Author Archives: Taylor Brown

It’s a halc-stravanganza!! Double Review Number Two!

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How fitting that the second double review, possibly in existence, contains halc just like the first. And that it’s the Pixel Perfect LP, the follow-up to the EP that was in the first. And one that, looking back at the review for the EP, that I had in fact wished for. As for the second album, it’s The Sound of Speed, halc’s OCR directorial debut. So get ready for the halc-stravaganza, as this double review is dedicated to him!

PIXEL PERFECT LP

1. Recovery     1:01
Pretty mellow track, fitting the title quite aptly. More beats at 0:37 or so. It just keeps building and building until 0:57, when it stops.

2. Next Headache     2:32
The disc flows right into this track. Chippiness kicks in at 0:11. More instrumentation at 0:28. This is a pretty jazzy fun track. Slight breakdown at 1:08 or so and again at 1:23 or so. 1:54 or so brings in happy chippy fun time. Then again, that’s pretty much this whole disc if I’m not mistaken. The finale begins at 2:20 or so.

3. Human Eyes     3:13
This effect sounds like a guitar. Chippiness confirmed at 0:18. Slight breakdown at 0:48 or so. The main melody is pretty hypnotic. Back to the norm at 1:20. Another breakdown at 1:50 or so. Nice little piano solo at 2:12 or so. Return to regularity at around the 2:20 mark, and nice little chipsax at 2:37 or so. I like the sound of that, the chipsax. I’m using that from now on.

4. Floating Higher    2:00
The sequel to Floating Away from the EP? Probably, and it does feel ethereal and floaty. The main melody is pretty mesmerizing. Switch-up at 0:50. Not much of a sequel when it’s a minute shorter than its predecessor. Breakdown at 1:36 or so heralds the impending finale, which occurs at 1:53.

5. Shoot & Spin     2:09
What a jazzy track, upbeat and happy, as chiptunes are wont to be. I think. More instrumentation at 0:32. Slight mix-up at 0:51. Some chipkeys at 1:08. Okay, chip is my new prefix when dealing with chiptunes. Some chipchimes at 1:30 or so. I feel like I’m spinning. Floating and spinning… guess I’m now a helicopter. Finale starts at 1:58 or so.

6. Higher Reasoning     4:18
Slow start, but it works. Still slow and calm at the minute mark, but picks up at 1:19. Has some instrumentation reminiscent of some of bLiNd’s work at around the two minute mark. Breakdown at 2:25 heralds more to come, and it builds up until 2:56, when something big is on the horizon of the soundscape. Sure enough, the impending event takes place at 3:09. Slowdown for the last 30 seconds.

7. Pixel Perfect     2:07
It’s title track time, people! And it’s apparently party time too, judging by the start. Melody at about 0:28, leading up to the inclusion of more percussion at about 0:45. Instrument change at around the minute mark. Change back to the original sound at 1:32 or so, leading up to both at once at 1:44, and then the finale at 1:58.

8. On + On     3:08
How haunting of an intro here; well done with the chipambience. Chipchimes at 0:32, and some percussion in the background. More instrumentation at 0:52. Breakdown at 1:08, interspersed with various effects until 1:42 when instrumentation returns. This song feels like a dream. It keeps building and building until 2:16, when it explodes into what can only be its final form. Slight breakdown at 2:32, which signals the coming end of the track, and subsequently the album. Fades out to nothingness. I am sad now.

THE SOUND OF SPEED

1. halc, OA – A, B, C, Start!     0:33
A simple take on the short title jingle, an idea taken from SnappleMan‘s Project Chaos title mix. Well done!!

2. OA, Scaredsim – The Sound of Speed     3:21
And one of the most familiar tracks in gaming gets a rockin’ facelift yet again. Guitar comes in at 0:18. Dual guitar tones at 0:27 or so! At least this song doesn’t start out with HEY IT’S THE PARTY SONG!! PARTY’S OVER HERE!! Just kidding, I love that part. Anyways, pretty faithful mix. Or at least, it is until 1:54 when the mixage begins. OA and Scaredsim did great on giving this a tropical feel while keeping it rocking. Throughout the solo, the crescendo plays continuously in the background. Back to source at 2:49.

3. halc, Insixfour, ProtoDome – Shifting Islands     3:38
Now my favorite Marble Zone remix happens to be Metamorphic Rock, but this take on it… well, it’s in its own league, and I mean that in the best way possible. Source comes in at 0:18 or so. Violin comes in at about 0:49. Classic halc chiptuna mastery comes in at about 1:25. More violin at 1:53. Breakdown at 2:27 or so, pure chiptunage follows until 2:46 when it all comes back. Simplicity from 3:22 or so until the end.

4. GaMeBoX – Subsonic Sparkle     3:21
And here I was thinking I’d never be able to review a GaMeBoX mix… Silly me, guess I was wrong. With the first of three Special Stage mixes, GaMeBoX puts his trademark style on this classic track. Source comes in at 0:20, with wah guitar at 0:27 and 0:34, and many other places throughout. Nice guitar usage from 0:54 or so until 1:12. The ring loss sound effect is put to good use in this song, along with several other tracks. Some chimes in the background at 1:44, and a breakdown about ten seconds later. Breakdown from about 2:52 until the end, with some elaboration starting at 3:02 until the end.

5. halc – Spring Junkie     3:45
I wonder if the duo of junkie-titled names was intentional… Anyways, pure halc here, just like in the above album. Except for the fact that those are original and this is not, and a mix of Spring Yard Zone. Some source comes in at 0:48 like a flying saucer. Listen and you’ll understand. More source at 1:11 or so. Slight breakdown at 1:30, with some awesome chiptuna at 1:40 or so. Great sound effect usage, a technique that seems prominent with this entire album. Slowdown at 2:25 or so, with source at 2:44. Simplicity reigns from 3:02 until end, with sound effects interspersed throughout.

6. Benjamin Briggs – Bubble Junkie     3:32
And now for everyone’s favorite stage, Labyrinth Zone. With its deadly waters and awesome boss fight, how can you not love this zone? Okay, so the stage itself sucks, but the music is phenomenal. As is chth’s take on it. Nice magic-box effect at 0:42 for the source to come in with. Also, I don’t care if he’s going by his real name now, he is and always will be chth to me. Spring sound, among others, at 1:11. Bubbly take on the source at 1:55 or so, and mixes with the wah effect afterwards. Remixage begins at 2:30 or so. Nice take on it to coast to the finish, and slowdown for the final seconds, with a sudden end at 3:28.

7. Joshua Morse – Fifty Rings to Ride     4:11
JM takes the second Special Stage mix, with a title that doubles as a game hint. Source comes in at 0:27. Sounds like he slowed the tempo down a bit; it works quite well. Classic Morse instrumentation and jazziness. Sexy guitar, ethereal instruments… it’s beautiful… Ahem. Brief breakdown at 2:05. 2:51 brings in some DO-DO-DO-DO-DOOOO… fits in perfectly with the track. More source usage at 3:17. 3:50 heralds the end of the track.

8. DrumUltimA, Harmony – Under Construction     5:30
And for the longest track on the album, we’ve got the Star Light Zone remix. And it starts simply with acoustic guitar and some chimes. Chimed source at 0:35 or so. And guitar source at 1:14 or so. What I never got was why it was Star Light Zone and it took place in a construction zone. Shouldn’t it have taken place in space or a planetarium or something with that name? Eh, no matter. Da-da-da-da-daaaaa at around the 2:40 mark. 3:20 brings in some remixage, queued up by Doug’s mixer name being sung. And then more guitar and singing queued up with Harmony’s name being sung. With epic drums continuing. I have to say, this song is like ten times more awesome in headphones than via my crappy lappy speakers. It calms down at 4:35 or so, and remains calm until the end.

9. Brandon Strader, Rexy – Hogtied     4:43
Epic boss mixage right here. By the way, last time I checked you could find a midi version of this on VGMusic under Newly Submitted Files, and it’s by Rexy, so that’s pretty cool. It doesn’t take long for the source to start, and Brandon rocks the guitars in this. Main source at 0:54 in epic guitar. The percussion in this keeps a fast beat that makes me move to it. 1:41 brings Rexy in to the main picture with some jazzy guitar. 1:58 has Brandon take his own version of the mix, and it’s pretty sweet. It’s also a segway into Rexy’s awesome take with more guitar over it. 2:49 brings in the start to one of the more epic parts of the song, building and building until it explodes at 3:22 with more guitar source usage. 4:12 brings the start to the finale with rising notes that culminate in brief source usage that fades to silence.

10. José the Bronx Rican – Caos     4:34
And now for the final take on the Special Stage theme. In my opinion, this is the most meticulously detailed one of the three, fitting for OCR’s resident rapper and media man. Source comes in at 0:34 or so. If you listen carefully, you can hear so many things at once it’s insane. More source usage at 1:22 or so. 2:00 brings in the start of José’s remixing of the source, filled with various jingles and brief snippets other tracks from the game as well. 2:46 is the start of an epic piano solo, lasting for an entire minute!! Listen carefully for the aforementioned aural allusions. Background source usage at 3:30 or so. The last minute is very toned down, but it works. After that piano solo, you need a cooldown period.

11. WillRock – Clockwork Criminal     3:28
Starts out with sound effects, and source comes in at 0:30. Trademark WillRock sounds come in at 1:01. Sound effects are in the background throughout the entire song, but are most prominent as the bookends, so to speak, for the track. 1:47 brings in the genesis of what we all know Will loves to do, and that’s rock out like a Brit. And judging by past British bands, they rock out quite hard. 2:17 has his synth guitar squeal that we all know and love. And again at 2:46, albeit briefly. 3:20 takes the sound effects and ends the track.

12. Jewbei – Final Progression     4:36
Ah, bLiNd’s disciple… good guy, good mixer. He’s learned much, and that’s blatantly obvious with this take on the Final Zone theme. Hints of the source come in at 0:31, and the full source begins at 1:41 after a breakdown at 1:11 and buildup at 1:28 or so. Trance-tacular!! Nice usage of ethereal chimes at 2:18 or so for more source. This just builds and builds and builds, kind of like Robotnik’s wrath I suppose. This is Sonic 1, so he’s being called Robotnik. It’s only fitting. 3:38 or so brings a slowdown and gradual removal of parts, until 4:20 when it becomes obvious that this is the progession to the final seconds of the track.

