ReMix:Super Castlevania IV "Tema de Simón" 3:16

Super Castlevania IV & Latin jazz? Sign me up. Newcomer Mighty Bear 7 (David Bergeron), with some assistance from talented performers, takes us for a tasty night on the town with Simón Belmonte:

"The idea for this remix came from an arrangement I made for an ensemble that I play in (The Greedy Echoes). The original version combines edgy rock organ and busy drums with hot, funky rhythms. The way the composers create momentum by frequently pushing the beat is the same as the style of songo and can also be heard in other Latin styles. I attempted to make an arrangement that brought the feel of the piece back to its possible origin, and what may have inspired the original composers."

• Arranged/mixed/produced by David Bergeron (Mighty Bear 7)
• Trumpet by Austin DiPietro
• Saxophone by Theodore Hogan
• Violin by Stu Kennedy
• Bass by Martin Schiller

Interesting; never heard the original in this light, but I spose it makes sense, and either way, the genre adaptation works a treat, sounds lively, energetic, & fun, and features some bueno & auténtico performances. Intro's a bit mysterious and sets a darker stage, but a RAD TIMBALE LICK comes in and changes all that, establishing a rhythm that is then built on up to the drop at 0'41" - nice way to infuse atmosphere & drama. Jivemaster's vote covers almost everything I'd wanna say:

"The first 30 seconds contain some basic percussive and string elements, then we build up to a brass driven version of the main theme. Lots of changes throughout the mix, with various instruments taking turns at leading, as the others riff about. The change of pace at the mid point was short lived but worked well to allow things to build up again. The sax solo in the final third was unexpected. Mixing is clear and separated appropriately. While there could be a bit more compressive glue between the parts, I appreciate that the artist has instead sided with open clean dynamics. Although the source is delivered in a fairly straightforward manner here, there is a good level of variety between sections and instruments used, making the mix feel fresh for the majority of the way through. A solid original take on the original."

The sax did take me out of the genre feel a bit, with its sustained, steamier application, but I dug it regardless. As I mentioned with all my writeups for Vampire Variations III, SCIV holds a special place in my VGM heart. We don't see a ton of Latin arrangements, which is a damn shame, so I previously would have calculated the odds of hearing SCIV tackled in this style as relatively low; glad they've been beaten! Kudos to Mighty Bear 7 & his talented quartet for something unexpected, well-executed, fun, & "spicy"! I put "spicy" in "double quotes" because, like "urban," it's often used as a marketing euphemism for targeting certain demographics, but in this case I think it's appropriate. Great stuff, would love to hear more!