Posted 2011-11-22, evaluated by djpretzel


PRE-THANKSGIVING SURPRISE! I'm proud to announce the immediate availability of our 29th arrangement album, 25YEARLEGEND: A Legend of Zelda Indie Game Composer Tribute!

Covering the entire Zelda series, all the way up to the just-released Skyward Sword, this album celebrates twenty-five years (!!) of amazing adventure & soundtracks that have always set the barometer for VGM. Director Roger Hicks (aka Rekcahdam - Celestial Mechanica, rComplex) writes:

"25YEARLEGEND started as a small indie session, but quickly grew into a massive project with the help of all the indie artists involved. Each featured composer has worked on a notable project in the indie game community while being influenced by the music of Zelda some time in their lives. Hopefully this project will make the 25th anniversary of Zelda that much more enjoyable!"

Featuring Zelda ReMixes from indie game composers like Laura Shigihara (Plants vs. Zombies), C418 (Minecraft), Disasterpeace (Fez), SoulEye (VVVVVV) and MORE, the roster also includes composers who have been staples of the OC ReMix community for years, such as judges Mattias Häggström Gerdt (Scrolls, Cobalt) & Big Giant Circles (Mass Effect 2 - not quite indie, but nobody's perfect!) and Joshua Morse (Onslaught, Pocket Pirates). This isn't the place to talk about everyone who chipped in on this album and how awesome they all are, but you need to get over to http://zelda25.ocremix.org, or start grabbing the torrent, or both, and HEAR what they've accomplished. There's a great variety & some really interesting perspectives on 25YEARLEGEND, and the idea of indie game composers coming together to honor a classic franchise that's been a pillar in the world of VGM is both coherent and relevant. Roger's also put together an amazing trailer that really captures the fresh, unique flavor of this album. While 25YEARLEGEND didn't originate within the OC ReMix community, both the arrangements themselves & the overall spirit of the album echo everything that we're about, and I'm extremely proud to be publishing it. That so many artists on the roster have already established themselves as ReMixers here on OCR only reenforces the synergy (yep, I dropped the S-bomb) and crossover that can & SHOULD happen between the VGM fan community and game composers, indie & otherwise.

Speaking of "otherwise," what's this Big Giant Circles bloke doing on an indie game composer album? Mass Effect 2, SSF2T:HDR... those ain't exactly indie games, brah. Well, he's actually got SOME indie cred, and I'm sure he'll get more, so it's all good. I wonder if he can manage to pimp his new (brilliant) album in his track comments ;) - he writes:

"I've been on a chiptune(ish) high ever since conception and release of my album Impostor Nostalgia (http://music.biggiantcircles.com/album/impostor-nostalgia), and coincidentally while writing the track "Fight the Current," I noticed it bore a similar chord progression at times to the infamous Windmill Hut theme from OoT. So after coming aboard the project, I pulled up the same project file and began altering things to make it what it is. Hence, if you compare the remix to "Fight the Current" side by side, you'll easily hear the recycled parts. Jeff Ball was kind enough to offer some live violin to supercede the sampled violin I originally used, and the emotion that his performance added really upped the quality by 110% to me."

So that wasn't really gratuitous pimpage since it included a mea culpa about track resemblance - but what about the mix? Well, it's badass, doncha know... shuffling, uptempo chip intro starts us off, then things kick in and it's a blend of chiptune, electronica, rock, orchestral, and bubblegum, and it's all out of bubblegum. That doesn't even make sense, I know, but it doesn't matter since Jimmy hit this out of the park, and Jeff's violin absolutely soars. This one's a classic, through-and-through, and to belabor the point is unnecessary. Enjoy it, and enjoy ALL of 25YEARLEGEND - for many of you, this album is coming out of left field and is probably a complete surprise, but I think you're gonna agree that it's a very, very, very, very, VERY good one!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Daniel Caton
on 2015-12-02 11:42:29

I love this one so much! Jeff’s violin is perfect and adds a lot to the mix, BGC’s writing is very solid, and the ludicrous solos and killer drums are the icing on this most glorious cake. And the sound effects! My goodness. Don't use them every time, guys, but it works here. The brief Lost Woods portion was an interesting avenue to explore, but I’m glad it didn’t go too much longer. It was definitely a good idea, but I think it hinted at a bit of something else. Another style? Another song? I can’t really say. While that particular portion could have been explored further, I think it works better as-is. All in all, it’s a fantastic remix!

