VG Frequency

I’m glad we got a nice bunch of entries for the Ormgas jingle contest. Myself, the other Ormgas staff, and some select others will be judging things up over the next week. Once a winner is decided on, I’ll highlight what we collectively chose.

Everytime I think I’m gonna be quick with the writeups for the week, I always find more stuff to say. The only way I could say less was if you paid me too. Let’s sort through what was going down for the week ending Saturday, July 10th:

Ailsean - F-Zero 1 “Flying Hachi-Roku” [Dwelling of Duels: Free Month / VGMix2 #1854] As part of the May/June Dwelling of Duels contest, Ailsean whipped up this homage to the anime Initial D (which I’ve seen part of and enjoyed in it’s cheesiness), hence the title. This 3rd place finisher isn’t a straight guitar track (though it actually doesn’t sound like the cheesy 80’s Eurobeat & J-tronica I’ve heard from the initial D series), but Sean pulls off some very cool licks in this remix taking on “Big Blue.” The percussion’s pretty plain, but that about the only thing I felt needed some added attention. This is more of a stylized cover piece, as per the general layout of the DoD compo, but one with the energy you’d come to expect from Ailsean for a source tune like this.

alunimum - Dragon View “Apocryphal” [OC ReMix #1210]
I dig aluminum’s style, as he usually offers unique stuff when he infrequently releases material. This one’s a wind and piano-centric piece with orchestral and electronic support as well. This one took me a couple of listens to get into, especially since I’m unfamiliar with the source material, but it’s pretty cool, especially upon repeated listenings, where you can get more comfortable with the structure and direction within. Ironically enough, this is aluminum’s second OC submission, and both of them abruptly cut out at the ending. Someone’s gonna tell alum how to create fadeouts. Not everyone likes fadeouts, but in this case, they’re only your friend. :-)

Arkimedes - Lufia 2 “Tickling Clocks” [VGMix2 #1853]
Looks like I’ve been suckered in yet again with the work of Arkimedes, as this one is my pick of the week! Jaron’s back with another VGMix release, this time taking on the Lufia series. The composition is strong and Ark’s now-trademark vocals are well-written per his usual. I thought the production could be tightened so that the vocals don’t get buried by the music, but, for the casual listener, it probably won’t bother you. With remastering, this could be OC ready. I’m a big fan of Jaron’s current remix formula, so I’m always glad to see him active in the community. The others of you out there who enjoy Arkimedes’ work can check out his brand new homepage over at http://www.jtwidman.com.

Bladiator - Chrono Trigger “Woman in a Black Dress” [The People’s Remix Competition 19]
Karl Harmdierks displays even more improvement with this salsified remix of CT’s Black Omen theme that took home yet another first place PRC finish for him. The tempo’s a little bit too fast for the comparison I’m making, but I still got a little bit of that Tropico vibe from this, if any of you out there have played the quasi-Cuban equivalent of SimCity. This isn’t as refined as say “Needles,” since the soundset is fairly basic, but the arrangement is tight, and Blade takes Chrono Trigger in a direction that I’ve never heard before. The version available here has been retooled since PRC19 and features a stronger ending, and it’s been submitted to the tender mercies of OCR, so best of luck as Blade goes through the submission process with it. Stay on top of things with PRC20 as several entrants attempt to mix Bladiator’s challenging source tune choice from Max Payne 2!

Carbunk1e - Rurouni Kenshin “Undanceable Waltz” (WIP) [The People’s Remix Competition: Animation 3]
You know, it doesn’t take much for Japanese speech to sound ominous. The woman intro-ing this next recommendation could be saying “I’m just so happy to see you” and it sounds like some bad omen. Anyway, Anime Remix head honcho, Bunkie, managed to give a nice intro here via said ominous Japanese anime sample, and this work-in-progress develops into a very nice trance piece. But, alas, it’s incomplete. Based off of the nearly two minutes so far, the foundations look in place for Carbunk1e to complete this mix and add to the burgeoning collection of mixes available at Anime Remix. As the only entry, this WIP was enough to give him the win for PRC:A3, but this is solid stuff nonetheless, and one you’ll wanna follow if you’re feeling the trance. Matt’s slection of muzak from Azumanga Daioh is the next track that’s being given the treatment, courtesy of PRC:A4.

