OCR04875 - *YES* EarthBound "Eternal Summers of the Spotless Mind"

[Emunator ⚖️]

Artist Name: Emunator feat. Ridley Snipes, ErichWK

Credits:

Emunator: Arrangement, production, mixing
Ridley Snipes: Kit drums (sequenced)
ErichWK: electric bass
Chimpazilla: mastering

Comments

I picked up this track as a last-minute addition to the Pixel Mixers Earthbound compilation - the Summers source is pretty unassuming, but it had some interesting chord movements and frequent key changes that I thought would provide a fun opportunity to attempt something a little more liberal and interpretive than I usually do. Inspired by chillwave/indie pop artists like Washed Out and Tame Impala's more psychedelic work, my arrangement latches onto a few specific motifs from the original and treats them as standalone hooks. At :42, the original "Summers" briefly dips into a different key before coming right back up to the original melody again. I subverted that by staying in the transposed key for the rest of the arrangement to introduce some drama to this happy summer vacation. Trevor and Erich go nuts on the drums and bass respectively, we get a little synth solo action, and it all winds down. No frills, just vibes. Enjoy!

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Games & Sources

Earthbound - Summers, Eternal Tourist Trap

[prophetik music ⚖️]

opens with some pads and bells. 0:13 is where the melodic stuff starts to come in, and we start getting major elements of the song introduced. a quick break before the first real hit of melodic material at 0:42. the intentional overcompression on the drums in that fill isn't my cup of tea but it's a neat sfx. bass tone though this section is a bit dead and bland, but it starts to pick up after the break at 1:09.

bit of a build into 1:58. i liked the snippets of melody in that build. the extra rhythmic elements at 1:58 are a bit confusing given that they're not in the same groove as the drums - the drums have some quant on them and those rhythmic elements are right on the 16th notes, so it doesn't quite sync. i really didn't care for the lensing effect at 2:09 given that we haven't had similar detuning effects elsewhere or after, it's a really weird inclusion. the arrangement coasts to an outro and it's done. the bass cuts hard which is an odd choice as well - why no fade alongside the other instruments?

this is surprisingly uneven considering the primary arranger. the first half is indeed a vibe, but the added stuff in the second half overall definitely brings down the overall package, and i didn't feel that the live bass fit the overall mixing package nor did i feel that including live vs. sequenced added a ton to the overall package. it sounds good for most of it and it flows well, and i like the way the melody is woven into the fabric of the arrangement in several places. this is still way over the bar to me, it's just slipping in a few spots which is a downer.

 

 

YES

6/13 edit: forgot i needed to come back to this. bass fits into the mix better this time through to my ears. percussion at 1:58 fits a lot better. bass fade at the end is appreciated. this is better.

Edited June 13, 2024 by prophetik music

[Emunator ⚖️]

@prophetik music Sorry to be difficult - I had to make some edits to this one for Pixel Mixers and I used it as a chance to try to address some of your concerns with the mix as well. The disparity between the quantization on the drums was an intentional choice to make things sound... wonky, same with the chorusing effect you called out - it's Earthbound, I was going for jarring psychadelic effects! But I tweaked the mix across the board and did some stuff to the bass to hopefully address the other concerns. In particular the drums should be sounding a lot more cohesive in this version.

New version up in the first post! Hope you dig it.

[Liontamer ⚖️]

The bass was too buzzy, and 1:59-on was too flooded for my tastes, so you all stink for that! Other than that, I get where you were going, arrangement-wise. :-) Dunno why the end faded out so fast, but it was too quick, so consider fixing it to let that final moment continue to fade down for a few more seconds.

YES

[Hemophiliac ⚖️]

Really enjoying the warmth from this, and while at some times bordering too much saturation/fuzz on elements it toes the line and doesn't overstep.  Leave it to Emunator to create a "summery" vibe, I think you have that on lock. The very subtle wah/filter modulation on the background pad is so nice. It's adding movement without standing out, truly the definition of subtle.

I can't help but notice how much your interpretation of the melody is similar to "The Licc", and now that i've noticed I can't unhear it. I enjoyed this interpretation and really makes this more than just Earthbound to me now.

2:10 was a wacky little transition and was not expecting it at all. Fun.

My only gripe would be the heavy saturation and almost overcompressed feeling on the percussion, but one pebble does not a ship-sink.

YES

[Chimpazilla ⚖️]

Wes *really* likes saturation.   I find this track heavily saturated, but it's is a stylistic choice and it sounds fine to me (especially with this tasty mastering applied!).  There are a few non-saturated timbres in the soundscape, just enough to provide some sonic contrast.   

I love this arrangement and the chord movement as the piece moves along.  It has an airy/floaty casual feel while also having a confident/assertive vibe, if that makes any sense.  I love the feel of this arrangement, my only real complaint is its length, I wish it were longer!  Short but sweet, let's go.

YES