ReMix: Secret of Mana 'Distorted Star'
Let's get the two main issues with this Secret of Mana collaboration between SnappleMan (guitar part) and GrayLightning (everything else) out of the way right off the bat: firstly, the guitar part is flat, and secondly, the percussion doesn't emphasize and amplify the very dramatic, almost processional nature of the music as well as it could. Some judges felt the former was the larger issue, some the latter, but all concurred these were the two salient problems with an otherwise dramatic blend of orchestral, new age, and rock. I think Vigilante summed this one up nicely:
"some slight out-of-tunage in the guitar, and i wish he would have slid a bit less, but it's good to listen to none the less. not a fan of the percussion, perhaps this mix would have been better without, or just with a timpani or something. seems a bit repetitive, but the guitar does a lot for this mix. not spectacular, arrangement could use some variation, but it's solid, and the guitar works well."
Gray can and certainly has done better percussion, and SnappleMan was a bit more polished with his recent electric work on his own KillerDokko mix. Neither of these two elements prevents the mix from working on a certain level, but both combined hold it back from achieving the impact it could have had they been revised. There are several moments that help counter this, though; the extended solo string tradeoffs around 1'40" work very well, and the guitar part itself does a lot for the mix as Jesse says. It's not your typical Secret of Mana mix, and not a typically covered selection from Kikuta's works either. The intro in particular is quite strong and has a nice taut and undulating digital/analog atmosphere to it. The percussion at certain points actually *is* rather layered and effective, with some nice additions and flare; it's just that there's an equal number of moments when it's not as "there". It balances itself out and in my mind isn't as much of an issue as the tuning on the otherwise enhancing and energizing guitar part. At 2'30" when it's doubled up with itself and quite a bit louder, it sounds much better; not sure if this is simply due to it overpowering the backing track temporarily, but this is another one of the moments, along with the well-executed ending, that are quite compelling and memorable. This is a good mix, interpretive and creative, with two stopping points that may or may not be issues for listeners. Gray just informed me as I was writing this that a revision isn't possible as the project file's been lost, so this is the mix in its final incarnation: WYHIWYG. Well worth checking out in spite of an achilles' heel or two - don't let the quibbles overshadow my overall high opinion.
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