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*NO* Touhou Koumakyou: Embodiment of Scarlet Devil 'Sunlit Library'


Liontamer
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Song name: Sunlit Library

ReMixer name: Lastair

Forums ID: 892

Game: 東方紅魔郷 (aka "Touhou Koumakyou", aka "Embodiment of Scarlet Devil")

Another game in the doujin shmup Touhou series along with Perfect Cherry Blossom, which seems to be the only one with a remix up so far.

Original song: ラクトガール ~ 少女密室 (aka "Locked Girl ~ Girl's Secret Room")

Theme song for Patchouli Knowledge, the 4th level boss in the game. I can't find the whole soundtrack to link to, but here's the original song on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Q5Oq-cBn4

Additional information can be found on the Touhou wiki.

http://touhou.wikia.com/wiki/Embodiment_of_Scarlet_Devil

http://touhou.wikia.com/wiki/Patchouli_Knowledge

Comments:

I really enjoy doing these minor-to-major and dramatic-to-silly switches and vice versa. Here I aimed for a stylistic subversion of Patchouli's brooding, anemic and hermit-like character - turning the song upbeat and simple to the point of heartwarming naivete. Recorders have a reputation of being children's instruments, and here I purposefully emphasize that aspect. To me being slightly out of tune is part of the charm!

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  • 4 weeks later...

This is definitely an unexpected change of style for the source, and it fits surprisingly well. There is plenty of arrangement going on in this, including the minor-major change, and I like that you even included the 'chord' interludes into the mix that are present in the source. Very cute, overall.

The thing that's killing this for me is the recorder. I'll be the first to admit I have a bias against the instrument, having had to teach 3rd grade music for a year (nothing like 18 ten-year-olds with recorders), but I can set that aside for the most part. However, there are some notes that are not in tune, especially on the higher end of things. Taking into account how hard it is to stay in tune on a recorder, I appreciate the notes that are in tune, but some of those high notes are not pleasant to listen to. I'm not sure how much work it is to ask that those notes get fixed up, which is putting things in a tough position for me. The other option is changing your lead, which you can do and still have that child-like feel.

I re-listened to this after reading Vinnie's remarks, and I do have to agree with him on how some sections feel a little static. I think there could be a little more going on in those sections to really bring things out. I'm also going to agree on adding some reverb to the recorder, and maybe try to tone done the top end. Good luck.

NO (resubmit)

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I really like the arrangement, but it seems strange to me that for as much care that went into the rest of the track, that the intonation on the recorder was so overlooked. :/

Soundfield-wise, it also seems a little pasted on to the rest of the track.

One thing that sounds really nice is the bass- i love that tone a lot, and everything else is clicking for me, it's just the positioning and intonation of the recorder. Even finding someone to pitch-correct it, and to match the reverb of the rest of the track would make this solid. As-is, though, I can't let it slide. Sorry. :-(

no, please resubmit

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Eh, the intonation seemed pretty natural for how recorder is used in songs. That is to say, I feel like recorder is usually recorded slightly out-of-tune. It didn't bother me in any case. However, I thought the arrangement was overly simple which was a big problem. From section to section, the patterns change, but within a section, it's really static. Take 0:44-1:14, for example. There's not enough variation there for how simple the drums, bass, and rhodes are. 1:46-2:14, same problem. The choruses fare a little better, but I still think there's not enough difference each time. With more instruments or more comping, it wouldn't have been as noticeable.

Then you add on OA's valid point that the recorder needs some reverb, as well as the fact that the high end of it needs to be less irritating, and I'm definitely a NO on this. Concept is good, writing and execution didn't cut it for me.

NO

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