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Black_Doom
on 2014-10-16 13:49:09

Holy shit! This just struck (get it?) me by its enegy. Chiptune + wild drums + orchestra + live violin? Hell yes! It definitely has stormy mood. So damn great mood! I like how it slows down at 2:10 to return back with its energetic flow. I love this a lot.

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Liontamer
on 2013-02-24 00:44:27
This was the very first OCRemix I had EVER heard, and I never get tired of listening to it. I almost like to think of it as a theme song... but I hope to compose my own someday. As my title says, it is truly, TRULY epic.

Wow, what a youngblood. :-) Always cool to hear what other fans discover first. You never know how relatively new it'll be!

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Terilis DA
on 2012-12-20 19:03:31

This was the very first OCRemix I had EVER heard, and I never get tired of listening to it. I almost like to think of it as a theme song... but I hope to compose my own someday. As my title says, it is truly, TRULY epic.

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champ the hippie
on 2011-12-16 14:16:48
After listening to Imposter Nostalgia it gets a little difficult listening to the borrowed part. I listen to it and expect to hear the wrong song!

on the contrary, i find that sample to be fitting, well executed, and generally awesome (though i may be a little biased, as "fight the current" happens to be my favorite Impostor Nostalgia track)

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Koriantor
on 2011-12-12 18:43:23

After listening to Imposter Nostalgia it gets a little difficult listening to the borrowed part. I listen to it and expect to hear the wrong song!

Other than that little minor tiny thing, this mix is a blast! When you said live violin's make such a difference Jimmy you were right. Solid mix!

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Flam1ng Dem0n
on 2011-12-07 16:02:41

Round and round this song goes, when i will stop listening to it...nobody knows. Weather it be now or never, only the clouds will tell when all of them come together. Song of Storms will live forever, never dying nor being forgotten. This is the true essence of the Song of Storms and shall we not forget it.

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Helios42
on 2011-12-02 00:00:36

Just wanted to drop by and say the combo of chiptune and celtic vibe made for a stupendous touch on Song of Storms! Amazing, on of my favorites of this album (though I had many favorites this album around )

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Modus
on 2011-12-01 23:35:49

That was a pretty awesome moment when I recognized Fight the Current. As if I didn't love that track enough before this.

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Locke
on 2011-11-26 15:00:22

First time I heard this, I thought it was a pretty good mix. Then I listened to it again and wondered what I was hearing the first time. The violin plain rocks, and the combination of chiptune, rain/thunder, and upbeat tempo works wonders = Chiptune with depth and emotion?...Spectacular.

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Bahamut
on 2011-11-24 19:31:38

This song is pretty damn sweet - my first reaction was "Jimmy does chiptunes?" The song melds the chiptunes in well for an interesting combination of relaxation but the upbeat pace that the Song of Storms melody brings. It's hard for me to explain why it works well...what a great approach Jimmy and Jeff brought to this song.

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SwordBreaker
on 2011-11-24 13:56:40

Very nice! Sounds like something you'd hear in Link's Awakening or the Oracle series because of the awesome and complex chiptune beats. It surprisingly complements the layer of orchestrations well. You've done it again, BGC. Glad newcomer Jeff Ball helped out, too.

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Kuolema
on 2011-11-23 22:02:11

Wow, I thought this was really lame for the first 43 seconds, but everything after that is pretty awesome :)

Violin is great :D

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ArmadonRK
on 2011-11-23 15:15:40

I absolutely loved Fight the Current, and this just feels like that and so much more. Utterly incredible work. This just hit the top of my playlist, knocking Katana Blaster (Constantly Playing Mix) and HappinNES down to spots 2 and 3.

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psychowolf
on 2011-11-23 11:24:15

Personal favourite from the album.

I'm not a big fan of the zelda series but i love the song of storms

The chip tunes were a great hook.

Then the thunder starts and this remix becomes truly badass

the violin with the chiptune in the background was a great idea pulled off really well.

This is gonna stay on my mp3 for all time, its that good.

Well done guys :D

Sources Arranged (3 Songs, 2 Games)


Primary Game:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo , 1998, N64)
Music by Koji Kondo
Songs:
"Lost Woods"
"Windmill Hut"
Additional Game:
The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo , 1986, NES)
Music by Koji Kondo
Songs:
"Above Ground"

Tags (8)


Genre:
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Chiptune,Electronic,In-game FX,Sound FX,Synth,Violin
Additional:
Origin > Collaboration
Time > Tempo: Fast

File Information


Name:
Legend_of_Zelda_Ocarina_of_Time_Thunderstruck_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,767,431 bytes
MD5:
614216e0f76ea3d91fd8f5fe47a561ed
Bitrate:
221Kbps
Duration:
4:01

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