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OCR01411 - *YES* Breath of Fire 3 'Watermelon Flava' *FT*


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This apparently disappeared.

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Your ReMixer name: Joshua Morse & po!

Your real name: Joshua Morse & Posu Yan

Your email address: dashvibe@gmail.com / wushuplaya@yahoo.com

Your website: http://www.joshuamorse.com / http://www.wushuplaya.com

Name of game(s) ReMixed: Breath of Fire 3

Name of individual song(s) ReMixed: Casually (Overworld Theme 1)

Composer/s: ...

System: Sony Playstation

Original Soundtrack:

http://www.zophar.net/psf/BoF3_psf.rar

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It took a little while for me to find the source tune in the psf, that's one huge soundtrack. I couldn't find an "Overworld Theme 1", however "Overworld Theme 2" sounds very similar to this remix, so I'm going to assume that was a typo. Someone can let me know if I'm making a wrong assumption.

The bass in this piece is just a little bit too loud and droning, which is distracting attention away from the other instruments, which could probably be brought out a little more. The drums in this are all right in terms of quality, however it's basically the same beat looped over and over, with the occasional break. I would've liked to have seen a little more variety in the drumwork on a piece that sounds as minimalistic as this. This isn't a major issue.

The light rhodes in the background keeping the rhythm are quite enjoyable to listen to. The piano that comes in sounds a little dry and flat, but it works. It's played well as it brings out the Jazz sound in the piece quite naturally. The synth that comes in to take over the piano is also played well and has some interesting undulations in the pitch on the longer notes that make it sound oh-so-groovy and professional.

I'm not sure the fade-out suited the piece. I'd rather it to have had a more personalised ending, to have the mix build up to the end, rather than fade out.

The arrangement of the piece is all right when compared to the original. There are little variations on the piano that give this mix it's own jazzy flare, however the basic notation is pretty much the same as it in the "Casually" piece. The synth work however has some very clever ideas in the way it's played that give the mix it's own originality. The sine wave in the background keeping the mix going in the sections where the piano and the synths have a break was a great idea that worked out well.

I'm borderline on this one. The piece sounds well-produced, and the arrangement is all right. I just feel that there is more potential behind this mix. Giving a more unique spin to the piano in the mix would probably help push me towards a yes. Working on bringing the drums out beyond the basic loopy feeling would be a welcome change as well.

This is a NO from me for now, and a request for a resubmit.

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Maybe it's just me, but I didn't really hear all that much of Overworld Theme 2 - "Casually" seemed to be the thing that was most present here, especially in the underlying progression and overall mood.

I think the arrangement is good here, with some nice (albeit subtle) changes, the addition of a solo section, and assorted variations. It's clearly not an 'epic' mix, nor does it try to be - it's chill, with a solid structure and smooth production. The originals were very similar in style, so I'm tempted to say that this is more like an 'upgrade' than a complete reinterpretation; however, there are clearly differences between the sources and the ReMix, and we've passed guitar mixes with less new/varied material than this. Of course, as I'd expect from Mr. Morse and po!, the execution of the mix is great. Tight, groovy percussion with realistic, well-played key and harmony parts.

YES

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  • 2 weeks later...

I ended up blabbing on IRC about this piece when I first listened to it in the j00jchat. Let's see what I had to say!

[12:43:15AM] <@DarkeSword> ~ Listening to Joshua Morse, po! - Breath of Fire 3 Watermelon Flava OC ReMix ~

[12:43:31AM] <@DarkeSword> Ah real nice

[12:43:35AM] <@DarkeSword> That's a smooth sound

[12:44:32AM] <@DarkeSword> Piano is right there up in front where it should be. The balance in this piece is really good.

[12:44:40AM] <@DarkeSword> Strings are a nice touch.

[12:44:54AM] <@DarkeSword> HA! That synth is so classy.

[12:45:29AM] <@djpretzel> synth solo's def. the highlight

[12:45:30AM] <@DarkeSword> Hm the sounds in this piece are really perfect.

[12:45:38AM] <@DarkeSword> Everything fits mang.

[12:45:48AM] <@DarkeSword> Too bad it's so short. :(

[12:45:53AM] <@DarkeSword> That's the only downside.

So yeah, that basically sums up my thoughts. This is a sweet little number; perfect music to chill to, to drive to, to do anything cool to (even ending a sentence with a preposition! Breaking the rules of grammar is totally rad!). Not much else to say.

YES

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http://www.tzone.org/~llin/psf/packs2/BoF3_psf.rar - 104 "Casually"

I got a hold of Josh to clarify the source tunes here, and it's actually just one. "Casually" is also known as Overworld Theme 1 to some people, but the way the track was listed made it unclear he was referring to the same track, so I fixed the info.

