Columns 3 remix - Diving Columns

[SegaMon]

I have long loved the puzzle game Columns and subsequent releases in the series. A Columns game with some of the best music in the series is certainly Columns 3 on the Genesis/Mega Drive. The song Columns Dive is a fan favorite and it is a favorite of mine as well.

The following is the source:

Here is my remix of the source:

I have complete this remix. The reason for asking for feedback is so that future remixes can continue to improve. I also want to know if you think that this is of a quality high enough to submit to OCRemix. Thanks.

Edited April 5, 2020 by SegaMon
grammar

[Souperion]

This is a charming piece. Plucky and warm synths backed by some grooving drums. Enjoyed the sfx, which I assume is from the game. It's pretty crisp and clean as far as I can tell, though I can't be sited as an experienced source. As for submitting it, it's hard to tell; the bar is pretty high. Either way, nice job here, keep it up.

[Julien Mulard]

Nice tune, full of good vibes!

I love the little drum solo, it's really nice, and quite uncommon I feel! Are you playing it?

Regarding mixing, I'd say your drums are a bit weak, particularly the snare, which I found too low. I'm also use to metal, and I'm still learning mixing overall, so maybe wait for another review to confirm this? It might be a style thing I'm unaware of.

Another small thing, at 1:25, you have a synth stab that I found a bit too loud.

Regarding submission, it might be a little too repetitive/close to the source, even though the sound FX bring some variations to the track. Be careful with them though, as it can make the song pretty tiring.

The OCR community loves when you torture the source material ^^ Maybe next time add more solos, or mash different sources together? You can go pretty far by simply reharmonizing a bit, or writing various counter melodies.

Those are small things, your track is really cool, and the arranging is solid!

Have a great day, and happy music making!

[SegaMon]

Souperion and JulienMulard, thanks so much for your feedback!

My goal for doing any of my remixes is to pay homage to the original piece of music and game as well as to hone my composition skills.

Souperion, I really wanted that warm sound that you mentioned and am glad that you noticed it.

JulienMulard, thanks for complimenting the drums. None of this piece is performed, unfortunately. I did try really hard to humanize the piece, especially the drums. For example, I frequently made the drums hit the beats randomly early. I also made frequent slight tempo accels and decels. One of the most noticeable parts is when I made the drum solo feel "rushed."

Regarding the volume of the drums. Silly thing is that I kept feeling like the drums are too loud. You have a background in metal which emphasizes loud drums. My background is more classical and electronic which usually has more subdued percussion. I will keep your sentiment in mind in future pieces.

I wanted to add a more "spice" to this remix but one of my weaknesses is forming new melodies. Evertime a changed up the melody or added countermelody and harmony it sounded really out of place. Any recommendation regarding this?

Again, much thanks for the feedback. I am still on the fence whether I should submit as I feel like it'll get rejected.