ReMix: Final Fantasy VI 'Cyanide'

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Wow. Judges seemed a bit lukewarm on this one, but I can't really figure out why. I'm sitting here with a 101 fever recovering from strep throat, so perhaps my perception is warped, but it's kicking my ass. Mark Hall, alias XMark, writes:

"An entry in the March 2005 Dwelling of Duels competition. This is a metal adaptation of Cyan's theme, done in a style influenced by Metallica's "Sad But True", but with a traditional Japanese-styled introduction section."

The introductory section was a great touch, in my opinion; some judges cited weird intonation on some of the plucked instruments, but to me the effect seemed authentic. I admit that's based mostly off of listening to soundtracks of Asian cinema, which may or may not be a good barometer, but whatever. I honestly would have been perfectly happy with this mix had it stayed in the very Eastern, kabuki-infused flavor it began with, but eventually daikos and bowed/plucked strings give way to an acoustic rock kit and guitar hero action. The eventual rock/metal direction the piece takes helps explain the mix title, which otherwise would have seemed misplaced. To me, the arrangement seems very creative, drawing inspiration from a well-known metal track but mixing in Eastern influences in a very conceptual way that might have looked problematic on paper, but which the ReMixer executes with style. Similarly, I take zero issue with the production - everything seems crisp, crunchy, spacious, and (where appropriate) raunchy and in-your-face. I could see XMark submitting 100% ethnic arrangements in the future, or 100% rock/metal arrangements, with consistent levels of quality, which is saying a lot for his diversity. Not much else to say; great stuff.

― djpretzel