Street Fighter Alpha: Chun-Li Theme Trip Hop Remix ("Spinning Bird Chick Pt. 2)

[Native Dialect]

My love of Chun-Li cannot be understated. She is the first character I played as in Street Fighter II, one of my favorite video game characters of all time, and most importantly, a character that to this day makes me feel seen as a woman in a hobby that I deeply enjoy (video games). So it should come as no surprise that this remix marks my third time arranging Chun-Li's classic theme, and my second time revisiting the Street Fighter Alpha version of her theme specifically. My two previous remixes were a cinematic composition, and a jazz fusion inspired piece. This time around I went for something very different and crafted a trip hop track that combines a downtempo Rhodes progression, synth leads, and a hip hop drum break in an effort to capture Chun-Li's power and grace in musical form.

I approached this remix with a focus on the most recognizable motifs from the original composition, but otherwise deviated in composition. I didn't want to create another remix that followed the existing pieces song structure, so this piece is more of a true remix rather than an arrangement. And if you are curious as to why I titled this arrangement "Spinning Bird Chick Pt. 2," it's because I made a remix of Chun-Li's Street Fighter Alpha theme back in 2019 which I also titled "Spinning Bird Chick." If I get enough positive feedback here, I will pitch this to the judges panel, which will be the first time I've made a submission in three years. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy my music (^_^)

 

Song Title: "Spinning Bird Chick Pt. 2" (Chun-Li Theme Trip Hop Remix)

Originally Composed By: Yoko Shimomura (SFII) and Naoshi Mizuta (SFA)

Arranged and Performed By: The Native Dialect

BPM: 107

Style: Trip Hop

Hardware: M1 MacBook Air

Software: GarageBand, Audacity

 

Spinning Bird Chick Pt. 2

 

Source

 

Edited November 15, 2021 by Native Dialect
Post formatting

[DarkSim]

Nice to hear a personal connection with the source tune in your writeup, I find it so much easier to engage with a remix if I have a strong connection to the original source.

I love a good trip-hop style, and you've got a good base here with the drum break and the instrumentation. Right from the off though, it feels like the mixing is imbalanced too heavily towards the drums. That loop is too high in the mix, and it's overpowering the melody lines. I think it was one of the OCR judges that gave me a tip to turn the volume way down on your track - if the melody isn't the last thing you hear, the mix isn't right. I'd also suggest chopping up the beat and making more interesting fills throughout the song, not just for the ending. Check out Intoxica by Radiowar - one of my all-time favourite OCReMixes - for a masterclass in beat slicing, as well as an example of good mixing.

Also, whilst GarageBand isn't necessarily a limiting factor in terms of production, it does give you a mountain to climb, especially with the stock synths and beats. I started on GarageBand myself, and when I switched to Ableton Live it was an instant improvement.

I think you've got a good grasp of the basics of music production and arrangement here, it just needs improvement across the board in terms of fidelity - something that will become clear if you give another DAW a try. Keep at it