ReMix: Kirby's Dream Land 2 'Breakbeat Forest'

Download MP3
5,870,922 bytes, 4:05, 192kbps

• Trade-in your Games or Anime DVDs!
• OC ReMix Shirts & Merch
• Games:
  • DS | GBA | GC | PS2 | WII | XBOX | 360
  • Imports & Pre-owned
• Anime:
  • DVDs & Merchandise

Phil writes:

"Well, I decided to submit this one in because it's my first non collab in a while, and it's a whole lot different from my usual stuff. I've been sequencing a lot of electronic music lately, and I've been forced to do a trance piece for high school which taught me a lot about how it's all put together. So I decided I'd make a FUN mix on one of my favourite sources, Kirby's Dreamland 2. Ah yes, you either love it or hate it, but I'm not of the latter.

The source song I mixed itself is pretty brainless (Big Forest), so I thought I'd add some jazzy progressions into it, to provide some variety whilst keeping the whole gameboyish chiptune feel. There's some guitar, piano, drum and bass, and a special surprise at the end. The concept is to entertain, and I think it should bring out the 10 year old in you, or that is you?"

Groovy. First, some housekeeping: we've added some user profile fields to our forums so you can enter your user IDs on last.fm and facebook, if you have them. In addition, there are official groups for OverClocked ReMix on youtube, last.fm, and facebook, with more to come. Check out the youtube group in particular for some great fan videos and news coverage of the site. Also, though it may have jeopardized my dignity in some intangible fashion, I now have... a myspace account. Word. Expect more of these types of integrations in the immediate future; if you haven't registered on our forums yet, there's never been a better time.

Our first ReMix from Kirby's second foray into Dream Land comes courtesy Tepid, whose second non-collab mix is nothing to be lukewarm about. The ReMixer combines clean acoustic elements with decidedly chiptune kitsch, piling on the old skool breakbeats like Aunt Jemima on flapjacks, i.e. with the business. Jill writes:

"Wow, I am duly, dually impressed with your work here, Phil! The accoustic/piano sections were stronger than I've ever heard from you before, and then I didn't know you had this whole other crazy side to you. The melody usage is rather conservative, but you've done so many creative things with the instrumentation, and lots of jazzy flair as well. It's cool, and then it's super dooper uber happy, and then it's cool again, and then super dooper uber happy, and finally cool again. Yes, how Kirby indeed!

The section starting at 1:07 was a little weak at first, in my opinion. Instead of bringing out the breakbeats, they sound a little distant in comparison with the rather overbearing piano. I'm gonna have to agree with Larry that the percussion sounds kinda like a default, but I'll let it slide. Nice pitch bend at 3:10, followed by the cute little squeaks. What a mischievous little puff of pink; you've really captured his personality!"

So, apparently Kirby is a small, pink manic depressive who oscillates between chipper and sedate, potentially in the need of emotionally stabilizing pharmaceuticals. Nintendo, what will you think of next... It's an interesting mix that floats in and out of chiptuneland without losing momentum or seeming arbitrary. Tepid definitely shows a different side of his game, as well, which is always nice to see. Pretty cool concept, nicely executed as well - it's always touching when breakbeats find good homes with parents that love them and raise them as their own, and Tepid's taken the adoption option and run with it rather adeptly.

― djpretzel