ReMix: Einhänder 'Waztelands'

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Einhander is the perfect example of a modern game soundtrack that I admire greatly for technical proficiency as well as sounding very badass overall, but which also reminds me why I love the simplicity of less-modern soundtracks from the days of 8-bit, when melody reigned supreme. I'm a melody-centric fellow, and while Einhander's soundtrack was very contemporary and cool and *totally* appropriate for the context, and while I do indeed dig it, it's more about feel and motion than notes. Don't get me wrong, I think Fukui did a bang up job on this OST and I do enjoy listening to it. It's the fact that it's so good that reminds me why I still prefer the older stuff, if that makes any sense. I'd personally love to see a sequel to Einhander, with the same team at the helm, as I think it and Tobal were some of Square's more interesting side projects. Joel Bird, the master of jive from down under, gives us our first Einhander ReMix, some fast-paced techno that blends in guitar, which Joel seems to be working more with these days. The trademark quick, undulating, "helicopter" bassline that's prevalent throughout the OST starts off, with drums on top, and dual synth and guitar fairly polarized to either side of the stereo spectrum - JM does keep different elements discrete and clearly paid some attention to panning for overall effect. The main guitar chords used could have been meatier - the shred thing does add an edge, but if it had some low-midrange to it that would have filled a nice spot in the mix. Things dropout towards the end for a fadeout with a repeating piano motif. This is the type of BGM I'll probably never cover myself, so it's hard to say what I might have done differently. I think my only real beef is that the lowend and lower midrange feels a bit empty, and I might have added another bassline, some low pads, or fleshed out the guitar to compensate. Then again, the feel is futuristic, cold, and calculated, so the fashion that Joel did mix it in is in keeping with that atmosphere. A cool adaptation that brings guitars in and thus incorporates the organic into a very inorganic context. Like the Borg, man, like the Borg. Check it out for some quick, frenetic techno from Jivemaster.

― djpretzel