djpretzel Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 ReMixer name: trickwaters Real name: Patrick Waters Email: ocremix@betterthanbach.com Website: http://www.betterthanbach.com/ Userid: 436 Game: Final Fantasy VIII Work: Blue Fields Comments: /Fields of Beryl/ came to me in haste when I heard that the music curator at RPGamer.com was in short supply of entries for June in the ongoing contest series sponsored by the site. June's contest intended to incorporate instrumentation limited to three to eight 'musicians' in band-style, such as pop, rock, or ska to name a few. Being more experienced, if not exclusively so, and trained in 'classical' concert-style, undertaking the task of remixing in a personally foreign style was a little uncomfortable, yet at the same time very liberating. Having some (limited) experience performing (and studying to a much lesser extent) folk and classic jazz music, arranging in the style wasn't altogether challenging--just unfamiliar territory, with different obstacles to overcome. I composed the lead sheet in about a half hour and spent two days recording and editing the one usable take of about a dozen others for each part. The end result, performed with tenor sax, piano, and stand-up bass, isn't my most refined work, but it's probably the work of mine with which I'm most pleased. This is my first, and likely only, solo remix I've submitted to OCReMix, mostly because everything else I do and have done is too long. ^^* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 http://www.tzone.org/~llin/psf/packs2/FF8_minipsf.rar - 103 "Blue Fields" Aight, I'm gonna have to be a hardass. The arrangement is great to listen to. The piano is awesome. The sax on the other hand is weak. Despite the fact that it's real, because it sounds so flat and dry with the peformance, it borders on sounding synthetic. The sax performance just isn't smooth and despite being the lead, it didn't stand out at all in the mix versus the piano. After 1:57, the sax work at least sounded louder & livelier, but dropped back at 3:02 repeating the prior issue I had. The ending was too abrupt, but that was a very minor point in the big picture and doesn't affect my decision. I've gotta go ultra-borderline NO with the begging for a resubmission, but that genuinely isn't the verdict I'd hope to render for such an otherwise engaging composition. The sax was holding it back. Nonetheless, I wouldn't be totally surprised if I was the sole dissenter, because I thought this was still good stuff. Best of luck with the rest of the vote, Pat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Ascher-Weiss Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 This is VERY weak as a "Jazz" arrangement. Half the time the piano is playing chords on the same beats each measure and other times it's playing chords in exact synchronicity with the melody with voice-leading doubling the saxophone. I like the little turn around at 0:48 that happens several other times during the piece. The reason the sax sounds "flat and dry" is that the piano is totally monopolizing a lot of the notes in the melody and slamming chords on strong beats, something you just would NEVER see in a professional or even semi-professional Jazz setting. On top of that, the left hand of the piano literally without fail doubles EVERYTHING the bass plays to the point that it seems as though Liontamer didn't even notice the presence of the bass. If he didn't though, I don't blame him because the bass was being completely obliterated by the piano's left hand part. The arrangement gets bigger toward the end simply by having the piano's comping become all the more intrusive and pounding a bunch of octaves in the left hand [once again making the bass player obsolete] while the sax plays the melody note for note... just LOUDER. The result of all this is an arrangement that sounds like it's TRYING VERY HARD to sound like jazz, not an actual jazz arrangement. n0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vig Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 I'm very glad Shna is here so I no longer look like a complete asshole for my jazz snobbery. Shna hit it all on the head. the piano is overbearing. Jazz pianists dont play this much. please rework the piano, play less, and play less predictable rhythms. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrayLightning Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 I'm very borderline on this mix, because the arrangement is great and interpretive. I'm not too hung up on the genre labels, you can call it jazz, you can call it fufu or whatever. I don't really care. This is a lot more compositionally complex than some of the stuff we get and pass. But the execution and polish just isn't there. I agree the piano gets more and more overbearing by the end. If you're stuck with these recordings, then better mixing is in order here. I would reduce the piano, bring up the bass and sax levels. The sax does sound pretty poorly recorded. I'd like to see some better processing of the sounds to make them sound better, considering what you have to work with. Try some nice modulated delays or reverb on the sax, with a medium/long predelays. I am tempted to go against the grain with a borderline YES, but I have a few gripes that I'd like to see at the very least quickly addressed. I strongly suggest a resubmission. Sadly, a NO for now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analoq Posted August 9, 2005 Share Posted August 9, 2005 alright, i talked to larry and gray and they agreed i should put this back on the panel for further votes. UPDATE: i've been in contact with trickwaters, and he agrees with much of the criticism and although he would like to revisit this, he's likely unable to at the moment. i've decided it best that we leave this rejected for now, and have informed him to contact me if he does come up with a resubmission in the future. sorry for the unnecessary dissent -- blame larry (: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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