OCRA-0020 - Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening: Threshold of a Dream

[prophetik music]

The Steve Reich-inspired piece really threw me for a loop the first time it came on. More minimalism needs to be harnessed for video game remixes.

pressure does build creativity =)

[Mustin]

Fuck dude I JUST NOW realized that prophetik = the prophet of mephisto = Brad Burr

Just use your names, holmes! It has two Bs and that's tight!

Anyway, listening through the project and it was this Face Shrine track that made me figure out who this is.

Cool beans.

[Mirby]

Haven't heard it yet, but when I do listen to it there'll be a review written.

[WillRock]

not quite. i'm actually a little offended that you think that i'd do something like that. just because it's not blatantly obvious what the remix melody is doesn't mean that i just made something up.

Sorry I offended you, that wasn't my intention, but there is no need to be offended if I say I can't hear the source in one of your remixes. I just stated what it sounds like to me, I never said thats what you actually did

You shouldn't be so defensive, i'm not trying to discredit you in any way

That said, even with your explanation I can't hear the source, even when I'm looking for it, and I assure you I've listened to this quite extensively. I know you used additive minimalism, I don't need to be told what that is, but I don't hear the source in any of your recorded sax parts, together or not. Might be the 3/4 (6/8? hard to tell where the accent on the beat is) time sig throwing me off as well. It doesn't bother me too much because its a cool track, I just wish I could hear the source that you insist is in the mix, because its a sweet track that imo could have been sweeter with clearer source usage

[PROTO·DOME]

Fantastic, cohesive album. You could've had either chippy happiness or the dreamy quality you went for and, IMO, this tributes the game's vibe perfectly. Really exploits the potential those simplistic three-track tunes had to offer. This album will hopefully influence others for years to come.

Also, Brad, enviable sax playing man.

[Dhsu]

By the way I feel I should elaborate on my earlier post. I don't know if Xenon Odyssey discussed his track with anyone, but it was based off of a short WIP I posted in the project thread. I did explicitly give permission for anyone else to expand on my work, but I guess I assumed it was implicit that I would be given credit.

I don't want to make this a big deal (because it isn't IMO), but mainly I don't want to be accused of plagiarism when I actually finish my WIP. Xenon and I discussed it a little and figured the appropriate thing to do would be to change the artist tag on the MP3 to include me. I realize that it would probably be a giant hassle to actually fix the torrent, but I'd appreciate it if I were credited at least in the track notes and direct download MP3s. Hopefully that's not too much to ask.

[Mustin]

Yeah, that took me out of the moment because I loved Dhsu's WIP and then I heard some if it in a track on the project and I had to look down and see what it was.

anyway

WHO IS MIKU? CAN I COMMISSION A WHOLE PROJECT FROM HE/SHE/IT?

Hands down my favorite track on the album.

[Dhsu]

http://ocremix.org/artist/4583/miku

Also made a Majora's Mask arrangement I really liked but unfortunately never got accepted.

Edit: Dude you're wrong this sloopygoop track is one of the best things I've ever heard.

[ZeldaStrife]

WHO IS MIKU? CAN I COMMISSION A WHOLE PROJECT FROM HE/SHE/IT?

Hands down my favorite track on the album.

Holy pink pagodas, Batman, I know! I looked at the artists when I put it in iTunes, and when I got to Miku, I was like, "Never heard of you, but okay." and then I heard it and I was blown away! So, yeah, Miku, wherever you are, do more stuff!!

Edit: upon seeing Dhsu below comment, another alias that Miku has is Kimchi. He/she did another remix from LA: Secret Seashells. it's here on OCR.

