ReMix:Power Drift "Velocity: Fueled by Sake" 4:15

Our FIRST EVER featured ReMix of Hiroshi Kawaguchi's score to classic SEGA racer Power Drift is a badass rock/fusion jam collab; Katamari (Austin Green) writes

"Velocity: Fueled by Sake" was a fun take on Power Drift that was cooked up for the Dwelling of Duels: Kart Month contest in May 2018. A ton of inspiration on this track comes from J-fusion bands such as T-Square and Casiopeia, noticeable mostly in the EWI tone for the main synth lead, as well as the multiple keyboard and guitar solos sprinkled throughout, culminating in a twin guitar solo battle at the end.

Leading up to the submission date for the contest, we had been trading trash talk with another DoD regular, SnappleMan. Both our group and SnappleMan were planning on entering a Power Drift entry, and our group was determined to beat this legendary competitor. After consuming much sake during an extended weekend visit to Sagnewshreds' apartment in Manhattan (a yearly tradition), we had a completed track that we thought would stand up to the competition, which we aptly named "Fueled by Sake." However, being familiar with the way that Dwelling of Duels works (songs are listed alphabetically first by game, then by track title), we figured that our best bet would be to have our track go on *after* SnappleMan, and so we appended "Velocity" to the front and called it finished.

SnappleMan did not actually enter that month, but we still took first place. No one knows to this day whether he had ever actually planned to compete."

Contributors:

• Katamari: Arrangement, Guitars, Bass, Keys, Mixing
• Sagnewshreds: Arrangement, Guitars
• Trohnics: Arrangement, Guitars, SFX
• Manny: Arrangement, Keys

Fueled by sake AND competitive, anti-Snapple spirit :) Any first-place winner of DoD is guaranteed to be fun, and when you add some J-fusion into the mix (to be fair, the source kinda leans that way to begin with), it's all the better... plus a healthy smattering of solos & a guitar battle worthy of Machio in Crossroads? Sign us up. Portions of this are relatively conservative, so the original solo-writing is actually a big chunk of the interpretation/arrangement; Liontamer writes:

"The first 1:30 was more of a super-close cover, but the sections afterward with extended soloing over the foundation of the source tune, followed by more interpretive arrangement and more substantial backing writing and textural differences afterward thankfully put this on solid ground in terms of the needed interpretation. Love it and glad to have Power Drift represented! Nice work, guys!"

Sir_NutS would have liked a bit more interpretation, and wasn't particulary feeling the engine rev sound FX, but was still down for the ride:

"The track is going at almost breakneck speed but doesn't feel jumbled or chaotic, this could fit in a 90's arcade shoot-em-up just fine, without the racing sounds which honestly I found more cheesy than charming. Overall, this is a thumbs-up from me."

Having recently employed automotive intro FX myself, I can't judge; didn't hit me wrong, but perhaps went on a bit. Ultimately this mix floats on its pure energy & momentum - appropriate for a racing track - and the playful, generous helpings of solo wankage that might very well have bested Snappleman, had he participated. Props to Katamari, Sagnew, Trohnics, & Manny for conjuring up a legit J-fusion vibe and having fun with it; it's a straightforward approach to a source that's already in the same ballpark, but doing it right is still damn hard, and this puts the pedal to the metal & tells the world (and Andreas) to eat its dust. Enjoy!