OCRA-0017 - Donkey Kong Country 2: Serious Monkey Business

[Richard]

Alright so after listening to this album a good number of times I give it a 4.2/5. The album as a whole is well done and everyone who worked on it did a great job, your work is greatly appreciated.

I enjoyed the majority of the tracks, and despite not looking forward to the ones with vocals, I found most of these well done such as Backwards Room (Run, Rambi! Run) and A New Place (Hot Head Hop). Backwards Room (Run, Rambi! Run) is the best vocal song on the album and one of my favourite tracks on the album. Many of the remixes are very reminiscent of the originals, with Roller Disco (Disco Train), Dance of the Zinger (Flight of the Zinger), Rhumba Rumble (Steel Drum Rhumba), Beneath the Canopy (Forest Interlude), It's a Jungle Out There! (Primal Rave), Token Up (Token Tango), Rare Respite (Jib Jig), Bramble Reprise (Stickerbrush Symphony), and Re-Skewed (Donkey Kong Rescued) being some of the highlights. The other songs I didn't mention are also very well done with a few areas that could have been improved on.

Now for the things I disliked. Party's Over Here (Cranky's Conga) is well done, but the incredibly campy, "Hey, its the party song! Party's over here, c'mon!" ruins the beginning of the song. Fortunately, since its only at the beginning and the rest song is reminiscent of the original and so well done, I can look past it. Us Monkeys Together (In a Snow Bound Land) I didn't really enjoy largely due to the Chinese singing. I've got nothing against Chinese culture, I just did not enjoy the singing. I found Club Klubba (Klubba's Reveille) to "clubby" for me, too fast of a beat compared to the original, though it is still a nicely done remix.

Trapped in the Minds (Kannon's Klaim) is not bad but not great. The beat and the music is great but the lyrics are so-so. Monkeys Disarm Their Kremlins (Crocodile Cracophony) ruined a completely good song. I listen to the original and can see it as a great rock song, but the death metal style ruins the whole song. I'm sorry, but this is the worst song on the whole album. WI'm not a fan of death metal, sorry. The instrumental version is great, though I keep thinking about the horrible lyrics whenever I listen to it. I can't really hear the original song from Simian Soirée (Klomp's Romp) and unfortunately most of the song is just noise, I can't really hear any theme or style to it. Same goes with Paleolithic Park (Lost World Anthem).

So other than a few tracks, this album is an incredible collaborative effort. I loved Kong in Concert and Serious Monkey Business deserves to stand beside it as a great remix album of a great soundtrack. Great job to everyone!! I'll be listening to this album every day for a couple months.

Edited April 10, 2010 by Richard

[Level 99]

Part 2 of my album review (apparently, there's a 15,000 character cap and I hit it with a little over half of my review):

Mazedude – Dead Raggening: A slow-starter of a song, and I’ve never known Mazedude to rush to make his musical point, so I’ll go with it. Very layered soundscape with some very nice delay effects. It’s hard to describe this song, other than being slow and almost malevolent-sounding in its progression. The key switch was cool. This was definitely enjoyable, although not something for every day. Almost feel like this should be on a Silent Hill soundtrack. The one riff in it reminds me a lot of the Requiem for a Dream soundtrack. Nice one, Dude of Mazeish Intent.

Nutritious – High Seas: This is Nutritious where I think he shines most, right up there with VHD and bustatunez: orchestral work. This could easily be a DKC2 segment in a Fantasia movie, as this moving and dynamic piece is completely expressive and results in vivid mental imagery. From the same person who unleashed a free soundfont based on squidfont, I expected nothing less. This dude can take samples and arrange/process them to where they shine like diamonds, so when he has better samples…well, that just ups the ante. Great work, Justin. Very enjoyable and great expansion on the source.

Skrypnyk – Exit Row: I keep expecting that dude from Police Academy to make bird noises the moment this song starts. It quickly fades from a jungle environment to some superbly chopped drums. The processing on those drums is ridiculous, and I very much approve. It actually reminds me a lot of Boards of Canada, or Aphex Twin (the less psychotic-insane stuff). This takes a sweet spot in my heart, just because of the genre and how well it is executed. Effective use of stereo effects to make me feel like this song is very ethereal. Awesome song, and foreboding at the end as well!

Sixto – Pickin’ Out the Fleas: RAWK! Sixto = rawk. That’s basic math for you. Sixto + some brass splashes = rawkinger. If we still had training montages and had a movie made for DKC2, this is a must-have for it. It lays about equally half on the all-out wankery and half on subtle variations and harmonies. This is great. Once he gets his hands on the eleven rack, I’d say that the rest of us guitarists are in for even STIFFER competition than we already have with this beast on the axe. Damnit, Sixto, why must this be so awesome?

