ReMix:Red Alarm "Red Dimension" 5:11

By MkVaff

Arranging the music of one song...

"Title"

Primary Game: Red Alarm (Nintendo , 1995, VB), music by Ken Kojima

Posted 2003-01-30, evaluated by djpretzel


Yes, it's McVaffe. Yes, it's Virtual Boy. And yes, unlike the console of the game being ReMixed, this mix has nothing to be ashamed of and kicks some major red-wireframe booty. But before I let The Big McV take the spotlight, I've got a brief(ish) announcement. I don't think Mike'll mind too much as he's a pretty laid-back, groovy fellow ^^

For around two years, I've wanted (and others have wanted me) to get some high-quality OC ReMix shirts produced and available for sale. Until recently, the problem has been finding a reliable, cheap, and high-quality way to get these made, shipped, and sellable. I didn't want to charge people ANYTHING for a product that would be heatpress or shoddy, etc. I'm happy to announce that OverClocked ReMix Shirts are now a reality. It took a sizable investment to get them made, but I hope that many of you will choose to support the site's bandwidth and maintenance costs as well as the spirit and community of OCR by buyin' one (or two!) and wearin' it as well. Who knows - you might meet (sexy, beautiful) locals in your region that you never knew existed and strike up a meaningful, productive conversation based on a mutual interest . . in a site . . . about video game arrangements. Okay, so you probably won't meet the love or your life because of these shirts. But they are good quality, they do help support our bandwidth, and they have got a purty cool, minimalist style to 'em. Buy one here, more info here.

Right then - plug mode over. The shirts really will help, and really are pretty groovy. But in deference to Mr. Vafeas, I'll proceed on to the duty at hand: our first Virtual Boy ReMix, and a badass one at that. I freely admit that I've not heard the original, and thus can't speak specifically to some aspects of the arrangement. But I know what the sound chip is capable of, roughly, and it ain't nowhere near this ballpark. This is damn good, synth-o-holic techno, with a massive variety of synth timbres going on simultaneously. You want a meaty, deep synth bass? You gots it. Computational blips and funky bleeps? Portamento square lead? Layered patterns? Wispy and warm synth pads? All that and a bag of chips. Beats are mostly breakbeat style, with things dropping to halftime/octave pitch later on, and jumping back up afterwards (for a much earlier example of the same trick, see Hyrulian). There's some cool, synth-choir counter-melody brought in towards the end that I really dig, and as the piece fades out - perhaps a tad bit too swiftly, you can really hear + appreciate the arsenal of aliasing high-pitched synth funk McVaffe has going on. That's definitely the vibe - hi-tech to the extreme, with a smorgasbord of synthesis on the table, lending a very sci-fi, futuristic motif. Only element I wasn't entirely satisfied with was the bass - it didn't stand out as being bad at all, it just felt underdeveloped. Then again, I'm a cuplrit of possibly over-extending the melodic priority+motion of basslines, so you'd expect that. McVaffe sets a high benchmark for any future Virtual Boy ReMixes, which we might not see simply due to lack of familiarity or the slim, mostly forgettable library, but the piece also adds yet another sound to his formidable array of mixed genres and styles. Recommended.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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SubNormal J3
on 2011-07-14 00:03:59

Where are the reviews? This is one of McV's latter tracks. It's got the same clear production you've come to expect. Here he takes on a more obscure source but pulls it off nonetheless. This is mostly electronic with some throwbacks to his earlier Castlevania Adventure mix among others.

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OA
on 2008-06-13 12:25:37

This one is super crisp and clean, the synths are all very well balanced and panned, so you can hear every element at all times. I do think a little more bass would have made it rock a bit more, but it's still very nice.

Arrangement does get a bit repetitive, but there is plenty going on, and the grooves are pretty hot, so it doesn't detract as much as it could have. There is an underlying current of development, and it seems to work its way from the bottom to the top, which is a pretty cool sonic effect.

Lack of an ending is too bad, but the song itself can stand on it's own.

Good stuff.

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MechaFone
on 2008-04-14 01:34:12

I think I was one of the few that dared to look into the scope of that infernal machine. Kinda screwed with my vision afterwards @_@

Anyway, I don't remember much of the music, and I don't really need to. McVaffe got this song down so well you can just imagine yourself on a red-wire jet, shooting down the enemy in the thin-red-line world that McVaffe painted so well.

This one's a classic, hyped up shooter song, don't miss it!

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mananetwork
on 2006-01-29 20:19:37

I love this song! One of my favorites and I recommend listening to it!

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JFM
on 2005-01-28 08:08:47

I have never played a Virtual Boy, never mind Red Alarm, but this remix seems to capture the atmophere of the system perfectly! 8/10

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jordex
on 2004-12-28 21:06:31

I've never played Red Alarm, I've never even heard of the game but from this song I can tell it has sweet music! The style and instruments McVaffe's chosen are great!

