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OCRA-0002 - Donkey Kong Country: Kong in Concert

Digital Coma

By Digital Coma,
in Album Reviews & Comments

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ekm Newbie

ekm

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I've only just hit 07 - Beneath The Surface right now, but so far this kicks ass.

Standouts so far, keeping in mind the whole thing is badass:

West Coast DK Island - I've waited for fucking YEARS to hear a remix of this track, it's one of my favorite VG tunes ever. *waits for a deluge of previous mixes of the same song*

One Zero One - Holy shit. Words can't express how rad this is. I got a vibe really similar to the ending credits of Mario 64, but with a nice thumping beat on top.

Top notch work, gentlespoons.

EDIT: Props to Vig for the references to other games in Beneath The Surface.

EDIT 2: Funky Monkey Love. What the hell have you been smoking, and can I have some?

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herograw Newbie

herograw

Posted
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seed this torrent or die in a fire.

Torrent is pretty big, but I'll see if I can hold this up for a while.

yes. please everyone who can seed it do so. take a look at the bittorrent statistics on the front page and prepare to be shocked! a lot of us are already committed to seeding it.

congrats everyone on a great project. i wish i could have done more than just provide a mirror...

-rob

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DragoonFenix15 Newbie

DragoonFenix15

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Awesome stuff, gents =D It's so awesome I came out of my lurker hole and posted.

I love each song so far (I'm up to Fear Factory)

Each one has their momments. I'd have to say, my favorite so far is probably the cave remix by Adhesive Boy. Or One Zero One... ah hell, they're all good, like I said. Keep up the good work ^^

So what's the NEXT spotlighted project going to be?

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Nanaki Newbie

Nanaki

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Funky Monkey Love is the funniest song EVER. As soon as the lyrics started I was laughing SOOOOOOOOooo hard. That song needs a parental advisory on it, hahahahahahaha.

This music is all amazing though, AMAZING. It's so awesome I think I'll seed this torrent for all time so people can always get it.

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Karmus Newbie

Karmus

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Binnie also needs to put the link to Rare's website in the last blurb in a new window, and not the small popup window. :)

Anyway I have compiled this useful text-file:

(Kong in Concert - Blurbs.txt)

CD1

Track 01: Israfel - Godiva in the Desert (Theme)

Debuting Kong in Concert and CD 1 with an elaborative arrangement of Donkey Kong Country's title Theme, mad scientist maestro Israfel has replaced the original song's rockish instrumentation with an orchestrated Middle Eastern cum Western ensemble, including an Arabic fiddle and Saz preceding violin, pizzicato strings, and piano. While a dissonant synth bass runs undercurrent, the frenetic symphony picks up with thundering brass and operatic accompaniment, toying with the theme's chord progression until the song tops off with strings, solo voice, and vibraphone playing the ephemeral melody as the song glides towards its end.

For all the aesthetic nuances and motifs and intricate dissonances, this is an unconventional way to begin our album; however, for showcasing our principles of reinterpretation and rearrangement from the start, Godiva in the Desert is exceptionally suited.

- Digital Coma

Track 02: Hemophiliac - Swing, Monkey, Swing (Simian Segue)

Following our introductory arrangement is a small band jazz piece improvised by Hemophiliac, who's spun a whole lot of sequenced swing from the map theme, Simian Segue. A thick acoustic bass anchors the rhythm as saxophone and trumpet slide over top, singing in harmony and in staccatto unison while a bit of organ, bongos, and piano play alongside for accompaniment.

Rhythmic alteration is this arrangement's forte as the meter holds your attention just long enough before the bassline jumps to a new phrase, whereafter the sax'n'brass catch up to blare out another well-timed measure, melody chirping and smooth drumkit tapping all the way. Swing, Monkey, Swing is taken through such hops and twists until the last bleat of the reed, when the song tapers off with grand piano and a beat, transitioning into the next track.

