Perfect Dark - Chicago Stealth

[aur3lius]

Sauce:

Remix:

Yea its a very rough mix littered with tempo issue plus some extra bacon with cheese, but I'm really not trying to focus on that at this moment. Everything was pretty much winged on the spot save for the guitar on the left. I'm just trying to get an opinion on the feel of the remix. Like the vibe or something. Its most likely gonna follow a similar flow, depending.

Honestly this is one of the few remixes I've tinkered with that didn't have me waking up the next day thinking, "the hell was I thinking?...", but as I listened to it more to try to find a path to take with the song, I.....I just don't know anymore. It just kinda feels bland at this point, kinda like its gonna be too slow of a mix. Won't hold any interest.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any opinions that may or may not be tossed my way.

[TheReverend]

Duuuuuuuude this is mellow and slick.

The Good:

You set a fantastic mood. I can practically see myself ambling down an urban street with rain pouring down everywhere. There is a relaxed pulse to the atmosphere. I think it really pulls the listener in.

I love the intro. It gets right down to business with just how dark this mix is gonna sound. The rain? Oh yeah. Friggin' sweet.

The arrangement thus far isn't too bad. You have a lot of little original parts that add your own flavor on the source, and it has that slow jam groove.

The Bad:

Get rid of that bell sound. It's a little bright for the rest of the instrumentation for my tastes. You have a warm, jazzy sounding guitar, a mellow upright bass, a minimal drum kit, and a bell sound that cuts like a knife. Now, you can make this sound work if you really want it, but I think you can find something to fill these shoes better. Piano would be a good sound. Saxophone would also be an excellent choice (I can practically hear someone wailing out some major improv later on). Even a brass instrument would do well. Just my personal taste, however.

I know you said this is a rough mix, but there are some technical issues that need attention. The drums aren't very solid rhythmically. I know you'll probably lay another track down with a metronome or whatnot, but don't get robotic. I think keeping the rhythm loose adds that human element and can accentuate the emotion in the music.

While I'm on the drum kit............BRUSHES man. You can really jazz this up with some solid brush work on those cymbals. I would love to hear that sound, and it would fill up the holes in the drum work with a bit of sound. I think this would be a perfect idea for the intro, if not the whole mix. I do, however, like that the drums try to stay light and don't really get very busy.

Other Thoughts:

The actual sound you have is just awesome. It sounds like you're playing here in my room. It's so organic. I love it. You have incredible potential with this remix, and I want want WANT to hear your next iteration. I look forward to seeing an update, and hopefully soon!

[M249-M4A1]

I agree with Rev on the bell sound. It doesn't quite fit the mood and atmosphere of this supposedly "dark" song. A temple bell might be better fitting.

Great mix so far!

[ella guro]

There's not much here yet but what you have so far sounds good. I agree about the bell sound, it's a tiny bit out of sync and it doesn't mix in great texturally with what you have. I suppose you could mix it differently, or you could opt for a different sound (like a darker keyboard sound or something along those lines). I wouldn't just take it out, though, since the juxtaposition of it doing the melody and what's going on in the guitars is interesting even if a tiny bit rough.

[DarkSim]

Just want to show some encouragement for this mix... I love the dark, jazzy style. I can imagine a 1950s detective walking around Chicago reciting a monologue as he walks along a dimly lit street with his shoulders hunched and the rain dripping from his trench coat...

Piano instead of the bells would be amazing, as would some mellow sax. See if you can get someone to do a collab with you if you're running out of inspiration, but for God's sake, finish this

[TheReverend]

^^^^^^^^^^^^ - What they said!

[Mordi]

Very original take on the tune. Nice tune altogether. Would prefer to see more of the sauce spill over on to the remix, though.

[Gario]

Oh my God, you use the exact same rain sound I used for my own Chicago remix! Are you stealin' mah ideas?

Actually, mines a Gumshoe remix with Chicago, so I guess that doesn't count .

ANYWAY, onto the actual remix...

Very smooth. Nice rain (hence why I used it in my own remix, eh?). I like the harmonic clash between the chords you use and the chords implied in the arpeggio.

Personally, I don't mind the bells you use - you just have a bit too much of it in there. If used relatively sparingly they evoke a very 70's sound (Moody Blues, anyone?). Use them to accent moments, not to set a constant texture, and they'll fit the music very well. I don't have a suggestion for the texture otherwise (perhaps piano, like others suggested?), so you'll need to experiment with that a little bit.

Very nice start to a track. Right now, it sounds like it's building to the melody that's supposed to shine through. The guitar work and other texture work is perfect for just that, but right now it sounds like it needs some melodic charm added to it. Sax would work nicely, but it's not the only instrument that could work. A clean lead guitar would also be excellent, as well as a piano or even a viola. With a track like this anything is possible, but be aware that the lead instrument will set the tone for the rest of the track.

The production is very clean. If you keep the rest of the track this pristine you'd have absolutely no problem in OCR's standards.

This is an awesome remix, so far. Don't let it drop.