ReMix:Chrono Trigger "The Frog Dance" 4:03

By Vyper

Arranging the music of one song...

"Frog's Theme"

Primary Game: Chrono Trigger (Square , 1995, SNES), music by Nobuo Uematsu, Noriko Matsueda, Yasunori Mitsuda

Posted 2011-02-25, evaluated by the judges panel


DJ Velly debuted at the very end of 2009 with a bumpin' Mega Man ZX ReMix, so it's taken awhile for his follow-up to be posted. Part of that was getting a fixed file from him, but the judges decision was also split, and I had to sweep in personally with the tie-breaking vote. To cut to the chase, this is a dance/electronica track that DOES have some tried-and-true components that should sound very... familiar. But there's a difference between using presets or "cookie-cutter" techniques to put together a track that's basically running on auto-pilot, as opposed to using comfortable, proven methods competently and throwing in enough of your own soul to make it legit. I might prefer mixes that color outside the lines a bit more, that push the envelope or surprise me, but I can also appreciate a solid, old school boom-tiss track if the foundation is there and the details have gotten some TLC. In other words, just because electronica has evolved and changed aesthetics doesn't mean a track that sounds a bit 1990s can't still rox our sox. Or at the least, my sox. Josh writes:

"I've been working on this mix for a very long time. It's the largest music project I've ever compiled, having spent countless hours tweaking and adding extra layers. At first I was a little skeptical about whether I should even bother with this source tune, since it's already been done eight times on the OCR site. Still, none of these mixes were in my style (whatever that is!), so I figured it was worth a shot, given how much I absolutely adore this theme. And I'm quite satisfied with how it's turned out."

I think he should be, too; nothing stands out to me as particularly problematic, it's a variation on a great theme that does change the rhythm up enough to be distinct, there's good energy, and the breakbeats channel countless j-pop anime opening themes, even from more recent series. zircon (get well soon, man!) knows a thing or two about electronica, and he basically summed up my thoughts:

"The first thing that came into my head here is that this reminds me of old-school OCR. Retro drumloops, synths and a sort of rough production style overall. It would have fit right in around 2003 or 2004, so the question is whether it merits a post now. The amount of arrangement and original interpretation is pretty impressive, IMO, and I disagree with some of my fellow judges that there's nothing original going on... We should recognize when a dance mix is going above and beyond."

Responding to Jesse specifically, Fishy added:

"Yo Vig, I'm real happy for you and imma let you finish, but I think you guys are being a bit harsh... I like it. It's euro-gubbins guilty pleasure sorbet, whatever that is."

Exactly... I think. Last but not least, because it's always a hoot, I'll quote my own tiebreaking vote:

"Not every mix is going to be the second coming or reinvent the genre; it's enough - by our own submission standards, as written - that the source be arranged in a fashion that shows clear interpretation, and that production be sufficiently sophisticated for the genre/context."

Yeah! What I said! At any rate, I'm glad I had the chance to step in and make sure this mix got approved; I don't want to devalue the benefits of our evaluation process, and there CAN be mixes that just coast through without saying anything or showing any signs of deviation or craftsmanship, but I don't think this was one of them. I also think a lot of folk will dig it; nice follow-up CT action from DJ Velly!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Crulex
on 2012-05-08 15:21:28

I actually like the fact that it sounds a little old school. Not sure where all the hate is coming from. No, it's not mind blowing, but I thought it was nicely done and for the genre that was done here with Frog's theme, I think it turned out better old school than if someone tried to do it otherwise in the same vain. It's a good ReMix. Nothing more needs to be said.

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Martin Penwald
on 2011-05-02 15:59:19

Reminds me of 2001/2002 OCR; some of the sounds used actually have a 90's techno touch to them, IMO.

The whole (wrong) idea that some songs should only be remixed in certain genres has already been dismissed, so I don't have to get into that.

Anyway, I enjoyed this. That's all.

