ReMix:The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild "Torchlight" 5:20

Absolutely amazing, mesmerizing Zelda "Lost Woods"/"Shrine" arrangement from Chimpazilla (Kristina Scheps) & Emunator (Wes McDonald), whose third collaboration together manages to exceed the already high expectations set by their first two, with an ambient/cinematic journey into night; Kristina writes:

""Torchlight" marks Wes's and my third collab together, and I believe it is our best so far. I sent Wes a WIP of BotW "Lost Woods" combined with the "Shrine" theme that I had started two years earlier and he loved it enough to begin expanding on it right away. We both added elements, motifs, and percussions along the way. Wes and I work so well together and we often seem to share a brain while working. Wes commented to me that the mix is so cohesive that listeners would not be able to tell who did what. I replied that, honestly, even I can't remember exactly which of certain elements were mine and which were his! I believe we came up with a mix full of feels and magic and I hope listeners and BotW fans will enjoy it!"

Source breakdown:

• "Lost Woods": 0:00-2:28, 3:19-5:20
• "Zelda's Lullaby": 0:24-1:14
• "Shrine": 1:14-2:28, 2:28-3:19, 3:19-4:34
• "Zelda's Lullaby": sprinkled in from 1:41-2:26 and again from 3:47-4:07
• "Final Hours": String chords from 2:53-4:44

Kris & Wes are definitely on the "Vulcan Mind Meld" level of collaboration, where their distinct voices have enough similarities between them that they can put something together that is absolutely unified. The sound design, clever and engaging arrangement, and breathtaking atmosphere of this mix make it an instant classic, for me, with enough structure to feel like a "song" but a transporting environment that is vivid & cinematic. Wes adds:

"Kris did a great job covering the backstory behind this mix, but I have to stress just how seamlessly this track came together, despite the fact that our collaboration was handled 100% remotely. From the moment I heard her original WIP, which flawlessly married the "Shrine" theme and "Lost Woods" piano riff, I knew this was destined for greatness!

Using a mixture of in-game sound effects and a myriad of other ambient sound design techniques, I aimed to develop that concept into a narrative arc inspired by Breath of the Wild's gameplay. Along the way, we bounced stems back and forth to gradually flesh out the soundscape, and I used some new string libraries recently acquired from Spitfire Audio to write a dramatic final climax that incorporates elements of the "Final Hours" chord progression from Majora's Mask. I'm particularly proud of the final build from 4:05-4:35, which should be recognizable to anyone who's played BotW. I've had the concept of using the Stasis Rune SFX as a sound design technique floating around since I started working on this track, and finally found the samples I needed to execute it in the 11th hour!

To say this has been a fun and rewarding collaborative experience would be an understatement, and I'm confident this won't be our last time working on a remix together!!"

Honestly, what a mix. Sometimes things just click, and it sounds like the creative process, while remote & involving back-and-forth, was as smooth as the end result. There's a cinematic pulse here that pushes forward, and all of the FX really contribute to an immersive vibe, plus the melodic/harmonic bones are rock solid. I have no nits to pick whatsoever, and the panel was unanimous and basically felt the same - DragonAvenger writes:

"I love an easy mix to close out voting on! Excellent atmosphere, really good melding between the themes, and pretty recognizable throughout. The build-up near the end really gets the heart pounding a bit, nicely arranged to convey a sense of urgency there."

Exquisite depth & detail, ambiance to spare, and an arc that blooms from an initial dark mystery into a rich, majestic tapestry. This is how you do it; highly recommended!