OCRA-0036 - Donkey Kong Country 3: Double the Trouble!

[Tenucha]

Unfinished Business (Swanky's Sideshow)

This song starts out very groovy with a few record-scratchin' DJ effects for nice effect.

This maybe my favourite Swanky remix between the two DKC sequels. Very bouncy, nice crunchy soundscape. Funky bass-lines coming in and out of the track with consistent record scratching solos. I rather like this take on the track instead of trying to build up some kind of synthesizer or guitar as the main focus.

Thrill of the Chase (Hot Pursuit)

Big, heavy, thumbin' bass kickin' this song forward with atmospheric sounds I can't exactly nail down... either samples or keyboards. Either way I really like whats been done to this song.

Again I can't really figure what this song is. It reminds me of the fire stages in Diddy's Kong Quest, like Hot Head Bop, but it could be a chase song. Again I'm not too sure.

Either way this song gives me the feeling of being in a dark, hot cavern that I probably shouldn't stick around in. Another Fav remix to me.

Epic Banana's (Treetop Tumble)

Speaking of favorites: this song, I'm again not sure of the source. With how often this is happening to me I feel like I'll need to listen to the source then the remix for this first impression reviews.

Anyway I really like the remix here. The arrangement is here, it's pulsing, it feels like a boss track or a chase track. I know it's not a boss track 'cus I know that's coming later (I had read about the headaches it gave the remixers) but this song is done in such a way that it feels bigger and more imposing than I'm sure the original source did.

Don't Drink The Water (Enchanted Riverbank)

A rave remix of one of the aquatic jungle stages. Good bass a standard rave sound that was popular in the 90s, a sound that since disappeared in favor of new electronic arrangements in recent evolutions of electronic dance music. Great sound-scape in my opinion and I like the occasional exploration into the trance side.

I would ALMOST call this happy hardcore, which in my opinion, is a dead dance genre that was popular in the 90s as well. I could see this being played on a dance floor with pulsing lights and people on the dance floor in costume.

Maybe it'll become an anime/comic convention dance number?

Banana Revolution (Live in Kongcert) [Cranky's Showdown]

Wasn't Cranky dead in DKC3? Did he have a theme? I'm not sure I remember his presence anywhere in this game!

The song begins with the sound of a live audience settling in before a concert starts. I like how that brings us into the song. The actual orchestration begins and I'm diggin' the track so far. I like that we stick with the live concert idea and continue to head audience cheers and applause.

Then the lyrics start up. Now... I dunno if it's just me but I have always been weird with remixes with lyrics. There have only been a few occasions where I like or don't mind vocals on top of an original track source but generally I'm not crazy for them.

This song is one I don't mind. I would need to listen to the song again to catch more of the lyrics to figure out what they are about... or find the remixer's notes and see if there was a concept behind the lyrics. Stylistically it's sung in a way I personally would avoid. It sounds like a lot of the

more euro electronic tracks, almost trance like. I don't want my personal preference here to say that the mix is trash.

On a whole the execution is done well. The music works with the vocal styling done here and I like the idea it feels like we're in a concert. I'm thinking with the concept of a "concert" we're meant to feel more like this is a Coldplay or Radiohead style "band" with a seated audience versus what I felt sounded more like euro trance.

Either way it's a good remix that I'm sure many people will dig.

Permafrost (Frosty Frolics)

Synth intro behind a very cool "DONK-KEY-KONG" and chimp scream and the song's beat finally comes in. After a minute I recognize the arctic source more. Nice slow down and general atmosphere. I do get the idea of desolation, loneliness, and coldness, during this bit of the track. Bring the drums back and the song catches it's dance beat again.

It's a fun little dance number and I'm a big fan of the voice over as I mentioned above. Very clever.

Kingfisher's Stream (Cascade Capers)

Merging from Permafrost straight into this track (I actually had to check the track name as I didn't realize the song changed), we got a down-tempo aquatic dance number. I slightly remember the source within a minute and a half of the song. I like the song exploration after the two minute mark and around 2:30 it seems the remixer is experimenting with some dubstep "wob-wob" ideas and sounds.

It's not "true" dubstep, maybe more that old "dub" sound remix that existed before the big jump into dubstep, either way it's a great change up and keeps up pace with the song and I think it adds a lot to the track. Really nice change ups here.

Deep Sea Lights (Water World)

A very slow, almost meditation opening to this song. I get the feeling of an actual water world. Just large, deep blue oceans with active sea life and my trust swordfish by my side. I like the bass alot one it comes in around 1:25. Very ominous and mysterious. Just consistent. Lots of great sounds close to the 2 min brings this song to life and out of the meditation sound.

