ReMix:Donkey Kong Country "Banish" 3:41

By Redg

Arranging the music of one song...

"Aquatic Ambiance"

Primary Game: Donkey Kong Country (Nintendo , 1994, SNES), music by David Wise, Eveline Novakovic, Robin Beanland

Posted 2015-03-27, evaluated by the judges panel


Oh, the sound design-anity! Cue clickhole-style headline:

"You've never heard 'Aquatic Ambiance' quite like this - see what happens NEXT!!!"

...or similar. Redg is known for his aggressive sound design & mangling atmospheres, channeling the intro theme to American Horror Story with all manner of drilling, throbbing, & cutting malevolence. It's quite the spectacle, and a tribute to his prowess that he can still work the identifiable bones of the source into his machinations. This take on a beloved DKC classic pulls no punches in that regard; you can still hear Dave Wise's gorgeous melody, but it's been set adrift to rise and fall in a dystopian sea of distortion matched with some Blade Runner aesthetics:

"I was shooting for a gigantic ethereal kind of sound. Not sure what else to say... source usage is pretty straightforward. I used to always distort the fuck out of my master tracks... New version of "Banish" remixed and modified to meet the panel's reasonable standards. Crank it!"

Brent's initial version of this was a little TOO distorted for the judges, who had greater difficulty isolating source and experienced something they described as "ear pain" ;) Fortunately, he resubmitted a version that is still edgy & aggressive but provides a little more clarity into the inner workings; Palpable writes:

"Both issues I had with this are resolved. The source melodies are more obvious, even with that last changed chord still there. Track distortion is at a tolerable level...the essence of the remix is still there and it's certainly worthy of getting posted for its unique style. Let me be grateful that Brent was willing to make fixes."

The melody in question really works well in this setting, reimagined as a post-apocalyptic sort of anthem that's vast in scope & hints at hope while bathing in a burnt landscape of abandoned technology. Or something like that. You can paint your own picture and see where the arrangement takes you, but just be ready (as always) to hear a familiar theme completely transformed!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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metamorphosis
on 2016-11-18 20:31:41

Still listening to this 1.5 years later - brilliant work.

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Necrox
on 2016-06-12 20:24:06

How about Deep Aquatic Ambience? This mix pushes the source (especially the main melody segement) into new territory, like Pandora's Box just opened in the depths and someone dove in. Beautiful mangling, great mix. That last flicker at the end is such a fine touch, inspired writing.

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Chernabogue
on 2015-12-04 12:55:02

New review: This is an interesting remix. It's far from being my cup of tea, but eh, some diversity won't hurt. It actually reminds me of Children of the Monkey Machine's stuff at some points. The production is very clean, even with all the distortion here and there. I wished it went totally crazy with more percussion at some points, but the mix stays at the same level of intensity all the time. Interesting concept though.

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FastnBulbous
on 2015-06-30 14:09:47

There's some really interesting moments in this and the atmosphere is awesomely oppressive. I agree with the comments of others that the bass is too boomy in places, really needs tightening up, and the distortion is a bit too much at times and could do with offsetting with cleaner sounds, perhaps with some higher frequency content to widen the spectral exploration.

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arkmabat
on 2015-06-26 14:38:05

This was quite the experience. Makes Nine Inch Nails sound like radio music. I enjoyed the song but a day later was diagnosed with temporary labyrinthitis/vertigo. Probably won't add it to any playlists any time soon haha.

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metamorphosis
on 2015-06-16 06:14:06

Holy smokes this was awesome. Did not suspect from the somber beginning, and only wish it was longer.

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MrBogus
on 2015-05-22 15:17:37

Very reminiscent of Amon Tobin's work. In particular, the opening of The Killer's Vanilla from The Foley Room album.

youtube.com/watch?v=a21zHR8Y1_Q

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Crulex
on 2015-04-03 14:57:27

This is almost what it would be like if there was a hell version of an Aquatic Ambiance level. Just a rough, gritty water level that pushes the boundaries of fairness. While I agree with some of the booming being a bit too forward, it is a great example of giving a normally peaceful theme a darker edge, and I can totally roll with that. Interestingly, this really, really, really, makes me want to see what would happen if you took on Lockjaw's Saga in this style, where booming percussion and dark undertones prevail to begin with. In any event, good ReMix, man.

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WesternZypher
on 2015-03-30 12:25:29

Creepy: this sounds like it belongs to a fallout game....good work

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Rockos
on 2015-03-29 14:03:34

Automatic goose bumps.

The song is so incredible. Never heard something similar and I brought me 'nostalgie'.

1:23 Was the part where I got the best feeling ever hearing this track again. Can't describe how much I love this part.

Great mix. No flaw.

Thank you.

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Chiwalker
on 2015-03-28 21:43:55

hell yes.

this is pretty amazing as a remix - such a vivid and tactile imagery

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Brandon Strader
on 2015-03-27 18:56:28

Another awesome mix... always something good coming from Redg :-) No complaints.

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timaeus222
on 2015-03-27 15:56:09

This is... weird. I do hear AA in there, and I do think that on arrangement standards it is passable, but for me it was a little too loud. Too boomy, too much distortion, especially in the beginning, and I thought the textures could have been more distinguishable and distinct in this amount of bass; you can make a dystopian remix with more varied textures (you'll hear one from me eventually...). Gets better as it goes on. I wish that Brent would do more of the style in his first accepted mix, though (Eternal Descent); more accessible, and I thought that showed a wider range of skills than he would seem to be letting on for somebody who JUST heard this particular ReMix.

In short... I know you can top this! :D

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MusicHunter
on 2015-03-27 13:04:35

This remix is pretty cool and i like it and all. but its kinda alittle too much bass on some parts now if you took the bass down just a touch it would be spot on perfect!

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Black_Doom
on 2015-03-27 12:42:53

YES! I've been big fan of this mix since I discovered it on Brent's Soundcloud and it still blows up my mind. This is probably the most unusual reinterpretation of one of the most popular VGM tunes. Very, very cool mix! :nicework:

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Donkey Kong Country (Nintendo , 1994, SNES)
Music by David Wise,Eveline Novakovic,Robin Beanland
Songs:
"Aquatic Ambiance"

Tags (8)


Genre:
Experimental
Mood:
Aggressive,Dark
Instrumentation:
Synth
Additional:
Effects > Distortion
Effects > Glitching
Origin > Resubmission
Usage > Halloween

File Information


Name:
Donkey_Kong_Country_Banish_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,391,645 bytes
MD5:
f12aecc77853ddd7c786d4f4cbcffbf7
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
3:41

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