ReMix:Gremlins 2: The New Batch "Astral Office" 3:05

I was just saying how I'm a product of the 90s yet unaware of doom metal, and now I can also admit I wasn't a real byproduct of the 80s. :-D I mean, of course I genuinely am, but there are so many 80s staples I was never into, including G.I. Joe (though I knew Sgt. Slaughter because of the WWF), Transformers, Thundercats, Indiana Jones, and the subject of this ReMix, Gremlins. Never seen the movies! Am I missing out? Well, even if I am, *you're* probably missing out by not knowing about the first stage theme from Sunsoft's Gremlins 2 for the NES. :-P We should *all* know that Naoki Kodaka chiptunes are NOT to be slept on, no matter what era you've grown up in. Astral Tales' cyberpunk version of Billy's office theme aimed to thread the needle between scary & silly, just like the Gremlins movies:

"I always found that this song had a naughty nature that conveys quite well the personality of the Gremlins. It had that "horror" taste to it, but also some funny characteristics, exactly like the movie. It's a blend that we usually found in the 80s, and it was a bit of a challenge to translate into a remix. I decided to give it a cyberpunk twist (after all, the leader of "the new batch" had a mohawk, right?). When exploring with different sounds, the song asked me for a heavy and nasty rhythm section, so I added some powerful basslines and heavy rhythms. The chaotic and naughty nature of the Gremlins was approached with a crazy lead that plays the main theme of the song, and, finally, I added softer parts to help the tune have some dynamics that helped to give some variety and contrast against the madness of the main sections. I hope you enjoy it! Cheers!"

The source tune feels like Ghosts'n Goblins, but with beats, so I dig it. :-) The chaotic and naughty judges were on board with so many kind things to say...

MindWanderer:

"The composition is pretty darn good. The original solos are absolute fire, and I love how you incorporated synths that are vaguely reminiscent of the ones used in the movie's theme song."

DarkSim:

"The vibe is perfect for those cheeky little critters"

Emunator:

"The synth design is all very cohesive, the groove is infectious"

Flexstyle:

"It's a FUN arrangement, it's got very clear source connection, and it's a pretty good genre execution"

Rexy:

"The bass is amazingly well textured, filters had worked great for the FX and arpeggios, and that choice of drumset has enough air in its snare tone to compliment everything else."

All those heaps of praise from the judges, yet, for full context, this one passed on a thin YES vote. So what's missing here? LOTS of critiques on repetition & muddiness that actually ended up splitting the decision down to the last vote. However, after a long-awaited approval, Astral was open and gracious enough to revist things, leading to a more dynamic structure by delaying the melody you hear at :32 that far in (instead of starting the track with it), as well as not just repeating the same exact verses & backing textures the whole way, AND markedly cleaning up the mixing to let the backing writing fully complement the leads. We've ended up with a more polished ReMix full of mischief that's not afraid to also bring the power. Respect to Astral Tales for juicing up The New Batch in a big way!