ReMix:Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins "Seeing Stars" 4:20

Newcomer Matt Bounds sends us a fun, upbeat EDM remix of "Star Maze" from Super Mario Land 2, which alternates between a heavier four-on-the-floor electro beat & something a little more disco with a little more swing, peppering the soundscape with sidechained synths, bells/sines, and a generally sugary/sweet disposition. Judges commented on the overall sound palette being a touch pedestrian, but (this is key) everything that's here is used well; sidechaining & strong mixing/mastering make the most of these elements & present the arrangement in its best light. Some judges felt that repetition & a handful of production concerns were dealbreakers, but the majority disagreed - Gario says it well:

"...the sounds are pretty vanilla, but they're used very well throughout, and the track never feels empty or dull because of it. Some instruments are overused (like that sine, though nice work not making it too piercing while making it audible, that's not easy to do), but overall it does change its soundscape enough to avoid being too static. "

Sir_NutS corroborates:

"This is a simple remix that just works. Simple arrangement and sound palette but used pretty well, the mix isn't perfect but not terrible either imo. Some of the synths kinda blend with each other but I can still distinguish the parts, and I find the track is fine EQ-wise. It definitely starts to get repetitive by the end but it knows when to wind down and end."

Pretty much; another minute (sans significant deviation) would probably have pushed this into "problematic" territory, but as-is it's a tight, relatively polished package of positive EDM vibes, from a game we don't see very often, with clean production & good energy. What's not to like? I'd encourage Matt to experiment with a wider variety of textures & mix it up a bit more in the future, but everything else is clicking & I think folks will dig this, as I did. Enjoy!