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OCR03521 - *YES* Mega Man X8 & X5 "Es-cop-ay"


DragonAvenger
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new version 10/2/16 (Nemo samples removed, better mixing)

ReMixer Name: KingTiger
Real Name: R. Corey Oltman
Email Address:
Website: kingtigermusic.com
Userid: 13864

Games Arranged: Mega Man X5 & Mega Man X8
Name of Arrangement: Es-cop-ay
Name of Individual Songs Arranged: Sigma Palace (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3yJ29Uq8q0) (Mega Man X8) & Grizzly Slash/Crescent Grizzly Stage Theme (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyIFODbDK5M) (Mega Man X5)

Link to the Remix:  (there's a download option there don't worry) please leave the remix link in the thread if it's rejected

Comments:

Hi guys, I'm submitting my 5th-round remix from the Sigma Fortress Remix Gauntlet that Shariq's currently running. I'm really proud of the production on this, especially with how clean the vocals came out; I'm also really glad with how well I was able to execute the concept. I was planning to make a rap song the entire time, but with other things in life taking priority (family, my j-o-b, etc) I wound up writing, recording and mixing the vocals all on the last day. And although he doesn't wish to be credited in the remix, I do want to extend a HUGE thanks to my teammate bLiNd for being a rockstar and mastering this thing last-minute in like 10 minutes.

The (heavily processed) samples at the beginning and end are from the Disney/Pixar movie Finding Nemo (which is also where I got the remix's title from!), I can easily get you a version without these samples if they're a problem.

I'm super happy to finally have a rap track that I think meet's OCR's standards. I love doing rap because I don't have to worry about pitch or proper vowel/dipthong enunciation nearly as much, and there's a lot more room to express your thoughts and try clever things. It's also a great avenue for venting your frustrations with life and/or the world at large, as is the case with this track. Confession time: for the double-time bridge portion of the song, because I had virtually no time to practice, I slowed the song down to 100 BPM to record the lyrics and then sped it back up to 128 BPM so I guess that makes me a horrible cheater D: but whatevs.

I focused heavily on using the chords & progressions from the gauntlet source (Sigma Palace from X8), but I also used other melodic/harmonic elements from it and my Maverick’s theme (Crescent Grizzly/Grizzly Slash from X5, name depends on which part of the world you're from). I used a key that neither source is in (fm). The sub bass on this is killer so make sure you're using a good set of headphones/speakers to hear it. Here’s a full source breakdown by source section:

chord patterns from Sigma Palace (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3yJ29Uq8q0):
- 0:12 - 0:25, used in the verses
- 0:24 - 0:47, used in the chorus/hook
- 0:47 - 0:58, used in the middle of each verse

melodic stuff from Sigma Palace:
- rhythmic strings from 0:10 - 0:12, I used the top notes as the foundation for my baseline in the verses, but I simplified it from two 1/8 notes on each note to a single dotted 1/8 on each note. Also the bass in the bridge, changed to 1/4 notes
- french horn from 0:23-0:24, this is the synth at the beginning and middle of each chorus
- strings that repeat from 0:24 - 0:47, I used the top notes as the baseline in the chorus, again using dotted 1/8s instead of the original timing (which is a rest and then three 1/4 notes)
- harp from 0:47 - 0:52, should be pretty obvious, it’s the synth that plays at the end of the first 8 bars of each verse
- descending string patten from 0:55 - 0:58, the synth that plays at the end of each chorus

melodic stuff from Crescent Grizzly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyIFODbDK5M):
- melody from 0:03 - 0:06 & 0:22 - 0:25, the synth bit at the end of the first half of each verse
- the resonant-shifting, same note synth from 0:07 - 0:09, the super fast rap before the last chorus - there’s a synth doing something similar under my rap
- melody from 0:13 - 0:22, there’s a staccato synth part that occurs throughout each verse that does this; specifically, it’s in the 3rd, 11th, and 27th bars of the 1st verse, and the 3rd and 11th bars of the 2nd verse
- melody from 0:26 - 0:32, this is a background synth line in the 2nd & 3rd choruses
- the contrapuntal melody from 0:32 - 0:44, this is the synth line in the 2nd verse, the 3rd set of 8 bars (the “different” part of the verse where I start out rapping “anxiety runs high in this town”)
- the chordal melody from 0:45 - 0:57, this is actually in the bass under the “different” part of both verses… I cut short the notes that are held longer and doubled the speed of the source
 

aaannd here's the lyrics:

[Ok, there’s no way out, there’s gotta be a way out!]
[Look, here’s something! “Es-cop-ay.” I wonder what that means? It’s funny, it’s spelled just like the word “escape.”] 

escape route
hiding from the great unknown
cause I am an actor and life’s a show
don’t hate you
but when the scene’s unscripted
all your good, can you please restrict it?
get straight through
all I want is the end
like being average is the trend
create truth
it’s easy to fail the test
when you are so afraid of success

complete the trial to the very end
and you know it’s final, can’t be done again
but I know I’ll lose it on the final test
I’ll never prove myself on this quest
what’s the point of even going through this
open door I’ve been appointed to
I’ll only fail and fail again
hey look, the trail opens up ahead

so now I’ve got something to decide
try it, or throw away my life
I don’t think I can handle the strife
but the other way, well, it cuts like a knife
through butter in my imagination
guess I really should be patient
until my confidence comes around
and I really can’t let my family down