I'm really like the electric sounds that are overlapping the otherwise calm sounds of an aquatic world. Ying and Yang, to me.

I really like listening to this song as it continues on. When I saw it had a run time of 6:33 I was thinking "Really? That's a bit lengthy" and indeed it's the longest song on Disc 1... But I could really just see myself listening to this with my headphones on and just sitting down and drawing.

It's got a trance quality to it with how quite and meditational the overall composition sounds but then you get pounding, distorted, chaoticness throughout the song that I think it would make a great score to something.

Exploration C (Cavern Caprice)

Coming off Deep Sea Lights, nothing against the remix, but I almost feel this is redundant. It's a remix of one of the cavern's as I can tell from the source title but overall it's much like the previous song and makes me think it should have come later in the playlist/tracklist.

It's another slow track and I like the "crystal-sounds", I'll call 'em. The flute sounds are very cool as well and something I dont think I have heard at all in the album yet. The background of the song seems tribal a little to me. Getting close to the 4min mark I really enjoy the exploration going on here.

This track is the second longest on Disc 1 and, again, coming off Deep Sea Lights I'm really feeling it... the length of this song is feeling tedious and I just want to hear the next song.

Around 5min the song calms down again back into the feeling of a busy, dark cavern.

Lots of great sounds in this remix but an almost 6min remix, also overall slow, coming off a 6.5min slow aquatic-trance remix just makes it feel redundant to me.

I'll probably enjoy this song played separate from the confines of the playlist (since I'm doing this in order). Shuffle will be very nice to more appreciate this track, or just listening to it separate from my OCReMix collection. There is a lot of cool stuff going on here and nice exploring of the source.

Shenanigan Bananigans (Jungle Jitter)

Almost 2min of this was playing while I was finishing up Exploration C's review.

It's a very playful, hijinx's style track. I would picture this as a type of song that would be played over a silent movie to move the action along. I cant think of the original source file here.

Getting closer to the 3min mark and we get a bit more of an orchestra feel, I can picture a conductor just getting his orchestra up to get that "umph" in the last few moments of this track.

Cliffside Clamber (Rockface Rumble)

I REMEMBER THESE STAGES!! Uuh man... did I have trouble here in the game. I hate the source song too because the stages gave me a lot of trouble. It reminded me of wind whistling through the canyon cracks.

This song preserves that sound and feeling with a native sounding feel. A rock guitar comes and and the song takes off in another direction, almost unrecognizable, before returning to a more classic DKC Temple sound around 2:15. I really like all the ideas being played with here in the song and that the source doesn't feel strained.

I would rather THIS song play when I'm playing this canyon climbing levels... maybe I wouldn't hate the stages so much then.

Mojo Gogo (Jangle Bells)

I remember reading the remixer's description of getting a hold of this song 'cus it got dropped and became a leftover.

I'm not sure of the source (big surprise) but it's a really goofy party-style song. I really like the prominent sax sounds on here too.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: thinking back to what I just heard, Disc 1 has a lot of slow, ambient, chill-out music. A few dance-type tracks and other up-beat songs sprinkled throughout this disc.

Looking forward to seeing what Disc 2 brings.

MY DISC FAVS: Brother's Bear, Sub-Map, Hot Pursuit, Treetop Tumble, Water World

Edited December 7, 2012 by Tenucha
re-reading and editing overlooked mistakes

[Tenucha]

DISC 2 FIRST IMPRESSION REVIEWS:

K'ReMispheric Pressure (Northern Kremisphere, Krematoa Koncerto)

Alright... Disc 2 starts with the map screen menu. I remember cruising around this map... thinking how innovative it was to freely move about in Funky's boat and not feeling limited to the linear map path the previous games had.

Also you were able to explore the map and find hidden banana bird cave locations!

A minute and a half into the song and the it changes gears from this light "Getting ready for adventure" vibe to a more melodic sound.

I love hearing the source tune shine through this song. I really like the reverbing bass throughout the song.

Wonderfall (Cascade Capers)

Simian sounds over a very melodic jungle soundscape. This feels like one of the arctic stages to me. Some string picking, some wind instruments and tribal-bongos help shape this song's image.

The sounds of crystal's chiming and singing, atleast around 2:30, is a nice touch.

A very nice, moody, emotional, remix. The song almost seems to give the listener hope like they are about to come out of this frigidness... the cold is about to end!

Very cool, remix. Punned.

Incase anyone is wondering as the song is playing, I'm writing about it. Thus: First impressions. A few times I have backed up the song to check something I may have heard or missed though.

