ReMix:Pokémon Red Version "A Scent of Lavender" 8:04

French newcomer Black SeeD debuts with an 8+ minute long black metal meditation on "Lavender Town" from Pokémon Red:

"After posting on the "Post Your Game ReMixes" forum, I wanted to submit a song from my album to confront it to a new audience.

This track is part of my album of remixed video game tracks in an atmospheric black metal way (you can find the whole album, Farplane of Memories, here: https://blackseedbm.bandcamp.com/album/farplane-of-memories).

The goal of this track and the album in general was to work with songs on which I felt that I could emphasize melancholic themes with my favorite music genre.

This one also has some original melodies to make it a whole song and not just a cover. The original Pokémon theme is distributed through the whole song, pretty much with all instruments at some point kind of as a "ghost melody," at least that's the feeling I tried to give.

I hope you'll like it! Thanks a lot!"

I did; at over eight minutes, I wanted some differentiation & a couple surprises... and I got them. If your attention is wavering or you're even feeling downright comfortable, when 4'11" hits I can guarantee that will change. Clean electric ambience on the intro, as we're only beginning to catch a whiff of the titular lavender, but by the time the party's over, our olfactory sense is going to be pummeled - in the best of ways - with the stuff. I dig the oscillation between a more detached, solemn vibe and the higher-energy, shred-forward bits, and in general the production sells the arrangement with aggressive clarity. Emunator is a fan of the genre & supported this mix when it was being workshopped, so I'm going to let him do the heavy lifting:

"I was a major advocate for this track when I heard it on the Workshop forum and I’m beyond thrilled to hear it hit the panel! Atmospheric black metal is highly underrepresented in the OC ReMix catalog but it’s a genre I’m personally quite familiar with and fond of!

Typical black metal production relies on harsh frequencies and an overall lo-fi aesthetic that often runs counter to traditional production conventions, but the atmospheric sub-genre - and this remix in particular - subverts that by rounding out the frequency spectrum with a lush bass presence and softer high frequencies. However, the aggression and distortion that is a hallmark of the genre is still very much present in the drum sequencing and wall-of-sound that builds as the arrangement progresses. Of particular note is the section beginning at 4:11 when everything finally lets loose into an barrage of blast beats and wailing guitars. This section does a fantastic job of capitalizing on the tension that had been built up thus far.

The Lavender Town melody is present throughout nearly all the track, floating like a spectral entity over the arrangement, often hinting at its presence through chord progressions and references without always explicitly announcing itself. This level of melodic expansion and creative liberty is almost necessary for an 8 minute arrangement to keep things from running stale. It’s bleak and atmospheric, but the dynamic curve feels very much deliberate."

Liontamer did have some production criticisms, but most judges felt they were minor compared to the big picture, and I tend to agree. I like the friction between the mix title, which suggests something subtle & passing, and the actual track, which is a long day's journey into... shred :) An excellent job of stretching, expanding, & exploring a melodic source into something considerably larger & longer, and a compelling genre adaptation as well; excellent first featured mix from Black SeeD!