[RvK] [2017] Round 1: Squad vs. Squad Battle Block 1

[DarkeSword]

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Download the Music: Squad vs. Squad Block 1: Round 1

Because RvK has two different types of rounds (squad-vs-squad and boss battle), please make sure you read and follow the instructions.

This is a Squad vs. Squad Battle. You must use the poll to vote for the tracks you like better. If you’re able, please leave reviews of the tracks in this thread.

Voting ends Sunday, at 9PM EST.

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• The most important thing to consider when voting is how well the remix incorporates and arranges both themes. Production and enjoyability should also be considered, but this is primarily an arrangement competition.
• Everyone is allowed (and encouraged) to vote, including competitors.
• You are required to make an actual decision for each choice, meaning, you cannot declare a draws or ties for different places. This will be counted as not voting and your vote will not be counted.
• Everyone must adhere to the Competitions Code of Conduct.

[MindWanderer]

Review time!

 

• For Hope and Shovelry: Oh, man, going after Gario on his electronica home turf?  That takes guts, even with the guitar help.  You clearly had lots of ideas about how to integrate these two themes!  Lots of clever blending.  It does have a few awkward moments, though: At 0:36, the arrangement begs to repeat the phrase a second time, but instead moves on.  Same thing at 2:24.  1:12 is a little strange, structurally--it starts the transition with rising notes and then drops low instead of the high climax it leads the listener to anticipate.  Some of the blends get a little too busy in the highs, e.g. 2:18-2:47, which is so cluttered the cymbals turn to mush.  Overall, though, really great job, and I hope you spend some more time on this and send it in to the site.
• The Wanderer: Well, it's a good start.  Reminds me a lot of Phonetic Hero's Tengu Man remixes from the last compo, which I liked a lot.  Too bad you never got a chance to finish.
• Boulders Wreck Rapiers: Nice soundscape, but those leads aren't strong enough to cut through it all. Interesting coincidence how the opening hooks of both themes were so similar to begin with, and you really took advantage of that, although at the expense of the rest of the sources.  The last section, where it becomes more melodic, doesn't fit very well with the rest of the arrangement or with the backing, and the transitions are a little awkward, especially with the wild portamento.  Still, lots of good stuff here.
• Age & Alchemist: Very thin soundscape, lacking in both low and high end and cluttered in the mids.  More importantly, this is basically a medley until 2:25, with Plague Knight followed by Saturn.  Nice effort to try to make the two play together at the end, however briefly, but there are a lot of clashing notes there.  I like where this was going, but it needed a lot of adjustments to work.

[Thirdkoopa]

Oh man, all of them were really good. Age & Alchemist sounds really funky (particularly because of the medley stuff, but really, needed mixing work), For Hope and Shovelry just sounded really good, The Wanderer... Man Gario, I'd love to see you finish this sometime. And Boulders Wreck Rapiers was fantastic.

[Chiwalker]

The battle between Shovel knight and Ballade:

I really like Gario's arrangement and style to incorporate the themes, although a bit short and could use some beefing up, it has promise. 

Jorito's remix does an excellent job of bringing both themes together seamlessly and the combination of sounds/instruments creates an overall exciting mix that grabs the emotions.

 

Plague vs. Saturn:

Hearing the original Plague Knight theme initially made me laugh at it's 'cooky?' melodies.  Hearing it played on the organ/guitar combo adds a whole other layer of spooky and hilarity (in a positive way.) Lots of cool ideas and patterns that never makes this a boring mix, on the contrary: perhaps there are too many variations on the theme?

 

Uranus vs. Propeller Knight:

I wish anorax finished his :c  I discovered that propeller knight is a very nice theme.  I had lots of fun playing with them.

 

Sounds like everyone had fun, I enjoyed hearing feedback and encourage everyone to submit wip's for feedback as often as they can.