OCR01185 - Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past "The Darkness and the Light"

[djpretzel]

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

[irriadin]

Wow. Can this night get any better? McVaffe is my fav. remixer, and this track lives up to my high expectations. I sincerely hope he continues to send through the occasional mix, as this one truly exhibits his staying power. Fantastic.

[MistaZanMan]

Very very nice. I liked everything about this mix. The drums were great in the middle of the song. Yeah im not doing too good right now for words, too tired, but this was awesome. Great work man.

[TheRedBob]

Great percussion. The general atmosphere is wonderful. Very flowing, something I like. Props for the instrumentation, as well. Quite catchy...good stuff. What would we do without the repeat button?

I'm gonna guess and say the last mix of the night is by DJPretzel himself. I hope so anyways. Already got some other great mixes by some great mixers...a night to be remembered.

[ChibiFirewraith]

McVaffe, sir, you never cease to amaze me. This is a phenomenal mix.

I love the time-signature change at 1:47...it provides a cool little jump out of the norm. And the variation on the theme beginning at 2:40(is that you playing the piano?) makes a perfect transition into the Light World theme. Instrumentation is top-notch as always.

It's wonderful to see another entry from you, and though it's understandable that you have other time constraints, I hope to see more from you in the future. You are truly a master at your craft. ^^

[Evilhead]

Wow, several mixes by some of my favorite remixers tonight. I'm very happy! Anyway, as expected this is a great mix, McVaffe. You are truly a master!! This mix is so mellow and soothing; I could leave it on for hours and not get tired of it. Yet it's also quite complex, as DJP said, the details are where it's at. Thanks for making this great mix, and we can only hope for more if you have the time!

[Shhteve]

Wow, I was definitely not expecting a mix like this. Much less a mix of the Dark World theme. Excellent job on this.. I really love the choice of soundfonts and their well placements. The beat comes on pretty heavy, and the little section that skips a bit caught me off guard as I heard it. Wow; McVaffe, you've really outdone yourself working on this one. Hopefully what DJ Pretzel says is not true.. We always need some talented and respectable mixers. Thanks for bringing this great stuff to the table.

Edit: Wow, it even goes into the ending theme which has never been remixed on OCR before.. Has it? Excellent coverage here.. Why aren't people mixing it more often? Thanks for satisfying me completely!

[Jeff]

Very nice take on the Darkworld theme in the beginning. Just an extraordinary song overall.

But most of all, I'm just happy to see that McVaffe is still making great music.

[Chris McGee]

Ah, great. Now Prot, DD, and McVaffe have to duke it out in hand-to-hand combat, to see who becomes my new god. Seriously, this is most definately the best night for remixes ever (with maybe one exception). I'm honoured to be given the privilage to listen to this stuff. I love you all so very much. Congratulations to all involved in launching OCR4.

[Typhun]

McVaffe does some of the best work I have ever heard.

[TheBeav]

To begin with, I thought I was about to hear another Zeal remix, but then the familiar Dark World theme came in and I just sat and enjoyed the ride. The bells in the background are quite nice, and I liked the synth coming in.

Cool remix. I enjoy it a lot.

[Rodin]

This song should have a warning on it..."Do not listen to this song after eating lunch."

I could just go to sleep and dream of the TriForce while listening to this wonderful piece...or should I say...Peace.

Relaxing beyond belief, extremely high quality. Another winner from McVaffe!

[A neutral shade of black.]

*jumps up and down hectically*

MacVaffe mix! McVaffe mix! McVaffe mix!

Erm, yes. I think we get the idea, yes?

More seriously, When I downloaded this, I was awaiting a make-me-fall-out-of-my-chair piano mix. What I got instead, was a wonderful arrangement. The percus (sorry for using the french term, but I don't know the English word for generic drums), so's the harp/flute thing (my musical knowledge isn't that great) and of course, the piano r0xx0rz your b0xx0rz. This just feels so right.

