Palpable Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Olá, pessoas!!! *hugzevery1!11* 6 months already, yeah? I've been pretty concentrated doing my first solo album, which I want to be da bomb. Music part's almost 100% done, and I'm trying to make sure it'll transport listeners to various natural ambients as the tracks go by. Lots of World Music, some Electronica, MANY experiments and stories; that's all I can say for now ^^. And here's my new remix, which is for Chernabogue's new project - Vampire Variations 2 -, so please don't publish (if accepted) until its release. ------------------- GAME Castlevania: Bloodlines SOURCE Reincarnated Soul REMIX Red Pearl Short story: I made a 30 sec sketch of something cool and sent to Mr. Bogue. He said it had a Pirates of the Caribbean vibe. Voala - I developed the song further in a way so it could clearly resemble that movie somehow in its soundscape. I mean, remember the Black Pearl? Something like that, there you are. The title of this remix/ship is a reference to a vampires' really valued treasure: blood! >:[ Of course, I also seasoned it with some harp and hammered dulcimer just because. See you soon o/ ~Guifrog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpazilla Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 That intro high string note just stops dead at 0:13, all exposed-like, darnit. You couldn't fade that out? This is epic as all get-out. Very dramatic and exciting, and groovy at the same time. Great mix of piano, strings/brass, choir, pounding beat, harp/dulcimer, (and church organ!) and electronica. Heavy on the reverb/delay, but it's working well here. Anchors a-weigh, ya scurvy dawg! YARR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 The steady beat plodded during the busiest sections, i.e. the main verses, but otherwise everything was on point, and the arrangement worked well in changing the rhythm of the source tune. Great dropoff at 1:25, followed by the rebuilding at 1:39; I really thought the textures clicked there well, followed by the plucked strings at 1:53, and the piano at 2:00. The instrumentation variation was strong, and that kept me engaged throughout. Nothing much else to say but I thought it was a solid effort. Let's go. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexstyle Posted June 24, 2014 Share Posted June 24, 2014 This is a tough one for me. On the one hand, this is a great arrangement, very catchy and head-bobbins-y. On the other hand, there's a crowding in the midrange that's really distracting me throughout the song. The balance between the crowded, overcompressed midrange and the relatively-lacking low end is really not doing it for me. The strings are all fighting for space with the horns, which are fighting for space with the organ...you get the point. I think this can be fixed by just lowering some volumes, and doing some clever volume automation throughout the piece to give each section its due time. Also, while we're at it, if we could get that little string bit that Chimp mentioned fixed, that would be greeeeeaaat. /meme I'm not going to be upset if this gets through on arrangement quality alone--which is something it has in spades. However, I'd really love to hear a version of this that has the midrange smoothed out, and the low end given a bit of a boost. NO (resubmit!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutritious Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Lol, I feel like the same things bother both myself and Kristina. The string drop at :13, huh? Cool, creative approach to the theme here. Good sequencing work on elements like the piano. The string stabs got slightly rigid at times, but overall well done. Drums could use a bit more variation. Right as I was typing this, I did start to hear a bit of cymbal work and some fills using toms. Try to remember when writing a "performed" drum part for a song to interrupt the beat when writing fill patterns to avoid growing a 3rd arm for your drummer (2:30) I hear Michael's crits on the frequency issues, but it didn't strike me as a deal-breaker. Perhaps something to consider for your future work? YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palpable Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 Wow, great approach. Castlevania songs always lend themselves to ambitious arrangements, and this is ambitious as well as well-executed. The string articulations are excellent for this kind of pop-orchestral - quick attacks, but still realistic. You've also got a couple of sections with slower, drawn-out notes that are just as nice. Like the little detail of the piano messing around at the 3:20 mark. Honestly, didn't really agree with Flex's criticisms and certainly don't think they are a dealbreaker. The mixing is on the level of what we accept. Just a couple things that struck me. One, the string drop at 0:13. Two, the kick and bass play the same throughout most of the song, and it gets a little plodding. Try changing it up by having the rhythm of the bass deviate now and then. Some extra percussion wouldn't go unappreciated either. Excellent song, Guifrog, it's my new favorite of yours! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonAvenger Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Oh wow, this is unexpected and awesome. Very catchy, and the writing is solid. Really feeling how you approached the string writing and combining it with the 4-on-the-floor feel you have going on in the bass. I can see the crits about the mid-range feeling a bit too full, but as Justin pointed out I don't think it's a dealbreaker in the end scheme. Really hearing the Pirates of the Caribbean feel at 2:00, love it! The electronic elements are also a nice touch, and they are melded very well with the orchestra feel. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clem Posted September 20, 2014 Share Posted September 20, 2014 (edited) Nice intro. I like your treatment of the source with that sultry piano. The entrance of the percussion is almost too cheesy for me, but then the high strings come in and it’s doin it for me. I dig those glistening melodies, and it’s groovy when you drop them into the synth at 0:48. I can hear some of the aforementioned ballooning in the mids at times, but it doesn't break it for me. The mixing/mastering is well done to my ear. Percussion is repetitive, but your sounds have the mojo. The way you meld the synths with the orchestra is cool. This is a rich arrangement that flows effortlessly and features a variety of timbres augmented by tasteful synths and loads of subtleties. YES Edited September 20, 2014 by Clem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 (edited) This reminds me of those classical orchestra cassettes you used to be able to get which had a disco beat layered over the top, except with a Pirates of the Caribbean vibe (as the title suggests). Straight up, I enjoyed this mix - it felt like I was about to embark on an adventure where I'm gonna whip me some skeletons. You've taken the original and modernised it in a great way. You've made some great choices on instruments (piano, strings, organ, electronic bass), and you added a bunch of licks, fills and breaks to make things your own. The whole track sounds fresh from beginning to end. You've got the production side of things covered. A couple of minor crits - I feel the strings were a teeny too quantised, but that could be due to the driving beat behind them. However it wouldn't hurt to loosen them up a little more to add that additional bit of realism. The choir sounds used were quite fake, but in contrast to the rest of the song being a mix of electronic and acoustic elements, I'm ok with it. Nice work. Gimmie moar. YES Edited September 21, 2014 by Jivemaster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beatdrop Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 YES Not only does the arrangement of the source kick ass, the orchestral elements sound EXCELLENT. I mean, from the very beginning, this grabs your attention and doesn’t let go. The hybrid of acoustic and electronic works very effectively here to the point that this sounds like it would be right at home in Konami’s own Beatmania IIDX series (indeed, the only Castlevania arrangement they’ve done themselves in that series wasn’t nearly as good as this). There’s so much going on here, it’s impossible to capture it all in a brief snapshot of a critique, so let me instead say that the only thing I could take issue with in this was the ineffective processing/mastering of the synthetic elements. Handled differently, they could have popped out a bit more. But again, that’s a VERY slight complaint, and maybe even more of a matter of preference, especially because the way it’s mastered prevents the drums and synths and what not from overpowering the orchestral elements, which are really the focus here, and rightfully so. I loved this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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