Gario Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 I wanted to highlight the level in Donkey Kong Country in which the lights (and presumably power) to the factory are switched on and off. So this remix goes back and forth between high energy and darkness. The beginning of the track is more like walking in and the whole place is asleep, then someone hits a power switch somewhere and everything springs to life, with even the firey oil drums having their own rhythm. But that soon fails, only to come back on briefly and then sputter out again. Anyway, it was one of the levels I think of when I think DKC. When I was about eight years old, this level (and the cave level with the elevators after it) was the bane of my existence. I spent hours making blind jumps into pits. I got to the point where I’d just get the song stuck in my head for hours on end. One of the major musical themes of my childhood. I hope I did it justice. - Ben Original theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v18pEFQb3EM Link to mix: Remixer name: 744 Real name: Ben Brownlee e-mail: site: sevenfortyfour.bandcamp.com forum userid: 34405 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gario Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 Oh hey, I remember evaluating this a week or so ago - neat. The fact that I can hear the thematic elements as clearly to the front as I do is a good sign that you took my advice to heart, which is certainly an improvement. You may have overcorrected at 0:42 - 0:57 since the lead punched through the arrangement a bit too much, but overall I think this hits a good place as far as mixing and production quality goes. The pacing issue that I had earlier also seems to be fixed, too; your additional drums really helped keep the track moving. Just wanted to mention that I did catch and appreciate it. I think the mixing has a few moments that are a little wonky, but overall I think this is a really cool and wholely original approach to the source. I'm digging this a lot, and I hope my peers agree it should be up on OCR. Nice work! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindWanderer Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 I can't disagree with anything Gario said. Nice retro synth approach, with a rich soundscape and a constant but creative evolution of sounds and some nice tweaks to the source melodies. Definitely mixed oddly in places, such as 2:53-3:08 where the snare is too loud and the lead too quiet, but it's nothing egregious. A solid arrangement overall. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 One thing really getting at me is how the drums don't gel at all with the rest of the track; they sound like a placeholder part in a WIP. On the flip side, I liked the movement of the warbly synth around the stereo field during your choruses though. The synth design could be more creative and sophisticated, but this mostly get it done because of the arrangement's creativity. If the sound design were as strong as the chorus sections for the whole track, I wouldn't have had any production reservations. Those punchy beats though are messing up the soundscape at every turn and are taking up too much of the foreground while also feeling disconnected from the rest of the soundscape. Also, see what you can do to add some sort of sophistication to the writing during the simpler/emptier sections (e.g. :41-:58). Good work so far, Ben, so definitely work on this further if this doesn't make it as is. NO (resubmit) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonAvenger Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 I do think this is a little on the simpler side, and while some more complex parts or extra harmonies might be a solid addition here, I didn't think there was anything that stood out as an egregious error. Larry mentions that the drums are taking up to much of the soundscape, and I can see what he I'd saying bit I don't see that as a dealbreaker as is. Take note of it next time. Overall the track is a chill rendition that expands on the mood the original source presents. The pacing between the slower and more energetic sections really works to keep the track moving, and there's a lot of personal touches. I'm good to go on this one. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimpazilla Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 Really unique and creative arrangement. I agree that the mixing could be refined, some leads are a tad loud, and Larry's right about the drums not fitting the soundscape, the main snare is much too snappy and the hats are too loud, and there's an electro-shaker that doesn't fit well at all or is just mixed too loud/dry. Regardless, I'm loving the creativity here. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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