Winter (Frosty Frolics)

I feel like there are a lot of arctic sounds on this soundtrack already. Are there really this many snow levels?

Another song with a "cold" type element to the music's construction. The drums on this track are what bring this song to life, to me.

It's really hard to be more critical on this song. It's simply named "Winter" and, to me, that's simply all there is to this remix.

I feel it should have ended around 2:50min though. It starts to get a bit repetitive. I think any exploration could have been fit into a smaller time frame.

Low Life (Treetop Tumble)

I remember reading the description on this track while I was still downloading the album. It was the second remixer to say they were to use 'dubstep' elements in the remix.

The buildup around a minute, pulsing synth sounds follow and all sounds basically building together. The beats start up with textured, glitching, pulsing rhythm and then just before the 2min mark we are thrown right into that "WUB-WUB" dubstep is known for.

This maybe the only dubstep mix I can think of without a buildup to the "nasty" bass drop.

The song is still present; not hidden or forgotten in distortion or bass wobble and glitch, then almost 3min and and the song comes back.

The return of the wobbing-bass is different as it continues to pulse the song forward while the main song's lead is almost atmospheric. The bass itself isn't doing anything more than supplying the beats, another trait not often found in dubstep as it's usually the bass that leads the song.

Blast Beatdown (Nuts and Bolts)

Oh man... crunchy, industrial bass fill out my speakers. Are we in the factory?!

Out of the clean snow and into the dark, toxic factory.

I'm really like this song. The build up is very nicely done and then 1:25 and the song seriously just takes off!

Is it too soon to say this is my favourite song on Disc 2?

There is a lot of attitude and character in this song for sure.

Towards the end this song also experiments with the dubstep sound, a nice touch for the end.

Intoxica (Pokey Pipes)

Is Intoxica a word? I read the artist description on that matter of that being a real word or not. I would just say: It is now.

Another dark theme, I'm thinking another factory theme or toxic aquatic level. Lots of resonating type sounds here that give the song a sort of distorted feel, something further explored as the track progresses. Very cool ideas and execution.

Water Warped (Water World)

Are we back in the Water World? Is this the same source I was just listening to a remix of on Disc 1?

Well... if the "Water World" is any indication then I would say yes. Was this a choice to fill disc space? Were there just a number of remixers who wanted the same song?

I don't want to compare remixes, so on it's own this song has a lot of synth sounds. Lots of distortions and an almost hip-hop beat.

I like the sampled voice-overs too, gives the song a bit more characteristics.

Overall it's a good remix but I wonder why there are 2 Water World remixes.

Can't Boss Us Around (Robot Anarchists from Hell Mix) [boss Boogie]

The boss theme I read so much about that gave the remixers nightmares. I really like this song. Lots of sounds, textures, pulsing sounds, DJ scratching and distortion.

With all the previous remixes I have written a review for so far, I have been talking about the song as it plays. This song is just too good that it just... speaks for itself.

I like all the change ups within the song too, keeps the song fresh. The glitching breakdown at the end is nice too as if it's all just falling apart.

Krematoa Inferno (Mill Fever)

I wasn't sure what to expect from this remix from the really hip-hop sampled intro that started it off.

A very catchy electronic remix emerges. Dirty, textured wobbing bass lead this song. This song gives a sense of urgency. Very hot track with a nice breakdown.

Songs like this make me wish I were listening to these mixes louder on my speakers...

Wrinkley's Nightcap (Wrinkly 64)

Ahhh ya... the source name reminded me that, in the game, you could find Wrinkly Kong doing a number of activities in her cave as she looks after the banana birds.

I also remember how cool I thought it was that she was playing a Nintendo console in the game. Was the source really called Wrinkly 64? Didn't the N64 come out later or was this game released towards the end of SNES' life with the N64 already out?

Hmmm... again I feel I need to play DKC3 again.

This song, is basically a lullaby. It sounds old-timey with a nice grand piano bringing this ancient ape to bed in her couch.

There really isn't much else here... A nice, slow, piano movement meant to be something Grandma Kong would hear as she turns out the lights in her home.

The Mighty Junglol (Chase)

"...This is the Mighty Jungle" are the last things you hear before the actual song starts... but to me the song doesn't really start until :40sec.

Clearly a chase song with ape-sounds thrown about.

I keep forgetting this game has a large baby Kong in his pajamas. Kiddy was my least fav Kong... until DK64 released.

Ethnic instruments and voices mixed with jungle sounds and an upbeat drum beat keep the pressure on in this "Chase" remix.

