New Compo Idea/Interest: Game Shift Remix

[DarkeSword]

So here's an idea for a compo. This wouldn't be one of the big GRMRB or WCRG style tournament/gauntlet ones, just one of the cool weekly ones like PRC or MnP.

 

Game Shift Remix (GSR)

 

Rather that providing a specific song to remix, remixers are given a game and then asked to take a song from that game's soundtrack and write it to fit the soundtrack of a completely different game.

 

So let's say you have something like, "Shift a track from Castlevania into a Tales of the Abyss." Remixers would be tasked with listening to the Tales of the Abyss soundtrack, familiarizing themselves with the overall musical aesthetic of the game, and then taking any track from Castlevania and trying to make it "fit" into the soundtrack. Obviously the game being shifted to would have to have a strong musical identity. Voters would judge based on how well they think the new track fits into the specified game.

 

Thoughts? Interest? I'm busy with SFRG right now but I'd love for someone to take this up and try running it.

[Jorito]

Maybe it's only me, but wouldn't that make a lot of work to submit an entry? Basically you have to get a good feeling and understanding for both soundtracks first before you can start remixing. From a time perspective a week might be a bit short maybe.

 

The concept is interesting though, it'd be cool to see what comes out of it. I could see myself participating provided I would know both of the soundtracks (or its composers) reasonably well. That kind of contrasts with how I approach PRC/MnP where I sometimes participate just because somebody picked a cool, inspiring source track that I didn't know but does begs to be remixed.

[Nabeel Ansari]

Like Jorito said the concept is cool but it requires a lot of critical thinking on the part of the artist, which requires time. I know not everyone is like me who can write a track in 12 hours, so it seems like a week's time is not enough to plan on arrangement.

The biggest difference is that there's no stylistic restriction in the other tournament competitions that are run. Here, the point of the competition is the stylistic restriction, and I think that would be very difficult. You may generate interest, but the results may not turn out great, or may not even turn out at all.

 

I think this is compounded with the fact that a lot of remixers do electronic/rock oriented remixes, and having to say, emulate an RPG soundtrack might be the contestant's first foray into acoustic part-writing. That's just an example, but my point is being a style-versatile composer/arranger is really hard, and requires a certain proficiency (in either formal or informal) music theory in order to analyze a style and figure out how it works in such a short time. And also write in it. Even just changing the instrumentation, if nothing else, requires knowledge of those instruments that the contestant might not already have.

 

If it's supposed to be a learning experience, then yeah, it would be great, but maybe make it biweekly, and offer critiques along the way to people who need it.

[DarkeSword]

Could shift to a month.

[Nabeel Ansari]

I would partake if the schedule was monthly.

[Brandon Strader]

Cool idea, a week would be fine. People are remixing in a similar style, they're not adding on to the OST of said game.. not that big a deal.. It would be a good exercise and sounds a lot of fun. Plus they don't have to be super obscure soundtracks that people would have to study deeply. And besides besides, you could probably get the gist of a soundtrack from hearing just a couple songs from it. Or if it's a really good soundtrack like Dante's Infero you can get the gist of it from one song 

[Pavos]

I agree with Neblix and Jorito that a week is too little time to familiarize yourself with the feel of a soundtrack and possibly learn to write a remix in a completely new genre. I also think that this competition will not really work as a true competition since it's heavily biased: if I have to make a rock remix I'm at a disadvantage, while games that feature a calmer, accoustic piano soundtrack work in my advantage. However, I do think it's a very good way to get mixers out of their comfort zone and try new things. If it's each month, I would join it

[shadow24]

This idea should work but it might have less turn out compared to other competitions. I've been trying to figure out a new competition idea as well. Something like a cut throat musician with sabotages (like the cooking show cut throat kitchen). I'm at a loss as to figure out how to implement the handicaps properly though.

[MindWanderer]

I like the idea, but more as a long-form multi-round compo than recurring one-shots.  Some options:

• Participants each choose a game to stick with for the compo, then the organizer chooses a game each week.  The remix uses a source from the participant's game, in the style of the organizer's game.
• As above, but with the selections reversed.  This would cut down on the research needed on the participants' part, but some of the fun from breaking them out of their comfort zones would be lost.
• Both the OST game and the style game are fixed for the duration of the compo, but the type of music changes each week.  Boss battle, love theme, title screen, credit roll, ice stage, industrial stage, etc.

My experience with longer-duration compos is that they don't really help.  If something takes longer than 2 weeks to do properly, way too many people will just drop out.

[Nabeel Ansari]

Cool idea, a week would be fine. People are remixing in a similar style, they're not adding on to the OST of said game.. not that big a deal.. It would be a good exercise and sounds a lot of fun. Plus they don't have to be super obscure soundtracks that people would have to study deeply. And besides besides, you could probably get the gist of a soundtrack from hearing just a couple songs from it. Or if it's a really good soundtrack like Dante's Infero you can get the gist of it from one song 

 

Why don't we just write new soundtracks that are hybrid fusions of each soundtrack

 

a week is fine for that, nbd

[Brandon Strader]

Literally not what he's asking for, and literally not something I'd expect people to be able to do, either within a week, or within a year. I think you're being overdramatic and misinterpreting what is wanted in the compo. Writing a remix to "fit the soundtrack of another game" could mean almost anything, especially depending on the soundtrack. Something limited to chiptunes could become almost anything, whereas soundtracks with better samples like FF7 range from piano, acoustic, orchestral, rock, and beyond. There's practically no limitation and whether something fits into a soundtrack is subjective. 

[Pavos]

Sarcasm?

[Graff]

I think it's a great idea, but familiarizing with the instrumentation THEN achieving the particular sounds could be perplexing for some. It requires some serious meditation. Fantastic idea if it can be executed properly.

[timaeus222]

My experience with longer-duration compos is that they don't really help.  If something takes longer than 2 weeks to do properly, way too many people will just drop out.

 

Keep in mind that the track doesn't have to be long. It could be anywhere from a 1 minute loop to a full 4-minute track, and it's all up to the remixer.

[Esperado]

I personally don't see a problem with 2 week compos. I actually really enjoyed the RMwtS style compos where you could really put some time and effort into a mix. I find 2 weeks to be just long enough that its easier to come up with something relatively polished but not too long that you feel like it drags on. 

[Jamphibious]

I love the idea.  A week seems fine but I get the concern of having it so short since there would be a bit more preparation involved.  Bi-weekly or monthly sounds good to me, I'd probably jump in every now and then.  I like the idea of having it like a PRC kind of thing so that I don't have to commit to a long term thing like the gauntlets.