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OCR03983 - *YES* Pokémon Diamond Version "Knowing Your Roots"


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Remixer Name: Arceace
Real Name: Ben Clifton
Email: 
User ID: 25338
 
Name of Games Arranged: Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum
Name of Arrangement: Knowing Your Roots
Name of Song Arranged: Eterna Forest
 
 
Comments:
 
Certainly been a while since I've submitted anything, but here we are!
 
Life got pretty busy for me after graduating college, and it's probably been a solid 2+ years since I've really done anything music-related. But it's nice to know that throughout all of that, I can still return to music. Thus the name for this track! (oh, and I guess it has to do with trees and forests and stuff)
 
I chose to start off the arrangement almost entirely with 8-bit sounds, which then build up to more complex instruments and styles later. I like to think it symbolizes how you can take a little 8-bit song from a game like Pokemon, and transform it into something new and exciting!
...or perhaps I'm hyper-anaylzing, and it's all just a coincidence. 
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
Either way, hope you enjoy!
 
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  • Liontamer changed the title to 2018/08/26 - Pokémon Diamond Version 'Know Your Roots'

Nice demake-style approach for the intro, including some nice chorusing/layering of the chippy sounds; sounds great!

The switch into the partial beats at :59 could have been a pitfall instead of just a stylistic lead-in, but Ben filled things out nicely at 1:23 and showed how purposeful the approach was.

Nice dropoff into the piano at 1:47 for some great dynamic contrast with the usage of the light ensemble before reviving the chip sounds at 2:33. Watch those notes from 2:50-2:54; it would be nice to get a tweak there, because the notes were off-key, but it did ultimately resolve alright, so I won't lose sleep over it.

Another good change-up at 3:23 into the stuttering leads to once again keep the presentation fresh before winding down with the piano/EP combo at 4:12 for a beautiful close.

Nicely varied arrangement that worked in some original writing areas, but mostly focused on presentating cool variations of the source tune. Great presentation and energy throughout, Ben!

YES

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  • Liontamer changed the title to 2018/08/26 - (1Y) Pokémon Diamond Version 'Know Your Roots'
  • 3 weeks later...

This arrangement is meaty and jumped around the mix doing three different ideas.  It explored the source as it is (like with the chiptune intro), played around with the foundations and adding new melodies over the top (like at 1:00), or added something brand new (like the piano intro at the end).  Even the piano-into-ensemble-into-chiptune breakdown at 1:48 explores all three ideas at once.  I also felt the lower chip harmony at 2:51 didn't sound harmonically pleasing with the backing, but it's a minor gripe in an elegant set of writing otherwise.

The sound palette's mixture of chiptune and modern synths also felt intriguing and fit the arrangement's goal.  They're all mixed in well, the synths' manipulation is engaging, and even the piano sounded realistic and adapted to the stereo space.  The only thing that sticks out for me though is the clarinet at 2:12.  I understand it acting as the bridge between the piano and chiptune melodies, but to me, it sounded like it was performing all of these legato notes without any room to inhale.  You can remedy it in future works by merely adding a moment for it to rest.

Putting these little nitpicks aside, it's a varied arrangement that jumped between handling the source and doing its own thing.  And it's all with a lovely presentation that crosses the line between retro and present day.  Ben, I wouldn't have guessed that you took two years off before working on this - because there's no sign of rusted chops here.  Nice work!

YES

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  • Rexy changed the title to 2018/08/26 - (2Y) Pokémon Diamond Version 'Know Your Roots'

I'm not quite as enthusiastic as my colleagues, but no doubt that this is a quality arrangement.  My biggest complaint is with the saws, which were far too loud and caused some pumping, but they didn't break the mix as much as they might have (although when they're steady, at 3:48-4:12, there's definite room for improvement).  The kicks often caused a bit too much ducking as well.  Otherwise, it's an elegant blend of chiptune, EDM, and instrumentals.

YES

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  • 1 month later...

ooh, a fun concept on this one. the intro chiptune bits going into the first big swell at 0:22 are really nice, and it builds great to the first drop at 1:00. there's a lot of fun use of space throughout this entire first part, and i really appreciate the contrast between those rhythmic saws and pads, the very simple on-beat drums, and the sustained tones used in the melody at 1:24 onward. the entire breakdown is really nicely paced and stays with the melody just enough to keep it connected to the more vibrant parts.

i agree with rexy that the clarinet wasn't quite as realistic as it could have been. the lack of attack played into that (that verb is really wet!), as well as the lack of breathing room. there's also what i think is actually an incorrect chord at 2:27 - is that supposed to be a b6 in first inversion used as predominant to the G following it? Ab7/C? that's what the strings sound like they're implying with a diminished C chord and a Eb in the melody that moves stepwise in Ab for a bar before landing on a D, but it's hard to tell. either way, the E natural in the piano bites at that Eb in a bad way, and it makes what would be a really fun turn of phrase into just a sour note. it happened again at 2:51, so that's why i think it's a mechanical issue vs. a misplaced note.

the last section, from 3:48 onward, is real loud compared to the rest of the piece. the saw sections have been big the entire time, but the focus on it here makes it stand out more. there's another sour note or two at 4:09 (sounds like a flat 7 against a root-position I chord, which is always going to sound funky despite being in the key's pentatonic scale), and like MW said the kick pumps a bit here too.

theory nerd nitpicks aside, this is a fun arrangement that is interesting and sounds great. this is definitely good enough for the front page.

 

 

YES

Edited by prophetik music
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