ReMix: Metroid II: Return of Samus 'Anthem of a Metroid Hunter'

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I trust everyone had a happy Xmas/Festivus/non-denominational embrace of consumerism and got everything they wished for (and, to a lesser extent, gave that for which was wished)... the Internet access at my holiday location cut out Saturday morning, so I was unable to do any sort of seasonal posting of mixes or what not; Verizon said it was a borked DSL modem, and who am I to question their wisdom. At any rate, I'm back home now, with an assortment of much-needed clothes, LOTR:ROTK EE, a bigass bar of Toblerone chocolate, and various other sundries. Gag gifts included a bottle of "BOD" body wash, simply because my sisters and I share a common appreciation of the unintended hilarity of their commercials, and from my father a talking Jar-Jar Binks "Tickle-Me Elmo"-style doll he found for a buck fifty at the Salvation Army. Truly inspired. I get a large number of emails, mostly positive, about OCR, but this Christmas message from S. Blue I thought was worth sharing, as sometimes such comments don't make it specifically to the judges' ears:

"I just wanted to take the time to email you and say that I truly appreciate what you've created here over at OCRemix. The music scene has come to a decline in quality as of late, and to be quite honest it's hard to find something new and remotely interesting (not to take away credit for things I've not heard yet, of course...). I love the fact that you've not only presented a forum where artists are free to post and receive reviews on the very music they create, you've also presented them with the challenge of making the music truly original. To you and your panel of judges, I give you all a great deal of thanks."

So, this holiday season, give the judges panel some of that holiday spirit and support, and don't be hatin' - be lovin'. Or at least likin'. Though not particularly Xmassy, the latest, second submission from Big Giant Circles delivers on the promise of the ReMixer's initial submission with some great Metroid 2 electronica fanfare. As a melody-addict, this is an especially appealing mix for me, as it has some "power motifs" that get in your head, which the ReMixer does a great job of elaborating on. The entire, well-constructed intro, complete with ambient effects and swirling, cross-panned synth patterns, is but an extended lead-in (for me at least) to the first incarnation of the tres-heroic theme at 1'46" - love the snare patterns immediately preceding, and the general feeling of warm-fuzziness you get when the main melody finally does drop. Filter break at 2'30" where you can really hear how successfully acoustic drums have been integrated with an overall electronic feel, and then BGC brings in orchestral elements - it was varied enough already, and this just adds to the fun with its seamless integration of a broadened tonal palette. The ReMixer writes:

"I did my best to make this piece as "epic" and "grandioso" as I possibly could--and what better way to portray an intergalactically renowned girl who has just conquered a planet that spawned some of the most deadly and mysterious creatures ever devised? I chose the title "Anthem of a Metroid Hunter" for this reason, and when I think of the word Anthem, this is the feeling I have. A hero.

I did my best to mix several elements in this arrangement, including style, sound effects, rhythm, and instrumentation. The song jumps around from ambient, to "electronica", to rock, to symphonic, but IMO manages to maintain the epic/grand feel I mentioned above. I did my best to keep the arrangement such that even knowing the source tune, one could not predict EXACTLY which direction the tune was heading, but still maintained the imagery of a persevering heroine, who has faced impossible odds and prevailed.

Concerning the sound effects, particularly at the end, I thought I should comment. Despite recent games *cough*Metroid Prime*cough* where Samus merely rips off her helmet like a ski mask, the sounds I threw in are always how I personally imagined the way it might sound when Samus was removing her suit. Lets face it. She can survive in the vacuum of space, so it MUST be pressurized, at the very least...

And the "ka-clank" is where I pictured her dropping it on the floor after an exhausting day of single-handedly conquering a planet, much in the same way we might drop our book bag on the floor of our room after a hard day of classes/work/etc. I've also discovered that the sounds could work either to portray how she removes her helmet, OR her arm cannon. So take your pick."

Great explanation there from Jimmy; this mix is really well put-together, never gets boring, and has the feeling of being effortless but at the same time refined. In other words, it's very natural, enjoyable, etc. but not because it's overly obvious, simplified, or derivative. Some of the percussion work especially is very detailed and layered, with multiple kits each being used to their respective strenghts. Jimmy's done due diligence to this theme with a mix that's got a little something for everyone and is very celebratory. Excellent, invigorating work.

― djpretzel