The track at times feels a bit empty-sounding on account of the minimalist, bossa nova take here, so it takes getting used to. Good sounds for the intro nonetheless. I like the understated e-piano like stuff at :11, and the piano at :31 was ok. Still mechanical-sounding, which is a hit here on account of it being so prominent. Gray heard some light clipping in places, but it wasn't a bother to me.

Better stuff at 1:12 now with the strings providing some light support to help fill things out without getting invasive, though they could have been slightly louder. Would have been much better to have some more overt variations to the percussion pattern sooner, instead of having to wait until 1:33.

Synth solo at 1:34 tackles 1:05-1:21 of the source tune and does a great job of expanding it and supplementing it with some original riffs. Very nice stuff with the lead at 2:15-2:33 as well, before moving back to the piano at 2:36 for the close. The piano sounded a lot more natural there as opposed to the beginning. The ending was indeed too quick/sudden, so I would have liked to have heard that given some more time before the fadeout.

I liked TO's vote a lot here, as he pointed out issues that, if addressed, would have brought out more potential here. Frankly, I don't think a NO is wrong here, cuz while the piece is quality it does have those nagging issues of the percussion being looped for too long, the piano being mechanical and conservative, and the ending not working well on account of fading out too quickly (though there's nothing wrong with fadeouts in general).

I have no problems with this passing, and I think it's a chill and enjoyable piece. The second half being stronger helps this out, but I think some quick tweaking would make the overall package very solid. I'd like to go to 5 votes to get more opinions, please.

NO (borderline)

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well, it's so slight i wouldn't even call it clipping.

what i said was the signal does go in the red at the points you cite, but they're transients so they shouldn't bother anyone.

i think the peaks were lightly soft-clipped during the mastering stage, which is desirable for a punchy and loud sound.

of course if you overdo it, then you get crap.

this mix might benefit from taking the faders down a decibel but as-is these guys did a fine job and it's not worth addressing imo.

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Very nice stuff. Actually I could just about ctrl+c ctrl+v my vote on “J! Groove” here and be right on. This mix is a well produced, uber-groovy, yet conservative take on the theme that is very easy to enjoy. I agree that the bass is extremely thick and the percussion is repetitive but that lends to the portrayal of the genre. This is a straight out-of-the-box Casio Soundbank bossa nova groove that’s been given the flare of good production and quality samples. Combined with the Rhodes, the percussion and bass provide a rock-solid lounge vibe that stands well on its own, and is bolstered by the decently executed solos.

I think that the solid backing could have been more effectively used though. The lead piano at 0:31 is slightly mechanical and generally vanilla in its presentation. It’s not bad but more melodic and dynamic expression would jazz it up. The lead synth from 1:34-2:14 is great. It’s very expressive and not out of place with the more traditional acoustic elements. The close out with the hand percussion jam starting at 2:36 is a huge disappointment only because it is so short. The fade out wouldn’t bother me if the section was given some time to develop first. I’d love to hear it filled out with some interplay between the two prominent leads, or some original jam work, or a bass solo…something.

I hear the clipping but I’m not opposed to passing this as is.

In the end, this one’s easy on the ears and that’s what the people love. Great work guys.

YES

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well, it's so slight i wouldn't even call it clipping.

what i said was the signal does go in the red at the points you cite, but they're transients so they shouldn't bother anyone.

i think the peaks were lightly soft-clipped during the mastering stage, which is desirable for a punchy and loud sound.

of course if you overdo it, then you get crap.

this mix might benefit from taking the faders down a decibel but as-is these guys did a fine job and it's not worth addressing imo.

It's distorting on both my monitors and headphones regardless. It's pretty bad/annoying on my side. I'd like to see it addressed if possible. I'll at least ask josh or po about this. I can't remember us letting issues of this nature through in recent memory without at least pursuing the request.

My vote is a YES though. (full vote later)

Edit: Josh has the project file and will be sending us a new version soon.

------------------------------------------------------

Josh sent a new version (edited first link) to fix the other issues and tweak other stuff. I don't hear any other distortion/clipping issues. Anyone wanna double check that? I also like the new production changes he made here. Everything has more punch beyond the drums/perc. The piano in particular is cleaner and stronger.

The arrangement to me really works. I'm not a huge fan of the original (I prefer Overworld 2 ;)). But this arrangement transforms average material into something very listenable. It's got a chill vibe and is presented very nicely. I thought the main beat got a bit repetitive and it was a tad on the simple side, but the percussion additions definitely took it to a different level. Piano and bass lines were really the focal and most positive point of the mix for me. Synth sections and other background material really complimented the piece.

Production as a whole is good, punchy and clean.

I wish it were a bit longer too. But it's short and sweet, and more importantly not underdeveloped. Very enjoyable collab you two. YES

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