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

[Bored_Man]

EPIC BANANAS (TREETOP TUMBLE)

So Treetop Tumble gets what I shall call the "Sole Signal" treatment, since this song reminds me of Castle Crescendo in a way. Better get up that tree in a hurry, because it sounds like now there's a forest fire a-blazing! Source is recognizable, and the song is energetic and sets an intense mood.

DON'T DRINK THE WATER (ENCHANTED RIVERBANK)

I'll be honest, I was holding out for "Enchanted", so I had wondered what song would replace it. And that wonder turned into an urge to get down or throw a rave party. EDIT: I'm not sure why I thought this was dubstep, I now realize it's more electronic / techno. Must not have been thinking clearly when I posted this.

BANANA REVOLUTION (LIVE IN KONGCERT) [CRANKY'S SHOWDOWN]

This song...it sounds like something one would hear on the radio nowadays. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, but that's just what I think. It's the voice that makes me think so, it reminds me of other songs. The lyrics also contribute to that impression. That said, the song isn't bad, just a little unexpected, I guess I could say.

PERMAFROST (FROSTY FROLICS)

I'm not sure if this is just me, but this song, while I like it, doesn't really seem to go anywhere. It kind of sounds the same throughout. There is that calmer portion around the first minute or so. Nice use of the DK 64 sound clip, though.

KINGFISHER'S STREAM (CASCADE CAPERS)

This one takes a little while to establish its groove, but once it has, it's quite catchy. I can't really describe the sound, but it's one I like, and keeps me going.

DEEP SEA LIGHTS (WATER WORLD)

With all the dubstep elements I can hear, I'm glad that the piano stays front and center. It might not be quite the remix I was hoping for, but it provides a neat experience for one of my favorite DKC 3 tracks.

EXPLORATION C (CAVERN CAPRICE)

Hmm...I don't know how to put the mood this song sets, but it's one I like. Sounds dark, or atmospheric, or however you want to call it. And again, the sprite banner shows an example of a level that would have been interesting, an underwater cave.

SHENANIGANS BANANIGANS (JUNGLE JITTER)

Feels like I either walked into a cartoon or an orchestra performance session. I don't know if those are live instruments or not, but I like the sound regardless. Feels a bit chaotic, as shenanigans should be.

CLIFFSIDE CLAMBER (ROCKFACE RUMBLE)

As my other pick for stand-out track on Disc 1, I like the atmosphere this one sets. The wind instruments make you feel like you're really up climbing a mountain, and when the guitar kicks in, you feel like you see the wide open space and how high you are, and it is exhilarating. I like the reference to Voices of the Temple from DKC 1, it took me a few listens to properly catch that.

MOJO GOGO (JANGLE BELLS)

Feels like I'm at a Christmas party, or maybe a really upbeat church service. Love the sax, since I myself am a sax player (tenor and baritone, though I want to try alto sometime). A good closure to Disc 1, but as Disc 2 will show, the party will have to end for a while, for we'll be getting into deeper and darker trouble.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

As a whole, I think the first disc gives an "island" or "vacation" vibe, which given the title of the disc, is fitting. Some of the songs take a few listens to truly appreciate, and some inevitably get more listens than others, but as a starting point for the album, Disc 1: Kremisphere does its job in introducing us to what's yet to come.

Edited January 2, 2013 by Bored_Man

[zykO]

hold on...

we're actually taking Penguinlover seriously? AND responding???

[Radiowar]

Penguins Are THe Lowest Form Of Bird THey Can Not Even Fly Fuck Outta Here W/ ThAt Bull Sh*it

[Nicole Adams]

Serious (monkey) business all up in this thread.

Anyway, I haven't had a chance to listen to this yet, but congrats to everyone on creating such a monumental album!

[Theophany]

EDIT: I'm retracting this entire post due to the fact that penguin lover is a grand master troll and member of the league of shadows.

Edited December 14, 2012 by Theophany

[FenixDown]

I finally finished listening to the album and to say that I was impressed with it would be an understatement. I remember a time when OCR would release a three or more disc long album and I would maybe only keep between a quarter to half of the tracks on my computer after listening to the whole thing. I don't see that happening with this album, the whole thing is just that solid. It really shows how much OCR has grown and just how high the bar has been raised on quality arrangements.

Thank you very much everyone involved for all the work you've put into this album.

[DiggiDis]

This was an amusing read.

Great work guys. Really enjoyed it!