- Digital Coma

Track 03: JigginJonT - West Coast DK Island (DK Island Swing)

Donkey Kong's first foray into the jungle is marked with a throwback to the cool, copasetic Pacific jazz movement of the late 50's. As in DK Island Swing, soft jungle noises start the song, but unlike the original theme, JigginJonT brings in an ultra-slick and overdriven rhodes as the arrangement picks up to include swirly hi-hats and acoustic bass. The groove gets in full swing as cymbals crash and a sultry chorus announces a fantastic harmon muted trumpet recorded by the artist, crooning counter and lead to the melody with full intonation.

Spacious mixing of each instrument yields an encompassing production even as the virtual band gets more involved with percussion and bright piano elements, so pay close attention as the theme is explored and re-explored before West Coast DK Island ends in another jungle ambience transition.

- Digital Coma

Track 04: Unknown - Rest and (Re)spite on a Soft Summer Night (Cranky's Theme)

On the heels of Jungle Hijinx, our heroes arrive at a deceivingly peaceful outhouse inhabited by none other than Cranky Kong, from whom they will receive either barely useful advice or a swift cane on the head. Cranky's Theme shares much of the same melody as Theme, but with a serene twist. Segueing from jungle ambience, the arrangement starts off with a laggard NES-style synth and is quickly imbued with the tone of Unknown's sweet acoustic guitar playing melody. Toe-stepping drumwork and rhythm track chorus lead way to electric piano and organ highlights serving as the B section.

Befitting it and Cranky's namesake thus far, Rest and (Re)spite on a Soft Summer Night ends with a surprising orchestra flourish to be resolved after the transition to the next track.

- Digital Coma

Track 05: Adhesive_Boy - Cry of the Chasmal Critter Chain (Cave Dweller Concert)

As the previous track resolves and ringing bells subside, this eclectic arrangement commences with a scraping noise. Adhesive_Boy has composed a thematic collage of Cave Dweller Concert's separate fragments of melody, using a stripped-down, low-fi setting to reach humbling proportions. A resonant rhodes sample rippling with delay is joined by a riff of xylophone, setting the stage for a live somber cello playing strained accompaniment. Shuffling percussion and supporting bassline progress the arrangement further as it spirals into a climax.

After the turning point, a cello chord hangs low as a cavernous effect and xylo give way to chorused strings, at which point the song sounds transported from a musty old film. The cello comes back strong while arpeggiated piano dances past, and Cry of the Chasmal Critter Chain fades out with the original theme's most superlative ditty.

- Digital Coma

Track 06: Icy Guy - One Zero One (Bonus Room Blitz)

Arguably the most played song of the soundtrack is Bonus Room Blitz, heard in mostly impossible to miss secret areas spread throughout the game. In step with the spirit of major key, Icy Guy has greatly expanded the short theme into a light synthpop jaunt, replacing the widely used panflute and keyboard with straight synths, strings, and upbeat drumwork. After the immediate break, the droning bassline brings in glassy lead and complementing synth strings, leading to a live rendition of one of many to come fuzz synths playing the catchy melody. As the progression builds to a bridge, strings stab on beat until the theme's silly use of monkey pitches is played off with more bubbly synthetic rhythm.

Nearing the climax, the string chorus rolls higher as the introductory glassy lead returns for a conclusion, sounding off the end of One Zero One, ode to an expertly played game.

- Digital Coma

Track 07: Vigilante - Beneath the Surface (Aquatic Ambiance)

Opening with a whale cry, our arrangement of the gentle giant Aquatic Ambiance begins. How well it's handled is clear as Vigilante's electric guitar immediately echoes the most recognizable notes of the theme. Enveloping pads and acoustic piano and guitar drop in before the music pauses for a beat, bringing in an electric bass sashaying with light percussion. Soon the artist's melodious sax plays for a few bars, leading up to a break for jazzy piano progression.

Beneath the Surface moves forward with more sexy guitar and sax before hard snares and renewed bass kick in to reveal the arrangement to be a fusion of styles. The electric guitars power on the distortion as they wail on to the backdrop of powerful strings. With a whispered psalm reading, cinema sampling, and several more surprises in store, the epic fades away with backwards sax on a eulogistic note.

