OCR04738 - *YES* Metroid Prime & Super Metroid "Chozodynamic" *PROJECT*

[Emunator]

Old Version Link

Contact Information:

• Your ReMixer Name: The Vodoú Queen (ft. Zack Parrish - [LEAD GUITAR & ACOUSTIC GUITAR], CNDR - [BASS GUITAR], TSori - [MUTED TRUMPET] & Gamer of the Winds - [SOPRANO SAX])
• Your Real Name: Angélique Vodoú
• Your Email Address: 
• Your Website: https://thevodouqueen.newgrounds.com/
• Your User ID # on our forums: 37001

Submission Information:

• Name of Game(s) Arranged: Super Metroid (SNES) & Metroid Prime (GCN)
• Name of Arrangement: "Chozodynamic"
• Name of Individual Song(s) Arranged: Upper Brinstar ~ Overgrown with Green Vegetation; Lower Brinstar ~ Red Soil Swamp Area; Chozo Ruins (Main); Chozo Artifact Temple; Phendrana Drifts (Main); Phendrana Drifts (Depths); Hive Mecha / Incinerator Drone Boss Theme; Metroid Prime Title Theme; Metroid Prime Main Menu Select Theme; Chozo Artifact Acquisition Fanfare; Item Acquisition Fanfare; Theme of Samus Aran /  Appearance Fanfare; Tallon IV Overworld (Main); Super Metroid Title Theme; Tallon IV Overworld (Depths)
• Additional information about game including composer, system, etc. (if it has not yet been added to the site):

1. METROID PRIME & FUSION ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS; Artist(s): Kenji Yamamoto & Kouichi Kyuma / Minako Hamano & Akira Fujiwara; Release Date: 18 June 2003 (JAPAN ONLY); Label: Scitron; Catalogue Number: SCDC-00276~7

2. SUPER METROID OST; Artist(s): Kenji Yamamoto & Minako Hamano; Release Date: 1994 / 2014; Label/Rip By: Datschge; Developer/Publisher: Intelligent Systems, Nintendo RD1 & Nintendo

• Link to the original soundtrack (if it is not one of the sound archives already available on the site):

1. https://metroid.fandom.com/wiki/Metroid_Prime_%26_Fusion_Original_Soundtracks

           2. https://metroid.retropixel.net/games/metroid3/music/

• Your own comments about the mix, for example the inspiration behind it, how it was made, etc.:

...This was originally called "Chozo Funk"...and it rhymes with 'Daft Punk'. . .

 

As such, this was made as a love letter to many things: one of my favorite Electro-Pop/House/Funk groups, a hero any girl should aspire to be, a franchise that well-shaped my early years, and a man who pulled a video game empire from the brink of collapse. This remix was made from the bones and strands of an earlier project from an old compo (both of which are sadly going away / getting decommissioned come the end of this year, as it currently stands ), but its origins (with 'Chozo Artifact Temple' acting as the main base of the arrangement) helped to shape what is honestly a remix that is held dear to my heart, and every step in making it was an absolute joy I'll never forget.

 

Way too much to be said for the process, but the TL;DR of it is it's heavily inspired by Daft Punk (particularly the songs from their earlier bits of discography, such as Discovery, Homework and Human After All) and if you're an avid listener of theirs, the parallels and motifs were lovingly placed there--with a bit of ol' wildin' wah/whammy a la Jimi Hendrix (courtesy of Zack) stirred into the soup pot. And there's plenty of Metroid Easter Eggs galore, with many of the bells, whistles and cherries on top taken straight from the mood-setting, soundscaping and SFX-stylings made famous from the franchise (ex: the snare lick *pops* and much of the underlying drumline are taken from/inspired by the background sounds from Chozo Ruins!) See if you can find them all! ;3

 

As I have said in the Iwata Project Workshop on Discord--and I'll say as much here again--everyone who has contributed to this has helped bring to light a dream come true for me. Since my earlier remixes years back, I had the chance and pleasure to only remix three Metroid songs, two for MnP Rounds 119 & 125 and one for PRC 432...and at that time long before I didn't have the skill nor connections to truly give due justice to such legendary, timeless music from such a long-standing and prestigious video game franchise. I will probably re-visit them some day, but for now I tip my hat to my co-conspirators on this endeavour and their gracious charity and advice in producing this treat. I created it with a vast and deep respect for all Iwata had done for the resurgence of Metroid (and Nintendo as a whole), and for the first ever heroine I admired as a kid, Samus Aran.

Enjoy, peeps. Hope the funky vibes are groovy with you.

 

See You Next Mission!

 

(**NOTE: For what it's worth, here's two honorable mentions of songs from the Prime OST that inspired certain parts, textures and moods, but were not directly included in the structural arrangement. In hindsight, I wish I did throw them into some of the (robotic) choir lines...but maybe one day when I become a part-writing maestro . . . On a technicality, they do share some writing and leitmotifs with Chozo Artifact Temple, but I'm leaning on the side of caution and letting others make the judgement if they appear in the remix: Phendrana Drifts Chozo Temple & Chozo Ruins Temple).

