ReMix:Super Metroid "Four Little Metroids" 5:15

By AmIEviL

Posted 2002-02-14, evaluated by djpretzel


AmIEviL totally needs to get into film composition, as his submissions continue to have sonic textures that have an elusive film quality to them - original, polished, and just excessively listenable. Hear five seconds of any of his better pieces - and that'd be a tough delineation to make as they're all quite good - and you're instantly drawn into his world. This submission is actually a medley, as you might have inferred from the name, of the SNES classic Super Metroid. What could be four hold-their-own ReMixes of substantial quality are combined here, with the classic gurgling ambient intro (nice static sample) starting things off. A perfect example of a fantastic and original lead timbre comes in at 1'00" - almost sounds like a distorted musical saw, very odd. Then a more deliberate beat sets in, with a moogish synth bass and choir pads, leading into piano with a chord change. Tempo changes in an abrupt but tasteful segue into the next theme, covered by a Blade Runner-esque synth (shades of Vangelis), with falling piano chords that then pick up gradually in an accelerando and masterfully transform into the background of the next theme, which is led this time by a gliding square wave solo synth that does some wild bends (probably my favorite part). Some great aliasing effects in the high-end are leftover for the outro, where a lower ambient hum enters as well. There's a lot of music in this here ReMix, folks, and it would be a shame to miss any of it. Very groove.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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sergio
on 2012-06-22 08:50:11

Mr.Coneman, your comment makes no sense to me; this is a medley?

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Mr.Coneman
on 2012-06-06 15:03:05

My favourite track from the OST, and you have remixed it in a really imaginative and really cool way. Excellent work, the synth work in particular is very very tasteful.

You don't stray too far from the original, but you definitely took your own path. Excellent work.

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CaptJono
on 2009-07-31 21:46:50

I love the beat for the BrinStar section at 1:35 to 2:40, I've been looking for the full version of that song forever!

The whole song was put together very well, you can tell a lot of effort went in to this one.

Great job!

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OA
on 2009-06-25 11:52:32

Damn that violin is overly detuned- It certainly got my attention, but not really in a good way. It sounds like an especially reverbed and delayed recording of a kid just learning how to play. Things improve once the beats , synth, and piano come in, and the breakdown afterwards is good, but not super compelling. There is a deep ambience with this track, but overall I wasn't feelin it; I think that violin at the beginning colored my perception of the track too much. Sorry dude. :-(

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Dionyseus
on 2008-04-27 19:27:25

Everytime I hear this song I'm reminded of Emotion Control from the Dune: Spice Opera album (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune:_Spice_Opera ), that must be why I like this one so much.

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HoboKa
on 2007-01-20 00:49:21

5 out of 5 stars and three thumbs up...er something like that

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Audity
on 2006-12-04 22:34:10

Liontamer complaining about beats?!

Anyway, here are my thoughts.

The introduction is slow, but not annoying. I can say this because the whole song has some very cool parts that the listener is likely to anticipate throughout the whole song, as soon as he or she has heard it once or more. I can also say this because this song's intro is a really nice break from all these action-packed songs I've been hearing recently, making FourLittleMetroids just so happen to be suited well for being situated within an audio CD.

Either way, the whole song flows nicely. As for the eerie sounds strings which approach our ears at 1:00, I can't really say they're incredibly awesome anymore, but they haven't gotten old after all these listens. It's likely the most memorable aspect, causing listeners all over to easily identify this song.

Starting the song, the first meaty section chimes at 1:35 in with Brinstar. Except instead of chimes, AmIEvil implements well-mixed, well-panned choir, and a pulsing/grating lower-ended spectrum, with its clear bass and percussion, and a barely noticable, strange electronicy bongo sample drumming to Brinstar's harmonic melody. Back to the voices: they sing high quality into my ears. Everything's synthesized, yet is the epitome of an OCR, sans liberality in the melody/progression (barely even needed, given the numerous structural and transitional difference). To no one's dismay, the song isn't over yet, and eventually gets to a point where liberality does get introduced, further sprucing up its structure. Keep reading to find out! (Or just listen to the song.)

The choir melts away, 2:05 comes in, and I'm not enjoying this mp3 as much, but what can one do! Oh, not much but maybe soften up the EQ a bit, and make it not so repetitious and grating with the piano, etc. Or even just make it cooler sounding! But wait, we are soon granted this request at 2:39 (cool transition here), sans (sans!) the coolness, with a true Maridia sound. In retrospect, it's a seemless transition, but, regardless, the piece is at a point where its conservative temperament begins to weaken my attention span. Mayhaps I should be grateful to this, due to it possibly being a plot construed by the Possibly Evil one? For soon at 3:32 my boredom will be washed away, and an excitement, ten times greater than any one prior, will shoot up my spine, at the same time straightening it as well as my mind....

...The tempo slows a bit, dynamics build, respectable, eerie electronics enter the planet's hallways, the speed returns to normal, a brief, beautiful reverb ripples itself within the walls, and we're off to the best section, 3:47. Play it loud, please. My only curiousity is why the bass stays the same. I wonder if subtle (progression?) changes besides the ones already applied (getting louder, etc.) could have made the song more moving.

Oh, wait, now play it really loud, because the song's best sample introduces (literally---it sounds like it struggles at 4:00, quickly breaking free to openly spray its funk) itself. Hmm, it's not much of a spray, but more of a super-soaker's cylindrically pressurized liquid flowing through a filtered nozzle. And that means something good I think. Now I'm wondering if this melody is from any Metroid game. 'Sounds like it is not.

