Chimpazilla

Awesome direction to take! But I agree with my fellows, the soundscape sounds too muddy and lossy overall. If the backing pads are going to be fuzzy/distorted, the leads should be clean so they can soar over the soundscape, but they are distorted too so everything kind of mushes together. The arrangement works well enough, but there isn't much in the way of arrangement dynamics, because the energy stays roughly the same throughout the piece, mostly because this heavily distorted soundscape never changes, so it becomes fatiguing after awhile. If the backing pads dropped way low or out completely at any point, that would provide more arrangement dynamics. Even with the timestamp provided, I cannot hear the source connections. Perhaps someone with more familiarity with these sources can hear it more easily. I feel like the source represented here has been very heavily interpreted, and often little two-note motifs are being counted as source (which is fine to do, it just makes it harder for me as a judge). I'd love for Larry to take a listen to see if I'm massively missing it, Larry's our source-o-matic around here. But regardless, the mixing issues are holding it back for me. NO

As with all of the VQ tracks I have evaluated, I can hear and feel how much care and attention to detail went into this. As with the other submissions, there is a story behind the arrangement, the instrumentation has been carefully selected to convey a specific mood and tell an evolving story. There are so many textures, sfx and ear candy, and the arrangement never loses interest. This one is actually mixed rather well I think, compared to previous submissions. (Although as with the previous submission I voted on, something has gone wrong with the mastering because it is hitting peak 2.4db, and it needs to be limited at 0db maximum). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before I write what I have to say next, which I wrote six days ago, I need to say that the Shinobi source song is problematic for me, in that it contains unpleasant dissonance, clutter, and lack of melodic contour in its lead writing. Weird-ass source, imo. I'm having a harder time busting this remix for doing similar things as the source is doing, but here goes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The problem I am having, as with previous submissions, is that there is so much going on at once, and quite a bit of the writing sounds extremely random and often out of key too, which ends up sounding awkward. The track starts out fine up until 0:25, at which point the flute is already conflicting with the main arp, vocal patterns, and kettle drums. It's several different patterns at once, and none of it makes sense together. This problem persists throughout the piece. The worst section for me is from 2:30-2:52; the patterns are so varied harmonically as well as rhythmically that the entire section is just confusing. I don't even mind the fuzzy timbre at 3:27, I kind of like it! But the arp patterns conflicting at that section is what ruins it for me. For musical writing to make sense to a listener, lead motifs should have some sort of motivic or harmonic contour, meaning the notes don't just bounce all over the place. Also, countermelodies, arps, basslines and supporting patterns need to interplay with each other in a way that makes a cohesive soundscape, and that is not happening here. In a previous submission, Larry described the problem as a "lack of melodiousness.." I hate to say it, but that's the problem here as well. I hate to come down hard on this. There's a lot to like about the track. It has a great ethnic flavor and energetic vibe. The combining of the sources is well accomplished and the arrangement has great dynamics. The attention to detail is off the charts. The mixing as I said is even working well enough (although please use a final limiter, set to 0db maximum). But the mismatched harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic patterns are sinking it for me. Ok I am listening to some Glitch Mob tracks to try to understand what's being emulated here. Wow, their stuff is really unique, full of varied patterns and sounds. The difference is that even though they are really pushing the envelope, the patterns ultimately make sense rhythmically and harmonically even when many of them are layered together. This would be a tough style to emulate, it's a very ambitious undertaking for sure. In all honesty, and please take this in the spirit of helpfulness, I suggest you select a much simpler source song, and approach a remix in a much simpler way, so that you can learn about melodic contour, harmonies, countermelodies, rhythms, and keeping the soundscape more simple, with elements placed purposely and never randomly and never too many at a time. Don't be afraid to cut out ideas that aren't working, even if you spent time on them! Eventually you do get used to doing that! Your arrangements are already VERY good, they just need refining at this point. NO

I agree with the NOs unfortunately. This is a super cool track, everything about it is great, the arrangement, instrumentation and performances are stellar! But it was mixed inside a potato I think. There's no bass presence, and what is left is all midrange and it's all competing to be heard. Drums are comically quiet; the kick has no low end so it is barely audible. Snare is super quiet too. Hats and crashes may be ok. The track seems to lack any kind of mastering, and the peak is -2.2db which is unnecessarily quiet. Awesome arrangement. Gonna be a great track to post on OCR, after it is mixed and mastered properly. NO (resubmit)

