Rexy Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Contact Information ReMixer name: Reuben Spiers Real Name: Reuben Spiers E-Mail: Submission Information Game: Final Fantasy IX Name of Arrangement: Home is Where You Belong Name of Original Song: A Place to Call Home Featuring Earth Kid on recorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted August 18, 2020 Share Posted August 18, 2020 Nice counterplay with the banjo to support the source tune and add another dimension here, and I can thankfully say the accordion and drumwork had a little more life to them this time around, since those have been recurring issues in other submissions. Good stuff throughout with the handling of the arrangement; good subtle dynamic contrast here as well. The banjo section from 1:56-2:27 seemed slightly more unfocused/off-key than intended, though it wasn't something that broke the track. The hard cut with the transition at 2:27 was extremely sloppy; you had parts abruptly cut out mid-sound instead of fading, which was a needlessly bizarre blip. Cymbal crashes starting at 3:01 didn't have synergy with the rest of the instrumentation, but it could just be a personal taste thing for me; they weren't mixed in a way that made this a big issue though, so it is what it is. The arrangement and performances were solid, and the odd moments/criticisms were minor in the grand scheme of things. Solid work from Reuben with the assist from Natalya! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prophetik music Posted August 19, 2020 Share Posted August 19, 2020 one of the best tracks on a fantastic soundtrack. i love this track. the marcato style of the intro section was a little puzzling to me but well-executed across each instrument. there's a few chord choices i'd not have associated with this theme (D major for the start of the B section instead of Dm, using C natural as the penultimate note in the melodic line instead of C# like you do in the banjo earlier) but they don't pull away from the overall piece, so i'll call that arrangement instead of wrong notes. the entrance of all the parts sounds really great. the accordion and recorder sound great together, and earth kid does a great job mimicking your articulations while adding her own stylistic techniques. i don't like that snare or cymbals at all - both have no dynamic/velocity variance, there's a machine-gun effect for both, and they stick out very loudly when they trigger. the subsequent banjo exploration/solo part is great, although i'd have liked to hear the accordion drop back in the mix more through this section to allow the banjo to be bigger. the transition at 2:28 is quite abrupt without a fill, and the loud snare sticks out here again quite a bit. the change is great though and again the recorder performance is excellent. overall this is a pretty nice piece. there's a lot of little things that i'd love to see changed but aren't dealbreakers in their own rights (loud snare and cymbal, detrimental altered chord structure on the B section, some volumization stuff) but overall the track is an enjoyable listen and features some fun ideas that we haven't seen before for a popular track. nice work. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted August 25, 2020 Share Posted August 25, 2020 Production is solid. There is a good spread across channels, instruments have clarity and a great level of separation. Arrangement wise, there is a good mix of complementary parts at play here. The guitar/banjo riffing adds a nice level of additional detail. It would’ve been nice to hear some further variation in the second half to separate it more from the first, but not a major deal breaker. A well executed original take of the source material. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexy Posted August 25, 2020 Author Share Posted August 25, 2020 Like I've come to expect from you now, Reuben, you've kept a tight performance across all instruments, and everything feels clean. And while using a recorder in a mix can meander for better or worse, Natalya took great care with a natural performance that compliments your gear. The balance is firm, and all parts have clarity in the mix - though, while I've commented on hearing quiet renders from you before, this is an instance where the volume should've been toned down by no more than 0.5dB so that it doesn't quite touch the ceiling. I also concur with the sudden transition at 2:28. I feel how to make it smoother would be to overdub the acoustic guitar on there to transition from strumming to arpeggio much smoother well as add a resolution to the drum fill you started. Thankfully the accordion and banjo's tails finish just before the shift, so it's not too rough as it stands. The arrangement is also stable - translating the source to 6/8 and putting the melodies over a set of chords when the original never really had any. There are four textural variations throughout, and thankfully there's not as much autopilot as in previous submissions. The drums and bass kept a constant groove throughout, yet the other parts evolved around them. It has the marcato intro, the main run-through with Natalya's recorder, a run-through with accordion chords and banjo comping, and a repeat of the second variation's ideas, albeit with a gentle lead-in. Similarly to Larry, I felt the banjo solo had some carelessness moments, with notation straying away from the identified D minor key. Next time, consider the idea of recording multiple solo recordings and picking out what you think fits best with the backing. Ultimately, the pros outweigh the cons. It's an involving arrangement, and it's tightly produced, with some human imperfections on both sides. Great stuff, Reuben - you're plowing through with your ideas as of late! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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