13. Brandon Strader, halc, WillRock – A Hog in His Prime     5:36
The credits medley, always a classic. Starts out with Special Stage usage, and sound effects. What else? Guitar comes in at 0:24. Awesome bass at 0:46 or so. Green Hill Zone at 1:04 or so, and more guitar courtesy of Brandon at 1:22 or so. More Special Stage at 1:49. Marble Zone, with wah, at 2:24 or so. Star Light at about 2:40, with chimes. Guitar starts at 2:52. WillRock’s synth at 3:23 goes wild. This is the solo that wasn’t in Clockwork Criminal. Breakdown at 3:52. 4:06 brings in epic finale, and 4:18 has Brandon showing off his recorder skills. For your information, these were previously seen in Monkeys Disarm Their Kremlings, from Serious Monkey Business, back in 2010. The recorder continues until very close to the end… but unlike most final tracks, this one doesn’t end with a peaceful fade. 5:17 brings in Brandon rocking the OUT OF BREATH jingle that closes out the album.

CONCLUSION

Well, truth be told I’ve reviewed three albums this night. First was DjjD’s Uprising, which you can read about elsewhere on this site. This double review was created to quickly shrink my backlog of albums I need to review. And I think it went well. Pixel Perfect LP was great, albeit brief. But mixed with the EP and you’ve got a damn near complete album. halc’s chiptune skills are definitely improving with age, and practice no doubt, something evident in his recent singles and in his work on these two albums.
As for the others involved with Sound of Speed, they’re pretty awesome too. A lot of love went into all of these tracks, and it shows. WillRock did a phenomenal job with his tracks, and Brandon rocked the holy hell out of what he was tasked with. Jewbei is starting to show signs of matching his sensei’s skills, if not surpassing him, with the potential shown in his, and chth gave Labyrinth Zone a nice spin. I’d request a mix of that from Insert Rupee, but since both Ben and halc have mixed that track on their own, I don’t think I need it. And the three Special Stage mixes were all beautifully done, created by three masters of their style. And the others involved did great as well. Next time I’ll be reviewing ProtoDome’s BLUENOISE album, followed by Benjamin Briggs’s Attention Deficit EP. Until next time, game on!!

The Very Best That No One Ever Was! The Missingno Tracks

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DISC 1

1. Fishy – Game On (~Opening~ Demo) 0:19
Starts out with the Game Freak sound effects, and then rocks the main theme like mad!

2. Level 99 РThe Mighty Mighty Pok̩mon (~Opening~ Demo 2) 2:48
Starts out with Stevo’s signature guitar sound! Pretty rockin’ track from the start. 0:30 shows off some source usage. 1:08 brings a breakdown… and then it builds back up without missing a beat. 1:31 brings in a solo. Source resumes at 2:01. Stevo rocks this track right to the very end! YEAH!

3. halc – Shades of Red (Theme of Pallet Town) 3:11
I thought this was a remix album… not a soundtrack. Starts out with almost straight source usage, and 0:18 brings in the remix. halc keeps on improving his skills! 1:25 brings in some solo action. 1:44 slows it down and breaks it down. Source returns with some mixage at 1:54. Everything slows down at 2:30. It all starts to fade away at this point as well…

4. Jaroban, Matt Beckemeyer, Fishy, Sam Cooper, Vralia, Jocelyn Holst, DJ Krisp-E, Chris Stibrany – My Greatest Rival (Battle! Rival) 5:28
Oooh! Starts out pretty ominous sounding… Also, it didn’t take long to get to the requisite mega-collab. 0:13 brings in guitar, and 0:20 brings in an epic voiceover. 0:36 shows source chippiness. Vocal track? No worries, the lyrics are pretty well written, and also pretty funny. 1:25 brings in a backup vocal. That’s great… We’ll see who has the bigger Pokéballs! Best line ever. This makes Gold out to be a loser of sorts and Silver to be a pimp. Then again, Silver is Giovanni’s… err… don’t want to spoil that. 2:50 or so brings in the chorus. 3:22 brings a breakdown of sorts. Whip out your Pokéballs! 3:37 or so brings in a battle scene voiceover with classic sound effects. The lyrics don’t take themselves seriously at all… I love it. 4:20 brings the chorus back. 4:58 ends the song, and ambience starts until the end, with the epic voiceover too… What a hilarious track.

5. ProtoDome – Rain Prayer (Road to Viridian City – From Pallet ~ Guidepost ~ Road to Cerulean – From Mt. Moon) 2:42
Piano, eh? Proto’s still got it. But why isn’t he saving Christmas: The Dangerous Formula? Eh, no matter… 0:22 brings in some chippiness with the piano. What a mellow jazzy track… This is a really good track right here; I love it! 1:25 or so brings in a piano solo. 1:38 brings in a chippy solo. Everything really picks up at 2:04 or so. Everything fades away at 2:36.

6. prophetik – Viridian Vibe (Theme of Pewter City) 3:29
Ambience, eh? Saxophone at 0:16 or so. Some electronica comes in at 0:38 or so. This is a beautiful track right here… 1:24 brings in a solo of the wind instrument. Source resumes at 1:50. The electronic sound in the background works beautifully. It keeps the track together in a cohesive unit. More solo at 2:38 or so. The finale becomes evident at 2:58. Ambience returns at 3:10, and the sax fades out to the end.

7. Cerrax – Out of Antidote (Viridian Forest) 3:41
Eh, eh? Okay, I had to do that. 0:08 brings in source, with creepiness to boot. This is how this track should be done! After all, they say that the forest is a maze. Great work from Cerrax here. What an eerie track; fitting for this creepy forest. 1:06 brings in some more creepy ambience, and is followed by a solo. There’s even more creepiness at 1:30!! Everything slows down and calms down at 1:45 or so, but builds back up 10 seconds later. Another solo of sorts at 2:10, with a breakdown included. It slowly builds up to what is sure to be an epic finale. A hint of the end at 2:48. 3:04 brings a return of the norm, but with a hint of finality. 3:26 proves that the end is near, and it breaks down to the end.

8. ProtoDome, Level 99 – Hope to See You Again Soon… (Pokémon Center) 2:21
A mellow mix for a mellow source. With “duh duh duh nuh nuh”s included. Looks like Stevo opted for acoustic here, and Proto opted for his usual quirkiness. A breakdown at 1:20 or so. The piano in the background is beautiful. 1:50 brings a solo of sorts. Fades to end.

9. Fishy – Battle for the Badge [Battle (VS Gym Leader)] 4:10
Starts out calm, but 0:05 brings in some epic music. 0:16 shows the source in full rockin’ glory! 0:37 rocks it even harder. Distortion at 0:58. This is a phenomenal track right here… just what a remix of this source should be and more! It’s hard to review because it’s so awesome. I only want to listen and not type! Woe… Anywho, 1:57 kicks off the solo; can’t miss that now can we? 2:17 brings in more of the solo, and it sure sounds epic. Source begins to return at 3:00 or so. Still a bit of a solo here… that’s over a minute now. Slowdown at 3:29. Calm music until the end… One hell of a track there.

10. ProtoDome – On the Origin of Species (Evolution) 1:35
This title makes me laugh… well done, Proto. Well done. A mellow track for a simple source. Nice breakdowns and usage of Pokémon cries. Yes, I can tell they’re cries by the sound. Yes, I’m a nerd. No I don’t care. Think I heard a Magnemite in there… Very well done, and very calm. Nice work. Ends with the classic finished sound.

11. Benjamin Briggs – Drowning Blue (S.S. Anne) 3:13
Piano/chiptune hybrid is evident in the first 20 seconds. Classic chthonic goodness here. 0:56 brings in some source usage. Slowdown at 1:22, and solo from there. Slight speedup at 1:44 or so. It works wonderfully. Also a bit of a solo at this point, until 2:27 when the source returns. Fadeaway at 2:54 to end.

12. Rozovian – Spume (Sea) 4:43
Oh, Rozo, what have you done here? Let’s see! Sonar blips? Nice ambience… signature for Rozovian. Everything keeps building and building up until 1:11 when more ambience comes in. What a buildup.. 1:26 brings in some source usage. I knew it was building to something! What a happy track! Scratch that, what a bipolar track. More so than Bipolar Bird from Essence of Lime… 2:12 brings in more source usage. 3:07 slows everything down, and brings back the sonar blips. 3:18 brings it all back again though. I like the tempo of this… Everything slows down for the last minute, and returns to the ambient beginnings of the track. Nice job, man!

13. Tweek – TEEM.ROKIT (Team Rocket Hideout) 4:31
Tweek, master of epic stuff, tackles the Team Rocket Hideout on his own. Err… the song, not the place. 0:20 proves the epicity of the track is easily evident. 0:44 brings in some heavy drums. What an epic track! No surprise though; it is Tweek. 1:14 or so brings a breakdown, but with all breakdowns it builds back up. Source usage is littered throughout this breakdown. 2:10 brings in some more solid source usage. 2:26 has the classic sound of the source that is probably ingrained in the memories of youth who played Red and Blue for hours on end. Gold and Silver too, for that matter. 3:00 or so shows another solo. If Team Rocket was this awesome, they just might have succeeded in their goals. Instead, they were foiled by a sixth grader. 3:50 shows that source one last time. Fades to end starting at 4:10.

14. pu_freak – Clash of the Titans [Battle (VS Trainer)] 5:55
Piano rendition of the battle theme? I’ll take it. 0:26 brings in some source usage. The original battle themes were the best. This is a pretty awesome track. On par with Rexy’s best, methinks. 1:15 or so is a bit of a solo. 1:30 brings in the source again. Speed up at 1:55 with more source. This style fits the source wonderfully… like a skintight bodysuit or something. Yeah, it’s that good of a fit. 2:50 or so has a slowdown, but 3:00 brings in more of the source. 3:25 or so breaks everything down to the simplest form… pure, slow piano at its best. This continues until 4:24 or so when it starts to build back up… slowly but surely the intensity increases with each key, each note, until 4:52 when it gets back to the source. And at 5:10 it is on the verge of exploding with the pressure and intensity. At 5:30 it explodes, and the remnants of the track fade away to the finish. Beautiful!! Bravo!!

