Rexy Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 ardklaw Arden Klawitter www.ardklaw.com 36349 SaGa Frontier "Crime Boss Nomad" Booby Trap I chose to remix this track because I think it's an awesome composition and the SaGa Frontier soundtrack doesn't often get remixed as far as I can tell. The original composition is really groovy, and I wanted to expand the arrangement and make it even groovier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prophetik music Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 ooh, love the rhodes right at the beginning. there's a nice clear soundscape at the beginning. snare's a touch loud but it isn't overpowering. melody comes in at 0:27 and it's got a lot of personalization. the synth choice is a bit squishy and hard to hear with so many notes. there's a genre switch at 0:56 as a b-section with a more traditional jazz groove in keeping with the original, and then it goes back to the funkier layout. next section features some original solo content, but it does feel pretty inspired by the original melody. this goes back to the melody with a lighter background for a bit before going back to where it was. around here i noticed that the drums have mostly sat on the same groove for the entire song, but the personalization in the fills and the ride groove they shift to during the jazzier sections helped out. there's some more leaning on the buzzy synth's riff and then it closes up. this is a nicely-handled track in my opinion. there's some nice personalization, the solo's great, the instrumentation compliments it well, and it's well-mastered. this one's easy for me. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted November 13, 2021 Share Posted November 13, 2021 Man, I hadn't heard this theme in probably 15+ years, and it just unlocked some old college radio memories for me. Awesome source tune choice! Structurally, it's initially conservative, but it's a very well-personalized genre adaptation. At 1:11, some bars of the intro were repeating and I worried the arrangement wouldn't develop more, but then it quickly shifted into the comping from 1:24-1:50, following that up with another hint of the melody coupled with vamping to not just settle into too straightforward of a cover. Loved the textures at 2:38's section; the original's countermelody is such a great element. The way the track ended at 3:00 was too sudden, IMO, and this otherwise smoove rendition deserved a more substantive conclusion, but that certainly doesn't hold this back. Gotta also give credit to the production; the instrumentation had a full sound, and props for some beefy bass work and creative percussion writing. When it's clear attention's been paid to the backing elements, not just the foreground players, you can achieve a strong sound with parts that have genuine synergy together. Nice job, Arden, count me in as a new fan, and I can't wait to hear your future arrangements! YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonAvenger Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 There's not much to add here, but it's a really fun overall soundscape you have here that works well. Definitely plays well with the original and enhances the overall groove feel. Just going to add some small nitpicks that didn't affect my vote. I would have liked a lead change somewhere in the track to let the rhodes have more impact when it came back in. Started to feel just a little same-y towards the end. Additionally the drums have some nice flourishes, but they do stick out a little more than necessary and sometimes are sitting on the same rhythm a little long. Lastly the solo section feels like the comp part is just a little loud and competing with the lead. Really fun track, loved listening to it YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djpretzel Posted November 29, 2021 Share Posted November 29, 2021 Production is phat AND fat, with some buttery-smooth synth brass & bass, and generally I think this instrumentation is rock solid & absolutely suits the source. The arrangement is equally intuitive, and perhaps TOO intuitive - this is definitely a relatively conservative arrangement that leans on production enhancements more than gobs of original writing or harmonic alterations. What's here & additive is good, but there are also extended swaths that run parallel to the original, more or less. I would have liked to have seen a bit more addition and alteration in the arrangement department, but I concur with the above that it meets our standards in this regard, and from a pure joy/funk/production perspective, this is ace. YES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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