Joshua Morse – Bramble Reprise: While I understand everyone’s obsession with Stickerbrush, granted it’s an incredible song, I think it’s a bit overhyped. That being said, however, Mr. Morse does 197% justice to it and takes it into the upper parts of the atmosphere with a moody and gorgeous ambient-and-jazz approach. The clean guitars are orgasmic, and the other instrumentation is perfectly selected. Everything sounds great, and the bits of synthy fx are well placed. Disc 2 is extremely strong, and this song is a perfect example of why.

Sole Signal – Castle Crescendo: a hard act to follow Joshua’s Bramble Reprise, but I actually feel the flow from there to here. The strings and low buzz bass, along with the high chimes feel like it almost is a continuation of what was used in the song right before it. It is clearly different, and the style varies to become a tense orchestra-meets-electronic song. It has a lot of drive behind it’s pacing and tempo, so the mix really feels like it’s going somewhere. It feels like the final stretch of a journey, just barely missing the mark of sounding like another montage song.

Nekofrog, Brandon Strader – Monkeys Disarm Their Kremlings: Oh, it’s THIS mix. The one from DoD last September. THIS one! I have to say, that if they wanted to capture the essence of brooding metal kremlings with their gutturally vocal king being very overtly vocal about their hatred for the simian protagonists, they nailed it. Except for that recorder part at the end. This is a mix from neko where I really, really enjoy the guitars, as they aren’t too showy, and Brandon’s vocal…umm…abilities, actually feel like they belong. It does get a bit bland every now and again with how long the verses and choruses go on. It should have stopped before the recorder outro, though, as that really feels like it was slapped on and doesn’t quite fit. If this song had to be taken in this direction, then this is the best it could have hoped to be, and commenting on a genre that I’m not the biggest fan of, that’s a big compliment.

David Wise feat. Grant Kirkhope and Robin Beanland – Re-Skewed: And THIS one. The one that Taucer and Wes have been drumming up since it was started (they kept the secret pretty well, too, so that was quiet drumming until the big reveal). David Wise, game composer and now a remixer, bringing his rare buddies on the guitar and flumpet. You couldn’t ask for more approval of fan work than having the original composer do one himself and set it right beside the rest on a project. While it doesn’t expand that much on the original, it is a pitch-perfect revision and upgrade for it. Remixing one’s own music seems to have the potential to be difficult, considering there is attachment to the original melody. That being said, this rocks. Hardcore. The live instrumental performances on the sax, flumpet, and guitar are stellar. Production is, as would be expected, excellent. Everything about it shows the love for the music. Kudos for making many fan-lings happy.

Final thoughts: I’ve discovered that, as I work more and more with artists on the site, and grow more and more as a musician myself, that there’s something similar to the uncanny valley effect in regards to musical knowledge and critiquing. The more you know about the how-and-why something sounds good or bad, the more likely these things will stick out to you in almost-perfect songs. The better a song is, the more small issues can be glaring and obvious, but they are only much more present if you know what you’re looking for. If I seemed harsh on any of the songs, besides my opinion on aesthetics and genres, then it is only because of how truly good this album is, as a whole and as individual songs. There wasn’t a single song that I genuinely couldn’t find something to like, though there were a few that weren’t exactly my thing. On the whole, though, this is a major accomplishment for the remixing scene, for the people involved, and for OCReMix. I’ve definitely found a lot to love, and even the vocal haters will be very likely to find a song or two they enjoy. The sun can’t be shinning any brighter today.

Edited March 17, 2010 by Level 99

[Mirby]

Disc 1 - Diddy

1. Sturm und Kong (K. Rool Returns) - djpretzel 3:30

Starts out slow, and then gets into the meat of the track; a sweet hybrid of orchestral music and synthesizer. Highly noticeable source material, and pretty strong rhythm backing. A faithful conversion of the original track; the delays to make this were well worth it. Everything fits right into place; nothing ruins the track. One fluid track that keeps moving, and ends just as quickly. One hell of a job. Now what does it mean?

2. Simian Soirée (Klomp's Romp) - Joren de Bruin 3:33

Mellow feeling, a great way to go from the source. Nearly infectious rhythm. At 1:05, it really begins. Full big band feel, works great. Nice piano sounds. 1:38 or so, guitar backing comes in. It keeps building and building, almost like a jam. More and more instruments keep coming, and they all contribute to create a beautiful rendition of Klomp's Romp. Simmers down a little at about 2:24. Ends on a quiet note.

3. Party's Over Here (Cranky's Conga) - OA 2:56

"Hey! It's the party song! Party's over here!" From these words, music cheesier than Wisconsin ensues. But it works. Calms down at 1:10. At 1:31, guitar comes in, making the song a five-cheese nacho sauce. But it works, and it's a faithful rendition. More guitar at 2:05... Starts wrapping up at 2:35. Fades at 2:45.

4. Rare Respite (Jib Jig) - Patrick Burns 4:29

A calm, orchestral rendition of Jib Jig. Very pirate-y feel; would fit right in during a calm scene of a pirate movie. The piano and acoustic guitar add to the whole feel; give it a classical touch. Creaking boards are a great addition. The wind instrument at 2:55 helps massively. Every new instrument contributes to the whole a sense of excellence and completeness. Water at 3:46 helps too. Ends perfectly; subtle, sweet, slow.

