Nabeel Ansari Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Unless it has 800 BPM then it is considered laid back to me. So laid back that it's practically lying down. Whatchu know about high BPMs hater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucavi00 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 this is what I think of your post good sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindWanderer Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Great round! I have it down to my top 6, and out of 9 that's pretty darn good. Cutting 3 and ranking the others is going to take a lot of thought. Splash Damage: I have to say I'm really surprised to hear something so traditional from Brandon, nowhere near as adventurous as his earlier entries (not a good or a bad thing, just a thing). Overall, the arrangement is very nice--that it's pretty heavy on Splash Woman over Wily is my only complaint here--but to my ear there's an issue with balance. For instance, the woodwind sound at 0:17 takes a fraction of a second to build up to full volume, and the song is fast enough that this results in many of the notes being too quiet. Some of the guitar sounds seem like they're cut off just a couple of milliseconds too soon, too. I'd love to hear this one polished just a little bit more: great blending of the themes, good flow (abrupt ending, though), and all around pleasant. This could easily become my favorite Splash Woman take. Mega Breeze: Unfortunately I'm not a big fan of this style. It seems that Will has two modes in these compos: big, loud, and epic, or smooth and dreamy. I much prefer the former. Not much integration of the themes here, it's mainly Air->Wily. There's nothing bad here, but nothing wows me either. If the same arrangement had been done in the same style as Showdown or Air-Cossacks, I might feel much different about it--there's definitely some fun stuff going on on the Wily side. flames of youth: Smooth and dreamy again? The Dust Man intro is a little quiet up against the rest of the soundscape, but it's very nice. I wish there were more of it before Wily cut in. It really gets buried under the Wily riffing in the middle--great elements, just not put together as evenly as I'd like. Final Stand in the Castle: Oh, there's some sweet music here. The samples and production could use some improvement, and some of the notes seem off-key, but I enjoyed this anyway. That guitar solo is maybe just a little too nuts, but it's otherwise awesome. I'd really love to see this get some more love--another minute or two of length, a bit of cleaning up, and this would be gold. We Were Once Robots, Then We Took a Megaman To The Knee: This is a huge improvement over Zach's earlier work, really exciting and enjoyable. Really excellent integration of the themes. There are a few off-key moments, I'm not a huge fan of all the instrument choices and samples, and that ending is just sad, but there's a great arrangement here. Take this through WIP and I can see it ending up being fantastic. Disconnect: Hm, Belmont's singing seems a bit off-key here, which I wouldn't ordinarily mention for a singer but I know he usually does better on this front. Maybe my ears are just off today? Anyway, it's hard to appreciate this as a stand-alone piece when it's so similar to both of his earlier entries. It also doesn't help that We're The Robots is a really complex piece, and trying to mix that with Cold Man and a repeating song structure is a big challenge. Cold Man ends up with the short end of the stick, I barely hear it. If you plan on getting it posted, it might be better not even trying to include Cold Man. It's still good, but it's going to be very hard for me to rank it semi-objectively. Night Train to the Deep Jungle: Well... it's a lot better than Zero's first entry, I'll give it that. But Search Man's a bitch, I'm not sure how much even the best remixers would be able to do with it. With some better samples, a more liberal arrangement, and about 30 seconds less talking, the Wily part might actually be pretty good. Raging Reptile: With Serpent's Spiral coming out last week, the Snake Man-shaped void in my personal collection has been filled, but there's always room for more. This one has an interesting take on We're The Robots, but I'm not sure that bringing the two themes together worked very well. They mostly alternate until the very end, and it's a little forced there. Again, nothing objectionable here, but nothing that makes me sit up and take notice, either. Derailed at Wily Temple: Now this is adventurous. Schizophrenic, even. There are some Asian influences, but they're mixed in with a lot of other... stuff. I can't really give a good review here because it's so varied, I'd have to go segment by segment. I will say that several of the Charge Man parts are pretty similar to PH's earlier entries, but there's a lot of new takes on the theme, too. I know that's not very helpful, but this piece is so strange that I don't have any coherent thoughts about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonetic Hero Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Derailed at Wily Temple: Now this is adventurous. Schizophrenic, even. There are some Asian influences, but they're mixed in with a lot of other... stuff. I can't really give a good review here because it's so varied, I'd have to go segment by segment. I will say that several of the Charge Man parts are pretty similar to PH's earlier entries, but there's a lot of new takes on the theme, too. I know that's not very helpful, but this piece is so strange that I don't have any coherent thoughts about it. Scrambled brains + enjoyability = mission accomplished OH and thanks for taking the time to review! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zach72 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 We Were Once Robots, Then We Took a Megaman To The Knee: This is a huge improvement over Zach's earlier work, really exciting and enjoyable. Really excellent integration of the themes. There are a few off-key moments, I'm not a huge fan of all the instrument choices and samples, and that ending is just sad, but there's a great arrangement here. Take this through WIP and I can see it ending up being fantastic. Yeah, my production values and instrument choices are pretty wack xD! Glad you liked the arrangement though. Thanks for the review! yeah also /bandwagon SuperiorX + pH This competition was really fun working with other people...and just a fun thing altogether ! yep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonetic Hero Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 + pH Someone actually spelled it with a lower case "p"!! w00t. That' "+" makes it really non-acidic though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. L Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Not much to say except... /bandwagon SuperiorX, pH, and Amphibious, zach72 This competition has been a blast, and I've learned a lot from everyone here (even if it may not sound like it... yet) and I hope I can join in on a future one. I really appreciate everyone's comments and reviews (and also the totally unexpected votes that I got )! So, thanks everyone! And, mad props to my teammates and to everyone for the awesome mixes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperiorX Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Round 9 reviews: Splash Damage: I love the atmosphere here: acoustic guitar, flute, nice hand percussion. Great stuff. The arrangement is masterful, I really enjoy how you blended the two themes: passing the lead between the two melodies and having a lot of the counter-melodies of the opposite track being played in the background and whatnot. Thoroughly enjoyable. The guitar recording is great too. This is probably my favorite rendition of Splash Women yet! About all I can say is, wow Brandon, you have some KILLER. STUDIO. CHOPS. #1 Mega Breeze: More of a chill arrangement from Will this round. I dig it. Synth work is great, as always. I think I like the way you arranged Air Man the best in this song. It's normally a much more uptempo theme, but I think it sounds great more low-key like this. Nice arrangement too. flames of youth: Another chill arrangement. It's got a good groove to it and I think it succeeds at what you were going for. It's almost a little too slow-paced though. I feel like it needed to mix things up just a bit more to keep it interesting for 4 minutes. But I still enjoyed it, nice work! Final Stand in the Castle: Superb work here Lidawg. I do have to agree that it was just way too short, because it is so awesome. But as you said, what you do have is quality. I love the guitar wankery going on at 1:19, so nice work there Cyril. Mixing sounds a bit quiet compared to the other tracks, but that could just be my speakers. Good job though, #3! We Were Once Robots...: I was going to write a review for this track, but then IARGHHHHHHHH. No seriously though, despite the overused meme title, I enjoyed this track It's got a nice upbeat groove and some nice sound design. At parts the environment sounds a bit empty, but I think with a little work and some elaboration on the arrangement towards the end, this could be very good! Disconnect: More vocal goodness from Akumajo I think I like this a bit more than your 2nd mix, but it falls a bit short of your first. I still enjoyed it a lot tho! Nice vocal performances and layering throughout, but what's going on at 0:59 (and again at 2:29)? It sounds like the phrase gets cut off, unless it's supposed to be that way. Nice little solo with Flex in the middle too. Good work guys! Very nearly got my #3 vote. Night Train to the Deep Jungle: Oooh vocal clip intro! Rozo is gonna love it! When the song starts at 0:45 that bass instrument sounds like the tone is off a bit, or just dry. It just doesn't seem to mesh with the drums well. Personally, I would've liked to see more instrument variation, as the pure bass & drums grows stale quickly, IMO. Things get switched up around 2:00 luckily, but then go back to pure bass & drum at 2:25 . Well I like the little interlude section a lot, and would've liked to see that expanded more. Raging Reptile: Oh hey I thought this was AeroZ for a second, but then I had to look up that his Snake Man mix is "Ravaging Reptile" while this is "Raging Reptile". Very big difference, my apologies. Anywho, I really enjoy this mix, it's got a great groove, particularly at the 0:28 section (and where that repeats). I also think you integrated the two themes quite well. Cool sound design too! The fadeout ending is a little disappointing, but otherwise a very solid song! #2. Derailed at Wily Temple (aka Legends of the Hidden Charge Man): Nice! I think this is my favorite of pH's mixes from the compo. I love the jungle-esque Pitfall sound design going on. The ethnic drums, flute, and strings are all very well-executed. I also enjoy how the Wily theme was interpreted very differently than the other tracks (although I would've liked to see it introduced a bit earlier in the song). I wish I could vote for this one cause I really like it! Nice job teammate! Good job everyone! And that brings us to end of the normal rounds of The Wily Castle Remix Gauntlet 2011. So I guess sometime soon we'll begin mixing for Round 10 here in... 2012? Time paradox! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Strader Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Round 9 reviews:Splash Damage: I About all I can say is, wow Brandon, you have some KILLER. STUDIO. CHOPS. #1 OMG THANK U I AM HONORED! Seriously! You loved 'em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperiorX Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 OMG THANK U I AM HONORED! Seriously! No problem , it's seriously a great song. And you do have some killer studio chops too What is that instrument that is first introduced at 0:52? I can't quite place it, but it's got a really interesting sound. Also that slap chop dude has quite the disturbing facial expression... and is that Nic Cage's head dancing around in your sig? That is creepy as hell, yet hilarious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucavi00 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Alright. It is time for Lucavi00's top two songs per round. Round1: Totally Rad Winter by Sir_NutS -I love the genre and style of the music and he works the Wily Castle song with Blizzard Man's song very well. Burn the Castle by AMT -I'm a sucker for guitar and Pirate Man has an awesome level song and design. I'm really glad someone picked one of the more obscure Robot Masters this competition. Round2: Far From Home by AkumajoBelmont -Love the retro style and cheesy as hell lyrics. Cold Man is another great Robot Master and Wily Castle 2-1 is as iconic as they come. It was pretty much a match made in heaven. It doesn't hurt that Belmont had prior experience with a vocal track done to Wily Castle 2-1 in his previous song, For You (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02121/) Shadows of Wily by Amphibious -That guitar again. Shadow Man's song is so smooth in Mega Man 3 and I think it transitions to guitar very well. Amphibious makes the transitions between tracks seem pretty seamless. Song is a bit short for my taste but that is only because hearing it always leaves me wanting more. Round3: Running with Scissors by Nekofrog -Can you all see a trend here? Again...guitar and its fast and heavy. I actually find Cut Man's song to be rather short and annoying in the Mega Man game but here Nekofrog fleshes it out with some killer riffs, a very nice breakdown and some good double bass drumming. Not a huge fan of the Wily Castle 5 source but I can't complain when it that guitar is wailing. Topsy Turvy by Flexstyle -Ah Top Man; One of those songs you either love or hate. I love Top Man's stage and music, it's just so crazy and upbeat. Flexstyle really brought out the big guns in this round because those drums are just kicking ass all over the place; It sounds so good on my 5.1 surround system. The song is rather short but it's oh so sweet. Round4: Liquid Metal by Brandon Strader feat. Rexy -The guitars are awesome and so are the sources. Splash Woman was a very welcome addition to the Mega Man series in my opinion, having both an amazing level and song. The lyrics here are great and I love the growling and screaming even though I'm not a huge fan of that genre. My only question to Brandon is... is that Rexy growling too? Dayquil, Nyquil by Jason Covenant -Really dug the drum work in this piece and the nice use of samples. Very smooth and chill mix that builds up into a piece that has a lot of power behind it. Yamato Man isn't a personal favorite of mine but Jason works it very well into a mix that is easily one of my favorites in this competition. Round5: The Fall by AkumajoBelmont -Belmont: The name is synonymous with ass kicking. AkumajoBelmont returns in Round5 with another vocal mix that just hits all the right spots with me. Cheesy lyrics and a killer beat that screams New Order or Depeche Mode. It's short and sweet and that drum hits hard as hell with my subwoofer. I like it, I like it a lot. Wily's Bubble Bath by TheGuitahHeroe -When I first heard this song I was playing World of Warcraft and I thought to myself: This sounds like something TheGuitahHeroe would do. I look over at my iTunes playlist and sure enough it's him back with another rocking Bubble Man mix (The first amazing one from him being Bubbling Adrenaline from the GRMRB 2011). Bubble Man's song is in my top 5 favorite Robot Master songs of all time for good reason, it's catchy as all hell. Add that to Wily Tower 8-2 and you have a powerhouse electronic mix that rocks my socks. Love those Willrock-esque mini solos you got goin' on. Round6: Red Chamomile by Rexy feat. Brandon Strader -It's Plant Man and Cossack 4-2 with guitar from Brandon Strader and some amazing work from Rexy. Nuff said. Air-Cossacks! by WillRock -I C wut you did thar with the title. Just like above it's Air Man and Cossack 4-2 with that WillRock flair we've all come to know and love. Nuff said. Round7: Totally Tubular Fortress by Sir_NutS -Sir_NutS has this genre in the palm of his hand. Nice sound with a killer drum that hits in all the right spots. Like stated before, Blizzard Man is one of my favorites and I really like Wily Stage 7-4 as well. Sir_NutS really delivers here with a great mix of two great sources. Float by TheGuitahHeroe -Here we are again with GuitahHeroe and Bubble Man. It just seems like the two were destined to meet because TGH can really churn out some great mixes using the Bubble Man source. This song is a little different from the others he's done and that is not a bad thing at all. The piano samples are a nice touch but you can clearly hear that TGH flair that is present in all of his songs. Round8: Cruise Control by Nutritious feat. WillRock -This song is just great. It has a good