ReMix:Beneath a Steel Sky "Vacuum Shell" 2:52

Newcomer ninecoins (Katarina Spitic) gives us our FIRST ReMix of DOS cyberpunk adventure Beneath a Steel Sky, arranging the "Recycling Plant" theme into a stark industrial/dub joint:

"Hello there! I've stumbled upon two VG remixes I made back in 2008-09; I decided to try my luck and send you one of them. Thanks for listening!"

Things intro/outro with a nice little in-game dialogue bit, although the outro usage comes off a bit abrupt. Drums here are especially nice & crunchy, and the overall atmosphere has that dystopian, oppressive vibe down pretty well. Jivemaster writes:

"The minimalist nature of this track is a strong point, with a good balance of parts without crowding the soundscape. The choice of sounds is solid, with synths comprising of more basic waveforms. Drums and percussion have a nice hint of low-fi across them, giving off a nice sizzle in the highs. Production quality is good, parts are easily heard and not squashed, there is a good balance between punch and more open dynamics. The arrangement plods along fairly slowly, but manages to get through duration without boredom setting in. The tempo slow downs create a nice break effect when they're introduced and (most importantly) aren't overused. The ending is quite abrupt, with the song basically coming to a halt to allow for a sample to play. Arrangement could be stronger as it doesn't take a lot of chances away from the original. I didn't leave this feeling that it needed more however, but it would've been nice."

Ditto all that, including the criticisms. NutS is a fan of the game, and had this to say:

"Oh man. Beneath a Steel Sky is such an underappreciated game. It's one of the best adventure games of all time, with a markedly more adult approach than what we used to get from sierra at the time (with exceptions, like Gabriel Knight), oozing an oppressive, industrial-cyberpunk feel, striking art direction and excellent dialogue. With a setting that I would say it's the perfect mix of 1984, fahrentheit 451, and Narshe. Also a fitting soundtrack, which leads us to this remix:

ninecoins here decided to not change much in terms of arrangement, but makes up for it by making an adaptation to a different style. It succeeds in that regard, as this certainly sounds like a dub track. It somewhat keeps the feeling of desolation and industrialization from the original, but overall the additions give it more dynamism while keeping the disconcerting cyberpunk ambiance. The tempo slowdowns, while odd at first glance, do help in this matter. The soundscape starts up rather simple but evolves when more complex textures are introduced as the track progresses."

Agreed on the music bits; I've never played the game but I'm generally familiar with it, and it does seem pretty cool. While under three minutes, this puts a nice treatment on the source, and while the arrangement could have deviated & developed more extensively, it does a good job creating a space & living/breathing in it for a bit. Neat, transporting stuff from Katarina - hope to hear more!