5. How K. Rool Went Insane (Welcome to Crocodile Isle) - Ross Kmet 3:17

Very interesting take on the overworld theme. The title explains it all. Take the source, add a dash of insanity, a pinch of lunacy, and a whole helping of electronica, and this is what you get. And this is the perfect example of the right combination. Pretty cool effects at 1:37... Slows down at about 1:55, and builds back up to the finale. Breaks down at 2:54. Crazy effects for the last 30 seconds; I like them!

6. Tetanus (Lockjaw's Saga) - Hemophiliac 3:54

Slow, faithful rendition until 0:38 when it starts to mix it up. At 0:57, something big is about to happen. Main source ends one loop at 1:23. Slow for the next 30 seconds, slowly building up until the main meat. At 2:00, it gets serious, and Hemo's trademark style comes into play, mixing, fusing with the previous faithful rendition. At 2:40, something massive is going down, and soon. Explosion of epicity, and slow finale.

7. Old School (School House Harmony) - Nutritious 3:54

Slowly builds up for the first 40 seconds. And then gets into a synth-sounding mix; odd for Nutritious' sweeping orchestral style. Yet it still sounds awesome. And at about 1:30, the orchestra mixes in. Slows down at the two minute mark. At 2:19, it starts to rebuild itself. Drums come in, then the synth. And the main mix returns at 2:38. Slows down at 3:11. Who knew Wrinkly's theme would be fodder for such a great mix?

8. Monkey Merengue (Bonus Intro) - bustatunez 4:03

For a track that most skip instantly, bustatunez busted out all the stops. I'm punny... Anywho, xylophone-sounding thing works great. Along with the horn backing it. At about 1:40, it starts to get a lounge music feel, and that's a good thing. Slows down at 1:55, then hand drums come in. And the track is even better. Horn-thing at 2:24. At 3:00, returns to the lounge feel. Ending of MMX feel at 3:40. I like that! Ends at 3:57.

9. Token Up (Token Tango) - zyk0 6:46

The longest mix is what follows the shortest source. Huh. A bit of Kongo Jungle thrown in for good measure. Weird la-da-daing in the right speaker... creepy, but great! At 1:22, the la-daing enters left side. More Kongo Jungle at 1:40. Slow... Picks up at 2:28. Slows down at 2:55 or so. Starts to build up until 4:07, when it gets serious. Tempo increases. At 5:07, it gets even more serious. Keeps going until the final seconds.

10. It's a Jungle Out There! (Primal Rave) - Joshua Morse 4:32

Ambience helps out immensely. Sounds primitive; that feel was captured like a Master Ball was thrown. Horns at 0:47. Pretty cool strings at 1:15 or so. Nice wind instrument at 1:55 or so. More strings at about 2:35. The source is instantly recognizable, and pervades the entire track. At 3:12 it breaks down; Morse brings his style into full effect from here on out. Slow winding finale, and a beautiful descension as well.

11. The Apes of Wrath (Boss Bossanova) - zyk0 4:20

Starts out interesting, and then busts into the track at 0:09. At 0:29, something epic will occur imminently, and at 0:44, it starts. Silent for 10 seconds. 0:56 guitar comes in. Sweet riffs from the guitar throughout. Quiets down at 1:45, then monks come in? Restarts at 2:08, with the monks still there. More epicity at 2:44. Wait... silent at 2:49, returns at 3:00. Guitar returns at 3:15. And balls out at 3:30!

12. Welcome to the Funky House (Funky the Main Monkey) - djpretzel 2:10

With the shortest track, it busts out early with funktacular bass. At 0:47, more guitar comes in. Even more funk at 1:01. Almost makes one want to bust out on the dance floor. At 1:34, even more funk. Slowly builds little by little until the quick finale at 2:04.

13. Beneath the Canopy (Forest Interlude) - Fishy 4:54

Subtle build-up until 0:45, when the guitar enters the fray. Not too overpowering, it matches the source's feel perfectly. Faithful until 1:31, when he busts out with his own mark on the track. Slows down at 2:39. Tension builds within the track until 3:50, when the guitar returns, more powerful and sweet than before. And slows down at 4:15, and simple piano until the end of the track.

14. A New Place (Hot-Head Bop) - Nicole Adams ft. M.J. Ault, Starla, Tepid 4:32

Lyrical piece, eh? Music starts at 0:09. Lyrics begin at 0:26. Backing vocals reinforce the words. Singer swap at 1:18. Echo-y! Golden strands? Squitter? Tepid's guitar at about 2:08. Source at 2:50, pretty sweet!Back to M.J. Ault at 3:07. Then starla once more at 3:26. Instrumental from about 3:46 to the end. Great way to end the first disc!

