Arranging the music of one song...

"Dark World Dungeon"

Primary Game: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Nintendo , 1991, SNES), music by Koji Kondo

Posted 2005-09-26, evaluated by djpretzel


And now for something completely different... following Sixto's fairly conservative but still rockin' Castlevania mixage from last night, we've got a Zelda 3 track from Swedish jazz mixing powerhouse Neskvartetten. We've got a respectable amount of jazz on the site, but none of it sounds quite like theirs. There's a tangible atmosphere to the sheer greasy slickness of their organ work, for one, and performances across the board are really just... in a musical zone. It's nearly impossible for me not to imagine a dimly lit room, intense eyes peering out from individual tables over copius amounts of second AND firsthand smoke, with cheap ceiling fans twirling thins clouds of it around and around, and all toes tapping and heads swaying slowly, whenever I hear their stuff. I'm not really a "laid back" person myself, I'd say, but Nesk ReMixes would chill out Joe Pesci on a bad day. Their stuff should be played for stressed postal workers, suicidial stockbrokers, etc., as it has a distinct, mellowing, not-quite-soporific but definitely spiralling, zen-trance effect. This mix in particular, which loosely covers the dark world dungeon theme, lacks more of a core, guiding melody, and thus strikes me more as an impressionistic meditation on Kondo's original than anything else. A light brush kit and occassionally-walking bass form a bed for organ and jazz guitar, with the former operating in broader, wider strokes and the latter more specific, definite lines. Even those who dig Nesk's other tracks might find this comparatively meandering, but in a sense that makes its transporting effect a bit deeper; as John Popper once sang, the hook does indeed bring you back, and thus, conversely, the lack of a hook lets you... roam a bit. This is a roaming ReMix, not unlike Kerouac (only not overrated), Hunter S. Thompson, or William Burroughs. Male and female alike should watch out, for listening repeatedly may spawn the mad desire to grow a goatee, don a turtleneck, and start composing sound poetry. Actually, given most mainstream hobbies, that's not such a bad thing. At any rate, this mix fell through the cracks during the period when the fellas submitted many tracks in rapid succession, but now their dark world can see the light of day. Abstract at times, but sublimely flowing + growing, you can't beat getting ten rupees absolutely free.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
Crulex
on 2011-07-07 17:54:14

This is a really intriging track. I'm not crazy for jazz, but I can stand it when it is done right, and this is done right. Anyway, it's put together well and I can mellow out to it very easily. The only thing that gets me is that certain parts were a bit too far out there for me and I wasn't fond of it, but the rest of this ReMix makes for a good relaxing song. Ten Rupees and one great mix, sounds like a good deal.

avatar
OA
on 2009-12-07 22:23:44

geez, total transformation. Really nicely done. This is super moody and does the source justice. Cool smokey sound, some awesome organ swells, and a pretty tasteful guitar lead. Drums fill out the back, and the bass isn't flashy but gets the job done.

Nice jazzy mix.

avatar
Ryu2Wolf
on 2009-01-06 21:44:12

Ha, second one I've heard like this in Zelda series. Really fun to hear. May have used a different song to use but the style hits the nail on the head. Nice work!

avatar
42
on 2008-12-15 23:58:59

If you were playing this live in a club, this is the kind of song you'd play between sets.

It's that smooth quiet song that the jazz band plays after the main performance while everyone else chats with the other socialites and secretly listens to and enjoys.

This is a highly recommended download.

avatar
KogeJoe
on 2007-02-01 09:46:20

Seriously, this was one of the tracks I hated the MOST in ZALTTP. It's boring, repetative, and it's played in 7 long levels!!!

The music is GREAT. GENIUS.

Only, I think it's wasted on this track. SERIOUSLY. This track was nothing special. Nothing special at all. And all this beautiful work went into it. Seriously. What a waste.

Don't get me wrong, the music is AWESOME. But the original track's a waste of precious time.