- Digital Coma

Track 08: Vigilante - Funky Monkey Love (Candy's Love Song)

Reeling back from the complete change of style - a common occurrence in this album - in Vigilante's second arrangement, we present pure funk and funky humor inspired by the bosomed simian's theme, Candy's Love Song. The handsome bassline starts the song off strong before a slick organ and excellent distorted electric join in the funk. Before you think that's the extent of the instrumentation, hilariously funky courtship vocals (the album's only) tell you more about Donkey and Candy Kong than you ever wanted to know.

The chicka-chicka wah guitars get it going in full force as the artist continues to seduce his audience when at the bridge Larry "Liontamer" Oji cameos for a baritone Funky Kong, handing out props to his main man. The artist lays it down and launches the funk into a vamp with falsetto harmony, serenading Candy with more Funky Monkey Love as the song struts off in a fade-out.

- Digital Coma

Track 09: Red Omen, Protricity - Boiling Point (Bad Boss Boogie)

Leaving Candy's save point, the crew encounters the first boss and rocks out to Bad Boss Boogie, of which we have our first two-way collaboration. Red Omen laid down the foundations and structure of the electric arrangement after which Protricity expanded its furious sounds and beats, culminating in a climactic electro rock-out affair. The track begins with one of many high pitch modulating synths immediately joined by hard percussion and synth guitars while the progression dips out more than once and comes back twice as strong.

Oscillating synthlines jump in the fray as cymbals fly left and right, pumping up Boiling Point until it repeats its main progression, drops off, and resolves with a chord leading through to the next track.

- Digital Coma

Track 10: Protricity - Mine Cart Misadventure (Mine Cart Madness)

Following his collaboration, Protricity's first solo arrangement is a maximalist electronic rock ballad of the symphonic Mine Cart Madness. The ride starts off with booming staccato synth bass and sweeping saw waves leading into a dangerous bassline played by an amped pick-up anchoring the song. After the rock lounge percussion enters, the arrangement enters one of many rollercoaster dips with original chord progression by chimes and distorted instrumentation before it picks back up with the bassline.

A quivering synthline takes lead as the synth band rocks out, tunnels through glittering pads, and returns with distorted acoustic guitar improvising the theme's melody. Another dip and the song becomes a cinematic mine cart action scenario, orchestral hits sending the metal frenzy off to a crashing climax as Mine Cart Misadventure resolves CD 1 of the album with particularly sweet detail.

- Digital Coma

CD2

Track 11: Sadorf, S|r NutS - Echoes (Life in the Mines)

CD 2 begins with our second two-way collaboration, a hyper trance arrangement of the second mine theme. Outlining the beginnings of the song, Sadorf sequenced the main piano and synth siren leads to play an improvised melody of Life in the Mines, building the rhythmic structure for the style. S|r NutS then took over, imbuing the trance with supersonic energy as he added thick house instrumentation, booming four on the floor percussion, and fast paced patterns plus snap transitions.

The track opens its deep maw with striking cross-panned synths, beginning the rave progression with a piano leadline and deafening house drums. A high tune hollow synth takes the melody as an electrified bass kicks in, bongos signalling the hand off to piano. The techtronics peak with a floaty sax before the music breaks for another build-up, topping off the end of Echoes as its last beats saw apart the stereo field.

- Digital Coma

Track 12: GrayLightning - Idols of Hanuman (Voices of the Temple)

Fatigued from excitement, our primate protagonists find themselves at the grounds of a temple haunted by quiet. Raised in honor of the monkey god, its music is that of Voices of the Temple. GrayLightning's first arrangement is of this theme, appropriately naturalistic and savagely suspenseful. A slithery Middle Eastern reed and flute charm the song into beginning as a symphonic choir chants in harmony. The strange mood builds with serpentine synth elements when ethnic marching percussion commences with a bang, its bombastic element continually offset by the density of the choir chords and accompanying synth sweeps.

The reed's melody steadily growing more abstract, Idols of Hanuman peaks in ambience with full force of Indian and Arabic orchestration until the haunt ends with gongs and shuttering snare rolls, swiftly returning to silence.

