Jump to content

OCR02078 - Donkey Kong Country 2 "Us Monkeys Together"


djpretzel
 Share

Recommended Posts

This is a great song and worthy addition to the OCR catalogue. :-P A lot of people were hating on the vocals in the project thread, but I find both the performance and the overall execution to be spot on. The Mandarin lyrics are interesting; I have no idea what is being said, but I like the tonal qualities of the language. I agree that it adds uniqueness to the song. The instrumental portion is also well done and adequately layered without forcing too many elements into your face like is popular with some modern music. I wouldn't say the song is simple, but it sounds very comfortably made and as a result, is a pleasant experience. Yatta yatta.

Post your opinion
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This tripped me right up! I had a bunch of songs in my playlist including some chinese ones, then I popped this one in and when it started I thought I clicked the wrong song! I didn't expect someone would ever do a chinese language song on ocr~ very much appreciated you guys, I'm diggin' it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I loved this song so much when the DKC2 project came out. Fun, bubbly, refreshing. The equivalent of a cold fizzy drink on a hot summers day. Can't sit through this and not have a little smile on my face.

My only gripe is the percussion. From the stretch between 2:35 to 3:05 or so, the percussion is really exposed and it's kind of jarring. The percussion just sort of overpowers everything else in that section, I wish it had sounded a bit less cluttered, but oh well! I do love the changeup after that, and didn't really mind when it for the rest of the mix, so it might just have been an issue with the levels in it. The track isn't really any worse for it, and is still awesome.

In other business, I do love how this mix exemplifies how great and varied vocal mixes can be. Hell, every vocal track on the project is great, but c'mon OCR! When are you gonna post backwards room to finish the set off?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very cool. I love when someone tries to add lyrics to these songs because they're like blank slates that you can add to. Being able to do a vocal track and pulling it off is great. Pulling it off, in another language than English much less, is extremely impressive. These ReMixers definitely pulled this track off amazingly. The music has a great pop beat and the singing was beautiful. One of the highlights of the DKC 2 album for sure.

Edited by Crulex
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally, i've come to enjoy foreign languages in songs, esp. Asian. It adds so much flavor to a song that it brings more out of it than w/o.

This specific piece is very well executed and I definitely enjoy listening to it. You have one great voice and for someone who'll never even understand Chinese(mandarin), I wanted to encourage you about using vocals in other languages. I think that's what makes OCR so unique, the ability of artists to step outside of their comfort zone and make something truly special.

Great job!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

True story, I was at a friend's dorm listening to this song on speakers while me and said friend ran through Donkey Kong Country 3, and out of nowhere, his Mandarin-speaking roommate popped out and practically shouted "WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO AND WHY CAN I UNDERSTAND IT?" We then proceeded to have him translate the song for us :lol: I guess that's a good reaction though? :-D

Great remix though, I definitely feel like Amy upped her singing game on this one. Still room for improvement but it definitely feels like a solid effort that works in context. Such a cheery take on what I always felt was a more thoughtful, slow-paced original. Not what I was expecting or even hoping for for this source, but I like what I hear.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...
  • 1 year later...
  • 9 months later...
  • Liontamer changed the title to OCR02078 - Donkey Kong Country 2 "Us Monkeys Together"
  • 4 years later...

When I went into Serious Monkey Business, I was really looking forward to my favourite tunes for one of my favourite VGM soundtracks and how they got treated, and expected that I would go out with a pin in something like Stickerbush Symphony or Bayou Boogie or Krook's March as my favourite ReMix on the album. I did not expect it to be this, an electro-pop children's song sung in Mandarin to Snow-Bound Land. 

Despite not being able to understand the words, the fact that it has a treatment like a children's song captures the nostalgia I have for this game, and especially thinking of the nature of those words. The song makes me ache viscerally for those days parked in front of my my portable CRT at the end of my bed, trying to find every last bonus barrel and DK Coin, washing myself aurally with the amazing soundtrack and exploring the world Rare had crafted.

Music transcends language, and this proves it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...