15. Rozovian, WillRock – Blue Haze (Road to Viridian City – From Pallet) 5:21
Once again, ambience. This is also Will’s first track on the album, and his signature synth sound comes in at 0:48. This track keeps on building like so many others before it. Then again, that’s fitting for a Pokémon remix album. Have to build your monsters up too, right? 1:38 continues the building of the track… WillRock uses Source! It’s super effective! Listener takes 2:10 damage because that’s the time it begins at. 2:37 brings a hint of more to come. The title is apt; there’s certainly a haze in my ears with this song. And then at 3:00 or so, the main song cuts through the haze like a Razor Leaf. At 3:39 or so, WillRock uses Solo! It’s super effective! Yes, I’m gonna continue these jokes. With this album, it’s kinda mandatory, ya know? Everything builds up after this solo until 4:38, when a hint of the end reveals itself. 4:50 slows everything down to it’s base level. Ambience to finish. Great way to end the first disc.

DISC 2

1. WillRock – Champion’s Horizon (Route #26) 4:47
Starts out rocking right out the gate. Classic WillRock sound permeates this track, as with most of his other tracks. 0:29 brings in calm source usage. 0:39 is the return of the synth sound. 0:54 has the classic screaming guitar sound that is so beautiful. 1:17 brings in a solo. 1:53 or so brings more source usage. 2:12 has some piano; a rare calm spot for a WillRock track. But 2:25 proves it was just the calm before the storm, as everything intensifies tenfold from here on out. This is truly one heck of a track, and truly fantastic. 3:19 brings in some triumphant sounding guitar. 3:50 or so has a victorious solo. More calmness at 4:05 or so. 4:22 says PIKA!! And repeats a few more times until the end. Cute and unexpected.

2. Insert Rupee – Precious Metals (Goldenrod City) 2:25
Ben Briggs and halc team up once more for this song. Very evident source usage. Very happy as well; the musical glee is reminiscent of Why So Serious? More source usage at 0:58 or so, with a bit of a personalized touch. 1:12 has a solo using some classic sounds and Pokémon cries. 1:42 has another solo. It all breaks down to simplicity at 2:07, and continues until the end.

3. WillRock – Slowpoke Shuffle (Azalea Town) 3:49
Ttthhhiiisss tttrrraaaccckkk iiiissss sssslllloooowwww…. A very mellow track; very well done Will! I’m half-tempted to review this song in the conclusion as a joke, but I won’t. Source is very evient throughout this track. 2:00 brings in a slow solo… a slowlo if you will. Source usage returns to dominance at 3:00 or so. Calmness continues to the end.

4. Mattias Häggström Gerdt, GSlicer – Casino Lounge (Goldenrod Game Corner) 4:43
Anso’s electronic expertise and GSlicer’s skills combine for one trance-tacular track. Rhythm appears at 0:30 or so. Source usage at 1:45 or so. This is a very rhythm-driven song; it works though. A bit of a solo begins at about 2:10. It’s like Rain Dance and then a water move; one part emphasizes the other. Nice work. Source returns at 3:30 or so. Calmness begins at 3:58 or so, and then builds up to the finale. Solo beat at 4:18, and then fadeout until the end.

5. Chrono, Dragon Avenger – Divine Olivine (Violet City) 4:15
What a happy beat! If Deia’s involved, I’m expecting vocals to go with a beat like this. Chimes play throughout. Source at 0:32. 0:47 brings in Deia going “na-na-na” more than that recent My Chemical Romance song. This is cooler too. More source at 1:21. Short breakdown at 1:35 or so. 1:56 brings Deia back, with backup vocals by DragonAvenger. Pretty well done. 2:38 brings in some beautiful piano, that brings in even more of the source. 3:14 returns the source that had been used up until this point. Basic beat from 3:55 or so until the end, with occasional chimes.

6. DragonAvenger – Jiggly Choir (Jigglypuff’s Song) 0:42
Okay, creeped out a bit. Damn Jigglypuffs… Anyone else getting sleepy? All this track contains is Jigglypuff singing. Pretty funny for an interlude. Then again, Deia did those on the FF4 album too…

7. ProtoDome – Home Is Where the Luvdisc Is… [Hearthome City (Day)] 1:45
0:12 brings in some jazzy source. Piano is used equally as the brass instruments. A bit of a solo begins at about 1:05. This continues until the end; beautifully done, Proto. Beautiful!

8. halc – My Friend Mudkip (Dewford Town ~ Surfing) 3:13
And now for the only Generation 3 remix on the album. Begins with some nice chippiness, and a great take on the source too. 0:30 brings in some background music. Also, for the record, I do like Mudkip. This is a very happy track, and chippier than a truckload of Lay’s put through a wood chipper. 1:30 brings in the Surfing source. This is even better than Shades of Red, believe it or not. A bit of a calm spot starts at 2:15 or so. A bit like Pacifidlog Town itself. Except this doesn’t float atop a colony of Corsola. Calmness and bass to end from 2:50 or so.

9. The Orichalcon – Argent Vexemon (Ice Path) 3:33
This is a very frigid song; by that, I mean the sounds are very icy. Bells and the like are used. 0:37 starts some electronic sounds. This a very intense song; 0:57 brings in a heavy beat. More source usage at 1:23 or so. There’s a large focus on the main rhythm here. A bit of a solo begins at 2:27 or so. A buildup to the end begins after this solo; the end really begins at 3:12, when it all starts to fade to silence until the end.

10. ProtoDome – May I Have This Swords Dance? [Canalave City (Day)] 2:51
A very calm song… it starts to build right from the start until 0:23 when the source comes in. Some jazziness comes in at 0:37, taking on the source. This is a very well-balanced mix of chiptune and jazz. Chipjazz, if you will, is pretty much Proto’s specialty, it seems. Solo at 1:27 or so, and it’s beautiful. There’s some pitch bending at 1:46 or so; continues until 2:06 when a breakdown occurs. Sax-sound comes in at 2:11 and continues until the end. Piano finishes the track. Nice work by Blake the British guy who’s a bit strange…11. Fishy, Andy Jayne – Super Effective [Battle! Trainer (Johto)] 5:15
Ah, Fishy and Andy. A collab unseen since Summoning of Spirits. 0:20 brings in some epic guitar source usage. This song is even longer than Battle for the Badge; with this much rock I can’t wait to see how much it progresses. More source usage at 1:08. Some solo at 1:27 or so. Once again, it’s hard to review because all I want to do is listen. Mor source usage at 1:57 here. This song is certainly super effective against my musical tastes; I’m loving the dual guitars. More solo at 2:41, and this one sounds quite heavy. Source returns at 3:04 or so. Another solo at 3:17 that quickly returns to source usage. 3:47 brings in some more rocking on the source that is a mix between cover and solo as with so many other parts of this song. This is such a fast-paced song. Slowdown at 4:27 that brings in some piano. Slowness continues until 5:02 when it all starts to fade away.

12. WillRock, ProtoDome, halc – Bullet for My Piloswine [Route #225 (Day) ~ Ending] 4:00
Vocals at the start; Pretty rocking start. Chippiness comes in at 0:25. Also, this song is guilty of one of the most simultaneously horrid and awesome puns for a title ever. Rocking at 0:37 courtesy of Mr. Harby. More chiptunes at 0:53 or so. Heavy guitar at 1:25 or so. Solo at about 1:40. This is certainly an epic track. Piano comes in at 2:08, no doubt courtesy of Proto. Chiptunes at 2:23. More guitar at 2:33. Dual guitar sound at 2:48 or so. More awesome guitar at 3:20. Fade beginning at 3:49 or so until end.

13. pu_freak – Journey’s End (Ending) 3:09
And we come to the final track, with a very fitting title. What an aural journey it has been, too. Very awesome piano, here. Then again, what OCR album these days doesn’t have at least one epic piano track? Very slow track, but the source is highly evident. I don’t anticipate a huge buildup here, as it’s the last track, and relatively short too. But it does start to build starting at about 1:40. The finale is surely imminent. This such a beautiful track… it all starts to decline to silence at 2:30, with very calm piano dispersed throughout this final period. Ends with a classic sound effect.

CONCLUSION
Well, this album has been in the works for 4 years now, right around the time when Diamond and Pearl came out, heralding the beginning of Generation 4 and showing a grand total of 493 unique Pokémon. And now, in less than a week Black and White come out, starting off Generation 5 and bringing the total up to 649. This album has been a long time coming, and that’s a very good thing. A nice balance between jazz, chiptunes, and epic guitar-driven rock, among other things, it comes together nicely. It’s definitely worth a download, and every track has earned its place on my hard drive. A much anticipated album, and the expectations were never too high. The end result met them and exceeded them without a doubt. Great work from everyone involved, and I can’t wait to hear and review the next album, whatever it may be. The only sure thing is that it will be OCRA-0024. Until next time, game on!

Double Review!! Genuine LP by JH Sounds and Pixel Perfect EP by halc

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Well this is a new thing. Behold, the double review! Glorious, isn’t it? I’ve been meaning to review JH Sound’s Genuine LP for a while now, and once halc released his Pixel Perfect EP I knew I’d be reviewing that too. What better time than now than to do so, and why not review both in the same article? I regularly review double-disc albums anyways, so this is basically the same. Except that both discs are standalone albums and only related tangentially through the artist’s connections in the remixing community, and me. So here goes nothing!