- Digital Coma

Track 13: zircon - Faunaphonic (Forest Frenzy)

Back into the kingdom of melody, Forest Frenzy exemplifies the more catchy DKC rhythms. zircon's arrangement is a chill electrogroove with acoustic emulation, playing upon the best of the theme. A thudding basskick makes a conspicuous entrance as the track rises from sweeping drums and a modulating synth ditty to a harp setting the harmony. As the harp arpeggio fades out and the synths and drums kick back in, the lead synth sitar introduces itself by voicing key melodic notes. More modulation comes about by a new synth lead a bit before a quick rundown of filtered kicks leads back to the harp and a high flute. The sitar picks up where the modulated synth left off with many a pitch bend.

After some beat reiteration, a distorted acid lead takes up the progression in minor, and Faunaphonic comes to a close with a slowdown of sitar and decaying pad before a new bassline marks the transition to the next track.

- Digital Coma

Track 14: smh - Arboreal Ascent (Treetop Rock)

The steady bassline transitions this trumpeted jazz arrangement of the polyrhythmic Treetop Rock. A mellow mood of beginning rhodes and pad is soon interrupted by a crescendoing bass section jumpstarting the song into a foot-stomping band affair. Organs and the brass pull out all the stops in a call and answer routine as a marimba lead quietly presents itself, playing out the smoky melody in full just before the dual organs take charge again and leave the marimba to accompany.

Just as the brass reaches new highs, the song breaks and cools out with a lounge bridge, complete with an organ solo and smh's acoustic guitar sustaining relaxed chords. The recovery is short-lived as the bassline comes back and leads the band into a conclusion, organs pulling out quick riffs as the brass crescendos closer and closer to climax. The drums spazz out, organ slides, and Aboreal Ascent finishes off with a final guitar chord.

- Digital Coma

Track 15: bLiNd - Aerofunknamics (Funky's Fugue)

The ascent continues courtesy of the one and only Funky Kong, whose in-flight entertainment replaces peanuts with Funky's Fugue. bLiNd has animatedly rearranged the theme with high-octane spirited dance trance, producing a party mix that pays its respects to the bodacious Kong. Getting started with swimmy interlocked synths and a thick beat, the song gets going at the call of the original shout-out with a slick distorted synth. Another shout-out, the first of the club vocals sprinkled throughout the song, and the drums pick up as the melody is bolstered by another hot synth lead. The music then breaks for a run-down with bongos and steel drums for a round of enthused percussion.

The electronic mamba starts again with leading synths as the progression is repeated, and after a wrap-up bongo run, Aerofunknamics cuts with Funky's last vocalization.

- Digital Coma

Track 16: Aetherius - Clouded Mind and Ringing Ears (Misty Menace)

There's something rotten in the land of Donkey Kong, and its name is Misty Menace: a dark and claustrophobic theme accentuated with deeply ambient chords stark in contrast with much of the rest of the soundtrack. Aetherius has skillfully captured this dreary mood with encompassing murky ambiance, smooth progression, and infectious industrial beats. The arrangement comes to focus with clean distortion and the noise of something clawing beneath, sharpening with the sound of sad strings playing the theme's chords.

Rough aural apparitions appear as the startling industrial beat begins, an angelic choir entering at the left while the percussion intensifies with layers. Soon the layers drift off and the clean distortion returns with a raucous scraping noise as Clouded Mind and Ringing Ears slowly fades away.

- Digital Coma

Track 17: Prophecy - Chekan Winter (Northern Hemispheres)

With the crescendoing whisper of wind synths, Prophecy's gargantuan gothic trance with a touch of Russia builds into being. The arrangement gradually reaches a very large, encumbering sound as does the original Northern Hemispheres theme, but then liberally deviates with fast-paced tech percussion, breaking into ringing church bells and a somber choir playing chords. Establishing a nervous pace, a frantic plucked instrument leads into a pause with melodramatic viola and icicle sounds before the intense synthtronics begin, playing a Russian influenced progression. A hair-pin transition later and an excellent synth lead brings the song back to the roots of the theme as the booming gothica plows past.

Topping off after many mix ups of drum breaks, Chekan Winter simmers down in layers with its last progression, resonant chants, and a strike of its concluding chord.