Disc 2: Dixie

1. Roller Disco (Disco Train) - Zylance 3:15

Disco Stu likes this track! Somehow, I don't know how, but this track is even more disco than the source! Cool retro effects! Source at 0:55. I can't help but move and do bad disco moves during this track. Breaks down at 1:58. And gets even MORE disco infused into it! Monkey sounds signal the end, and work perfectly with the track. Especially since it's Diddy Boom Box to end the track!

2. This Chase Is Haunted (Haunted Chase) - Prince of Darkness 3:03

Epic track is epic. Begins without hesitation at 0:01. Epic guitar source coverage at 0:27. Even more epic guitar at 0:47. This track keeps on coming! Many parts that are Prince of Darkness' own contribution, but they fit in magnificently. He has squeezed as much into 3:03 as he could. Sweet solo-thing at about 2:22. More source at 2:45 up until the epic finale.

3. Paleolithic Park (Lost World Anthem) - bustatunez 3:42

Sounds kinda like Jurassic Park... But then again, this is the Lost World Anthem. Soo.... Intense feeling to the entire track. Nice descension at about 1:45. Slows down at 1:52, whistles enter the track. More epic orchestration at 2:05 or so. Quiets down again at about 2:40. Builds up until 3:04, when it gets intense once more. The only escape from the chase feeling is at 3:25, when it slowly, gradually, fades away.

4. Rhumba Rumble (Steel Drum Rhumba) - Patrick Burns 3:23

For the File Select theme, it's pretty upbeat. And Patrick Burns captures the original feeling quite well. This track makes me want to dance as well. The synth at about 0:54 adds to the feel. Funky at 1:28; feels great. Mixes in with the previous melody magnificently. Groovy melody comes in at about 2:10. More synth at about 2:50. Fades away at 3:02 or so until the end.

5. Us Monkeys Together (In a Snow-Bound Land) - Flickerfall (diotrans, Palpable) 4:13

Good sound, typical of Palpable. I can only understand a single word in this song. But it sounds good. And the lyrics in English make sense. True to the source. Entrancing melody with her voice. More source at 2:30, with lyrics. Who knew Chinese words went with this track so well? At 3:02, the only word I can understand is said; "Forever." Instrumental from about 3:20 to 3:30, chorus redux, end. Cantopop is weird.

6. Club Klubba (Klubba's Reveille) - Diggi Dis 3:02

Phaser until 0:16, more beat until about 0:26. Rhythm at 0:30. Fast moving! Source at 0:44. Uns uns uns uns... I can see this in a club on an episode of CSI:. Cranky's theme at 2:00 or so. Old ape can get down! Starts descending at about 2:35 to end. Instruments end, and track ends nicely.

7. Swamp Gases (Bayou Boogie) - Another Soundscape 4:42

A pretty... "minimalist" as anso would say, take on Bayou Boogie. The murky landscape feel of the source translates into a haunting soundscape with this. Aha! Phasing sound at 1:32. Typical anso fare, but just as high-quality. Harp-y sound at about 2:00. Gets intense at about 2:30. And there's still two minutes left! Dies down at about 3:10. Builds back at 3:26. Simple melody at 4:00-4:18. Basic beat to the end.

[Mirby]

8. Backwards Room (Run, Rambi! Run!) - zyk0 5:58

Hey, it's zyk0 again! Simple until about 0:35, rhythm to 0:48. Source begins. Lyrics at 1:13 out of the blue; sound good. Run run run run run... Intense music at 2:02. Metal clangy sound's cool. Run, run, run... Cool sounds at 3:08. Even cooler at 3:30. Lyrics back at 3:54. Run, baaby, run! Run! Intensity at 4:25 or so. Pretty long track... main source at 5:10. The run run run makes me laugh.

9. Trapped in the Minds (Kannon's Klaim) - Geoffrey Taucer, José the Bronx Rican, Hale-Bopp 5:30

Rap in my OCR! Good cover of the source; rockin'! The rap works great with the source. And José can rap! And sing; Hale-Bopp's backing makes it work even better, more emotion is conveyed. Great lyrics! Nice bridge thing at 2:20 or so. Guitar at 2:45 or so. Great arrangement! Lyrics return at about 3:30. Nice background rhythm mix-up at 3:54 or so... More source at 4:30. Swearing at 5:03! But it's rap, so...

10. Crystal Swamp (Snakey Chantey) - Tepid 4:21

A complete 180 of the source. The melody is vaguely recognizable. Sounds almost... magical, mystical... Source at 1:20 or so... Weird background noise, but works with the track. More source at 2:15, speed up! Speed up! More source at 2:38. Speed down at about 2:53. More source at 3:02. Guitar redeems this track's repetitiveness with instantly recognizable source. Quiets down at 3:42. Finales from 3:58-4:13.

11. Dance of the Zinger (Flight of the Zinger) - virt 5:09

Highly faithful to the source, but with a dance feel to it. Source at 1:04. Trance feel at 1:40 or so. Returns to basics and more source at about 2:48. Nice source at 3:14. Third to last track to finish; I can see why. A lot of effort was obviously poured into it. More trance feel at 3:40. Nice background arrangement at 4:08. Mega-trance at 4:30 on to the end, and dies down.

