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Thanks for the comments!! It's awesome to read you'll still listening to this track!! Best, Jorge.

Kojima teases some Snatcher! http://www.gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=155362

If there's something I targeted to do with the 3 MSX mixes was, far beyond a better or worse interpretation of the source, being able to transmit the true feeling of excitement I had when I played these games. I'm 37 right now, and most of them were played when I was 13. So SD Snatcher was a spionage trhill, Salamander a dangerous and tragic epic space battle, and King Kong 2 a misterious and powerfull adventure in Japanese that I never got to understand. The second goal was, again beyond the scope of the site, a true tribute to these genious that trough music and wonderfull games made me felt true emotions in fornt of a computer. And last, but not least, a vision of true REMAKES of these games that, in my opinion, would prefectly suit these magnified versions I wrote. So, if by any chance Konami has plans to do so, needless to say I would be trhilled to get the job, but please, whoever got it, I wish they got to transmit this sense of excitement via melody-based themes that I miss nowadays in recent games. Best, Jorge

Feels great to have this one posted! I'd like to encourage all of you to take a listen to the incredible work Konami did back in the 80s with the MSX. There are, literally, dozens of masterpieces from a musical and gaming perspective. Take a particular look at 'King's Valley II', 'F1 Spirit', 'Space Manbow', 'Penguin Adventure', 'Knightmare', 'The Treasure of Usas', 'Firebird', 'The Maze of Galious', to quote some titles unavailable outside the MSX world. 'Penguin Adventure' has Mr. Kojima behind it, for example. Konami was so into Sound Design and Music, that included a Custom Sound Chip (called SCC) into their Rom Cartridges that expanded the 4 channels found on the MSX up to 9 adding 5 extra channels. And they really did use that added hardware bringing into the games some of the best music you've ever hearded into a videogame, just for the sake of highlighting the custom hardware. So yes, I'm quite biased towards Konami and the MSX. But this comes for a reason, one I've tried to emphasize with these 3 mixes I've done into this EP 'Push Space Key (A Konami Tribute)': I just can't stand the feeling that all this incredible work just doesn't get the recognition it trully deserves. I'm preparing for a second EP 'Press F5 to continue (Another Konami Tribute)'. (Obviously, you can imagine both sentences 'Push Space Key' and 'Press F5 to continue' were almost tied to every Konami game written for the MSX) The schedule is right now '2012', so, anyone getting some more MSX love before then? Best, Jorge

By the way: The track that 'enlightened' me is the first of 'EBP Vol.6', an album you can get here, in the download section of commandcom / Jorge Mira 's webpage: http://www.jmira.es or http://www.commandcom.es Best, Jorge

Thanks Rozovian. I really appreciate your comments! As a matter of a fact, this track was started before the SD Snatcher's one. It came to a point where I was happy with but it lacked something (it didn't have the 'ethnic percussion' and I hadn't neither added the voice bits yet). As almost everything I do, I must do it quite fast due to 'time constrictions'. The first 'iteration' was done in 2 days. Then, as I was 'just fine' with the track (not really 'feeling it') I decided to give it a try at the Snatcher one and BORROWED the same arrangement file, with a lot of instruments already 'chosen' for Salamander as a template. So, indeed, they both share more than a 'feeling'. But it happens that the 'Snatcher one' was done even quicker: 1 and a half day and It really worked quite well! (I was more 'fresh' with this one, and had my idea even clearer about what to do). So I decided to submit the Snatcher's one first, as I was happy with it anyway, and shelved the Salamander one. (By the way, this was like the 4th or 5th time I have done a different arrangement of it. Maybe that's why I was so anxious about it: There was so much stuff I wanted to fit that It felt like it was never ok...) Then, like 3 or 4 moths later, I was scoring a TV documentary about some 'climatic change' theme and I had some Google Earth images in the opening scene. I just wrote a ethereal line with 'Voices of Passion' (the EastWest voice library) over some U2s-esque guitar riffs (something like the beginning of 'Where the streets have no name' meets 'Enya' and then Hans Zimmer puts some percussion over it) and it really worked! So, I immediately recalled the Salamander one and my 'second verse emptiness trouble'. Tried it, it was so cool. But then, the groove was still, well... 'still'. So re-thought the bass line, added the 'ethnic percussion' and had a 15 minutes discussion with my younger brother as to why 1/ the voice can't come in sooner (it ruins the surprise) and 2/why I like dull pianos. Everything was put together in 5-6 hours, and, finally, it worked!

There's some Pet Shop Boys here for sure, as they've been also such a big influence in my work. I think also that, the fact this one is a 6/8, brought in some 'Can you forgive her' elements in an inconcious way...

