Rexy Posted August 11, 2020 Share Posted August 11, 2020 Contact Information ReMixer name: Reuben Spiers Real Name: Reuben Spiers E-Mail: Submission Information Game: Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal Name of Arrangement: Slowpoke Paradise Name of Original Song: Azalea Town/Blackthorn City Featuring GameroftheWinds on flute, Chromatic Apparatus on cello, and me on the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted August 31, 2020 Share Posted August 31, 2020 Drumming plodded during some simpler sections, but otherwise sounded pretty solid and was a good foundation for the track. Accordion at 1:00 was rigid, and that's not a new criticism from me. I liked Gregory and Eric joining in at 1:22, because the flute was lively and the cello added more depth. Greg and Eric's performances pulled this over the bar in terms of the energy level, and I usually have a problem with the pacing of Reu's similar pieces feeling stilted. I won't make the perfect the enemy of the good here, but I'm waiting for the day when Reuben has that blowaway accordion performance that makes the track come alive; accordion doesn't have to sound stiff. Good stuff all around though with a laid-back version of the source here. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 A sombre rendition of the original. Good mix of complementary instruments here. Things do progress rather slowly, but the performances which are well played do keep things interesting. The arrangement does feel like it’s run its course by the 3 min mark, but things luckily wind up soon after. Production is decent enough with no over-processing of parts. Overall a good presentation. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rexy Posted September 9, 2020 Author Share Posted September 9, 2020 The structure here is simple and effective - two repetitions, with the intro, bridge and outro sharing the same general idea. That idea is taking the chord pattern in the source's first two bars, applying the rhythms to the acoustic guitar, then overlaying other instruments with an I-vi-ii-V chord pattern across 8 bars. Not many slow-burn intros reference the BGM to such a degree, so it's very welcome in my book. Both theme variations itself went through straight but had changeups on how the accordion and flute carried the A section's melody - the first one having the flute join in part-way over the top, and the second one having both instruments take turns in carrying the lead. So to the casual ear, enough is going on to keep things engaging. However, I keep mentioning autopilot as a common criticism in your work - and I sensed the cello ran through the same pattern in the intro, bridge and outro, and sticking to the same countermelody in both theme variations. This same sentiment also applies to your other backing instruments, but they're carrying the track's meat and potatoes and aren't as bothersome. It feels odd - Eric's cello performance is clean and expressive otherwise, so this usage and lack thereof feels like a thing of personal taste. The mixdown and balance are nice and clean, and Greg and Eric pulled through with some lush sounding recordings to compliment your own. But the master is on the quiet side - it hardly ever goes above -4dB. Thankfully, the arrangement's nature doesn't warrant too much power, but it should be something to keep an eye on with future works. As it is, it's an understated mix that does its job - a laid-back and comfortable arrangement with an equally friendly instrument setup. There's something about this whole package that makes me want to emphasize with the Slowpoke in the well and what they went through - and that's a good thing. Great stuff, Reuben! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emunator Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 Simple, but effective! (I wrote this without reading Rexy's vote but realized afterward that she used the exact same verbiage to describe this track, so I'm leaving it! ) This arrangement, although it doesn't blow me away with its technicality, serves up a very pleasant multi-instrumental jam that takes the chiptune source and adds a ton of layers of color and tone to really highlight the laid back vibe that was always present in the original. It does a fabulous job of setting the scene! The assists from Gamer of the Winds and Chromatic Apparatus are very expressive and add a level of emotional depth to the arrangement. There were some times when the instruments got in each others' way, and I also didn't feel like the drum tone or writing was particularly effective for this style. The marching band rhythms on the snare around 1:50 felt particularly out of place for me. The acoustic guitar rhythm to start the track was fairly basic and didn't capture my attention at first, but it sits very nicely with the rest of the instrumentation once it comes in. I just would have liked to hear something a bit more organic and adventurous to start the track off. Not perfect, but the strength of the adaptation, choice of instruments, and competent mixing puts this comfortably over the bar for me! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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