*NO* Parasite Eve 'Victims of the Imposter Gods'

[Palpable]

Remixer Name: Mikeaudio

Real Name: Michael Isel

Email:

Website: http://www.youtube.com/user/Mikeaudioproductions

User ID: "19903"

Name of game(s) arranged - Parasite Eve

Name of arrangement - Victims of the Imposter gods

Name of individual song(s) arranged - Out of Phase, Waiting for Something Awakens, Main Theme

Source Information:

Soundtrack Links:

Comments:

The soundtrack for Parasite Eve is probably one of the most cerebral yet bouncy soundtracks I've ever heard. Its like listening to ambient music with legs, amazing work from Yoko Shimomura! The inspiration for this mix came from the practitioner warning that Parasite Eve brings, which is that you can't play God and nothing terrible happen. Though there are many avenues that man can grow and learn in, there are some areas that man really shouldn't mess with...LIKE BLACK HOLES! The title "Victims of the Imposter gods" is referring to those who have been victimized in mind altering experiments, bio chemical warfare and such in history. Regarding the style of the music I went for something that resembles the Depeche Mode style of synth design, with the drum room mic given more presence to give the mix a sense of uneasiness without being cacophonous. You will notice a synthesizer panned left throughout the song that is constantly being automated via LFO, cutoff, filter, distortion and resonance in order to emulate the sound of a scientist using a drill like tool on the subject.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Liontamer
closed decision

[Palpable]

I thought the combination of the three source was pretty cool. It makes sense for simple loop-based sources, in order to get some more mileage out of them. I like the dark Depeche-y mood and the sound design. While I hear a lot of detail work in the synths, I wanted to hear more changes in the drums. They play the same way for the first half of the song, and though you switch to a swing later, I wanted to hear more fills and things along those lines. The song also didn't develop enough for my tastes. After the melodic figures are introduced the first time, there weren't enough changes between subsequent iterations. I wanted some more prominent ideas, like countermelodies or FX, to get used in the second half. 4:28 seemed like a logical place for a fadeout, but then you shifted back to the A-section, which was confusing. I didn't think that had a good flow.

A good start for sure, but not quite there. Hope this feedback helps you (and that you agree). I think you can deliver a more interesting version that keeps the good qualities you've got here.

NO (resubmit)

[Chimpazilla]

Wow, I love your thoughts about us not playing God and messing with black holes, and I agree with you... *looks askance at what CERN is currently up to...*

Regarding this mix, I agree with Vinnie pretty much completely. The drums really need some changeups in the first half, but I'll add that I'm not sure the swing in the second half really works with the vibe of the song either. I also share his feeling that the track doesn't develop enough melodically. Once the backing and lead writing are established, they just stay the same throughout. You've got some great synth sounds going, but they just end up plodding along after awhile.

Also, I feel like the distortion effect introduced in the intro doesn't need to continue throughout the rest of the track. Starting at 0:56, the distortion could be replaced with something else, some sort of glitching or different effect than in the intro, then do something completely different again for the final part of the track. As it stands, the distortion/alien radio effect just goes on way too long, giving the track a lossy effect. I'm also not a fan of it being panned left, hard panning of things always sounds odd to me. If you're going to leave this effect in, I suggest having it pan left and right slowly throughout the track, or leave it centered and wide, with some additional sfx coming in from time to time. How cool would that be?

I don't care for fadeouts, but as Vinnie said, fading out at 4:28 would work better than starting back up with the A section.

NO (resubmit)

[Flexstyle]

I dunno guys, I kinda like this one. It's really clean, and while it's a little repetitive, I think it works really well if you think about it like a soundtrack sort of song. Getting a VERY Deus Ex vibe off of this one. I never got bored, things changed up when they needed to for my ears, it's super clean and well-crafted. Think I'll go ahead and be the dissenting voice this time around.

 

YES

[Clem]

Pretty cool track man. Drums are slightly thin. The processed “drill” sound is good. It gets buried sometimes, but I get that it’s a background sound. The mix is passable, just not quite popping. I’m missing a subtle shimmer in the highs, and where are your deep bottom frequencies? The sense of space is not totally convincing to my ear. Patch design is your strength. The leads have stylishly smooth tones, especially toward the end where the percussion dies down. The arrangement works, transitions are smooth.

 

YES

[DragonAvenger]

Pretty on the fence with this one. I can see what Kris and Vinnie are saying about the first half, and I think overall it definitely could use a few more change-ups to keep things from sounding too repetitive. Also agreed on the fade-out being at 4:28 instead of later, it would sound more natural there.

