OCR01649 - *YES* Final Fantasy 7 'Scenes from a Memory'

[Liontamer]

djp:

Checks it out, another Suzumebachi submission! Isn't that incrediballs? This one is from VOTL, so please hold out on posting until the project is released (though I probably don't have to tell you that). This mix has been a long (LONG) time coming. I started it back in January 2006, when I first got on the FF7 project. I poked and prodded it for many months, much to the chagrin of zircon. Most of the hangup came from problems recording guitars-- my main guitar died in a gigging mishap before I had finished all the recordings, leaving me just an old beat up Epi with busted pickups to record with. However, Sixto was gracious enough to provide me with a balls busting solo, so in the end it worked out well (and probably for the better cuz that dude is amazing and I have slow fatty sausage fingers). Additionally, zircon was kind enough to help finish with the mixing side of things (and he added some fun synthy crud in there as well). So basically what we have here is a collab, with arrangement, sequencing and guitars by Suzumebachi, incrediballs guitar solo by Sixto, and pads and synth leads by Mr. Aversa. Enjoy!

-Suzumebachi

[The Orichalcon]

So you took the source and made it into a pseudo-rock song with a generic beat, repeating the main melody from the source over and over again with the strings/synth dominating the guitar the majority of the mix. Things pick up at the end when Sixto does his thing, but his solo has nothing to do with the source, what's the deal?

Larry has a word for this kind of remix, I can't remember what it is. Where the source is used conservatively and then original material is used to solidify the piece instead of rearrangement.

My main problem with the piece is the arrangement. The beat is generic rock. 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, right the way through. I think that could be switched up at times to give it a more interesting twist. Drums shouldn't just be there to keep the beat, they have to be interesting too. The arrangement could probably slip by, but I would have liked to have seen it used more intelligently. The source was a sad, tragic piece that made use of each string note to give it that mood.

I'll say NO for now, I think this could be better.

[Liontamer]

Dream Theater! Ok, so maybe this doesn't remind me OF Dream Theater directly (I only know "Scenes from a Memory" thanks to Jared Hudson), but they're a great band to draw inspiration from.

http://tzone.org/~llin/psf/packs2/FF7_psf.rar - 204 "On That Day, 5 Years Ago"

Man, I wish I remembered the term I use that TO was talking about. Hopefully something else will jog my memory. Honestly though, I don't think the notion applies here. Not that I'm giving TO a lesson by the quote below, but I feel like I'm seeing this from a different angle:

Changing a piece's genre' date=' adding original passages, solos, harmonies, and counter-melodies, as well as altering instrumentation, dynamics, and tempo are all ways of making a ReMix your own unique creation, and are techniques best used in conjunction.[/quote']

The original's pretty simple instrumentally, and thus ripe for expansion and interpretation. In this case, it's done more with the supporting instrumentation rather than the melody on strings (which repeats too much), and that's ok as the approach. The interpretation is there though; I was finding it hard to see how it wasn't creative enough.

Definitely loads of new writing ideas both trading off and interplaying with the melody; appreciating them is somewhat mitigated by the crowded/cramped atmosphere here, but the production is certainly ok in the big picture.

Not sure why the drums were a major complaint. They changed up a lot until 1:34. After that point, the same driving percussion rhythms went on for a bit, but the patterns were intricate enough where they felt complex rather than repetitive; very subtle elements of the percussion would change, but it was hard to pick up on due to the wall of sound here.

Solo at 2:43 was of course Sixto-sick and a good, brief break from the source material before moving into a nice arrangement of "The Prelude" at 3:05 for the close. Ending at 3:30 way too abrupt, the strings decaying too quickly IMO. Too bad about the ending being so short; 3:22 could have been the gateway to prog rock heaven, but it was not meant to be. Remind me to kick you all for that. :'-(

Personalization, interpretation, new writing, altered genre. Solid stuff. I'd say pretty much everything we should want in a mix from a creative standpoint.

YES

[Vig]

The arrangement was pretty boring at first; harmonies akward and oversimplified, but the energy of the piece overshadows this as it goes on. None of my complaints really hold any weight.

gotta say YES

[Jillian Aversa]

I found the first 1 minute to be a little on the slow side. The strings had weird delay (as in behind the beat stuff - not echo), and drums sounded pretty stilted. Things picked up, though, and everything beyond that point was quite solid in my mind. Excellent solo by Sixto, and all of Andy's additions fall right into place.

I feel you, Larry, on the Dream Theater-esque style. Something about this rock mix feels sort of distant and ethereal. Nice contributions from all.

YES

[Malcos]

This is a good mix. My only criticism is that I thought that the strings sounded somewhat too heavy and maybe should have been made thinner in order to sit a bit better in the busy mid section of the song. But I always have to crit something, so a minor point. This mix is definitely focused on bringing out the backing/counters etc rather than changing the main melody itself - and there is a lot going on there. A very well done, cohesive collab.

YES