1:21-1:28, I wish McVaffe emphasized this part later on in the song or made it stick out.

Just before 1:50 it starts to build up, I was waiting for something amazing but instead it all falls apart and splits into a seperate section. The same thing happens again at 3:20 and once more at 4:21. McVaffe should have pushed it and kept it going.

Oh well, still an excellent song!

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zircon
on 2004-05-09 22:51:49

Brilliant, as is the rest of McVaffe's stuff. Great arrangement, fantastic synthwork, great execution and production values. I didn't mind the repetition that much, because it's such a great track, and none of the loops used are irritating.

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Vash the Stampede
on 2004-05-08 15:33:28

McVaffe is a demigod!! :lol: Dude your ReMixs are always so kickass, and I'm lovin this 1 too!! NJ!!!

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whatever
on 2004-03-22 11:16:52

Great Song; this track just oozes with style while not sounding cheesy at all. Like many have said already a little more variation would be nice but then most of the Techno-type songs have few variations. Definitely one of the best songs on this site.

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The Xyco
on 2004-01-01 03:09:03

i believe this to be among those tracks i find to be the pinnacle of mankind's dream to create music.

though it definately has a very special niche, it's definately beyond greatness.

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Temporal
on 2003-10-19 09:29:02

Of the 642 tracks I have downloaded from this site, this one here rates in my top... hmm... ::counts::... 5. Maybe my top 3. And that's after I've had it for 9 months, and listened to it many times. I don't remember falling in love with it instantly, but this one really grew on me over time.

Note: Best effect is achieved with a powerful subwoofer. Although I still like this piece while wearing headphones, it's not the same.

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k-wix
on 2003-02-08 15:11:27

Hi McVaffe! Pretty damn slick mix here, Though not my favorite Genre - I found this more then enjoyable, Deffinitely a keeper - on top of that - You Remixed Red Alarm, Bonus Points!

0:01 - I love the synth techno feel right here..the bassline sounds cool too.. does a great job of getting you in the mood.

0:21 - Love the selection of instruments here..

0:30 - Cool work, but .. I think the drumbeat could be just a tiny tiny bit louder. Also, Though i know how the original sounds, and the notes your using Are for the original, i don't like how they fit here. but it only lasts for about 7 seconds

0:48 - More Cool Snyth-y work here.. love it.

1:00 - The lead fits really well, I love how its used.. and you do a great job of keeping it interesting, That i like :P

1:22 - Though.. I can't quite put my finger on it, while this mix is really sweet, Im constantly waiting for you to just let everything go and push at it even more..but .. for some reason i don't see that happening.

2:00 - Not my favorite part here, but it sounds pretty good, and it works.

2:30 - Sweet part here.. feels like your building up to something, i Hope so.

2:52 - Cool Synth intro..more building..Long song.

3:20 - No climax - but .. i love this part right here..Almost forces you to dance to it in some respect.

4:03 - On my tastes, that simple, synth lead has gotten boring by this point :( i wish you would've mixed it up a bit more, i think this is the 3rd, maybe even 4th time its played. although the backround is always Dynamic and changes every time, but you gotta mix the lead up too!

4:48 - Cool change, but Id still like to see More. Your still not pulling out all the stops that i think you could've.

5:05 - I dislike the ending here..its just a simple fadeout.. while I think it works, Mcvaffe, i know your capable of more :P

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neostormx
on 2003-01-31 19:12:32

Great stuff again by McVaffe. Here' we have a fusion going on. Trance and Freestyle. Yea, must be true about Long Islander's and their Freestyle loving. And then it breaks off into some Epic'ish moodness. and finally back to the freestyle goodness. I myself am a fan of this type of sound, especially for gaming. This remix got game remix written all over it. It's 80'ish rythm, fused with today's technology, and subtle strings and winds, makes this worth the download for any retro gamer.

My only wish was for some ambiant sounds like rainthunder, or windy forest in the background. Im hoping McVaffe will take this next step into the world of sound. :hint:

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SoUnDoLe
on 2003-01-31 08:50:23

wow, I really like the bleepy retro effects....very solid, maybe a little long winded, but very very cool :)

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Leusugi
on 2003-01-31 08:17:56

I really enjoy this remix, especially the changes at 1:52 and 2:22. It sounded like a pretty awesome robot was singing to me about something.. err that robots like to sing about. :)

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Red Alarm (Nintendo , 1995, VB)
Music by Ken Kojima
Songs:
"Title"

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File Information


Name:
Red_Alarm_Red_Dimension_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,070,605 bytes
MD5:
ea7286ba8846bff64ddd9d97d304f4c6
Bitrate:
128Kbps
Duration:
5:11

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