P.S. I'm terribly sorry for putting a Missy Elliot sample in my track.

I will think twice next time, really, I don't know what I was thinking.

Hope I didn't offend anybody.

[Flexstyle]

I like the cheesiness, lol. Brings back memories of old-school rap.

[Bored_Man]

DISC 2: KREMATOA

K'REMISPHERIC PRESSURE (NORTHERN KREMISPHERE, KREMATOA KONCERTO)

Some good chiptuney goodness from halc, sounding deceptively moody as if signaling you're going in deep and leaving the island fun behind. The transition into Krematoa Koncerto is good as well. Combining the two source tracks into one ReMix makes sense, since you could say the latter is a remix of the former, as both sound very similar.

WONDERFALL (CASCADE CAPERS)

A personal note, but I'm a little wary of albums using the same source more than once, since that either runs the risk of a song not getting covered, as is what happened with Mega Man 9: Back in Blue, or ends up with a source getting used too many times at the expense of others, which I kind of noticed in Mega Man X: Maverick Rising. But, as all the songs in both OSTs are present and accounted for in this album, having repeats in this one is A-OK.

ANYWAYS, the monkey sounds add an interesting touch to this song, and sounds very "nature-y" and enjoyable. It's a very good alternative to Kingfisher's Stream.

WINTER (FROSTY FROLICS)

Dat flute. It makes this song. And the xylophone (at least, I think that is what I'm hearing) along with it gives that song that "winter" feel. The percussion gives it a nice groove, though, so you're not just sitting there shivering, but keeping on the move, maybe to get out of the cold.

LOW LIFE (TREETOP TUMBLE)

So you're low...in the top of the trees, which is high...makes perfect sense. The song sets itself up quite nicely, and then at 1:56, WUB WUB WUB. Crank that bass up to eleven and it cleans my dishes on a microscopic level, YEAH! *breaks coffee mug*

It calms down a little later, only to come back and build on what was before. Can't really see why people would say this doesn't qualify as music; you can hear tones, and it doesn't cover everything else up.

BLAST BEATDOWN (NUTS AND BOLTS)

This song sets itself up almost off the bat, and you KNOW something's coming, something big. Especially with the buildup at 0:57, which leads us to 1:23, with that crazy time signature change being introduced (which is AWESOME, by the way). Pity there's not the signature guitar riff that was in the original Nuts and Bolts, but this song quite handily establishes its own identity, so it's nowhere near a dealbreaker.

INTOXICA (POKEY PIPES)

In contrast to the previous track, which was a bit of an "in your face" dark, this is a more "all around you" dark. I'm actually somewhat reminded of "Clouded Mind and Ringing Ears" from Kong in Concert, even though this has a lot more going on than that track did.

WATER WARPED (WATER WORLD)

GSlicer, I hope from your description that you don't have first hand knowledge of what that synth supposedly sounds like, cause that isn't nice. The song feels very...electronic, I want to say, even though that's probably a little vague. A good alternative to Deep Sea Lights, giving two good different interpretations of an already good source.

CAN'T BOSS US AROUND (ROBOT ANARCHISTS FROM HELL MIX) [bOSS BOOGIE]

First off, man, that's a mouthful. Second off, that recurring riff at 0:32 doesn't exactly sound "bossy", but it's a good part of the song nonetheless, and the song overall does give the impression you're up against a boss that needs to be taken down. I like how this song, in contrast to "Boiling Point" and "The Apes of Wrath" is more electronic / techno than straight rock or metal. I like the section at 2:02 from 2:32 quite a bit, really lets the source track shine through.

KREMATOA INFERNO (MILL FEVER)

I like how you're expecting a piano-centric song up until 0:25, when the dubstep comes up yet again and quickly dissolves you of that notion. The song itself, I'm not sure if it really invokes the image of an inferno raging around you, but it does sound pretty nice and tense. Makes you feel you've got to get out before your goose...err, ape, is cooked. And then the piano comes back in at the end as you've made your escape, and look at the sad scene behind you.

WRINKLY'S NIGHTCAP (WRINKLY 64)

So how about that Super Mario 64 album that's been in production for the last century or so? But seriously, I'm patient enough for that and all the other albums in progress. This song...it really does sound like a good old lullaby. I'm more receptive to piano songs than most, probably because I myself am a musician and because my mom is a piano teacher. I can't pretend to know exactly what you're doing here on the piano, as I was never that great at playing piano myself (I can't wrap my head around the concept of using both hands at once and playing two or more notes at the same time), but I like it a lot. Feels very peaceful and calming, so yay for piano goodness .

