OCR04939 - *YES* Wizards & Warriors "This Ain't Your Dracula's Castle"

[Liontamer ⚖️]

Artist Name: Pixels & Paradiddles

What if the "Title," "Press Start," and "Forest of Elrond" themes from Wizards & Warriors were more... Castlevania?

This was the question we sought to answer for the Dwelling of Duels' November 2024 contest, which was to remix pieces from renowned VGM composer David Wise. If you came expecting to hear "Bloody Tears" somewhere in here, you'll be upset to know there isn't a single lick of Castlevania VGM in this piece!

However, if you're a Naoto Shibata fan, you'll find some delicious mix and arrangement parallels!

Okay, onto the Stats For Nerds:

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Key: D minor (D aeolian, D dorian, D harmonic minor, D blues)

Time/Tempo: 4/4 @ 104, 87 BPM

Credits:

• PixelSeph (guitars, bass, harpejji programming, saw synth programming, foley, arrangement, mixing)
• ParadiddlesJosh (drums)
• ZackParrish (acoustic guitar, harpsichord, organ, mastering)

VSTi Used:

• ML Drums
• Impact SoundWorks' Modern Harpejji
• Surge XT
• Cinesamples' Cineharpsichord
• Hephaestus Sounds' Italian Concert Organ

VST Used:

• Presonus Mixtool, Pro EQ, Compressor, Analog Delay, Gate, Splitter, Tone Generator
• Slate Digital Virtual Tape Machines
• Line 6 Helix Native
• TDR Nova
• Impact SoundWorks GameVerb
• Cherry Audio Galactic Reverb
• Kilohearts Faturator
• Izotope Ozone 11 Advanced

Pixelseph's guitars recorded using a Line 6 JTV-59 Variax through a Line 6 Helix LT into Presonus Studio One 4, bass recorded using a Schecter C4 through a Line 6 Helix LT into Presonus Studio One 4.

ZackParrish's acoustic guitar recorded using a Taylor 214CE-K Acoustic using a pair of Shure SM81s through a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8.

Arranged in TuxGuitar. Edited and mixed in Studio One 6. Mastered in Izotope RX 10 Advanced.

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Structure:

Intro: :02 - :50 (Press Start)

• Starts on a D min9 (acoustic guitar only), moves to a D Dorian pattern with some harmonic minor on the tag
  (D min | C maj | G maj/B | Bb maj - C maj - A maj7/C#) x4

A section (Verse 1): :50 - 1:27 (Main Theme/Title Screen)

• Source is EXTREMELY Bach-pilled. D aeolian into D harmonic minor, as to be expected
  (D min - G min | C maj - F maj | Bb maj - G min | A maj7) x4

B Section (Chorus 1): 1:27 - 1:36 (Press Start)

• Acoustic guitar, harpsichord, and organ run the D min9 pattern only; lead guitar implies the D dorian pattern, rest of the band implies a D blues figure

A Section (Verse 2): 1:36 - 1:55 (Main Theme/Title Screen)

• Chord structure modified to fit a D dorian pattern
  (D min | C maj | G maj/B | A min) x2

B Section (Chorus 2): 1:55 - 2:13 (Press Start)

• Maintain D Dorian, little bit of D harmonic minor flavor on tag
  (D min | C maj | G maj/B | Bb maj - C maj - A maj7/C#)

C Section (Intro Reprise): 2:13 - 2:39 (Press Start)

• D harmonic minor blues time BAY BEE

A Section (Verse 3): 2:39 - 3:06 (Main Theme/Title Screen)

• Source uses two chord progressions under the same melody; this verse takes the second chord progression. Lead guitar solo #1 begins here
  (D min - Bb maj | C maj - G min | Bb maj - G min | A maj7/E) x3

C Section (Guitar Solo 1): 3:06 - 3:25 (Press Start)

• Acoustic guitar, harpsichord, and organ run the D min9 figure

D Section (Bridge): 3:25 - 4:42 (Forest of Elrond)

• Another D minor blues section. Lots of room for organ/guitar soloing/noodling, especially in the break (3:58 - 4:20 (NICE))

C Section (Outro): 4:42 - 5:08 (Press Start)

• Acoustic guitar, harpsichord, and organ run the D min9 figure. Lead guitar drops some serious Sabbath flat-5 spooky shit and we’re out.

Wizards & Warriors "Title", "Press Start", and "Forest of Elrond" by David Wise.