JH SOUNDS – GENUINE

1. Genuine     3:00
 A pretty mellow track, with the title repeated for a while until about 0:47. At 1:03 it comes back, all chopped up. At this point, it becomes apparent that the word itself is used as an instrument unto itself. Drumwork is nice. At 2:38 the word fades out and JH’s trademark chime comes in to end.
2. Piana     3:08
 Fittingly enough, it begins with piano. And synth. A good combo, too! This track has a good melody to it. It switches up at about 1:04 and returns at 1:18 or so. 1:28 brings a breakdown that sounds sweet, and totally gives the song a new feel. Rhythm returns at about 2:20. Fades to end at 3:05
3. Globalization     2:56
 Sounds like a broken sound chip on an SNES at first; at 0:18 the beginnings of a pattern form and at 0:26 they come into full effect. A fun melody comes in at about 0:40. 1:25 brings a new instrument in, and like the other songs here, it adds to the ambience of the track. It ends to whistling at 2:30. The whistling itself ends at 2:50.
4. Creepers     3:03
 Funky track; sounds like it would work with the Munsters or something similar too, which rocks. The main melody ends for a brief time at 1:04 when a voice clip comes in. The music returns at 1:27 or so. The melody tunes down at 2:13, and returns at 2:22.
5. AOTD     2:52
 Interesting vocal clip from injury… the drums are solid again. The music jumps around a tiny bit, but it’s very enjoyable. As the song goes on, injury’s voice clip works as another instrument, like Noah Ludington’s voice clip from track one. It dies at 2:48 in humorous fashion.
6. Flatline feat. bill cakes     3:02
 Starts out with a flatline, naturally. Guitar here courtesy of bill cakes, and it’s done beautifully. At 0:49 the main track comes in, and it’s awesome. I really like what the two did here; it’s a beautiful collab. Then again, JH is great at collabs soo… yeah. Anyways, bill breaks down the guitar at about 2:00 in grand fashion. The song winds down at 2:52.
7. Ambush     2:59
 This sounds like a menacing track… I like it! Sounds like something big’s about to go down! Drums come in at 0:36 and add to the intensity. Mix-up at 1:26 doesn’t change the feel, and the drums returning keep it as tense as before. I want this song to play before I go to do anything, just to make it that much more dramatic. The sirens in the background starting at about 2:00 or so help too. It winds down starting at 2:30. It ends with a voice clip.
8. Infamy     3:05
 This song starts with FDR’s famous address to Congress after Pearl Harbor happened. Fitting, since the song’s name is infamy and FDR says it in said speech. I’m sure when FDR was alive, he never dreamed his voice would be used in a song like this. It’s actually a bit humorous. I like this track; it’s nice, and at 1:45 more of the speech is used a bit. Voice clip is chopped up starting at 2:25 or so. Breakdowns on this CD are quite regular and well… genuine. Voice clip chop to end.
9. Cheeky     2:58
 White Stripes sample start the song out, and it’s nice. The drums and melody in the background are calming and fit the song. Trippy voice sample echo effect at 1:45 or so. This continues until 2:12 or so. Echo is used again every time the voice clip is used thereafter. A nice peaceful track.
10. Fishy     3:55
 This track starts out quiet and builds up in grand fashion. Fittingly enough, this track contains a sample from the song “Echoes” by Fishy, alias Cain McCormack. The melody is beautiful and the mood is big. The sample comes in at 1:50 or so. It’s a bit strange, but it works. There’s a nice rhythm from about 2:30 until the end that works fantastically. Song starts to end at 3:43 and ends at 3:52.
11. Motorway     3:13
 I just want to drive slowly listening to this song, even though I don’t know how to drive. It’s a fun track, with a nice moving rhythm. It’s calm and peaceful too. The melody goes basic at 2:50 and this plays until the end.
12. Prayer     4:04
For the final main track of the album, JH decided to go religious a bit. A voice clip of a prayer begins the track, albeit a bit delayed. The melody plays throughout this voice clip, which plays throughout the entire track. Bass comes in at 1:12. Everything stops at 1:58 and resumes at 2:00. This entire speech is quite hilarious in it’s nonsensicality. There is a very defined rhythm, and the speech ends at 3:30. The melody continues until the end of the track.
13. Piana (RoboRob SpaceShip ReMix)     3:12
 Ah yes, a remix… Very groovy and electronica-y. Some orchestral-like instrument comes in at 0:30. 1:01 brings about more of the main melody. 1:30 brings a voice clip, and 1:38 showcases a pretty slick effect. Sounds like the instruments in the source were sampled here for a more electronic sound. It’s a great mix, and fun to listen to. Everything continues as normal until 3:07 when it all suddenly stops.

HALC – PIXEL PERFECT

1. First Headache     2:16
 This sounds like the Game Boy Zelda fairy music at first. It’s very peaceful and relaxed. More chippiness comes in at 0:30, showing the main melody. It is also reminiscent of old Kirby music. It slows down at about 1:10. This is a very catchy track, and doesn’t incite a headache at all. It calms down at 1:58 or so.
2. Floating Away     2:56
 Great choppy chips of Cthulhu! This song is more ethereal than a cloud! Was that a Mega Man sound effect I heard? 0:43 brings in some melody aside from the rhythm. 1:24 brings a breakdown, and the music slowly lowers it’s volume. At 1:44 it comes back. Looks like halc learned much from chthonic… err… Ben Briggs, in their time working together! Everything goes quiet at about 2:20 until the end, as it all slowly fades away.
3. 17-bit     2:17
 The melody comes in almost immediately. There is a very… not quite victorious or triumphant, but close… there is that sort of feel to this track. Like you’ve just done something monumental, but it’s not really a big deal… It quiets down at about 1:20 and returns at 1:38. Awesome chippiness at 1:54 or so. At 2:08 it begins it’s final descent.
4. White-Out     2:15
Funky, groovy, nice bass. 0:10 brings in some melodious awesomeness. 0:28 shows off some echo-like chimes. This song has created it’s own ambience, and feels like an old cavernous dungeon theme from a game of yesteryear. 1:08 brings in another melody, albeit faint, and 1:28 mixes it up a bit. It returns at 1:45 with new beats. Bass to end.
5. Bad Decisions     3:20
 I don’t think this song was a bad decision at all! Sure, it starts out slow, but it is building up to something epic. It keeps going, and by 0:30 there is some rhythm. 0:52 adds more rhythm, and 1:09 kicks off the melody. 1:28 adds some drum effects, with some bass effects. Main melody returns at 2:00, with some mixage of it incorporated. Now this sounds like some sort of infiltration theme for an old game. It fades out starting at 3:00 until the end. And a great end it is!

CONCLUSION
First off, JH’s album. It’s a great freshman effort, and it’s beautful. I would expect to see this on store shelves or something. It’s a highly enjoyable collection of average-sized tracks, perfect for someone on the go!
halc’s album, Pixel Perfect, shows off his champion chiptune skills masterfully, and is a great example of how old sounds can sound fresh and exciting. Each track is bite-sized, and full of nostalgic effects. Highly recommended, and highly advised for download. I hope he releases an LP of this soon; I must have more!
All in all, both albums are fantastic efforts by both artists, and are but the beginning of what they have in store, I’m sure. You can find more from JH at his website, jhsounds.com, and more from halc at his website, halc9bit.com. In our next thrilling installment, we’ll have a new album by that guy who has the perfect gigoquotes. If you know what that means, then I’m surprised you’re reading this. Until next time, game on!!

A Melodious Melee! Heroes vs. Villains Review

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One of the most anticipated albums in OCR history has finally been released! No, not Threshold of a Dream. I already reviewed that back in December, remember? No, it’s not The Missingno Tracks either; that doesn’t drop until the end of the month. I’m talking about OC ReMix vs. The Bad Dudes: Heroes vs. Villains. First conceived by Mustin, this album is the most collaborative album in OCR’s history, featuring work from the notorious Bad Dudes and several now-veteran OC ReMixers. And it’s a great collaboration indeed; you want to know more than read on! Just be warned, if you’re listening to this album some face-melting may occur. Let’s begin! Let the musical battle between Heroes and Villains begin!

But first, a little note. Due to the character-based nature of this album, the first line will contain track number, artist, title, and duration. The second line will contain character, series, and game the main source is from in italics. Okay, NOW let the battle begin!

1. Big Giant Circles – Bounty of a Brain 3:55
Samus Aran (Metroid) – Super Metroid
It starts out classic BGC style; Mr. Hinson hasn’t lost his touch at all. Everything builds and builds continually… intensity rises clear past the minute mark… 1:12 brings in some awesome guitar to really kick the album, and the battle, off. 1:29 or so gets the melody rockin’ right on. 1:47 gets Samus’ theme in the mix. 2:09 isolates the theme from the rest, only to reacquaint it with everything else bit by bit starting at 2:25. By 2:55 it’s all back together, with more than it started with. A finale for the track seems imminent, as everything slows down at 3:20. Ambience kicks in shortly after, and carries the track through to the end.2. Mazedude – Dieselbrainage 4:20
Mother Brain (Metroid) – Super Metroid
Ambience continues, picked up by the first of the Bad Dudes, Mazedude. Infamous for his quirky tracks, Mr. Getman really keeps the mood eerie right off the bat. 0:52 brings in some rhythm. The drums ‘n bass genre works well for this track. Creepy sounds punctuate the soundscape like bats in a cave, only intensifying and amplifying the spooky atmosphere of the track. 1:59 brings in Samus’ theme, but it’s quickly silenced. After a brief breakdown at about 2:25, it all returns at about 2:58. Massive breakdowns much like the breaking of the glass around Mother Brain’s dome are plentiful in the later seconds of the track. By 3:46 the speed has slowed down considerably. 3:56 starts off a very basic rhythm. One dude down, many more to go. On to the next battle!3. audio fidelity feat. Eric Griffin, Derek Meler, Marcus Affeldt – Pirate Shout 3:32
Guybrush Threepwood (Monkey Island) – The Secret of Monkey Island
Ooh! Tropical! I like it already. And epic guitar at 0:13. audio fidelity didn’t waste any time. Screams of YO and HO add to the piratey feel. There’s awesome guitar and awesome chanting here. A flute comes in at about 2:20, only to be usurped by guitar again at 2:39. A PIRATE’S LIFE WAS MEANT FOR ME, TRIM THE SAILS AND ROAM THE SEA!! Think that’s the lyrics… they work. Awesome guitar to end.

4. Diggi Dis feat. Alex Jones – Voodoo, Roots ‘n Grog 3:45
LeChuck (Monkey Island) – The Secret of Monkey Island
Acoustic guitar now? And drums too? Awesome! This song has a nice rhythm… enjoyable. Some funky styling comes in at 1:03 or so, and the feel permeates the entire track. It’s quite groovy as well. Oh damn, chiptunes at 1:55 or so. This song has everything! More traditional instruments return at 2:24, with some awesome piano. A very fun track to listen to, only for all the funk and groove and general awesomeness… To the next battle!

5. Brandon Strader – Born of Ashes, Baptized in Blood 5:25
Kratos (God of War) – God of War
Starts out very dramatically, worthy of the character this battle is for. The question is, is the battle for the music or for Kratos’ very soul? Guitar comes in at 0:34 or so. Intensity builds at 1:05. Very nice guitar work done here by Mr. Strader. A bit of a mix comes about at about 2:20. Awesome bass at 2:44 or so. This song is more metal than the liquid metallic hydrogen seas of Jupiter. Yes, I mean the planet, not the Roman god, since this is Greek mythology-inspired. 4:35 brings in more melody, and it carries through to the end.

6. Kunal Majmudar – Wrath Industrial 3:01
Zeus (God of War) – God of War
Well the title’s not far off… this does sound very industrial. And bagpipey too; how that’s industrial I don’t know but it works. A very ambient piece… some electronica sounds come in at about 0:50. Guitar at 1:05 or so, and strings at 1:20 or so. Also a very unique track. More guitar at 1:46. Charging at 2:20 for awesome guitar at 2:25 or so. Song ends with a descent at 2:55. To the next battle!

