"The Monster's Lair" by BlueJackG (Bowser's Castle)

[BlueJackG]

The Monster's Lair [Remix] (SMW Bowser Castle):

 

[Oneiric]

First the music. So I didn't listen to the Undertale track or the Wario track as I don't know the source. I think the two Bowser's Castle themes work very well to me. They balance chill and menacing very well, and the trance-like vibe to them is awesome. I honestly can't really think of anything bad to say about them. Help Me didn't go over as well for me, but I think that's more personal taste than anything about your talent. 

Which leads me to your channel... these tracks paled next to the two Horizon tracks you have posted. I haven't gone into much of what you had up, but those two tracks were amazing. Seriously. the remixes are good, but I feel like those two songs are so much more engaging and show your talent much better.

 

Second, as someone who suffers from severe depression I can relate to the creative frustration that comes up. I write my music as catharsis usually, and those feelings worm their way into every facet of the music that I make. When I hear what I've made I can relate to the feelings instantly, so when I have an inability to make people notice and react the same way it feels like I'm worthless since the music is an extension of self. I can't speak for everyone, but for me the writing/recording process is a very personal, often very painful process and when the results go nowhere, it's hard to keep doing it. 

You've got talent, you've got ability. I understand the feeling of futility, of desperation better than i ever wanted to. Keep making music, I subbed your youtube and I'd love to hear more originals at some point. If you need someone to talk to, someone to bounce ideas off, I can't promise I can give great advice, but I know what it's like to feel that way.

Keep writing

[BlueJackG]

3 minutes ago, Oneiric said:

First the music. So I didn't listen to the Undertale track or the Wario track as I don't know the source. I think the two Bowser's Castle themes work very well to me. They balance chill and menacing very well, and the trance-like vibe to them is awesome. I honestly can't really think of anything bad to say about them. Help Me didn't go over as well for me, but I think that's more personal taste than anything about your talent. 

Which leads me to your channel... these tracks paled next to the two Horizon tracks you have posted. I haven't gone into much of what you had up, but those two tracks were amazing. Seriously. the remixes are good, but I feel like those two songs are so much more engaging and show your talent much better.

 

Second, as someone who suffers from severe depression I can relate to the creative frustration that comes up. I write my music as catharsis usually, and those feelings worm their way into every facet of the music that I make. When I hear what I've made I can relate to the feelings instantly, so when I have an inability to make people notice and react the same way it feels like I'm worthless since the music is an extension of self. I can't speak for everyone, but for me the writing/recording process is a very personal, often very painful process and when the results go nowhere, it's hard to keep doing it. 

You've got talent, you've got ability. I understand the feeling of futility, of desperation better than i ever wanted to. Keep making music, I subbed your youtube and I'd love to hear more originals at some point. If you need someone to talk to, someone to bounce ideas off, I can't promise I can give great advice, but I know what it's like to feel that way.

Keep writing

Wow, thanks for the incredible feedback. I actually shed a tear of joy, it made me feel good. I'm so happy that you (finally someone) noticed my Horizon album. I never had much expectations on it, though.

I've been trapped in this depression for years now, not knowing where to turn myself to. I try and I try, putting my heart on everything I do and love, but it never seems to work... I'm glad you understand, and I knew I would be knocking at the right door when I posted this.

Thank you, once more! 

[Ronald Poe]

I think you're definitely got a style and a rather nice one at that. You're Wario medley had me dancing in my seat and was insanely catchy. Your original compositions and Azalea Town remix are quite good as well. 

I have a low self-esteem (it's getting better) and suffer from high anxiety. I understand being depressed and it really helps to remix and compose music. Keep up the good work.

[BlueJackG]

1 hour ago, Ronald Poe said:

I think you're definitely got a style and a rather nice one at that. You're Wario medley had me dancing in my seat and was insanely catchy. Your original compositions and Azalea Town remix are quite good as well. 

I have a low self-esteem (it's getting better) and suffer from high anxiety. I understand being depressed and it really helps to remix and compose music. Keep up the good work.

Thanks, Ronald. I'll keep posting, if any of my remixes are good enough to be posted, let me know. And I say this to anyone who comes by.

Also, if it's not good enough to post, but you think it might be ok if I tweak something, give me the feedback! I have been trying to post something for OC Remix for years and haven't succeeded yet.

[Ronald Poe]

I'd say "Train to Greedville" is probably my favorite and could be submitted to the judges. I understand not getting a remix on OCRemix (I've failed multiple times but I won't give up) but I think that one might be worthy (it even has a nice title). 

oh and your very welcome.

[Bundeslang]

Really enjoyed the mixes I've listened to so far. I like this style even though some songs get a bit repetitive at some point. I plan on listening to the other songs later (you already posted a lot here but there are more in the youtube channels). Keep them coming!!

[MindWanderer]

I tried listening to several of these remixes, and what kills most of them for me is the kick.  Spider Dance and Wario Land 2 were the worst offenders--that loud, high-pitched thwacking noise is actually painful to hear.  The DKC2 one was pretty nice, I really liked the energy level and instrumentation, though I'm not familiar enough with the source to comment much on the arrangement.  It seemed pretty repetitive to me, especially that repeating kettle drum line.

