djpretzel Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 email sub file Averx_Fire_For_Ice_OC_Remix.mp3 Remixer/Producer Alias: Averx Real Name: Avery Harvin Game Remixed: Donkey Kong Country 2 - Diddy's Kong Quest Song Remixed: In a Snow-Bound Land webpage: www.soundclick.com/averx Thoughts: I've been a musician for several years now, but this is my first game remix ever. I blended this mellow song with my classic hip-hop orchestral style. The rhythm is very fast and energetic, a counterpoint to the slow pace of the original composition (I'm all about the energy... haha). I played everything strictly by ear and then transposed the piece down a step. However, the only part retained from the original song is the chorus... everything else has been composed by me. Enjoy! P.S. I sent this in earlier to submissions@ocremix.org, but didn't get a confirmation letter. I wasn't sure which address to send it to, so here it is... again, haha. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 The opening chords here don't sit well with me, nor do they seem to fit when they are played after that (with the strings). The drums seem out of place somehow. They're more like big beat or hip hop drums.. I'm not really sure what style you were going for, but I don't hear OTHER elements from either of those genres here. The string samples are also horribly mechanical and it's really obvious when they are played fast. Try to find new ones or sequence them in such a way that they don't sound so fake. In regards to arrangement.. maybe I'm missing something, but I'm hearing a lot of sort of 'wandering' chords that aren't part of the original but ARE just thrown in and are not adding anything. It's really only at the halfway point that I'm hearing a strong theme from the source tune that's obvious. Then it's back to the repetitious stuff from the beginning of the mix, and a fade out. Geez. There's really no cohesiveness at all in the arrangement.. where is it going? Why is it doing what it is doing? I can't figure it out. You don't have a lot of material here, so even though the mix is short, it sounds stretched out and it's not very interesting. Here I would say arrangement is what you have to worry about first. Just rework it. Also, see if you can get a more palatable selection of instruments. You've got an electric piano, clavinet, acoustic guitar, strings, horns.. but none of them fit together! Focus on a particular style and really try and nail it down. After that, tweaking the production issues, like the percussive samples, would be wise. Keep at it. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 http://snesmusic.org/v2/download.php?spcNow=dkq - "In a Snow-Bound Land" (dkq-25.spc) I'll admit, I thought the source sounded cool for the first few seconds, then it just hit a spot where the rest was no good. Disappointing original. Melody's completely unmemorable, so I had to let it marinate for a while. What a strange intro. I liked the string lead at :07, but the rest of the instrumentation didn't seem to really gel. You had some straight up MIDI-grade keyboard crud interspersed in their for a TERRIBLE sound quality disparity. The tone of the drums just don't fit at all, and their pattern is way too basic and repetitive. Then all of a sudden at :47 you have these gross, ultra-fake MIDIish string runs where the notes are playing too fast. Vox used briefly in the background was too subtle to play any meaning part and fill out the soundfield. Soundscape was very cluttered and imbalanced the whole way through, plus there was a distinct lack of dynamics. Too bad, because the overall energy was admirable. At 2:44 when you started another loop of the arrangement, I was like "BAH, not again", until I realized you were going for the (weak) fadeout close. Poor textures and sound balance the whole way through, plus undeveloped arrangement ideas and cruise control dynamics means NO. Definitely keep at it though, like zircon mentioned, as I'll be holding onto this piece. You show promise behind the surface, so hang around the ReMixing & Works: OCR forums to learn more about whatever programs and samples you're using and follow that up by getting feedback from the community on your next piece of music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Orichalcon Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 I disagree with Larry on the drums in this. The artist has created some pretty crisp and clear electro drums. I think they could've been a bit better if they'd been accompanied by some toms or other percussion, opening the path for some more creative breakdowns in the flow of the beat. Either way, I think the drums are the best part of the mix. The strings you're using, as said sound "ultra-fake." They sound almost fanfare-ish in their current form, which is ok, but the attack is so short on them, that they're out of place. Everything came together pretty well, the soundscape was fluent, but it just seemed like it was a few notches below where it could've been. Loop + fadeout at the end is a really lazy way to go about finishing off the mix. Give that thing a proper ending. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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