Co-signing on what the guys said above. Great sounding guitar work here! Panning is way too wide for my taste. Drums are too quiet in the mix, as is the bass. The arrangement is too simple, too straightforward and way too short. Ending is a cold, unnatural cutoff. This seems more like a concept wip than a finished product. I agree with Larry and Brad that DoD would be a great place to refine your arrangement and production skills. I'd love to hear more from you in the future, in terms of a fully-fleshed out arrangement, because as Larry said the musicianship is most definitely there! NO

proph covered the issues well. This is basically a cover, with very little interpretation or additions to personalize it. For OCR we look for transformative arrangements and not covers of the source material. This also needs a huge mixing overhaul. Please don't be discouraged, everyone starts somewhere! I suggest posting this into our wip forum and/or Discord server to get further advice on it. Also you can look up tutorials on proper song arranging and mixing. NO

Wow, this is a HUGE improvement in writing and creative ideas! The writing variations on the source are groovy. The vocal pad really gives this a new flavor when it starts after 2:00, I wish it played just a hair longer than it does. The drums have been varied just enough to avoid so much repetition, and they feel more natural now. The new drum production fits the soundscape just right, good job there! I don't find the bass boomy at all on my system that includes a sub. The bass hits pretty hard at 100-ish Hz, perhaps that is agitating Larry's headphones and offending his ears? It sounds fine for me. The production overall is working well I think. I really like the new reverse/slowdown ending! It's still abrupt, but it's an actual ending. It is weird in a cool way. The warbley production is an artistic choice, and I like it. This one gets the job done for me! YES

I have to agree with my fellow Js, the overall mix is overly quiet and needs proper mastering to increase the overall volume while preserving appropriate dynamics. But the bigger issue is the sample quality. The strings (solo cello and string ensemble in particular) are dealbreakingly bad, and they play for so much of the track that they are totally distracting. The brass starting at 3:23 suffers from the same fake uncanny-valley problem. I think there are flutes in there, but as MW said they are almost inaudible. I agree with proph and MW that this is an excellent blending of these themes into a cohesive and emotional story. Clearly a lot of time and heart went into writing this, and it is really a very beautiful composition. I can imagine this with vastly better instrument samples, or better yet live played instruments, and it would be outstanding. But as it stands currently, it sounds like an orchestral mock-up or wip instead of a finished product. I would certainly love to hear it again with better instruments! NO (resubmit)

What a gorgeous source tune! Ok on to the remix. The intro is already super loud. The piano sounds very rigid and blocky, the timing with the violin is frequently off, and there are moments where the notes don't match, such as at 0:14 and again at 0:40; the piano and violin are playing different notes. At 0:33, the soundscape is now very heavy and the percussion sounds very loud, dry and very overcompressed. By 0:58 I am already hearing overcompression pumping across the track. At 1:49 the entire soundscape is smashed to smithereens, with crunching and unwanted pumping. The addition of the Hitler recording is a bit shocking and it's a very bold and interesting choice. I can see how this recording adds to the theme and feel of the track. I was alarmed when I heard it at first, not even because it is Hitler but because the recording is way too loud and dry, it dominates the track while it is playing. I think you can keep this idea, it's good, but it has to be mixed better. You need to turn the volume of it way down, and give it a touch of reverb so it sounds nestled into the soundscape instead of being heavily on top of it. It is menacing, but does not need to be THIS menacing. At 1:49 there is a note progression that makes no sense, I'm not sure if that was intentional but it does not sound good to me. At 2:34, the previously established soundscape stops abruptly and there is a short piano-only outro. This piano part sounds pasted on, as there's no flow from the previous section which was stopped absolutely cold. This is awkward. Ok, listening to it again, what about doing a very short white noise sweep to wrap up the previous section right before that last bit of piano? The sweep should stop abruptly right where you have the rest of the instruments stopping. That would make your abrupt outro idea work. I think you've crafted something very moody and cool here, but it needs a mixing overhaul. Go through and re-balance the volumes of things, most especially lower the industrial percussion volumes because they are too loud. Check the notes of the piano and violin, and make sure they match where they are both playing the same line. It would be very good if you could do some humanization on the piano so it sounds less blocky and gridlocked, and more natural/real. Lower the volume of the Hitler recording and add some reverb to make it fit into the soundscape. EQ all instruments so that nothing is playing in the low-lows other than bass and bass-drums. This will clear out inaudible mud and give you more mastering headroom. The last critique is the mastering, it is waaaaay too heavy and hot. Lower the gain on your final limiter by several db (I'm thinking 5ish), such that the overall track doesn't have that crunching and unwanted pumping. I look forward to hearing this one again. NO (resubmit)