Daniel Baranowsky w/Ryan Probst - Jurassic Park (SNES) “Before Time” [http://members.cox.net/systemaniac]
Dan recently finished up the Jurassic Park mix that essentially came to life once he heard the source tune of Yoozer’s “Isla Nublar Jam.” This one features (OMG) real guitar, so while Dan did a great job faking it in “Agony of Obscuration,” this one has some genuine geetar playin’ for ya, featuring a harder edge thanks to some layered sections and a nice bass pad. I don’t have a link for you, since I’m not sure Danny B wants it given out and he’s away in California for a little bit, so just keep an eye out for it later. (And act very surprised when you see it. He’ll like that.)

debeerguy (Kevin “Lorenzo” Sisk) - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 “Dark Caverns Mystified” [VGMix2 #1323]
Kev has some fairly ominous sounding synths going on in this electronica mix of the Mystic Cave Zone theme. There aren’t too many liberties taken on the arrangement side until the mix is about 3/4ths over, which is pretty interesting, although I would have liked to have heard more rearrangement. Still, the sound choices here are pretty nice, creating quite the odd atmosphere, and making this an enjoyable release. I’d really like to see Kevin take more arrangement risks, and building future mixes more like the freestyle conclusion of “Dark Caverns Mystified” would be a welcome change of pace. He’s gettin’ there.

Flik - The Legend of Zelda 3 “Kakariko Prom” [VGMix2 #1845]
After contributing to the sick River City Ransom rap mix, “River City Rap,” Chris Serani makes his solo debut on VGMix with this prom-music spin on the SNES’s A Link from the Past. Featuring a joking story-style intro (and outro) hearkening back to the old-school days of Mustin, “Needles,” and “Team Gato,” this one definitely intros the right way and gets your attention. If you’re a sap for Zelda music that you and a high school sweetheart can dance to, your prayers have been answered. Certainly a good debut from Flik.

goat - CastleVania 3 “Rancid Purgatory” [Unchosen Paths / VGMix2 #1848]
Keep rockin’ ‘em, goat! Here’s the latest release from his CV3 remix album (which you should be able to figure out the name of). Halfway through, we get some brief call-and-answer moments thanks to some guitar layering. All things considered, it’s the heavy rock that you know and/or love. It’s all good here, thanks to goat’s high standards. This’ll tide me over until he releases his remix of “Demon Seed” from the CV3 soundtrack. I prefer some CV3 tracks more than others, but the entire album so far remains strong, and is sure to impress.

JigginJonT - Donkey Kong Country 1 “West Coast DK Island” [Gorilla con Gusto]
Mr. T recently wrapped up his part for Gorilla con Gusto (which is slowly but surely heading towards completion) in the form of this 50’s-era jazz piece rearranging “DK Island Swing.” Of course, there are modern elements involved, as easily evidenced in the introduction, but the spirit and style are there in full force, and if anyone would know how to be faithful to the structure involved in this genre homage piece, it would be the Jiggy One. This is a very full-bodied effort, and yet another track that shows off the strength of Digital Coma’s brainchild in Gorilla con Gusto, which continues to look good with 15 remixes now completed.

LindsayAnne Klemm - The Legend of Zelda 1 “A Fate Preordained” [OC ReMix #1209]
Hot off the heels of The Wingless & Destiny collaboration of the same theme, LindsayAnne finally hits OCR with her take on the perpetually remixed Zelda theme. Lindsay’s the collaborative partner of fellow OC mixer Edgen Animations, i.e. Justin Durban, which I found out back in April when I first discovered this track here and played it on my show. (It’s nice to be ahead of curve sometimes.) If you’ve enjoyed the lushly orchestrated Zelda mixes of Nixdorux & Unknown, then you’ve got no reason not to check this one out. The tempo stays slow and engaging throughout, so sit back and relax with this one. Hopefully LindsayAnne will stay involved with OC with future submissions, as she beautifully scores one for the ladies here!

