ReMix: Secret of Mana 'Dueling Consoles'
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- Game: Secret of Mana (Square, 1993, SNES)
- ReMixer(s): Shnabubula
- Composer(s): Hiroki Kikuta
- Song(s): Danger
- Posted: 2006-06-14, evaluated by the judges
Shnabubula offers:
"Okay.. I think it's necessary that I give an explanation of this song. The idea is this... an NES and a Sega Genesis meet in appallachia and start a musical duel. At first they compete, but then they decide to work together. At 2:00... the synergy is so great that the two FUSE to become something new.... basically the same NES and FM sounds but now featuring effects processing [this was especially helpful with the noise/PCM] So that's the story. The title and intro melody is a reference to "Dueling Banjos" from deliverance.. since it's the same scenario except, instead of the product of inbreeding and a city slicker jamming, it's two different soundchips. I've learned a lot about writing NES chiptunes since "Figaro Chiptune" but it's stuff that most people probably wont care about.
SOOOO it's all made from chiptune sounds but it's not purely chiptune, since it does things that neither chip would have been capable of.... hopefully that'll make enough of a difference for this to be passable. The song being remixed is Danger! from secret of mana.. great song with lots of themes rolled into one short two minute piece [Kikuta rocks.. not as familiar with him as I should be, B1itz Lunar has inspired me to check him out more]. Roetaka pointed out that the theme entering at 3:33 sounds like a quote from FF7 battle theme. Totally unintentional but true none-the-less, guess that's what happens when you listen to too much Uematsu."
Highly conceptual Deliverance-meets-Mana chiptune(ish) piece that came on the heels of one of Shna's rejected pure chiptune mixes. Since then he's submitted another pure chiptune mix which was also rejected - our standards do weigh BOTH arrangement and production - but with this Mana composition, as he mentions, he treads outside the limits of what either chip would be able to do, creating a chimera. As a Genesis fan, I'd like to think that, were this an actual dual, my beloved Mega Drive would be the Burr to Nintendo's Hamilton, but it's more of a mind-meld. JJT writes:
"Again, very impressive, very challenging stuff from Sam. The opening section is definetly the most "out there," but I disagree with the assertion that it's chaotic. The chromatic interludes don't sound particularly pretty, but they're a deliberate choice, and Sam stays within the confines of the harmonic strucuture he lays out. Yes, there are a lot of notes, and it does modulate very quickly at times, but it makes sense. There's no chaos here. Once 2:00 hits, awesomeness ensues. At 3:25 when it shifts into...what is that, 13/4? That's just really great writing."
TO adds:
"...this one moves beyond the limitations of a simple chiptune, similar to the Mazedude Earthbound mix that was passed recently. It takes the good parts of a chiptune and translates them to a better soundscape to give a proper audio experience. Everything flows together pretty smoothly. The arrangement is dysfunctional, but it always comes together in the end. There's no real "climax" to the piece, in actuality it sounds more like Shna is taking the listener on a very intense drug trip, so the piece is one whole orgasmic climax."
I think it's important to mention Mazedude's EB mix as TO did, as it similarly overcame some potentially limiting chiptunish elements via arrangement and also enough attention to production to tip the scale in its favor. You have to love the rather classic and audacious concept of an NES and Genesis dueling it out, Deliverance style; the piece wins bonus cajones points on the rarity of imagination of involved in its conception. A very different, very singular piece that stands out not as Sam's best arrangement, but as one that highlights his skills while at the same time fulfilling the very particular idea his mind unleashed.
Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the *Mentally slaps self for not checking SoM remixes more
recently*
Mind Blowing. I'm going to get my headphones. If I'm not back in an hour someone send an ambulance.
- WeyrFalcon on June 26, 2009
Mind Blowing. I'm going to get my headphones. If I'm not back in an hour someone send an ambulance.
- WeyrFalcon on June 26, 2009
Favourite ReMix - just so awesome and hyperactive! Love it love it
love it!
- Arian on April 19, 2009
- Arian on April 19, 2009
Around every corner at OCR, there's always something new and
different to jump out.
I'm still having a little trouble mentally reconciling the NES and Genesis soundchips intertwining and interweaving. It sounds so bizarre.:shock:
I like how at 1:59 both just explode into the rest of the mix.
This mix is definitely worth listening to for the experience of how unique this mix actually is.
- 42 on January 19, 2009
I'm still having a little trouble mentally reconciling the NES and Genesis soundchips intertwining and interweaving. It sounds so bizarre.:shock:
I like how at 1:59 both just explode into the rest of the mix.
This mix is definitely worth listening to for the experience of how unique this mix actually is.
- 42 on January 19, 2009
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet...
This is, hands down, my favorite OC Remix. It is utterly amazing. The concept is brilliant (I have this idea in my head of some fantastic music video featuring the NES and Genesis in their epic duel and then coming together to fight some ridiculously easy Secret of Mana boss, like Mantis Ant) and the song is absolutely wonderful. This has given me a tremendous appreciation for the original song. I never previously cared for "Danger," considering it one of the lesser pieces on the soundtrack, but hearing this remix has given me a new respect for the complexity and fascinating nature of the piece.