"Press Start" is hardly a source since it's just the ending of "Title" so if it can't be used, it can't be used. :) Links below for source tracks:

[Liontamer ⚖️]

Sounds like the thumps around :29 are kind of clipping. Soundscape feels very crowded/cramped until :48. Nice changeup into the organ. At 1:00, the snare shots do have power but are taking up a lot of space compared to the guitar chugs and synths; nothing dealbreaking, just a strange balance where the drums are the most upfont while the other part-writing and SFX somewhat muds together. The bass stuff doesn't cut through at all and might as well not be there; would love to hear things adjusted so it was more audible (and thus contributing to the texture).

Plucked lead at 2:41 was awesome before transitioning into the organ, then some awesome guitar soloing from 2:50-3:30. I would have liked 3:38's part more had it not been so rhythmically different from the main source tune, but I did recognize it, so I'll live. :-).

The mixing still needs some work, but it's still solid and the arrangement's all sorts of creative. I'll be honest, despite the obvious influences, it doesn't scream Castlevania to me, but in terms of a dark rock take, it's still my cracks the whip. :-)

YES

[prophetik music ⚖️]

big band hit sounds great, if a bit right-ear heavy. there's a weird rattle in the drums at 0:29, like a frying sound. 0:50 is indeed bach-pilled. the wind here's a bit loud in the lower ranges but luckily it goes away pretty quickly. 1:27's got some real meat in that lead guitar tone, i love it. i liked the c section's change in beat and feel, gets a little more metallica in the feel. i didn't like that rain sfx right at the end of this section though - it sounds more like frying fat than it does rain. there's a nice solo at 2:55ish and i like the emphasis on the altered scalar patterns. i also liked the heavy rhythmic elements under it that come in later on in the solo. 

the transition to elrond is a little surprising mostly because we've used the same riff the entire song and now we've got something else that also is naturally a different feel (more funky). but i liked how it was handled, using it as a bass riff first. i think if you'd repeated it a few times there to reinforce it it'd have been easier to grok. this whole section is fun and my only complaint is i wish the bass was louder so i could hear all the fun stuff it's doing easier.

we transition (abruptly) back to Press Start as an outro, and it's mostly done. a few more sfx and drum hits and we're there.

this one's easy to my ear! the breakdown is helpful as always. i think a few transitions are a little less smooth than they could be, and i think that the sfx get in the way in a few places, but overall this arrangement is fiyah despite being covered in rain sfx so i'm good with it. nice work on this one!

 

 

YES

[XPRTNovice ⚖️]

"I'm going to remix a track that is 1.7 seconds long" is the ballsiest shit I've ever seen

....is what I would have said, had I not seen you *OUTLINE THE SOURCE USAGE* in the description below it. That is, in fact, the ballsiest shit I've ever seen. 

Something is going on with these hits that, while awesome, almost makes them sound like they're clipping. I think that's what proph is saying above with rattle. 

Performance wise, this thing is off the chain. I love the arrangement. It's in your face, but not too much so. You've got just the right amount of howling guitars, you give the ear a break at just the right times from the WALL OF SOUND, and you've got some great complex rhythms in there on all the instruments. There's no rinse-and repeat here. The end of what I'll call "Act 1" at 2:30, man I love that guitar riff leading into the break that gets us to Act 2. 

I think I need more of that solo at 3:20. IT's a good performance that's mostly buried.

FUCK yeah at 3:42 at the entrance of what I am calling Act 3. That was so cool. 

Same issue with the ripping guitar noodles going on starting at 4:00. You're doing it, so GIVE IT TO ME.

The build at 4:30 leading to the end is great. It's so headbang worthy. 

I think automating the volume on the rain at the end would be a better choice; it was interfering with my enjoyment of the instruments. So have it fade in so that when it comes out, we then understand it's rain. Before that it's too distracting to my ear. 

I'm absolutely passing this, but my one major consistent beef is that I need more fullness. Is it that we need more bass from the bass? Possibly. It could be something to fix in mastering rather than mixing. I was ABSOLUTELY CRAVING more low end when the half time hit came in at 1:30, and it just wasn't there. On a subsequent listenthrough, I was able to fulfill some of my need for BLEED by just cranking my speakers, but having just listened to several other mixes there was something that told me that the mix could probably have more. Looking back at the judges above (I try not to do that on first listen) I have to agree with Larry on the bass not coming through, and I think doing so would make this just...epic. 

Great job overall.  

YES