7. WillRock – Bare Knuckle Blitz 4:00
Axel (Streets of Rage) – Streets of Rage
Whoa! I thought this was from Streets of Rage, not Dance Clubs of Passion. Regardless, Mr. Harby comes through, and rocks this track from the start. Signature WillRock sounds permeate the track like Febreze in a small dorm, and it’s a very good thing. 1:46 is an example of great guitar work by Will. This little bit continues until 2:14, when the main rhythm takes center stage. Everything breaks down for a bit unti 2:45 or so when it restarts in grand fashion. The song sort of takes a life of its own until 3:51 when the end begins.

8. zyko – Mr. Z 5:57
Mr. X (Streets of Rage) – Streets of Rage
Ah yes, zyko. A more versatile musician is hard to find, but we already have zyko so why bother looking? We’ve got some guitar, tense drumbeat, and electronic sound effects. Yep, it’s zyko. Laughing at 1:48 breaks the music down, but it slowly builds back up. By 2:24 or so, it’s back. Organ comes in at about 2:50. A solo of sorts busts out at about 3:05, with organ backing it up. Another sudden stop occurs at about 3:36… At 3:55 it all explodes back onto the scene. An awesome guitar solo picks up not long after, and continues more or less until 4:36. The end of the track is definitely building up. Sound clips from the game work well… after 4:45 or so weird effects and guitar go back and forth until the 5:25, when guitar comes back. It quickly vanishes and the main rhythm takes over and the end really does begin. To the next battle!

9. Mattias Häggström Gerdt – Screw Wily, I’m Taking a Vacation 4:08
Mega Man (Mega Man) – Mega Man 2
Piano and electronica. Typical of Mr. I-have-too-many-umlauts Gerdt. A very happy track worthy of a vacation. Some nice guitar comes in at about 0:53. The guitar comes back in at about 1:40 or so. I hear some Mega Man 9 title theme at 2:05 or so. This continues until 2:56 when a basic breakdown occurs. Everything returns back to the main source at 3:08 or so. The guitar takes prominence at about 3:18. More MM9 title at 3:40 or so. Heads up, last time Rock tried taking a vacation we got GUTSMAN’S ASS soo… yeah…

10. Joshua Morse – Screw Mega Man, I’m Taking Over The World 3:19
Dr. Wily (Mega Man) – Mega Man 4
Basic Morse style, and it’s never been more beautiful. Many parts working in harmony to create beauty. 0:45 isolates the main rhythm, punctuates with some bass and horns, and returns it to normal at about 1:00. At 1:28 we have some Wily Stage 1 from MM2. 1:52 brings the main rhythm back. The instrumentation is magnificent in this track, not surprisingly. A quick simplification occurs at about 2:45 or so and continues until the end. To the next battle!

11. bLiNd – Go Ninja, Go 4:13
T.M.N.T. (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Go bLiNd go! We’re halfway there! What a very mystical sounding track… it’s beautiful and awesome. Everything starts to come in at 0:44 with epic guitar. A very fast-paced track, worthy of them heroes in a half-shell. Breakdown at 1:40 or so. Everything comes back at 2:11 with a solo of sorts. Breakdown again at 3:00 or so. I guess the turtles learned how to shred… suppose that cancels out Shredder’s shredding or something… This very basic part continues until the end.

12. Danimal Cannon – Enter the Shredder 4:09
Shredder (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) – TMNT IV: Turtles in Time
Now can Shredder outshred the turtle’s track? Let’s see what Dan can do. Fast-paced guitar and drums starting at 0:03? Very epic. Forgive any future typos; my face might melt over my eyes blocking my vision. Super-fast stop at 0:54 and restart a second later. Another breakdown at about 1:40 or so. Chiptunish sound effects take over… guitar returns at 1:58 or so. More basic rhythm at 2:25. 2:49 brings a feminine voice clip saying Enter the Shredder, only to bring in one of Dan’s signature solos immediately afterward. This solo continues on until the end of the track, only to start breaking down near the end much like the Technodrome does ALL THE TIME. Ends with laughing. To the next battle.

13. José the Bronx Rican feat. zyko – He Ain’t a G 4:22
Link (Legend of Zelda) – The Legend of Zelda
José starts off rapping immediately. Good instrumentation. YOU MUST BE HIGH IF YOU WANT TO RULE. Okay, this song wins already. The lyrics are good, as is the rapping. I heard Treecko… I love all the double entendrés here. zyko takes over rapping at 2:14 or so. The echo effect on his voice works well. José takes over at 2:48. The only tracks on the entire disc to be worked on by all involved in the particular battle, and it’s better for it. The track is passed on at 4:04 with instrumentation and the line, “Take this.”

14. zyko feat. Jos̩ the Bronx Rican РBladewalker 7:19
Ganon (Legend of Zelda) – The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
A basic retelling of A Link to the Past? Wouldn’t surprise me, but that’s why I like me some zyko. Randomness in music is his forte. And I mean that in the best way possible. Voiceovers like ones from a movie are played, and they’re as well-written as the lyrics in the Link track before this one. A very basic rhythm plays throughout this part. The final battle theme takes over at about 2:00… 2:49 brings in some lyrics. They’re as well-written as the previous vocal parts, and the instrumentation is good. 3:50 brings in some guitar. Each time the verse seems about to end, it continues. Very well-done. I AM ERROR. Okay, now the Link track has some competition. The guitar sounds very raw, and that fits Ganon’s pure unbridled hate. Probably the reason it’s so raw sounding. More spoken word at about 5:40. And then, José at 5:50 or so. I think. Organs at 6:33 or so. Laughter at 6:40 or so. From here everything slows down to the end. To the next battle!

15. zircon, Joshua Morse – Satsui no Koto 2:57
Ryu (Street Fighter) – Street Fighter II
Wait? JM is on both sides? Okay, guess that works. Very Japanese sounding. Nice instrumentation. A bit of a solo at 0:45. Chiptunes at 1:15 or so. More strings at 1:39. Electronica at 1:56… this sounds like Morse’s part of the song. Piano at 2:08. Signature JM sound at 2:28 or so. Calmness through to the end.

16. posu yan, Joshua Morse feat. Stacy Morse – Coconut Milk 3:40
Sagat (Street Fighter) – Street Fighter II
After the introductory rhythm, main instruments come in at about 0:25. Another tropical track, moreso than the previous though. A very happy track too. A bit of an acoustic guitar solo at 1:34. More solo afterwards. Everything calms down at about 2:30. At 2:53 it picks back up. A finale is definitely imminent. Sure enough, it begins at 3:13. And it ends at 3:36. To the penultimate battle!

17. Insert Rupee (Benjamin Briggs, halc) – The Life and Death of Kirby 3:54
Kirby (Kirby) – Super Smash Bros.
It slowly builds… some nice bass and sound effects kick this off. Rhythm comes in at about 0:38, and melody at about 0:46. Chiptune champions Briggs and Wheeler take on this track with style and aplomb. It’s a great rendition too; happy, fun, chippy… what else needs to be said? Still think the band name should’ve been halchthonic, though. Solo of sorts at 2:00 or so. 2:40 or so brings a bit of breakdown. It works magnificently, especially at 3:00 when it takes on a unique feel with removed notes; a wondrous sound it makes though. Everything slowly tapers to the end at 3:45.

18. Mazedude – Hot Air Penguin 3:37
King Dedede (Kirby) – Kirby Super Star
He’s back for revenge!! Mr. Getman takes on Dedede’s theme wonderfully. Everything kicks in at 0:27. Chiptunes are present here; guess it’s a battle of the retro sound chips. At 1:11 the chippiness is really evident. Horns come in at 1:24. At 2:00 the horns and chips cohabitate the soundscape of the song. Piano is also used a lot here. 3:02 brings all instruments back for one final push. 3:15 signals the beginning of the end in piano chords. To the final battle! Who shall win? Let’s see!

19. Mustin – The Prodigal Son Returns 3:49
Simon Belmont (Castlevania) – Super Castlevania IV
Mustin’s not playing for the Bad Dudes here? Intriguing… just like the start of the track. Funky track for sure right here. 0:50 or so brings in some main source usage. 1:10 or so has piano for source usage. There’s also a whip sound effect throughout the track. Fitting. 1:42 brings in some of Mustin’s signature funk, probably borrowed from his own OneUp Studios hardware and/or software. Very mellow and calm. 2:17 signals a return of source usage… and whip. 3:08 brings in a solo, perfect for the end of the track.

20. Ailsean – A Walk with Death 4:16
Dracula (Castlevania) – Castlevania
And now, for the final song. Bad Dude vs. Bad Dude… who shall prevail? It’s tough, for this track starts out slow and calm, with ahh-ing and stuff. 0:33 brings in some simple guitar. 0:49 brings in more complicated guitar, still acoustic though. 1:04 makes it electric to great effect. 1:36 brings in more source usage. 1:51 has some laughter in the background, and again at 1:59. 2:08 returns to a very basic rhythm, and the ahh-ing returns. 2:39 brings back the awesome guitar. I’m expecting some epic guitar soon, Ailsean. Please don’t let me down. 3:11 returns the simplistic style of earlier in the track. 3:29 brings in what I was hoping for, epic guitar solo. Thanks for not letting me down man. Even though it stops at 3:45, it was still awesome. Acoustic returns at the four minute mark, only to stop at 4:10 to the end.

CONCLUSION
Well… it’s a bit hard to tell who came out on top here. If it was Heroes vs. Villains, then both sides battled bravely and built a balanced bout. If it was Bad Dudes vs. OverClocked ReMix, then each side masterfully manipulated music to manhandle the melee they momentarily met with. All alliteration aside though, this was a phenomenal album, worked on with love for the music and camraderie for the mixers.
The warning in the included readme file isn’t far off, either. “And if you’re reading this while listening to the album and still have a face, congratulations. But don’t freak out when your face starts melting. We warned you.” They most certainly did. Great work from all involved; I think this battle’s a stalemate. Until next time, game on!

Interview with a ReMixer: Sixto Sounds

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Originally Posted at Feb 17, 2010 5:47PM PST, updated on November 3, 2010 10:41 PDT for ThaSauce

Juan P. Medrano, alias Sixto Sounds, is a man who lives by his state’s standard: Everything’s bigger in Texas. His remixes are big on the rock, heavy on the guitar, and huge on the quality. Whether it’s remixing a track from a classic Ninja Turtles game or from a recent entry in the Tales of series, he’s doing it, and doing it well. Being a contributor to OCR for 5 years, half the time it’s been around, he’s built up a stable of 20+ tracks, including one to the Dwelling of Duels that’s been accepted and updated over at OCR and a self-admitted ThaSauce exclusive. I recently interviewed him, and this is what he had to say.

