Posted 2015-11-09, evaluated by the judges panel


OMG... *such* a creative, surprising, and perfectly-executed world/rock ReMix of "Millennial Fair" from Taucer, Haroon, & collaborator Chris Bess on tank drum, working in "Magus" & "Schala" too!! Definitely one of the more memorable arrangements of 2015; putting a Middle Eastern intonation on this melody was an effective, transforming, and completely brilliant idea... I'm jealous. Seriously guys, kudos - this needed to happen, musically, and that type of arranging serendipity is really something special. Specific credits:

  • Taucer: arrangement, guitars
  • Haroon: arrangement, production
  • Chris Bess: tank drum

Geoffrey Taucer (Jeremy Waters) writes:

""Millennial Fair" has always been one of my favorite game tracks; I've played it at MAGFest with two separate bands, and it's always a blast to play these sorts of happy bouncy Irish-influenced songs that Mitsuda does so well.

So, of course, when it came to remixing it for OCR, I decided to go with the obvious choice of completely throwing out all that happy, bouncy Irish stuff and turning it into headbanging metal with Middle Eastern influences. I started on this track years ago, and then left it on the backburner for awhile. Last year, I went back home and visited several of my former students, among them Chris. While we were hanging out, he pulled out his tank drum and played around a bit, and I instantly thought of this old WIP and knew I wanted to feature Chris in it. A few months later, Chris came out to visit me in Cali, and he and Haroon recorded a bunch of loops for this track (as well as individual note samples that we'll eventually be assembling into a commercially-available sample library). All of the tank drum parts you hear in this are played live - we didn't use any of the individual samples, just Chris's awesome grooves.

We also used this mix to extensively demo Haroon's Mr. Overdrive plugin, which is quite versatile and which I highly recommend everybody check out. One more note, lest I be accused of being a better guitarist than I actually am, let me say up front: I cheated on the lead run at 2:40, and recorded it at about half-speed."

I've heard Taucer jam out live to this source tune in the expected (and still very enjoyable) Irish/Celtic style, possibly more than once, but I'm really glad they decided to take this mix in a very different direction, because it works REALLY well. Having a great arrangement idea for a melody is a huge piece of the puzzle, but I feel like Harooon & Jeremy knew what they were on to and ALSO put in the effort to make this four-minute mix fully deliver on the strength of the concept. Mr. Piracha writes:

"It was fun working with Jeremy. From the engineering aspect, it was an easy project to finish. Drums were the only part that I was worried about, but found nice default samples to work with. A lot of the instruments weren't wide enough for my taste. Too many resided in the mono range. I've recently created a new plug-in called Mr. Overdrive. It has a feature that allows me to make tracks wide in stereo width. The ethnic instruments were all mono and were widened by Mr. Overdrive. Mr. Overdrive is also being used to amplify some of the guitar tracks and resonate the drum kick in lower frequency. Currently, Mr. Overdrive is only available as a Rack Extension for Reason 6.5 and up. You can download a free demo of Mr. Overdrive from the Propellerhead shop page, and try it out for yourself. VST will be available soon.

Chris was a blast to work with, very professional while recording the steel drums. The drums were recorded in stereo. I love Jeremy's sick guitar solo, best yet! That rhythm guitar is being quaded. Wouldn't have it any other way. I cannot wait to work on more music with Jeremy. We have a lot more coming."

If there was any doubt previously that Waters & Piracha are one of the greatest collaborations in the history of OCR, this ReMix certainly seals that status. Also, how badass is it to be relying so heavily on a DSP plugin YOU coded, and having the result sound so great? Mad props to HP. Percussionist & newcomer Chris Bess adds:

"This is actually the first time I've ever worked on a mix, although I've been a fan of OCR for years now. It's also the first time I've ever been recorded, since I usually just take my tank drum out and play around for fun, and for the public in busy places on Friday nights while I hope for a couple of tips and nice conversation from strangers who have never seen something like this drum before.

When Jeremy came down to visit, I knew I had to show him, and who knew it would lead to something amazing like this mix! It's been a great time making music and recording with Jeremy and Haroon, and I'm glad I was able to contribute something new and interesting to the song. I definitely hope to collaborate further in the future."

