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*NO - djpretzel VETO* Final Fantasy 4 'Metal Mage'


OceansAndrew
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ReMixer Names: Cyril the Wolf, OA and Lil' Wolfie

Real Names: Connor Pelkey and Andrew Luers

Websites: cyril.newgrounds.com and http://www.oceansend.com

User IDs: 25520 and OA

Submission Title: Metal Mage

Instrumentation:

Connor: Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Drum Programming, Synth Programming, Arrangement

Andrew: Shredtastic Lead Guitar, Mario Paint Sounds

Lil' Wolfie: Epic Vocals

Name of Game: Final Fantasy IV

Name of Song Arranged: Palom and Porom

Composer: Nobuo Uematsu

System: Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Year Released: 1991

Soundtrack Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PUOHfRZIlo

Connor's Comments:

So... no one else really wanted to take this track, and I saw that the lowest note played by the bass was B. So... Using my epic, newly created, Drop-B guitar I set out to make this theme go through all sorts of metal styles. Starts with just basic nu metal kinda stuff, goes to speed/thrash, converts into a Palm-Muted Groove metal thing, goes to what I'd call power metal until the end. With some poly-rhythms thrown in for a progressive touch. Also, my little bro. This is Palom, and he's a punk kid. So is my bro. :D Kudos to Andrew for pushing me to get my little bro on there. It was a one take deal.

Andrew's Comments:

Connor wanted some leads added to his track, and some finishing touches, and things were sounding really good, so I was very excited to help out.

We seem to share a pretty similar outlook on what would make a track more fun, and when he offhandedly mentioned that he could convince his 5 year old brother to record some vocals, I was really excited. Around this time, I found a cool Mario Paint simulator with flats and sharps, and did a version of the theme for an intro, using the most ridiculous sounds Mario Paint has, to further contrast the metal.

After that, i did some lead guitar, along with a sortof shredding solo.

source:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg8YfNVS8gc

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  • 2 weeks later...

Haha I love the vocals. I dunno if that is my favorite part, but it's gotta be close. Pretty short song, but it's reasonably well-expanded. The main melody plays straight each time but you've got different stuff going on underneath it, plus the solo at the end. It's fun, a little simplistic from an interpretation standpoint, but probably just over the bar.

There was something about the production that bothered me though. Didn't sound like the right elements were pushed loud enough - the first time the guitars dropped, they sounded weak. The synths were in a totally different space from them, floating on high. There's things you can do with the levels and reverb settings to the song sound more natural and full.

Close to a pass but not there yet - sorry, Connor. Maybe others will be swayed the other way.

NO (resubmit)

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  • 1 month later...

What a silly arrangement. Could be a whole lot more daring, but the generally new accompaniment gives a few different feels to the melody, and the slowed down section is alright. The production sounded fine to me overall, no problem with the guitars. The synths were kind of weird, but I think that may be more them being far too cute for this type of track than anything else.

I'm square on the fence about this one. I'd love it if the arrangement were expanded, but I can't really think of any reason to NO this.

YES

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Well...Certainly gets points for a sense of humor. Can't hate the engineering either. It's cute and clever and everything, but it's really gimmicky. I'm not saying that anything here is poorly done, and the guitars are great, but this is a joke remix. Doesn't really stand as a cohesive song.

NO

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The original song was 19 seconds, so I don't have an issue with a 2:13-long mix as long as the development is there, which it obviously was. There were lots of good arrangement variations in there, including the section at :55. 1:36-on was unrelated wank though. :lol:

The mixing was a little rougher than I remembered it being, but not a big deal. Why it was a dealbreaker for Vinnie, I'm not getting, even if wasn't ideal. The overall execution was on point and the production didn't push this toward being a close call at all.

OK, so it's a joke mix, so what? It does that while also satisfying everything else we're looking for. That ain't a problem, Grandpa Viggie. Go listen to your quiet, humorless music with no Lil' Wolfie and drink your Ensure. The rest of us say \m/.

YES

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Listening to this on the album I had mixed feelings. It's certainly a lot of fun, but such a different mood from the (most) of the rest of the album that it stuck out, and not in the best of ways. It probably took about ten listens before it began to grow on me, and now I grin every time I hear it.

While the melody remains mostly the same throughout the mix, the various moods with each run-through and the "GUITAR SOLO!!" at the end provide enough embellishment/arrangement to push this over the bar.

The thing that bothered me the most about the soundscape was the use of the synths. They just didn't feel like they fit in with the style, and the way they sit on top bothers me a bit. It's not bad enough to really pull things down, but I would have preferred something else in lieu of them.

Also, Lil' Wolfie makes this mix. YES

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  • 3 weeks later...

More votes you say? Okay then.

I like it. It's a clever but simple expansion of a very short source. Even though Jesse don't find it funny the arrangement is expanded, production is over the bar and it was an enjoyable listen. Even the playing was good. Sure, it's rough around the edges, the instrument combination is severely odd and the arrangement a little bit disjointed but it's glued together by the humor (like it or not).

I mean sure, it could've been better in both production and arrangement and it could've been something else entirely but it's not quite NO-material for me.

YES(borderline)

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  • 1 year later...

I'm chiming in; it's rare that I veto an approval, and for good reasons, but I didn't feel this piece was strong enough relative to current standards and to what I know Cyril is capable of. It made perfect sense and worked fine as an album track, but as a standalone mix, I think this is the right call.

Talked with Connor and he wasn't upset, so I'm commenting and closing out; we owe him one for making him wait so long, so perhaps we can expedite something of his in the future!

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