Mirby: What started your interest in video game music?

Sixto: Hmmm… well, as a kid i didn’t play video games THAT much. I dabbled in a little Nintendo, little bit of Sega. But there were some games like Punch-Out!!, Afterburner, Sreet Fighter 2, [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV] Turtles in Time where the music just kind of stuck with me. In my head I could always here the music being played by a live band.

M: I was the same way (just different games).

S: Anyway, once I picked up guitar at around 11-12 years of age, I pretty much forgot about video games; wasn’t till maybe 2004 that a friend shared some MP3s with me. Remixes from OCR; It was Prot’s Brainsick Metal and djp’s GerudoInterlude.

M: Two of my favorites! Nice!

S: Yeah, that really drew me into the site and that’s when I started listening to the music of all these older games I used to love…

M: And that’s what started your interest in remixing tracks yourself, I take it?

S: Yeah, exactly; I figured, why not?

M: Are there any tracks you’ve done that you’re more proud of, or like more, than the others?

S: Let’s see… Well, my favorite one might be my Super Hang-On remix “Burn, Baby, Burn.” I think I like it the most because, well, I went in with the idea of making it sound a certain way…

M: Actually, I haven’t heard that one. So I’m going to get it now. I actually have no idea how I missed it…

S: Hehe. I wanted to give it this 80s kind of feel. Not so much 80s metal or anything. Also, this was the first time I was able to get everything sounding just the way I wanted.

M: That’s pretty cool! To continue, which do you prefer; solo tracks, or collaborations?

S: I prefer the solo stuff. To be honest, i’ve never really collaborated, per se… Except for one time, with zircon, on the FF7 project [Voices of the Lifestream].

M: Lunatic Moon?

S: Yeah. In that track, zircon and I wrote together. In all of my other collabs the music had pretty much been written out already.

M: Great track, one of my favorites. Especially with your 45 second or so guitar solo type thing.

S: I do wish I could re-do it; it’s not one of my favorites.

M: Ah, well a true artist in never satisfied with their work, I suppose.

S: True that.

M: Any tracks you’d like to remix in the future?

S: Tons!

M: Such as?

S: Well, I’ve got about 23 project tracks i’m working on; stuff from Megaman X games, Final Fantasy 9, the Dragon Quest games… Lots of stuff. Plus, I’m going to be remixing another track from Turtles in Time, which is probably my favorite game soundtrack.

M: For the Boss Themes project?

S: Yeah.

M: And it is a fairly epic soundtrack.

S: That it is.

M: Fun game too, for that matter.

S: Definitely, even today. That re-shelled version is so great.

M: Re-shelled? Is that some sort of re-release for XBLA or something?

S: Yeah; a remake of the arcade game in 3D. It’s really fun when you play online with 3 friends.

M: That it would be.

M: Do you have a favorite track from a game?

S: Hmmm… That’s a tough one. It would be a toss up between Ken’s Theme in Street Fighter 2 or Sewer Surfing from Turtles in Time.

M: Both of which you’ve remixed.

S: Right!

M: Do you have a favorite video-game composer?

S: I’d probably have to say Motoi Sakuraba. I love Nobuo [Uematsu]’s Final Fantasy stuff, but I dunno…

M: He’s pretty cool. Tales games and Golden Sun, that’s all that really needs to be said

S: I’ve always liked how Motoi writes; more of a modern style. Yeah, I love the Tales soundtracks and the Star Ocean’s.

M: I always liked how there’s a Sakuraba (and Sakuraba III) in Tales of Phantasia. One last question. What do you enjoy most about remixing?

S: Well… I like recording and mixing music. Period. I just love doing it. It feels like it’s something that comes naturally to me. Remixing video game music, though… I guess I just love being part of such a big community, being able to make something that other people enjoy. I still haven’t met any of these people as I’ve never been to MAGFest or a meetup, but I’d like to some day.

M: Well you’re being interviewed by one right now. Thank you for your time. It has been an honor, Sixto.

S: Anytime.

You can find Sixto’s page on OCR here: Artist: Sixto Sounds (Juan P. Medrano), and his page here on ThaSauce at Artist: Sixto Sounds – ReMixer. I’ll keep interviewing them as they come, so stay tuned. Until next time, game on!

2010: The Year in ReView

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As 2010 draws to a close and 2011 looms on the horizon growing ever closer, now is an appropriate time to look back and reminisce about what made this past year so great. Describing all the myriad events that happened in the world and the universe would take far too long (suffice it to say that there was a particularly notable total lunar eclipse on December 20, being the first such eclipse to fall on a solstice since 1638) so the world of video game music remixing is what we’re going to inspect in this article. Whether it’s OverClocked Remix, ThaSauce, or something not directly associated with the sites or the community, it shall be mentioned. Let the comprehensive guide of 2010’s notable events begin!

First off, January. The year was kicked off with OCR01967, a remix from the game Romancing SaGa 3 entitled “Romancing the Bossa” by OCR veteran Bladiator, AKA Karl Harmdierks. It was the first of many tracks in what was OCR’s tenth birthday. A few days later, ReMix: ThaSauce came out with their first entry of the year, RTS0204, a remix from the infamous game Bad Dudes entitled “My Way Or (Night Version)” by formerly just64helpin and now known as JH Sounds. Also came the first round of the Grand Robot Master Remix Battle, a competition that lasted all the way until June. It produced a lot of great mixes, and tested even the most veteran of remixers. The year was off to a great start.

January faded and February came. With it came the release of Get Acoustic on the fourth, an acoustic jam of The Megas’ 2008 release Get Equipped. The emotional feeling for the disc went from one of energy as with GE to one of somberness. The final track, Lamentations of a War Machine, also had a faster tempo than the GE version. On the 14th came Kaleidoscope, also known as OCRO-0001, the site’s first original soundtrack. A collaboration between Judge Another Soundscape, AKA Mattias Häggström Gerdt and site founder David W. Lloyd, AKA djpretzel, the soundtrack became a huge success. Of course, many tracks were released in this month as well, but none as monumental as those that would be posted in the coming month.

Next up was March, the first month of spring, a month that signals a deliverance from the winter frosts and a rebirth of beauty with the blooming of the trees and flora. On the ides of March, or the 15th, Serious Monkey Business, a Donkey Kong Country 2 remix album, was released.  With it came a few important milestones. The credits remix, entitled “Re-Skewed”, was posted as OCR02000, the two-thousandth mix to be posted on the site. It was also by David Wise, Grant Kirkhope and Robin Beanland, three veteran Rare composers, and Wise was the composer for the soundtrack. To have him remix a track was an honor for the site, and for it to be one of his own tracks was a great way to show that the composers support the community all the way. Another one of the tracks to be posted was entitled “Dance of the Zinger” and was by Jake Kaufman, also known as virt. Several years previous virt and djpretzel had a falling out that caused virt to create his own site known as VGMix. He returned with OCR02005, a glorious dance remix of Flight of the Zinger and returned with style. This wouldn’t be the only remix of his posted this year.

April brought with it the release of “What If This CD…Had Lyrics?” on the 26th. YouTube sensation brentalfloss was well-known for his series of “With Lyrics” videos, each being a remix of some classic gaming tune, but with lyrics. This was his first full album, and it was a great one. Featuring songs from his YouTube archives and others exclusive to the album, it was a perfect melding of old and new and incited nostalgia fits among gamers of all ages. The very next day brought with the the pixietricks/zircon collab (wife and husband team Jillian and Andy Aversa, respectively) “Time to Oil Up,” a remix of Hakan’s Theme from Super Street Fighter IV, which was released on the same day. The only reason this is notable is because it’s the first, and currently only, time that a remix was released on the same day as the game that the source track belongs to.

May had the usual song releases, and on the seventh a Mega Man fan film was released using two Megas songs in its credits roll. It also brought a monumental event in OCR’s history. Just as 2010 brought with it an old anniversary (OCR turned ten), a new one had found its genesis on May 30th. Site founder Lloyd got married to his long-time love Anna Ziskind, thus inspiring congratulatory wishes from all forum visitors, and also a few jokes and the new husband’s expense. This didn’t affect the site in any way, thankfully, as Lloyd kept his schedule just as it was before marriage. The only difference was that he was noticeably happier.

June came, and Essence of Lime was released on the 18th. Originally a solo effort by Ben Hoffman, alias Hylian Lemon, others quickly latched on to the idea of an Oracle of Ages remix album and joined forces with Hoffman. The album was a rousing success, despite the fact that several websites mislabeled it as an Ocarina of Time remix album. It even reached into the world of the game Minecraft, with a small blurb reading “Goddamn Ess. of Lime is badass to listen to.” Plans were quickly made for a companion album, then untitled (now known as Lime of the Season). This one would be an Oracle of Seasons remix album, for Ages can’t be remixed without Seasons. Unfortunately with the joy of the release came sadness as well. VGMix, the brainchild of Kaufman, had died. Dwelling of Duels, a well known monthly competition hosted on VGMix had vanished with its host. Luckily, a lot of people worked to give DoD a proper site, and can now be found at dwellingofduels.net.

>July came and with it, heat. The 4th, known as Independence Day here in America, had a rare quadruple mixpost under the guise of Four for the Fourth. All Sonic remixes, they were lapped up quickly. halc, alias Drew Wheeler, tried his best to remix Labyrinth Zone from the original Sonic and succeeded, and Chemical Plant Zone from Sonic 2 was received warmly and remixed well by PrototypeRaptor, also known as Jonathan Paulsen.  Joshua Morse took on the iconic Ice Cap Zone from Sonic 3 and blew it out of the park, and Level 99, alias Stevo Bortz, took on the Doomsday Zone theme from Sonic and Knuckles. On July 29th came OCRO-0002, the site’s second original soundtrack release. This one was for Trenches, a comical World War I-era tug-of-war style iOS game with some elaboration to make it quite unique. The music was done by OCR forum regular Abadoss, AKA Kenneth Keynes, and his brother Troy. It went extremely well for the two, and was downloaded en masse.

