Sweet Sixteen - Happy Birthday OCR!

[DarkeSword]

OverClocked ReMix is 16 years old today! Like I said today on Twitter: "OC ReMix is 16 years old today. Older than YouTube, older than iPods, older than a lot of things on the internet. And we're not done yet."

What are some of  your favorite memories of OCR throughout the years? How has OC ReMix improved your life?

[Chernabogue]

Man, those "Kraid's Lair" remixes did a nice job bringing me here in 2006/2007. But sorry, I don't want to leave anytime soon.

[Garpocalypse]

Let's see, Discovered the site in 2005 and by 2008 i was pretty much exclusively listening to OCRemixes on my 30gb (HDD) Creative Zen.  This was the time I was starting my hero worship of various remixers who were a part of this VGM scene. 

 

The day Snowboarding Sonic got posted was the day I decided to commit to getting my own stuff on the site.  Seriously,  I didn't stop listening to this once i heard it for MONTHS.

http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01888

 

..and it's been a rollercoaster of a musical trip since then but if it wasn't for OCR I probably never would have gotten into music recording/production as much as I have nor been driven to learn and improve my own engineering techniques.  

 

Not to mention that being a part of this community has led me to me being able to meet all of you in person at the annual MAGs which has been the best party of the year each year i've been there. 

 

The best memory though was squaring off with DJP,  Level99 and others playing fighting games at MAG on Stevo's laptop the first time I went to the fest in 2013. I think Bushido Blade 2, Battle Arena Toshinden 3 and some others were covered and that was a pretty huge thing for me! 

 

Happy 16th!

[The Damned]

$300 Time Hat?

 

Nah, getting The Missingno Tracks out. Several years of waiting and doubting myself and then wondering if it was ever going to be good enough... turns out, people liked it. So I guess it worked out!

[timaeus222]

I think I came across OCR in 2007.

It started out as OCR just being a resource to find music (and then leave and come back later), and progressed to actually starting to write music in 2011, then coming back for the feedback later that year, then giving my own feedback in 2012~2015, and... yeah. I just got more and more involved and continually found the community more and more inviting. I think my experiences at OCR actually helped me refine my personal character within the context of society about as much as my musical skills, if not more. I've grown to respect each individual more---that everyone has started as a musical amateur at some point, that there will be some immature people here and there, and that having a thick skin about it, being patient, and structurally empathizing with the other is just about the best way to keep on good terms with the community as a whole and express gratitude for what they have done (or will do) for you. There's no other community quite like this!

Probably one of my favorite memories was (yes, really) discussing pantheism vs. atheism (I think) with djp, and religion/philosophy in general, and really getting down into the nitty gritty. It's good to have a meaningful conversation like that every now and then, because it just humbles you to appreciate how the community is not just a bunch of people intent on making music---everyone has significance, intelligence, and capacity, among other things. Interests outside of music. Apparently, TheGuitahHeroe plays golf!

Another cool moment was when I got my first mix accepted (Cloudhopping with Chimpazilla, which was posted after my first mixpost). I basically said, "wait, really? Wow, it wasn't as hard as I thought." After realizing that I had gotten to that point, that just motivated me to keep improving. It was on the day I finished my Black Belt test in Tae Kwon Do, too, so that was a great way to raise my spirits.

And those random extreme critics are also fun to uh... rail on? I guess.

[classic_gamer_76]

I discovered OCR back in... 2006? No, maybe a bit later ^^

 

I remember the first thing I heard from the site was stuff from 'Sonic 3 & Knuckles: Project Chaos.'

I used to air-guitar on SnappleMan's crazy remixes when I was alone in my bedroom -- these were the days

This album is still to this day one of my all-time favorite arrangement albums!

 

Really hope this website will continue to bring us insanely good and free ReMixes/Arrangement Albums for the next 16 years.

... I still have lots of space left for that in the computer :3

[Eino Keskitalo]

Happy birthday, OCR!

Funny, I've been around for about half the site's lifespan. And it had had a long run back then already.

I feel like I've advanced a ton as a musician when trying to get stuff through OCR's evaluation, especially production-wise, getting a grasp of basic mixing tools etc - I really didn't have any of that before wanting to reach that bar. So I've acquired a more rounded skillset. I've also improved my ear a lot, figuring out source tunes and giving feedback (the latter is a great way to learn). I think I also appreciate game music a lot more!

Best moments are numerous: working with Pleiade on our Wild Arms project mix was instrumental, really learned a lot about production in this real life collab. Getting the e-mail about first accepted mix was a huge feeling of accomplishment. Tuning to KNGI just when Kyle was about to play an arrangement from me. Mic not working on OCR Talkback. Numerous collabs with Tuberz, Jorito, and then Tuberz AND Jorito. Shining Force II anniversary drive for Rexy's Radio Sega show just might come out on top. But also simply being aware of musicians like AeroZ and Shnabubula.

[Mirby]

I'm glad to have gotten Audio Engineering out, and in the process kicked off the OCRI releases. That was fun.

Happy birthday, OCR!

[The Coop]

[Necrox]

Found ocr back in 2012 looking for final fantasy remixes. I was looking for new sounds and versatility; I also was a big metalhead at the time. Needless to say, Random Encounter (which had been out for less than a week) got me pretty dang excited.

[SystemsReady]

Happy birthday, OCR!

 

So I was in my sophomore year in high school, so 2006-2007 range, and I was a very prolific regular on the Sega of America forums at the time. Someone had posted a link to Project Chaos in the Sonic subforum, and that's what got me into OCR at the time.

 

But at the time, music wasn't nearly as important to me as it is now, so I basically became a hardcore listener of the site in 2011, which was the time where music took over my life and my free time (thanks, Vocaloid. Thanks, deadmau5. Thanks, Pendulum). A year or so later I began "collecting" video game music to play while programming and also playing Skyrim for hours, which just made my appreciation grow.

 

Happy memories...honestly I'm kind of embarrassed now at some of the stuff I posted early on, and even some of the sad stuff I post in the chat sometimes. It's easier for me to look back on my past self (whether that's a few years or......two weeks ago) as "wow, my brain was totally down and irrational", and while I wouldn't consider myself 100% sane or well-adjusted, it is rather important to me that I got positive feedback when I did at the time. So thank you! Still haven't really made any tunes myself, but now that my life sucks less, I'll have the ability to...

[Mirby]

The best memory though was squaring off with DJP,  Level99 and others playing fighting games at MAG on Stevo's laptop the first time I went to the fest in 2013. I think Bushido Blade 2, Battle Arena Toshinden 3 and some others were covered and that was a pretty huge thing for me! 

 

Happy 16th!

Wait wasn't I playing those games too?

[BardicKnowledge]

The community here has been an amazing, important part of my life for some time.  Just a few highlights quickly:

 

Jill Aversa making the wedding presents for my groomsmen on short notice when my earlier plans fell through.  Most of them still have that album in their car.  

 

OA and Moonlapse (with Deia soon thereafter) making me feel welcome in the Twin Cities.  Next time I'm in town, we are all going to the Surly brewery rain or shine.  Singing for the FFVI album with Andrew is the best deal I've ever made in my life -- I provide vocals, he provided vodka.

 

Throwing down with my fellow OCR Street Fighter players continues to be a gaming highlight for me, and I fully expect all of you (you know who you are) to be on for SFV when it launches.

 

This list wouldn't be complete without special thank yous to Stevo and Wes, who both go out of their way to make everybody -- my family included -- feel extra welcome.  I imagine that I am not the only one with similar thoughts about these two amazing dudes.

 

Lastly, prophetik and Addie working together to throw me a surprise birthday party at MAGFest was the best thing ever.  That cake was amazing as well.  

[Brandon Strader]

That one thing that happened was OK

[fxsnowy]

The ocremix community is amazing, let me start with that.

 

I found out about this site 5 years ago through my brother. I was a huge fan of VGM, so I was super exited to find a website that offered FREE amazing remixes off all the nostalgic tunes I used to hear as a child. Still blows my mind.

 

As a musician for 14 years, my goal was always to make a remix accepted by the site. Back in 2012 I submitted 2 different remixes and they were both rejected by the panel, with great feedback to improve. I continued to study and better myself using the WIP forums and other youtube tutorial videos. I carefully studied other remixers I admired such as halc and Joshua Morse to better myself. I also participated in a lot of ocremix competitions for even more self-improvement.

 

Fast forward to a few months ago, where I got my first remix accepted, which was a Resub. I was ecstatic when I found out, all the hard-work payed off. And it wasn't really hard work, since music is my passion and everyone here at ocremix is always open to help you. I then participated in the SFRG compo, and was really happy to make a mix that got second in votes for that round.

 

Special thanks to Timaeus222 for really helping me with the Mario bros 2 remix, and Geofferey Taucer, who gave me some great tips in the Remixing with the Stars competition.

 

Best community ever!

[Garpocalypse]

That one thing that happened was OK

 

Going out on a whim here but,

 

Getting the most posted remixes in the history of the site?

 

...or deliberately screaming in my ear at MAG?  

[FenixDown]

I'm not even sure anymore when I first found OCR. I think it was around late 2004-early 2005, I just remember it was DragonAvenger that first linked me to the site. I didn't join the forums until late 2009 though.

 

I do have a lot of memories associated with OCR. In 2009, I delivered a physical copy of the Final Fantasy IV album to Nobuo Uematsu after a Distant Worlds concert on behalf of OA and Deia and everyone else involved with the project. A couple years ago I gave the members of OverClocked University pint glasses with the band's logo engraved on them. Last year during the summer, I ran the ReMix Role-Playing Compo which went fairly well for a first time effort on my part. I also appeared on OCR Talkback a couple times to promote it. I'll have to finalize my plans for the sequel and try to make that happen sometime in 2016. 

 

And of course there was MAGFest 13 back in January. Got to meet a lot of people from the community, most of which for the first time. Also finally got to see OCU perform live in person for the first time as well.

 

Those are the biggest things I can think of off the top of my head but there are a lot of things spread out over the years. Too many memories to share them all and I'm looking forward to making more in the coming years.

[Miyakan]

I first found OC Remix in 2006 or 2007. I have no idea how was directed to this sight, it might have been from Gaia online. But I've since kept OC remix music as the staple of my music library. I prefer non-vocal music so most of the stuff here fits me perfectly.

 

Still not able to actually do anything with my own music, but maybe later in life I'll get my own saxophone and actually be able  to do some more musically.

 

It has been a great time so far!

[Brandon Strader]

On 12/12/2015 at 3:13 PM, Garpocalypse said:

...or deliberately screaming in my ear at MAG?  

That was actually a bad memory believeitornot. Because it didn't sound good and wasn't loud enough. 

You'll have to visit sometime on a good day. We can sit by the fire pit and spit fire. 

[Tricklozen]

My first thought was that "OC ReMix" was some kind of rap act, because of a song that popped up on KaZaA with OC ReMix in the title. I'm pretty sure that was a Chrono Trigger remix. Anyway. This was likely around 2002. I've mentioned the site on various Norwegian fora over the years, and bought three, black t-shirts.

So is this site still run by Dr. Pepper?

GZ!

[Yami]

Well, it was my ex-girlfriend who kind of introduced me to OCRemix, in 2004, she sent me some mixes from here. I rediscovered it in early 2006 when I was looking for some new music. I regularly visited and joined the community in about 2010, I'm not quite sure, when I decided to start making my own remixes and since then I'm here on a nearly daily basis. Thanks to this awesome community I've learned so much about music, and being here helps a lot when I'm feeling down. Since I heard my first remix, the remixes are a part of my life, in bad and in good times. I can't live without music, so I definitely couldn't live without OCRemix

And thank you djpretzel, DarkeSword and all of you judges and community workers for keeping this project alive, video game music wouldn't be the same without OCRemix

[YoshiBlade]

ok...I feel very exposed posting this, it rambles a bit, but here goes...

 

 

So a friend of mine, ran a VGM radio show out of WRUW Case-Westeren Reserve, back in 2009 and every Sunday I would drive to my Dad’s house and stay till 3/4am and drink coffee and play video games, I was about to go to Basic Training and I wanted to spend as much time with my dad as possible. I loved every it of playing those game and I loved playing them with my dad even more. Well, One night I was heading back home and I usually left the radio off ( comm’on it’s 3am on a monday well the hell are you gonna find?)……**This next scene hold fast in my memory as clear as crystal**….I was really wired and went was flipping throughout the radio stations, and I heard..(Chip,Bit,Pop, Bleep) and I said that sounds like a Mario game, but it’s….different…My hand went to  change the dial, but it couldn’t move…it’s rare in life that we can consciously remember moments that will shift the courses of our lives in such huge magnitudes, but if I would have changed that Dial….I don’t know where I would be….I really don’t where. So the Radio host came on and confirmed my suspicions that this was a VGM,VGM remix, Bitpop, and Chiptune radio show. He would regularly play OCR music and the name never rally resonated with me…it was just good music. So it came to pass every Sunday I would drive to my Dad’s play video games near all night and then drive home and listen to “Power Up” Hosted by Vince Torre. So I would listen each week and one week I decide to call in and request a song, SotC- A Power Revived, He played it and we got to talking and each week I would call in and talk for a good portion of the show while he spun all VGM related music. I’ve always loved VGM music and spent a good amount of time listing to them on YouTube (SupraDarky, silvagunner anyone?) So, my time as a civilian was running down and it was time for me to head out to Lakeland Air Force Base. I was subject to all the anxieties and fears one might feel, but I said I gotta do this. Well I spare the details, but my 3rd night at Basic, they woke me up and took me into and office and looked me in the eye and said "Theres no easy way I can say this so I’m just going to…your father is dead” I lost it. I just lost every semblance or control and I just lost it…they sent me home…I was over…I lost my chance to go to Japan, I lost my hope of being solider, I lost the chance to help my Dad and I lost my dad…I lost it

            So I was sent back home and I am a mess, I didn’t eat, I didn’t leave my room, I didn’t sleep( and when I did I’d have horrible dreams about seeing my dad and it all being a mistake), I looked for anything that was something I could stand on…nothing. I needed something to grab hold of or this was going to be the end of me…it was the lowest point thus far in my life…and it was a gif that saved me. I saw a GIF with someone named Brian Peppers, the person isn’t important, but that music that was played was “Burn! Bobonga!” I remembered how much I loved playing games with my dad, but he was gone…but I also remembered how much I really did love VGM and I started listening to Power-Up again and talking to Vince. Then that word Overclocked Remix came up again…I went to see what it was, people talk about love at first sight and I always felt that was a copout, but seeing a place where you were asked to stand and deliver excellence, where you could discuss something as esoteric as a game character's name, I was in love. It kept me busy, it enveloped me with all the music I heard from games I loved. It was about then I resolved to be a contributor, I had no idea how to remix or even what to do…I’d played guitar from around 14, but I hadn’t played in about 2-3 years, but I set out and started just trying anything and everything, just kept going, don’t stop to think about anything that seeks to pull you back downwards, forward only. So it was 2013 that I became a member and started using the workshop 2014 after I drove to MAGfest and met some of the remixers in person ( Thank you for the encouragement BliNd!) and that when I kicked it into high gear, culminated with a Post after 2 years of membership and 1 year of diligent remixing. Do I spend too much time on the OCR? Probably. Does it interfere with some of my obligations? Occasionally.For me OCR is more than a website, it's a place where I meet people from all walks of life…I strive to be what many remixers here are, true Superheroes with secret identities, by day students, programmers, office workers, cooks with names and different lives…by night they’re KingTiger, timaeus222, Jorito and many others. I worked hard to earn my place and even though it’s not a degree or trophy, to me it’s a place of refugee, a place where sanctuary was given from the forces that sought to end me. I’ve worked hard at to hone my skill and I hope I never cease to sharpen my skills, though they may never play the bills. On the OCR I am a part of something bigger than myself, a community that has survived and thrived for 16 years, because people were willing to offer up time, effort, energy, money you name it for something larger than themselves…and now I’ve contributed something as small as one track, but for me it feels like one drop of rain joining with a great flowing river with unyielding energy…and it feels good. Thank You OCR...

[jnWake]

I think I first heard something from OCR like in 2010 when Serious Monkey Business was released. Probably earlier than that but I'm not sure. I heard some remixes on YouTube and thought they were pretty cool. For some reason I didn't think of joining back then though, not sure why.

Anyway, in 2012 I decided I should try using better tools for composing (I had been using Guitar Pro for several years since I didn't plan on recording and producing music myself) and I joined OCR since it seemed like a nice community where I could learn stuff. And it was! I have been a lot less active lately though but I hope I can do more remixes soon...

[swansdown]

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Edited September 8, 2023 by swansdown

[LuckyXIII]

Unmod.