OCR04128 - *YES* Pokémon Diamond Version "On the Shores of Canalave"

[Emunator]

Name of game(s) arranged: Pokémon Diamond

Name of arrangement: 'On the Shores of Canalave'

Name of individual song(s) arranged: Canalave City (Day) - 

Comments:

Given my history of endlessly dwelling on arrangements for years, I'm incredibly proud to say that my first finished remix of 2020 came together in under 15 hours over the span of just a few months while I've been in quarantine.

I've been playing a lot of Animal Crossing: New Horizons lately, and although this doesn't borrow any cues directly from that soundtrack, stylistically, I wanted to craft something that might fit into that universe. Additionally, with all the stress, bitterness, and uncertainty going on in the world right now, I thought it would be a good exercise to make something that just sounds happy. In essence, this remix is the soundtrack to the island I wish I could escape to at this moment in time! 

This track also served as a chance for me to use some of the music theory knowledge I've been actively absorbing over the last year. I have no formal musical background and am entirely self-taught through sheer trial and error, but there have always been major gaps that have prevented me from tackling more complex musical ideas. Here, however, I was able to utilize complex chord structures and harmonies, numerous key changes, syncopation, and even modulate to a 5/4 time signature for a single measure to help the melody flow the way it did in my head... all musical concepts I couldn't even put into words a year ago.

I hope this mix provides a few minutes of peace and respite for those in need of that right now! 

[Liontamer]

Nice, relaxing vibe, Wes!

YES

[Rexy]

Ooh, I remember being a second ear to this one!  So glad to see you brought it to completion, Wes - I'm all for something more positive on the front page, and you know that.

Indeed, this is an excellent treatment of the source.  There is a single run, with the A section getting doubled with textural variations, plus there are some small and effective changes to the melody line as well.  There's a variety of countermelodies, grace notes aplenty, some minor notation modifications that stay musically pleasing, and some added harmonies for when the situation calls for it.  Playing around with said A section for the calming ending also felt satisfying and appropriate for this "getaway port town" feel you're going for here.  And even the brief 5/4 bar at 1:52 felt organic and smooth - I wouldn't have guessed you were self-taught by the execution alone.

The production values are pleasing, too - careful attention to each instrument's frequency space, a well-balanced mix, and a palette with an emphasis on mallets.   Because of their lengthy tails, they are not easy to tame and keep to a clean mix at the same time - and I am thankful that you took my initial advice on board when you showed the initial WIPs because they sound so clean now.  Great work!

This track needs to head to the front page - a well-crafted take on a modest source, pushing more of your musical capabilities.  And now this is making me want to go on a boat trip.

YES

[EDIT: 2020/08/06 - I heard the revision based on Brad's note mismatch critique.  Even when comparing both side-by-side, I found it really tricky to catch the problem parts that he pointed out.  Nevertheless, it still sounds fine to me here - let's get this posted.]

Edited August 6, 2020 by Rexy

[prophetik music]

i mean, what was i expecting? of course it's good.

there are some sour notes that you may want to consider cleaning up. the first is the fourth in the bass (a D) bumping against the major third in the chord (C#) in a passing tone at 0:47.5 (this happens often and never quite sounds right, possibly due to the pitch bending prevalent in this bass instrument you're using). this is followed by a pile of conflicting notes: a G# and A (7th and octave) next to each other at 0:50 in the bells/ep, and some very strange passing notes surrounding weak inversions of what sounds like a ii7 chord at 0:53 (i think you go to an A under that Bm chord...3rd inversion is best avoided if possible!) while the bass is scooping quite a bit so it's hard to hear where it lands. it was very strange because most of the rest of the the track felt so clean from a chord standpoint. one other odd part in the bass is at 1:12 and 1:36, where it sounds like that's supposed to be a string fall? it's hard to hear the body of the pitch dropping, it just kinda stops (on an upright bass, you'd make that attack much louder to allow the fall to speak a bit to show what you're doing before it faded). i don't know how i'd avoid that without using a better sample, but i didn't think it sounded intentional.

note nitpicking aside, there's a lot of nuance in what's going on here for the entire first section. i liked the consistent movement of different parts, and there's a lot of ensemble rhythms which i always am a sucker for. i love the shelving of the parts, too - the entire track is very clear and pleasing to listen to, and it's easy to pick out all the little things each instrument's doing to add some touch to the piece.

the transition at 1:46 was great. still very recognizable as the same track but unique and new, and the catch beat you add at 1:55 is fun and set up well without being confusing.

the ending wraps the melodic content up nicely in a way that brings it back to the beginning without feeling rehashed. i wouldn't have minded a final chord to help resolve the supporting parts that were moving, but this is still real nice.

overall this is a great track. there's some weird notes in the first part but easily overshadowed by a clean track that has a great vibe and fun arrangement. nice work!

 

 

YES

new version edit, 8/11: MORE YES

Edited August 12, 2020 by prophetik music

[Chimpazilla]

I have loved this track as I have heard it develop over the past few weeks.  It is very sweet and relaxing and well executed, full of lovely detail.  I agree with prophetik about the sour notes and I have mentioned them before, they are noticeable but not distracting; certainly not worthy of holding this lovely arrangement back.  Wes your arrangements always speak to my soul.

YES

[Emunator]

Thanks everyone! ♥ Let me chat with Brad and see if we can't figure out the bass issues before this gets posted. Basslines are NOT my strong suit and I would love to iron out anything that sounds wrong before this goes live.

[Emunator]

@Chimpazilla @Rexy @Liontamer @prophetik music Brad has been an absolute saint in helping me diagnose some of the problematic harmonies/chords and I think we've got it all sorted out. I've updated the Dropbox link for the track, if you guys wouldn't mind a quick sanity check before posting, I think it's ready!