ReMix:Final Fantasy VI "DevilSLAB" 2:49

By MkVaff

Arranging the music of one song...

"Devil's Lab"

Primary Game: Final Fantasy VI (Square , 1994, SNES), music by Nobuo Uematsu

Posted 2001-01-17, evaluated by djpretzel


Alright McVaffe, you GO. I simply love the evil little groove this piece gets into . . it sounds decidedly like some short little goblin guy sneaking around and stealin' things and makin' mischief and whatevaaa. The heavy drum groove actually reminds me of some of the things Yuzo Koshiro did in the excellent Revenge of Shinobi score on the Sega Genesis - very tight, sequenced feel, with a pulsing, mechanical flow. Mostly analog synth action going on, with some pizzicato strings (yum, yum, everyone's favorite ^^) to accentuate the different melodies. Very different from Khalal's insane "Wall of Sound" approach to ReMixing this track, but every bit as worthy. Use Khalal's mix for pillaging human cities with your fellow orcs, McVaffe's for stealthily raiding a sleeping camp for gold and foodstuffs, and you just can't go wrong.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Holy Land
on 2010-10-02 12:17:47

This was one of my favorite songs from the early days, but I didn't know/remember that it was McVaffe's work.

Not really that much different from the original to be honest, even if enjoyable to listen to.

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Marmiduke
on 2008-12-20 21:54:58

Ah, the Vaffe. My head LITERALLY exploded when McVaffe staged his resurrection earlier this year. I wish I could pull off something half as dramatic.

Anyway, it's my opinion that early McVaffe is as good a McVaffe as any, and this is a fine exhibit for that point. While it is basically a remake, I feel that it exemplifies the treatment of the song; that is, a very mechanical, automated sound, structure and pace. The thing that I think is most standout here (not to take away from other aspects) is the real robotic progression the mix has. It feels very non-manmade. Slow but also very precise; almost as if it were off a production line: perfect and oiled and working. Obviously, there are negative connotations to production line imagery which I didn't mean to imply. Nor did I intend to imply that McVaffe is a cyborgic arm making thousands of identical 'DevilSLAB' day in day out in a factory somewhere. What I did mean to imply, however, is that I enjoyed the mix a lot. It's not terribly deep, admittedly, but who needs depth when you have novel, boppy industrial mixes like this.

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OA
on 2008-02-07 12:43:50

Damn that kick starts out dry. A little jarring, but once there is some ambiance surrounding it, it sounds great.

The arrangement is pretty basic, and doesn't really stray from the original at all. That's fine, but I'd have preferred something a bit more interpretive; The original mix brings to mind all kinds of steampunk-style automations, and going on that theme could be all kinds of misshapen phrases and melodies bolted onto the original.

As is, it's decent but more of a sound upgrade than a proper ReMix.

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maelkashishi
on 2007-12-11 14:11:56

Another interesting remix soundwise, especially atmospherically. Though, the mini rythm loop should really be considerably less eager to stand out at times (/at all) and the ending falls flat after a forthright reprise. Nevertheless, the song is nice to listen to once in a while. In the end, I cannot really decide which wheights higher since the succession of parts is otherwise well made, but the track generally moves on too little from its own stated but cool premise.

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ChaosofRuin
on 2006-11-13 19:46:49

it makes me feel evil...thats all i have to say

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Soapy
on 2006-06-30 13:03:49

A very interesting mix of the song, not as grungy as the original, but original all on its own.

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Bummer
on 2005-10-07 12:03:04
I always loved being inside the factory on the game. I'd just leave my character inside on the map and let the music play for hours.

You too, eh?

Great mix from once again, Vaffdude. A factory mix without industrial sounds may sound crazy, well but it´s not. As djp already mentioned, this is ideal sneaking music, and that´s what you do in the game, plus release the Espers. The arrangement was awesome, liked the synths, the beats, probably everything. Great work Vaffdude.

The only thing I wish is that we could get an extended remix of this version you have posted here.

You too, eh?

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jorellano
on 2005-09-21 20:28:01

I always loved being inside the factory on the game. I'd just leave my character inside on the map and let the music play for hours. I loved this song. The only thing I wish is that we could get an extended remix of this version you have posted here. It is great. Wonderful. One of my favorites. It will be blaring down the road many-a-time. =) Great job!!

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DarkCecil13
on 2005-01-08 23:39:24

This is one of my favorite OC ReMixes of all time. McVaffe, you turned one of my favorite FF6 tunes into one heck of an ass-kicking-get-down-on-the-floor-a-dance tunes. I totally dig the atmosphere this mix has - Nice panning and reverb action. Excellent.

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SamuraiFoochs #Reload
on 2005-01-08 21:09:49

So good. Perfect sneaking music. It ends a bit abruptly for me though. Still very, very well done.

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Dinobot 2
on 2003-06-27 10:51:28

I always thought this was one of the better Lab mixes from FF6. Thanks for it!

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The Protricity
on 2003-06-25 14:53:04

One of my Top 5 Favorite Remixes of all-time. Good Stuff!

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Domukaz
on 2003-03-01 20:19:07

If Tenchu was set in the future, I imagine this is what the music to the factory level would be. Cool ambience with the machinery sounds and the varied instrumentation. Dm Dm Dm, Da Da Da Da Da Dm...

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meccaneer
on 2003-01-17 19:13:39

Finely done, sir. I especially like the drum work; short gate times and weird reverbs. This is definately one of my favorite songs of Nobuo's and this remix captures the mechanical-spirit very well. Thanks.

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mDuo13
on 2002-11-27 23:17:24

I dunno why, but I never liked the Devil's Lab tune. This rendition by the big McV is pretty true to the game, but it's actually a bit tamer than the real thing. It's slower, and uses more regular instruments than random bashings and crashings. Not my favorite from McVaffe, but not bad. It does have a nice variety of instruments, though - pizzacatos, snare drums, some kind of horn, strings, and a decent dose of synths. If you're looking for a hectic mix though, look elsewhere - there are several other Devil's Lab mixes (not all of which are in my possesion).

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Final Fantasy VI (Square , 1994, SNES)
Music by Nobuo Uematsu
Songs:
"Devil's Lab"

Tags (7)


Genre:
Downtempo
Mood:
Dark,Mellow,Quirky
Instrumentation:
Strings,Synth
Additional:
Time > Tempo: Slow

File Information


Name:
Final_Fantasy_6_DevilSLAB_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
2,785,104 bytes
MD5:
4d86bbcaa2252159ee0f618ac7b4ceb3
Bitrate:
128Kbps
Duration:
2:49

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