ReMix: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars 'Booster Tarantino'

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So here we are, at OCR01000. It's been a looooooong while getting here, but OverClocked ReMix has endured. I'm glad that way back when, in 1999, I didn't use a numbering scheme that stopped at a thousand. Even then, in the back of my head, I knew that OCR had the potential to grow and develop far beyond the initial roots I was humbly maintaining in static HTML. Realistically, I wouldn't be alive if and when OCR99999 maxes out the numbering scheme, unless we unlock the secrets of immortality. Also, changes in technology, the Internet, and on the darker side intellectual property regulations might one day vastly alter the ability of OCR to exist as it has. But for now, we'll just focus on the next thousand ReMixes and count our blessings :)

Astute observers might correctly note that there are not really a thousand mixes currently on the site - some have been removed, most very recently, due to not falling in line with what we consider a bonified "OC ReMix". This is worth mentioning because, in the end, these are just numbers. They have no significance whatsoever, and could be cut in half or multiplied exponentially without meaning, were it not for the idea, the definition, the vision of what the site itself is about. And what is that, exactly? The original mission articulated in the FAQ warrants repetition here, at this juncture:

A. To honor and appreciate the often-overlooked men and women who write quality music for a medium that is too frequently considered to be "disposable"

B. To revive older game music that is every bit as 'musical' (if not moreso) than today's more complex redbook audio scores - to open the ears and eyes of generations that missed the days of 8 and 16-bit and grew up on polygons and DA. (note: this does not mean all ReMixes will be of older titles, only that older titles form a core aspect of the site's purpose)

C. For each ReMixer to express himself and improve his musical skills, knowledge, and capabilities, achieving recognition both in his own right and for the original composition as well.

D. For everyone involved to have fun.

OC ReMix is not about numbers, in the end, nor should it be. We know that, bandwidth and potential technical obstacles not withstanding, websites could be created that could quickly amass more tracks than OCR has at present. However, much like we all celebrated New Year's Eve at the end of 1999, even though the new millennium didn't "technically" begin for another year, taking a retrospective look back from OCR01000 to OCR00001 - however arbitrary those numbers are - reflects on what I think are amazing accomplishments on the parts of the site's many contributors. The listeners, reviewers, judges, forum members, #ocremix regulars, mirrorers and file sharers, and of course the ReMixers themselves, have all put together something that, even were it all to end abruptly tomorrow, is to me a singular and wonderful contribution to both music and games. My own mixes aside, I've only facilitated a context and procedure for enabling that contribution. You all deserve the credit.

I initially wanted OCR01000 to be a ReMix that would really wow people, stand out from my other ReMixes, and be fairly accessible. However, the more I thought about it, this seemed inappropriate. One of the original reasons I started the site was to challenge myself, and hopefully challenge others, to try new ideas - however risky - and explore new territory - however obscure. Whilst Super Mario RPG itself is far from obscure, the genre in question was a totally new experience for me to arrange in, and challenging to recreate electronically with any suspension of disbelief. The second I heard the track, though, I wanted to hear it arranged in a surf-rock sorta style, reminiscent of several bits from the Pulp Fiction score - hence the title. It already had a bit of that going on, with the growling, overblown saxophone, but I wanted more. The only problem is that I'd never done anything similar myself, and in my estimation it's not a genre that lends itself easily to electronic emulation. BUT, I'll be damned if I let that sort of thing stop me. I'm not unhappy with the result - it intentionally uses extreme compression/mastering, heavy reverb, etc. to evoke the sound of some of these older recordings. It might sound a bit odd, accordingly, or unpolished, but for me it conjures images of Super Mario RPG crossed with the infamous Pulp Fiction titles and the scene with Zed, etc., which is what I was shooting for :) In the end, it was more important to me that OCR01000 involve challenging myself than making some sort of magnum opus or something. We've been posting on a very intermittent schedule, working on some backend logistical issues, and should now be able to get back on track with more frequent posts. As a final note, closing out this particular numerical chapter, I'd like to say that it's been great running OCR - with lots of support from Judges and many others - and that it remains both a challenge and an inspiration for which I am grateful.

― djpretzel