OCR02019 - *YES* Super Mario Land 2 'Seizing the Castle'

[OceansAndrew]

Remixer Name: Willrock

Game: Super Mario Land 2

Source: Wario's Castle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z06NVdc1Le8

Remix Name: Seizing The Castle

Comments: This remix is a step forward for me in a way - It includes less of the same samples and patches I have used in the past and have more sounds I have made myself, unlike editing presets which I did a lot of in the past.

With this remix, I took the source and tried to take what was so great about the original, and multiply it ten fold, and imo the best aspect was the dark tone of the track, being almost castlevania like.

This remix does have a very castlevania-like sound - lots of organs, vox pads, an electric guitar solo, which is a first for my ocr mixes if this is accepted, and a trumpet

Anyway, I hope this is good enough to pass as it is imo one of my best mixes yet

Enjoy.

[OceansAndrew]

Interesting that after the critiques from the panel that Willrock should try branching out, here is the very mix that does so. It's a distinct step forward in a lot of ways, but the first half has a few issues.

First of all, the snare is way too punchy for the first half of the track, and just a little too punchy for the second half. I love punchy snares, but it needs to fit in the context. The rest oif the production is solid, except for when the lead guitars come in, the bottom end feels empty. Maybe i'm just too used to having rhythm guitars. The sounds used are well chosen and fit together well.

The arrangement starts out a bit slow, but the build is deliberate, and it works pretty good to gather tension. I don't feel like the mix ever really reaches it's full potential until the guitar solo (which is damn awesome, by the way), and the arrangement tends to play it really conservatively, by my estimation. It does go it's own way in the last half a lot more, and I think that overall the arrangement is unique enough, but I would have preferred some additional counterpoint and such in the first half.

Overall, this reminds me a lot of the really clean doujin style. Even the ending was a bit reminiscent of it.

I'll respectfully disagree that this is your best work, Will, but I do think it's good enough to go on OCR.

yes (borderline)

[big giant circles]

I too shall respectfully disagree that it's your best work. HOWEVER, I think it's a great track, so don't take that as a criticism or anything, it's only my opinion. Besides, I always tend to think my latest track is always my best work, especially since I tend to try new things in almost everything I do, so that's probably what Will's saying here, in perhaps less words

Will's got a master's degree in arpeggiation, so I don't really have anything to say except nice work there.

I'm not sure I'm feeling the writing for the organ 100%, but it's not bad at all. It kind of gives the music what I would consider a very Castlevania - Belmont's Revenge sort of feel (which has some really AWESOME music, it's a standout for me, even among other Castlevania games).

I also kind of feel what Andrew's saying about the drums. They're no deal-breaker, certainly, but of all the strengths that Willrock has been developing, I feel like his drumwork is still not quite in possession of that mysterious *it* factor. That being said, I think the sequencing was pretty well done. If I had to force a guess, I think that tiny quirk I have is more related to the general tone of the drums. Sounds like there's some reverb and EQ on them that just don't always line up 100% with the rest of the textures in his mixes at times, and that's probably the case here. Although, I suppose they do give his mix a kind of 80's/early 90's-esque tone, which is kind of nice.

Anyway, blah blah blah, nice work, nice arrangement, nothing short of enjoyable once again.

YEP

[anosou]

This is pretty damn cool. I'm gonna keep it a short vote because BigGiantJimmy and OverweightAndrew said most of the things.

The drum tone is a bit odd and hollow and the drums are in general too loud in the mix (the high-end of the kit anyway). The synths are nice and even the "guitars" are pretty cool. The mix is very compressed though, easy on that or you'll squash it. Arrangement is fantasticularabulous. Nice wanking, nice arpeggios, nice variation in harmony and instruments. This ARRANGEMENT is certainly the best you've done in my opinion.

Overall, production is holding the track back but the arrangement is so good it squeaks by.

YES

[Palpable]

I think Anso summed up the drums best. The high-end sounds loud, but they also sound hollow. It's a sizable problem, but that's my biggest beef with what is a GREAT arrangement. Will, I am soooooo glad you stepped out of your comfort zone for this, this is a great variation on your usual style. Maybe not my favorite track of yours, but I know as you continue to refine the production on these new skills you're picking up, you will make some really awesome stuff. Not to say that what's here is problematic, but it doesn't have the polished fullness of your best synth tracks. Guitar solo is damn cool, and you worked those new instruments into your rock drums + synth palette nicely.

I'm calling it a borderline YES. There are some clear production problems, and I am close to saying the drums are a dealbreaker, but like Anso, I feel it squeaks by because of the arrangement.

YES (borderline)

[Liontamer]

I loved the cymbal work, and was interested in the textures being built up, but the tone of the drums brought in at :22 didn't gel with all that. Too punchy and hollow like the others said. I always harp on it when drums are being done wrong, and this is no exception. Especially positioned as loud as they were, their constant presence with that poorly chosen tone just weakened the whole package.

The source tune arrived at :31, and the texture definitely still sounded like a strange, ill-fitting combination of sounds. The drums never clicked with the organ, and the supporting instrumentation left the background sounding empty and unfinished. The synth writing from 1:36-1:51 didn't sound as melodious as it should have. The guitar solo at 1:52 was decent, but the sample was pretty exposed and didn't sound realistic. That was the first time I've heard you sequence a electric guitar in the context of it needing to sound authentic, which is a good risk to try; not terrible, but keep at it.

Interesting organ stuff at 2:23, though the way it resolved at 2:34 with the sustained note sounded awkward again. The synth writing from 2:40-2:55, was definitely wankish, which initially hit me the wrong way. But on repeated listens, the writing of it sounded OK.

Not that it pushed me either way, but man, I hated the last drumroll at 3:26; it just sounded tacky, and there was no need for it when you had a decent finish there by just fading out the organ note.

No hate on Will. This one's decent, and the arrangement had some solid ideas. But the execution didn't sound nearly polished or cohesive enough for my vote. I would have loved to have heard Will take another pass at this given the great critiques that were pointed out by the others.

NO (resubmit)