*NO* Pokémon Sun & Moon "Free Malie"

[Gario]

Contact Info -

Remix Name: EpicRPGRemixes

Real Name: Nick Oleksiak

Site: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgmUh-6Y9N-KDGfHzz5dOLQ

Userid: 25930

 

Submission Info -

 

Game:Pokémon Sun and Moon

Arrangement: Malaise-Free Malie

Song: Malie City

Composer: Go Ichinose

 

All made in Logic Pro X. I was inspired by Nujabes a bit for this arrangement. It's been a long time since I've submitted anything to OCRemix. To be honest, I've been afraid to since I've been rejected every time before. I have made many more tracks since my last attempt, though, so I feel a little more confident this time around. I feel like getting at least one remix on this site makes me more professional as a composer/arranger/producer since you guys are super picky. I can finally get this weight off my chest and move on, closing a chapter in my life. Hope you enjoy the track.

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by Emunator

[MindWanderer]

Pretty solid work.  There's a bit of hiss to the soundscape, mostly caused by the white noise sweep pad, but otherwise it's rich and clean.  It's a bit conservative but there are extra layers and harmony added in, and some changes to the pacing that make it distinct from the source.  Has a nice breakdown, too, although it segues into a repetitive ending.  I think this one might be your big break!

YES

Edit 9/13:  I don't know how I missed that buzzing that comes in with the goat bells.  It's definitely a problem that needs to be addressed.  As for the buzzing that starts at 0:53, it sounds like it's mostly driven by the bass, and I think most likely a bit of a high pass on that will clear up the worst of it.

YES/CONDITIONAL (on fixing clipping/buzzing).

Edited September 13, 2019 by MindWanderer

[prophetik music]

what an interesting style for this arrangement. i admit i didn't see :52 coming, and i really like the vibe it settled into. i agree with mindwanderer that the arrangement is conservative. unlike him, though, i enjoyed the ending. i like the concept of repeating something and then moving to the IV while continuing to repeat it. it allows the listener to really explore what's going on around that part, and i think it functions as an effective ending here, dropout included.

the bass is pretty heavy. it feels like it's taking up a lot of the soundscape, which considering it doesn't really do anything is a shame. there's also clipping occurring around 1:38 and onward several times, usually where the snare's used during transitions.

overall i found that the original flows between sections in a more smooth and purposeful fashion than this track does. however, it's a nice take in a downtempo style on the original that features a relaxing vibe and a fun perspective.

YES (conditional on fixing clipping)

[Rexy]

First of all, I'm going to have to disagree with both prophetik and MindWanderer and say this actually isn't a conservative take.  The only parts I can hear from the original are the second half of melody A (0:00-0:21, 0:52-1:35, 2:44-2:56) and the second half of melody B (1:35-1:43, 1:51-1:59), all structured in a more distinct framework.  It's still 52% of identifiable melodic source alone, so this was never going to be an issue.

Based on interpretation alone, the selective use of source is efficient and even got played around at 1:13 with the koto starting as a layered instrument but adding harmonies on top.  In both source uses' cases, the last two measures of the melody A segments also showed some modifications in pitch while firmly retaining rhythm, and the melody B segments go back and forth between 3 bars of straight melodic use and 3 bars of creative writing.  These are effective ways of handling them, and in combination with the more original contributions, I hear a solid take in a fresh style that fuses electronic and Eastern elements.

The production, while mostly cleanly balanced, did give me two things to ponder over.  Firstly, the bass introduced at 0:52 initially sounded like it was dominating the soundscape, but weirdly enough it's way more settled starting from 1:35 - mostly because a lot of the pitches are in the next octave over.  Based on the tones, I can see a double high pass at 50 Hz calming down its early overpowering presence - but it's still acceptable to listen to in its current form, so it's something to think about for the future.

I also detected clipping in the mix like prophetik did, but it wasn't apparent for me until 2:15 when hearing that buzz in my left speaker became too distinct to ignore.

All in all, the arrangement and production both feel solid as they are, but a re-render is advised to clear out the unnecessary clipping.  This track is something that I'm in favor of hearing on the front page, but in a clean form that does justice to the ideas layered out.