 

Looking at this from the other side, the track has a pretty neat soundscape to it, and I didn't hear anything that was egregious in terms of production. When it comes down to it, I don't think the first half being a bit repetitive brings this to a point where it's below the bar. That being said, I think you can take the crits that all the judges have brought forward and use them to improve in your future works. Good luck on the rest of the vote!

 

YES (borderline)

[zykO]

in love with the intro.

 

very 80s feel to the tune in general, especially when the lead that comes in at 1:40 takes the track to a whole new place. for me, this was the highlight of the track which up to that point had been taking a bit long to get goin (albeit pleasantly). you got your depeche mode cred card nice and laminated, i see. great arrangement. now that i hear it, it seems so painfully obvious that the lead from "Awakens" would ride the rhythmic "Out of Phase" synth accompaniment. Like DUH lol good ear.

the synth work is generally very good, very detailed and with a confident touch. the drums are a bit weird for me; i like the writing a lot and i think they are solid dynamically... but they're mixed so thin, it steals some of the thunder the track could have. i am not as bothered by the panned LFO'd synth as others may be... i think it's perfect in just one channel, it forces the listener to focus on it there and gives the mix what i like to call head-pivot which isn't exactly headroom (expanding on the idea of characterizing the soundfield in terms of space, head-pivot characterizes the soundfield in terms of perspective like wearing an audio occulus, so to speak). i think it is a nice touch.

as far as the intangible things with this; i'm so down with it. it totally captures what you're setting out for it to capture. it's pensive and thoughtful. it's sparse and repetitive, very mechanical but without being stiff; not an easy accomplishment and indicative you know what you're doing and why. you use space well; like how dropping out the accompaniment near the end of the track to leave the "Out of Phase" syncopated synth alone in space is ACE. very lonesome and terrifying... like floating in space and watching the world unfold before your eyes and being anxiously riveted by the overwhelming realizations that come with such a perspective.

the one knock i can see, other than beefing up the drums a bit, is that ending. i like fadeouts, personally, i think they have a place in music when done tastefully and this one is borderline tastefully done. part of me likes that you briefly touch the A section again en route to black, i think it's giddily creative... but i also think it detracts from its accessibility just by gauging our collective reaction to it.

YES (tweak and go)

[Vig]

Hmm. The mix is very quiet, and the drums feel awfully dry and narrow given the soundscape of the track. The song overall is spacey and ethereal, but the drums are just dry and up front. I'd say you would benefit from a lot more compression overall.

The arrangement is really nice and moody, but for a track like this that is pretty chill and repetitive, the soundscape itself is crucial, and right now you need lots more reverb and compression.

I'm having trouble with this one. All three sources are pretty much variations on a theme, as is this remix. The remixer has added a couple cool sounds, like the bell synth, and some of the distorted droning later on, as well as some not cool sounds, like the drums and the thin distortion when it's exposed because there's nothing else filling the bottom of the mix. I'm not hearing any creative risks that aren't already taken in the originals. If you wanna go for atmosphere that's cool, but the drums are so exposed. They are thin, they are dry, and they are narrow. VERB IT UP. The guitar is cool but it could be fatter.

I think it's a vibey tune and it just needs a little more vibe.

NO

[Emunator]

Call me crazy, but I'm surprisingly okay with this track in its current form. I'm going to keep this short because both sides of the argument have been made very thoroughly, but the strength of the sound design and synth choices evoke a very deliberate mood, and the very detailed modulation on your background elements works well. The additive approach to arrangement is well-utilized here, although I totally agree with Vinnie that 4:28 would have been a great place to end the track, either with a fadeout or just letting the delays trail off and ending cleanly (I think the latter would have been more effective, personally.)

 

The drums are a bit of a weak link, but I didn't have an issue with the drum writing itself (the swing timing in the 2nd half didn't really contribute anything to the track but I didn't really notice it on repeat listens.) As Vig said, just a touch more reverb and compression would have done the trick. Not a dealbreaker to me, though, I felt the rest of the track was strong enough to compensate.

 

I find myself agreeing with zykO's vote the most - strong vibes, smooth sound design and a totally natural fusion of multiple sources makes this a winner for me. Whatever flaws there may be don't bother me nearly enough to stop this from passing through. Thanks for introducing me to this soundtrack too! I wasn't familiar at all but just from these source tunes, I love it.