Thank you, Shnabubula. This is freaking awe-inspiring to me.
- quoda on December 22, 2007
This is, hands down, my favorite OC Remix. It is utterly amazing. The concept is brilliant (I have this idea in my head of some fantastic music video featuring the NES and Genesis in their epic duel and then coming together to fight some ridiculously easy Secret of Mana boss, like Mantis Ant) and the song is absolutely wonderful. This has given me a tremendous appreciation for the original song. I never previously cared for "Danger," considering it one of the lesser pieces on the soundtrack, but hearing this remix has given me a new respect for the complexity and fascinating nature of the piece.
Thank you, Shnabubula. This is freaking awe-inspiring to me.
- quoda on December 22, 2007
Just like you said! The first feeling to mind is the sega genesis
and nintendo competing against each other, then finally they put
competition aside and work together in a very energetic way. Sure
it drags on a little near the end, but who cares! This is such a
great piece with so much effort into put into it that im sure no
one would mind!
Also, I just have to go along with what Radical Dreamer said :mrgreen:
- GreyMage on November 17, 2007
Also, I just have to go along with what Radical Dreamer said :mrgreen:
- GreyMage on November 17, 2007
This is probably the single most creative OC Remix
ever. Or at least that I've heard. If you haven't
already, DOWNLOAD IT.
Shnabubula is my hero.
- Jaybell on July 31, 2007
Shnabubula is my hero.
- Jaybell on July 31, 2007
A bold piece. Not many words can describe it. It takes a gutsy
artists to undertake such a challenge. It takes an excellent artist
to make it sound good. This is a reminder that you do not need the
best sounds ever to make a memorable piece. This did not suffer at
all from the limitations of the instruments, instead it took these
limits and exploited them to create a unique musical experience. It
is one of the few pieces that I love but cannot loop. As with a
great chocolate cake, this piece may be too rich to have too much
of. (And frankly, this made my reviewing a lot harder because I
loop songs I review while I post.)
The pure genius of it though is rather amazing. And the source material was extremely hard to work with. SoM has such a unique soundtrack and the boss battle theme always seemed like one of the more complex, if not a little underrated. To take such a complex song, and to give it such a unique treatment is an incredible accomplishment.
- The Author on June 6, 2007
The pure genius of it though is rather amazing. And the source material was extremely hard to work with. SoM has such a unique soundtrack and the boss battle theme always seemed like one of the more complex, if not a little underrated. To take such a complex song, and to give it such a unique treatment is an incredible accomplishment.
- The Author on June 6, 2007
Red Tailed Fox wrote:Ryze wrote: shuballbaa (I hope I got that right now..)
Rofl
Okay I'm guessing that I didn't get it right this time either..
But anyway I just gotta say that the more I listen to this song the better it gets! Once again great work Shnu *checks winamp*...... Shnabubula! Hah! :)
- Ryze on August 7, 2006
This remix is very cool, although it's not exactly my style. So all
I can say is that this remix is very very well made, keep up the
good work shuballbaa (I hope I got that right now..)
- Ryze on August 7, 2006
- Ryze on August 7, 2006
Wow! Nice piece! It's a very techno type piece so be forwarned if
you don't like that genre of music. It starts off with a "retro"
banjo homage of the song and then goes (albeit jarringly) into a
very fluid sounding techno track. I just love listening to this
part. The beats sound as though they are flowing across my ears.
Very awesome.
- i <3 robots on July 30, 2006
- i <3 robots on July 30, 2006
I don't care about faithfulness to the sound of the original
consoles. This mix rules.
It's so diverse. Never repetitive. Tons of harmonic exploration, enhancing on the original melody. Tons of changes in style, tempo, feel. Pieces of melody are transposed, reinterpreted, cut in half and spliced back together. Absolutely captivating all the way through. This mix overflows with creativity - it's not simply new clothes on an old piece, it's like he crumbled the old piece into bits and threw it into a giant pot.
This is like my favorite mix on this site in recent history.
- Tanamoril on July 28, 2006
It's so diverse. Never repetitive. Tons of harmonic exploration, enhancing on the original melody. Tons of changes in style, tempo, feel. Pieces of melody are transposed, reinterpreted, cut in half and spliced back together. Absolutely captivating all the way through. This mix overflows with creativity - it's not simply new clothes on an old piece, it's like he crumbled the old piece into bits and threw it into a giant pot.
This is like my favorite mix on this site in recent history.
- Tanamoril on July 28, 2006
Burger Deluxe wrote: ...I think I was just audially fondled.It's o.k. your not alone. You're safe here.
So do I, like, tell somebody or something? I'm confused.
I was also blown away by this song, but it took me a few listens to get into it because I became a little bored with the intro so I straped myself to this chair and forced myself to listen to it whole and now I can't stop listening to it!
- The Unsung Plumber on July 21, 2006
Shnabubula never ceases to amaze me. I've listened to this SO many
times since it came out. One of the most brilliant arrangements
I've heard in a long time. This man is one of the best arrangers
out there.
- artemisjaeger on July 21, 2006
- artemisjaeger on July 21, 2006
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