ReMix: Marble Madness 'SphercularKinetics'

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Cool. I was never too good at Marble Madness - the damn marbles kept falling off the edge and I just sat there watching, helplessly. In spite of this traumatizing childhood experience, I still have a positive opinion of the game - quite original for its time, neat graphics, stereo music, etc. Kinda paved the way for games like Super Monkey Ball, too. It's about time we got some mixage to cover one of Atari's milestone classics, and newcomer Sideways Staircase is here to oblige. This is exceedingly trippy stuff - no pharmaceuticals required. Introing with evocative synth textures reminiscent of portions of Vangelis' awesome Blade Runner score, some more substantial percussion in the form of panned congas join in at 0'50", followed by a slap bass that quickly becomes a sub-octave pitch-bending synth bass. Then some tablas. Then a house snare, then more effects and the bass taking on melodic coverage practically by itself until around 2'37" where things become a bit more recognizable. I really dig the bassline here - very dynamic + deep, though not to the point of being inscrutable. Some of the effects are delicious, too, and the bed of reverb that the mix sits in is cavernous yet clear. For all us Kubrick / 2001 fans, there's a repeated HAL 9000 sample during the mostly fx-based ending. Interesting work, all around - has the feeling of being timeless, yet futuristic as well, and I do think the Blade Runner comparison is warranted. Slick stuff from Sideways Staircase - if this is the first ReMix, I'm very anxious to see what else is in store.

― djpretzel