ReMix:Mega Man Battle Network 3: Blue Version "Network Is Searching" 4:30

Rukunetsu follows up an excellent Thunder Force IV debut mix from early 2013 with our FIRST arrangement of Mega Man Battle Network 3 featuring a combination of breaks/hip-hop components with smooth jazz & plenty of synths. Anchored by an EP riff that repeats quite a bit but never wears thin due to plenty of contextual variation & syncopation, there are a lot of tastefully-used effects here that keep things fresh, including record-stop/turntable, trance-style gating, reverse-loops, flanging/phasing, you name it. The whole is really greater than the sum of its parts, because it's the WAY Ruku incorporates all of these components, blending and/or swapping between them, that makes everything truly flow. He writes:

"Something done for the Blue Bomber's 25th that I thought I'd submit. Had a blast making it, and I do hope it's enjoyable."

It's hard NOT to enjoy; an excellent example of how repetition can be capitalized on rather than leaned on, this arrangement has a lot of grace & style to go with its attitude and pacing, and the syncopated cadence of the groove, with all the changeups, helps maintain a clear focus. Larry writes:

"Being familiar with both themes, I thought it was interesting that the energy of Ruku's combined arrangement of the two achieved a middle ground between the heavier, beat-driven "Network Is Spreading" and the mellower, more relaxed "Search Man." I don't know if he was going for that intentionally, but metaphorically speaking, it certainly came across like a genuine byproduct of marrying the two pieces.

On the sound design side, and going back to that laid-back energy I enjoyed, the opening pads and the airy, crystalline texture of the piano at :14 were both excellent, and I immediately knew I was going to nod my head to this piece when the beats started at :29. I dug that drop into "Search Man" at 1:28 where you had 7 brief seconds to focus on something quiet before new, more impactful beats arrived to further alter the piece's energy; nice dynamic contrast to keep the show fresh. All in all, a very chill, beautiful-sounding piece."

REALLY good music for coding, design, etc. work - has the right sort of flow and numerous points of interest without being either too relaxing or too assertive. I dig the craftsmanship & substance of Ruku's arrangements so far, with this mix being comparable to his debut TF4 arrangement in both regards. Great stuff, excellent tribute to Mega Man, and a deep groove that should appeal to all!