Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars "Chill Out, Smithy" 3:30

We've got tracks that were waiting for old album projects to wrap that unfortunately won't come to fruition, but that doesn't mean they should never see the light of day, so it's time to start shakin' 'em loose! We've got plenty in the hopper that'll finally start rolling out in the coming months, and first up is DarkDjinn's rock piece originally intended for a Super Mario RPG/Dr. Mario concept album!

"This mix was made as part of the unofficial (and very early stage) Super Dr. Mario RPG project, and, with reference to the plot of the story behind the project, is intended to serve as a final boss theme. I think of it mostly as a Super Mario RPG mix, but "Chill" from Dr. Mario plays a big role in the main melody of the song.

All guitar and keyboard parts (save for the keyboard solo) were played by me. Bass, drums, etc. were all arranged on computer."

Even though it was made more than a decade ago, our Standards haven't changed much and our bar remains pretty steady, so nothing about it is dated as much as it's aged in a cask like a fine wine. DarkDjinn's climactic vision is a combination of electric guitar, drums, and some wild & wacky synths! It opens up with immediate intensity and, amidst the "Smithy" focus, also had a great integration of Dr. Mario's "Chill" at :34 as well as a rhythmically tweaked cameo of Mario 3's "Airship" chorus at :56 & 1:41. The guitar soloing at 1:08 is super-impressive and absolutely worth everyone's time to dive into, and you can say the same for the programmed keyboard solo at 1:52 as well! Back in the day, judge Emunator was on his first tour of duty on the panel, and even in his more formative days was keenly aware of the skill in what he heard:

"This is a very strong submission that is carried by the strength of the arrangement, performances, and diverse instrumentation. You make use of some unconventional synth patches that aren't often heard in arrangements of this style, which layer nicely with the more traditional metal instruments. It keeps this sounding quirky and original in the spirit of the source tunes, while still hitting hard when it needs to."

We're sorry for the needless wait on this one, but it's amazing to have the instrumental synergy of DarkDjinn's big boss energy finally shown the light, and we're excited for a plethora of previously embargoed material being opened up for postage! If DarkDjinn's brilliant Mario madness is any indication, there's a ton more gold in them thar hills just waiting to be mined. :-)