Chimpazilla Posted November 1, 2014 Share Posted November 1, 2014 (edited) Remixer : Hxboy9 Name of game: Donkey Kong Country Name of arrangement: Deep hidden coves song: Aquatic Ambiance Genre: Progressive Trance ------------------------- Edited December 3, 2014 by Liontamer closed decision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpazilla Posted November 1, 2014 Author Share Posted November 1, 2014 This is a decent cover of Aquatic Ambience, and a good start on a remix, but ends up being much too simplistic and repetitive for OCR. I'm paneling it because it is a really good structure for a great remix of this source, and I'd love for the artist to get some additional advice and suggestions from us. The synths used are very simple, the drums sound like a loop, bass is almost nonexistent, and the track lacks dynamics and surprise, but yet there's promise here, the arrangement is good. Much more stuff could be added, for example in the soft breakdown, some unique soloing or sfx or ear candy etc. As it stands now, the breakdown is really boring, but could be filled with subtle yet exciting stuff. The long empty stretches such as 3:55 could have some unique soloing added over the top of what's there, add some drum changeups, additional timbres and sfx etc., and bingo, you have something really cool! The production of what's here is really not too bad, balancing could use work, drums and bass are really soft for example. The lead at 2:27 is really very simple and plain, that would be an opportunity to add interest with an evolving timbre, something with some vibrato perhaps or another interesting envelope, or add a countermelody or just other aspects to keep the audience entertained. Maybe make one epic section with some fun wild soloing before the outro, perhaps. Take this to the next level, let's see whatcha got! NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 This is a decent cover of Aquatic Ambience, and a good start on a remix, but ends up being much too simplistic and repetitive for OCR. I'm paneling it because it is a really good structure for a great remix of this source, and I'd love for the artist to get some additional advice and suggestions from us. The synths used are very simple, the drums sound like a loop, bass is almost nonexistent, and the track lacks dynamics and surprise, but yet there's promise here, the arrangement is good. Much more stuff could be added, for example in the soft breakdown, some unique soloing or sfx or ear candy etc. As it stands now, the breakdown is really boring, but could be filled with subtle yet exciting stuff. The long empty stretches such as 3:55 could have some unique soloing added over the top of what's there, add some drum changeups, additional timbres and sfx etc., and bingo, you have something really cool! The production of what's here is really not too bad, balancing could use work, drums and bass are really soft for example. The lead at 2:27 is really very simple and plain, that would be an opportunity to add interest with an evolving timbre, something with some vibrato perhaps or another interesting envelope, or add a countermelody or just other aspects to keep the audience entertained. Maybe make one epic section with some fun wild soloing before the outro, perhaps. Take this to the next level, let's see whatcha got! I'd say more, but I agree with your breakdown, especially the lead at 2:27 sounding vanilla. Quoted for emphasis; please listen to this advice to add more substance and variety to the picture in both the sound design and the level of arrangement/interpretation. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexstyle Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Yeah, in order to really make a splash with this genre, you've gotta either have a super-clean mix or a fantastic arrangement, and preferably both. Your stacked synth is a bit muddy, and your bass isn't really cutting through very well. The drums are repetitive even by EDM standards, and the song takes a little too long to develop. Chimp mentioned the breakdown and how it was a bit sparse, and I've gotta agree on that count. One simple thing you could do to make this instantly better is sidechain your bass and stab synths to the kick drum, which would allow them to breathe a bit. That, and of course just giving this track the energy it needs overall by keeping things interesting throughout. Honestly, in order to really let this progress, you might want to take it over to the Workshop forums. I'm sure you'll find a lot of help over there as well, and that'll allow you to get feedback as you're going along, too. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Kris nailed it in her vote. The texture is nice, in a sort of inoffensive plain way, but there are so many instances of things just sort of coasting along. Kris is right in that you need to have sounds evolve more. I also thought it was a little strange that you went for 2+ minutes without even using the melody of the source track. If the track was really long I could understand holding off on that and then pushing that in and letting it sort of spiral through the rest of the track, but here's the track is already have done. A strange choice; not bad, I just don't really get it. Not really feeling this. Needs work. NO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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