12. Dead Raggening (Bad Bird Rag) - Mazedude 4:25

Simple, minimalist, electronic, slow, basic Mazedude fare. Not in any hurry to get to the main source, it builds up by adding the basic melodies that comprise the source every 10 seconds or so. Gets intense at 1:05 or so. Main rhythm at 1:38 or so. The increasing scale part of the source comes in at 2:08 or so. Kannon's Klaim mix or something in the background at 2:58 or so. More source at 3:20. Fades out at 4:02 or so.

13. High Seas (Stronghold Showdown) - Nutritious 4:20

Here's the sweeping orchestral feel that Nutritious has mastered! Masterfully done, it keeps building almost as if he were conducting a massive orchestra himself! Every little part comes in fluidly, and fits like a glove. And when it leaves, you don't miss it, for the rest is still beautiful. Slows down at about 2:08, hastens a bit at 2:32. Nice rhythm at 3:01. Great horn at 3:30. Nice finale at 3:58 to the end!

14. Exit Row (The Flying Krock) - Skrypnyk 3:39

Weird sounds... Interesting take; sounds urban. I like the background rhythm, if it can be called that. Chime-y sounds at 0:45. Synth at about 1:08. Voices at 1:29... Like the Flying Krock is an airline? Weird, but works with the odd feel of the track. The entire thing sounds odd, but enjoyable as well. It breaks down gradually starting at about 2:32.

15. Pickin' Out the Fleas (Swanky's Swing) - Sixto Sounds 4:12

TVs would explode if this was a game show's theme song, it is so awesome. And it's one of Sixto's longer tracks. Guitar starts at 0:13 or so, source at 0:25. Some of Sixto's best work, to be honest. The horn adds to the whole feel. More source, with Sixto's usual mix-up at 1:08. Repeat at 1:40-2:00. Sixto's mark is made at 2:09-3:22 (his longest solo-thing since Lunatic Moon). Ends perfectly, beautifully, and Sixto-style!

16. Bramble Reprise (Stickerbrush Symphony) - Joshua Morse 4:35

Melody begins at 0:30. Pretty beautiful interpretation. Humming at 0:55. More source at 1:09, with what sounds like acoustic guitar. More background at 1:38. This is honestly a beautiful, lovely remix. Captures the natural feel of the source, and ups the ante. Fluid and ever-changing is all I can say. Nice chime at 2:45. Guitar at 3:08, just what this track needed! Very basic stuff from 3:50 on.

17. Castle Crescendo (Krook's March) - Sole Signal 3:39

Retro-sounding beginning, and then main track at 0:10. A dramatic, sinister take on the source. Nice source at 0:45. Token Tango mix a bit in there? Trance-y source at 1:38 or so. More other track mix in the back, or is this still Krook's March? Haunting sound, even, but beautiful. Returns to main feel at 2:50 or so. More Token Tango from 3:25 to the end mixed in.

18. Monkeys Disarm Their Kremlings (Crocodile Cacophony) - Nekofrog ft. Brandon Strader

When did Dethklok remix a track? BANANAS! Nice growling, Brandon! I like how the lyrics describe the battle within the K. Rool Duel stage. YUM YUM YUM POTASSIUM! Great source coverage by Neko at 1:18. Now for K. Rool's lament... I like how the GBA-exclusive boss is mentioned at 1:51. More source at 2:14. GRRRRRRRRRR..... Climactic! Final lyrics at 2:48. SWEARING! DRAMATIC END AT 3:37 IS DRAMATIC!

19. Re-Skewed (Donkey Kong Rescued) - David Wise ft. Grant Kirkhope, Robin Beanland 3:20

This is the reason to download this album. The original composer, the master of the soundtrack himself, steps into the ring a delivers a masterpiece along with two fellow composers. Very faithful to the original, but Grant's guitar shreddage and Robin's trumpet are the chips to David's arrangement dip. More guitar at 1:27. And at 1:51. Trumpet at 2:11. And the best guitar at 2:40 to finish the track with trumpet accompaniment.

Disc 3: Cranky (Bonus)

1. Bonus Bop (Token Tango, Bonus Lose, Bonus Win) - Xenon Odyssey, The UArts "Z" Big Band 3:34

For the bonus tracks now... Has a very live feel, which is cool. Noticeable source. Very faithful to the original. Piano at 1:21. Horn at 1:58. OH NO YOU LOST! Time run out? Did you run into an enemy? No wait, source is back. Jazzy, I like it! YOU WIN! YAY! Now go to the Lost World. You can hear Joshua Morse's and bustatunez's remixes there too, I think...

2. Monkeys Disarm Their Kremlings (Crocodile Cacophony) - Nekofrog 4:03

The other bonus track is an instrumental of track 18 on Disc 2. It's pretty metal, pretty sweet, and pretty faithful. Without Brandon's growling, the track sounds almost completely different. It's still quite awesome. One second shorter though... hmmm.... Nice source at 1:18, still. It's cool to hear it without the lyrics. Intense behind where the final lyrics go at 2:48! And, yes, dramatic conclusion from 3:34 on is still dramatic!

