Liontamer Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 Remixer Name: Frumpiemonkey Real Name: Brett Merrill Contact: brett.a.merrill@gmail.com Game Used: The Legend of Zelda (NES 1986) - Music by Koji Kondo Track Used: Overworld Theme - Koji Kondo About My Remix: "Skies Over Kingdoms" is what I've always wanted to hear with the Zelda Overworld Theme. I always have had this vision of link flying over the kingdom on a giant eagle and I wanted to embody that in my debut arrangement. I purposely avoided using much bass and instead focused on the higher instruments and harmonies. I've heard most of the remixes for The Legend of Zelda on O.C. Remixes and I decided to take a somewhat risky and approach. In order to make the track "fly" I avoided too much of the traditional snare drum, used arpeggiation liberally (I normally don't arpeggiate at all) and I tried my best not to pretend I am John Williams. Originally I arranged this piece last minute as the "winner's walk" for one of the preliminary Miss America Pageants this month. I haven't touched what I did originally except to master the track, giving it that extra "umphf!!!" I desired. I made another risky decision by sticking close to the source material instead of wandering off to compose original solo themes to compliment the old one. While I have made a couple new complimentary themes I have made them minimalistic in nature. The remix itself may sound somewhat "big" (it is the Zelda Theme) but I approached it from minimalism to keep consistency.I also kept the track short so that it didn't get boring. I know that many many people have remixed this song and so that makes it a tough cut to make but I am confident that it is different enough to merit being posted on www.ocremix.org and hopefully to inspire some cooperative projects in the future. I hope you enjoy my mix down and thank you for your time and consideration. - Brett Merrill --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://ocremix.org/chip/1804 - Track 1 The brass sequencing definitely needed some work, as the articulations sounded very unrealistic. That was a problem for other stuff like the strings, only to a lesser extent, and not as deal-breaking as the brass was. The woodwind sequencing later at 1:58 was also somewhat stiff/jerky sounding. Keep working on refining things so that the note movements sound smoother and more natural. The original section from 1:27-1:58 was awfully lonely, and dragged a little in my opinion, but that's more of a subjective complaint. I see what you were going for there given the sub letter. The ending around 3:20 came off strangely, especially the lone sustained string. Just in case you were worried about the arrangement being too conservative, I thought this was fine. I like the style; the writing fits the pageant origins. You don't really need to change much besides refining the sequencing/production so that the samples are used at their best, and I could roll with this. Hassle who you can to get tips on touching this up so you can push this over the top, Brett, and keep at it. You could definitely get something passed if you keep at it. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anosou Posted December 29, 2009 Share Posted December 29, 2009 Ah samples, how hard it is to find good ones without emptying your wallet. Guess why I never write orchestral! I'm with Larry 100% here. The brass was almost a dealbreaker on its own for me. It sounds extremely synthetic and the attacks are awkward. The strings also sounded strangely shrill and thin. The clarinets (especially the attack) also sounded pretty odd. The only thing that didn't rub me the wrong way were the triangles and main string arpeggio. The arrangement had some good ideas but could be expanded on more to have a more dynamic shape than it does now. You're definitely on to something but I feel more can be done to move it further from the source and to give the arrangement a more apparent form. You're off to a good start but the production is holding it back. Know that orchestral is a really hard style to produce without some serious money to back it up. It's a harsh truth but it's a style that requires the samples to sound realistic and free samples often make that hard, even commercial libraries makes it hard if you don't pay close attention to the sequencing. I wish you the best of luck with this, like I said you're off to a good start NO(resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vig Posted December 30, 2009 Share Posted December 30, 2009 The brass sticks out as unrealistic and somewhat jarring. MAYBE if you took out some of the top end of the brass it wouldnt stick out so much, but I'm not sure if that would work. The arrangement is somewhat static, i.e. string arpeggios, brass lead, and very simple bass parts. You've got some decent ideas in terms of orchestration, but i've got to say "eh" on the part writing. Also, the mix is rather bright. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts