*NO* Double Dragon 2 'Heliportation'

[Chimpazilla]

 

ReMixer name: P.M. Crockett (I have a previous ReMix posted as Peter M. Crockett; if it's easier administratively to use that existing name, then go ahead. P.M. Crockett is just what I use professionally now.)

Real name: Peter M. Crockett

Email:

User ID: 15994 (Moseph)

 

Game: Double Dragon 2 (NES)

Arrangement name: Heliportation

Song arranged: At the Heliport (Mission 2) -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw0DsmMvu1k

I'm going with the naming used in Larry's YouTube link; Wikipedia lists different track names for the game, so I'm not sure what's up with that.

 

Comments: I managed to use both of my kazoo sample libraries on this. I consider that a victory. Also tried mixing on headphones with frequency spectrum correction software (Sonarworks Reference 3) and monitor virtualization (Waves Nx), so if the mix is bad, it's, uh ... not my fault?

 

Got some more comments here since I was kind of in a rush with the original submission email. You know how it goes; I was trying to hit a deadline after spending most of the day dealing with software problems. Without going into too much detail, I was on a temporary replacement audio interface that wasn't working out too well and wrangling a VST-dense project that was bringing my CPU to its knees, and this resulted in both driver problems and show-stopping Kontakt crashes. On two separate occasions, I thought my project files were too corrupted to continue, and the final drum mix isn't exactly ideal on account of my not being able to unfreeze that instance of Kontakt without Sonar hanging indefinitely.

 

It's enough to make you want to just record your kazoos to tape rather than use sample libraries and computers.

 

I chose this source because I liked the bassline, and this is probably evident in my treatment of the bassline in the arrangement. I'd already committed to using the aforementioned kazoo libraries (why do I even have kazoo libraries?!) before choosing the source, but the slap bass element is really what the arrangement was built around. The original idea was to spastically cut back and forth between the slap bass and other bass instruments -- like what happens at 0:49 with the piano -- but as the arrangement progressed, that got reined in, not so much because it wasn't a good idea as because by the time I actually turned my attention to it, the arrangement was in a state where it no longer seemed necessary. The upright bass, which ended up having its own distinct material, was a holdover from this early phase of planning. (And there was going to be a tuba, too.)

 

The entire arrangement can't decide whether it wants to be swung or straight. I initially recorded the bass straight, but when adding in leads and such, I found that I was often unconsciously swinging the rhythm slightly. The A sections mostly live in that weird in-between space between swung and straight, but the two statements of the B melody (1:14 and 1:35) are deliberately swung and straight, respectively, with the hi-hat emphasizing the distinction.

 

The glitch effects in the bass and lead instruments are a direct result of my having recently played Remember Me. Olivier Deriviere's score makes extensive use of this sort of glitching in an orchestral hybrid context, and I find it extremely effective both thematically (the game's about glitching people's cybernetic implants) and artistically. In the case of this particular mix, deliberately glitching my audio was somewhat cathartic, as I had to unintentionally listen to that repeating buffer error sound far too often as my computer went to pieces during mixing.

 

As mentioned in my original submission email, I mixed on headphones with Sonarworks Reference 3 (to correct the headphones' natural frequency imbalance) and Waves Nx (to simulate the sound/positioning of actual monitors). This is the first full mix I've attempted with these plugins, and I've been pretty impressed with them. At very least, I've been able to quickly achieve a mix on headphones that I'm still happy with two days later -- even when played back on cheap computer speakers -- and I think that may be a first for me.

[Sir_NutS]

I feel that a lot of effort was put into interpretation here, and I do like a lot the results, arrangement-wise.  The pacing and structure were almost completely changed which resulted in something completely different but that retains the similarities to the original.  

I do have to take issue with the production here.  The instruments and performances weren't belivable, that bass is really exposed, and I don't think the glitch effects worked in favor of adding an interesting element to the track, it ended up taking away from it in my opinion.  A lot of effort went into the drum sequencing though, which is varied and appropiate to each section, but most of these instruments just fall very flat performance-wise, and even though there was effort put into humanization there's a lot of performances that feel mechanical.

On a final note, I'm a big fan of dissonance in music, but some of it in this song sounds more off than what I'd consider palatable, and at some points it falls into disorder (the intro is a good example)

Overall there's quite a lot to love here but also a lot of things I feel could be addressed.  

Leaving this vote open for now until I get home and give it a couple more listens, but leaning towards a NO.

EDIT: After further listens, ended up favoring a NO here, so

NO

[Liontamer]

I'll be honest, I'm listening to the theme again, and I know it well regardless, since I grew up on this game, but I don't recognize much of the theme in this arrangement besides the source chorus from 1:11-2:05 & 3:09-3:23 here. I couldn't point out the melody if my life was on the line, so it's already a NO on arrangement grounds to start. Clearly, NutS hears something I don't, so him or any other J should definitely let me know what, if anything, I'm missing here.

The track sounds cool. Peter; I agreed with NutS' production and instrumentation criticisms for the most part and see where he's coming from, though I didn't mind the bass as much though (the instrument timing felt stylized for this approach), and the dissonance was an acquired taste, IMO.

If someone could clue me into the arrangement-side of this, I may flip my vote, but I'm definitely struggling to connect the core melody to this interpretation.

NO (resubmit)

[Chimpazilla]

I recognize the source quite well, having listened to Sir_Nuts' recent remix of this same theme quite a few times, and I can confirm the source is represented well here.  That said, this mix is not working for me.  Throughout much of the mix, you have a lot of organic instruments ALL playing busy parts at the same time, which ends up sounding very jumbled.  The bass is acting all funky at the same time that you have the sax, piano, drums, synths, everything all playing busy, intricate parts simultaneously.  Adding glitch on top of this jumble of writing only makes this situation worse.  Ow, my brain.

I love the approach here, but I recommend you revisit every instrument in the mix and decide which instrument should stand out above the rest in each section.  Take it one section at a time, decide if it's a bass solo you want there, or a sax solo or whatever, and calm every other instrument down at that point, down to blocked-chord padding or simple supportive melody or something less busy to compliment whatever is the lead there. Then, adjust the volumes so the lead at any point is clearly the star.

Listening again, I feel like the bass is the biggest offender.  Change the writing in the busiest parts so the bass is more supportive of the busier elements, except for the bass-solo sections such as 0:14-0:27.

NO