*NO* Unreal "Surfacing Again"

[Emunator]

Artist: IdleJohn

I've always loved this track from Unreal, so naturally I wanted to do it as my first attempt at a remix. The project started in 2016, and I've done more revisions than I care to remember... It's been a long road and a lot of learning, but now I think(?) it's finally ready to submit. I recorded electric guitar and mandolin and used a sample (nali chant) from the the original game in a couple of parts. I wanted to try and include all the elements from the original track (especially the funky bass guitar line) but it's been through so many changes now I might have lost some along the way...

 

Edited December 28, 2024 by Hemophiliac

[prophetik music]

will need a new name if it passes. the file name implies the name is "Surfacing Again", maybe that's it.

opens with a filtered synth that opens up over time as guitar and choir elements are added over time. the guitar initially sounds really sketchy but i like the tone once it opens up a bit. the beat drops at 0:44 and the feel is much different at this point - the transition here is very surprising. the snare sounds overly filtered, like it's in another room, and the kit as a whole doesn't sound like it's in the same room as the melodic elements. i like how tight the kit is though, especially with a funkier feel from the lead synth.

there's a transitional section with the drums on autopilot, and we get some interestingly modified chant elements before we get a new melodic section at 1:53 with a 404 bass doing some fun things. this section is pretty empty - there's not a lot going on in the background behind the lead for most of it, and it makes it hard to focus on the melody since the other elements are in the foreground as a result. separately, at this point the drums have been doing the same pattern for nearly two minutes, and it becomes painfully obvious when there's nothing else there to distract.

there's another chant break before we get a recap of 0:43 at 3:05. this sounds very similar to the first time around - it's not quite copypasta, but it's pretty close outside of a few tertiary elements. by around 3:23 i assumed it was going to start wrapping, but it went through the A melodic theme a second time (this is straight copy from 3:05), then did it two more times with a rising synth added each time. that's a lot of repetition. the build at the end of the fourth time through was nice though, i liked the guitar element coming in.

there's a hard drop after the fourth time through and a bit of bass element as an outro.

i think this is a fun track overall! i really like the vibe of the main chorus that you initially show at 0:43. i think it could definitely use some more variation in how that's presented each time, since you're using it so often, and i think also having fewer choruses at the end would help prevent it from feeling samey. speaking of samey - the drums need a lot of variation added. what's here now is obviously a loop very quickly. some attention to ensure that they're in the 'same' airspace as the rest of the instruments would help too - right now the reverbs are very different and it makes it clear they're not in the same place. lastly, i think that identifying a way to make some of the sections called out above to be less empty would help too.

i think this definitely has legs! i think the workshop on the forums or discord would be a great way to dress up some more elements here.

 

 

NO

[Liontamer]

I need to better understand how the melody of the source is used here, because it's not standing out to me here. Doesn't quite feel like the original melody's being followed. There's 1:55 of the source at 1:53 of the arrangement, something that's a more overt connection. I'd say try to hit the source's melody more closely, but if I'm just deaf and not recognizing very straightforward melodic or rhythmic arranging, let a brother know.

In any case, opens up with some bread and butter synths, but also a guitar line; interesting build, though I'm not optimistic on the genericness of the lead, which also has too much of a stiff sound. New lead at :43 that has a good tone, but sounds really blocky/mechanical.

Same with the running line at 1:18; paired with the relatively simplistic beats, the whole thing feels too locked to grid, which undermines the energy and makes the groove feels very plodding, even though there are a number of textural changes going on that would potentially help this feel dynamic.

Still needs more beat variation, textural complexity, and a less plodding feel. The boring beats drag this down, and there's too much repetition, but I like the potential.

Something like Eino Keskitalo's Deus Ex arrangement "Sadevakio" is a good example of using "mechanical" sounds and fixed/steady timing yet still coming off more vibrant. Maybe another J can explain why that one has more energy to it compared to this and what techniques that entails.

NO

[Hemophiliac]

I could vibe out to this and just have it on in the background and tune-out and chill. That's rad. The production is also solid. The guitar and mandolin both sound good!

Unfortunately, I'm not feeling that the source is very identifiable or dominantly featured. It just doesn't seem to be coming through and I'm not picking up on where it's at. The other issue is the drums are on auto-pilot most of the way through. Give us some variation to them aside from just dropping parts in and out. Variation goes a long way to keeping a track progressing and moving forward without changing the other parts around them. 3:05 with the recapitulation would be a good time to change them up in particular as this is a time you want to bring more energy for a final repeat!

There's potential here, but I would need to hear more identifiable usage of the source as well as some work on the variation in the drums in to consider a pass.

NO