[Mirby]

Okay, so I've been reviewing this all night so far, taking breaks between each disc just to give my ears a rest to recover for the next one.

I only have the bonus disc remaining, which I'll start on shortly.

Why did I ever say I'd review this in one sitting?

[Flexstyle]

Because you have a penchant for self-punishment with the best of torture instruments?

[Brandon Strader]

I've reviewed every song on the album.

They are good.

Can I have the extras now?

You never stated the reviews needed to be a specific length or even if it had to be written. I have reviewed the album and it was good.

[Mirby]

actually... considering he said he wants feedback on every tracks, there's an unwritten implication that it has to be written. there's also the fact that he needs proof to see that you actually did take the time out (as I did) to review every track individually instead of just saying you did to get free stuff.

honestly is a good policy. here's the review, btw. it's quite long, so i just linked it instead of posting it here.

[Brandon Strader]

He wanted an individual review of the tracks, I said that each track, individually, was good.

Goal met.

[Mirby]

He also said go above and beyond with your feedback.

Saying each track was good without going into depth at all isn't going above and beyond, that's doing the least you can do in an attempt to get something free without any effort at all. You're literally putting more effort into claiming your "individual reviews" fits his criteria than you did into reviewing them one-by-one.

Which you didn't do. You're saying they're all good, but that's hardly individualized feedback as he requested.

[StarTrick]

Hello there,

I have a question about the FLAC's in this set. There are three FLACs in the set which somehow I can't get to work;

-4-08 Sea Breeze Concerto (Stilt Village GBA) [Monkey Kong feat. David Wise]

-5-04 Treetop Intense (Treetop Tumble) [Danton F.]

-5-08 Banana Revolution Slam-the-Breaks Edit (Cranky's Showdown) (Flexstyle vs. J. Covenant, AkumajoBelmont)

When I try to play or decode them, I get this error message: (FLAC_FILE_DECODER_SEEKABLE_STREAM_DECODER_ERROR)

So, this set is out for a little while and no one complained about that, so... I guess the problem is on my end? Either way, what can I do to make them work?

Other than that I'd like to say that I love this album, really.

The Donkey Kong Country games were always some of my favourite games as a kid (especially 2) and I always loved the soundtracks, and when Kong in Koncert was released, it totally made my day. Serious Monkey Business was even better, and well this one here sure doesn't dissappoint either. I love that both soundtracks of the game are feautured, and I totally love the scope of it. I also really like the decision to put several arrangements for one track on the album, not only you have some sort of alternative in case you don't like one of the remixes, it also helps making the album more consistent thanks to "recurring themes" throughout.

Well, whatever. Great work!

Since this was released, I hardly listened to anything else...

[Brandon Strader]

He also said go above and beyond with your feedback.

Saying each track was good without going into depth at all isn't going above and beyond, that's doing the least you can do in an attempt to get something free without any effort at all. You're literally putting more effort into claiming your "individual reviews" fits his criteria than you did into reviewing them one-by-one.

Which you didn't do. You're saying they're all good, but that's hardly individualized feedback as he requested.

I DID do 3 songs for the album too.

[Bored_Man]

Now I'm getting a little self-conscious as to whether my review is any good, or if it's bare bones

Also, I edited Part 2 of the Disc 1 review, having realized that I mislabeled / misdescribed a song

THE MIGHTY JUNGLOL (CHASE)

That spoken intro...it's both silly, yet fitting, and I like it. Once the song gets going, it's very catchy, and I like the nature noises throughout. The sprite banner for this song gets the mood right too, it makes you feel like you're on a ride downstream in the jungle, speeding through the dangers and nodding your head at the beat. And if you forgot what you're listening to for some reason, the narrator is happy to remind you.

X-Y-X-X, B-A-B-Y (CRYSTAL CHASM)

These stages got HARD when you almost had all the Banana Birds. I like that the original sound effects are used throughout the song, and the beat is pretty cool. Source is easily recognizable, and taken up a notch. And then you finally free that Banana Bird at the end, yay.

BREAKING THE CRYSTAL KEY (MAMA BIRD)

Hmm...this one does sound a bit "moody", I wanna say. Ambient might be the better word, but either way, you feel like you're in the sky, in the presence of a mighty bird. Song really picks up towards the second minute, and man, someone's going crazy on those drums. So yeah, overall, neat song.

