Posted 2020-10-30, evaluated by the judges panel


Remember when a (debatably) disappointing ending to Game of Thrones was at the top of the list of our collective first-world problems? I guess Winter came ;) Chernabogue (Alexandre Mourey) teams up w/ the singular Jeff Ball on violin for a wintry orchestral/march take on "Grasswalk":

"This remix took a while to finish, but I'm really proud of the result. The main concept was to give the track a nice winter/chilling feel. The orchestra way was the one to go. I like doing orchestral remixes, and this one sounds quite baroque especially with the harpsichord. I'm very happy I took a different road and tried something a little different. Chimpazilla, Brandon, and timaeus were very helpful, and I cannot thank them enough for their patience, as I learned a lot from it. Big props to Jeff Ball as well for that killer violin recording."

Somewhere between Halloween & Christmas, I'd say; Jack Skellington would approve. DragonAvenger writes:

"Glockenspiel, sleighbells, and violin are all great ways to invoke the winter feeling. I think you do a pretty great job nailing the style. Jeff sounds great as usual, and I like some of the Melissa's he added. They really help nail the baroque style. I do wish that some of the backing parts were a little more humanized to compliment Jeff a bit more, but it wasn't anything deal breaker.

Heard a weird note at 1:54 or so that wasn't matching up between Jeff and the rest. Not sure if it was intentional or not but it is noticeable. Overall I think this is a fun take on the original. There aren't huge changes taken compared to the source, but it's refined and has a nature style change from the original."

Now, I'm a relatively educated fella, but there are plenty of things I don't know, and I had to look up what a "Melissa" was... but found nothing. Insofar as I am aware, no one has ever performed a "Melissa" - on violin, or any other instrument. If you or someone you know has evidence to the contrary, please come forward; this decision was from 2016, but in talking with Deia we agree that she either meant "glissandos" and was yet another victim of autocorrect, OR that she had absorbed too much radiation. Who can say, with these things... what I *can* say with some degree of certitude is that if anyone can pull off a Melissa, it's Jeff, whose violin prowess elevates the mix, as always. There's definitely a peculiar note at 1'53" (by my clock), but I like to think of it as... a zombie is eating a brain, and hits a sour spot. Maybe some confirmation bias, maybe some compartmentalized denial, dead neurons... who knows ;) Sir_NutS adds:

"I'll echo Joel on this one, in one word this was enjoyable. I liked the winter atmosphere quite a lot. The mixing was clear for the most part and performances were handled well. Some of the instruments are a bit too resonant for my taste but nothing that breaks the mix. There's a fair amount of attention to detail here, and while the arrangement doesn't go to extremes interpretation-wise, the adaptation is more than enough to distance it from the original."

Good stuff from Alexandre, who deftly blends spooky & classy into a splassy/clooky take on Laura's original, channeling baroque & frosty aesthetics for a deliberate, refined incarnation, heightened by Mr. Ball. And his Melissas.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 3 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
CJthemusicdude
on 2024-04-08 11:47:48

This feels VERY fitting for plants vs zombies instrumentation and arrangement wise. Are you sure this isn't ripped straight from the soundtrack? That harpsichord was great, this remix is great! Great stuff.

avatar
timaeus222
on 2020-10-30 16:57:28

Hm, I don't know, it might be time to give our own definition to what a Melissa is...

Melissa - When a particularly talented musician pulls off a graceful feat.

Certainly a proper homage to this wondrous game and its playful soundtrack!

avatar
Liontamer
on 2020-10-28 10:31:53

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Plants vs. Zombies (PopCap , 2009, WIN)
Music by Laura Shigihara
Songs:
"Grasswalk"

Tags (12)


Genre:
Classical,March
Mood:
Dark,Spooky,Suspenseful
Instrumentation:
Bells,Harpsichord,Orchestral,Strings,Violin
Additional:
Origin > Collaboration
Production > Live Instruments

File Information


Name:
Plants_vs_Zombies_Winter_Is_Coming_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,615,437 bytes
MD5:
5aec5da2061f3d0da48ebc3c8ed869f8
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
4:32

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