I have only one thing to say. McVaffe, go get yourself hired my Myamoto, now.

[Tacitus]

This remix is like opening a present, finding something great in the box and another present wrapped inside the first one with equally awesome contents. Not only does this piece deliver an excellent Dark World remix, but it also comes packed with (finally!) a remix of the LttP credits theme, which itself contains elements of the classic Zelda overworld theme. Highly recommended, any one of these elements would be excellent, but together they are nigh unstoppable.

[Weirdboyscott]

I was thinking to myself 'how can you even compare to Triforce Majure?', but this is friggin McVaffe, why did I even have any doubts, while I can't really write a read-along review like I did with DD's remix, I just love the way these two Zelda remixes contrast each other. Dan's being powerful and epic, and McVaffe's being somber and elegant, almost like one portrays the dungeons of Zelda, while the other is exploring the corners of Hyrule or Termina.

Love the little ocarina'd main theme at 4:00'ish. Most of this mix makes me think of Link heading down to LonLon ranch and making out with Malon . Or Link venturing to a land with strange creatures who have even stranger customs when they welcome him to their land.

Bravo.

[Impassioned Havoc]

I'm going to do this review as a stream of conciousness as I listen to the song.

0'00"- "Huh?"

0'26"- "This is different..."

0'57"- "Whoa, this is different." *begins bobbing head*

1'47"- "Nice tempo variation."

2'42"- "Damn, that's some fine piano."

3'51"- "Oh man, this is amazing."

4'41"- "He's done it again, god damn it."

5'42"- "No. It can't be over. No..."

5'54"- "My life suddenly feels without meaning."

Another amazing arrangement by McVaffe. The blending of wind and piano is seamless and soothing, and the percussion draws you in quickly. There's some nice tempo mixing, and this piece is layered in spades. I really don't know how he can do such amazing work. And he never fails to deliver. McVaffe is easily my favorite remixer, and this is why. Every so often, I'll download a song and immediately I know that it has to go on my playlists. This is one of them. Thank you for being so brilliant, McVaffe.

[The3rdMan]

Interesting. These songs aren't remixed nearly enough (except the main theme naturally).

I like the intro, it kind of throws you off as to what's coming. I don't think I've heard the Darkworld theme played like that before. Neat. I like the heavier beat that comed in, as well as the choral backups.

The outro music is very well played (and the transition from Darkworld works very well). It works as a very nice intro (ironically) to the main theme.

All in all a very nice little medly.

(Elrohir: You a Beckett fan?)

[The Xyco]

Awesome.

Even if he didn't attach his name to this piece, this song just screams McVaffe at the top of it's lungs. It's everything a great mix should be, showing signs of both traditional and modern music. A combination that requires precise timing and alot of fine tuning.

McVaffe has done it again. This is just flat out awesome.

[Garde]

I usually don't review songs unless asked to do so (or hinted to do so) by the remixer, but this is an exception. 4 years ago, when I was looking for video game midis, I came across a site called RPGamer (I was new to the internet, and so I didn't know about all the RPG sites and all that stuff). Anyways, there, I found a lot of remixes submitted by people, some sucked, while others were really good. McVaffe submitted his stuff there, and I took a look at his site which was provided next to a link to one of his songs. There, I read up about how he got into mixing and about OCR. When I read about OCR, my eyes lit up and I then spent hours every day downloading remixes on my Mac (I am now on a PC), unfortunately I don't have a lot of the older stuff that had a lot of memories.

I've never written a review for your stuff, but I've always been a big fan of what you make, McVaffe. You led me to OCR without ever knowing who I was, and I can't thank you enough. Although I'm no longer a regular around here, I was able to meet some of the coolest people I'll ever see, and I was able to get some of the best music I'll ever hear (in my humble opinion). This review is a tribute to what you've done for me.

Now onto the review...

