ReMix:Mega Man X3 "Crystal Cipher" 3:02

DjjD (Jacob Diaz) brings us a delicious chiptune/electronic jam that's less about aggressive beats and more reflective & deep, with a veritable smorgasbord of synth textures on full display:

"This originally came together for the WCRG 2013 Competition. I had the original idea to put together a track that started out with a semi-organic jungle vibe. I really wanted something different than what was normally done with the Mega Man X3 Zero Theme. So I mashed it together with Stone Man and... that's what happened. Near the end of the week, I asked Ben Briggs and ectogemia for help with the last half of the song, for which they put together two fantastic solos... and made the song amazing. This is the result of our collaboration and I hope you guys enjoy. :)"

Good blending of themes, excellent production (chip/waveform aesthetic paired with some very nice processing & complementary textures), but what really ends up defining the track is the restraint; there's a lot of detail & energy, but it's always more of a jammin' variety than a straight-up club-oriented thing. The sheer variety of synth leads & textures also makes me smile, especially on the drums/perc. DarkeSword writes:

"Oh man, I remember this track! It was in my top three for that round. Love how this one turned out. X3 Zero theme is used amazingly in this track, as both the syncopated hook and also the backing track for the solo sections. Love the back and forth between aggressive and laid-back soundscapes too. Fantastic!!!"

I chimed in on this one:

"AHMIGAWD dem drums. REALLY nice drum work here; pushes the track over the top. Can't say enough good things - detailed, creative. The Blade Runner style trailing pitch slides are fun. Bottom line? This is what happens when you pair a great arrangement with STELLAR sound design & production."

Might be a tad much reverb for some folks, but to me this is a showcase of the myriad different sounds electronic oscillators can produce, almost like taking a tour through a synth museum, COMBINED with a smart arrangement of multiple themes, with two great synth solos on TOP of that, and then wonderfully syncopated & interesting drums. It's like one of those infomercials where they keep saying "But wait.... there's more!!" and adding more stuff on to sweeten the deal (but only if you call in the next half hour... which they have zero means of verifying), except unlike most (if not all) informercials, this is something you WANT, and it's FREE. Great work from DjjD, made greater by Ben & ectogemia. One of my favorite ReMixes to come out of the uber-awesome WCRG compo series - highly recommended!