Edited December 7, 2012 by Tenucha

[Tenucha]

X-Y-X-X B-A-B-Y (Crystal Chasm)

I been curious how this song would play out. The source itself isn't really a "song" or anything to really be remixed.

The "Simon Says" style of this mini-game of matching the colored lights and sound patterns comes through in the execution of the remix.

I think I read the remixer had "blacked out and the song was written".

Really... that's all you need know on this song. Give it a listen. This one and "Mighty Junglol" are head to review as the ideas and execution is pretty out there.

Echoing crystal chimes remind you to pay attention or you may miss whats next.

Breaking the Crystal Key (Mama Bird)

The intro reminds me of the cave stages in DKC2. I dont remember this source or any "mama bird" in the game.

A theme I am noticing in this album are the chiming crystal sounds. More jungle sounds and birds chirping here give you the impression of being in a crystal cavern within the jungle, perhaps with the cave ceiling removed and everything reverberating within the walls.

The song picks up with a lot of glitch distortion, breakbeats and a panicked tempo behind the what-once-was relaxed song.

Afterburn (Rocket Run)

I feel like I'm listening to a Pendulum song. I really like this drum n' bass remix so far. I don't remember rocket barrels in DKC3... Did I even finish DKC3? I know I played it a lot at a friend's. And I remember the "Prof. K Rool" boss stage in a factory looking lab... Hmmm

At any rate this remix is really cool and I think it brings new life in Disc 2. I'm thinking it's a highlight for me based on what I'm hearing as it's nearing the 3min mark.

Bring the Noise (Big Boss Blues)

Ok I cheated... I couldn't peg what remix this was for. Big Boss Blues? Were there larger bosses than the standard stage boss?

Ahh yes... We have finally reached the K.Rool theme!

I remember playing the stage on SNES and I LOVED the dark nature of this track, especially the down-tempo bass, the panicked increase of the song's pace and then the cherry-on-the-cake for me, the memorable guitar whale "WAAHHHHH" throughout.

I remember I would try to pause the game for this theme just so I can hear the loop for awhile.

On to the remix:

So far the remix really doesn't sound like the source to me. Sounds very "cheery" more than "dark".

I heard a little bit of the lead in. 30sec in and I like the orchestra sound as the song picks up... I'm waiting for that guitar "WAAHH" as the song is building up.

A minute in and I like what its doing to make the boss theme a little more dancey. It's got a hint of that darkness within the bass...

1:40 is this it? Noo... no guitar "WAHHH". A teased build up.

The song goes into a bit of a solo past the 2min mark and I have yet to hear the iconic sound I loved in the original.

I'm trying not to make that give me a poor impression on the remix here... But now that the song has ended and I'm still writing I will say I am VERY disappointed not to hear this element brought into the remix.

Still a good remix. A personal preference would be the source over the remix but I know alot of people will love this and it fits with the album.

Friendships Through Dark and Light (Crazy Calypso, Crystal Chasm)

This song reminds me of the castle lobby in Super Mario 64 a bit. It feels like a bonus track to me, seeing it's a mash-up of two sources remixed already and after the boss theme.

Very tribal sounding, like you could see all the Kongs celebrating at the reunion and rescue and the fall of K.Rool.

I forget though... In DKC2 there was the Lost World aspect to the game that brought in a rematch with K.Rool. I remember it was simple enough... dodge the repeated and inverted patterns of barrels, spiked balls and colored blobs and hit K.Rool once with a cannonball.

I would think they would expand and build on this in DKC3.

The song picks up a bit more after 4min. It feels more Indiana Jones to me. Big, high adventure. Nice arrangement and I like the orchestra inclusion again... something I am getting self conscience on bringing up.

Is it clear yet I really dont know musical terms? I like what I hear and I dont like other songs I hear... I can compare to what I know but that's the length of it.

The song calms down into what feels more like Crystal Chasm. A nice outro to the track.

Return to Kong, Bye-Bye Baddies! (Baddies on Parade, Crazy Calypso, Pokey Pipes)

A mash-up of the end credits, Crazy Calypso (again... 3rd remix?) and another variation of Pokey Pipes. I always enjoyed the end credits in DKC games. You see all the characters... good and bad... scroll across the screen in a final "Take a bow" moment. This was always highlighted to me as a kid with the main playable Kong's having a funny interaction with each other.

I don't really know how else to review this song. The Baddies on Parade source is meant to close out the game and this remix plays as a nice reminder to what we have heard and to bring us home and close out the SNES half of this album. Half of the Double, really.

'Til We Meet Again (Game Over)

OH YA!! There is a Game Over theme too wasn't there?! HAH! I totally forgot!