AFTERBURN (ROCKET RUN)

THIS song; as my first stand-out track for Disc 2, it's gotta be something special, and it is. This level was one heck of a ride in the original game, and the music matched that. This version of it takes things to the next level, but as it is Sole Signal, is it really a surprise? It's hard to describe what I like about this song, but it's catchy, got a good mix of electronic and guitar work, and matching background percussion. Don't hit anything on your way up!

BRING THE NOISE (BIG BOSS BLUES)

Baron K. Roolenstein, one of the Kremling King's crazier disguises. But it made for a fun, if different, boss fight. This song kind of feels like a mix of electronic, rock, and orchestra. Drums feel very prevalent here, which make the song more intense and "final boss" like. And then you land that last hit, and DK and Diddy are free.

FRIENDSHIPS THROUGH DARK AND LIGHT (CRAZY CALYPSO, CRYSTAL CHASM)

A triumphant reprise of the menu theme, done orchestral, and it is awesome . The transition into Crystal Chasm is very neat as well. Overall, this song is appropriate for the section after the climax of beating K. Rool yet again as things are still left to do, but you're almost finally finished freeing the Northern Kremisphere of his mess.

RETURN TO KONG, BYE-BYE BADDIES! (BADDIES ON PARADE)

So at last the day is won. The first minute is rather calm, but then things pick up, and things seem quite happy and joyful. The instrumentation is good, and the overall vibe is one of celebration for having won the game.

'TIL WE MEET AGAIN (GAME OVER)

My second stand-out track for Disc 2, this one gets props for remixing a 15 second song into a 3:45 one. When I think "Game Over", I usually think that someone has failed, but I don't really get that here. Well, I suppose it could be that K. Rool has failed, and maybe he's plotting his revenge for Donkey Kong 64. It's a nice chilled tune, one of reflection and relaxing after a hard day.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

Disc 2, in contrast to the first disc, is more adventurous and dark going in, but once K. Rool is beaten, things return to light-hearted frolic and fun. A good continuation from where Disc 1 left off, and a nice closure to the SNES soundtrack. Up next is the GBA soundtrack, which can be considered K. Rool's second attempt at taking the Northern Kremisphere and getting those blasted Kongs.

[Flexstyle]

Nah, BM, you're good. You're obviously putting thought into each comment, so I would be surprised if Emu takes issue with what you've posted thus far.

Oh, and StarTrick, I'm having no problems with those FLAC files, myself. I can send you the files, if you want--perhaps they got corrupted in a torrent download or something?

Edited December 17, 2012 by Flexstyle

[Emunator]

Everyone's reviews have been awesome thus far, keep it up! Except Brandon.

Mirby, I owe you the WIPs package, as promised. I'll get that to you in the next couple of days, harass me if I slip up and forget!

Edited December 17, 2012 by Emunator

[Mirby]

Mirby, I owe you the WIPs package, as promised. I'll get that to you in the next couple of days, harass me if I slip up and forget!

No problem. Plus, like I posted on Facebook, the fact you had the listings and stuff on the first page of the Projects thread for this helped me immensely. :3

[CC Ricers]

actually... considering he said he wants feedback on every tracks, there's an unwritten implication that it has to be written. there's also the fact that he needs proof to see that you actually did take the time out (as I did) to review every track individually instead of just saying you did to get free stuff.

honestly is a good policy. here's the review, btw. it's quite long, so i just linked it instead of posting it here.

Noticed someone finally got around to reviewing my track and I like it It was good that I took Emunator's advice on shortening the intro to get right to the point.

[StarTrick]

Oh, and StarTrick, I'm having no problems with those FLAC files, myself. I can send you the files, if you want--perhaps they got corrupted in a torrent download or something?

Could be, but I already re-downloaded the 3 files to make sure of that, and the problem was still there, so I don't really know. But if you have a chance to send me the files, I sure would love to try that. Thanks in advance!

[WillRock]

reviewed every song blablabla

You never stated the reviews needed to be a specific length or even if it had to be written

YOU LAZY jjj

Edited December 18, 2012 by WillRock

[StarTrick]

Could be, but I already re-downloaded the 3 files to make sure of that, and the problem was still there, so I don't really know. But if you have a chance to send me the files, I sure would love to try that. Thanks in advance!

Just a small update - I managed to find a tool which let me convert the files without any problems, so it's all fine!