ReMix:Skies of Arcadia "The Silver Crystal" 4:33

Deedubs (Mike DeWeese) chills out with a mellow acoustic & electric piano-helmed jazz take on "Fina's Theme," off of Arcadia Legends:

"I had been in the process of working on my own interpretation of "Fina's Theme" when I was asked to take on "Fina's Theme" for this remix album. For this remix, I included some inspiration from "Short Skirts" by djpretzel and Vig, as well from the track "To Impress the Empress" from the Nujabes compilation album Modal Soul Classics. Where most tracks I do usually take about 2 weeks to a month to complete, I set a personal record for myself with this remix as I finished everything within about 3-4 days. The result is a smooth jazz-y, breakbeat-y thingy that I hope you'll be able to chill out to."

Certainly honored to be mentioned alongside Nujabes & Mr. Taub on the inspiration; I hear some similarities, in delicacy, groove, & instrumentation, but this is ultimately its own thing, and Mike did a superlative job, especially on short order. I dig the slow, shimmering ending chord on EP, and I also appreciate the drum work on ride cymbal in particular, which gives the drums some bonus chill & additional movement. With acoustic + EP + vibraphone, you'd think things would get crowded in the chromatic percussion department, but everything plays nicely & the soundscape is full but never cluttered. While Rexy did note some timing discrepancies between the main drum line & everything else, it was minor, and judges were unanimously feeling the vibe. prophetik music writes:

"i heard the inspiration of the two songs you mentioned right away. i think you did a nice job adapting the original to this kinda-newagey jazz style. i really appreciated the attention paid to dynamics in each instrument, and additionally in how you let each instrument have their own place in the track."

Sir_NutS adds:

"Jazzy vibes right from the start with those chords. Super smooth vibes all around, and an excellent arrangement to go with it. I can hear the original, but you included a lot of twists and surprises that kept me on my toes. I feel like no instrument here went into the final mix without detailing (sometimes extensive, as with the drumming). The structure breaks plenty of times and switches gears from energetic to soothing. The track is mixed well, so I have no qualms with the production.

Overall an eclectic mix of forms and styles that works great. As Brad said, this is an easy vote and a recommended listen from me."

Ditto all that; every single one of Mike's contributions to Arcadia Legends is fantastic, and what's even more impressive is that they're all distinct from one another. This mellower, jazzier side works great with the source & offers a sweet, laid-back, & introspective interpretation. Smooth!