- Digital Coma

Track 18: analoq - dolidop do wop (Ice Cave Chant)

A tinkling icicle and ominous chord mislead this track into beginning on a startlingly different footing. Smooth B3 organs, electric piano, and creamy rhodes dominate analoq's charmingly laid-back arrangement of Ice Cave Chant, molding the original harpy theme into a much more cool, nonchalant motif. The starting organs are sweetly joined by a bellowing bass playing an ultragroovy bassline as reserved drums and chorus strings enter the mix. Soon the revamped melody enters by way of the rhodes' soft lead, the sundae organs continually playing candied accompaniment. Taking its time, the rhodes then give way to a very slick electric piano solo, the apex of the song's groove.

When the bassline repeats and the rhodes come back, the organs lead a key change as the music gets merrier with the theme, and dolilop do wop pleasurably sounds off its boppy tune.

- Digital Coma

Track 19: GrayLightning - Machina Anesthesia (Fear Factory)

The calm of the last track is rescinded by the stage of Fear Factory, its chrome, oppressive melody liberally reconstructed with magnificent other-worldly orchestration by GrayLightning. The symphony begins with a sprinkle of Japanese percussion as lush Asian stylings are put forth by a cinematic coupling of violins, fiddles, and cello along with a bombastic contrabass, the arrangement already progressing to epic proportions. As the array of instrumentation cries out in chorus, the music quiets down to allow a glockenspiel to gracefully play out the melody on its own with accompaniment.

The quiet is broken with the symphony leading into a bombastic break of anvils and machinery, but the purity of organic orchestration soon returns to mourn the climax of the song. Machina Anesthesia comes to a close with a beautiful glissando and the sounds of the factory in the distance.

- Digital Coma

Track 20: Dhsu - Pirate Prelude (Gang-Plank Galleon Pt 1)

Nearing the end of the soundtrack and our album, our heroes come face to face with the banana hoard thieving arch-villain King K. Rool. His theme Gang-Plank Galleon has been separated into its two stylistic parts, the first of which is a short and rambunctious piratey theme arranged by Dhsu on piano that starts off innocuous and ends sinister in its transition to part two.

The performance starts on a saloonish note, as the ivory keys are pattered with the artist's sleight of hand. Progressing from simple and sweet to portent,

Pirate Prelude picks up in momentum with graceful articulation and stronger chords before it cuts at the height of its dark build to be completed in the transition to the next track.

- Digital Coma

Track 21: SnappleMan - Trash the Plank (Gang-Plank Galleon Pt 2)

Part 1's build-up resolves and ominously fades out as Part 2 of Gang-Plank Galleon begins, coming around full circle with the original percussive intro of Theme. Donkey and Diddy get ready to kick crocodile ass with SnappleMan's instantly gratifying thrash metal arrangement of the latter portion of the theme. The toms break way to the artist's banging electric guitars setting a swing, as the pure metal drums pause for a chug and wait for the explosion of guitars straight out rocking the melody and bass. Suddenly the band breaks for several pauses of halted chords before the artist's effect laden guitar plays a solo at lightning speed.

At this point, the characters have forgotten their plight and are simply head banging. The final progression of the theme is blasted out before a cacophony of screeching guitars signal the end of Thrash the Plank, halting with a final amped chord.

- Digital Coma

Track 22: Protricity - Rare Reminiscence (The Credits Concerto)

With K. Rool vanquished and the banana hoard found, Donkey Kong's quest finally comes to an end with a curtain call of the 16-bit actors strolling past to The Credits Concerto. Protricity's second solo and the album's final arrangement evolves from intricate minor-key interpretation to a full scale blow-out of the theme's wonderful major-key melody. The song begins its dramatics with sharp synthlines and pads escalating to the polybeat groove as a clean distorted synth plays progressive accompaniment to beaming lead guitars. Bouncing slap bass and rippling backdrop pads lead the music into several retriggered pauses and breaks.

Blazing on, the electronica seamlessly goes to major at a hectic speed until it stops, slows tempo, and reiterates the melody with shimmering wavy synths. The zenith of Rare Reminiscence is cued by the theme's whoosh of electric guitar: a fantastic sequence of synths celebrate the swung melody for as long as it is due. Slowly but surely, CD 2 and

Kong in Concert come to an end with this sweetly specific ode to our old friends at Rare.

We hope you have enjoyed.

- Digital Coma

NOW people won't miss them! ;)

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