First off... wasn't the Game Over theme, like, 15sec? And really just a couple disappointed sounding chimes?

The fact the remixer here was able to stretch that another 3:30min is amazing... another trait the OCRemixers blow me away on.

It's a good remix. Chilled hip-hop timed beats play, we get what sounds like hands clapping in another part of the song and I hear that lullaby sound again which I BELIEVE was the sound heard when you did get the game over screen (a baby's toy instrument I think).

OVERALL IMPRESSION: It's clear, atleast on the SNES remixes, that there was an underlying theme explored throughout the album.

Much of the album seemed low tempo to me. A lot of jungle and ethnic sounds, lots of atmosphere and moody sounds throughout the majority of the album.

To me, on first impression, Disc 2 had a lot of the same sounding songs.

This isn't to say that the whole album blended together but that a majority of the songs didn't stick in my mind as they all felt surreal and more like an updated score. The ones that did stick in my mind were the few aggressive tracks.

Overall I would say the first two SNES discs explore much of the DKC3 island locations through its feelings more than expected dance track versions of each song. Personally I would have liked to have seen more musical styles experimented on.

MY DISC FAVS: Nuts and Bolts, Mill Fever, Pokey Pipes (Intoxica), Boss Boogie, Afterburn, and honorable mention: Chase

(Discs 3 and 4 are left... I have not played the GBA game so I'm not sure what to expect. I may get to those tomorrow. I have homework and art to do.)

[Binarymein]

DKC remixes drew me to OCR years ago, I'm so pleased to finally get the third! I'm only just finishing the first disk and I'll need a few listens to develop some favourites but it is all DAMN GOOD thus far! I mostly just wanted to comment on how good the song transitions are! Like wow, transitions are such a small detail (usually) but I noticed how much I didn't notice the song changes hahaha. The flow from Deep Sea Lights to Exploration C was uncanny (those are two of my fav sources too!).

I really enjoy OCR's work with DKC, you guys rock so much.

[Brandon Strader]

It's called reggae D:

[Tenucha]

HAHA I didn't notice I still had "Rasta" there.

AND there were loads more errors in the writing and spelling. I just made a bunch of corrections.

[Brandon Strader]

If you were hoping for reggae and you got reggae but you don't like drug references which are synonymous with reggae, you're gonna have a bad time

[Tenucha]

Maybe I should have used the more broad "Jamaican"?

[drummermg131]

I think this is my favorite DKC OCR album of the three, and that assessment has nothing to do with its sheer size. There is consistent quality here that I personally did not find in the other two. So many of these remixes perfectly capture the original game and soundtrack's vibe. I also love that I'm catching little musical references to DKC and DKC2 hidden here and there.

I've already made a playlist of just these three OCR albums, right beside the playlist of the three original soundtracks. You've done well, OCR. You've done VERY well.

So, what's next? DKR? Banjo Kazooie? I am so ready.

[Bored_Man]

Is there a deadline for us giving album reviews to get the bonus stuff? I'd like to take a crack at it, but I have other things to focus on, so I'm not sure when I will do so.

[pmac]

First off, I'm a huge fan of OCR, and you guys really nailed it this time. This feels a little more of a soundtrack than other OCR Albums, where I feel like you could throw this in the game and it'd work perfectly. Not to say the others wouldn't, but sometimes remixes are based off of themes rather than atmosphere, but this album is a great medium.

But I do have to comment on a type of song, which is present in the album. Specifically, the Kong In Kongcert song. These type of vocal songs show up now and then on albums, and I have to say, I'm really not a fan. I almost always hit next when these songs come on, where it just feels weird and out of place. I think vocal tracks are cool now and then, like the Hot Head Bop from the DKC2 album. But this? It's like it's pandering to a 12 year old girl demographic. But most of all, it just doesn't fit with the rest of the album. The rest of the tracks range from atmospheric to intense melodies, but that song is just.. not up to par. It's not the music quality, it's the idea of some dude screaming about revolution on a stage. I think the same thing about the Link track on the Heroes v. Villains, and the Tunnel Rhino track on Maverick Rising.

Just an opinion. Thanks again for the album.

[Brandon Strader]

It must suck to be so turned off by the human voice... probably doesn't make life particularly easy for you.

[Flexstyle]

Here's the thing, pmac: I think you're spot on with your comments about the overall feel of a soundtrack. Emunator did a fantastic job squeezing the best possible songs out of the remixers, and Cody and Emu poured many hours into making sure the album flowed *perfectly*. Obviously, it shows, and it's really kind of you to mention that you noticed that.