XD That would be awesome. And F1 Spirit, and Treasure of Usas, and Space Manbow, and King's Valley II, and so many Konami games unique to the MSX platform that have some of THE BEST music in videogaming history. Period. Nevertheless, as I said in an earlier post, next will be "King Kong 2 (MSX2, 1989)", first stage. (and final, as this is an EP of 3 tracks 'Push Space Key (A Konami Tribute)') Hope it makes it on the site for you all to listen! Best, Jorge

Thankyou all for your comments, really! Again, as in the Snatcher one or any other I may get into, the real genius is the original writer. Those Konami guys were (are) really talented. As the spirit of this site encourages, there's so much under rated incredible music in videogames it is hard to believe. For me it is a pleasure to revitalize some in a way it can be re-visited and re-rated so it recieves the credit it deserves. Being said that, I allways have the a mixed feeling about what I lika passionately: I tend to be happy with what I do, but at the same time not sure if it is what I meant it to be in the first place. And in this case it is specially true, as i've tried to do this mix almost 5 times from 1992 or something. So, there was so much I wanted to transmit while being faithfull to the original that, ultimatelly, I may have failed keeping focus on the source wich, for me, is a killer one. So I'm happy that you like what it has become in the end but please, take a listen to the original game and, with perspective, you'll find an amazing soundtrack that maybe someday gets the recognition it cries for. Finally, I'm sorry I don't get to make them longer! I don't have all the time I'd wish for this and I must get it done as quickly as I can. Nevertheless, I'm halfway through the final one (King Kong 2's main theme, MSX2 (1989)) and that one, if accepted on this site, will be longer... a little bit longer. Best, Jorge BTW, I can't believe the irony of this: As I said, for me, it has been a long trip from 1992 to make this happen and... look at the ReMix number. 1992. Spooky.

Now, we're getting to something! When you said that the atmosphere of the track wasn't that of the game, that was exactly my point! If this game and Kojima ever re-unite in a glorious remake, it is into the fashion/atmosphere of my ReMix wich I'd like it to happen!! So that is what my last post (and the whole ReMix) was all about! Nevermind, in no way I felt offended! Best, Jorge

Well, that was quite polite for sure! Obviously, we're not in the same page here. My real deal here was, as you'll hear on my upcoming Salamander one (to be posted...) to update the theme in a verisimilitude frame, given that the game was re-made today. And having played it also, you'll agree with me that I kept it in its universe, only with a twist. If I was to remix the whole soundtrack (wich, indeed would be an awesome work and chances are that I'll get my hands dirty with 'Modern Crusade' after I finish my current 'King Kong 2 (MSX2)' one) this theme (Difficult Move) would be the 'upbeat one' in a 'Mission Impossible 3' fashion, both visually and mechanically form a 'new gameplay for the 21st century' that avoids ripping off 'Blade Runner', 'Terminator' and 'The Invasion of the Body Snatchers'. This approach would, maybe, give a chance to really make this game happen Mainstream, as it would avoid so much plagiarism given those movies influences (And we know this game IS, indeed, a huge ripe-off from the latter). Finally, I'm glad it had some reaction from you, even if that one was stupefaction! Best, Jorge

Just to clarify the Brass thing: What is there on the "main motif" on top (or aside) the String section is a distorted synth, just to make it "punchier".(The sound itself is more exposed at 00:39, and more so in 2:16) So the only brass there is comes in about 2:40, in the end section. Maybe some are wanting to hear the brass in the main motif, wich, indeed, would be quite appropiate if I had done so, but the fact is that I wanted it to sound more "blended" betwen synth/orchestra. (In fact, the orchestra "bits", as I call them, are not the main thing here. At least from my point of view) Best, Jorge

Great!! THAT was one of my personal tributes to Konami Itself!! That kind of synth line is a classic Konami one, specially when it does the portamento thing. Much used in OSTs like Rocket Knight Adventures (Megadrive) by Konami composers. This, and other little detalis, tie the arrangement to the Video Games Universe and don't let it go THAT far away. Glad you noticed it! Best, Jorge

Well, well... so you noticed it, Indeed: There's one whole layer "missing" here. The Big Band Brass. From the 2nd chorus (in wich the main motif basically repeats twice, just like the second repetition of the first occurence) the extra BRASS should come in to make it one step further, and so to place the seed for the double-extra brass and fills-in over the "ending section" a la Bond Big Band, so the roller coaster is fully up until the very end. I even started it, but work (and life in general) made me stay in this Defcon 3 instead of getting my hands reaaaally dirty. (Really dirty, as you can see, although balanced, there's quite a lot of stuff going on, so fitting this extra stuff would require more extra work than the proportional benefit) So, yes, you're right. But then, again, it is quite groovy and just works like it is. Best regards, Jorge