pixelseph

Slow burn 6/8 time, let's go! I'm not super familiar with Golden Sun's OST but every track I've voted on so far has been a real treat. To me, the track's cohesion is not in question - the voice clips (:00 - :30, 4:34 - 4:55) tie the intro and the outro together, the rest of the track courses through the chord progression of the source, and the outro includes the main melody via the chip. I can't count the chord progression as source use since it's too common (i - VII - VI - V, known at the Andalusian cadence). 1:47 - 2:05 is the first time we get some substantive source (the counterpoint arp line), and 2:06 brings the source melody in. 2:26 - 2:35 brings the counterpoint back, 2:36 - 3:12 adds the melody in the low-mid synth under the counterpoint. Lucas's sax (a welcome addition, and a great rest to give it the space!) embellishes the melody line from 3:12 - 3:33, then it revisits the material from the opening minute @ 3:34 - 4:10. 4:12 - 5:06 is definitely from the source, so let's add it up. 1:47 - 3:33 (106 seconds), 4:12 - 5:06 (52 seconds) = 158 seconds, or 41% of the track uses the source. Despite this, I think the callback to earlier material is a strong move, and the instinct is correct. It just isn't ticking the source use box for me. On the production side of the equation, the mix is choked for most of the sections. Multiple low-frequency instruments compete for the limited space (1:28 - 2:25 really defines this for me), which clutter up the groove being established by the drums. While I can hear and feel the drums, it just feels mired by the basses - more sidechaining (either with compression or dynamic EQ) is needed to get that groove back in there! This one is close, held back by a cluttered soundscape and not enough source. For me to sign off on this one, I'd need: the bass frequencies attended to (with more defined sidechaining or EQ), and something to tie the source into the track in the opening 90 seconds. I can only imagine how much time has been poured into this one knowing the dedication and focus you put on your tracks, VQ, and I know you are capable of getting this one across the finish line! NO (resubmit)

Beach time with Mel and crew! I'm immediately sold on the vibe from the start - chord voicings and comping from the rhythm guitar and bass are emblematic of that ska/reggae/calypso style. Great performances overall! The arrangement is a conservative take on the source, though the personalized soloing and breaks add enough for me to sign off on it. As I'm listening, I agree with my fellow Js on the drums and rhythm guitar mixing. The kick drum is mostly low-end thump with very little click (not uncommon in reggae, to be fair) and the snare has almost no body to it, so it comes out thin despite it being pretty audible in the overall mix anyway. Both lead and rhythm guitars could do with more reverb to fit them better in the space; this would help reign in the forwardness of the rhythm guitars. The marimba lines like @ 1:25 might feel better if they were doubled by steel pan (or moved entirely to steel pan to shift the voicing @ 2:01). I do agree with Brad that when they have the spotlight on them (such as @ 2:37 - 3:01), the voiced octaves feel more like a harmonic reinforcement line rather than an actual melody - if this doesn't pass and DeLuxDolemite is willing to retrack, this would be an excellent marimba solo spot! This is just below the bar for me. The arrangement is good, and the performances are solid for what they are, but the production needs another pass. Assuming retakes are not possible, focus some more attention on the EQ imbalance of the drum kit mix (more presence to the kick drum, more body to the snare) and reign back the rhythm guitars to be more of a background element. I definitely want to see this hit the site once it's ready! NO (resubmit)

This is one of the most interesting Zelda remixes I've ever had the pleasure to delve into! This remix opens with a fake-out, though the context of the fake-out intro isn’t clear until :25. :34 counts off the real intro. Fake-out intro and the real intro both use ALttP’s Dark World Dungeon theme, as described in the write-up with the celli and viola, though the real intro at :36 takes a unique approach with the interpretation. The quartet introduces each member of the ensemble from lowest to highest, moving together into :53. The piece is quite tense, allowing very brief releases at 1:00 and 1:11. Everything is nicely separated in the soundscape, making it easy to pick out what any particular instrument is doing at any point. The piece is definitely some kind of tonal! :-) Moments like 1:35, 1:43, and 1:48 effectively use extended voicings and rhythm to keep the tension ratcheting up. There’s a breath at 2:01, picking back up at 2:02 with the NES Dungeon motif. 2:31 brings in a more sombre, melancholy feel that doesn’t totally displace the tension, moving back to that more anxious feel at 3:03. 3:13 keeps the tempo but has the viola layer the ostinato with a dotted rhythm over the quarter-time cello, creating a neat syncopation. I’m having trouble placing the Sanctuary Dungeon motif in the piece, likely because it’s been reinterpreted to flow with the other two motifs. Dynamically, the piece pushes and pulls throughout, which helps contextualize the tense motifs. The pauses (2:01, 3:10) help keep things from going into too much harmonic dissonance. The only nitpick I have is that the ending feels like a bit of a letdown - a quick, dramatic rest before bringing the ensemble in for the final two chords would have been nicer to have. The composition and arrangement allowed for ease of separating out the instruments, and the panning also helped give more depth. The panning violin phrases like at 2:48 and 3:28 that move across the stereo field are great examples. Frequencies are nicely balanced - not a lot of sub-bass but there’s still plenty of warmth without having mud. While I would have preferred a stronger resolution, this piece has more strengths than weaknesses. The mix is solid, the writing maintains a tense feel without going overboard, and it executes its vision overall. And while my ear couldn’t make out the Sanctuary Dungeon motif in the 3rd act, the other sections have enough source material to carry the piece. Welcome to the front page! YES

