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OCR03873 - *YES* Donkey Kong Country "The teCtonic reCords"


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Link to remix;

 

Remix Title

The teCtonic reCords

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CONTACT INFORMATION

ReMixer name

Justin Tense

Email address

 

Userid

29021

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SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Name of game(s) arranged

Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

Name of individual song(s) arranged

The Credits Concerto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSwbr0voBtM

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Original Composers:

David Wise

System:

Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)

Publisher:

Rare/Nintendo

 

Hey guys it's been a while, 6 years and 3 months to be exact since I emailed through my last track!

Where does time go? Loved ones have passed away, my girlfriend turned into my fiancée and Manchester United still can't beat Chelsea away from home...

As humans age the paths they traverse will vary greatly. Forks appear upon the roads we tread, enticing, daring and manipulating us to venture to unknown territories in this evolving journey we call life.

So for all this uncertainty it's always good to have a constant. Something that no matter where life takes you, it serves it's purpose to help you appreciate the beauty of every interaction. For me this constant has always been the music of David Wise.

The Donkey Kong Country soundtrack still to me is the pinnacle of gaming music. I purchased a SNES Classic Mini when it got released here in Australia a few months ago and just finished my play through of DKC. The second I heard The Credits Concerto track I knew I had to remix it.


So here it is... See you in 2023

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I thought the mixing got cluttered and was too hot, so I wouldn't mind another pass at that, but it nothing that ultimately affected my vote. That said, this was a subdued but substantive interpretation of the source. There were extended portions of original writing over the top of explicit chord progressions from the source, but as long as that stuff's used directly from the source, that's OK with me and valid source usage. The track may feel overlong, but it's meant to just coast along and there's enough subtle contrast here to make it clear that the track developed and evolved. Nice to hear Justin back at it once again!

YES

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  • Liontamer changed the title to 2017/11/09 - (1Y) Donkey Kong Country 'The teCtonic reCords'
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 6 months later...

I'm with Deia here, not sure how to go on this one, as the original chord progression is mainly used to tie back to the original with plenty of interpretation on top.  That and the feeling that this track feels like it's over 8 minutes long when it's just about 6, makes me feel like there's a lot of fat that could've been cut and still have a solid track left.  Production-wise it's fine although the static beat starts to feel on auto-pilot after a while.  I did like the textures used overall.

I'm as borderline I could be on this, I'm not sure if the static and overly long nature of the arrangement is working for or against it, and I'm not sure the reliance on the chord progression is enough to call it a substantial interpretation.

I'll hold on to this vote until more Js chime in, but maybe my perspective helps them too.

EDIT 24/01/2019 : giving this another pass, I've noticed a few other things.  The initial pulsing synth has a sharp resonance that really starts to bother me after a while, specially since this mix takes a while to build up its elements and relies on long sections of repetition.  It is sort of obscured by the rest of the track after it gets fuller but still I would've toned it down a bit or reduced tnis resonance peak which must be sitting around the mids.  The low portion of this synth isn't that pleasant either, but that part is also obscured a bit more when the sub hits.

This isn't the only section where I can hear some harsh resonant peaks, the vocal chorus around 2:29 are also peaking a bit too much.  Some sort of compression or EQ levelling on these elements would make the mix much more pleasant.  The resonance does pop up again at several points throughout the mix but at a small intervals.  The breakdown at around 3:30 also prominently shows these peaks.

I've actually taken some time during the writing of this review and opened this file on my DAW and hacked up some EQ'ing on the mids and it makes a HUGE difference in how pleasant the mix sounds.  Also I could literally see the resonant peaks on my analyzer.  I know I'm going on and on with this but, it just happens throughout the whole song and it seems very distracting to me even though I didn't catch this on my initial listen.

Other issues: there's some audible clicking with whatever sidechaining is setup with the kick and sub which is very exposed from 5:34 until the song closes.

Given these production issues and the previous issues I had I think this is tipping more to the rejection side, though I think these production issues are fixable.

NO (resubmit)

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  • Liontamer changed the title to 2017/11/09 - (2Y/1?) Donkey Kong Country 'The teCtonic reCords'
  • 2 weeks later...

Minimal and ambient. Initial panning of the percussion screws a bit with the mind, but things thankfully balance out as more elements are introduced over the first minute. A slight change of pace occurs at 2:01, where we have a slight break down and build-up section. The arrangement keeps a fairly similar feel and pace throughout, although the changes featured in some of the lead progression helps to make things feel different. 

I feel the mix could’ve stopped close to the 3:50 mark, as the sections introduced afterward don’t particularly add any major value to the arrangement. This worked against the mix, especially with it already being minimal in its presentation - it made the problem stand out more. The section at 4:48 which changed things up a bit could’ve shown up earlier in the mix to help close things out sooner.

Production is ok, but I mostly expect that from a mix that keeps layers to a minimum. I thought the percussion initially being left panned would become irritating, but the counter percussion on the right hand side restored balance. The ambience of the lead was largely dominating, but I understand it was being used to fill the soundscape.

I think arrangement variation and overall duration are an issue with this one. Willing to revisit and reconsider based on the other judges comments, but I find that the mix covers a lot of similar territory over its duration which makes things sound somewhat repetitive by the time we reach the mid point, leading me to say that the arrangement needs a revisit.

NO

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  • 1 month later...

Given that this is supposed to be a chill arrangement, almost trance, the length and lack of variation are understandable to a degree.  Bearing that in mind, nothing repeats verbatim.  4:02-4:31 is pretty similar to earlier sections, and 5:02-5:32 comes very close to 1:30-2:00.  These two sections, placed where they are, drive a lot of that feeling of repetitiveness.  If this does get sent back, I think it's those two sections that need a second look to try to make them more distinct.

As for source usage, I don't see an issue.  A good part of the source is simply that pad, so using it as background constitutes source usage IMO.  And the source's melody (0:27-0:54) is used extensively, both verbatim and with varying degrees of interpretation.

While I do think this could be more engaging, I think it's successful at what it's trying to do.  It didn't feel padded to me, nor longer than it actually is.  It's very clearly a Credits Concerto remix on even a casual listen.  I don't have a problem accepting it as-is.

YES

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  • 1 month later...
  • DarkeSword changed the title to 2017/11/09 - (4Y/1?/1N) Donkey Kong Country 'The teCtonic reCords'
  • Liontamer pinned this topic
  • 4 weeks later...

Liking the mood set on this one from the get-go.  Groove and pulsing bass really compliment it well.  While not terribly expansive, to me there is a clear connection to the OST throughout the mix.  

I will agree there is some high end sizzle in the percussion that could be toned down, but it wasn't a major issue to me.  Maybe something to keep in mind for the future.  Great track.

YES

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  • Liontamer changed the title to OCR03873 - *YES* Donkey Kong Country "The teCtonic reCords"
  • Liontamer unpinned and locked this topic
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