ReMix:Sonic the Hedgehog "April Rain" 3:16

By The Cynic Project

Arranging the music of one song...

"Green Hill Zone"

Primary Game: Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega , 1991, GEN), music by Masato Nakamura

Posted 2011-02-27, evaluated by djpretzel


We'll be getting a heapin' helpin' of the Sonic that started it all when The Sound of Speed album is released, but to tide you over until then is newcomer The Cynic Project (www.cynicmusic.com) with a distinct & enjoyable 'Green Hill' arrangement:

"I started this mix in April 2009. I attempted to blend variations on the melody from Green Hill Zone and other elements from the soundtrack with my upbeat style."

Attempt = Successful. At first I thought this was going to be a meme-mashup between 'Green Hill' and 'Chocolate Rain,' but I was (thankfully) incorrect. Delicate, dance-pop electronica with trance elements intro, and the Sonic spinup whoosh effect is used repeatedly & effectively, along with other in-game FX. Chromatic percussion in the form of Marimba-ish chords adds a distinct, poppier feel, along with acoustic piano, which offsets synths nicely and gives a great blend of textures. At three minutes and change, the mix is a little on the short side, and does just kinda... end... but it's a really upbeat, pleasant ride. Both arrangement and production stay smooth & palatable while maintaining a good degree of sophistication. So yeah... not much to complain about! Great debut from The Cynic Project, which sounds anything BUT cynical with its happy major-key hooks, electronica-meets-pop instrumentation, and layered, smart arrangement.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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WesternZypher
on 2013-04-05 17:10:40

It's April and there's no rain today baby! woo! *dance* Emoticon__Dancing_by_Thirteen_Autumns.gif

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esteve7
on 2013-01-31 01:47:17

Wait wait wait, what? "The" Cynic Project. Wow. Double Take.

TCP has been one of my favorites since the Alex started it back in the 90s and I was in middle school (Matrix ]|[ (Trance Mix), anyone?). I own every album and still listen to it today, Soundscapes 2000 is one of the CDs in my car.

Do I even have to listen to this to know it's going to be awesome?

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Psydotek
on 2011-12-05 03:22:31
The Cynic Project!! This guy was one of the first artists I latched onto during the MP3 craze in the early '00s. His "Matrix [Grid]" mix is still one of my favorites, though I lost my copy of the original mix of it.

Seeing his moniker now listed among the ranks of OC Remixers is a big deal for me. After I got all I could out of the music of his (that of which I could find) on the 'net, a couple years later I discovered OCRemix! I had a hunger for electronica, specifically dealing with vg remixes. I had no clue there was a community as vast as OCR and counted myself blessed (still do!) that was into VG Music as much as I. I've made an attempt at submitting, but I've since moved on out of the realm of musical composition trying to make my mark on the world with the written word.

Anyway, this is really cool. :) I'm glad Cynic's still making music and this mix is fantastic! Takes me back on a number of levels - sophomore year of college, discovering all the great music on the internet through the magic of the original Napster (yes, there was a time you got music from it for free) - back to childhood in the source music - just back to a simpler, more innocent time when I heard music like this every now and then but had no clue how to get a hold of any of it for myself.

Nice work, all around!

This. Completely. I still listen to The Matrix [Grid] songs on occasion.

I have a huge collection of his music from the old MP3.com website loaded on my mp3 player and archived somewhere on an old hard drive or CD.

Lo and behold, I'm perusing the recent submissions for anything that might catch my ear and I see a familiar name. One listen and I realize IT'S THE SAME CYNIC PROJECT remixing one of the most beloved (yet rarely remixed) videogame themes around. Sauceome!

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Martin Penwald
on 2011-05-02 16:08:27

The marimba-ish chords are indeed very interesting. Production is sweet, too.

The main synth isn't my cup of tea, though, so the entire remix doesn't do much for me.

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Crulex
on 2011-04-19 12:53:07

Mmmm.....nice and upbeat dance. Not too crazy but not overdoing it on the chill side either. Nice and smooth like.....well, April rain. Which is funny enough because I've been getting enough of that in the area right about now. But as much as I've had enough of that rain, I don't think I'll ever want this rain to go away. Great ReMix.

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RDX
on 2011-04-10 21:24:56

Listening to this in april olol

It's pretty good, nicely produced if i do say so. I woudlnt say it's the best green hill mix, i still love green lane avenue to death

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Emunator
on 2011-03-30 12:37:49
finally got around to listening to this

now I can't stop

best green hill remix ever made no contest

I just finally got around to STOPPING listening to this track. I feel less complete now :-( *turns it back on again*

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Doulifée
on 2011-03-30 11:04:27

I need to post there because that track is one of my current favorite.

The Cynic Project, hope to see more from you soon. thank you.

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Benjamin Briggs
on 2011-03-04 16:45:54

finally got around to listening to this

now I can't stop

best green hill remix ever made no contest

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VNilla
on 2011-03-01 15:27:19

Nice, calm piece with a recognizable (and this followable) melody.

I find it interesting that style of this ReMix is nearly identical to that of "Breakout" by Hollidayrain, whose name is similar to the title of this ReMix... probably just a coincidence, though.

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DjMystix
on 2011-03-01 14:12:21

This is awesome! Very nicely done.

For some reasons though, it reminds me of the "Whirlwind (GaleForceMix)" OCR mix from Shinobi 3. Probably coz of similar chord progression.

Anyway, loving it!

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FlashX
on 2011-03-01 04:03:04

WOW! Nice track! would love to see you do more Sonic stuff.... ooo ooo and NiGHTS!!

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superjoe30
on 2011-02-28 21:59:20

I'ma let you guys finish, but I'm already the all-time top listener for this song.

http://www.last.fm/music/The+Cynic+Project/_/April+Rain+%28Green+Hill+Zone%29

har har. But seriously, The Cynic Project is the shit. Check out more of his sonic stuff here: http://sonic.tcpmusic.com/

And his original stuff is fantastic as well: http://www.cynicmusic.com/

In fact, you wanna know how I found out about The Cynic Project in the first place? I was doing what I usually do on a Friday night - lurking in the "NO"'d submissions forum section, looking for rejected Ice Cap Zone remixes, when I saw that The Cynic Project submitted an Ice Cap Zone mix. I immediately found his website and downloaded all of his amazing tracks.

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Holy Land
on 2011-02-28 15:23:58

This is sick, please submit more.

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Jewbei
on 2011-02-28 07:10:36

i heard this mix a long time ago on his website im feeling the synth work please sub more :D

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega , 1991, GEN)
Music by Masato Nakamura
Songs:
"Green Hill Zone"

Tags (6)


Genre:
Dance,Pop
Mood:
Happy
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Piano,Synth
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Sonic_the_Hedgehog_April_Rain_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,801,470 bytes
MD5:
5e73b3e4f7d84b04aa4e24f304fda420
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
3:16

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