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Orpheon
on 2011-03-08 07:09:17

Congrats DJV, tracks still sounds awesome - just as I remember it .. brilliant work!

I really miss the unsheathed sword sfx, yet as a final mix this stands on its own really well. I'm glad you can finally get some closure on this and simply enjoy it, looking forward to hearing your next work!

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Crono3of3time
on 2011-03-05 14:11:54

I'm not exactly sure where Purplecowadoom is comin from with the idea that techno doesn't fit this song. It does, and does so well. If I recall, it was a heroic upbeat tune, and techno just takes upbeat songs and gives them more... well.. beat.

The artistry is a bit patchy in places slowing down prematurely, but it also has some nice rest to it. It's a good place to start.

Especially with a Crono Trigger mix. *giggle*

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twilightsquid
on 2011-03-01 13:26:38

I was kinda lukewarm on the arrangement, until about 1:45 when the piano came in, then I began to thoroughly enjoy it. Then the piano left, and I was sad, until it's repeat performance at about 3:05. I'm not particularly digging this mix, but there is a pretty fair base here, and it seems like you have a lot of potential for electronica mixes, so I'll be on the lookout for your next remix.

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luhny
on 2011-03-01 02:28:07

Very interesting approach on an old time classic video game tune. The style is not my cup of tea, but there are many interesting things going on arrangement wise. Nicely done!

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Squint
on 2011-02-27 23:02:00

Master_Yoshi, thanks for expressing Purple Cow's point in a much more civilized way. For the record...

I think in order to do this source to a dance-y techno theme you would need to grab some of the skillset of your zircons, your bLiNds, hell I'm sure Anso would be able to rock it out. It would involve gutting the source and pulling out the aspects that lend themselves the most to the genre, building on them, and then seeing if you can add a few more references. Playing the source almost verbatim in a synth while a boom-tiss plays in the foreground just doesn't turn people as much as a much smarter arrangement could.

...this passage supports the point that with the right game plan, any source can be done in any genre - it just may be a more challenging endeavor considering the source, the genre, and the arranger (which was Master_Yoshi's point, I think).

All that said, as per my previous post, I do respect it being here and think it should be on OCR. And for a new artist a certain amount of slack is cut. Nobody started out as a genius. Well, maybe Anso. Or Schnab. Or Maze. But they more than likely had strong musical backgrounds before they came here.
Agreed. And as long as we can discuss the strengths and weaknesses of particular ReMixes and be respectful at the same time, I'm all for critical review. :)
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Master_Yoshi
on 2011-02-27 19:45:42
Fixed for you. It's just a stupid opinion from purplecow that I don't respect. There's no such thing as doing an arrangement in the "wrong" genre, and I hate when people cry sacrilege about it when it's just a personal preference and not actually something more meaningful that that.

I sort of agree with the purple cow, but only insofar as certain genres are much more difficult to adapt sources to without heavily altering them. You -could- successfully adapt Frog's theme to a dancey techno genre, but it would be an uphill battle the entire way. And this wouldn't be the same battle as adapting it to Orchestral, Rock, or Jazz. Although Jazz does require a different type of genius to pull off well. I guess all music does.

As someone else who wasn't feeling this track, I would say that the artist didn't take it far enough?

I think in order to do this source to a dance-y techno theme you would need to grab some of the skillset of your zircons, your bLiNds, hell I'm sure Anso would be able to rock it out. It would involve gutting the source and pulling out the aspects that lend themselves the most to the genre, building on them, and then seeing if you can add a few more references. Playing the source almost verbatim in a synth while a boom-tiss plays in the foreground just doesn't turn people as much as a much smarter arrangement could.

All that said, as per my previous post, I do respect it being here and think it should be on OCR. And for a new artist a certain amount of slack is cut. Nobody started out as a genius. Well, maybe Anso. Or Schnab. Or Maze. But they more than likely had strong musical backgrounds before they came here.

