ReMix: Final Fantasy VI 'Keep Out the Veldt'

Download MP3
5,641,372 bytes, 4:42, 160kbps

• 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

WARNING: This ReMix contains explicit lyrics that may not be appropriate for children... or people that don't like explicit lyrics! Additional warning: if you write to us doing nothing but complaining about the profanity in this ReMix, we will probably respond with more profanity!

It does occur to me that this might be a bad piece to specifically post on Easter Sunday, but we've fallen a bit behind, I've got some time to post something before Easter dinner, and honestly, although I'm not Christian myself, from what I understand about Jesus, he seems like he'd be an amazing, accepting person that really wouldn't have a huge problem with profanity, esp. compared to real problems like hunger, poverty, violence, war etc. that some people don't seem to get as riled up about. Your perspectives and views may of course vary. We might look into some mechanism for more clearly identifying mixes with profanity/explicit lyrics, but thus far it hasn't really been too much of a problem; there was a piece that Mr. Salzman submitted a while ago (coincidentally also a rap mix from FF6) that would have raised some eyebrows, but it was rejected for being repetitive and having rather empty and rather juvenile lyrics. I think the panel may have been criticized at the time for rejecting said piece simply because it contained profanity, but in that instance, it was gratuitous and actually resulted in something of a travesty, more appropriate (in a GOOD way) for OverLooked ReMiX. This Wild West ReMix from zyko - especially the second version he provided based on panel feedback - is a different story.

I ReMixed this theme myself with quite a different approach, but even at the time, I actually thought that it could make a killer rap/hip-hop piece. I had something more fiddy in mind, but zyko's done an excellent job here, with some stylistic similarity to his previous Asterix collab in terms of combining rapping with singing in sort of falsetto/vibrato voice. The title alone deserves some props - "Keep Out the Veldt" is contextual, ominous, and a little goofy while also giving off the sort of bad boy vibe appropriate to the mix and in keeping with the sing-song "Bad-man" mantra in the lyrics. Initially the first version Waleed sent in had some timing/production issues that made Andy and Jimmy reluctant to green-light the piece, but he followed-up with a revision that fixed most of that, prompting vote changes for both judges. Jimmy writes:

"New version is tight. Uber. Not only is the balance addressed along with the brass-timing improved, the vocals cutting through even more clearly. And the ending is going to please a lot more people, seeing as it's *resolved*. Nice work, bro."

zyko usually doesn't do resubs, but in this case it was definitely a good move. He writes:

"i just barely got my computer back after nearly a month out of commission and i've been intending on fixing the track up and resubmitting (contrary to my common practice of doin no such thing). honestly, this is the first time i've made my own traditional hip hop beat so a lot of things were new territory for me"

Very cool. Obviously, this mix isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea - some folks out there don't like vocals of any kind in their ReMixes, and I'm guessing even fewer dig rapping, but personally I'm pretty open to most any genre when it's done with talent, craft, and musicality, and zyko's got a pretty damn good track record on those counts. Actually, I've got an open challenge to bustatunez to provide the site with its first gospel mix, as that's a genre I usually can't get into at all, but my point is that I think exploring more genres can only be a good thing. As far as profanity goes, I've always felt that concepts are far more offensive than individual words; you can offend me to my core with bigotry, hatred, intolerance, and fascism, and not use a single curse word, and you can likewise express happiness, creativity, enthusiasm, and positivity and have a potty mouth while doing it. The issue is admittedly more nuanced than that, but that's my personal philosophy and two cents, for what it's worth. I hesitate to make such a big deal about this issue, but this mix does set a sort of precedent, so addressing it seems pertinent and (hopefully) preemptive. Aside from the potential controversy due to the lyrics, and regardless of genre, this is a creative and well-constructed and produced arrangement, and that's what counts.

― djpretzel