ReMix:Top Gear 3000 "Shop Mix" 2:58

By Collaborator

Arranging the music of one song...

"Results"

Primary Game: Top Gear 3000 (Kotobuki System , 1995, SNES), music by Neil Biggin

Posted 2002-02-27, evaluated by djpretzel


The successors to Kemco' s Top Gear weren't as critically acclaimed as the original, but they were still knida fun and the quality of the music didn't go down. Collaborator submits this ShopMix track that is quite unique and an excellent first submission, from Top Gear 3000's soundtrack. Beginning with simple but delicate chords then bringin' in a kickin' bassline (LOVE this bass patch), the main element here is the piano line, which does a nice call and answer for the verse as the drums warm up and a sax panned left joins in. Piano drops out for the key change as the drums heat up a bit. What makes this sort of jazzy / techno hybrid so interesting is the mix, which is weird but works. Bass and pads are centered, but the sax is pretty far left and the drums right. Piano is usually center, but answers the melodic verse with a bit to the left, which is really a cool touch. Often electronic emulations of saxes are brutally painful, but this one was decent and the way it's used doesn't expose too much. I might have added another layer drums to the left, on top what's there, and maybe one more melodic instrument, doubling the sax on the key changes when the piano drops out, but the pads do a good job of keeping the mix in line. Good stuff, great first submission from Collaborator!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 13 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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supernintendosp
on 2013-10-07 04:28:05

I like the way this ReMix has been interpreted. It's soft like floating out in open space, the opening bass is a tribute to the ol' Genesis (the rival of my game system) and the exact timing allowed me to whistle to it, something that's pretty rare among ReMixes around these parts. Normally I must listen at least three times to be able to whistle to it while working, but no problem here. Well done Neil!

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Rexy
on 2011-12-05 05:29:55

It's not a bad feel if we're going for something more laid back (something I personally may not quite expect from the Top Gear series, so credit where credit is due). Pleasantly worked out in regards to writing (if not simplistic), and I thought the echoed piano, while a little crudely done, was actually a clever touch to the instrument spacing.

Yet, the track to me kind of feels very straightforward in structure, not to mention sounding somewhat dated in the sound selection, most notably looking towards the saxophone sample here. Thus to me it feels somewhat dated in comparison to some of the other 2002 tracks, so in spite of some good ideas it just came off as a bit bland, sorry :\

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Bahamut
on 2009-09-11 11:11:34

I really wish something different was chosen for the instrument for the low-end. That is probably my main gripe about this, and that the arrangement doesn't really develop that much.

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42
on 2008-12-13 22:50:28

I can tell that the sax quality is off, but I really like the piano in this mix and really wish it was featured more.

imho, it's a little to fast for it to be a chill mix, but it definitely is in that direction.

Ultimately a not bad mix; it's growing on me bit by bit.

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WillRock
on 2008-12-12 07:46:35

Hmm

Not a bad mix

Problems for me include the sax quality (which is a big let down for the piece)

The bass is too loud and drowns out the pad which I quite like, despite a lack of reverb for it to flow.

Also, the bass plays an off note in the main section on the root key. It plays a minor 3rd note in a major key which bothers me :(

Drums sound weak, where is the bass drum?

The piano sounds nice, I little dry tho, and too loud - there are deffo some mixing problems here, it sounds like the piano and the bass are fighting for the main instrument role, although the sax is a bad lead sound anyway.

Weird ending.

I am not familiar with the source, but it I am guessing there aren't any original sections. Can't be sure tho :P

However, I like the chill out mood. It hasn't dated well, but its not bad. I think it could have been better tho.

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halc
on 2008-12-11 04:07:17

i do like the arrangement here.

the strings are nice. i wish that piano had some delay, or some reverb... the bass sounds out-of-place at first but it doesn't bother me too much during the thicker sections. that sax sample is pretty obviously fake.

muzak for sure. its pretty chill. nice job.

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DragonAvenger
on 2007-12-13 10:31:39

I agree with the bass sample, but aside from that I'm not terribly bothered by the samples. I like the panning on the piano.

The mix is definately laid-back, and pretty enjoyable to listen to. The ending's a bit of a cop out, but I'm alright with it as well. Good job.

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about:blank
on 2007-12-04 16:33:47

I like the strings, and the bass sounds like it could've been used in an old-school 16-bit game. However, I think the piano/saxophone clashes with this a little bit. Even so, this is very peaceful sounding, and the drums are pretty smooth. I really feel that the ending could've been a little better though.

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Chickenwarlord
on 2007-12-03 22:35:36

This is totally elevator music. The track could seriously be bolstered by a better and more expressive brass sample. The piano's slightly subpar humanization doesn't really bother me at all. Pads are used well in a way that really helps the mellow mood. A good relaxation track at the very least.

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OA
on 2006-12-29 13:38:44

The mix starts out nicely with some strings, but then a pretty weak synth bass comes in and brings it down a bit. The piano playing the melody is nice, and the the panned delay is a nice touch. I'm not digging the brass sample much either. It gets the job done, and only is in a few parts, however. The ending is completely strange, however, and not effective at all. Adding the strings from beginning underneath the current ending would have been much better and would have required little effort.

Decent but not for me.

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Blue_Drac
on 2005-08-16 16:03:41

Never played the game, but the remix is a good "chill out" for me. Good work!

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Collaborator
on 2002-08-08 06:12:39

I enjoyed this game tremendously and it sucks that I still haven't added it to my library. Made this song using Reason 1.0.

-Collab

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orkybash
on 2002-05-26 20:01:45

Top Gear 3000 'Shop Mix'

Suggestion: GET A BETTER BASS SAMPLE! That really killed the mix for me. The rest of it was pretty enjoyable, if a bit repetitive. Coulda used a bit more reverb too. But overall it's obvious Collaborator put some effort into this one, which is too bad because some minor problems really make it only about .001% as enjoyable as it could have been.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Top Gear 3000 (Kotobuki System , 1995, SNES)
Music by Neil Biggin
Songs:
"Results"

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File Information


Name:
Top_Gear_3000_Shop_Mix_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,357,800 bytes
MD5:
ddb6f5b09c202773195755cc67d22b6d
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
2:58

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