 

EDIT (12/21): **ADDENDUM** pitch issues, as indicated by MindWanderer & guitar incorrect note on Brinstar run, as mentioned by Prophetik, has been fixed 

 

Sources:

[Emunator Note] They're linked above, this would be a mess if I embedded all 26. But the primary sources I identified when listening, and I'm pretty sure push this above 50% source usage on its own, are embedded below. TL;DR - this thing is crawling with source usage, no concerns from me there!

 

[Liontamer]

Nice groove here at :16. Dunno why I'm getting so many subs in a row with lossy-sounding mixing, constantly having to compare with a control track to ensure I don't have wax in my ears. Mixing feels busy, some of the panning's too wide, and this lacks proper sharpness/clarity; unlike others I've voted on today, this is serviceable enough mixing, even though it's lossy-sounding and not ideal. Themes flow pretty well together. Would love another mixing pass before this was posted though; it's well arranged, but this doesn't shine like it should.

YES

[prophetik music]

twenty-six source tunes...!!

starts with a pretty light beat with some funkish chords, and picks up quick at 0:15. the lead guitar sounds great as it filters in, especially layered with the backing synth line. the arpeggio at 0:47 is such a great idea with that clanky set of hats behind it - i love the sound. 1:22 got some snippets getting passed around and eventually lines up at 1:41 with the full band sound again. there's a wrong note in the guitar at 1:51 - wonder if that can be fixed in post - and then the texture thins out for a break for a bit.

2:13 the guitar comes back in, and the texture shifts to more sustains as opposed to the more angular opening sections. the fast arp comes back, this time with some automated panning, and it noodles through some more chord shifts until the whoile group is back in at 3:12. there continue to be a variety of effects on the iconic arp, until it drops and we get some more melodic playing on the guitar at 3:45. this plays through a bit and then it's done.

the breadth of approach here is superb. there's a ton going on, as is expected, but the different timbres used and the variety of scope within the view of the work as a whole is great. excellent job.

 

 

YES

[MindWanderer]

So, this is hitting me with problematic levels right off the bat. It starts off so quiet I had to turn up my volume, which was a mistake, because at 0:22 the guitar hits a deeply resonant note that slams my eardrums hard. It's not that it's super loud or piercing, but it's extremely uncomfortable. I'm not sure if it's the peak at C4 or the harmonic at C8 that's really getting to me. After that, it gets much louder, and I have to turn my volume back down again. The kicks in particular are really loud, and things are frequently so busy that I have a hard time making things out (1:18-1:24 and 4:00-4:15, for instance).  The uncomfortable harmonics are never quite as bad, but they do return a few times.

I'd love to give you more detailed thoughts about the arrangement, but I literally cannot listen to it another time without the discomfort becoming too much... and indeed I have to take a break from listening/judging for the rest of today, because my ears are now shot and need a rest.

NO

Update 12/28: The frequency that was stabbing my eardrums has been fixed, so now I can listen to this all the way through repeatedly. I still think the intro is too quiet, but the wide swings in volume have been tuned down. I can listen to it now.

I'm actually confused by my colleagues' praise of the dynamic arrangement. What I'm hearing is mainly the scale from Artifact Temple and a main hook (e.g. 0:31-0:47) that I can't place. I do hear snippets of other sources, usually in different keys, but I'm not picking up this huge breadth that others are mentioning. There's certainly enough source, but to me it's actually kind of repetitive.

None of those are dealbreaking issues, though. I can give this a

YES

Edited December 28, 2023 by MindWanderer

[Emunator]

I can't say I'm hearing the same resonant frequencies that MindWanderer called out, and I've listened to this on three different setups. I wouldn't be surprised if there were certain frequencies that inadvertently popped out due to the nature of the arrangement and how many filter sweeps you had to employ to emulate that classic Daft Punk sound, but it's not an issue for me personally.

I have to say that, in my eyes, this is one of VQ's most successful musical outings to date, and really encapsulates so many of the things I enjoy about her music. There is absolutely no shortage of ambition here - that much was evident by the 26 source breakdown (good luck to whoever ends up doing the metadata tagging on this one!) It's making a clear stylistic homage that understands what made the original reference so great, but isn't limited to just the bounds presented by the original. The addition of the acoustic guitar and trumpet/sax feel right at home in the Daft Punk cinematic universe.

You clearly have a LOT of love for the Metroid canon and it shows here, but what I think I'm actually most impressed by is how focused this arrangement feels despite the myriad of sources referenced and the number of ideas thrown on the table. At just over 4 minutes, this doesn't overstay its welcome or come across as too repetitive (which, at the risk of committing sacrelige, I can't always say for some of Daft Punk's original work.) I think a major part of the cohesion is the consistent groove and the Artifact Temple arpeggio, which serves a grounding role in the arrangement that everything else can spin off of. I understand the temptation to create massive, sprawling arrangements that are loaded with ideas, and that approach has a place, but I really admire your restraint in crafting this arrangement - there were some great editing decisions made along the way.

The production is imperfect, sometimes in a way that intentionally evokes Daft Punk's gritty sampled aesthetic, and other times in a way that feels like the mixing just isn't 100% there yet, but this track came a long way from the earlier demos and I can reasonably say that you got it good enough. I think this is something you'll look back on and see small ways you could improve your craft, but I don't really have any hesitancy passing this through in its current form!

YES

[Emunator]

@MindWanderer Check out the new version here and see if this addresses your concerns!