[Gario]

I kind of like the kick, but everything else is very quiet, in comparison. It's a matter of mixing balance - if everything else sounds nearly non-existent in comparison, you've got to cut it back a little bit.

More importantly, though, there is a way to use this forum (which you can read here) that this thread generally misses the mark on. One track per thread, one thread per track is the rule (with the exception of posting an album) - more than one track and it becomes difficult for others to comment and discuss your music with you (which is the general sentiment I'm seeing in here, in fact). More than one thread per track... well, I'm sure you can see the issue with that.

I hate to shut a thread down (I like the activity, actually), so pick a track and focus on that, and I'll remove the rest. If you want attention on a few other tracks, make a thread for them individually. Sorry I've got to be that guy, but it's a problem if I let things like this go and people get the wrong idea. Don't be too discouraged, though - it means more variety of more focused comments on what you do have, and you can always link you your TY page from your signature, for the sake of garnering attention there.

[BlueJackG]

48 minutes ago, Gario said:

I kind of like the kick, but everything else is very quiet, in comparison. It's a matter of mixing balance - if everything else sounds nearly non-existent in comparison, you've got to cut it back a little bit.

More importantly, though, there is a way to use this forum (which you can read here) that this thread generally misses the mark on. One track per thread, one thread per track is the rule (with the exception of posting an album) - more than one track and it becomes difficult for others to comment and discuss your music with you (which is the general sentiment I'm seeing in here, in fact). More than one thread per track... well, I'm sure you can see the issue with that.

I hate to shut a thread down (I like the activity, actually), so pick a track and focus on that, and I'll remove the rest. If you want attention on a few other tracks, make a thread for them individually. Sorry I've got to be that guy, but it's a problem if I let things like this go and people get the wrong idea. Don't be too discouraged, though - it means more variety of more focused comments on what you do have, and you can always link you your TY page from your signature, for the sake of garnering attention there.

Fair enough! I'll keep the first track here. It's the Monster's Lair.

As for the unbalanced music, I'm not too proud of the Spider Dance. Plus I have trouble differatiating volume, I don't know what is loud and what is low. That reflect in a lot of my music, sadly. I'm trying to improve, and DKC2 "Wet Monkeys" is an example of my improvements.

[Gario]

Thanks for taking it well - it helps make the WIP boards a bit more organized.

For the Bowser track, I'll give a little feedback on it, maybe it'll be helpful. Overall, I think it's pretty neat - them drum hits represent power, and the incorporation of the original Bowser's Castle theme from Mario 1 was clever. The synths are alright, though the instrument samples are a bit weak - they sound sampled, which generally is the opposite of what you want when you sample instruments. In order to get samples to sound more real, generally it's a good idea to work with the attack envelops in order to achieve the right "strike" of the notes, and play with the volume envelop in order to emulate the dynamic range that the instruments may use in a certain period of time. It's about as tough as it sounds, but I figure you need to know what you're up against when it comes to sampling instruments.

As far as the arrangement goes, it has a nice bit of personal flair to it (incorporating the extra theme, as well as the drum choice), but it does follow the source pretty tightly. That's not an issue in it's own right, but that source has a terribly repetitive loop point, which your arrangement ends up suffering from, as well. It ends up getting pretty stale after the first repetition, making the listener wish there was more to the track. Be aware of little things like that - if something seems to get repetitive, change it up! The arrangement returns to some of the earlier material later, which sounds like a relief, but the repetitions are still there.

I think the arrangement shows promise, though. For what's there I still enjoyed it, so kudos to that. The mixing doesn't sound nearly as problematic as in the Spider Dance arrangement, so nice work on that.

[timaeus222]

Agreed with Gario; I don't have much else to say, but I'll add a small note to get you to train your ear: I'm not sure if you notice it, but the bass drum you use throughout (not the kick) is a tad narrow compared to the rest of the soundscape (such as the wide pad), so to me it sticks out and doesn't quite fit into the soundscape (it sounds like it's in a different room/space). Usually, you would want instruments in the same song to sound like they're in the same room, so to speak (even if they're not all supposed to be real instruments).

Since it also sounds kinda like the same bass drum sample over and over again, it also gets a little repetitive when I focus on the bass drum. You might want to try EQing down its low-midrange (200~500 Hz) a tad, and that might help a little.

That said, I think you did a pretty good job; the mixing is reasonably clear. It's definitely better than some of my first ReMixes.

[glasfen]

I'll agree with Gario and timaeus222 on the technical side of things. This is one of my favorite SMW themes and I've loved every ReMix I've heard using it. While your mix could easily be perceived as repetitious and subdued, I think it's the perfect setting for an overlay of lyrics! I mean, my dream for this would be a collab with Sir Jordanius, resulting in a King Koopa hip-hop/rap humdinger. However, if you choose to go with an instrumental approach, I think a little variation would go a long way. In fact, just pulling out the percussion for a round, or rearranging either theme for part of the track, or doing a back-and-forth between the two (dueling Bowsers!), would be great. Nice work so far!