That said, I think you're really doing a disservice to Robbie (AkumajoBelmont) and Jason by downplaying their track. It's a perfectly legitimate genre, and one that was MASSIVE in many portions of Europe for a long time. Certainly, "only for 12-year-olds" is rather inaccurate.

Everyone is, of course, firmly entitled to their personal opinions, and there's obviously going to be likes and dislikes of every song along the way. I would, however, entreat you to keep in mind that a LOT of work went into each song, and publicly decrying it as "sub-par" is not a terribly great way of approaching it.

Plus, if you're not a big fan of the Eurodance style, try the hard-edged breakbeat remix I did on the bonus disc!

[pmac]

Mhm, I'm just expressing my opinion. Maybe the criticism was a bit too rough, I just can't imagine it being an uncommon sentiment. I'm very well aware of the hard work that went into all these songs. OCR is a great community, and I really appreciate that hard work that goes into the albums.

[Tenucha]

Mhm, I'm just expressing my opinion. Maybe the criticism was a bit too rough, I just can't imagine it being an uncommon sentiment. I'm very well aware of the hard work that went into all these songs. OCR is a great community, and I really appreciate that hard work that goes into the albums.

Well in my track-to-track review so far, I also didn't praise the song entirely as something I liked in terms of style. I was trying to piece it together as it played as a First Impression review, instead of listening over and over (and for 80 songs that's just crazy time I dont have).

BUT, despite that I'm also kinda "weird" when listening to vocal remix tracks, I put it aside, let it play and just listened. Subjectively looking at the song instead of just rejecting it due to my personal taste. Plus I was reviewing it so... I didn't want to be rude (acknowledging that I did knock Funky's Theme pretty good... I was still trying to review the song despite the genre and subject matter not in my palette).

It's not a style I like but there are many cool things going on in the song and the singer does have a good voice. It's production and arrangement sound pro too so despite where it may sit on my list of favs from the album, I wanted to be fair to anyone who may read the whole review.

I still gotta get Discs 3 and 4 going... but I have atleast another day or so of finals

[Emunator]

Is there a deadline for us giving album reviews to get the bonus stuff? I'd like to take a crack at it, but I have other things to focus on, so I'm not sure when I will do so.

Nope, no "deadline" or anything

[Angry Ancestor]

I actually wish there were more lyrical songs on the album :s

[TBsmasher]

Slight oversight I found in the torrent file. The FLAC versions of FrosTronix and Dive in the bonus disc are not present.

Otherwise, I haven't enjoyed an OCR album this much since THE ANSWER. Congrats to everyone involved!

[Lucavi00]

I felt that the games OST held everything back. It's not nearly as good as the first or second games.

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Absolutely fantastic project.

Will go through and leave more specific notes later.

[PenguinLover]

OC ReMix is a place I visit once in a while to check out the latest mixes, and it has always saddened me that DKC3 (my favorite DKC game) had always been shafted with only a couple tracks. That’s why I don’t think ANYTHING could have topped the excitement and shock I felt when I found out about this album. I loved Kong in Concert and Serious Monkey Business, so much that I downloaded this album immediately and set aside the whole day to dive into the world of Double the Trouble! I even registered on here a day ago hoping to talk about how much of a masterpiece the album is.

...and um.... I’m sorry, but I’m just really angry that OC ReMix did this, because many tracks completely stripped the souls of the originals, and it pains me to say this because I love OCR. I want to love this album too, but I can’t. I’m just saying my opinion. I respect the work put into this album, but you can tell that, for the most part, it’s just too amateurish and not up to par with what you’d expect from OC ReMix.

Now, I don’t think the whole thing is like that. I liked Joe Elm (it’s very Crazy Calypso...y), Bash the Bastards!, Unfinished Business, Exploration C, Shenanigans, and Cliffside Clamber (which was AMAZING. I cried), these I’m keeping those on my playlist because they’re just like the originals. Good job, seriously.

But others... let’s take the opening track, “Road to Double Trouble” for instance. The original intro fanfare was zany, a good way to emerge yourself in the game with some xylophone and trumpets. This mix completely takes that away and changes it into a “moody” original track...and not only did directors Emulator and Cody do this track, but producer Flexstyle helped out too? The entire staff couldn’t even tell that it didn’t sound anything like the original? If they haven’t even played DKC3 or listened to its music I honestly wouldn’t be surprised.

Another good example is the “Funky’s Joint” track which starts out with.... a bong rip. This is a family game, so why taint it with drug references resembling the activities of some high school drop-out stoner? The other two albums didn’t have drug references, why start now?