August was a bit of a moody month. On August 15th, a preview of an Armored Core tribute album entitled The Answer was released. It was quite well received. On the 19th, remixing veteran Geoffrey Taucer, alias Jeremy Waters, left the community to pursue his dream job. He promised to check in from time to time, a promise he has kept, but a sad day nonetheless. And then, on August 28th came the unthinkable. The well-known double act between  Duane Zuwala and Brandon Lackey known as The Adventures of Duane and BrandO was dead. The two had split up, showing some distance between the two. Lackey would continue his own solo act entitled The Amazing BrandO, and Zuwala would remain as Duane’s Action-Adventure World. It was tragic, but time moves on…

September came and if anyone wanted to be woken up when it ended, their slumber was stopped a bit early. The well-known One Hour Compo had it’s hundredth installment on the second. On the 15th came the first of five Final Fantasy V remix albums. Directed by DarkeSword, alias Shariq Ansari, this one was entitled Wind. It featured 9 tracks from remixing vets such as Sixto Sounds, AeroZ, and DarkeSword himself. This series would be the first album Ansari had directed since Rise of the Star in 2005. It was released to stellar acclaim, and left fans salivating for the next installment, Water, in early 2011.

October brought more autumnal weather, and with it a few milestones as well. The game Shantae: Risky’s Revenge was released on DSiWare on the 4th, with a soundtrack scored by none other than virt. A remix from the game came two weeks later by Kaufman himself, entitled “Baal Bhaagna.” It was a Bollywood-inspired take on the source used. The 26th of the month brought the start of competition for the Grand Maverick Remix Battle, hosted by Ansari just like the GRMRB was at the start of the year. And much like that, this one lasted until the end of the year. On Halloween came the final track to be posted from Morse’s album Castlevania: Sonata of the Damned, Demonic Conception. The album was released on Halloween 2009, and with the post came the first OCR album to be released in its entirety through individual mixes. Christopher Getman, better known as Mazedude, also had his 50th mixpost on the same day, joining the ranks of Ari Asulin, alias Protricity, and djpretzel himself.

In came November, and with it came yet another remix of Wily Stage 1 from Mega Man 2. This one was by AkumajoBelmont, real name Robbie Sabo, and was unlike any other remix of the source before. It was a huge success. JH’s first album release with fellow remixer B-Type’s record company Giggling Robot Records happened on the 11th. It was entitled Genuine EP, and contained four tracks. The long-awaited Teen Agent album release occurred on the 22nd. Directed by the infamous Brandon Strader, the album was based on a semi-obscure PC game from a composer who also was semi-obscure. However, he gave it the old thumbs-up, and so did fans. Lastly, on the 28th long-time remixer chthonic decided to use his real name, Benjamin Briggs, for all his remixes. No longer would he have people either confusing him with some metal band or stumbling over how to pronounce his name.

December came, and with it a promise of the best the year had to offer. Although it was the last month of the year, the 13th showed it could contain many firsts with the release of Threshold of a Dream. The Link’s Awakening remix album was the site’s first Zelda album, and 20 album overall. It also was the site’s longest running album, having started originally way back in 2002, and featured many first-time remixers. The requisite flood from the album also brought about the site’s 2,000th hosted track. At the time of this writing, there are currently 2011 tracks hosted on the site, even though the most recent track is OCR02153. Oddly fitting, in my personal opinion. The 23rd also saw the release of Return All Robots! and its soundtrack, OCRO-0003. This was a new type of original soundtrack for the site, as the first disc was the actual soundtrack and the second was all remixes.

And now the end of the year is here. OCR posted 186 tracks so far, and RTS posted 58. Not records by far, but still a respectable amount. The birthday party for OCR went resoundingly well, and wasn’t forgotten once. ThaSauce got a new format so it would be easier to write and post articles on the site. Many stellar albums, an astounding amount of tracks, and a promise of more to come is what 2010 leaves us with. Let’s hope 2011 delivers on the hopes its predecessor has planted! Until next time, and next year, game on!!

Threshold of a Dream Review: Written Whilst Listening

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DISC 1 – MAIN ALBUM

1. Theophany – Full Moon Cello (The Tail Cave)     5:49
 Peaceful at first, befitting the intro track to the album. Bells or something come in at about 0:20, and then the main intstrumentation at about 0:28. Strings at 0:46 elaborate on the basic rhythm already created. More strings at about 1:09. The mood is set quite beautifully by the strings and bells. Quick breakdown like in the source at about 2:10. Drums come in at about 2:25, along with bass a few seconds later. More breakdown at about 3:00, this time distinct from the source. Main melody returns at 3:40 for a second, then violin comes in at about 3:45. The melody takes a life of its own at about 4:09 with a beautiful fashion. At 4:28 all the instruments come in for a truly beautiful buildup to the finale, which begins at 5:10 or so. It all ends suddenly and only bells and bass remain at 5:29 to end.

2. Benjamin Briggs – Lucidic (Koholint Island)     3:23
 The artist formerly known as chthonic makes his mark known immediately. Buildup until 0:32, when some nice peaceful and semi-ethereal instrumentation come in. Briggs’ basic style comes in at 1:16 or so, and demonstrates his love for this soundtrack (seriously, listen to It’s My Turn to Dream and you’ll see what I mean). Main melody returns at 1:50. Breakdown at 2:10 or so, with more of his style and touch. True remix comes in at 2:38. Fadeout beginning at about 3:05, with spacey instruments to end.

3. Level 99, prophetik – Threshold of a Dream (Title)     3:14
 Stevo’s acoustic sexiness begins the track immediately, with a rain sound effect backing at first. Violin comes in at about 0:48, adding to the beauty. Shakers at about 1:10 add to the atmosphere, and the guitar evolves into an electric one at 1:29 to truly amp up the listening experience. Drums appear with it, and a nice remix breakdown comes in at 2:09 or so. A truly atmospheric and beautiful peace, with the finale beginning at 2:57, consisting of the rain and the violin.

4. Iggy Koopa – Oceanfront View (House)     2:23
 Piano begins immediately. A beautiful track, reminiscent of Shnabubula‘s work on Voices of the Lifestream, is found here. A short one, but a classic.

5. prophetik – Animal Counterpoint (Animal Village)     5:00
 Here there be electronica; reminiscent of an odd 80s space movie soundtrack, part of the melody comes in at 1:24, after an odd effect that repeats. The instrumentation chosen is eccentric, but it fits the village the source tune plays in. It keeps building slowly but surely, until 3:25 when it starts to get a bit intense. This track is a bit strange, but in a purely enjoyable fashion. The source is recognizable, but it’s hidden under all the bizarre music. The song ends suddenly at 4:57.

6. Ten19 – The Wind Outside (The Egg)     4:20
 A bizarre and creepy source track gets an upgrade here, with spooky sound effects that sound like they came from the Shadow Temple in Ocarina of Time and ambience that chills the spine. 1:11 starts the main melody. 1:52 brings in a break with heartbeats or something… 2:11 heralds the return of the main melody. More melody comes in at about 3:15. Ambience from 3:50 to end, with melody.

7. The Joker – Evigilo Inserpatus (Dream Shrine)     4:26
 A beautiful soundscape comes in here, with echoing piano at about 0:25. Drums come in at 1:04, complete with echoing. Powerful ambience comes in at 1:20 or so, creating a dreamscape with the soundscape. Somewhat haunting effects are interspersed within the track to accompany all the music to give a complete package here. Breakdown at 2:50, shattering the dream, albeit momentarily. Everything returns at 3:17, bringing with it a dark feeling that ups the ante considerably and gives the song itself that much more emotion. Breakdown at 4:00 until end.

8. Benjamin Briggs – Climb My Mountain, This High (Tal Tal Heights)     3:40
 Chth’s second track on the album (he changed his name, I’m still calling him that) is just as great as the first. Giving a mellow feel to the track with his champion chiptune expertise, the music comes in right away, and explodes at 1:03 with raw chippy power. A pretty sweet breakdown begins at about 1:22. The song has its own energy, infectious in its old-school style and sound. Briggs took the source, got an idea, and ran with it. Good thing too; this track is awesome. The main rhythm comes in at about 2:45. The music is drowned out by the bass from 3:15 to about 3:35, when it stops.

9. Sound Test – Spare Key (Key Cavern)     3:55
 A haunting track, consisting of piano and space age sounds. Main melody comes in about 0:50. There are some nice breakdowns along the way, with what sounds like the boss theme thrown in at about 2:10. It sounds like a bunch of radio sounds are thrown in too, which adds to the atmosphere. Raw power comes in at 3:10, and ends suddenly right on time at 3:52.

10. Dj Mokram – Fierce Melancholy of the Woods (Mysterious Forest)     4:30
 What sounds like a pan flute starts the track with the famous Zelda theme, and then piano comes in with what sounds like the Ballad of the Wind Fish. Strings come in at about 0:48 with what sounds like Tal Tal Height’s main rhythm. The flutes come in at about 1:10 with the main mysterious groove of the forest. At 1:35 the flutes come in, and there’s a beat that adds drama and energy to the track. The strings come in with force at about 2:10, with another melody at 2:30. The same raw energy he showed on Essence of Lime is present in this track. Peace comes in at 3:20. A cool rhythm comes in at 3:55 or so, and kicks off the finale of the track. The end begins at 4:20.

11. Artem Bank – Liftin’ Them Pots (The Bottle Grotto)     4:10
 Ambience kicks the track off, and the main rhythm on bass comes in at about 0:32. Piano comes in at 1:20. Guitar comes in at 1:57, adding to the atmosphere of the track. More intstrumentation comes in at 2:30 or so, building the raw emotional energy already present in the track. Some cool guitar comes in at about 3:00, and continues until about 3:35 when the music calms down and the ambience carries the track to its end at 4:05.

12. prophetik – Facies Templum (Face Shrine)     4:50
 As with other tracks on this album, ambience kicks the track off, this one interspersed with strumming. At 0:39, saxophone comes in. 1:18 shows the start of the main track. Mr. Burr demonstrates his skill with the wind instruments. 1:58 shows some piano that really elaborates on the feeling of the source, which always was a bit melancholy and somewhat spooky. Sax returns at 2:38 or so. A very mellow listening experience can be found here, beautiful in its elegance and simplicity. More atmosphere comes in at 3:50, and even more at 4:08. Tears almost started to flow; bravo, Bradley Burr. Bravo.

