djpretzel Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Seems legit; just need arrangement check, probably kosher since Brandon's gotta a pretty good feel for these things. - djp ---- Howdy Game: Ace Combat Zero (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Combat_Zero:_The_Belkan_War) Source: Zero Theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6gdyiLZxJ8 Title: Guinevere Link: Hi! After hearing The Limit which was commissioned by TotalBiscuit, I was approached to make another Ace Combat remix, this time commissioned for 4Player Network and their series of GOTY videos (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT0DdETrunnQVkwhnRy_WL_hft9dEDJr_) I'm always intimidated by how much work a song like this is to cover, but I think it turned out amazing -- there's even a callback to The Limit at 3:29 where it plays the melody from The Liberation of Gracemeria. Definitely similarities between the 2 sources, but so much of a different flavor with the Zero Theme to work in a lot of cool acoustic parts -- including bongos that were recorded in 1 take. That was a really intense bongo performance. When I was done I was like "wow, that felt epic, I gotta use this take." You rarely get that feeling with guitars. Unless you manage to actually record your fabled "perfect take" which is usually not what happens. Big thanks to Chris Davis for the remix request, and also for naming the song. About the title, he said, "Part of that particular Ace Combat's theme is the Knights of the Round Table wherein the knights themselves are the veritable ace pilots of the conflict. The track preceding Zero on the AC0 soundtrack is called Morgan, named for Morgan Le Fey who tried to kill King Arthur, which serves as the intro piece leading into Zero as it is the final boss battle of the game. As such, Guinevere would fit perfectly." --------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OceansAndrew Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Nice references to the original while taking this for a little detour. Some of the strings felt weirdly placed in the soundscape and so far away from everything else, it was like they were sitting at the kid's table at Thanksgiving. Other than that, nice performances, great source, and plenty of unique rhythmic and stylistic differences to get my vote. Nice work~! Yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonAvenger Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 That source is pretty epic, some gorgeous work in there! I like that Brandon keeps a lot of that strong epic and driven feeling and really uses the source to his advantage to fit into his writing style. I hear Andrew's complaint, and I'm agreed with him that it's a little strange at times, but really a small quibble overall. Nice work! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutritious Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Man, Ace Combat music is so cool. Makes me wish I'd tried out these games at some point. Another very cool mix from Brandon. Definitely channels some of the strong melody writing and progression of the original. Transition to the Spanish guitar is nicely handled. though not actually an original idea as it's in the original, it was very cool to hear the rock elements later join in with it to hybridize the two distinct styles. Production-wise, the guitars (both rhythm and leads) sounded a bit overpowering compared to the other elements. For example, the vocal lead seems like it should be a bit more prominent, but ends up taking a bit of a back seat to the rock elements. Mastering sounds a bit on the loud side compared to what I'm normally listening to, but nothing sticks out as hard on the ears. Lots of energy here and tons to like. Very strong guitar performances as well as orchestral writing. Pretty easy call. Great stuff. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Great production here Brandon - lots of changes in pace and mood throughout the mix, creative arrangement choices and clever integration of orchestral and guitar elements. Sections felt like they changed just when needed, and each part felt well mixed while maintaining a bit of a raw feel. The breakdown at the outro was welcome and well executed. While I would've liked some more clarity on the drums, they are hardly deal breaking. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Now that I've heard this, just co-signing; this is good times. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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