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*NO* Streets of Rage 'Four Years Since...' *RESUB*


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Original Decision: http://www.ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=18725

ReMixer name: Fallen Seraph

Real name: Wina A. Kamlongera

Userid: 21396

Name of game ReMixed: Streets of Rage

Name of individual song ReMixed: The Streets of Rage

Comments: I believe the Streets of Rage intro has held itself in my mind since I first heard it. If anybody mentions SoR to me, that's the track my mind immediately brings up. Therefore, I wanted the first mix I submitted to OCR to have a special significance to me...and I think this does beat having another 'Sonic the Hedgehog'/'Final Fantasy'/'Chrono Trigger' first-timer track submitted.

As I started the mix, I knew I wanted to do something a little 'gentle' and almost reminiscent in feel. So as the track fleshed itself out, the whole idea of getting an overview of the city four years after the first game came about (hence, 'Four Years Since...'). I started by expanding the two chords from the source into eight and ran with it from there. I really don't believe I have done much different to it than add a little more meat to the source material - the original track always felt it would be an actual RnB sort of track if mega drive music had that fancy glossy finish that games nowadays enjoy (some may disagree with me there...but I guess that's why we enjoy the benefit of hearing so many varied remixes).

The police sirens at the beginning are of course meant to represent the coprruption of the city, the trio (though they were ex-cops...hm...) or even cops patrolling the city if you like; and the waves at the end represent the final scene of the good ending, which I believe involves a shot of the beach, if memory serves. The helicopter effect was added for multiple reasons but mainly to add to the sense of the track being an overview/scan of the city...or now I think about it, it was to create the feeling of a helicopter flying overhead as the listener/player walked through the city after so long...cliché, I know.

Anyway, enough ranting, I hope y'all enjoy.

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http://project2612.org/download.php?id=53 - "The Street of Rage"

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  • 3 weeks later...

The intro took awhile to get going, but it really had a nostalgic feeling to it, and it's incredibly rare, but I think the SFX actually added a lot to the mix, instead of being distracting. Well played. :-)

Production-wise, When the melody synth/panflute thing came in, it sounded a little weak, but everything else was good to go. Doubling it with piano was the right choice.

This is a very expansive take on the original, even though you didn't focus on the melody as much as the rhythm and structure, the track is still close enough to the original in my opinion. The lack of the super prevalent lead, even after a resubmission, makes this a tougher decision than it really needs to be, but I can recognize enough source here to give it the nod. Other judges may disagree, as it's easier to latch onto main melodies, and you've really pushed the chords into new territory.

Good luck with the rest of the votes. :-)

yes

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Oh Sadeness drumloop, even Yuzo Koshiro is not immune to your charms! (There's even an OCReMix that uses that loop, to great effect.)

The rhodes was a good choice to connect to the source, and I felt that connection even when the melody dropped out or got liberal. In all, I enjoyed the calm, reflective take on the source, and though I never heard the last version, I don't think the criticisms in our last vote really apply to this, so you probably fixed most of that up. You get a big ol' YES as well as a hope that you submit again!

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I'm not sure I agree with these strong YES votes. This is a really simplistic, repetitive mix with basic percussion, reliance on drum loops (even if they're custom), and fairly thin sounds overall. The production level sounds like 2002-2003 OCR and not at all what we've been accepting lately. The arrangement is interpretive, but it actually loses energy from the original and IMO makes it less interesting in terms of the bass and rhythms (all straight rhythms, no swing.)

This is solid, but below our bar.

NO

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Dang, I'm gonna side with Andy on this one. It IS a solid arrangement, but it does need some work. I really do love the interpretation of the mix overall--it's really beautiful and has a very emotive quality to it that I enjoyed immensely. The arrangement is expansive and well thought out, IMO. I personally don't mind the simplicity in general, but the one terminal flaw this mix bears in my opinion is the drumwork. It just doesn't seem to fit at all sometime, and it is a little on the repetitive side. Seems like they should be softer for one, and slightly more processed, with less \_/ and more --- (those are EQ settings, btw). It's not my place to tell you how to write your song, really, but IMO, a song like this would really benefit from some subtle delay and ambient reverby hits in the drums. I'm just saying :)

In short, you have a really beautiful, somber piece that's kind of paired up with some rather spartan hip hop drumwork, and they don't quite fit naturally together.

I honestly don't think this should need much more to get over the line. Please resubmit it. In the interest of it not taking forever, please PM me, or OA or Palpable or something, and we'll be sure to fast-track it back to the panel, because I think you're really close.

RESUB

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I don't have a problem with drum loops at all, as long as it's not the only selling point. Unfortunately here, aside from the percussion, the parts are really simple and sparse. The chords are largely whole notes, and sometimes the strings just double the melody. The strings in particular aren't used very well...they sometimes play parts that are too fast to sound natural, so they end up sticking out.

Arrangement-wise, there's not a lot of variation throughout. Sparse and somehwhat repetitive.

NO

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Cool concept for the mix, but the execution leaves something to be desired. The arrangement is a bit simple and repetitive, and while the sound effects work pretty well to keep things interesting, the writing could stand to be more varied. The drums are pretty loud, and that in combination with the simple writing makes them stand out in a not so good way. The panflute sound also isn't that great, but everything else is alright.

Good stuff so far. The simplicity is a nice approach, but it ends up being a problem because it makes the flaws that much more obvious. I think this could be really good with a little more work put into it.

NO (resubmit)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm gonna have to side with the nay-sayers. The track is simplistic and slightly repetitive. The drums certainly doesn't help remedy this. While the new mood is really cool it feels like it's on auto-pilot. The whole-note chords, the lack of some of the original's finer examples of music, the strings and the pan-flute all contributed to a rather dull feeling. The overall production is okay in my opinion but the sounds themselves are bland. If you couple this with the sparse arrangement I just don't feel comfortable giving this one the pass.

It is my firm belief that most of these things are quite easily fixable and that you'll be able to pass the resub so I wish you the best of luck with that. I hope to see it on the panel soon!

NO(resubmit)

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