ReMix:The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening "Marin's Mambo" 3:25

We begin the week by ending the month, with one last featured flood mix (for now!) from Songs of the Sirens: Link's Awakening ReMixed, as Lemonectric (Benjamin Hoffman) blends his chiptune aesthetic with some Latin/Caribbean flavors for an energized, syncopated medley:

"I set out to arrange the credits theme in the style of the secret file select music, and it turned into a little medley. It's a habit."

First thing I noticed here was how Ben was giving select acoustic instruments a lot of attention & blending those components with his more familiar use of chip elements; excellent. I'm always complaining that we don't have enough Latin arrangements on the site, and I personally would love to see tons of mixes employing this pairing, which I hope the artist revisits. Album co-director DaMonz writes:

"Lemonectric's music never ceases to surprise me, in a very, very good way. His arrangements always have clever twists that I never learn to expect, and that's always what I like the most about them. Their level of creativity is always off the charts, and this track is no exception. I love just how *fun* this arrangement sounds with all the syncopated writing and the beautiful chiptune/organic blend. To me, it feels like a playful and relaxed celebration, which makes perfect sense for the end credits."

I think Emery successfully identified the common thread throughout Ben's mixes: the arrangement is always crafty & well-crafted, regardless of the genre, instrumentation, etc. There are always some neat ideas & attention to detail baked into how the material itself is being transformed, on a compositional level, and then as a bonus you've got lovely sound design work & confident wielding of chip elements. And then on top of THAT, Ben's not reluctant to experiment with different genres & electronic/acoustic pairings, as he's done with this track. Festive, celebratory, and fully deserving a "Chips & Salsa" pun, Ben's contribution to Songs of the Sirens is hot & delicious!