“Don’t Drink the Water” turns the beautiful riverside music into some generic, upbeat “club-dance” mix that doesn’t sound anything like the original. I’m wondering how this got past the developers, because I don’t hear the original at all here. I’m starting to see a trend here.

“Banana Revolution (Live in Kongcert)”..is...um...interesting. Adding vocals in a video game remix can enhance the experience (I really liked the K. Rool death metal from DKC2 and I was anticipating “Enchanted” based on the preview). But adding druggy vocals (“Everything we know is gone / All that's left is just to move on,” None of it will matter in the end, wo-ah”) is enough for me to seriously consider having my ears stapled shut. Again, this is a family game. That and Cranky’s Showdown is the last track you’d imagine vocals on.

“Deep Sea Lights” had promise and... it turned into dubstep. In my eyes, dubstep is the lowest form of “music” in the world, if it can even be considered music as that would be too much of a compliment. The artist Theophany evidently has talent, considering he matched the mood of “Water World” adequately before the wubbadubbawub elements came into play. I’m sorry man, I want to like this but I cannot because I’m not deaf. I *know* you can do better.

And oh boy, this is just the first disc.

Disc 2 was even worse honestly. Half of the time I wondered whether or not the actual remixes were replaced with scrapped original tracks. For the most part, this album was the biggest disappointment of my life and I can’t believe I downloaded this multi-hundred megabyte album expecting a masterpiece, when I personally think it could’ve been much better knowing DKC3’s awesome music.

To Directors Emunator and Cody Wedel, instead of envisioning the DKC3 soundtrack in a “new” way like you seemingly intended, you should have taken some pointers from Kong in Concert and Serious Monkey Business. The latter one was the best album off the site, every track was just like the original including fan favorites like Bramble Scramble and Mining Melancholy (which had very good vocals that fit perfectly). I didn’t have to strain to recognize the original in any track like I did here.

As someone who didn’t even own a GBA or know DKC3 had a new soundtrack, Discs 3 and 4 sounded droned out and slightly boring with a few good tracks spread throughout. I only added 4 to my playlist: All Mixxed Up, Cranky’s Mojo, Distant Dreams on Stormy Seas (which is the DKC theme, right?) and "The Paper Chase" (the "Hit me's" sounded corny and reeked of a bad rapper trying to mask bad music with generic catch phrases, but I kept it). No offense to the artists, some were pretty enjoyable but simply not on par with “Serious Monkey Business Master Race.”

Hopefully my comments will be taken into serious consideration and OC ReMix makes a real DKC3 album sometime reasonably soon, not like the gargantuan wait for this disappointment. Thanks.

[zykO]

I think the same thing about the Link track on the Heroes v. Villains, and the Tunnel Rhino track on Maverick Rising.

lol

i love how you basically picked on me right there

i'm totally not into the 12 year old girl thing tho, bro

=================

the album is strong considering its size. i'm not normally a fan of such gargantuan works only because the density of the material will often dilute the emphasis on each track. too many tracks to keep a track of lol so to speak. you can attempt to treat each disc as its own album, of course...

either way, by law of sheer numbers there was undoubtedly going to be some tracks i probably wouldn't listen to very often and some that are going to be in the daily routine. that's just how it goes. if you like everything, that's awesome!

what cannot be denied is the amount of work the team behind the album put in. you guys are truly a credit to the community and a pleasure to work with. it's difficult enough managing a single compilation of a dozen or so tracks and making it a cohesive, presentable product... but doing so with enough music for multiple lifetimes is impressive regardless of the tracks themselves. good job

apes rule

Edited December 10, 2012 by zykO

[Flexstyle]

it’s just too amateurish and not up to par with what you’d expect from OC ReMix.

This is starting off very badly.

Now, I don’t think the whole thing is like that. I liked Joe Elm (it’s very Crazy Calypso...y), Bash the Bastards!, Unfinished Business, Exploration C, Shenanigans, and Cliffside Clamber (which was AMAZING. I cried), these I’m keeping those on my playlist because they’re just like the originals. Good job, seriously.

But others... let’s take the opening track, “Road to Double Trouble” for instance. The original intro fanfare was zany, a good way to emerge yourself in the game with some xylophone and trumpets. This mix completely takes that away and changes it into a “moody” original track...and not only did directors Emulator and Cody do this track, but producer Flexstyle helped out too? The entire staff couldn’t even tell that it didn’t sound anything like the original? If they haven’t even played DKC3 or listened to its music I honestly wouldn’t be surprised.

You're missing the point. This was about setting up an epic journey, not preserving your idea of childhood nostalgia. That should be obvious from the album writeups.

