ReMix:Sonic & Knuckles "Robotnik Radio" 3:19

By GaMeBoX

Posted 2007-02-26, evaluated by the judges panel


Steve writes:

"As Project Chaos was closing to be finished, it turned out that boss 2 was free and i was nearing the end of iMushroom, so i said, hey i'll give it a try. Unfortunately i accidentally began working on boss 1 (s3andk) instead! But i made a pretty nice WIP anyway because i was in the zone. The intro is a little garage-jazz style, but after about one minute, the beat comes in. If you're observant you'll hear a number of samples from the Sonic games. Some people have complained about not recognizing the source, but all i really did was replace and restyle the chord progression to something more spicy. Special thanx to; Binster, Dryer Lint, Azar and Sindra for helpful feedback."

GaMeBoX is on a roll, as his second piece off Chaos maintains the high level of quality his initial sub did, and the overall high production values that the entire project enjoyed. Steve's got a very strong ability to mix lo-fi sounds with more realistic and/or processed ones and achieve a vibe that's flavorful and textured. Things start off with radio dial fuzz, bit crushed drums with upright bass, piano, and a lounge EP vibe. Note how the primary kick/snare combo is crushed but the ride cymbals employed are clean; good example of the aforementioned juxtaposition. Things change up a bit at 0'58" as hip-hoppier drums kick in and funk gets infused. The overall sound is cleaner from here on out, but Steve does a downright genius job of using in-game samples and motifs throughout the remainder of the piece. It's honestly rather scary how he's been able to use these sounds in a new context, not simply as static samples but as dynamic, living instruments. The classic Sonic "spring" sound is the primary and probably most obvious example of this, but there are many others. While the panel was unanimous, I still feel after reading their decisions that I liked this piece a good deal more than some of them; I really don't have a significant bone to pick on either side of the arrangement/production continuum. Larry augments the above play-by-play with some of his own:

"Piano sample opening things up doesn't sound very realistic, but is performed decently and also had some nice effects on there to compensate for the sounds. Nice segue at :59 to some tite beats. Lead comes in at 1:16 and is really too dominated by the beatwork, but the clean production makes it less of an issue than if other people did the same thing. Very tasteful use of the Sonic 3 SFX at 1:49, especially the spring noise being played around with like that. Excellent changeup in the lead instrumentation at 2:06; same at 2:23 to keep it moving."

This mix really showcases how to embed in-game samples into an arrangement in a fashion that is transparent, musical, and increases the nostalgia/wow factor without being gratuitous; what were previously FX become instruments and motifs unto themselves, which is a nifty feat. I love Steve's new style on both of these Sonic and Knuckles pieces; it fits the material like a glove, and he pulls it off with panache and ability to match.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
Black_Doom
on 2015-01-30 07:34:25

While I had problem with recognizing the source too, I still liked (and like now) this track. I wonder how this would sound if it was entirely made with that style of intro, becuase I love how the intro sounds. But at around 1 minute mark it turns into something funky and hip-hoppish. The beat is a bit loud, yeah, but it's cool. And the usage of SFX is cool as well. Nice!

avatar
Crulex
on 2012-03-22 15:26:15

I'll be honest, I almost didn't hear the source in this ReMix the first time I listened because of how subtle it was underneath the beat. Then I took another listen and I got it. Cool way of using it. Great use of SFX and it's nice and groovy. The beat is a bit loud, but I can dig it. It's nice and easy going, so yeah, it works for me.

avatar
rainmanbk
on 2010-12-28 10:49:22

Wow. This is one of those mixes you randomly start humming in your head weeks after hearing it, which then leads me on a mad quest to remember / listen to / and weep at its utter amazingness. Thanks to GaMeBoX for such a great mix.

avatar
halc
on 2010-07-29 12:56:33

this song needs a little more love, so I will dedicate my 1000th post to it3

gotta mention the (in GaMeBoX's own words) notoriously loud drums- although these in no way detract from the very creative arrangement and soundscape. Steve's style is exactly the type of music i enjoy the most :)

avatar
Level 99
on 2010-02-17 15:07:03

Ehhhh I wasn't feeling this as much. I could see where the song wanted to go, but in my mind, it just didn't reach it. The piano didn't sound right to me, but that might be me being very picky with how it was mixed. This really reminded me of the FF4 album's bonus track "I Love This Radio", but wasn't cheesy enough. On the plus side, I did enjoy the use of the ring-chime and other SFX from the game. It's still very chill and alright to listen to, but it didn't stand out and deliver the goods like it could have. Production was still good for the most-part though.