Conclusion

I remember posting in the project topic when it was just announced, back in Nov 2007. I remember seeing early album art, that wasn't supposed to be seen. I remember giving title ideas (including the horrible Kong in Concert 2, and Simian Symphonic, or something like that). I feel like I've been part of this project myself just from having posted in its infancy, and by writing the poems and song parodies in the thread days before its release. That's only one reason I've been waiting for this. The other reason is that Donkey Kong Country is one of the earliest games I remember actually going out and getting. My family traded in a crappy Hot Wheels set my brother got for Christmas one year to K-Mart, and bought this. The gameplay was addictive, and fun. It looked crisp and fresh. And the music was highly memorable. It has stuck with me ever since, and that was back in '95 or '96, so it's been a while. Not only did this album have to live up to the wait, but also to the memories of childhood fascination and adoration of the music. And, although it seems it would be an insurmountable feat, it has achieved it, and more. The tracks are beautifully done, obviously perfected to the point of redundancy, and have the classic-yet-new feel to them all. Not only are they highly faithful to their source tracks, but they are also vastly different. And the fact that David Wise, the original composer, decided to work on a track. And to get two of his Rare buddies to help him out! That alone is cause for celebration!

To get back on-topic here, this track is everything it could've been, and then some. Even Crystal Swamp, which I hated at first, has grown on me. It not only brings me back to my childhood just by listening to it, but it gets under my skin, in a good way. When I finished listening to this the first time, I felt like I had taken some sort of drug. I was happy, unbelievably happy, and all I had done was listen to this. And it was a good happy, the kind of happy you can no longer obtain upon puberty. Pure childhood bliss is how I'd describe. Thank you to all the remixers who put their time and effort into this project. Let's hope the DKC3 one turns out as well!

-Taylor Brown

Mirby

NOTE: This was finished at 2:03 AM on the morning of March 17, 2010. I worked late on this for no other reason than to show the love to this album, and the OCR community as a whole, the same love they give to all their tracks. And I still don't think it was enough.

[evesira]

I suppose this is a good place to bring this up.

Everyone seems to think that it's "StickerBRUSH", when it's actually "StickerBUSH". See vgmdb, wikipedia, and track 17 of this image:

http://www.game-ost.ru/covers/1151_653225.jpg

Most other sources list it as "stickerBRUSH", but vgmdb and wikipedia are the most reliable of them all, so I chose to trust them. Plus, sticker bush, as far as I've known, has been a real word (which means a patch/bush of thorns or thistles), whereas stickerBRUSH has never been a word to my knowledge.

If you google "stickerBUSH", it says "did you mean stickerBRUSH?". I've never seen an error propagate so much to the point where even google thinks the incorrect spelling is correct. And notice if you google "stickerBRUSH", you only get hits related to the DKC2 piece, whereas when you google "stickerBUSH", you get the DKC2 piece along with some things about gardening and dictionary defintions.

Did anyone ask David Wise himself what the title is supposed to be? At this point, he's the only person I'd believe for an answer.

[Arcana]

For everyone who's listening "Us Monkeys Together", the lyrics are in Mandarin, not Cantonese or Japanese (as some people previously in this the read have implied).

Edited March 17, 2010 by Arcana

[Brandon Strader]

For everyone who's listening "Us Monkeys Together", the lyrics are in Mandarin, not Cantonese or Japanese (as some people previously in this the read have implied).

Oh yeah? Mandarin, like the little delicious oranges. That's pretty cool. Good fun fact!

[Mirby]

I only thought they were Cantonese because the lyrics are labeled in Cantonese.

Also, if this counts, the sound test in the GBA version labels it as Stickerbrush Symphony soo... does that count? Then again, I'm pretty sure it labels Stronghold Showdown as K Rool 2, so maybe not...

Edited March 17, 2010 by Mirby

[Geneson]

The pronunciation on the Mandarin Chinese is a bit off and the lyrics are really cheesy, so I can't really objectively listen to that song without it bothering me a bit.

Anyway, I usually end up being disappointed by OCR albums, so take it as the ultimate compliment that I can't really find any glaring faults with this one. It's really, really good. I'm sure even Prot's digging it.

[jmr]

Yes, I played that recorder at the end - it was my first time recording it. Had fun with it.

Haha, I thought it was a nice touch, personally; a sort of light-hearted counterpoint to the dark vocals.

Also there's a difference between the vocals being "bad" and not being your personal preference. I know a lot of people don't like death metal but to sit there and say the vocals are horrible is just mean. If you don't like death metal then it's not for you, no reason to insult.

Was that directed at me?

I didn't mean to imply that the vocals were bad, and I definitely didn't intend to to insult. To be honest, the vocal version is starting to grow on me...

