Palpable Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Your ReMixer name: Argle Name of game(s) arranged : Chrono Trigger Name of individual song(s) arranged: Corridors of Time - Name of arrangement: Kingdom of Magic Yes. I can hear your depressed groans now. Maybe I should be BANNED!!! from OCR. This one is interesting to me in that Corridors of Time was the very first game remix I did. Back then I was a noob, a really clueless noob, nevertheless I submitted the track to OCR with great confidence. Of course it got ripped apart. Looking back at it the track is quaintly horrible. Anyway, I decided to give this source another go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Palpable Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 GRROOOOOOAAAAAANNNNNNN Nah, I don't think I'm ever gonna stop loving this song. Argle's take isn't too out there, but it's solidly executed. Heavier on the rhythm than the original, while maintaining all the core elements. I liked how initially it sounds very close to the original, light percussion and all, but busts into a funky groove. I wouldn't have minded more liberties with some element, maybe the bass, and more change-ups in the backing parts. The variations on the lead and the breakdown sections did just enough to hold my interest, but there was some obvious copypasta in the drums, bass, chimes, and I would have liked to see a little more effort. Still, solid enough. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 Not a very interpretive arrangement as far as the melody and structure from 1:06-on, but the additive writing, instrumental changes, and some melodic personalization did add up to a borderline pass for me on that level. The production was a sure bet. I'm pretty much where Vinnie was, i.e. it cuts it close, but it does have some meaningful interpretation, and the potential here isn't fully realized though it's in the right direction. Because the backing patterns sound similar, it's actually easy to overlook the modifications Adam made, but if you listen more closely you shouldn't miss all that. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpazilla Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 (edited) That's one slow-burn intro. Just... two chords... and pad... until 0:34. I think that background arp pattern is the most repetitive element, if that were altered somewhere, it wouldn't feel so samey. Even when played by different instruments (bells, harp, some other plucked thing), it still feels samey. I agree with Larry and Vinnie, there's lots of nice personalization. But wow it's repetitive. Very cool bass drop at 1:06. I want more of that. I'm not a fan of the lead that enters at 1:23. It seems so lifeless. That first lead should really shine and stand out, and this one just leaves me flat. It's kind of faux-trumpety. It could be a really nice sine/saw/triangle thingy with some fun modulation and delay, and it could play an octave higher. Same crit for the lead that begins at 2:47, it could be so much more. And again at 3:56. Drums are basically copypasta all the way through. I would love to hear some additional drum elements at some point. I feel like there are large sections of this arrangement that are basically empty (like multiple 8-bar sections), with just that arp pattern and bass and drums, and no lead or super minimal lead. This track is produced very well, but I'm just finding it too empty, lead-wise. Too much missed opportunity. If this doesn't pass, I'd recommend just doing some cool soloing over what you already have going here, and/or spiff up some of the lead timbres, that would pep it up. Also, some drum variation. Also, blarg, abrupt ending. NO (resubmit) Edited June 25, 2014 by Chimpazilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutritious Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Definitely feeling a lot of Kristina's crits here. The beat (while very cool/solid) lacked variation. The trumpety lead thing at 1:24 felt like an odd choice when contrasted with more hi-fi elements in the background and beat. It didn't hang around very long. Overall, though, it was nicely & tastefully produced. I'm with Larry that the arrangement work felt borderline conservative to me. There are subtle additions and expansions. Variations in the melody like 3:08 were a welcome change. I know I tend to harp on this a lot, but weak endings really bother me . Here, the track just abruptly stops without any sort of wrap up or resolution. This doesn't really affect my vote much, but as mixer myself I feel like I need to get the word out that there's no reason to be lazy with the ending of your track. This is the final impression you're leaving with your listener - do something with it! I admit I don't always have the best endings with my personal tracks, but I try to never leave it in a state like this. OK, sorry, /rant! I feel like I'm more on the fence than the YES's, but still in passing range. YES (borderline) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonAvenger Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Pretty much in-line with Justin's vote in particular, which mirrors the rest of the group here. There's a lot of subtle variation and arrangement here which is nice to listen to, albeit it is fairly close to the source. Some of the synth choices are a bit flat, and the repetitive parts do bring things down a notch overall. That being said, if this were another source that wasn't so widely arranged there wouldn't be as much talk about it in terms of passing or not in regards to being close melodically. In the end I found the track to be an enjoyable homage to the original that plays out a lot of the great aspects and adds a bit more flavor. That ending, though, is totally rough. Almost tempted to see if he wants to smooth it out a bit? YES (borderline) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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