ReMix:Half-Life 2 "Fearful Minds" 4:50

By Redg

Arranging the music of 2 songs from 2 games ( view all )...

"Alien Forces", "LG Orbifold"

Primary Game: Half-Life 2 (Valve , 2004, WIN), music by Kelly Bailey

Posted 2013-07-10, evaluated by the judges panel


Our first HL2 ReMix! Brent Wollman's ear-catching debut ReMix of Descent & Descent II that we posted back in April was a very distinct & memorable first mix; now he's back with an arrangement of Half-Life 2 & Half-Life: Opposing Force, again including two related games in his arrangement and again giving the PC some love, but this time with less rock and more emphasis on electronic & ambient components:

"The two tracks I remixed here are some of my all-time favorite video game tunes. I did the first half of this track about a year ago and just left it sitting around. I opened up the project file recently and really liked what I heard so I thought I’d finish it. I took a cinematic/ambient approach that evolves into a more driving electronica sound."

There's both a variety of textures AND some different DSP going on that give this arrangement a wide soundscape, and some VERY cool minimalist transitions/glitching (e.g. 2'44") that strike me as pretty fresh & are executed with precision. It's atmospheric & ambient while at the same time developing and mutating quite a bit, and possessing a solid electronic backbone. More importantly, it delivers on the promise of Brent's initial mix and maintains a creative approach to arrangement coupled with a great ear for layering & sound design. Larry sums it up well:

"I'm keeping it short and sweet. Brent's arrangement was excellent and pieced together the two themes well. I liked how this track had tons of variations, just like both sources, to keep things fresh throughout. Really enjoyed the percussion choices, instrumental variations and laid-back vibe here. The bowed string samples strained for realism but were more than serviceable. Otherwise, everything else pretty much clicked. Everything really morphed and evolved subtly but nicely."

Vinnie adds:

"Sometimes the track was thin, but there was no knocking the arrangement ideas and instrumentation. Lot of creative ideas bouncing around, and an interesting listen overall. I would have liked some additional drums to fill in the background, but what was here was sweet."

I suppose I could see this striking some as TOO minimalist, at times, but I think Brent did a good job of using negative space and creating an unpredictable atmosphere; each detail feels placed with certainty & thought, like sonic feng shui. So I personally prefer the rather Spartan percussive accommodations, and overall I continue to be impressed by the distinctness of Brent's approach to arrangement AND production, as well as his source selections. Definitely looking forward to hearing more!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 6 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Black_Doom
on 2015-01-29 07:53:01

Redg's stuff is always creative and tasty, so this mix is no exception. I love how this mix evolves - it starts with nice ambient sounds, then the distored thing (probably mallets/vibes) comes in and then mix takes yet another turn, this time being led with acoustic drums, which stay to the end of this tune, and creepy synths. I love how it then drops at 2:34 and I love the following section as well, which is almost playful and bouncy, while it keeps that sci-fi atmosphere. Awesome!

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Crulex
on 2013-07-26 10:49:16

Great arrangement and solid ambiance that varies up over time. Really digging the section after 2:44.

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TillyFun
on 2013-07-13 19:21:04

Impressive! Really cool :D

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Protricity
on 2013-07-10 23:03:26

Never thought i'd hear one of these thxthxthx

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timaeus222
on 2013-07-10 17:14:36

Yet another awesome arrangement. Great job! =DDD

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djpretzel
on 2013-07-10 13:33:49

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (2 Songs, 2 Games)


Primary Game:
Half-Life 2 (Valve , 2004, WIN)
Music by Kelly Bailey
Songs:
"LG Orbifold"
Additional Game:
Half-Life: Opposing Force (Sierra , 1999, WIN)
Music by Chris Jensen
Songs:
"Alien Forces"

Tags (6)


Genre:
Ambient,Cinematic
Mood:
Dark
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Synth
Additional:
Time > Tempo: Slow

File Information


Name:
Half-Life_2_Fearful_Minds_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
7,041,544 bytes
MD5:
3a43e1dd4760d12a6c0f82788be0be2b
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
4:50

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