Welp, at least we don't have any issues with source use here! Unfortunately I agree with my fellow NOs. Everything after 2:10 is so unique and weird and cool, but up until that point it is just the original source midi, played in the stiffest and driest way possible, no humanization. It's a player piano basically until the strings come in, and the pizzicato and staccato strings can play the fast lines but the legato strings drag, making it feel very awkward when all the strings are playing together. Then we get the harpsicord and xylophone which both sound extremely stiff, followed by more mushy legato strings (attacks are way too long) and it just sounds weird to me. Even if the rest of the sequencing were perfect, I would be sending this back just for the legato line starting at 1:34. The full section starting at 1:46 sounds a little better, but again, every single element sounds so stiff and uncanny. I love this idea! But it absolutely needs more attention to humanization in the first two minutes, and possibly some variations in writing so it isn't just the same midi from the source tune repeated that many times. I'd love to hear it again with improvements made though! NO

Aw, poor Emu! I can totally relate to the feelings of inferiority that this track must have inspired. Because it's all kinds of freakin' amazing. HOLY SHIT indeed. Somebody here is a psytrance expert. The elements go together so well in this mix; all the synth stuff, the ethereal vocals, and grungy guitars. The arrangement is excellent, everyone's ideas fit together so well. The mixing and mastering are top notch. I could listen to the 15 minute version too. Just truly awesome. My one nitpick would be just a couple of db louder on the bass. YES PLEASE

WHOA. That Banshee source sounds more like something I would expect to hear in Twilight Princess than in anything Mario Kart! Clearly I did not play Mario Kart 64! But it sounds like a tune that would inspire Michael! The source song is full of arpeggio, sharp bells and plucks, creepy strings, ominous bass, and dissonance, very Twilight Princess. The remix seems to be primarily the arp from the source song played over and over in a billion unique ways, along with the chord progressions and horror strings. Wow, this is super cool. So many different elements, forming a constantly evolving emotive soundscape, with that empty-yet-full feel that I love. So much variation, holds my interest all the way through, making me wonder what is around the next corner. Definitely has a comic-nightmare vibe, which is so unsettling. Production and mastering are ace. Thank you Michael, I dig this maximally. YES

The Bravely Second sfx would have to be removed, first and foremost. This soundscape is really repetitive once it gets going. The arrangement seems to be multiple repeats of the same thing, followed by a fadeout. As the other two Js have said, there's a concern that the guitar in the arrangement is taken right from the source song. Regardless, the arrangement continues on in a very repetitive and non-evolving way. The energy, instrumentation and writing just repeat over and over, until the fadeout. That isn't enough arrangement creativity and development for OCR. The volume balancing needs another pass as well, as the clicky percussion is way too loud, and lead plucks are pushed backward into the soundscape. The mastering is on the loud side but I don't hear any over-compression artifacts but it's right on the cusp of that. NO

This is the third time I am evaluating this track. Re-reading my two previous votes, and listening now, I have to say WOW you have come a LONG way in your production skills, and as Emunator said, I admire your persistence with this, that is how a producer can get good, just keep doing and learning and trying. This really sounds loads better than the first two submissions. Give yourself credit for the progress you've made, it shows. My complaint however is still the same as in the last version, the arrangement is leaving me flat in terms of how it develops. There isn't a lot of motif going on and so the arrangement lacks structure and ends up sounding nebulous and repetitive as the same bass, pads, plucks and drums play the same patterns again and again and again. My suggestion is to vary things at different intervals: change instruments, change drum groove, vary the bassline writing, or add more lead motif over the top of it, something that is a memorable hook. What you are using as lead motif (which is the lead motif in the source) is so repetitive in this arrangement that it doesn't sound like a lead but more like a countermelody or backing element, making the track sound leadless, if that makes sense. At 1:48-2:30, that section would benefit from having some original lead motif written right over what you have here. It feels like a great soundscape to really say something with a motif, but nothing is being said there, it's a lush backdrop but nothing in front. If this one still doesn't end up passing our panel, and especially if you are frustrated, I suggest starting something new to work on, keeping all of our critiques in mind. Sometimes it is easier to start something new, doing things right from the get-go, rather than continuing to hack away at something you have worked with long enough that it haunts your dreams! It sucks to ditch an arrangement you've invested time into, but we have all done that (multiple times, most of us here), we have taken the lessons-learned from it and moved forward with more skill under our belts. NO

What an unique way to re-imagine this source. I love the 6/4 time signature throughout most of it, ending in a lovely 3/4 arpeggio. I think there's enough source, it just takes over a minute to get into the motif, but the chord structure is there even in the intro. Interesting selection of instruments, setting a very purposeful creepy mood. Things are mixed and volume-balanced well enough, although I agree with MW that the overall result is a bit more lo-fi than would be ideal. The buzzy synth adds to the muddy feeling of the mixing; that really isn't a good sound. In addition, the overall master is missing a final level of sparkle that would really make this arrangement shine. Overall though, the mixing crits are not dealbreaking for me, this is too cool, let's go. YES

Gaspode has edited his submission with new info and a new song upload, just fyi. He explained the changes in his submission post, so click on that to see what he wrote.