ReMix:Micro Mages "Valorous Heart, Onward!" 3:12

Treyt triumphantly returns to the front page with his heroically rocked out rendition of music from the 2019 NES game, Micro Mages... /record scratch... Huh? A 2019 Nintendo Entertainment System release?!? /goes to Wikipedia... Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, OK, a Kickstarted indie homebrew under legit NES specs, very, very nice! And the composer, miau6502, was also the co-designer as well as the programmer, so basically in the Toby Fox role of being the prime driver, we love it! Well, if you're not in my age demo and don't still have your NES handy, go pick up the game on Steam! (And, yes, I know there's been the Analogue Nt, I'm not THAT completely out of touch... just mostly!) Treyt better go buy Micro Mages himself, because, as he noted, he hadn't actually played it yet before arranging it, he was just floored by miau6502's music:

"I've never played the game or heard the track(s?) in context with their levels/in-game scenarios, but the original sources are absolute bangers of chiptune composition, and, when someone posted them in the OC ReMix Discord, the tracks literally begged me on bended knees to be remixed. I've never seen something without legs (or physical form for that matter) kneel, but it was something to behold. So I actually mapped out a MIDI of one of the "Heroic" versions for a friend, and I was honestly impressed by the artistry behind the original track. It's amazing, I can only hope I did it justice.

The best source breakdown you could ever ask for: https://youtu.be/zM1CQYxaSKo. I view this video as two steps off from being a shitpost. xD

Anyway, it's miles beyond the first remix I sent you guys. Judges' concerns have been addressed, and followed up with a judge to evaluate the corrected track pre-resubmission. Lemme know whatcha think eventually (judging panel, woo), and I hope you like a motherflipping jam of a remix. Enjoy the music."

Thanks a lot to Trevor (of Too Many Trevors quasi-fame) for the "2-steps-removed-from-a-shitpost" explainer video! (It was both fun & funny, go watch it. :-P) Though the judges were previously hung up with the initial version's mixing, they were collectively glad to hear the resubmission set things right. DarkSim thought Treyt nailed it on all counts - the arranging, the electronic/guitar combinations, and the intensity:

"Love the instrumentation, melodies and harmonies at play here, all coming together with a huge energy and vigour."

Meanwhile, judge prophetik music lauded Treyt's varied approach giving this one major replay value:

"kudos to the arranger as well to not put in three or four instances of the (awesome) full band playing the melody at the end - never quite giving us enough of the payoff is a great way to keep listeners coming back.

this is great. excellent work."

MindWanderer was consulted prior to Treyt's resubmission, and he likened this to a snack, a dessert even, some kind of delicious, musical canoli:

"Metal goodness from obscure but great chiptunes!

The energy and arrangement are great. Excellent job taking such a short refrain and making a full-fat, entertaining song out of it. Tons of variation on that simple theme. This is an example we could point to when remix submissions are too repetitive or conservative."

Not only a tasty treat, yes, but undoubtably a textbook example of how to meaingfully personalize your arranged version of a piece of game music, not just in developing one's own sound but radically changing the composition's energy and mood. In this case, Treyt transformed the original's groovy, syncopated rhythms into anthemic synthrock with a side of orchestration, both versions complementing each other well by feeling adventurous in distinct ways. Great work here, Trevor, and you also have a future in video presentations and voice-overs... if you want it. :-)