avatar
42
on 2009-12-03 20:24:55

I can almost see this being blasted out of the radios Dr. Robotnik installed in his floaty flying car thing. Still this is a cool and chill mix. I especially like the Latin feel that's been overlaid on the theme. Honestly though, one could argue that it this mix is repetitive, but certain things, the inclusion of the sound effects being one of them, really vary the audio landscape here and make it a treat to listen too. Definitely a good mix and a really awesome piece from Project Chaos.

avatar
metaphist
on 2007-04-20 14:51:41

Are you serious? This thread needs way more than 2 pages. I can't stop listening to this, the groove is just so sick. We all know the SFX are good, yeah yeah, but listen to how he adapted the melody so well to the style...just sick.

avatar
Martin Penwald
on 2007-03-10 16:09:49

This remix reminds me somewhat of Joshua Morse and po!'s Watermelon Flava; however, because of the too loud beat, it's just not as chilled and laid back as the aforementioned song.

Nonetheless, this is nice work. As someone mentioned before, the SFX used give this track a nice, retro atmosphere, and I really dig that. The only thing bothering me a bit is the end; it's just too abrupt.

avatar
CC Ricers
on 2007-03-05 12:27:04

I gotta agree with what was said just before. GaMeBoX's remixes were my favorites out of the whole project bunch because of how unique they sound. My favorite part starts at about 1:00 in when the whole "urban" groove comes in. And the way the spring SFX blend in with the instrument at 2:08 was total sweeeeetness. You did an awesome job in transforming the sounds into something musical.

avatar
badhabit
on 2007-03-04 04:15:40

This was probably my most played track from the project, so I'm glad it finally made it as an individual submission. The intro is definitely the best part, the way the piano just meanders around is one of my favorite styles.

Top notch.

avatar
MisterBiggler
on 2007-03-01 12:50:17

This was one of my favorites from the Chaos Project and I was hoping that this would get submitted as well as iMushroom. Like most have already said, the SFX used in the song add that nostalgia factor and don't come off as cheezy to me. But more than that, this song is just mellow. I like how the best was introduced and also that it's taken out just a few seconds before the song ends. Good stuff.

avatar
Robotaki
on 2007-02-27 22:07:26

lmfao, awesome. Beat is a little loud, but I like the stuff packed into this. You gotta love the "pick up ring" sound used at 1:41. Classic!

avatar
Broken
on 2007-02-27 18:11:47

Another great one frome GaMeBox. I really like the laid back style of this track. The sound effects are nice and lend a certain nostalgic element to the song. The drums are kind of loud, but I either forgave that or just stopped minding after the second or third play-through.

This is a very nice track, and pretty well mastered. I just wish it maybe had another element, like a solo or another key change or something. There just isn't one section that stands out for me. The song just kind of ends on me, and I'm suddenly left groove-less,

avatar
The Instrumental Light
on 2007-02-27 16:54:57

i dont know, personally i dont like this genre, but i guess you have to look from someones opinion who likes the genre and in that case, its pretty good. great job!

avatar
BlueMage
on 2007-02-27 05:32:59

If there's one thing I love about GaMeBoX's tracks, it's the samples from the games themselves being used, and more, the fact that they sound completely natural, rather than forced into the track. Robotnik Radio is no exception to this, and was an excellent addition to Project Chaos. Drums being loud is no problem.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Sonic & Knuckles (Sega , 1994, GEN)
Music by Howard Drossin,Jun Senoue,Masaru Setsumaru,Masayuki Nagao,Sachio Ogawa,Tatsuyuki Maeda,Tokuhiko Uwabo,Tomonori Sawada,Yoshiaki Kashima
Songs:
"Boss"

Tags (4)


Genre:
Funk,Hip Hop
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Synth
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Sonic_&_Knuckles_Robotnik_Radio_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,883,976 bytes
MD5:
582c67f9a3e3b520e1016978e4e5cea0
Bitrate:
232Kbps
Duration:
3:19

Promotion

8-bit Jazz Heroes - Press Start
View All

Latest Albums

View All

Latest ReMixes