As several people know, I am an avid LoZ fan, especially a big fan of ALttP (I'm such a freak that I beat it in under 7 hours and in one sitting without dying, saving, eating, peeing, or anything else). The game you chose, and the songs you chose could not be less perfect. The Darkworld theme, the credits, and the original theme that started the entire series... Some of the best songs from the Zelda series...

As I mentioned earlier, I'm a big fan of your style, and this really is an incredible song. I'm not sure if it's your best, but it is DEFINITELY up there, and I am in love with this song. It's so calm, the transitions are perfect, and everything just works really well. Those bells are awesome, and it gives it a really nice effect. Your beat is incredible and the break at 1:05-1:06 is a nice touch. The first time I thought WinAMP was freezing , but I quickly put it back and realized it was not my computer or WinAMP .

Your instrumentation is incredible. I've always had a soft spot for flutes, and your flute is no exception. Your flute sounds incredible, and that piano does as well... Those strings work really well, and the woodwinds used to play the main theme sound beautiful. I'm so amazed with this mix... It's perfect... I can't pick up on anything wrong with it at all.

Excellent job, McVaffe. One of your best pieces yet, if not your best. This is a great way to start off OCR4 . I'm sorry to hear that you most likely have no intention of making more remixes , but I understand the situation of moving on to more important things in life. Good luck with whatever you are doing/going to do, I'm sure that if you spend as much time and effort as you have with your music, you will be sure to succeed in whatever it is that you do.

Have peace.

Edit: One last thing I'd like to add. Not very many songs bring tears to my eyes, but this one did. I know of maybe 3 or 4 other remixes that have done this, and I just wanted to say that this song is really beautiful. Those bells or whatever kind of chromatic percussion it is, that flute, the piano, and just the whole damn instrumentation is so incredible that it made my eyes water... Very few songs can pull that kind of emotion from me... Amazing, McVaffe... Amazing...

[Annoxus]

McVaffe, your work, as always, is gorgeous. The transition at 1:45 is very nice. Over all, this is a very clean-sounding mix, and like all of your other work, is not only enjoyed by myself but the entire OC Community as well. Thanks for giving us another masterpiece.

[Sakiya_Chan]

First it was Forest Birdcussion by the one and only Protricity2k. Now, this MOFO makes this? What do I mean you say? Both songs made my jaw drop. McVaffe's first 2004 remix (of many many more I hope) had me hooked like a glove. I had been a fan of his work, but this epic remix ranks equally now along side my favorite remix at tis site, Forest Birdcussion. GOOD JOB.

[Ashgad]

Awesome! At first, I thought this was just a novel interpretation of the dark world theme. Cool samples, excellent arrangement, etc. Like djp said, it made Zelda sound like Zeal. Neat.

But then... then the volume dropped and the credits theme kicked in. I confess that I got a little misty-eyed over here. This is probably my all-time favorite piece of videogame music, and it did my cold, withered heart good to finally see it on OCR. Classic McVaffe piano paired with those phat beatz the kids are so fond of today. It just doesn't get much better than that. The track's been looping ever since. Thanks for submitting this, McVaffe. While I'm at it... thanks for creating such a great site, djp.

I know I'll get around to downloading the rest of the tracks that were posted today, but I don't think I've quite heard my fill of this one yet.

[Hero Link]

This is a great song. I loved every bit of it, since my favorite LTTP song was the dark world. I have been listening to this remix for about 3 hours just because it is that good.

[setzertrancer]

Good good good but not as good as it sounded, uh I guess I'm not making sense what I mean is from what Djpretzel was saying about it I thought it would be legandary but in my ears it dosn't quite get to that level. But it's good work all the same and sounds good but not great.

Melody= ***

Sound Fx= ****

Originality= **

Overall= *** Good

[Zekian]

Although this takes a backseat to Disco Dan's new LttP remix, it is still brilliant in its own right. A great mix that goes beyond just the Dark World theme. My favorite McVaffe remix is still Tetris's "McVaffeQuasi Ultimix", though.