Hello hello! What a cool introduction to Remember Me - love that glitchy electro-orchestra vibe! Thank you for breaking down the source usage for us! I've included my timestamp sections from the source below for ease of reference. The remix seems to reorder the source sections as ACBCDEB. Source sections: :00 - :20 (A1) :20 - :52 (B) 1:13 - 1:53 (C) 2:16 - 2:36 (A2) 3:02 - 3:12 (D1) 3:55 - 4:30 (D2) 5:12 - 5:32 (E) Arrangement-wise, this is good stuff! Every section feels distinct from the rest, even when revisiting earlier ideas. The transitions between sections are well-handled with cues from brass (:26, 1:57) and cymbals (:49, 1:19). The dissonance from the winds at 2:31 adds great tension to the piece right before the climax. I didn't recognize the odd-time signatures on my first few listens because they are cleverly done! However, the production side of the piece has some issues. The attack on the quick brass and string runs (1:58, 2:01 - 2:42) as called out by the other judges needs to be addressed. I'm aligned with LT and Rexy on the humanization not being there yet - moments like :00 - :25, 1:20 - 1:28, and 3:06 - 3:17 feel like missed opportunities for more dynamic emphasis and expression, such as hairpinning the chordal voices with crescendos/decrescendos. Given the goal is epic and stressful, these sections aren't contributing to that goal. I found it easy to discern what voice was meant to be the lead in every section of the piece, though I hear what Emunator is saying around 2:31 - 2:42. The brass has the focus earlier in the section (2:01 - 2:31), but it's less clear as a listener if the focus is on the winds or the brass for the rest of the section. I would love to see this one posted to the site! However, for me to sign off on this one, I would need to hear the attack timings corrected, and more dynamic expression inside the sections outlined (:00 - :25, 1:20 - 1:28, and 3:06 - 3:17). NO (resubmit)

Coming in fresh on this one as well! This track uses all the meat on the bone and then some between both source tracks. Durandal has a lot of repeated parts for its 3-minute runtime, and the Infinity theme is a quick A-B in under a minute. Intro uses a creative interpretation of the Durandal B section string backing; A section builds with the Durandal A section and some pauses. 2:42 finally introduces the Infinity B section, which leads to the outro at 3:45 with Infinity’s A section. I’m enjoying the attention paid to the dynamics of the track - ambience in the right places (:00 - 1:07, 2:42 - 3:45), synth bass stabs as builds (:56 - 1:17), four-on-the-floor kick drum in the “choruses” (1:25 - 1:41, 2:11 - 2:41, 3:45 - 4:28). There’s a story being told by the piece to guide the flow, and for the most part, everything is in service to that premise. There’s more room for variation within each section, as there are some sections that are copy pasta (1:41 - 1:56 and 2:11 - 2:26 are identical in the waveform). Even something as small as changing the drum fills in one of the sections makes a huge difference. The build-ups and downs are great, on the other hand! The way the space is treated at :56 is especially good when it uses the ambience to make space after introducing the phrase. For me, the instrument choice and implementation need more attention. I think the strings are serviceable for their role in the piece (no crazy fast articulations here, just swells and padding) but the guitar programming is not. While the parts at 1:40 - 2:00, 2:10 - 2:27, and 3:44 - end are hitting harmonically sound pitches, they lack realistic expression and articulations. Except for the bends, all of the notes are articulated the same way (down-pluck, no round-robin (sample swaps to create variation on the same note), no slides or hammer-ons/pull-offs (legato)). Look for ways to embellish these articulations on the guitar's phrasing, and I can sign off on this one! NO (please resubmit!)

This remix is a fairly conservative, semi-chiptune take that would've been right at home in the late ‘00s OCR. No question about source usage here. Source has an intro-ABC, where the intro is reused as a tag in the C section to loop back to A. Timestamps for the remix using the source A section (:00 - :40, 1:01 - 1:21, 2:02 - 3:02), source B section (:41 - 1:00, 1:21 - 1:41), and source C section (1:42 - 2:01). Sections have been swapped around from the usual ABC loop, with filter builds and breakbeats. The drops at 1:41 and 2:02 are stylistically appropriate, as is the resonance sweep on the reese bass at 1:01. The breakbeats are handled well, though each distinctive breakbeat loop (sounds like there are 2 total, and a third drum loop for the chip refrain at 2:02) seems to be only about 4 bars long. There aren’t enough variations in the loops throughout to make each section feel distinct from a percussion perspective; this can be achieved by doing unique chops of the snares at the end of every loop, or adding different fills. The overall structure is solid, and the arrangement has enough variation compared to the source so I'm satisfied on that front. I agree with my fellow Js that the mixdown and additional variation on the leads and drums are the biggest things to focus on to get this one over the bar. Add some more snare chops and fills for variety, balance out the mids to bring the lows and highs back, and address the phasing on the pan. There is plenty of room to add more stereo ear candy as well, after addressing the previous points. NO (resubmit)

Thrilled to hear this available on the site! Working with @ZackParrish was a treat - enough leeway in the composition to add small embellishments in the second half of the piece but enough structure to stay focused. Is there more Parrish & Pixels content to come? Who knows!!

Hi Banana! That lead in the source is cursed. Detuned and awkward for sure - the tracks has a vibe, nonetheless! You've built a great intro and A section, though I'm wondering if there's a B section you could come up with for some variety. The vibe is right for what you've got built, it just structurally says everything it needs to say in the first minute and then loops for another 30 seconds with nothing different. The sub-bass information on the bass instrument also has some mud happening on some of the lower information. A different oscillator might be the right call for the lowest notes, but that's also a taste thing - if you are digging it, no reason to change it! Keep making cool stuff man! Have a wonderful holiday!

I'm all in on this concept! Some of my favorite tunes are the credits themes and I don't see enough representation for them (SotN's ending theme, "I Am the Wind", or Metal Gear Solid 2's "Can't Say Goodbye to Yesterday" are great examples).

Awesome!! Looking forward to it :)