ReMix:Zelda II: The Adventure of Link "Secret Labyrinths" 4:04

A Tale of Two Temples! Gaspode (Peter Köller) debuted strong back in January and returns with a follow-up that puts a suspenseful cinematic EDM spin on temple themes from Zelda II & Breath of the Wild:

"Here's my latest submission. Hope you like it. It's a remix of the two temple themes, »Temple« and »Great Temple«, from »The Legend of Zelda - The Adventure of Link« (original score by Akito Nakatsuka) enclosed by the »Lost Woods« theme from »The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild« (original score by Yasuaki Iwata & Manaka Kataoka)."

Things intro with a deep, dark pulse & ambient percussion/FX, as we build into an eventual beat. I dig the kick employed here - it's either two distinct sounds, or it has a deeper, second hit after the initial transient, but either way it feels like a heartbeat. Backing synth & vox pads have envelopes that allow them to slowly exhale, and the bell tones employed for the familiar lead melodies have a pure, crystalline clarity to them. That being said, I was a bit worried about "lead fatigue," which I would personally define as the overuse of a single timbre/instrument for lead melodic duties in an instrumental arrangement that cries out for at least one alternative voice. Subjective, sure, but I do feel like I know it when I hear it - thankfully, Peter avoids this pitfall by introducing a nifty fuzz/saturated synth lead at 2'37" - it's distinct & unorthodox in and of itself, but it also provides necessary contrast and variety. Emunator pointed this out specifically on his vote:

"Right off the bat, I'm digging the adaptation of these themes into a darker electronic rhythm. You take your time building up to full steam but I appreciated the slow burn. The sound design throughout the first few minutes was perhaps smoother around the edges than I would have liked, but the gritty lead that enters at 2:37 gives this the necessary bite to carry the arrangement home."

This is the type of arrangement decision that might not seem like a huge deal, but we get a fair number of submissions that run long and fail to differentiate their second half from their first - something as simple as swapping in a different melodic lead can have a huge impact on a mix, especially w/ regard to avoiding repetition (real or perceived) aka "sameyness" for pattern-based pieces. Liontamer adds:

"The nice integration of BotW's "Lost Woods" with the Zelda II material, along with a significant change in the energy and style of the Zelda themes added up to a very fresh approach. Good stuff, Peter!"

It's a dark, "undercurrent"/gritty sort of vibe, and it works well with both temple themes, which are already suspenseful and point in this general direction, to a certain extent. Solid, immersive stuff from Gaspode - enjoy!