djpretzel Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 Song Title: Under A Bridge Game: Star Fox Remixed Song: Titania Boss, Titania Remixer: Sentiental Website: www.duke.edu/~ahb5 Song link: Hey guys. Thanks for reviewing the first song. I really admire the level of your experience in judging vg mixes. I understand that the vast majority, if not all of you, have received formal training in music theory, and while my band days are long over, I understand this truly important quality in music judging. If anything, I'm trying to learn how to make my songs more melodically complex, and your help is very very useful. So, this is only my second song submission, so I have time to learn. Plus, I purchased Logic Express for my birthday and am using it well. This song was started on Garageband 1.0, but has evolved into a Logic song using some of its cooler features. I have yet to show that I can do 'normal' music based on the material I've put on this site. However, I do plan on doing a jazzy song later. Basically, I have a couple points about this song. One thing, as I said before, is that I'm trying to make my songs more melodically complex without being nasty. However, it might come off in this song that I'm covering up the musical simplicity with effects and the like. Well, I'd like to think I did that on purpose, not to cover my tracks (double meaning there) but because the message in the song is kinda crazy. The whole inspiration behind this rearrangement is that the boss on Titania - Dr. Hangar - is a madman more evil (dare I say, Kefka-like?) than Andross. At times only two instruments are playing, which is done to provide stark contrast with the rhythmically chaotic and distorted sections (especially, for example, the opening). The only other thing is that it ventures away from any standard song genre. Suffice it to say that this song is 'alternative'. Again, what I really like about this site is that you can get pretty close to professional level critiques on work. Thanks for taking the time to listen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Ascher-Weiss Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 http://www.ocremix.org/songs/original/starfox.rsn - "1-11 Starfox - Titania", 1-23 Star Fox - Boss (Titania)" If judging were based entirely on personal taste then I'd YES this in a heartbeat! Seriously, I love this ReMix to DEATH and I will listen and gain pleasure from it for many moons to come. Unfortunately there is one serious issue I have with the song. While the source material is clearly here, it's not really expanded and is used like a schmear or coating for the rest of the track [which is brilliant in my opinion]. Also you only use a very small portion of both sources. Love the white noise/static drums and the harmonies like at 1:13. Each time you re-iterate the bridge melody from Boss (titania) you do it in new and interesting ways. I go wild when you do it with earthbound-esque sounds at 3:03. Ultimately, while you didn't use all that much of the source and rarely changed any of the notes, you took it places that it felt like it WANTED to go.... which in my crazy little world means you have a deep understanding of the source and honored it, bringing out its strengths by placing it in the musical contexts that it was born for. YeS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrayLightning Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 I agree this is interesting, certainly not something we see everyday. But I also agree that the source sounds like it's just a glaze for the mix. While the concept and composition is unique. I think this is severely lacking on many fronts. A lot of the mix is filled with wierd distorted noise, with nothing else. This is like super abstract minimalism. It's too sparse and too vacant for me for an OCR mix both in sonic terms and instrumental terms. I really like the metallic percussion sounds. Those are handled nicely, what is that (triangle?). Anyway the production was unsophisticated, and the samples here I thought were well bellow the bar as well. Some sounds were downright ugly with the cheap distortion. Interesting and unique, but there's way too many holes in here for me to consider it near or at the bar. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 Gray pretty much said what I wanted to. This is far too esoteric, minimal, and sparse for me. Lofi noise, digital distortion/aliasing, random and spastic composition, no structure, total chaos. The interpretation factor is clearly there, but the presentation is just too weird. I don't think I can pass this in good conscience. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
analoq Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 ooh, i got really excited reading the comments for this mix. was hoping for some excellent noisecore to 'yes' but this one left me unsatisfied... bit reduction, rate reduction, distortion.. all these digital tools are used at the prospective remixers disposal to build a sound collage that works at some points, but just doesn't work at others. i've given this a few listens and i'm not convinced the remixer really knows what he's doing -- it's more like he's playing around with different effects rather then using them to execute an artistic vision. not bad, but to me it lacks vision. if i thought something like this was good enough for OCR i'd be submitting some of my 'analoq ejaculate' material... no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted August 8, 2005 Share Posted August 8, 2005 While the source material is clearly here, it's not really expanded and is used like a schmear or coating for the rest of the track [which is brilliant in my opinion]. Also you only use a very small portion of both sources. In my opinion that's called not using the sources enough. I'm a big fan of both source tunes, especially "Boss (Titania)" which is some great stuff. This was some creative stuff, and I liked how both source tunes were transposed into this setting. Reminds me of one of Shna's original tracks "Symbiote Funk", which changes the instrumentation of the verses on each iteration. Good morphing ideas in places, but compositionally it does sound too random and lacking forethought. Sounds like you just threw ideas to the wall and tried to see what could stick. Wish there were some melodic interpretation done with the source material and more direction in the composition. I like the concepts and hope Anthony can get something passed, but more interpretation and cohesion under the chaos is needed. Cool stuff though. I keeps it. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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