The crime here is that the best sections are so short (however, I can make up for this by the fact that I can listen to this ending infinitely). I need more similarly unique samples! Unfortunately, we are soon met up with the weakest sample at 4:28, though it has its charm. I guess. At 4:31, the background chaotic noise really goes by noticed, ascending a potentially horrible sounding section up into an interesting flurry of semi-ending. Because I enjoy the whole song, it's fine to listen casually, partially due to the mixing levels of the combined samples. But when analyzing, I notice the same old bassline, and the same old melody, and an ending that could have been better-thought out. Maybe the author found out his true identity to be one of Evil tendencies after discovering a pandora's box of quality samples, and then decided he had better things to do with his time, like destroy insecure ReMixer's n00by songs. Truly an evil heretic.

Overall while listening, I am thrown back and forth between a groove and a deep-thought-ed peace of mind. But sometimes people need just the groove (with more chord-progressive variety)! And sometimes they need just the peace! But luckily most of OCR just likes Super Metroid, so why shouldn't they have yet retrieved such a concoction of mysteerie?

(Hah, it's pretty funny. Back in the day I used to have similar thoughts as other reviewers here, regarding the imagining of a surreal environment, while listening to this mix particularly. The conjured images were quite vivid, but now this ReMix is just a cool little song thing. Oh, well; so much for imagination. Luckily I still remember an image I thought of when listening to this song. If I had super artistic skills I could post an image for everyone! But I can't do that, yet you could say it was something akin to the ruins inside a recently sunken Titanic, except more grey.)

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Liontamer
on 2006-05-04 21:46:57

Could have used more activity overall rather than this spartan approach. Beats coming in at 3:47 dragged this down, but aside from that, this was surprisingly impressive on the interpretation side.

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jordex
on 2005-03-23 01:33:55

I think this is AmIEvil's best song on the site

The beginning really builds an atmosphere, then there's that interesting bass drum rhythm and then ah Wow! At 1:00 there's that effin' awesome sounding instrument!

But then it quickly jumps into a faster paced section

At 2:39 theres the nice suttle piano with a soothing flute. It starts to speed up at 3:33 with some cool electronic sounds in the back then a groovy beat comes in with an awesome melody

AmIEvil has done some songs that aren't too impressive but this is definatly not one of them. Kudos AmIEvil, too bad you're never around any more

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schwagnah
on 2004-09-14 09:14:21

This feels so much like an adventure or action sequence in some futuristic movie. I like it a lot, but in my opinion, it is not even close to Aml's best. I think it has Hollywood production type values in it, and it would really work well there.

here, It's nothing special.

7/10

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Graeme Shaw
on 2004-08-13 17:19:27

Seems to me the last movement is a VERY nice variation on the Chozo Chamber (whatever it's supposed to be called) music. You know, the ones where you get weapons and whatnot? Very very nice. Puts the capper on it.

My rating, 9.5/10--only because I too wanted to feel the killing of Mother Brain after rushing through the whole planet! This is my second post, I'm really only posting about songs that are incredible (and I'm going through every single OCR)

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RimFrost the Tourianist
on 2004-06-15 23:34:06

very cool medley , and evil indeed ..everchanging themes from the orignal tunes which by themselves were great ...good professional stuff :wink:

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OstrichBoy
on 2004-06-15 19:53:41

I must say, I agree with all the positive feedback already said about this remix. It is definitely one of my favorites and we all owe AmIEvil for this great track.

A perfect 10.

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Millman
on 2004-06-15 02:40:28

I...I just don't know what to say. You all can thank AmIEvil for making me an OC fan in the first place. Right after the Legend of Zelda "Rabbit Join Cover", "Death on the Snowfield" was the second ReMix I ever d-loaded from OC. I didn't think AmIEvil, or any ReMixer could get better than that song...ever!

But I stand here today, corrected and dumbfounded. Four Little Metroids (which I downloaded because of the cool name, mind you)has to be one of the most innovative ReMixes at OC. With the weird metal saw "wooble" sounds in the beginning, followed by echoing bells playing those three infamous Metroid notes, I got hooked. At 1:00 when I heard that almost-vintage, record player, screech, I nearly cried. That, though very, very eerie, is beautiful! The rest of the song has a cool, groovy beat, nice changes in tempo, and covers four amazing Super Metroid melodies. This...if I ever visited Zebes, this song would definitely be playing in my head all the while. God-sent. Without a doubt this mix gets a 10/10.

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kirbenvost
on 2004-02-02 07:36:17

Godlike indeed. 8) AmIEvil must get in some really dark moods to produce music with such.... evilness. Hehe, I suppose that's where he gets his name. :lol: Anyways, I love this remix, so dark and very, very cool... the beginning especially. :D Hehe, and the end. That was wicked. :o

Edit: hmm...upon further listening...the unusual effects and creepy little glockenspiely-melody sound near the beginning remind me a lot of Radiohead. And then it just breaks into that wicked bass and beat and that chorus-like pad. Awesome. I just can't say enough how cool and talented AmIEvil is.

Sources Arranged (4 Songs)


Primary Game:
Super Metroid (Nintendo , 1994, SNES)
Music by Kenji Yamamoto (I),Minako Hamano
Songs:
"Brinstar - Plant Overgrowth Area"
"Item Room"
"Maridia - Rocky Underground Water Area"
"Opening (Destroyed Science Academy Research Station)"

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File Information


Name:
Super_Metroid_Four_Little_Metroids_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,379,895 bytes
MD5:
d536abd7674cc603ee8b0dfbffc74487
Bitrate:
160Kbps
Duration:
5:15

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