ReMix: Metroid Prime 'Relics of an Ancient Race'
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- Game: Metroid Prime (Nintendo, 2002, GCN)
- ReMixer(s): Argle
- Composer(s): Kenji Yamamoto (I), Koichi Kyuma
- Song(s): 'Chozo Ruins'
- Posted: 2012-12-21, evaluated by the judges
Of course, if we do perish in a fit of scorching hellfire, we can at least rest assured that SOME of our crap (okay, "artifacts") will escape relatively unscathed, perhaps to one day be uncovered by curious extraterrestrials who will feverishly debate the original intended usage of bowling balls & bobbleheads. I'd like to think they'd give us the benefit of the doubt and concoct more intelligent explanations than would often be the case, but either way, our species could end up living on through our (didn't even see it coming...) relics, and so we give you this dark, melodic industrial/electronica Metroid Prime ReMix from newcomer Argle. He didn't write much in his submission email, but did mention that he was inspired by zircon & C-GPO's 'Solitude' ReMix of 'Tallon Overworld', from HoH. That's a good track to be inspired by, methinks, and while this is a liberal arrangement that split the panel - always more difficult when source tunes have drones or ambient aspects to begin with - OA summed up the majority opinion:
"I was really feeling this, and actually think the slowed down tempo works well with the undulating bassline. The lead writing and tempo give me an In Flames vibe, but with a different soundscape. The arrangement is solid, the different sections sound good, and the pacing is just right. I think the ending is a little weak, but the rest more than makes up for it."
I like the crunchiness of the drums and the variety as well; things get swapped out & layered effectively, there are nice transition effects like the turntablism @ 2'29", and overall the production packs in a lot of detail - the artist doesn't let things stagnate and has a great ear for texture. Most judges didn't like that particular effect, actually, and in general this (surprisingly, to me) seems to have been a mix that everyone had very different problems with, lacking a real consensus. That doesn't happen too often, so it'll be interesting to see what listeners think, but for my money while I appreciate that slowing the source down does make it a bit more detached, Argle spent a lot of time on the details, and it shows. Great atmosphere, good development, plenty of detail & variety, and a wide arsenal of sounds make this a promsing debut - hoping to hear more, unless this mix - with all others before it - becomes a relic itself, before the day is out. Stay tuned for a mixpost announcing mankind's continued survival... or not.
Discussion: Latest 11 comments/reviews; view the - Kanohi on January 5, 2013
Sole Signal;897782 wrote: Hey man, good to see you around. Can't believe this is your first posted mix. Good stuff. :)
I just got back into game arrangements this summer after not doing em for years and years.
- Argle on December 28, 2012
- Sole Signal on December 27, 2012
- stealthchicken on December 27, 2012
- twilightsquid on December 26, 2012
- Argle on December 24, 2012
You got serious backers like punchy drums, a low shredding guitar, choral/orchestral synths, and what sound like pseudo-gunshots. A number of these swell or are modulated during set spaces, like the latter part of a movement or bar, in order to create emphatic "sit up and take notice" moments, often strung together to bring out the full force of part of the source. Take 0:53-1:15, for example. This chunk, IMO, is what lifts the mix off the ground, sounding suspenseful, [i]Goldeneye[/i]-ish, and driving all at once, but still manages to pile on the power and aggression before it's done. You can imagine how I feel about related movements later on (especially 3:38+ with its key change).
2:18+ not only offers a pleasant bell/chime counterbalance to the surrounding potency, but it also eases into TWO MORE attention-grabbing points, one after another: the silent fraction of a second acts as a "wait, wha-" dip in the music, then the Chozo Ruins theme emerges triumphantly with a posse of (aforementioned) hardcore supporters.
I can't get enough of this. Well, well played. *claps*
- Polo on December 23, 2012
Argle;897132 wrote: Wow, this was unexpected. I found the judges thoughts interesting. I don't blame anyone if they think it's too liberal. Nearly all of the song references some part of the original, but some of the sections are pretty changed up from the source. I actually thought about writing to the judges and explaining all the parts, but decided I was being paranoid.
Haha, I'm glad I caught that extra source usage, it's kind of tucked away in the source tune.
Really fantastic work here, I can't praise you enough for this remix. I've been terribly impressed with everything you've done lately, I'd love to work with you on a project someday :-)
- Emunator on December 21, 2012
- Argle on December 21, 2012
Not sure if I'm a fan of the super fuzzy snare (I'm assuming it's a snare drum anyway) that appears during 0:33 - 0:54, but it cleans up quickly and doesn't return, even during the acoustic section starting at 3:18 where a similar sort of distant quality is used.
I like the contrast between the all-out recognizable source segments and the gentler fills (that sometimes use recognizable source as well).
Overall, I think it's a really strong mix that has a personality that can be further strengthened in future mixes.
- Igami on December 21, 2012
