DragonAvenger Posted May 20, 2016 Share Posted May 20, 2016 Hey OCRemix staff, my name is Mario (yep, a video game musician named Mario) and I was the vocalist for a band called Zero Division. We did an 80’s glam rock of the Deflektor tune a while ago that got accepted into OCRemix. Now I’m back with a new track named ‘Our Darkest Dreams’, this time for a side project called ‘Blake Inc.’ We did a three-minute progressive rock opera heavy symphonic metal kind-of-thing. I hope it sounds better than it reads! It features the songs “You’re Not Alone!” from the Final Fantasy IX soundtrack and, later on, “Scars of Time” from the Chrono Cross soundtrack. I realize that you guys had an FFIX album out just recently, and it did feature a vocal cover of You’re Not Alone, but we thought it was different enough to merit submission. And here it is: Like last time, we directed a short video for it and you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S22HL5sYX1c But here’s all the information you need: Your ReMixer name: Blake Inc. Your real name: Mario Dederichs, Matthias Opitz Your email address: Your website: http://www.mario-dederichs.com Your userid (number, not name) on our forums, found by viewing your forum profile: 33188 Submission Information: Name of game(s) arranged: Final Fantasy IX (main), Chrono Chross (secondary) Name of arrangement: Our Darkest Dreams Name of individual song(s) arranged: You’re Not Alone! (FFIX) / Scars of Time (aka Time’s Scar, CC) Additional information about game including composer, system, etc. (if it has not yet been added to the site):http://ocremix.org/game/14/final-fantasy-ix-ps1 http://ocremix.org/game/17/chrono-cross-ps1 Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc.: I always thought the lead melody of “You’re Not Alone!” would make an awesome vocal line, so I kept jamming the song on my acoustic guitar and just sang random words to it. I wasn’t quite sure where to go with it, but since I’m clearly more of a rock singer, I built the arrangement around the vocals, like I usually do. There’s this huge build-up in the middle where the guitars kick in and I worried that it might be too much of a difference from the rather calm beginning. But I’m quite happy with the way it eventually turned out. Somewhere around the two-minute-mark, ideas were running thin. I honestly didn’t want to repeat the previous parts, because I really thought that this evolving, loud/quiet dynamic was one of the song’s strong points. But then again, the song was only at two minutes and it felt like it still needed something. So I looked for songs that could possibly fit with the arrangement’s style and eventually settled on “Scars of Time” from the Chrono Cross soundtrack. Even if it might seem like quite a stretch, I’m (again) really happy with how these two songs fit together and the remix turned out eventually. Then I had my good friend Matti contribute bass and lyrics to this song and we recorded it in my home studio. And that’s pretty much all there is to tell about this song. Cheers, Mario --------------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonAvenger Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 At first I wasn't feeling the vocal timbre compared to the acoustic backing, but a few listens and I felt they work quite well. They do even better as the track kicks into gear. Loving the arrangement ideas and it makes me glad that more and more people are seeing the lyrical potential of You're Not Alone. There's a ton of emotion behind the vocals and i felt the delivery was excellent. I want feeling the transition into Time's Scar but it's short and sweet and gets to the good part quickly. Not a dealbreaker here. Overall the arrangement could have stood to be a little but longer, the track feels like it ends too soon. That being said I enjoyed it quite a bit and look forward to your next submission! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gario Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 It's-a Mario, gettin' judged by-a Gario! Us 'arios gotta stick together, eh? Right away I'm getting a solid Iron Maiden vibe from this. Your vocals are very 'Maiden, and the heavier sections are also reminiscent of their music. The more unplugged section in the beginning sets the mood very well, and the slow build into something more really works. The production is very clean, and the mixing is really good up to 1:29. I'd have to say the distorted guitar overpowers the voice just a little bit. Your voice is awesome - it should be up front, especially since the guitar is just playing rhythm there. I can still hear everything fairly well, though, so this is a minor point. I have to agree with Deia on the transition to Chrono Cross - it's too quick and sudden. It also seems a little slapped on there - no reference prior, and it only lasts a short time afterward. The excellent arrangement prior to that helps push this track forward, though, and the performance and production are still spot on even in this section. Not quite a dealbreaker, but it was close. Awesome work, I think this is above the bar. Next time you want to introduce a second source, though, integrate it throughout your song better, and be sure to transition in a bit more of a convincing fashion. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir_NutS Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Like your Deflektor remix, this is a fantastic submission. Clean production, good vocals and performances. Definitely getting an Iron maiden feel in the style, with a little helloween thrown in for good measure. Some of the transitions were a little rough (like 2:04) but not that bad to detract from my enjoyment of the song. I feel like most that needed be said about this song was already stated by Gario and Deia so I'll just give this a very big stamp of approval. I really hope you guys keep sending stuff to us, it's excellent.YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpazilla Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Wow, what a nice voice! I think the drums could be a little louder, the vocal is a bit loud by comparison and seems to stick out of the soundscape a bit. Perhaps a bit of reverb on the vocal would help melt it into the track better. I'm not having a problem with the transition at 2:04, it's bridged just fine for me. Nice track. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Way late on this, but awesome job, guys! I thought the soundscape could have been even more intense, but the execution here was strong nonetheless. Arrangement checked out, so just throwing on another vote as a show of support. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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