Makke - Lost Patrol “In the Air Mix” [AMIGAremix #107 / OC ReMix to-be-posted]
This recently OC-approved mix is Marcus Nilsson’s second contribution to both AMIGAremix & OC ReMix, though if you frequent the C64 scene, he’s already an established name there. This homage to Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” is very well-produced and grew on me a lot with repeated listenings. The lyrics seemed odd at first, since one is likely used to the note pattern of Phil Collins lyrics, but the minor-key vocal stylings sounded better and better over time, so that’s just my personal disclaimer for anyone who’s initially put off by the style here. I’m lucky I’ve had this for a few weeks, as I’m sure my enthusiasm for this one would be a lot less if I only heard this a couple of times. The top names of the European game mixing community have the best production anywhere, and this is another one of those excellent sounding efforts. Don’t you have a thing for the 80’s anyway? Aren’t you a child of the 80’s??? See if this one rekindles some old memories for you.

Nixdorux (Nicolas Ferranti) - The Legend of Zelda 3 “Escape from the Mountain” [VGMix2 #1807]
Nix’s latest Zelda 3 piece is probably the most forceful orchestral piece of his that I’ve heard so far, and sounds a LOT more at home as some sort of PlayStation Final Fantasy cutscene music. The mix title didn’t really fit the imagery I got from this piece, as I’d think something more frantic would be in order. Nonetheless, I’d personally say that (aside from the ending) “Escape from the Mountain” is Nicolas’s strongest remix ever. I wouldn’t put it as the catchiest of his works, as that’s not the point, but then again, I suppose I have different standards than lots of other fans. Check this one out for some well-crafted militaristic Zelda action.

Norrin Radd - Double Dragon 3 “Brett’s Requiem ~ Flight of a Dragon” [Dwelling of Duels: Free Month / VGMix2 #1825]
Norrin Radd recently came back to OCR after a long hiatus thanks to his skills at rearranging Guile’s theme, which was the winning entry for the March edition of the live instrument remixing compo, Dwelling of Duels. For the free choice month of Dwelling of Duels, Norrin once again took 1st place with this medley from the highly underremixed Double Dragon 3. Some games just don’t get enough coverage. I think someone wanted to cover something from the Silver Surfer NES game, but I can’t remember who that was. Maybe Norrin should check that out, given his handle. In any case, things start off slow for the first 1:20, and Radd left me wondering (ignorantly, might I add) why and how this mix managed to win out in the Dwelling of Duels. Suffice to say, this one greatly picks up in intensity and is a fine example of powerful guitar work. For me, it’s not something that blew my mind, but the guitar aficionados will have nothing but love for the work and proficiency here, as virt and Ailsean can attest to here, so give it that look.

Ork Estral (Nigel Simmons) - Super CastleVania 4 “Into the Corridor of Shadows” [VGMix2 #1493 / OC ReMix #1212]
As I work hard to earn my weekly pay of $0 for the VGF Pimp Sections, let’s check out what I said about this one from the May 22nd edition:

Liontamer wrote…

Ork is back again with a very nice-sounding mix from the SNES classic. Ditching the gothic music style found in the game, Nigel offers a well-developed orchestral (what else?) remix featuring little bits from the large range of symphonic instruments. There are some very nice builds and tempo changes throughout and the piece easily could pass as a wholly original orchestral composition rather than a CastleVania medley. Ork Estral always comes out with well-produced music, whether original or remix, and this looks (and sounds) like it doesn’t disappoint.

Quinn Fox - Ghosts’n Goblins “Arthur Enhanced” [VGMix2 #1829]
Quinn’s retired from the scene for a while, but he’s still releasing some older material that had previously been available strictly at his homepage. As you can hear, the mastering isn’t as crisp as other work you may have heard from Quinn, but chalk that up to age. This take on the familiar Ghosts’n Goblins theme music is pretty straightforward until you hit the 2:20 mark where Fox goes for a nice freestyle section that continues until the fadeout, leaving you wanting something more. Too bad, cuz that’s all you get. It’s a good trick too, because it worked for “Nial and Nowhere,” his Phantasy Star 3 remix. This one’s pretty repetitive, and Quinn’ll probably tell you that himself, but this is a chance to peep some older, re-released material that you may not have been aware of.

