SoM Thanatotic Kecak (Dark Lich)

[Iason]

HI, it's been a long while since I have composed a remix.

This remix is based on the Idea of Bali-nese music that was used in the battle against the Dark Lich.

I have tried to go very close to the actual gamelan style of music with the Kecak(Fast Vocal Percussion).

Here's a link to it...

http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=5353581&q=hi

http://www.soundclick.com/paintingsonsilence

[ocremixfan]

I'll be quite straight... OUCH!

Too much high sounds (these steel pipes or something), and moreover, that echoing voice was terribly annoying!

I don't remember the source tune, couldn't recall it through this, and anyway I was so disturbed I haven't even thought about it.

It may be a exotic style, but I hated it! Sorry!

[Iason]

Don't be sorry,

If you hated it, you hated it.

Not many like this style of music.

I thought about it all and the bells are too high of a pitch.

It's very hard to get a good sample of voices for the Kecak but it is the best I could get.

As for the original piece, it is a big leap from it. I was going for a more Indonesian/Bali/Java Style.

Here's the real piece.

Dark Lich.mp3

[ocremixfan]

You must be kidding... this can't be the original!

Yours sounds a bit better after listening this... because, IMHO, it... well... *S*U*C*K*S*!!!

I played som, but I don't remembered this thing... I think the game focused my attention (good).

As for now, keep it going if you want, because I'd say to choose another source tune!

[Chickenwarlord]

Overuse of those vocal backing samples is bad.

Way too much echo and reverb here. I'd go back and just remaster it with less reverb right now. Other things fall in line after that. Seemingly meaningless changes in the tempo around the end don't make the piece any more interesting. Add something to accompany the tempo change so it doesn't seem so tacked on.

[avaris]

I agree with what Chickenwarlord said. Also your melodies and harmonies are very very stagnant. Expand the composition all the way up and down the scales.

2:31 was pretty interesting.

Get some more involved rhythms. Give the listener more to entice them basically. Some of the basic ideas are good but this needs alot more structure and attention to dynamics to make it into a song.

[Iason]

I did remove the reverb and removed the Vocals' Sample, replacing it with real recorded samples from a link in wikipedia under Kecak.

I adjusted many samples to try to match what I could with the real recording.

I find it much more exciting. I was hoping for that.

Thanks for your thoughts. I may try to add more percussion.

[Dr. Rod]

I think the biggest thing you need to do is edit the speed of your chanting sample so it lines up with your mallet percussion (the general beat of the piece). For me the pitch of the bells isn't an issue, but thier volume is. They're too loud, so they push everything else in the background. Also, like avaris said, you need more harmonies goin on to sophisticate the composition. A bit more dynamic contrast wouldn't hurt either.

Take it from someone whos also working with a somewhat unattractive source, though its tough to work with, it almost ensures you'll create something better than the original. Your style is certainly unique and interesting. Keep working on this, Id love to see where youve gotten with it in a week or two.