ReMix:Mega Man X4 "Mind Flip~" 3:25

With a bit of a mind flip... you're into the time slip... and nothing can ever be the same. timaeus222 (Truong-Son Nguyen) hits hard with a revised version of an MMX4 compo track, blending metal & dubstep elements for a wild, surprising, & intense take on "Cyber Peacock"/"Final Weapon Stage 2":

"WARNING! A dubstep/metal fusion incoming - or, as Flexstyle eloquently puts it, "Djentstep!" (...You're still here, right? Even after I said this was metal+dubstep? Great!)

In contrast with my previous entry (Round 2) in the Sigma Fortress ReMix Gauntlet 2015, which was more easy-listening-type music, I wanted to surprise people in Round 4 with an industrial, unsettling, in-your-face, and downright nasty soundscape. The title is a reference to Baljeet from Phineas and Ferb, doing his "miiiiiiind flip" gesture while wiggling his fingers when Buford does something crazy. As for the ReMix itself, surprisingly enough, I wasn't inspired by anything in particular for this track; I did however depart a bit from my normal workflow in that I wrote the hook first, and then wrote an intro to lead up to it, rather than writing something from start to finish. Turned out to be one of my more over-the-top tracks, now that I think about it, so maybe I'll do things this way more often.

I've revised it since the compo, adding a bit more variation to the parts after 2:30. Some of the creepier atmospheric sections were done with a detuned music box, distorted alien-like ring-mod sweeps, tech-y warbly FX, etc. The crazy slamming part is just a MASSIVE layering of huge toms, heavy guitar mutes, dissonant saws, scraping basses, and pretty much anything I felt like adding, really. As if that wasn't enough, I also did a (fairly melody-centric) guitar solo using Shreddage 2X! You can never have too much firepower, I tell ya! :D

Rough Source Breakdown:

• 0:13.8-0:27.5 = "Final Weapon" (0:01.7-0:08.4)
• 0:27.5-0:38.8, 0:41.2-0:47.6 = "Final Weapon" (0:08.4-0:21.8)
• 0:57.0-1:00.0, 1:03.9-1:09.3 = "Cyber Peacock" (0:15.6-0:26.8)
• 1:10.8-1:13.7, 1:17.5-1:22.3 = "Cyber Peacock" (0:15.6-0:26.8)
• 1:22.3-1:36.0 = "Final Weapon" (0:01.7-0:08.4) [HUGE slams; divide by 2]
• 1:36.0-2:00.0 = "Final Weapon" (0:08.4-0:21.8)
• 2:03.5-2:25.7 = "Cyber Peacock" (0:15.6-0:26.8) [GEETAR SOLO!]
• 2:33.0-2:36.0, 2:39.9-2:45.3 = "Cyber Peacock" (0:15.6-0:26.8)
• 2:46.8-2:52.3, 2:53.5-2:58.3 = "Cyber Peacock" (0:15.6-0:26.8)
• 2:58.3-3:10.3 = "Final Weapon" (0:01.7-0:08.4) [HUGE slams; divide by 2]

13.7 + 11.3 + 6.4 + 3.0 + 5.4 + 2.9 + 4.8 + 0.5*[13.7] + 24.0 + 22.2 + 3.0 + 5.4 + 5.5 + 4.8 + 0.5*[12.0]
= 125.3/205.1 = ~61.1%"

Difficult not to smile at this one; it hits hard & lands a wallop, with towering layers of sound that never degrade into mud, blending high-impact, explosive ingredients from two different genres which are each, in their own right, aggressive + powerful. I love the quick, cheeky "deflating balloon" synth hit at 1'28", which throws a nice wink in amongst the pummeling. I also love the bone-dry, cranium-drilling kick drum, which leans metal but works surprising well for the EDM context. It's a fun ride which would quickly derail in less capable hands, turning abrasive or triggering ear fatigue, but Truong-Son knows exactly what he's doing, plus he's polished it a bit since its original incarnation. This is an absolute ride of a mix; extremely fun, dynamic, varied, & chock full o' high-adrenaline sound design. Enjoy!