Sir Nuts - Ninja Gaiden 2 “Ashtar’s Desires [VGMix2 #1837]
Mike Molina indeed drops the nuts on this trancified take on the Parasprinter theme that guys like Silent, EgM & Kaijin have taken on in the past. A straightforward trance/piano cover eventually gives way (more than halfway through the track) to some solid freeform work that really plays around with the basic structure of the source tune while creating some new ideas. This one’s been doing pretty well in terms of reviews at VGMix and, if you like trance, this’ll do you right. I would have preferred a little more variation in the structure, so that rearrangement and remix sections alternated, but I can’t complain, bros. Sir Nuts continues to step it up as one of the scene’s most proficient trance talents.

SnappleMan - Star Ocean: Blue Sphere “Killer Dokko” [OC ReMix #1211]
Ever since Debotron requested that I play Killer Dokko on the radio show back in April, I’ve been keeping an eye on Andy Kotsamanidis, who’s been getting more and more ready in the last few months improving his game. The WIP version of Killer Dokko, available at VGMix, was a piece that had a lot of character, along with some chiptune-ish flavor, but wasn’t yet ready for the “big time” so-to-speak. Once Snapple decided to add a little more meat to it, there was nothing holding it back from making it to OCR. Snap’s gonna be working on some CastleVania material that’s not necessarily going to see the light of day at OC, so if you like how he’s rocks Killer Dokko, you oughta keep your eye out on Gorilla con Gusto for his powered up DKC mix, “Thrash the Plank.” Of course, his GrayLightning collab, “Distorted Star,” is waiting in the wings of OCR as well, so SnappleMan is a name you’ll be hearing a lot more in the coming months. I could go for a Kiwi Strawberry Snapple too. I’d swear he has that effect on purpose.

trickwaters - The Illusion of Gaia, Soul Blazer & Terranigma “Geheimnis der Erde: I Der Anfang und ein Gebet” (a.k.a. ‘Mystery of the Earth: I The Beginning and a Prayer’) [VGMix2 #1785]
Pat must make it on the pimp section 2 or 3 times a month, because he’s always got something good released on VGMix. To be perfectly honest, I have no damn idea what could have made trick combine the intros from these three games, as I just don’t see the connection here that other mixers make when they do muiltgame Final Fantasy medleys and stuff like that, so props to trickwaters for thinking outside of the box. For those of you who are familiar with Pat’s traditional piano forays, y’all can enjoy a new angle on things, as this marks his first release of orchestrated remix material rather than straight piano work, and is a newly completed work rather than older material. The levels are a bit low, and the strings came off as noticeably unatural beyond the 4-minute mark, but otherwise this is some bueno stuff. I’d say “good” in German, but let’s stick to a language I know.

ZhayTee - Metroid 1 “Kraid Adagio” [VGMix2 #1805]
Finally, we’re at Joe Toscano, who’s got this low-fi Metroid piano offering covering the ever-popular Kraid theme. You probably aren’t familiar with ZhayTee if you’re not a longtime VG remix fan, since he only has one OC ReMix from just over 2 years ago. Zhay marks his VGMix debut with “Kraid Adagio” which isn’t really there to break any new ground, but sounds nice nonetheless. And continuing with this week’s apparent motif of not dramatically rearranging tracks until most of the song is over, Joe adds a little interpretive material 2/3rds of the way home. This mix doesn’t take many liberties, but hey, you can’t go wrong with putting your own cover spin on a classic. Definitely worth checking out.

A bunch of remixers are getting together in California, including a handful of OCR judges. Rumor has it that they’ll be conducting a summit on both world peace and “LOLz.” Stay tuned to the OCR forums for more of the goings on with that. I’m a busy/tired man, so it’s time to wrap things up. For this week, I’ll stay off of the WIP front and hope some ideas develop into new releases for next week. Until then…um…keep on truckin’. Yeah, I think that’s it.

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 11th, 2004 at 6:37 am and is filed under Arrangement Albums, Arrangers, Compos, Larry Oji (Liontamer), OverClocked ReMix, VG Frequency. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.