again, it's not unbearable, it would have been better if I didn't notice. The string ensemble is beautiful, and that makes me wonder why the solo violin is so mechanical. It's absolutely SCREAMING for some nice modwheel/vibrato attention. Sounds like the "Fiddle De Dee" setting in Kore 2, and in case that's what it happens to actually be, I'm going to kick you in the balls for not using the vibrato. Secondary to that complaint is the portamento/theramin/50's sci fi synth. That thing actually has a little too MUCH vibrato going on in my personal opinion. If it looks like this is going to get passed, I'd love to hit Jeff up to see if he can fix that, because it's by and large my biggest gripe. Other than that, despite my complaints, this is all in all really a very very pretty and mostly very well done track. I think the arrangement is ace. There's just a few things on the execution end that could have been done a little better, but nothing that I can see that's worth rejecting this for. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Good to see you submitting, JMR. Jill and I love the SMG soundtrack and it really holds a special place in our hearts, as corny as that sounds. This is a really nice arrangement here, with impressive sample usage and a relaxing atmosphere. 2:24 struck me as a little too quiet - can you boost that section more, possibly by adding just a little bit more master-track compression/brickwall limiting? As long as it doesn't cause the other sections to sound bad, I think it will help the overall balance. I also agree with Jimmy that the theremin-type synth has too much vibrato, but only because it is playing polyphonically at the end, and polyphonic vibrato usually doesn't sound good. If you toned it down at least in the ending section, that would be enough. Great job on this one. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anosou Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I don't agree with zircon that this has impressive sample usage, thought the lead violin sounded kind of fake. However that wasn't a huge issue. Production overall is good. There's a bit too much reverb, especially apparent since most instruments are in the frequencies. Like I said though, overall it's good. Arrangement is close to the source in mood and the melody is kept mostly intact. However there are additions both in the backing and a section or two that sounds like original additions as far as I can tell. While I would've appreciate some more interpretive source usage, the arrangement's still solid. I especially appreciate how dynamic it is. It might not be an easy pass but it's a pass for me. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Super Mario Galaxy Original Sound Track - (110) "Stardust Road" I'll tack on something, since I've been out of judging for the last 3 months. I had the opportunity to listen to this in the Austin airport on the way back from a business trip, and this was a nice transporting arrangement. I definitely understand Jeff's hesitation on the arrangement being conservative, but I think the overall mood was different enough and the new backing parts added another original level to this. I thought the high-pitched alien-style synth brought in at 2:31 should have been pulled back around 2:46. It became too loud and distracting, especially when the lead doubled the sound at 3:00. Too bad we can't get that tweaked, but otherwise, this was a fairly sophisticated take. I saw Jeff get excited on Twitter when he saw this passed the panel, and a lot of times, that's what it's all about, seeing artists strive to reach a difficult goal and being able to know they've come a long way. Keep it up, bro. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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