build up, a powerful delivery and presence coupled with great guitar work. Nutritious and WillRock really stepped up the game in Round9 with this great track. Tomahawk's Final Chapter by Geoffio -I laughed pretty hard hearing this song. The vocals are amazing simply because you can almost hear Christian Bale coaching Geo on how to use the gruff Batman voice from the corner of the room. The song really does sound like a battle with how the two sources go back and forth. Geo did a really good job with this one. It's a bit silly but still delivers. Round9: Mega Breeze by WillRock -Not your usual song from WillRock. He usually has an almost over the top synth explosion but here he takes a different road. The sound is good and he incorporates Air Man and We're the Robots very well. The beginning starts off pretty slow and steady with some Air Man that leads into a build up that works the Wily 9-2 source very well and then the mix slowly drifts into closure with piano that I could fall asleep to. Raging Reptile by Benjamin Briggs -Now this, this is how you work Snake Man. The original source is so amazing by itself that it is very VERY hard to do it justice. Benjamin Briggs hits the nail squarely on the head and just keeps driving it home with this amazing mix. It's upbeat and has that Snake Man charm with a splash of We're the Robots that makes me beg to hear more and more. Great job. I guess that's it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Strader Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 What is that instrument that is first introduced at 0:52? I can't quite place it, but it's got a really interesting sound. It is GuanZi, the pipe of Tristesse or the sound of inconsolable sadness. The GuanZi is a one-of-a-kind double-reed instrument from China. Also that slap chop dude has quite the disturbing facial expression... and is that Nic Cage's head dancing around in your sig? That is creepy as hell, yet hilarious. Yeah, I like to walk the line like so many great musicians before me.. Johnny Cash.. Ke$ha... etc.. Nicolas Cage is amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabeel Ansari Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Gettin my killer studio chops ready for round 10. Got a full studio armed to the teeth after the holidays and I'm ready to get back to BUSTIN SOME CHOPS I MEAN BEATS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucavi00 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 That guy is already an internet celebrity. I need to make a song, get rejected on OCRemix and say goodbye in a thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexy Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Liquid Metal by Brandon Strader feat. Rexy-The guitars are awesome and so are the sources. Splash Woman was a very welcome addition to the Mega Man series in my opinion, having both an amazing level and song. The lyrics here are great and I love the growling and screaming even though I'm not a huge fan of that genre. My only question to Brandon is... is that Rexy growling too? I'm not Brandon, but yes, I contributed some vocals for the track, and ONLY some vocals (re-linking the because I can). What did you think I did for it, a non-existant piano? In all seriousness, thank you very much for the feedback on the tracks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucavi00 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I'm not Brandon, but yes, I contributed some vocals for the track, and ONLY some vocals (re-linking the because I can). What did you think I did for it, a non-existant piano? In all seriousness, thank you very much for the feedback on the tracks You never know. I mean I could hear your voice in the background in one part of the song and it didn't sound growly but then I noticed to different pitches for the growling in another so I just had to make sure. Edit: Just watched the youtube video. That is intense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magellanic Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Final Stand in the Castle: Oh, there's some sweet music here. The samples and production could use some improvement, and some of the notes seem off-key, but I enjoyed this anyway. That guitar solo is maybe just a little too nuts, but it's otherwise awesome. I'd really love to see this get some more love--another minute or two of length, a bit of cleaning up, and this would be I'm glad you enjoyed it and yeah, you nailed what needs to be fixed/improved. I'll probably leave this as is. I could extend it but..dunno. Its good to move on to something else. I like to apply what I've learnt from a completed song rather than revising an existing one (not always though). With the solo, I just said to Cyril "here ya go, do a solo" I wanted it to be crazy so I was happy with that haha Final Stand in the Castle: Superb work here Lidawg. I do have to agree that it was just way too short, because it is so awesome. But as you said, what you do have is quality. I love the guitar wankery going on at 1:19, so nice work there Cyril. Mixing sounds a bit quiet compared to the other tracks, but that could just be my speakers. Good job though, #3! I would have loved to have had more time to extend it and polish, but who knows how long it would have taken me Its not your speakers by the way, it is quieter than the others. The production was a mad rush so it suffered some what. I didn't want to lose the clarity that is there (needs more EQ/Compression etc.) by making it loud. Thanks for the feedback. Its always really appreciated as it helps me improve little by little. One day, I'll have KILLER. STUDIO. CHOPS! (Sorry, I couldn't resist) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helios42 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 I have a question: Can voting be open for longer than 12PM EST on saturday? Due to not getting the songs right away, it'd be better at least for me, to get a weekend to listen to them. Since this round wasn't out until sunday evening, could voting last at least through all/most of saturday? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted January 4, 2012 Author Share Posted January 4, 2012 No. There are only 9 songs, it shouldn't take you an entire weekend to listen to all of them and make a decision. And yes I realize the irony of this statement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Strader Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Gee whiz i guess i better vote soon because i won't have access to the internet for some reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexy Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Gee whiz i guess i better vote soon because i won't have access to the internet for some reason MAGFest, right? Given the peace around here in general, I'd say you're probably not the only one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Strader Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 MAGFest, right? Given the peace around here in general, I'd say you're probably not the only one. I should savor this piece, at least until I leave tomorrow morning. :3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helios42 Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 No. There are only 9 songs, it shouldn't take you an entire weekend to listen to all of them and make a decision.And yes I realize the irony of this statement. I'm not saying it will take an entire weekend for me personally. It does, however, take some amount of free time for me to give each one a couple of listens, and that free time is sometimes hard to come by for a college student also working 10 hours a week. Right now, my prime times that I have a solid chunck of time to listen fall on the weekends. I'll be able to manage, so I will get my votes in anyways. I was just sayin' that it might benefit the voting to extend it out a little, to allow people a whole week for when free time may come to them. But ah well, I'll squeeze the time out of somewhere, so no worries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orlouge82 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Whew, been really busy this week. Finally time for reviews! Splash Damage - Best one yet, Brandon. Still trying to decide where it fits into in my ranking [EDIT: looks like it's #4 ], but it's up there. Reminds me a lot of Vurez's Odyssey at the Falls. Great stuff, and it looks like it's going to win this round!! Mega Breeze - Another new direction for WillRock, and I like it. Very ethereal soundscape, which is definitely something new for Mr. Rock. I was kind of unsure about it when I first heard it, but it's really grown on me throughout the week and I think it may be my favorite so far from this round (and definitely my favorite of WillRock's from this compo). Nice finish! flames of youth - I don't get sick of your mellow stuff. You are able to keep it original-sounding enough, too. This one reminds me of "hard day's night," which was my favorite from GRMRB 2011. It's one is a close second, despite your earlier complaints about it. Final Stand in the Castle - If not for the short length of this one, it would have broken into the top 3. It's definitely one of the cleaner sounding mixes of yours, and the arrangement is really great, too. The length, again, is the only complaint I have. Really nicely done. I would love to see a longer version emerge! We Were Once Robots; Then We Took A Megaman To The Knee - Another song that would have made this round way more difficult than it already is if it were a minute or so longer. But I really have to say that this one is awesome. Just a spectacular improvement over your earlier stuff. You've come such a long way since the GRMRB Exhibition Match. I would really enjoy seeing a longer version of this one, but it's pretty awesome how it is now. Disconnect - Your style has really grown on me throughout the compo. In fact, The Fall is one of my top 15 or so songs from WCRG 2011. Where I used to hate lyrics, I've come to love the cheesiness. That said, while Disconnect isn't quite as catchy to me as The Fall, it's still very well done, and it has a great arrangement to it. Nicely done, and I'll be watching your stuff more closely going forward! Night Train to the Deep Jungle - Very Apocalypse Now. Very fitting for Search Man, I suppose. While this one isn't quite as aligned to my personal tastes as I Dreamt of a Man with Two Heads, it may actually be more well done as far as production and arrangement goes. Great job, and great improvement over the past couple of months! Raging Reptile - [at the Disco?]. Anyhow, awesome stuff. Looking back, I have noticed a great injustice: I never voted for any of your songs. Yet, I have been listening to them a lot. Although a third place vote does not completely balance out my karmic debt, I nonetheless am going to proceed with that plan. I really enjoyed this and all of your other mixes from this compo. Thanks for the awesome musics!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperiorX Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Whew, been really busy this week. Finally time for reviews "Derailed at Wily Temple" wasn't good enough to get a review? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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