ReMix:Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! "My Monkey Drives a Maserati" 5:16

Our final ReMix of September and the last to be included in our upcoming Q3 torrent update is a really slick DKC3 arrangement in a compelling combination of post-rock & chiptune from newcomers Marshall Art - Larry's got some relevant notes for us:

"Source is by Eveline Novakovic (i.e. not David Wise). Newcomer Mikhail Ivanov (streifig) is the current organizer for Dwelling of Duels, the monthly VGM arrangement compo with a live instrument focus where \m/ is \m/ (and of course, they have many other genres... maybe ;-). This mix is from the free DKC tribute album DKC Mix't Ape '94, organized by Those Who Fight member Big Mat & featuring tons of DoD alums."

Duly noted; context is greatly appreciated, and you should check ALL of that out by clicking on ALL of those links & reveling in the epic musicality. jmr (Jeffrey Roberts) has three mixes on OCR already, and as a member of Marshall Art, this makes four:

"Hey, OCR. jmr here. It's been a while. For the past few years I've been working with my friend Mikhail (alias streifig) on a project by the name of Marshall Art. I write all my parts using FamiTracker (a freeware hardware-compatible NES tracker) for the 2A03 and VRC6 sound chips, and streifig records layer upon layer of mindblowing post-rock-esque guitar. We live 7000km apart, so, using the magic of Dropbox, we exchange our parts and sandwich them together into an intense chiptune/prog/post-rock hybrid.

This song was put together over the course of January-September 2014 for a DKC tribute project. We were inspired by the band Maserati (hence the song title), although I think the song turned out a bit heavier than their usual style. We experimented with a few new things for this song, most notably the raucous guitar parts played with a violin bow. We're working on some other VGM covers as well as material for an original album, plus we play live shows whenever we can (together when possible, and apart on our respective continents), so this won't be the last you hear from us."

Definitely check these guys out; it's a distinct sound, they're doing it well, and the blend of purer chip textures with tortured/distant guitarscapes works. Palpable had some reservations/pointers, but ultimately agreed:

"Great adaptation of this source, and a pretty interesting hybrid style that I haven't heard before. No focus on leads, but it wasn't needed - the change-ups in instrumentation held my attention solidly. I wish the mixing was better, because I felt like the guitar really wasn't coming through at times, and what it plays is awesome. You've got it doing some lead lines, chugs, and then some flat-out drones at points. There was too much distance from the guitar, and the lo-fi instruments stepped on them too, so overall, not enough clarity. I tend to side with the YESes that this isn't a dealbreaker in this case. There's a lot of creativity stewing in this strange pot."

For my own two cents, I'm curious to see how they apply this style to other VGM with a stronger melodic component, because it's definitely unique and exceptionally well-suited to this specific source. Great stuff, and a great introduction to a group that's sprung up relatively quickly and already made a name for themselves - check 'em out, and enjoy!