YES (conditional on clipping fixes)

[Liontamer]

If you get posted, Nick, keep on submitting stuff. Props either way for having a goal in mind and reaching for it.

The arrangement's nicely personalized, so that part was easy enough to discern.

Piano sequencing was super rigid/robotic from :53-1:12, but that issue was sidestepped once the plucked leads arrived after 1:13. The piano sequencing fakeness was less of an issue but still one from 2:21-2:42 headed towards the finish.

From :53-onward, there's was a pretty pervasive buzzing/distortion effect going on here, and the soundscape very obviously lacked high-end clarity. I'm not sure the production could be tweaked to get this over the line like a typical conditional YES, and I know I'm definitely not in that camp.

If you can refine the mixing and also spruce up (or mitigate) the piano sample, I'm on board, Nick. Very nice arrangement that just need some production TLC.

NO (resubmit)

[DragonAvenger]

Agreed with most here that the arrangement is both nice and a fun surprise when 0:52 comes in. Really chill and relaxed. Also going to agree that the personalization really works nicely, though is a little conservative at times. 

The buzzing/clipping does need to be addressed, and I think that Larry's right that this is going to be a little bit longer of a fix than a conditional. Hope to hear this (and others!) again!

NO (resubmit)

Edited September 13, 2019 by DragonAvenger

[Chimpazilla]

LOUD.  TOO LOUD.  When the bass comes in at 0:52 it feels oppressively loud.  The piano, flute and koto sequencing are very mechanical.  There are purposeful buzzing and clipping elements in the track, so it's unclear how much of the buzzing is in the master and how much is in the production, and each of these elements is buzzy in its own way, leading to to a wall of buzz.  The track is left with an overall crunchy feeling that feels uncomfortable overall.  I believe there is master overcompression happening as well, as I hear distortion especially beginning at 1:52.  The ending feels sudden and disconnected from the main track so it sounds tacked on.  I like this arrangement but there is more production work to be done before we can post it.

NO (resubmit)

[Sir_NutS]

I've been coming back and forth on this one since it reached the panel.  The mastering has pretty obvious issues, it's loud and it clips.  The bass is overpowering.  There's a crunchy quality a lot of the instruments share here which is up to taste, I don't think it breaks the track but it can be too much when there's so much crunch going around all the time.  Some instruments could use better humanization, I hear the piano playing the same velocities for long sections of the track, i.e.

I do hear some detailing done with the instruments but it's not enough.  I liked the arrangement but the biggest issue here is production, and I believe this needs a second pass.  I think this will be front page material after that, you're pretty close.

NO (resubmit)

[Jivemaster]

Crunchy. The bass is quite strong on this one. There is definitely a distorted spike present throughout the mix. The soundscape is quite full and lush otherwise, with a good choice of instruments filling out the arrangement. I particularly enjoyed the change between alternative kinds of percussion, although the snare throughout the second half was quite loud in comparison to the other parts. I agree with the others that this is in need of a remaster. I think reducing your gain into the limiter should be mostly all you need. Please resub.

NO

[Emunator]

I appreciate the Nujabes influence and how you applied it here. Your palette of instruments is lovely and suits this track very well!

There are some critical mixing and sequencing issues that I'm picking up on, however. As others have rightly pointed out, the mixing is very busy and overcompressed for a song of this style - this needs some room to breathe. Right now, the mix feels like an oppressive wall of sound that doesn't suit the arrangement you've created. The bass is extremely loud and muddy, I feel like that should be your first target when revisiting the mixing.

In addition, I would take a second look at the velocity and timing of your instruments and drums - just about everything feels rigidly quantized to the grid. The kick and bass are two notable examples of this - because your velocities are so static, your song doesn't ever seem to find a groove that sits well with the rest of the instruments. While I can appreciate the juxtaposition of organic instruments with more electronic-sounding drums, there's still a lot of ways that you could make the sequencing feel more natural. 

I hope you can take this feedback in stride and continue to refine your craft, please don't be discouraged! The vision is there, but this would certainly benefit from some more attention paid to the technical side of things. Good luck with your future submissions!

NO (resubmit)