*NO* Super Mario 64 'Joyful, Happy Docks'

[djpretzel]

Email sub file: Super Mario 64 Joyful, Happy Docks OC ReMix.mp3

Remixer Name: Tepid

Real Name: Philip Schwan

Song Remixed: Dire Dire Docks from Super Mario 64

Comment: This is by far the best mix I've ever done. Similar to my take on 'Fisherman's Horizon' but I think my mastering is a lot better. Enjoy.

[Sam Ascher-Weiss]

http://www.zophar.net/usf/sm64usf.rar - "09 Super Mario 64 - Dire, Dire Docks.miniusf"

Okay! The Fmajor7 you added sounds great [like at 1:10]. A lot of the problems from the Fisherman's horizon mix have returned here. The overall clowdiness caused by the strings and multiple reverbed/delayed guitar parts is here along with the mega-repetitive drums. Unlike in the Fisherman song though we do get a break on occasion like at 3:38. Also at 4:17 the drums become much more interesting. The reversal effects starting at 5:16 are cool. The left panned rhythm guitar part that enters at 6:05 could work well but the melody you wrote on top sounds awful. That's got to go!

So listen up. This is nearly 7 minutes long. There's no need for that. The vibe solo was weak.... fix it or get rid of it. If I were you I would replace the vibe solo with the stuff at 3:38 and maybe add a little more hat action. The break at 2:56 should have happened much earlier. Unfortunately with this song, just getting rid of some sections is not enough. You have to deal with the all the mud. Step one would be to see how this sounds without the strings. Then get rid of alot of the reverb.... the panning at 3:26 was a good idea. More of that would also help clean up some of the mud but I think the biggest culprits here are the strings. Finally, you need to work more on varying your percussion. You did a great job of that towards the end so I know you're capable.

n0

[Vig]

great ideas in this mix, the execution aint so great.

The guitars alternate from being drowned in reverb to tinny, to poorly played. This needs to be fixed.

a lot of the solos (guitars and elp) conflict somewhat with the chord progression because they are all blues solos but the key contains a lot of chords that dont necessarily work with the blues scale. just sounds akward.

I really like all the switchups in this mix. the bass solo at 4:00 is a great idea. i think the solo itself is kind of clunky.

the dynamics are great, i dont really think 7 minutes is necessarily too long. however the mastering and performance need some polish. The arrangement is solid and interesting, just need to generally tighten up the screws.

NO

[Liontamer]

Yeah, I thought the intro here was good. Nice ideas on the lead guitar at :19. Things sounded very airy/flowy/synonyms like that. Good stuff with the source melody at :38, though the backing strings sounded dull instead of airy. The beatwork faded in at :56, but it was really plain and dull-sounding. Good stuff from the acoustic guitar on support most of the time. Kinda disappointing that the lead didn't have more bite/power to it, but it's not a big deal. Already though, a lot of the sounds just bled together. Pan and separate and clear it up.

Decent switch in the feel at 1:38 with some original material from that xylo-like deal, but the beatwork was quickly becoming repetitive and boring, and again the strings on support were dull. Into the xylo solo at 1:57 and the drum pattern was still repeating ad nauseum, plus the solo was well-composed but the sound was pretty sparse.

Lead guitar returned at 2:16 but it needs some more higher frequencies to sound sharper, plus the volume could have been brought up a little bit, IMO. Back into the source material at 2:38, and I feel like the arrangement itself is dragging and I'm waiting for something new to happen to provide some variation. Good stuttering ideas at 3:03-3:06. Heard some new cymbal stuff at 3:16 on support and a very crisp and clean acoustic guitar joining in at 3:26.

3:38-4:16, kind of a boring solo to me with the lead, but some good ideas in there to provide some quietness and contrast. I'm appreciating the principle of it anyway, and the acoustic guitar and shakers there were good.

FINALLY changed that drum pattern at 4:16 going back into the “Dire, Dire Docks” melody and (thankfully) dropped it out entirely at 4:36, which I think resulted in a nice change of pace. Moving into the chorus at 4:55, the lead was very obscured and the string support and ambiance all bled and mushed together, sounding very sloppy. Good stuff at 5:16 with the acoustic plucking stuff and the effects, which would have made for a tight close by around 5:54.

Kind of a shame that you started riffing on the Title theme from 6:04-6:42 - not that it couldn't have worked, but the timing on the lead sounded sluggish/lethargic and takes getting used to. Plus you brought back in that tired ass drum pattern yet again. You had the right idea changing that pattern up at 4:16, so it was disappointing having it brought back like that.

Solid ideas on the whole with the arrangement, so I see why Vig's says the track isn't necessarily too long, but when you have some overly repetitive arrangement ideas for the Dire, Dire Docks theme alongside those drums needlessly looping like that, the track drags on and Shna then has a point that it shouldn't be this long. Would love to see zyko close this, as he'd probably have the best advice.

NO

[Harmony]

Another enjoyable mix Philip. I love the variety of guitars that we get in this one. From flanged, to clean to distorted, they all mesh well and fit the mood of the piece. The ep/bass solo at 1:57 is a great jam that does a good job of switching things up without straying far from the feel of the rest of the piece. I’m not really feeling the some of the electronica-esque FX thrown in with such an organic piece though. The cut at 2:56 feels odd and the stutters near the 3:00 mark don’t seem to fit either. The reversed FX at 5:16 along with the final section (5:54-end) are pretty cool though. Larry mentioned the lead’s laziness at that point, and I agree, but I thought the sloppy lead sounded pretty pimp in this case, especially with the Overworld theme thrown in over the crunchy rhythm guitars.

“Blue Stars over the Fisherman’s Horizon” felt long at 5 minutes and with a similar composition style, slow development and limited variation of key elements, this mix feels long at 7 mins. There are a lot of cool arrangement ideas packed in but somehow it’s just not translating into 7 mins of listenability. One culprit is the percussion which stays way too constant for way too long. The bass solo near 1:57 is a point that needs a change of beat but the entire first half of the mix could go for some variation in that department. Other than varying the drum pattern you could also mix things up by adding some other percussive sounds (shakers, hand percussion, new snares, etc.). Another issue is the reverb which tends to blur the distinct sections and instruments together. Aim for more clarity and the piece will become more engaging. You also might consider playing with the clean rhythm guitar that seems to remain pretty constant in terms of performance and processing. It might be interesting to hear it change along with the other elements during the distorted section starting at 4:55.

Why doesn’t that reversed guitar strum at 5:52 start on tempo? Very cool idea but stretch that puppy out and move it so that it’s on beat and it will sound much better.

Good stuff but I don’t think its reaching its potential right now. Less reverb, more variety (especially with the percussion), and a few odds and ends as mentioned by the other judges could make this mix shine. Looking forward to the resub on this and also a new mix from you that I hear might hit the panel soon.

NO (Please Resubmit)