13. Dafydd – Sköldpaddsklippan (Turtle Rock)     4:07
 The track begins immediately with the main rhythm. Drumbeat comes in at 0:30. The track continually builds up until 1:17, when some power appears behind the basic rhythm. Bass beats back the track up. The bass vanishes at 2:30, but the main rhythm remains intact. Strings come in at 2:40 or so, with a building sense and then piano at 2:57 or so to show off the main part of the track. 3:28 brings back the part of the track the played for the majority of it and plays that until the final ten seconds, which add a finishing touch to the track.

14. Xenon Odyssey – Sunrise in Mabe (Mabe Village)     4:08
 A basic piano rendition of this beautiful source. This mix is just as beautiful as said source, so something was definitely done correctly. The Ballad of the Wind Fish appears here as well, starting at about 2:10. Fitting for this album, as that was basically the main musical theme of the game.

15. Lashmush – Beneath (Shadow Battles)     3:30
 The final battle mix starts out with menacing ambience. Some nice beats come in at about 0:50 that do nothing but add to the menacing feel. 1:58 brings in more menace. The ambience present in this track actually reminds of a few tracks from the Crash Bandicoot soundtrack. 2:40 brings in more feel to the track. 3:20 brings in a roar that is just scary..

16. Rexy – The Feather’s Reflection (Eagle’s Tower)     5:19
A nice piano rendition by Rexy, the thing she is known for the most. 1:28 brings in more of the source. 2:28 shows another part of the main rhythm. The track continues to build and expand into something more awesome and more beautiful, just like with Mario’s Hazy Beach Holiday. It slows down at 4:03 or so. It goes back to basics at about 4:40.

17. prophetik – Voices of the Deep (Catfish’s Maw)     3:09
 Bells come in at 0:20. Ambience plays throughout, and whistling comes in at about 0:50. More instrumentation comes in at about 1:10 or so. Everything keeps building, just like in the previous track. A very mellow track on the whole here.

18. Sound Test – The Vision of the Wind Fish (Ballad of the Wind Fish)     6:09
 A very odd beginning, with vocals and crazy ambience. The sounds used for the main melody (one of my all time favorites) is ethereal and awesome. There is a lot going on here, and it’s all good. A drumbeat begins at about 1:55 and carries the track a bit further. 2:27 brings in a different style of music, reminiscent of Joshua Morse almost. There’s even a running water sound effect that’s present in two of his tracks (that I know of). His voice comes in at 3:35 or so, and describes the game’s finale. Some awesome electronic sound effects accompany this, and bring the ballad back in. 4:50 or so shows the credits theme in a chippy happy rendition. More vocals at 5:40, heralding the coming end of the track. They end at 5:57, and the water sound effect comes in with seagulls cawing.

19. prophetik, Fishy – House of Frogs (Richard’s Villa)     3:48
 Some pretty beautiful guitar starts out the song, along with some nice saxophone. A nice ending to the album; great collaboration between Burr and McCormack. Cain breaks out a solo at about 1:50 that just sounds awesome, with Brad accompanying in masterful fashion. Some awesome double woodwind action at about 2:45 or so. These play until about 3:19, when simple acoustic guitar takes over until the end.

DISC 2 – BONUS TRACKS

1. Sound Test – The Beginning of the Tail (The Tail Cave)     4:21
 Our second Tail Cave remix comes from Sound Test, who quickly became the zyko of this album. It’s pretty nice, and mellow. Drama starts to build at about 0:59. It calms down at 1:37, and more odd instrumentation comes in. Everything starts to build again at about 2:33, and is replaced by more ambience. Crazy music comes in at 3:20. It crashes at 3:50, and ends suddenly at about 4:15.

2. sloopygoop – I Don’t Know Who I Am Anymore (Player Select) 7:56
 The longest track is, quite fittingly given the game of origin, a chiptune. Great work considering the short source. The ZELDA activated salsa remix comes in at about 0:50. 1:18 brings on sloopygoop’s own take. 1:35 adds more to the track. 1:57 throws in another style, and 2:00 brings in a very odd take on the track, which is quite dramatic. 3:00 brings in a circus version in its happiness and eccentricity. The director’s comments are quite accurate in that this is “generally just eight minutes of awesome.” 4:15 brings in yet another style, after demonstrating it in waltz tempo. 5:06 is the mark for yet another change of style, once again using the salsa remix already present in the game. It calms down at about 5:45, with an almost straight copy of the source, and 5:57 expands it once more. 6:28 brings about a return to the source. It slows and stops at 6:45, and is silent until 7:03, when it kicks back in with a very basic and simple remix of the source that plays until the 7:40 when it starts to fade.

3. Obtuse – This Cave Is Creepy (The Tail Cave)     3:56
 The final Tail Cave remix is from Obtuse, alias Andrew Struve. The rain sound effect works, and the instrumentation works for the creepy vibe that the title portrays. Thunder roars at 0:50, and some violin comes in to back up the creepy feeling. The tension continually builds up until about 2:09, when everything pretty much stops, and more of the melody is explored. More thunder at 2:57, with basic melody explored thereafter. Violin returns at about 3:20, and the song ends with a high note at 3:47 or so.

4. prophetik, PriZm – Villa (Richard’s Villa)     3:37
 The original version of House of Frogs is right here. As with the remade version featuring Fishy, the beginning starts out beautifully. PriZm’s guitar solo at 1:36 is definitely different than Fishy’s, but classic PriZm instead. Very reminiscent of his work on Summoning of Spirits; certain parts of Final Destination, in particular. The dual woodwinds at about 2:35 are just as beautiful. Very basic guitar at 3:10 until the end, just like in Fishy’s version.

5. Mustin – Inception (Shadow Battles)     4:06
 The title of this track no doubt refers to the connection between dreams and the recent film of the same name. Very funky; would fit in on an album with Mysterious Groove on it. Excellent work by Mustin; no surprise there. Chiptune sounds at about 1:11 work with the track. A phenomenal remix right here. A bit of a solo begins at about 1:40. 2:20 brings in The Egg’s melody for more elaboration. The funkiness is prevalent throughout the track. Some ambience comes in at about 3:05, but only for a few seconds. It returns at 3:15, and vanishes again at 3:22. It returns once more at about 3:26, and fades for a quick false ending at 3:37. The song ends suddenly at 3:56.

6. Miku – Eagle Tower (Eagle’s Tower)     3:44
 A beautiful piano rendition similar to Rexy’s work on the album proper. The main melody comes in at 0:22. The source is continually built upon in elegant fashion. The main source returns at about 1:50 in all its beauty. Everything slows down at 3:10, and continues in the same manner until the end at about 3:39.

CONCLUSION
Given the album’s long history (having originally begun in 2002 with an attempt to remix all 96 tracks present in the game’s sound file, then dying shortly after, coming back again again in 2005, dying again in 2007, and reviving one last time in 2008), one would think this album might never have been completed. Instead, it has become the Zero of OCR’s albums, persevering even through death to come to its completion. And it’s a good thing it has; the 19 tracks on the album are phenomenal, all staying within a restriction and doing it with style and aplomb. A phenomenal listen; all tracks are covered equally and in grand fashion. The six bonus tracks are a real treat, as they give an insight into the album’s history with two tracks that were replaced in the update, two that competed for the first track spot, and two that didn’t meet the restrictions but were too damn good to leave out. This is a must listen for both fans of the game and the soundtrack, for fans of the musicians, and for fans of remixes in general. Stellar work from all involved, whether they’re OCR regulars or total newcomers to the scene. It’s an album full of firsts, and all involved have made their mark, and much like Neil Armstrong’s footprint on the moon, it’s not going away any time soon.

Interview with a ReMixer: Gecko Yamori

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Daniel Bärlin, alias GeckoYamori, is well-known around the interwebs. Whether it’s some old video game remixes of his or switching music from Super Nintendo games to Genesis instruments, he’s all over the place. He took some time out of his day earlier for a brief interview. This is the result.

M: What started your interest in video game music?

GY: Nodding my head to NES music I guess, I’ve been into it for as long as I’ve been into games.

M: I take it you’ve been into games for quite a while then?

GY: For as long as I can remember.

M: Nice. Same here! I honestly can’t recall a time when I wasn’t playing games. Hehe… Okay, next question. What started your interest in remixing?

GY: It just came sort of naturally since I’ve always had an interest in creating music, I had been into tracker music and such before I started remixing.

M: Makes sense; pretty much the same reason I started to make music. That and JH bugging me. Are there any tracks you’ve done that you’re more proud of than the others? Or that you like more?

GY: I am honestly not that fond of my early work in general, though I guess that applies to most musicians. I think Mega Man 2003 (really made at the end of 2002) has aged decently compared to the others, even if it might be a rather uninspired mix from a creative standpoint.

M: As I said in another interview, think it was sixto’s, a true artist is never satisfied with their work.Are there any remixers you haven’t collaborated with in the past that you’d like to collaborate with in the future?

GY: Nekofrog keeps bugging me to collab and I’d like to, but neither of us have really pushed it enough to make it happen so far.

M: That would be a great remix; I’d love to hear it myself. Any tracks you’d like to remix in the future?

GY: I always try to give undermixed games some more attention, I have tried several times to remix tracks from Unreal and Red Alert, but I never show anything publicly unless I think it sounds awesome.

M: That’s a good reason to show it off. Hehe… Do you have a favorite track from a game?

GY: I suck at naming all-time favorites, there’s always something I will prefer over something else at different times. But from the above mentioned games, in Unreal I keep coming back to the Sunspire song and another called Surfacing, and in Red Alert I am more partial to the downtempo tracks like Snake or Vector, rather than the more popular metal stuff.

M: Well I never play favorites. I have like a list of 5 all-time, no wait 10, or 15… See, it just keeps getting longer! I can never decide which ones. Hehe… Do you have a favorite video-game composer?

GY: Same as with songs, I can never pick a single favorite. So I will settle for three favorites from Japan, Europe and Emerica. Naofumi Hataya, Tim Follin and Alexander Brandon.

M: I feel dumb for not knowing who Naofumi Hataya is…

GY: He composed for Sonic CD, parts of Sonic 3D, and Golden Axe 2-3.

M: Ah, well that’s some good music then. Lastly, what do you enjoy most about remixing video game music?

GY: Oh, I actually hate remixing video game music. I’m just in it for the fame.

M: Well I guess fame could be enjoyable… Thanks for your time; this was a fun interview!

GY: You’re welcome.

You can find Gecko’s page on OCR here: Artist: Gecko Yamori (Daniel Bärlin). If you haven’t done so before, stay tuned to ThaSauce here for more articles and such from myself and others!! Until next time, game on!