ReMix:Pony Island "Diabolus ex Machina" 3:30

By BKM

Arranging the music of one song...

"Adventure Awry"

Primary Game: Pony Island (Daniel Mullins Games , 2016, WIN), music by Jonah Senzel

Posted 2016-09-26, evaluated by the judges panel


So, Pony Island, then... not exactly the game one might infer from the title alone, but still worth your time, and rather smart. Our first ReMix of its unique score comes from newcomer BKM (Björn Kirchhoff):

"This is my submission of "Diabolus ex Machina," a 7-string metal remix of "Adventure Awry" from the OST of an interesting, clever game by the name of Pony Island (completely unrelated to other pony-containing franchises). The original composer, Jonah Senzel, really managed to get some catchy tunes in there!

Jonah Senzel composed some really enjoyable chiptunes that progress in complexity as "arcade-Satan" further elaborates his trap (i.e. the arcade games). Stylistically, it's a blend of contradictory styles such as children's music and death metal according to a blog post by the composer. No wonder that especially "Adventure Awry" basically screamed for a remix involving heavily downtuned guitars.

When I started to work on this remix, I tried to force the remix part into this project by dissecting the main riff and trying to build something new with it, which absolutely killed the strong groove and surreal feel of the original. I therefore opted for enhancement instead of (forced) alteration - I transposed the arrangement to fit a drop-tuned seven-string guitar and added a lengthy interlude containing riffs that are inspired by and carry further the original groove.

I tried to go for a Keith Merrow-style mix and guitar tone this time, as I'm a huge fan of his work and because I found his style quite fitting for this project. As usual, the weakest link is my guitar tone - I can't for the life of me get a decent tone out of my amp sims. Hit me up if you wanna sponsor me a 6505 MH for the home studio. :P

Some of the gear I used:

On the forums, Rozovian expressed his concerns about my fairly conservative take on the source (which I share to some degree), but I hope I was able to elucidate why I chose this path for this particular mix. I documented in detail the process of creating this remix and all the changes made/lessons learned in a corresponding thread. I talk about the difficulties of achieving a modern metal guitar tone using nothing but software amp modellation there, and I also explain in detail why I chose to master at a volume that is on par with modern metal releases. I hope you enjoy this mix as much as I enjoyed creating it."

Very comprehensive background on parts & process... bonus points for correct usage of "elucidate," too. I like the different rude, sinister, tortured textures Björn coaxes from his guitars, and the arsenal of FX including occasional stutter/glitch are put to good use. Jivemaster really covers most of my own thoughts with his decision:

"Great guitar work on this one. Your intro sets things up nicely with great numbers of chuggery, and more importantly, your parts are fully audible throughout the course of the track. Great use of stereo space here with alternate panning of your parts, and nice glitch work which is implemented great for fills and isn't overused. Lead sits above the rest of the mix and is clearly heard, although I will say it does get close to being a tad ear piercy at times. Your overall tone is solid. While you largely play it safe with arrangement, the original bits you've added complement the source well. To close it off, the track is a decent length and doesn't overstay its welcome."

Badass gamer mom that she is, Chimpazilla changed her vote after playing the game with her son:

"Ok so my son and I played through the entirety of Pony Island last night. Wow, what a game. This is the best source tune in the game. I have a better feeling for the source tune now. I still feel like this remix gets repetitive, and I really dislike fadeout endings, but the track is too good not to have on the site."

In spite of being a little on the consverative side, a little repetitive, and having a sorta ho-hum fadeout ending, the energy here is darkly malevolent, the creative processing brings each individual riff to life, and the resulting ReMix puts a more explicitly aggressive & metal face on Senzel's chiptune original - interesting game, sweet soundtrack, and an enjoyably evil debut mix from BKM!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 5 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
Black_Doom
on 2016-10-07 15:21:15

Ah, some proper glitchy metal stuff :P So delicious! The reinterpritation is pretty straightforward, but it works pretty well. Love this jam, dude, looking forward to more jamz of yours! The game is sick, btw, be sure to play it, haha.

avatar
BKM
on 2016-09-29 19:19:39

Thanks for the kind words Yosh! Metallica were my biggest musical influence during my teen years, so you're absolutely on point there!

Also thanks to the judges for the encouragement and for accepting the remix right away - I was almost sure I'd be rejected for being too conservative! Really happy that I was able to contribute to this amazing site :)

avatar
Yosh1PrisMa
on 2016-09-26 21:30:34

geez.. jesus christ...wow... i have no words... this song it makes me remember Metallica (I like so much) also it reminds me a Become Death - timaeus222 and Sir Jordanius (BA3) in this moment my brain exploded as if it were a chain reaction in other words.... just i like it

avatar
Liontamer
on 2016-09-23 12:05:27

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Pony Island (Daniel Mullins Games , 2016, WIN)
Music by Jonah Senzel
Songs:
"Adventure Awry"

Tags (5)


Genre:
Metal
Mood:
Aggressive,Dark
Instrumentation:
Electric Guitar
Additional:
Effects > Glitching

File Information


Name:
Pony_Island_Diabolus_ex_Machina_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,130,677 bytes
MD5:
31427a167ca5b0e43ae6557da97ef2ae
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
3:30

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