[prophetik music]

That said, even with your explanation I can't hear the source, even when I'm looking for it, and I assure you I've listened to this quite extensively. I know you used additive minimalism, I don't need to be told what that is, but I don't hear the source in any of your recorded sax parts, together or not. Might be the 3/4 (6/8? hard to tell where the accent on the beat is) time sig throwing me off as well. It doesn't bother me too much because its a cool track, I just wish I could hear the source that you insist is in the mix, because its a sweet track that imo could have been sweeter with clearer source usage

i'll have to post an image at some point. i took out beat 4 from the original one-measure thing, which gives me the melodic phrase i used for this piece. i raised the first beat up an octave to condense it into one octave. then i broke it up and spread it out between the first three saxophones to enter - all soprano saxes.

an image will make it make sense, i think. but this is the point where i point out that it's not supposed to me a mix that beats you over the head with the (really terrible) source. it's supposed to be subtle. if you don't like it, well, that's why the whole album isn't this kind of minimalism

Fuck dude I JUST NOW realized that prophetik = the prophet of mephisto = Brad Burr

Just use your names, holmes! It has two Bs and that's tight!

Anyway, listening through the project and it was this Face Shrine track that made me figure out who this is.

Cool beans.

=D sorry for the confusion, man.

also, miku and sloopygoop's tracks were fantastic. i was so disappointed when miku wasn't able to finish his arrangement due to extenuating circumstances.

sloopygoop is a guy i went to college with. totally just pulled that track out of nowhere. i had no idea he was even into chiptunes =)

[Liontamer]

By the way I feel I should elaborate on my earlier post. I don't know if Xenon Odyssey discussed his track with anyone, but it was based off of a short WIP I posted in the project thread. I did explicitly give permission for anyone else to expand on my work, but I guess I assumed it was implicit that I would be given credit.

I don't want to make this a big deal (because it isn't IMO), but mainly I don't want to be accused of plagiarism when I actually finish my WIP. Xenon and I discussed it a little and figured the appropriate thing to do would be to change the artist tag on the MP3 to include me. I realize that it would probably be a giant hassle to actually fix the torrent, but I'd appreciate it if I were credited at least in the track notes and direct download MP3s. Hopefully that's not too much to ask.

BAH! That does blow finding that out afterward, but when I have more time, I'll look into it. audio fidelity had a skip in the FLAC for his Teen Agent track that we had to fix, it's nothing new. Bummer though.

[prophetik music]

BAH! That does blow finding that out afterward, but when I have more time, I'll look into it. audio fidelity had a skip in the FLAC for his Teen Agent track that we had to fix, it's nothing new. Bummer though.

i only just found out about it as well =(

[Dhsu]

Thanks guys, and sorry it came up so late. I appreciate your understanding.

[Benjamin Briggs]

not quite. i'm actually a little offended that you think that i'd do something like that. just because it's not blatantly obvious what the remix melody is doesn't mean that i just made something up.

i practiced something called additive minimalism in this piece - also known as pointillism. basically, the melody isn't in one specific instrument, but it swings between lots of different instruments, each playing one or two notes. so, while the melody is played in full by the first soprano sax right before the chords come back in - eighths D A, 16ths D E F# G eighths A D, one measure of 3/4, basically - it's played by the first three soprano saxes right as soon as they come in and play their section of the ostinado fully.

if you'd all like, i can post an annotated score that explains where it's coming from, and where the melody shows up. but rest assured - if animal counterpoint was in 3/4, this is what it'd sound like. it's only one bar of 4/4 music repeated endlessly in-game, anyways.

like i said to some other people - LISTEN. this project wasn't meant to be like other projects, where a five-year-old can listen and pick out the tune. it's meant to be more introspective, requiring active listening. i thought that i was actually a little too obvious with the theme in AC, so if you're not picking it up even then, i guess i was wrong

yeah, the whole "you guys are deaf" argument isn't doing it for me here

I mean, I believe you, but seriously it's impossible for me to pick out the theme no matter how many times I "actively" listen to it

that being said, I really like the track... it just isn't nostalgic for me at all

[prophetik music]

yeah, the whole "you guys are deaf" argument isn't doing it for me here

LOL!

not all arrangements have to be nostalgic. music can be written for the sake of writing music, not just to appeal to the masses.

honestly, i wish that there were more higher-level remixes rather than the midirip+groovebias stuff that often ends up on albums to fill the holes.

edit: i do know what you're talking about, though. the remix is note-for-note - but because i reduced it, changed some octaves, and used something as weird and non-traditional as pointillism on it, it's hard to hear. i promise you'll hear it if you plunk those notes i listed out on a keyboard, though.