 

YES

[Liontamer]

I wanted to hear more changes in the drums. They play the same way for the first half of the song, and though you switch to a swing later, I wanted to hear more fills and things along those lines. The song also didn't develop enough for my tastes. After the melodic figures are introduced the first time, there weren't enough changes between subsequent iterations. I wanted some more prominent ideas, like countermelodies or FX, to get used in the second half. 4:28 seemed like a logical place for a fadeout, but then you shifted back to the A-section, which was confusing. I didn't think that had a good flow.

The drums really need some changeups in the first half, but I'll add that I'm not sure the swing in the second half really works with the vibe of the song either. I also share his feeling that the track doesn't develop enough melodically. Once the backing and lead writing are established, they just stay the same throughout. You've got some great synth sounds going, but they just end up plodding along after awhile.

Quoted for agreement.

The drum groove at :24 was well-written, but it became overused and plodding on extended auto-pilot, lasting from :24-:45 & :56-2:21. A second pattern coasts from 2:31-3:36, but at least there was a change from the first half.

A few of the theme change-ups (e.g. :45) weren't smooth, IMO, though that wasn't a huge deal.

Ultimately, there was too much recycling of the source melodies without changes, only with different drum/backing patterns underneath, e.g.:

* :02-:45 vs. 4:29-4:56

* :56-1:38 vs. 2:32-2:52

* 1:38-2:21 vs. 2:52-3:38 vs. 3:38-4:18

I feel like this is a solid work-in-progress going well in the right direction, but it lacks the finishing touches & detail work needed to fully develop the arrangement. It's a cool piece in vacuum, and certainly has some good sounds. I wasn't even bothered by the production, unlike Vig. But I'm really surprised this has so many YES's when the arrangement's on auto-pilot and cut-and-paste repetitive in such big ways.

NO (resubmit)

[Jivemaster]

Great soundscape. You have a nice choice of instruments and sounds in this track. I’m in agreeance with my fellow judges saying this needs more variation, both in your interpretation of the original source tune *and* in the original elements you have employed, like your drums.

 

The first thing that stuck out to me is the drum loop, which doesn’t seem to change at all, and you can even hear the loop point where the last hi-hat cuts short. You occasionally use a fill, but more change ups need to happen with your drums, especially for a minimal track such as this. Your lead lines feel like they play the same thing quite frequently as well. There are certainly some neat touches here and there, and your choices of sounds fit together nicely. I’m with Larry in saying this sounds like a polished WIP that needs some finishing touches.

 

Pretty much all this needs is some variation in the elements you’re already using and you should be good to go.

 

NO (please resub)

[DarkeSword]

I'm feelin' it. Nice atmospheric music, great take on the sources. But it's got a kind of BGM quality; it sort of coasts and stays in a holding pattern throughout the piece, like a Sakuraba dungeon track in a Tales game. I was leaning on YES earlier but I'm tipping towards NO now. This needs a little bit more to it. Some more highs and lows.

 

NO, resub

[djpretzel]

Interesting comments on the drums being too dry; I don't think that's the real issue, from a production standpoint. The drums lack variation, are repetitive, don't have much in the way of dynamic contrast, and also seem to sit very mono relative to the stereo spectrum. In other words, I do think the drums are the main concern, but it's most than just being dry - they need a bit of retooling/rethinking, overall. Everything else seems pretty tight, but the drum work simply isn't living up to the promise of the track & pulling its weight.... feels thin and autopilot, and this is the type of arrangement that would really BENEFIT from interesting drums (perhaps a mix of acoustic AND electronic?) that develop over time.

 

NO, resub... give the drums a bit more TLC, they deserve it!

[Nutritious]

Lots already said here, so I'll keep it brief.  Definitely agreed on drums being the biggest culprit.  They've established the groove before the 30 second mark, and besides a few minor fills and a drop off, they pretty much stay on the same pattern until 2:20.  IMO with acoustic drums (rather than electronic or breakbeat) meaningful variation is especially important. 

 

I only saw Jive mention it, but the drum groove itself sounds a bit weird to me because there's a drop in volume at the end of every measure as the open hihat sound drops out, creating a slightly awkward, disjointed sound. This is usually indicative of a drum loop that isn't quite fleshed out to the end of the measure.

 

Other than that, I think the track could use some more overall variation and dynamic contrast to keep some interest.  That said, I do really like what I'm hearing overall and think this one is really close to getting there.

 

NO resubmit, please