ReMix:SaGa Frontier "Crime Boss Nomad" 3:10

By ardklaw

Arranging the music of one song...

"Booby Trap"

Primary Game: SaGa Frontier (Sony , 1998, PS1), music by Kenji Ito

Posted 2021-11-29, evaluated by the judges panel


Newcomer ardklaw (Arden Klawitter) debuts with a delicious funk take on an already-funky Kenji Ito jam from SaGa Frontier, replacing clarinet with some buttery brass synth, beefin' up the drums, adding some additional seasoning, and throwing in a smidge of original writing as well:

"My remix of "Booby Trap" from SaGa Frontier. This new arrangement is titled "Crime Boss Nomad." Original composition by Kenji Ito.

I chose to remix this track because I think it's an awesome composition and the SaGa Frontier soundtrack doesn't often get remixed as far as I can tell. This game's soundtrack is one of my favorites of all time, and I wanted to give it some love! The original composition is really groovy, and I wanted to expand the arrangement and make it even groovier. I hope you enjoy!"

I certainly did; most of this arrangement is on the conservative side, but Arden's done a sick job modifying the instrument palette & corresponding parts to fit into a funkier, r&b mold. Beyond the sound upgrade, he's done enough with timing and some original bits to make the judges happy, too. Panel was unanimous, and I think Liontamer said it best:

"Man, I hadn't heard this theme in probably 15+ years, and it just unlocked some old college radio memories for me. Awesome source tune choice!

Structurally, it's initially conservative, but it's a very well-personalized genre adaptation. At 1:11, some bars of the intro were repeating and I worried the arrangement wouldn't develop more, but then it quickly shifted into the comping from 1:24-1:50, following that up with another hint of the melody coupled with vamping to not just settle into too straightforward of a cover. Loved the textures at 2:38's section; the original's countermelody is such a great element.

The way the track ended at 3:00 was too sudden, IMO, and this otherwise smoove rendition deserved a more substantive conclusion, but that certainly doesn't hold this back.

Gotta also give credit to the production; the instrumentation had a full sound, and props for some beefy bass work and creative percussion writing. When it's clear attention's been paid to the backing elements, not just the foreground players, you can achieve a strong sound with parts that have genuine synergy together.

Nice job, Arden, count me in as a new fan, and I can't wait to hear your future arrangements!"

The absolutely rotund synth brass lead that enters at 0'26" is worth the (admittedly free) price of admission alone; really satisfying warmth and girthy filter envelope, perfect for the part. While I think a few more liberties could & should have been taken compositionally, it's a close call, made significantly easier by virtue of the strong production overall and some really standout individual instruments full of character & depth. Plus it's funky af; that never hurts :) An intuitive treatment of a jazzy-funky source which reduces the former but amps up the latter to a full-blown flavorful funk cut. Great debut from ardklaw, right up my alley - can't wait to hear more!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 4 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
ardklaw
on 2021-12-07 19:16:51
On 11/30/2021 at 3:27 PM, HarlemHeat360 said:

*sniff sniff* There is something.... Funky in the air. This song just got the stank! The best kinda stank there is. Man you really worked that melody on the piano. I was bobbing my head and moving my body. Really enjoyed the feel of this. The only critique is I wish it was just a little less artifical sounding with some more acoustic type of instruments (even if they were VSTs). However that may have done more bad than good if it was done lazily or just tacked on. I like things as they are. Real good effort and a nice smooth vibe. Thanks for the track and congrats!

Hahaha yes I really wanted this track to be extremely funky! So I'm glad to hear that it is. I like your point about the acoustic instruments, I think the track could've had a neat, different vibe if I had done that. Thanks for the kind words, I'm happy that you enjoyed the track!

On 12/3/2021 at 6:58 AM, orlouge82 said:

Great remix! Love anything from SaGa Frontier, and even though this isn't one of my top choices from the soundtrack, it's still a really fun remix to listen to!

Thanks so much! Agreed haha, I love all the music in SaGa Frontier so much. Such a god tier soundtrack!

avatar
orlouge82
on 2021-12-03 09:58:21

Great remix! Love anything from SaGa Frontier, and even though this isn't one of my top choices from the soundtrack, it's still a really fun remix to listen to!

avatar
HarlemHeat360
on 2021-11-30 18:27:00

*sniff sniff* There is something.... Funky in the air. This song just got the stank! The best kinda stank there is. Man you really worked that melody on the piano. I was bobbing my head and moving my body. Really enjoyed the feel of this. The only critique is I wish it was just a little less artifical sounding with some more acoustic type of instruments (even if they were VSTs). However that may have done more bad than good if it was done lazily or just tacked on. I like things as they are. Real good effort and a nice smooth vibe. Thanks for the track and congrats!

avatar
Liontamer
on 2021-11-29 13:15:06
What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
SaGa Frontier (Sony , 1998, PS1)
Music by Kenji Ito
Songs:
"Booby Trap"

Tags (8)


Genre:
Funk
Mood:
Funky,Jazzy,Mellow,Sexy
Instrumentation:
Electric Piano,Electronic,Synth
Additional:

File Information


Name:
SaGa_Frontier_Crime_Boss_Nomad_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,090,067 bytes
MD5:
1c133a24193b8a8335118d5afc3018f8
Bitrate:
211Kbps
Duration:
3:10

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