Liontamer Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 Remix: Syrup's Secret Stash Contact: ReMixer name: Maxo Real Name: Max Coburn Email: maximum28@aol.com Website: www.myspace.com/maxoelectronic Remix Info: Game: Wario Land II Song: Skull Castle Add. Info.: by Kozue Ishikawa / System: Gameboy Link: Comments: I still play this game, and consider it the best Wario game to date, and I especially loved the soundtrack. It shows how much can be done with just crappy lo-fi gameboy sounds. I chose the song Skull Castle because it was probably the most different of all the songs on the soundtrack. Also it was in the weirdest level, a complete platforming test in the weirdest of ways. When I started making it, I decided to turn in into a funk tune in the main section. I eventuall ended up adding 3+ different solos, with different chords for each, which, I think, keeps it interesting. Like all of my other remixes, I made it on Garageband, which is actually an amazing program if you know how to use it right. Overall, it took a lot of re-doing, touching up, and general improving, but in the end I think it turned out pretty well. ----------------------------------------------------- http://www.zophar.net/gbs/wario2.zip - Track 51 (Skull Castle) Man, that original is pretty bland during the intro, but it finally picks up at :47, then at :59 & 1:14-1:44 with some actual content, so be sure to check that out in order to make the comparisons. Interesting opening. Fairly conservative, but expansive, personalized and well-produced. Picks up at :43 with some synths and a simple-but-effective bassline, before F-ing around with some distorted stuff from 1:12-1:21 and transitioning into a funk arrangement. It unfortunately got a lot weaker on the instrumentation side at 1:22, as the samples were pretty flimsy and synthetic-sounding. It's similar to something analoq could write, except with a lot less body and spaciousness to it. Percussion and bassline were thin, and the brass was really thin and inhuman-sounding. The basic support comping going on at 2:30 didn't gel with the lead, the lead itself being creatively written but empty-sounding. Picked up a little bit with the new synth lead at 3:08 with some Shnabubula-esque textures. Nice writing for the lead as well as keeping the source tune integral to the supporting instrumentation. Loved the lil' beeping-style effects thrown in there late in the game at 3:37. There's a bit of quality disparity with the various sounds from section to section, but the arrangement otherwise evolved very nicely. The arrangement is pretty damn creative, but the production is pretty empty. Everything just needs a lot more meat on the bones, and you need to not get lazy with the drum programming. The drums dragged significantly due to sheer repetition of the patterns (1:21-3:47); you achieved a decent groove, then left it on cruise control and forgot about it most of the way. I would ask some top mixers for their advice in the Works: OCR forum and also see what production advice the ReMixing forum has to offer. I'd love to hear another J point out specifics on how to help flesh this out, 'cuz you clearly have the right ideas here on paper. Nice stuff that you should continue working on, Max. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkeSword Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 I think it's just fine. Creative arrangement, to be sure. Some really nice soloing and part-writing. Doesn't get too crowded anyway, nice balance. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Orichalcon Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 The arrangement is doing nice things to my groove thang. Gonna sprain something. Unfortunately, what's the deal with the production? This thing is all out of sound-balance. The percussion is thinner than a steamrolled Stanley. I like the set you're using, but get the fat lady off it and let them be heard. Balance the rest of the samples so everything is cohesive. The bassline needs a bit of phattening up to go with the beats. Tone down the rhythm synth thing you have going, and you should be fine. Also, I recommend not using the master channel to do a volume crescendo. I dunno about the other judges, but that beaf up at the end clipped something horrible in my humble headphones. Leave the bassline, percussion and rhythm synth off the peak and you should have something a little more "bear"able. No beefs with the arrangement, just fix up the production issues and we can catapult this one straight into the ears of the OCR Audience. NO Vegemite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillian Aversa Posted October 25, 2006 Share Posted October 25, 2006 Oh man, everything was SO good up until 1:22. Larry and TO are right; you really need to bring out the bassline and percussion. They sound too muffled and distant for funk, which is such an in-your-face genre. No clipping on my end, but if it happened for Lee, that's still a concern. My other minor beef is the occasionally volume shift you have; you fade everything down at once in a couple instances, and it's a little disorienting because it takes away from the "live" feel. It sounds less like the "players" are taking it down a notch, and more like some dude came in and mastered the performance with butter fingers. Awesome solos, though. This will be an easy YES for me, with a few easy fixes. NO- RESUBMIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zykO Posted November 2, 2006 Share Posted November 2, 2006 this is basically what is being said already and i'm in concurrence. this is great and experimental for most of the way into the intro and once you hit the body of the track, it starts to really shit on itself. the idea, groove and arrangement rock. the drums are terrible. period. sounds like a robot snapping its fingers. the bassline is rad but drive it more, buddy. the leads are badfuckinass but they are not strong enough to make up for the general blandness of the mix. this is a major resub candidate. i am loving the groove on it but it needs those drums to come out. and maybe a live guitar, too because that synth guitar is just irritating with the volume phasing in and out like that. but that is a stylistic qualm. like i said. it is missing so much meat but it is close. NO resub Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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