ReMix:Mega Man 2 "The Bubbleologists" 5:13

SOMEONE has to formally study bubbles, right?? Elrinth (Nicklas Holmgren) and PsyNES (Jari Jouppi) make a strong case for their joint tenure as certified scholars, at least as pertains to tight, effervescent, chip EDM arrangements of MM2's "Bubble Man Stage" (pivot!) - Jari writes:

"It's been about 6 years since we made this (with Renoise, ofc!), and never tried to submit it in OC ReMix, so here we go! I hope you guys enjoy this who hasn't heard it before! (If it gets released, I guess. :P)

This time, we have Bubble Man ReMix for you! I think it's more trance-ish than the other two tracks we did and more like our Flash Man than the Metal Man ReMix in style.

We tried to put some water-themed samples to it, like beach sounds, some bubbling and also the drowning for ending. I actually fixed the ending too like Rozovian suggested in WIP forums a few years ago. Hopefully, it's better now. Cheers! Enjoy!"

Glad Nicklas & Jari finally submitted this one, and improved the ending - I love the variety, transitions, & general playfulness and positive energy. Neat modulations, flourishes, glitches, cuts/gates, & FX pepper the first minute, setting the stage for a satisfying 5+ minute jam. The pickup at 1'22" and subsequent smorgasbord of sonic goodness should make you smile. Rexy writes:

"I also echo everyone on the arrangement - it's fun and rarely stays in on place! The source is dominant, primarily due to the arpeggio filling in gaps during melody absence - and the variety of underlying arrangement, timbres, sweeps, modulation and gates keep it engaging throughout. But do watch out for dissonance, though. 1:20, 2:40 and 3:22 have a B note in the melody like with the source, but the bass is in B flat."

Interesting that this didn't bother the other judges so much - I definitely hear something, too, but because the bass is fairly deep, it was harder for me to pick up on a clash. prophetik music echoes appreciation for the variety:

"i like the arrangement a lot. there's a ton of great examples of how to mix it up demonstrated here, and while the track uses a bunch of sfx, it definitely isn't leaning on them to carry the ear's interest. the breakdown and build from 2:00 to about 2:30 is great, and the subsequent melody lead does a great job taking a theme that's super common and adding some auditory interest to it without adding a ton of notes.

this is a great total package. fantastic job. i'd love to hear more from you both!"

Roger that; six years or six days, doesn't matter how long ago this was made, it still works - an excellent, expansive chiptastic EDM take on an NES classic, with buoyant sound FX, tons of great transitions, a couple curveballs, and energy to spare. Dreamy ambient breaks, a swing/funk vibe that takes over here & there, and just generally a cornucopia of creativity, with an infectious pulse. One of their best - highly recommended!