Mazedude – Dead Raggening: ...The one riff in it reminds me a lot of the Requiem for a Dream soundtrack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa33P9A5iHs <- Composed by the same guy who did the Requiem For A Dream score. Very similar riff.

[Brandon Strader]

Haha, I thought it was a nice touch, personally; a sort of light-hearted counterpoint to the dark vocals.

Was that directed at me?

I didn't mean to imply that the vocals were bad, and I definitely didn't intend to to insult. To be honest, the vocal version is starting to grow on me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa33P9A5iHs <- Composed by the same guy who did the Requiem For A Dream score. Very similar riff.

Thanks

No, I just edited it on to an earlier post, it wasn't directed at you. There's a lot of people saying the vocals were "horrible" and "bad", when actually they're pretty good by death metal standards. It's just not everyone's cup 'o' tea.

Want to hear another fun fact? I bet the recorder is only still on the song because Nekofrog was using Reaper, and probably either forgot to cut it off or couldn't figure out how. >=) Hahah!

Edited March 17, 2010 by Brandon Strader

[Mirby]

It sounds like Dethklok to me, as I've already stated, so it makes me laugh. Also that you reference Kerozene, the GBA-exclusive boss, is great. But the lyrics are great; it's almost like K. Rool's thoughts during the final battle.

The "Red Mark" you mentions references after he gets uppercutted by DK, right?

[Brandon Strader]

It sounds like Dethklok to me, as I've already stated, so it makes me laugh. Also that you reference Kerozene, the GBA-exclusive boss, is great. But the lyrics are great; it's almost like K. Rool's thoughts during the final battle.

The "Red Mark" you mentions references after he gets uppercutted by DK, right?

Nekofrog wrote the lyrics, you'd have to ask him... But yes, he was asking for Dethklok vocals, so I'm glad people are hearing it that way.

[GSwarthout]

'Simian Soirée'

Apart from an odd sounding guitar chord here and there and a rather annoying audio glitch near the end, this track is pretty damn good.

Ah, so I'm not the only one who heard this glitch. It exists on both the MP3 and FLAC versions of the song.

It's at the 3:20 - 3:21 point in the song. Do the rest of you not hear it?

Greg

Edited March 17, 2010 by GSwarthout
Clarification

[halc]

I've been calling it Diddy Kong's Quest when it's actually Diddy's Kong Quest

whoa, mind=blown

Everyone seems to think that it's "StickerBRUSH", when it's actually "StickerBUSH".

omg, mind=blown again

[Spoool]

I love Neko and Brandon's track, clearly it has some humor to it as well as a strong presence and sense of desperation that fits a boss battle perfectly. Lyrics are excellent, ranging from short jokes to badass internal monologue from K-Rool. I think the vocals are excellent by death metal standards, they sound very professional. With all the elements of songwriting and production in mind I give it an A.

Favorite section is the second verse at 1:32 after the melodic transition, vocals are ridiculously powerful there.

[ocre]

Really enjoyed the album in general. Obviously a ton of heart went into the making of every song. My favorites of the bunch were Rare Respite, Backwards Room(which kind of gives me the same feeling I get listening to CKY's '96 Quite Bitter Beings'), Tepid's Snakey Chantey remix (which was a pleasantly surprising diversion from the source!), Nutritious's 'High Seas' is powerful and beautiful (gives me chills) and sounds so majestic in it's ending, and Skrypnyk's take on the Flying Krock definitely hit me the right way.

And I can't stop listening to Paleolithic Park.

All of this praise and every good thing so many are saying about Sixto, virt, djp, and everyone else is well-deserved!

Bahamut, Taucer, be very proud.

Edited March 18, 2010 by ocre

[Ski]

I've only listened through the album once, but I like what I hear so far. However, I was disappointed to hear Tetanus and Dance of the Zinger omit certain parts of the originals: Tetanus didn't have that one cool beep-like sounding rhythm, and Zinger didn't have the backround drums of the original. Of course, it's entirely possible that I missed these. They're still great songs, though!

[jett]

what's the deal with the moon language in Us Monkeys Together?

just...why

[Hemophiliac]

I've only listened through the album once, but I like what I hear so far. However, I was disappointed to hear Tetanus and Dance of the Zinger omit certain parts of the originals: Tetanus didn't have that one cool beep-like sounding rhythm, and Zinger didn't have the backround drums of the original. Of course, it's entirely possible that I missed these. They're still great songs, though!

yep you missed it, because it's all over the place, the synth bass and the percussion are playing it...so it's more of a rhythm based thing rather then a filter swept synth. so yeah i kept the rhythm of it, dropped the pitched part of it.

[zykO]

i've had a couple of folks ask me so here they are:

Backwards Room (Run, baby, run)

you run as soon as you get here

feed the illusion that you're near

sometimes we feel each other's moves

sometimes we're in each other's groove

you see me comin before i appear

your vision of me's rather clear

yet we resort to power moves

run, baby, run before i shoot

the words we speak are like the rain

flooding conscience, regret stains

where the flesh is torn by chains

that's why our backwards room remains

the budding family burns the same

a burning memory fries the brain

a crosshair flirting without a gun

run, baby, run, run, run

nothin is real, there's what you know

what you keep, what you let go

the real battles are in you

run, baby, run before i shoot

thanks for the love, peeps, glad you liked it.

