ReMix:Hyper Light Drifter "The Crystal Guillotine" 9:15

Our third in a series of Disasterpeaceful ReMixes comes from Wyrgan (Peter Bobinski), who debuts in grand style with an epic, 9+ minute slow-burn post-metal homage to Hyper Light Drifter, our first featured arrangement of the game & a humdinger of a track:

"After the FALLEN album from Materia Collective and releasing a few small projects as a post-metal outfit, I decided I wasn't going to do more VGM things through Wyrgan. About a day later, I played Hyper Light Drifter; my mind was immediately changed. I was enthralled by its immersive, textural, and beautiful soundtrack. The soundtrack is both heavy and subdued, incredibly dynamic; perfect for post-rock/metal. Hyper Light is an incredible experience and truly a work of art.

When I heard how the music in the west area of the game (specifically "Stasis Awakening") was layered, I immediately got to work on a medley. The source material lent itself well to techniques heard in modern post-rock, like the ostinato lines and volume swelling in "Midnight Wood" as a buildup; but in heavier moments like "The Last General" where the percussion is minimal, I drew on some metal influences to really amplify its intensity. The piece overall highlights how mysterious, strange, and utterly dark the world of Hyper Light Drifter can be."

Rich chimed in with some straight-from-the-composer feedback, which is always cool; Disasterpeace writes:

"It's really cool to hear this music given a post-rock/metal treatment - this style of music was a large influence on me in my formative years, when I listened quite a lot to bands like ISIS, and so it almost feels like the music has come full circle in a way when I hear this."

Listeners will have to be patient, as things pick up in the fourth minute, but this deliberate build lends the eventual release additional intensity, and ultimately the journey IS the destination, right? I was transfixed and barely noticed the extended intro length, because I think Peter creates a captivating, dark, & immediate atmosphere, and even as we descend at length into its abyss, the scenery is engaging. Gario sums it up nicely:

"Talk about a slow burner - damn, I really love how this one takes it's time with those sparse elements. I can see how that might not appeal to everyone, but as far as I'm concerned bring on the slow-builds, baby. The dissonance used throughout is just tasty icing on the cake, but then again I do love some well used harsh tones; too much consonance gets boring, for my ears.

...Overall, I really, really love this one; the arrangement is intense and subtle all at once, and aside from the muddiness concerns it's an easy pass, from me. Great work, and I hope to hear more from you!"

Peter revised the production based on panel feedback, so this is cleaner, clearer, & as a result hits harder than the initial version he submitted, which was strong to begin with. Larry Oji explains:

"Just noting that I sent Peter the judges comments a few weeks ago so he could potentially address the mixing; he agreed with the feedback on the lack of clarity and was gracious enough to give this another pass. Now it sounds better than ever, all without sacrificing any of the strength and energy of the performances. Thanks a lot to Peter for the improved version!"

Indeed; this is truly a vision, integrating multiple themes into a unified whole with an aesthetic that fits the sources like a glove, all executed with precision and impact. When the composer digs it, you know you've done something right, and I'm hella glad that our first spotlight of this game on OCR is so wide, deep, & positively badass. A longer-form post-metal tribute done absolutely right; kudos to Peter for an unforgettable first mix, and many thanks to Rich, whose work as both arranger & composer is now rightfully more represented on the site!