ReMix:Kirby's Epic Yarn "Blue Lava, Grass Landing" 4:24

Another first, for Friday: Newcomers The Hit Points - whose debut album JUST dropped TODAY - offer up our first featured ReMix of Kirby's Epic Yarn, with an upbeat bluegrass string band blend of banjo, mandolin, dobro, fiddle, guitar, & bass! Arranger and multi-instrumental performer Matt Menefee writes:

"I first heard "Lava Landing" while Eli and I were searching for songs to arrange and put on our new record (http://hitpointsmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-hit-points). I was playing Kirby's Epic Yarn with my daughter and fell in love with this composition. I immediately connected with the Celtic/anthemic latter section of the song and arranged and demoed it later that day.

I loved the original solo piano version written by Tomoya Tomita. I thought it was a perfect fit for the primitive art stylings used to portray the Kirby universe as being transformed into yarn, but I also thought it would be fun to fill out the song and orchestrate it a little more. So I took a Strength in Numbers/Mumford & Sons approach, since we were using acoustic instruments. While recording, Eli had the idea of adding octave mandolin, which added more depth and made it sound even bigger.

We really enjoyed recording it and hope you will enjoy listening to it. We're honored to have it posted on OCR! Please check out our record at TheHitPoints.com! Thanks!"

Performed, produced, mixed by The Hit Points
Arrangement by Matt Menefee
Recorded by Jake Stargel

• Matt Menefee - Banjo/Mandolin/Dobro
• Eli Bishop - Fiddle/Octave Mandolin
• Jake Stargel - Guitar
• Royal Masat - Bass

The links, they are a plenty - but the one you should check out ASAP is for the album; if you dig this mix, you'll definitely dig it as well! As a side note, way back yonder Matt Menefee won both the Texas and National Banjo Championships and Eli is the one-time Guiness World Record holder for speed clapping - formidable skills! They come through in this arrangement, which is freewheelin' & goodfeelin' but still musically tight, incorporating the performers and their instruments into a warm & mellow yet still energetic jam. Materia's PR for the album describes their sound well:

"Materia Collective is pleased to present The Hit Points and their debut self-titled album that offers a unique blend of live high-energy bluegrass and soothing acoustic arrangements of fan-favorite videogame music. Featuring bluegrass performers Eli Bishop and Matt Menefee and a number of guest artists and soloists, The Hit Points brings listeners the bluegrass game music album they never knew they needed."

Now you know! Nothing avant-garde or out-of-left-field here, just a heartfelt & well-executed folk tribute to a rousing, adventurous melody... and with a punnish title, no less! Production is clean and you can make out each individual part clearly, which makes it easier to appreciate the integrated part-writing and grok how the bits fit together & play off each other. We're glad to welcome Eli & Matt to OCR, and hope to hear more in the future; in the meantime, enjoy the mix, and remember there's much more where this came from!