Another good example is the “Funky’s Joint” track which starts out with.... a bong rip. This is a family game, so why taint it with drug references resembling the activities of some high school drop-out stoner? The other two albums didn’t have drug references, why start now?

There have been FAR more risque references and/or lyrical themes in past OC ReMixes. Swearing, references to being drunk, etc. What's the difference?

“Don’t Drink the Water” turns the beautiful riverside music into some generic, upbeat “club-dance” mix that doesn’t sound anything like the original. I’m wondering how this got past the developers, because I don’t hear the original at all here. I’m starting to see a trend here.

You have no sense of humor, clearly. Seriously though, listen to it. The melodies are definitely there. I guarantee that. You wouldn't have liked the other interpretation that got scrapped, either, I think. And by "developers," do you mean "directors?"

“Banana Revolution (Live in Kongcert)”..is...um...interesting. Adding vocals in a video game remix can enhance the experience (I really liked the K. Rool death metal from DKC2 and I was anticipating “Enchanted” based on the preview). But adding druggy vocals (“Everything we know is gone / All that's left is just to move on,” None of it will matter in the end, wo-ah”) is enough for me to seriously consider having my ears stapled shut. Again, this is a family game. That and Cranky’s Showdown is the last track you’d imagine vocals on.

You're the only one who sees a drug reference here.

“Deep Sea Lights” had promise and... it turned into dubstep. In my eyes, dubstep is the lowest form of “music” in the world, if it can even be considered music as that would be too much of a compliment. The artist Theophany evidently has talent, considering he matched the mood of “Water World” adequately before the wubbadubbawub elements came into play. I’m sorry man, I want to like this but I cannot because I’m not deaf. I *know* you can do better.

Please, let us know how it feels up on your high horse some more. EDIT: Just looked at your profile and saw that you're a music teacher. No wonder you have no appreciation for musical innovation. Do I have to list how many musicians and composers were insulted similarly before history elevated them to their proper places?

Hopefully my comments will be taken into serious consideration and OC ReMix makes a real DKC3 album sometime reasonably soon, not like the gargantuan wait for this disappointment. Thanks.

They won't be, because you're wrong. Basically, what I read up there is something along the lines of "oh, I'm a genre snob, and I hate electronic music, and I'm going to take a dump all over the three years of work that sixty+ people spent on this bringing it to professional quality, endorsed by Dave Wise himself, and expect to get some kind of positive reaction."

I know I didn't have to go and respond to that, but as someone who sunk a LOT of my personal time and effort into this, I'm really offended. I don't care if you don't like it, but don't you dare insult me and others by insinuating that we deliberately made a pile of garbage.

Edited December 10, 2012 by Flexstyle

[djpretzel]

Flex graced that review with a response, but for the record, I'm not sure it deserved one. At least not point-for-point, which suggests that an analysis of any weight was being put forth.

We are absolutely not interested in catering, kowtowing, or compromising for people who:

• Are rude & belligerent ("I'd like to enjoy it, but I'm not deaf"),
  
• Are closed-minded & dismissive (OMFG DUBSTEP ISN'T MUSIC - you *really* wanna be on the restrictive side of an argument about what is or is not music?), and...
  
• Apparently have odd hangups about drug usage & "stoners" and insist on reading between the lines far too much and thinking that their values are the only TRUE values that should be represented (aka intolerant)
  

As site owner, I prefer to think that we're making music for the whole world to enjoy, and that VGM speaks a universal language, and that we should at all times have the tastes & interests of EVERYONE in mind, but frankly... there are some small exceptions.

Can you legitimately dislike this album for all sorts of reasons? I'm sure one could; I certainly don't, I've made that clear, but I allow it within my sphere of understanding that taste is subjective. This is not an epiphany of any great magnitude.

However, this type of individual is not who we're aiming to please, and I might go even further and assert that I'm proud to DISPLEASE such an audience, which apparently we have.

I shudder to think that these qualities are held by any sort of educator.

[Jason Covenant]

“Banana Revolution (Live in Kongcert)”..is...um...interesting... ...But adding druggy vocals (“Everything we know is gone / All that's left is just to move on,” None of it will matter in the end, wo-ah”) is enough for me to seriously consider having my ears stapled shut. Again, this is a family game.

You will be pleased to discover that the lyrics in that song have nothing to do with drugs, at all. I'm not sure how you made that connection, but I assure you, it has nothing to do with drugs and is in fact completely family friendly. When I first started working with Robbie, I explicitly told him I didn't want any lyrics that contained obscenities, drug references or anything that might offend. This was unnecessary, as Robbie turned out to hold the same position as I did on such content.