ReMix: Chrono Trigger 'Lucid States'
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- Game: Chrono Trigger (Square, 1995, SNES)
- ReMixer(s): DragonAvenger, ambient
- Composer(s): Nobuo Uematsu, Noriko Matsueda, Yasunori Mitsuda
- Song(s): 'Corridor of Time'
- Posted: 2012-02-22, evaluated by the judges
WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY?? YOU WANT MORE CHRONO TRIGGER "CORRIDOR OF TIME" MIXES??
Well then, we just MIGHT be able to accommodate you ;) Seriously though, it's a great source. I find myself humming it randomly at least once a week, which is a testament to its longevity and probably ALSO medically categorizable as a disease unique to the VGM arrange scene. Triggeritis? Chrono Fatigue Syndrome? Good mix names, too... at any rate, while the source material may be familiar, this community has a truly awe-inspiring ability to breath new life into even those themes that have been covered quite a bit, and I think ambient & DragonAvenger have done EXACTLY that with this vocal electro mix:
"I realize that my submission is bound to induce nausea in some of you, being a Chrono Trigger remix and a remix of "Corridors of Time" on top of that. But I assure you, you need not prepare yourselves to run to the bathroom or reach for your barf bags, because this mix presents a rather different take on the source from what is currently posted on the site. The majority of the Zeal remixes can be described as dreamy, chill, and containing ethnic elements, and therefore stay true to the emotions evoked by both the source material and the setting of the game. Perhaps I am committing a sacrilege here by making my mix dancy and groovy, and I anticipate that it might disappoint some listeners because of that. But I am sure that many will find it fun and enjoyable.
I originally envisioned a trance remix of this theme, and put together a short WIP that was more trancey. However, since I've been mostly listening to house and electro, those influences soon took over. Then one day I was chatting with DA, and it just so happened that she already had done some vocals for a Zeal remix, and she very kindly allowed me to incorporate her vocal work into my mix. It is safe to say that without her vocals this remix would have never sounded like a complete track, as is the case with our earlier collaboration "Elevation." I really hope that we can work together again soon.
Once the vocals were in, I really wanted to have a bridge/breakdown section that was different from the rest of the track. Initially, I wanted to have a piano section, but it didn't seem to work. This is when I heard Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me," which had a nice dubstep breakdown and served as an inspiration for one in this mix. I know, some people will frown at the mention of Britney, but hey, that track was very catchy and danceable. Anyhow, once the basic structure of the remix was in place, it took a lot of tweaking to get it to the stage when it is finally ready for your enjoyment. I am also hoping that the "90's will not be calling to ask for their production back this time."
Once again, I would like to thank zircon for his feedback and especially for introducing me to Paulstretch, which I used to create vocal textures in the intro. Also, thanks to Beatdrop for his input. In conclusion, I want to give a shout-out to other mixers of this theme who came before me. Especially mv, Unipulator, Joren de Bruin and Tweek, and Vagrance."
Excellent submission email; pretty much covers everything. If you hold the source sacrosanct, have a knee-jerk reaction to vocals, or think that because this mix was partially Spears-influenced it is somehow compromised and not worth your time, you'll be missing out. Big time. I love what Alex has done here, the source being prevalent, instantly recognizable, and yet decidedly transformed into something else. It still has SOME of that chill, dreamy Zeal feel, since that's embedded into the melody itself more or less, but it's definitely in a more aggressive, electrified context, and the inhuman, processed vocals help it feel more complete, as Alex says. AWESOME just called and wants its production back... happy? ;) halc gets Zeal-hazed:
"this is my first time joojin' a Corridor of Time mix, so no nausea here. :D anyway, this is a pretty excellent electro-house arrangement you got here, and the vocals tie in really nicely. the synths are well chosen and mixing is quite solid overall, despite feeling just a bit sparse imo. the dubstep-ish bit in the middle was really well-executed. cool stuff, I like it"
Judges had some EQ quibbles re: sparseness & levels, but overall I feel like this is another excellent track from ambient, who surprises us each time with something familiar-yet-new, and another great collab with Deia that worked out wonderfully.
Discussion: Latest 5 comments/reviews; view the The song name is appropriate - the song goes all over the place in the middle before returning to some sort of higher normalcy. For a electronic piece, this song keeps the listener engaged with a unique take on Corridor of Time. It is easy to zone out while listening to this song.
I don't have much to say but good job here providing something different!
- Bahamut on July 4, 2012
A very bouncy and fun mix. Not sure which playlist to put it in tho.
- Daemos on March 29, 2012
Though the only downside is that the lyrics tend to get eaten up by the phasing (or what ever its called)
- Gadrius on February 22, 2012
