Posted 2014-11-24, evaluated by the judges panel


DAYUM... what the heck?? It's been over seven years since we last posted anything from RoeTaKa, and now Alex shows up with this absolute BEAST of an orchestral Castlevania ReMix... you've been busy, sir! I try to avoid superlatives of this sort, but I think I can say without qualification that this is the artist's best mix yet - a powerhouse 6'42" symphonic Castlevania medley that focuses on my favorite CV OST, SCIV, and even starts off with a sweet orchestral version of the Konami logo jingle? Alex killed it with this one, striking all guerilla/ninja style after a seven year hiatus with some formidable orchestral skillz:

"Been a long time, hasn't it? Although I contributed to some OC ReMix albums, I never submitted those songs because I just wasn't that confident in them. It's been nearly 4 years since I've properly remixed something like this. For a while now, I've just focused on writing original music when I've had the time and the odd project like Shnabubula's SNESology. This arrangement of Castlevania has been on my mind ever since Lords of Shadow was released and I still listen to its music constantly. What would some of the classic Castlevania songs sound like in Óscar Araujo's orchestral style? I tried to interpret these songs in a way that they are still recognizable, but also seamlessly feel like they could have been in the game."

So good; it might be my imagination, but it seems like we've got fewer artists doing orchestral/symphonic work, as opposed to more cinematic stuff that also incorporates electronic components. I feel like this is a game-changer for Alex, as I'd personally LOVE to see him do more arrangements in this style. DarkeSword writes:

"Really awesome stuff, Roe. Agree with OA; lots of sources but they're used intelligently. Really nice mixing and balance with all the different elements. Good usage of your samples too. Really energetic piece with a lot of tension. Fantastic."

Ditto that: fantastic. Superb Castlevania franchise ReMix with oodles of style, substance, & atmosphere - highly recommended & major props to RoeTaKa!!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Marscaleb
on 2020-10-29 17:39:09

I'd love to see more like this.

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Necrox
on 2015-12-30 20:23:51

Really good arranging; it sounds AAA grade in more than just sample quality. Not really my thing, but excellent work. I especially like the choir and Bloody Tears. The 5:00 section is sweet too.

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Chernabogue
on 2015-12-30 03:54:12

New review: This pushes OC ReMix's bar even higher in terms of orchestral remixes. The way you arranged the classic themes into LoS' style worked perfectly. The samples are of great quality and the arrangement is excellent. It's also super cool to see someone giving a shot to modern soundtracks. :) Man, I'll never tire from hearing the LoS Main Theme. Awesome job!

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sandmann999
on 2014-12-02 09:01:55

Oh wow, the little Konami chime at the beginning brought me way back...

Nicely done.

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RoeTaKa
on 2014-11-28 05:44:29

Thanks guys! Feels good to get something on here again after so long.

Excellent work, RoeTaKa!

Damn Caleb it's been a real long time, hope you're doing well man.

I liked the choir also, EWQL Symphonic/VOTA?

The choir is from IK Multimedia's Miroslav Philharmonik.

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Crulex
on 2014-11-27 15:24:00

Sweet stuff, man. The orchestral elements of this mix sounds like it would fit in to a cinematic soundtrack to me, especially for credits or traveling scenes. Having the orchestrated konami jingle at the start was an awesome touch and I'm digging the vocal chants going on along with Vampire Killer's section near the end there. Damn good ReMix.

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givecake
on 2014-11-27 09:14:29

Every time I load up OCREMIX, I look for a couple of games in the latest remixes. Some of those are Castlevania games. I clicked this hoping as usual, but I wasn't ready for just how good this was and is. It blew my mind. Absolutely excellent work. All I can say is, thank you :) And if I may be bold enough, may I ask - please consider doing more Castlevania remixes! Streets of Rage, Street fighter, Final Fantasy 7 and all the typical others need your hand, too.

You brought out a lot of feelings in me, and here's proof:

3

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Gwee
on 2014-11-27 01:58:01

i love orchestration rearrangements :) bombastic, huge, over-the-top. Had a hard time recognizing the themes but that's just on me. I liked how it felt like a final boss fight with the driving, the tension, the "releases" and how that was repeatedly used :)!!

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Uffe von Lauterbach
on 2014-11-25 01:23:30

As I took a listen to this, I looked back into the description to see if there was any mention of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and noticed that Óscar Araujo's name was mentioned. For the most part, RoeTaka did a really good job at giving it that feeling while also making the melodies recognizable.

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OverClocked PodCast
on 2014-11-24 21:49:42

"Hmm. Another Castlevania ReMix?" I mumbled idly to myself, clicking the download button without any idea whatsoever that an orchestra was about to move into my eardrums and proceed be unrealistically epic.

This is a PRETTY GOOD SONG.

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CyberSkull
on 2014-11-24 21:26:43

Very good work. I like it even though I only have passing familiarity with a few of the arranged songs.

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derako
on 2014-11-24 18:24:19

I enjoyed this. Orchestration good, really good mixing considering EWQL Gold 16 bit samples (nice string runs). I liked the choir also, EWQL Symphonic/VOTA?

-Derek

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reelmojo
on 2014-11-24 16:57:30

Excellent work, RoeTaKa!

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Chernabogue
on 2014-11-24 16:38:34

I waiting for this one to hit the front page! :) It's excellent, nice job! But I already told you that! :P

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Mullion
on 2014-11-24 16:11:34

Extremely good remix :)

Sources Arranged (5 Songs, 3 Games)


Primary Game:
Super Castlevania IV (Konami , 1991, SNES)
Music by Masanori Adachi,Taro Kudo
Songs:
"Beginning (Stage 10 Dracula's Tower 2 BGM)"
"Bloody Tears (Stage 10 Clock Tower BGM)"
"Vampire Killer (Stage 10 Dracula's Tower 1 BGM)"
Additional Game:
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (Konami , 2010, PS3)
Music by Óscar Araujo
Songs:
"The Warg"
Additional Game:
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (Konami , 2014, PS3)
Music by Óscar Araujo
Songs:
"Titanic Struggle"

Tags (7)


Genre:
Cinematic
Mood:
Epic
Instrumentation:
Brass,Choir,Orchestral,Strings
Additional:
Time > Duration: Long

File Information


Name:
Super_Castlevania_4_Oblivium_Sempiternum_Daemonis_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
11,548,568 bytes
MD5:
7139508bd76ed4b937ee824a2bb74772
Bitrate:
227Kbps
Duration:
6:43

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