OCR03680 - *YES* Secret of Mana "Sunny with a Chance of Thunder" *PROJECT*

[Gario]

Whoa! Didn't know this project was still gonna happen!.. that said, I've been a bit disconnected from OCR and music in general lately due to life stuff, but it's good to be back on the scene, even if with an 8-year-old song. I still fondly remember writing this one in between cashiering customers in the parking garage in Indy. XD

 

I didn't really grow up with SoM, but I've been playing it recently on my SNES classic and it is certainly.. one of a kind, if not a little wonky. What I can say for sure is that Kikuta-sensei is a god damn AMAZING composer and his work on this game is top-notch from start to finish, so I'm honored to be able. to represent this great track of his. Much love and congrats to all the other great artists who contributed to this album, and as always, please to enjoy!~~<3

 

[Gario]

Wow, classic Halc - I sure do miss his contributions on OCR. This is an older track, but it's a good example of what Halc always had to bring to the table: crisp samples, clean mixing, great sequencing, and that oh so tasteful blend of square waves to give that signature 9-bit sound. The arrangement, while overall having enough variety, does stick to that bass instrument pretty strictly throughout, which makes it go stale after a time, but overall that's a minor complaint so that doesn't take my vote down by much.

Halc, send us more stuff. We need one of the OGs of the 9-bit style to show the rest how it's done.

YES

[Liontamer]

I was going to DP this, but judges votes be cool, since I didn't get to it in the inbox yet. I already eval'ed it last week to double check the arrangement, and it's solid. Ending was flat, but I'll live.

WHEEEEEE, it's halccccccccccccc

[Gario]

I was thinking about DP'ing it, tbh, but I figured he could use a little breeze-through in here, being an older track of his and all.

[MindWanderer]

The textures are definitely on the static side, especially that bass.  Speaking of static, I really wasn't a fan of the white noise wash that the arrangement opens with (and appears in a few other places).

However, it's perfectly adequate by our standards.  Mixing is fine.  It's definitely creative and transformative enough.  It's not very exciting, but it's a quality, mellow jam.

YES

[djpretzel]

Gets more interpretive as it goes, from an arrangement perspective, and I totally dig the soundscape - Drew kinda inverts things by putting more verb on the bass than many other elements, so it sits back in the mix as this dope, mellow lurker, while foreground textures seem closer. Chiptune & glitch elements are excellent; especially love how even individual notes within a line will mess with panning & jump around a bit, adding life to each passage. Mix does kinda just end, and in this case I wanted something a LITTLE bit more, even a surprise extra note or beat, but it's a nitpick - as others have said, this is classic halc, plays the arrangement relatively close but definitely breathes comfortable in its own skin, and packs in those classic 9-bit flavors we've been missing.

YES