*NO* Metal Gear 'Solid Snake: 21st Century Soldier'

[djpretzel]

-Contact Info-

Remixer name : Strike911

Real name : Jason Koohi

email : extreme74@hotmail.com

my website: http://www.strike911.sanctuslegacy.com

Remix can be downloaded at :

You may need to right click save as to reach it. I know that downloading it through a forum post works. So yeah... if it comes down to it, Surf to "" and use the "Find" function in your web-browser for "21" and it'll lead you to the download.

-Remix info-

Game Remixed : Metal Gear (NES, 1987)

Song Remixed : Jungle theme/Outside theme

Comments: I always loved Metal Gear. I originally created this theme trying to emulate the style of the newer Metal Gear Solid games. This mix actually started as a trance remix, but in the end I realized that I didn't like the trance parts and the strings were sounding really cool. So I kept the strings and started adding more and more instruments that you'd find in an orchestra. By the time I submitted a WIP, I had actually removed all the trance/dance music elements except for the heavy beat (though the tempo has been slowed down quite a bit.) So... yeah, here it is: "Solid Snake: 21st Century Soldier." I've tried a few times to get a ReMix in and hopefully this one appeals to the judges.

[Malcos]

You may need to right click save as to reach it. I know that downloading it through a forum post works. So yeah... if it comes down to it, Surf to "http://www.musicv2.com/artist/strike911" and use the "Find" function in your web-browser for "21" and it'll lead you to the download.

Yeah, do it this way.

I thought that the strings sounded a bit dodgy at first on their own. I also thought that the way the hats were introduced sounded very awkward, that is, until the main beat came in.

I think that the mechanised feel coming from the previous trance version of this was still present in the intro to some extent, that's why I thought the feel was strange at that point.

I think this mix was pleasant to listen to once it got into the main section.

While this mix is not remarkable in any way, I did enjoy listening to it.

YES

[Liontamer]

http://www.zophar.net/nsf/metlgear.zip - Track 2

Oh ho, I remember where I first heard this source tune. weed dropped some DOPE rhymes over the first few bars of the NSF in his collab with po!, "Venom", which y'all rap fans need to check out. As far as this one goes, had this one on tap for VGF52.

Malc was right in that the strings sounded unrealistic at points, and the light opening vox was strained a little bit as well. Nothing major for me right there, but noticeable. The track built up for the first 30 seconds or so. Very good arrangement ideas going on up until the source melody arrived at :31.

On the production side, I felt like the brass lead was mudding together with the strings on support. Meanwhile the beats and lil' clangy noises were prominent over the top of your brass & strings. The sound balance amongst the various elements in play really needs to be worked on the whole way through.

Strings sound decent though a bit unnatural during their solo section from 2:08-2:23, but when the note-to-note movement became faster from 2:24-2:55 and you later used some higher notes from 3:12-3:28, the sample was really exposed. Same with the string/wind combo from 3:28-3:41; very unnatural note movements and decays.

By 4:00, when the woodwind came in on the melody, I felt the track was dragging a little bit and could have used something a bit different compositionally to change the feel a bit. The brass samples at 4:31-4:47 sounded a bit too fakey as well, like something out of the GoldenEye soundtrack.

Some judges may talk about the beat getting boring because it repeated ad nauseum throughout the entire 5 minutes. Normally, I'd be in that camp when something happens like that, except that Jason dropped a hot beat here that never got tired for me. I'm expressing my beat bias in favor of deez b33tz. Nonetheless, you'll probably want to experiment with altering the thumping patterns involved in the beatwork to create a mild level of variation there. Create several more subtle variations so the beat doesn't potentially stagnate. Personally, I don't care either way but we'll see what the other Js have to say.

I thought this was an extremely promising track. I liked the arrangement more, though there could have been some more compositional twists and turns. Heard quite of number of sections just get repeated with different samples plugged in, which was alright, but might not fly with more demanding critics. Work on the production to achieve better sound balance and clarity for the piece. You want the leads to be the most prominent sounding instruments. Perhaps look into some more active panning for the mix as well. Also work a little bit on performance dynamics so the various orchestral instruments function a bit more realistically on the performance.

Definitely a great effort so far, and one I'd truly like to hear a resubmission on, Jase. In my estimation, it's a very nice fusion so far of beatwork and orchestration, and I hope the track doesn't come across as having an identity crisis for others. I don't think this needs drastic alteration in any way. This needs more attention paid to the finer details, bro. Keep on this one, please.

NO (resubmit)

[Vig]

Too much repetition, not enough development. There are parts where the strings will vamp for waaay too long before something new happens. The beat is not enough to sustain what is an otherwise extremely repetitive and dull remix.

Aside from adding and devloping your ideas, your strings sound mechanical, you might consider shortening the attack.

NO

[GrayLightning]

Yeah what vig said. You can hear the strings trying to ramp up on rather short notes. I'd try another articulation if you aren't able to edit your string envelopes. In addition everything sounds very muddy and dark. Which is good and all, but not in this context. I think there needs to be some higher frequencies, not to mention some EQ work to compensate for how muddy this sounds. As has been noted, the leads should stand out more.

The beats are indeed nice, but they are so repetitive, almost loopish.

Work on the concept more, and have the mix develop to some extent. I almost felt like it just kept repeating the same thing over and over and over by the end point. Promising, but it's not quite there yet. As is, is a NO from me.

[danny B]

I really like this track. There's a lot of good ideas present, and a pretty decent orchestration job. It's pretty close to having that solid "Hollywood" sound.

Unfortunately, 5 minutes of drumloop and largely rehashed structure does not an OCRemix make. I really like the direction you're going with this, but we're going to need some kind of variation - and dynamic contrast wouldn't hurt.

Almost there.

NO

-D