OCR02017 - Donkey Kong Country "Welcome Home, DK"

[djpretzel]

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

[XiaoXiaoNeo]

Ahh, good to see Blue Magic back! I love your work.

Very mellow and relaxing intro. Loved the transition around 1:40!

Overall a great interpretation of Fear Factory. Definitely up there with the recent Permutation mix. Keep it up- we want more!

[Bahamut]

This is a pretty novel approach to Fear Factory, as most people have an ominous/epic sort of song in mind for the source (at least it'd seem like the natural way to go with the source material). It's a laid back song to sit back and relax to.

I just love the overall atmosphere brought to this source - good job!

[MechaFone]

I thoroughly enjoyed this song! I almost didn't recognize it as Fear Factory. Great job there, making that unforgettable source track sound like something completely different, and making it sound good, too!

[Scaredsim]

Was that Fear Factory ?

[Liontamer]

Can't say enough how cool it is to get ReMixes with an entirely different feel than the original. It's so easy to do "Fear Factory" with an ominous or hard edge given the mood of the original. Taking it on in this style like Damon has just shows the versatility of the theme!

[OceansAndrew]

I am not familiar with the original, so I don't have the expectations some might have about how the source is supposed to sound, but I really enjoyed this. The flute could have used some smoothing, but otherwise I really thought it was a good song. Nice work.

[Liontamer]

I am not familiar with the original

Say wha?

[OceansAndrew]

Say wha?

I am not familiar with the original.

[Liontamer]

I am not familiar with the original.

Boooooooooooooooooooooo.

(We have fired OA from the panel.)

[duskvstweak]

Wow. I like this. A lot. The way the song kind of goes from random-ambiance to a well put together mix is nice. I love the original source, and your take on it is great. I'm so used to the darker, harder take on this song that this laid back take is a nice refresher. Thanks for the mix!

[ChaosPlayer]

Very light, hip, and smooth. I love the rythmic instrumental beat from the sticks and piano to give it a increase like motion. +A must listen.

[Oni865]

I like it. It's kind of random, but goes pretty smooth.

[loomcore]

Loved this. Not only was it an awesome take on a classic BGM, but it's been ages since I last played DKC, and this reminded me just how awesome the soundtrack was. It made me go and get the SPCs from DKC for old times' sake; I've now spent a considerable amount of time trying to rip samples from them intead of working. Thanks Blue Magic!

[CC Ricers]

What a very nice, soothing version of the original. Blue Magic seems to be good at doing this. And it's like something Andean-inspired new age. At least until the beat start to pick up. The pan flute really does it for me.

[Polo]

Instrumentation's a personality grab bag. The Jack-in-the-box lead adds a touch of innocence, backup strings like the cello and violin soften the mood, and the choir-like pad pairs with the chimes like a mystical echo. Drumwork comes in tap/clap/slap-happy varieties and is nourishing like whole wheat bread. Even timely effects like whirling winds and space warpage sweeten the action and facilitate transitions. Since the Js already tore into the tacky-sounding woodwinds, I'll just add that I think the guitar panned left could use a similar dose of TLC to make it sound more natural.

Arrangement's a devilish curveball. Here's a rough remix-source breakdown:

- The Jack-in-the-box synth and the piano+bell+guitar trio at 1:41 represent the fluffy, lonesome lead at 0:58 of Fear Factory (FF).

- The chimes (0:33, 1:24) play the role of FF's rising, rubbery lead at 0:43.

- The woodwinds at 1:08 and the stick-like percussion are a nod to the furtive 4-note echoes from the early stages (0:03/0:04) of FF.

Because the mix's order and structure are far removed from that of Fear Factory, it almost sounds like it's repeating key phrases in the hopes that the listener will stop and say "oh, now I recognize what that part is!" Many instruments add a little spin to their assigned roles, but it's the suave electronica synth at 2:30 that offers the most source-defying originality while giving the others a leader to look up to.

Looks like DK has nothing to fear from THIS factory.

[Martin Penwald]

Very relaxed remix, even after it picks up a bit past 1:40. I like the pan flute, but I agree about the low end; hardly anything to do for the subwoofer in the first one and a half minutes, and even after that, the low end's not filled-out enough IMO.

Still, I enjoyed the remix overall.

[Mtlbro]

I thought this sounded great then I read what everyone else says about no bass part. ::shrug:: it still sounds AMAZING the soft strings do it for me especially near the end )

[Crulex]

Excellent ReMix. Very different from the original and I never thought I'd hear it like this. Kinda weird, but I like the non-mechanical sounding Fear Factory. The flute somewhere in the beginning is a little meh, but aside from that, great stuff. Very ambient and pleasant take on my favorite DKC theme.

[Black_Doom]

Been a huge fan of this one for a long time, actually! The first listen didn't grab my attention, though, but then every new listen made me appreciate this gem a bit more  I absolutely love the soothing blend of organic and electronic instrumentation, and this unusual approach to the source definitely deserves much more love. My favorite moments are certainly the lead change at 1:42, when the chorus kicks in, and the mellow synth solo at 2:32 - it really makes the jungle-y vibe a bit different, and this touch is welcome too! Oh, and I also forgot to mention the moody intro - those strings are very cool! And I guess the varied percussion deserves to be mentioned as well! Really good and creative work here, highly recommended!

[Skinner3D]

I have had this remix on my computer for years and did not realize it was Fear Factory. Still remains one of the ones I turn up when it comes on.