Gario Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 Re mixer Name: Wiesty Real Name: Dylan Wiest Email Address: User ID: 11643 Name of game(s) arranged: Super Mario RPG Name of arrangement: Happy Times are Back Again Name of individual song(s) arranged: Hello, Happy Kingdom This was my first submission for the Window to the Stars album and it dates back to probably 2013 in its original form which was going to be an upbeat samba sort of tune. I had milked all of the ideas I could out of that avenue and was still not super happy with the arrangement so it was back to the drawing board. I've always wanted to do a percussion only tune so I figured this could be my chance. I'm no Doug Perry but I recorded 3 parts on Marimba, congas and clave which I think makes for a nice simple percussion ensemble. The beginning is in a minor key and has more of a somber tone which is supposed to represent when the Mushroom Kingdom was taken over by the Smithy Gang. The mood changes at the end when Mario saves the day and you can hear elements of the original samba arrangement being used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gario Posted May 11, 2017 Author Share Posted May 11, 2017 Ah, this was a fun track from the album - I was particularly impressed by the tonal shift for the first half of the track - somber and dark for such an uplifting source. The darkness eventually lifts and the whole thing becomes quite lively, but that first section really does take the source somewhere so different I can't help but love it. Very nice marimba and percussion playing throughout. There are some very slight timing issues in the lower ranges (mallets hitting chords with fractional differences between the mallet's landings), but that's really digging for something to nitpick. Another personal gripe (and it has no bearing on my vote - just a gripe) is with those rolling chords in the first minute of the track - they sound like they were designed for some softer mallets, the way they swell. Might be something fun to experiment with in the future, just to get that ethereal swelling the marimba is so good at achieving. The recording is great, the performance is spot on, and the arrangement is fun and interesting. Despite my nitpicking and personal desires, this is a very easy pass in my book. Great work! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindWanderer Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 I mostly agree with Gario: it's a great concept, a clever arrangement, and an excellent performance. My one big gripe would be with the lengthy breaks at 0:41-0:47, 2:17-2:21, and 2:48-2:51, and the abrupt transition at 4:02, which break up the arrangement into distinct sections. However, each section is based on the same melody, and there's a thematic progression in addition to the consistent instrumentation. It's definitely more like a mini-suite than a single song, but we've passed arrangements like that before. Otherwise, this is fun and different, a good addition to the album as well as our front page. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 The track was 4:46.75 long (due to the silence from 44.5-48.5 & 2:50.25-2:52.5), so I needed to hear the source tune referenced for at least 143.375 seconds for the source tune usage to dominate the arrangement. 59.25-1:08.75, 1:10-2:19, 2:23-2:26.75, 2:34.5-2:39.5, 3:01.5-3:40.25, 3:43-4:02.75 = 145.75 seconds or 50.82% overt source usage A squeaker as far as counting out what I could pick out from the source tune. Lots of good original writing that pieced together comfortably with the source, such as the opening and ending sections; I could also be overlooking some connections, and maybe another source was actually referenced, but source usage didn't end up being a dealbreaker anyway. The interpretation ideas were very substantive here, and unlike Dylan's Final Fantasy 2 'Variations de Chocobo' piece that we rejected, the overall flow of the arrangement didn't sound disjointed by the pauses. I didn't have any issues with the performance. Nice work, Dylan! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonAvenger Posted June 2, 2017 Share Posted June 2, 2017 The change to the fun and uplifting section is really fun, I am enjoying that you have the two sections separated. Not much to add here that hasn't already been said, but it's great to see you working a little outside of the box and your comfort zone to get some sweet marimba/percussion only out there for us YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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