[Jenz Drake]

Enjoying the album so far... I just wanted to ask... How could Mokram's song not get posted? That's just insane and it blows my mind.

[Xenon Odyssey]

Larry I sent you a PM about the Dhsu credit thing so since it's been posted here (which is another thing I didn't think about...clearly the end of the semester is rotting my head), you can ignore it when/if you ever get around to looking through your inbox.

also, hopefully i'll get around to listening to this thing! can't wait

[halc]

honestly, i wish that there were more higher-level remixes rather than the midirip+groovebias stuff that often ends up on albums to fill the holes.

that's a generalization. all of the most recent albums (FF5, DKC2, FF4), have had plenty of 'high-level' arrangements with detail and depth that reimagine the song in a totally different way but still manage to keep the tune recognizable to those who may be familiar with the material. if anything, I feel like we see more liberal stuff than super-conservative groove bias, but maybe that's just me. :/

anyway, listened to the album last night. loving Full Moon Cello, Threshold of a Dream, and Voices of the Deep, as well as Ben's tracks, of course. oh, and sloopygoop's chiptune was epic

[Dhsu]

that's a generalization. all of the most recent albums (FF5, DKC2, FF4), have had plenty of 'high-level' arrangements with detail and depth that reimagine the song in a totally different way but still manage to keep the tune recognizable to those who may be familiar with the material. if anything, I feel like we see more liberal stuff than super-conservative groove bias, but maybe that's just me. :/

But they don't have enough SAX.

[halc]

But they don't have enough SAX.

hahaha. true dat.

[Liontamer]

LOL!

not all arrangements have to be nostalgic. music can be written for the sake of writing music, not just to appeal to the masses.

honestly, i wish that there were more higher-level remixes rather than the midirip+groovebias stuff that often ends up on albums to fill the holes.

edit: i do know what you're talking about, though. the remix is note-for-note - but because i reduced it, changed some octaves, and used something as weird and non-traditional as pointillism on it, it's hard to hear. i promise you'll hear it if you plunk those notes i listed out on a keyboard, though.

I'm with Dhsu. At 2:05 once all the pieces are (finally) in place, the theme is basically 1-for-1 sans the last note of the phrase. The theme also overlaps with itself, which also might be throwing you off.

honestly, i wish that there were more higher-level remixes rather than the midirip+groovebias stuff that often ends up on albums to fill the holes.

As halc mentioned, that's not even remotely accurate.

[prophetik music]

As halc mentioned, that's not even remotely accurate.

my definition of midirip + groovebias is undoubtably different than yours, considering three of my rejections were note-for-note transcriptions that got the "too liberal" nod. and yes, i was talking projects as in OCRA-0001 through 0019, not necessarily recent projects only. i thought ff4 did a good job, particularly, of avoiding that issue. but let's not get off track

thanks so far for all the positive feedback, folks =) it's great to hear that people are really enjoying the concept of this album.

don't forget that there's a listening party coming up on sunday!

[Liontamer]

my definition of midirip + groovebias is undoubtably different than yours, considering three of my rejections were note-for-note transcriptions that got the "too liberal" nod.

Orly? Rattle 'em off and PM me some MP3s.

[Rexy]

Depending on the time, I *might* make the Sunday party.

But yeah, managed to listen through to the whole set twice so far. Though, yesterday I was informed that Pepsi, one of my cats, had passed away in her sleep; assuming that Aetherius originally invisioned the album as "something to listen to on a rainy day", the aftermath was used as the backdrop for the second listen.

And let me say right here and now; "House of Frogs" at the end was the one that *finally* got me moved. I may have thought some of the solos in the middle might've killed the mood slightly, but if the tailends of the track got me to crumble, then it was obvious that Brad and Fishy managed to pull off something really pretty for the most part. Well done to both of you

[POCKETMAN]

Awesome work guys! Been waiting for this one for awhile