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Liontamer
on 2011-02-27 16:43:50
With all due respect, I've always been of the mindset that any source could be arranged for any genre. To say that DJ Velly is applying the wrong skillset to the original piece is a bit, douchey and ignorant, I feel.

Fixed for you. It's just a stupid opinion from purplecow that I don't respect. There's no such thing as doing an arrangement in the "wrong" genre, and I hate when people cry sacrilege about it when it's just a personal preference and not actually something more meaningful that that.

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Squint
on 2011-02-27 16:20:40
Nope, not feeling it. This feels like you're trying to force-feed techno down poor Mr. Glenn's throat. Trouble is, Frog's Theme isn't meant to be heard as a techno piece. Point-in-fact, neither are most of the other tracks on the Chrono Trigger OST. Celtic, sure. Rock, maybe. But not this.

Good example of an eager and blooming skillset being applied to the wrong thing on one of its pioneering leaps out the window. I recommend getting up, dusting yourself off, and trying again with a song that techno was meant for.

With all due respect, I've always been of the mindset that any source could be arranged for any genre. To say that DJ Velly is applying the wrong skillset to the original piece is a bit, absolute, I feel. Sure, it's quite possible that Yasunori Mitsuda never meant to turn the theme into a techno arrangement, but I don't think that means it never could be. In other words, some pieces lend themselves to certain genres more easily than others, but I think the awesome thing about music is that there are no rights and wrongs in its creation.

I mean, I think a huge aspect of OCR's appeal is the sheer amount of ReMixes that have been written in unexpected styles, and that have worked out surprisingly well.

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Neblix
on 2011-02-27 16:18:41
Nope, not feeling it. This feels like you're trying to force-feed techno down poor Mr. Glenn's throat. Trouble is, Frog's Theme isn't meant to be heard as a techno piece. Point-in-fact, neither are most of the other tracks on the Chrono Trigger OST. Celtic, sure. Rock, maybe. But not this.

Good example of an eager and blooming skillset being applied to the wrong thing on one of its pioneering leaps out the window. I recommend getting up, dusting yourself off, and trying again with a song that techno was meant for.

I disagree.

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purplecowadoom
on 2011-02-27 15:55:28

Nope, not feeling it. This feels like you're trying to force-feed techno down poor Mr. Glenn's throat. Trouble is, Frog's Theme isn't meant to be heard as a techno piece. Point-in-fact, neither are most of the other tracks on the Chrono Trigger OST. Celtic, sure. Rock, maybe. But not this.

Good example of an eager and blooming skillset being applied to the wrong thing on one of its pioneering leaps out the window. I recommend getting up, dusting yourself off, and trying again with a song that techno was meant for.

Edit: Thanks for calling me names because I don't like the song everybody. Because I just love that and totally deserve it...oh wait, I don't! Sorry for speaking my mind...I guess. Won't happen again. I forgot I'm not allowed.

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RoeTaKa
on 2011-02-27 08:19:39

Very good mix that's well thought out, some nice builds and grabs. The ending felt a bit lacking compared to the rest though. I remember some old school OCR being worse than this -- where's the love?

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Transmogrificational Tune
on 2011-02-27 00:23:37

This is a great tune and very well played, Never once does the beat get jarring or off key. by all means post more!

An aside for the judges, can ye put somewhere on the site the songs that DO NOT make the cut, even if its just in a heap somewhere, At the very least having other sources independent of the site able to listen to and comment on said works needing some tweaking/reworkng would go a long way to creating more quality music

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dekar289
on 2011-02-26 23:01:39

eargasm @ 1:57

i can't believe this came so close to rejection...

i dread to imagine what other great work has been rejected 8-O

great remix!

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Chrono Trigger (Square , 1995, SNES)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu,Noriko Matsueda,Yasunori Mitsuda
Songs:
"Frog's Theme"

Tags (3)


Genre:
Dance
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Synth
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Chrono_Trigger_The_Frog_Dance_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,911,213 bytes
MD5:
c11ea9953442f5a4eab29f0b811daead
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
4:03

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