ReMix:Streets of Rage 2 "Malicious Intent" 4:15

Sixth newcomer in a row - almost like someone planned it ;) SPIRAL_SYSTEM (Parker Walker) debuts with an aggressive EDM take on "Never Return Alive" (bad advice) from Yuzo Koshiro's legendary Streets of Rage 2 OST, cooking up some wonderfully in-your-face synth bass:

"This is by far my favorite BOSS song, as well as some of my favorite video game music of all time. To make this remix, I used a FM synthesizer (Plogue Chipsynth MD) that emulates the original FM synth engine of the Sega Mega Drive used in Streets of Rage in order to really get that retro Sega distinctive feel, but at the same time bring the music up to date and to a new level. All the sounds, besides the kick and hi-hats, were made completely with this synthesizer! Thanks for your consideration! I hope you enjoy!"

Well first off, while I'm an advocate & fan of Super Audio Cart, I've *also* got a lot of the plogue stuff, which is *also* fantastic. Chipsynth MD is legit and while I'm impressed that Parker was able to get this much mileage out of it, I'm not shocked - great software, and flexible as well. The main synth bass riff is the star here, and has an FM edge to it that cuts through the red tape of reality itself & goes straight to your cerebrum. I also dig the sound FX the artist has peppered the mix with, including a "funky malfunction" break of sorts. Judges were unanimous; Jivemaster writes:

"An interesting approach. Bass is thick, with some nice de-tuning. Good use of subtle sounds, the siren like effects in particular are well done. Good used of stereo space/panning. The arrangement progresses well, with several changes made while retaining the vibe of the original. The breakdown at 3:06 before the outro was a nice surprise. The final outro section also featured its own original nuances, though it was shame things had to end on a fade (particularly with the creativity shown to that point). This is very much like a remix of a track sonically targeted to the old hardware, but with a fresh, expanded feel. Solid effort."

prophetik music adds:

"the entrance of the bass is just filthy...it sounds fantastic. the build up to the melodic content at 1:29 was well-paced and sounded beefy without being overblown. the FM synths sound just great, tons of blurps and buzz with that trademark digital feel. i agree with rexy that the arrangement as-is is great, tons of bits and bobs pushed around into an entirely new-feeling track."

Bits and Bobs: The New Bleeps & Bloops? Or perhaps blurps & buzz? Either way, spot-on: Brad's geekin' out on all the TORRID FM SYNTH ACTION™, and hopefully you'll be joining him. Platonically. Fun debut from Parker - the arrangement ain't rocket science and plays things relatively conservative, but it really leans into & facilitates the sound design, which represents an updated, modernized homage to the original YM2612 timbres. Bravo!