I gather my strength and push on through it
I hope I make it, I hope I do it
but then I trip and stumble and fall
*sigh* I knew I couldn’t do it at all
you can try your best to encourage
but it only serves to discourage
I won’t throw myself in the bottomless pit
but now you plainly see where we sit

self-defeat is the name of the game
cause it’s not so neat to fell ashamed
cause there’s always the chance that I could fail
so I’d just rather not set sail
I’ll push it aside and get on with my days
I’ve got too much pride so I’ll just stay the same
and you know what’ll happen? Ill just forget
and do it all again the next chance I get

don’t know what I mean by “escape route”?
well, give me a minute and I’ll show you
gotta prepare, make sure I’m ready
endless reparations for when I’m unsteady
huh? what? I guess I can go now
um, but, I really can’t show how
great I am if you don’t give me time
how spaced I am if you don’t give me mine

think about driving your car in traffic
think about how far there is havoc
defensive driving 101, now
always looking for the way out
disaster’s right around the corner
I’m passionate as a hoarder
of all these moments that could go wrong
count em all up, they’d be a googol strong

anxiety runs
high in this town
you never know
when it’ll come around
if there’s chance I won’t succeed
that’s when it will come and get me
I can’t do it, see, I cannot be
the man that you really need from me

maybe something will cut through the noise
maybe I should go play with my toys
what? no, don’t call me a boy
now let’s pretend it’s the fall of Troy
if I try harder, it might happen
sudden clarity, instead of trapped in 
a box I built myself, now strapped in
safe and secure, try to free me - I’ll zap him

if I press on every day
then maybe I will find a way
and if you think you know then say
how to make this thing go away
I need to find some clarity
but everywhere I look, I see
chaos, confusion, and deceit
who is there who can help me?

need to find my confidence
my faith in God never made sense
because everywhere that I went
I let others invent me
but now I have to find time each day
to put my foot down and I’ll say
that I will stop being afraid
of my mistakes I’m unashamed

[Let’s go!]
[Ah!]
[Here’s Brucey!]

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  • Liontamer changed the title to 2015/09/08 - Mega Man X5 & X8 'Es-cop-ay'

I love the emotion you have in your performance, really makes the track feel really spunky! I'm hearing plenty of Grizzly Slash, though I am much more familiar with that source. Your detailed breakdown definitely helps, too, but I'm curious what the other judges are going to say about relying on the chord structure as well as the sampled parts from Nemo. Aside from that I think this is super fun!

YES

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  • 2 months later...

Ah, KingTiger and his rapping. I've been a fan of it for a while, and he brings his A-game, here. The music rightly makes the rap the center of attention, relegating the source references all to the background. It's different from making the sources the center of attention, but at the same time it works well like that.

The production is pretty clean, and the vocals are front and center, as they should be. I feel there's more than enough room to bring out other elements in the mix, as it seems like the vocals punch through a little too well. It's a minor complaint, though, and certainly doesn't take much away from the arrangement.

To be honest, I don't think chords used from other sources should ever be restricted, as chords are just tools to make a song move forward, and I promise that the chords used in Nemo were taken from something else in the past. The samples, though, should be removed, as they're pretty obviously from Disney, which could lead to some copyright issues (I don't think there's a fair use case that would cover it's use here - not even a 'fan work' as it's not dedicated to Nemo at all). Remove it, and find a suitable replacement, just to be safe. For what it's worth, though, I thought they were appropriately used in this track.

I say it's a solid pass, but under the condition that the samples are removed (which KingTiger has already stated would be easy to do).

EDIT: Seems good to me, now. Let's get this one up.

YES

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  • Liontamer changed the title to 2015/09/08 - (1Y/1C) Mega Man X5 & X8 'Es-cop-ay'
  • Liontamer pinned this topic
  • 2 weeks later...

Interesting sub. In order of what comes up:

Nemo samples: Was very limited so I think it's probably fine. Unless there is something specifically about Disney samples, this is not more sampling than other subs we have on the site.

Production: I thought this was pretty solid but I was feeling DA's comment about the vocals maybe punching through too much. It sounded like they were placed really upfront in order to be heard against the backing track, which could afford to have some cut away. I don't think this is a big issue.

Delivery: I think your voice is fine for this sub. Sometimes the delivery was a little plain but there's a good variety of rhythms and sections to make up for that. The really fast one near the end was cool.

Source usage: Chords checked out, and there were enough small references here and there. Pretty distinctive chords, which is usually what I look for when counting chords as source.

I think this is a YES. It doesn't blow me away, but it's creative for sure and I like to see remixers taking chances.

YES

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  • 1 month later...

Wow I like this, it's super creative!  The rapping is really good.  Vocals are mixed well although they are just a bit too far forward.  The processing on the vocals is cool, good use of centered and side vocals.  The super fast final vocals are awesome.  The arrangement is pretty relentless, some kind of breakdown would give the track some breathing room before resuming the energy level.  I think there's enough source, the chords from either source are apparent throughout the track.  Regarding the Disney clips, I have no idea.  As long as they are ok,

YES

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  • Chimpazilla changed the title to 2015/09/08 - (3Y/1C) Mega Man X5 & X8 'Es-cop-ay'
  • 1 month later...
  • Liontamer changed the title to OCR03521 - *YES* Mega Man X8 & X5 "Es-cop-ay"
  • Liontamer locked and unpinned this topic
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