Seriously, this could probably count as its own piece. It takes a crappy track and makes it sound beautiful.

avatar
Hum4n After All
on 2005-10-25 00:15:36

I downloaded this the day it came out OH HO MAN! I loved it. It just made want to go out to an old Jazz place and have me a cigarette in the back with no light. Well ya know what I mean. Good form and well done. 10/10

avatar
meccaneer
on 2005-10-06 09:47:36

Damn, Nesky. You know jazz. Unfortunately, I'm more of the Miles Davis school. This is just way too laid back. Technically, though, it's damn awesome. But, I don't need to hear elevator music at home.

avatar
Hanpusu-kun
on 2005-09-29 13:50:35
Hi, the dude is here. Didn´t realize that my swedish review would cause so much chaos. Sorry bout that. I have noticed that Hanpusudude here has already translated quite well, but so that there aren´t many losses in my thoughts, here is my translation

There, sorry for the trouble. Hanpusu-kun did a great translate, only a few words wrong. And for the remix:

I stay put on my review. Next time I write in swedish, I should do an english translation at the side. But it sure was funny to see everybody so confusing, I thought noone would care!

Thanks to Neskvartetten, and Hanpusu-kun of course.

Hejdå! (Goodbye!)

Argh, you know, that the internet translators can be quite useful sometimes :P

avatar
Bummer
on 2005-09-29 11:14:47
Ja, några ord fel, och några ord tillagda från ingenstanns :P

Föresten, det är "here IS MY translation". :P

Oh, dear. My mistake. Terribly sorry. :D:o:):?:(:cry::lmassoff:

Hey, wait a minute. :x How did you manage to write in swedish?

avatar
Argle
on 2005-09-28 20:23:41

I listened to this like 20 times in a row today.

Oh man, I was SO mellowed out. :D

avatar
Harmony
on 2005-09-28 16:18:58

Oh heck yeah. Absolutely stellar work guys.

avatar
Dectilon
on 2005-09-28 15:59:26

Ja, några ord fel, och några ord tillagda från ingenstanns :P

Föresten, det är "here IS MY translation". :P

avatar
Bummer
on 2005-09-28 14:30:37

Hi, the dude is here. Didn´t realize that my swedish review would cause so much chaos. Sorry bout that. I have noticed that Hanpusudude here has already translated quite well, but so that there aren´t many losses in my thoughts, here are mine translation:

This was a calm and thoughtful remix, the original is quite hectic, so that you get paniced when you can´t find the stupid button to the next room, but thanks to you it now has a way cooler outside. I´m no musicgenre expert, but I believe that this is more blues than jazz, if there was a saxophone-solo in it I would rethink about it, but now there isn´t one.

To sum it all up: Good mix, you can have it as background music anyday. Neskvartetten, you make us swedes proud.

There, sorry for the trouble. Hanpusu-kun did a great translate, only a few words wrong. And for the remix:

I stay put on my review. Next time I write in swedish, I should do an english translation at the side. But it sure was funny to see everybody so confusing, I thought noone would care!

Thanks to Neskvartetten, and Hanpusu-kun of course.

Hejdå! (Goodbye!)

avatar
Hanpusu-kun
on 2005-09-28 13:34:22
Genial to see that the exists Swedish remixare also, gives this side a mixture of nationalities.

Hursomhelst, this each then a huge there and thoughtful remix, the original is of course actually quite hectic, so that one sheep panic when one does not find the stupid button to next room, but due to your has the now got an a lot of more cooler outside. I am no expert of musical genres, but alone thinks I that this lets more as blue than jazz, about the existed a saxophone sunbathing perhaps I willed intend about, but now existed the no.

Summary sensible: Good tune, can have the as background music when as entire pcs. Neskvartetten, you do us Swedish proud

Man, you just made my day with that translation! Did you run it thru an online translator? :D

yes I did I noticed the spelling now xDDD

Yay ! First OCR'er from my hometown i believe Very Happy

En jävla kunglig sajt det här Wink

Absolutely!

OCR rocks!

Trefligt med en annan person från Umeå!

avatar
CE
on 2005-09-28 10:01:28

Great job with fusing the tune with the whole mix, making the dungeons seem less threatening hehe...

Everyone seems to say that you are pretty good in these types of mixes, so i'll take their word for it!

I really like the lounge style in this song... relaxing but you are always aware its the dungeon theme... with a massive boss in the end... urgh...

Great Overall job!

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Nintendo , 1991, SNES)
Music by Koji Kondo
Songs:
"Dark World Dungeon"

Tags (2)


Genre:
Jazz
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Electric Guitar
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Legend_of_Zelda_A_Link_to_the_Past_Ten_Rupees_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,510,618 bytes
MD5:
8605d774ad094772a77fc6df38fb1a11
Bitrate:
128Kbps
Duration:
4:36

Promotion

8-bit Jazz Heroes - Press Start
View All

Latest Albums

View All

Latest ReMixes