ReMix:The Legend of Zelda "Dungeoneering" 4:06

I absoutely love the very unique, tense, & active orchestral arrangement that RebeccaETripp came up with for her take on the original Zelda "Dungeon" theme - the intro reminds me of the beginning of The Matrix, and in general by slowing things down she allows pieces of the accompaniment to move at double tempo & create an underlying bed of motion:

"This is one of three gift songs for my partner. There are two more. I try to make three game remixes every year.

This one is an orchestral arrangement of the original Legend of Zelda dungeon theme. Koji Kondo is as good a composer as any - Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Satie - you name a "great," and Kondo can rival them!

This arrangement deliberately focuses on the mystery and magic of the dungeons. LA inspired it a fair amount. ^^ I tried to make it sound dynamic! I hope it's enjoyable!"

In terms of creating memorable themes & delivering them with abundant style/craft, I concur - Koji Kondo is a living legend. This treatment of one of his earlier classics is also one of my favorites from Rebecca, as the concept is clear, the interpretation is creative & immediately engrossing, there are several "moments" where everything comes together and transitions quite nicely, and it strikes me as unique among most of her oeuvre; Jivemaster concurs:

"Nice opening dramatic build-up. Amongst the strings and twinkliness, this one again gives me Elfman vibes in how the parts are written. At 1:10 the layers peel back to reveal a softer yet still sombre mood. Instrumentation is good throughout, with a decent amount of changes in lead duties that we've come to expect. The pacing of the arrangement is quite consistent, though there are a number of build-ups and breakdowns along the way to keep things interesting. Things close out relatively smoothly. Not much more to say on this one — the mixing is decent, and production value seems fine. A great expanded take on the original."

Ditto all that; while the instrumentation is traditionally symphonic/orchestral, this definitely lands in cinematic territory for me, taking Kondo's original scene and building a whole narrative around it; really superb work. Chimpazilla adds:

"What a unique, interesting and emotional take on this source! It's very creepy and mysterious, and has a Harry Potter vibe. The soundscape and writing are rich and varied, the arrangement is very dynamic and it holds my interest throughout the track. As Rexy pointed out, the articulations aren't perfect, but what is here gets the job done extremely well. I love this!"

Joel heard Elfman, Kris heard Williams, and I heard The Matrix (Don Davis), but ultimately we all heard Rebecca :) I feel like this is one of her more iconic ReMixes - puts a new spin on an old favorite, stands out both on the site and among her own arrangements, and transforms the source while retaining its soul - highly recommended!