(i apologize for the ghetto-ness of the other tracks btw hehe)

edit:

edit:

so... what an album. absolutely out of control good. I've been listening to this a lot in the past few days and i have to say, i'm impressed with the level of game that everybody brought. this is some of the best work i've heard from folks i'm used to hearing great work from. when you're listening to something by someone you're familiar with and you stand up, step back and say "WTF" you know something's right. i'm loving the eclectic mix of this album... talk about some contrasting extremes. while all criticism is valid by default, remember that what makes serious monkey business so incredibly good is its ability to, somehow on some track impress someone somewhere and in that sense, it is definitely very much monkey business and boy is it seriousssssssss.

lots of love go out to wes and tauce. great job fellas. you did this thing right and you've just raised the bar a few more inches (feet?) for the next big bopper to come along. in a lot of ways, this is how strides are made in a niche scene like this one... i mean, i still remember relics of the chozo when it was trailblazing this sort of thing and it didn't even seem like it was going to start a trend... it felt intuitive and necessary and it has afforded us compilations such as this.

mr. lloyd, way to start us off and lead the pack and then dirty us with some of that stanky swamp funkk. joren, you blew me away. OA, that has to be the most fun i've had in a long time, thanks. patrick, i'm jealous. ross, that's funkkky fresh. hemo, very powerful, guy - diggage. nutritious, your stuff is just ridiculous throughout... i like old school the most. busta, you're brilliant and paleolithic made me raptor bone. j morse, you are the only man capable of wooing me. fishy, i'm so totally calling david gilmour and telling on you. new place folks, y'all can sing - don't pay any attention to the natural variation in human opinion. zylance, you made me dance? pod, gtfo here, wut, wow! flickerfall, so fresh - it's unfortunate taste always gets in the way of appreciation... i know how you feel. diggi, man, i lov eyou. anso, you gave me gas, i think... in a good way. tauce, you're trapped in my mind. tepid, i've been a fan of yours for a long time now. jakey-poo, ilu. mazedude, see:jakey-poo. skrypnyk, i've tried saying your name for nearly a decade now knowing that it was never meant to be pronounced and enjoyed your music every step of the way, exit row included. sixto, you should marry a guitar if you seek happiness. sole signal, i don't know you but i will. neko+brandon, see:flickerfall and also, YOU FUCKING ROCK. mr. wise et al, thank you so very much. you're the class of this game.

let's go bananas!!!!!

Edited March 18, 2010 by zykO

[cobaltstarfire]

what's the deal with the moon language in Us Monkeys Together?

just...why

Why not? (and it isn't "moon language").

I like this album, and I even liked most of the songs with vocals even since people seem to be talking about that aspect.

I'm normally really picky about vocals in music, so I think it's pretty awesome I actually like most of these. (Not a big fan of the deathmetal sound though so I didn't give that one a good listen through, sorry to those who worked hard on that one. )

[Spoool]

Zyko- Since you're here I have a question for ya and a couple comments on your excellent tracks.

Q: So how did you come about taking on 3 different tracks for this project, each one going in such a different direction too, did you start out knowing you wanted to take on 3 right away or did some of the unclaimed tracks fall into your hands after you got some good ideas for them?

Token up: Awesome sense of direction for this piece, you took it down a rollercoaster or two on your way to the finished project, you rock the melody in the smoothest way possible, take us around the world, and bring us back to the familiar melody with energy, and it's almost 7 minutes! Can't get enough of this one.

Apes of Wrath: imo the most reminiscent of your older work, loving the way you played around with the melodies, very free guitar, smooth organ, and creative percussion, there's a lot to love in this one.

Backwards Room: Left me breathless the first time around with its gritty new wave sort of feel, grabs my attention 100% every time I hear it. Great flow to it, although it loses a bit of energy by the time the last verse hits. That aside, this is exactly what I wanted to hear from the source material, something immediate and right there in your face, nice vocal mixing and use of effects.

[jett]

Why not? (and it isn't "moon language").

I like this album, and I even liked most of the songs with vocals even since people seem to be talking about that aspect.

I'm normally really picky about vocals in music, so I think it's pretty awesome I actually like most of these. (Not a big fan of the deathmetal sound though so I didn't give that one a good listen through, sorry to those who worked hard on that one. )

Eh I'm just wondering what prompted the idea of putting chinese lyrics in a DKC track.

[Palpable]

Eh I'm just wondering what prompted the idea of putting chinese lyrics in a DKC track.

Then ask that question in the first place, rather than insulting 1.3 billion Mandarin speakers by calling it a moon language.

I should remember this, but I think diotrans went with the Mandarin because it seemed to fit the song better than English. Hopefully she can chime in later.