ReMix:Dark Souls "Conflagration" 3:22

Oh sweet, another Dark Souls ReMix from RoeT.... WAIT A SECOND!! Yes, as Alex has (abundantly) proven his own abilities outside the Souls/BB universe, Phonetic Hero (Pete Lepley) now arrives with a suspenseful, dark, symphonic arrangement of "Gwyn, Lord of Cinder" from the first DS:

"Gonna start with a little about what I've been up to, and a bit about how this remix came to be in the first place -- I've been freelancing full-time for about a year and a half as of this submission, and without a single doubt, it's been the hardest I've ever worked in my life. I'm going on almost a full year of working every single night with very few exceptions, though I knew the first couple/few years would be a grind to gain experience and work my way up. I've been scraping by for the most part, but I'm also very happy and grateful to be doing what I'm doing (if a little exhausted at times). This remix is dedicated to and was "commissioned" by a friend who helped me out when I got financially sucker-punched and was at a very low point, and I can't thank him enough for saving my career from going dormant for a time. The last few months of writing wouldn't have been possible without the push, I can't thank you enough man. :)

As for the remix itself, I've taken a few opportunities lately to try to improve my orchestral work. I wanted to try an orchestral arrangement that was more flowing and sweeping, something I hadn't done before. Still learning, but the departure from the rest of the music I've been writing lately was extremely cathartic. I've also never played Dark Souls before, haha, but the source track has a mournful-yet-resolute vibe that really gripped me after hearing it, and I really wanted to capture that. I tried to expand on that and stay true to the source, despite having pretty limited context for it in-game. Hopefully, I did right by it! If you're a fan and want to chime in on how it fits the vibe of the original track, please don't hesitate! I'd love to know where it stands. Hope you enjoy!

Thanks for listening, and a humongous heartfelt shout out to all my friends and fans who have helped me get to where I am today. <3"

Whoever that friend is, thanks - a great mix to commission, and it seems like Pete's persistence is paying off; Larry adds:

"While I'm promoting another Advance Wars-style spiritual successor in Tiny Metal, it's cool to note since Pete's submission that he's now the composer for Chucklefish Games' upcoming Advance Wars-style game Wargroove! So while Pete was having understandable bumps in the road getting his freelance music career underway, it's great to know he's landed and is now leading the charge musically on such a high-profile game project. Hopefully it's onward and upward, and we're proud of him! :-)"

I love the dark energy & momentum this has, and also how prominent the piano part is, employed as more than just a rhythmic pulse, which sometimes happens with this pairing. Strings are wide and ominous, and there's a good dynamic contrast as the tension builds. The initial version of this had some minor distortion and production nits that Pete fixed, and the resulting ReMix is hard to critique - a little more conservative than his other arrangements, but still interpretive & certainly dramatic as hell. DragonAvenger sums it up nicely:

"Great expansion of the source, I agree that enhancing the mood of mournful yet resolute was a great way to go. The track sounds natural and flows really well. Good to hear more from you PH, and I'd love to hear more orchestral from you in the future!"

Seconded; it's great to hear that Pete's been improving his game, putting the hours in, and getting some traction, and with the versatility to do both EDM & orchestral work of this calibre, I think he'd be a formidable asset to any game's development. Great stuff; looking forward to what's next!