The drumming is an integral part of this mix, and this is a FANTASTIC arrangement to have been part of in any context, but especially as a debut. What else can I say? VERY happy to be posting this on OCR, and I know this will be one I'll come back to offer & even single out as an example of how popular sources are still yielding fresh & inspired interpretations. Highly recommended!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 9 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
Crulex
on 2018-04-11 02:55:59

This was awesome even before the guitar hit, and the drums were on point the whole time! If there is one thing that I have been appreciating more in the past year or so, it's the combination of ethnic sounding themes and harder rock, so hearing the Millennial Fair and some Schala and Magnus in this heavy hitting Middle Eastern style was a treat. Loved every bit of this, you guys made a fantastic ReMix here.

avatar
Necrox
on 2015-12-04 16:00:49

Intro is just sick. The mix really lives up to its title; the metal somehow manages to continue the foreboding atmosphere without feeling forced. Nice stuff.

Also, this turned me onto tank drums.

avatar
Geoffrey Taucer
on 2015-11-20 13:52:22

WOW.

All the drum parts were live?!? The main theme is simultaneously easily recognizable and completely different from what I'm expecting?? Something originally cheery and airy can do metal??? I really can't believe how quality this remix is. The sliding from hard metal to quick, light pullbacks that ultimately all meet up in the last minute is nothing short of invigorating. What an exciting, unique accomplishment. I loved it.

Don't know how I missed the original post of this. So happy I went back and checked up on it. MAJOR props.

To clarify: the tank drum parts were live; the rest of the drums were not

avatar
timaeus222
on 2015-11-18 02:57:23

Yet another ReMix that reaches far and gets far! I love that metallic tonal drum---it gives a meditative feel, which kind of lulls you into a suspended state before the rock gradually comes in. I personally thought the acoustic kit was fairly lacking in low end in the fuller parts, and maybe some more soul could have been put into the lead guitar (gimme some vibrah toe!). Still, this is really stand-out. Great job!

avatar
DimeTower
on 2015-11-18 01:31:27

WOW.

All the drum parts were live?!? The main theme is simultaneously easily recognizable and completely different from what I'm expecting?? Something originally cheery and airy can do metal??? I really can't believe how quality this remix is. The sliding from hard metal to quick, light pullbacks that ultimately all meet up in the last minute is nothing short of invigorating. What an exciting, unique accomplishment. I loved it.

Don't know how I missed the original post of this. So happy I went back and checked up on it. MAJOR props.

avatar
MindWanderer
on 2015-11-11 14:48:23

Amazingly unique take on Millennial Fair, great guitar work. The use of Schala's theme deserves a special callout--it's an overused theme in remixes, but the energetic guitar variation and chugging bass make this one extra special.

avatar
Geoffrey Taucer
on 2015-11-10 16:48:01

Uh...let me be clear. At first... I was not very keen to this track. But...I listened again, ... ... and again, to ... get a better feel for the overall soundscape...of this piece. And now I must admit............... that, I like it.

THANKS OBAMA

avatar
MrKyle
on 2015-11-10 09:23:35

Uh...let me be clear. At first... I was not very keen to this track. But...I listened again, ... ... and again, to ... get a better feel for the overall soundscape...of this piece. And now I must admit............... that, I like it.

avatar
Liontamer
on 2015-11-09 01:11:22

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

Sources Arranged (3 Songs)


Primary Game:
Chrono Trigger (Square , 1995, SNES)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu,Noriko Matsueda,Yasunori Mitsuda
Songs:
"Guardia's Millennial Fair"
"Magus Confronted"
"Schala's Theme"

Tags (11)


Genre:
Rock
Mood:
Aggressive,Dark
Instrumentation:
Electric Guitar,Steel Drum
Additional:
Origin > Collaboration
Production > Live Instruments
Regional > Middle Eastern
Time > 4/4 Time Signature
Time > 6/8 Time Signature
Time > Tempo: Variable

File Information


Name:
Chrono_Trigger_Coming_Darkness_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
7,170,898 bytes
MD5:
e37ec0f30a2a84e1f40bdaa2ec6b857b
Bitrate:
235Kbps
Duration:
4:00

Promotion

8-bit Jazz Heroes - Press Start
View All

Latest Albums

View All

Latest ReMixes