ReMix:Dragon Warrior "Hail to the Throne" 3:34

By Tyler Heath

Arranging the music of one song...

"Chateau Ladutorm"

Primary Game: Dragon Warrior (Nintendo , 1986, NES), music by Koichi Sugiyama

Posted 2002-09-02, evaluated by djpretzel


Classy techno from Unknown - a little late on this Dragon Warrior mix, but better late than never. Some great analogue synths compliment the classical riffage of Sugiyama's original work, carried by Edward Scissorhands-esque chimes. Filtered, distorted 303 straight outta your favorite Propellerheads' app are the synth weapon of choice, with drums being of the 808 variety, including some interesting hi-hat work. The decision on the part of the ReMixer to start and stop the drums and the full arrangement for several breaks or "solos" of sorts makes things interesting, sound quality is good overall, and stereo imaging is clearly paid attention to. Bass stays on held notes and doesn't move around much, which greatly affects the characterization of the piece - were this a boppin' hoppin' octave bassline, the interpretation would feel much more like canned techno. It does mean the end result is not exactly danceable, but it also means a more interesting piece of music by my measure. Quality stuff from Unknown - nice feel to it, some unique decisions made, and a strong mix. Recommended.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 14 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Liontamer
on 2015-12-21 13:51:47

Dated, but I definitely rocked this back in the day. Good use of some bread-and-butter FruityLoops. This theme got a lot of love in the old days. I'd love to see someone else revisit it with another very transformative take with the current standards in place. That said, this is a good genre adaptation for its time from Ty. :-)

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DragonAvenger
on 2009-11-22 21:45:24

I've been used to listening to this one for a while, so a lot of things that probably should bother me actually don't. That being said, I can see what other people are saying, especially about the bass and the drums overall. There are some times where the bass completely dominates the soundfield, and the percussion is lacking presence overall (except the hi hat).

I like that the original arpeggio was used as a transition. It get's to be a bit much, but the idea behind it was pretty cool, and with a little work it would gel a lot better.

Not something I'd dance to, but I did a little head movement to the beat, and as I said before, I've had this one in my collection for quite a while. Worth a listen.

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Nutritious
on 2009-07-04 15:30:49

Sounds and textures felt pretty basic on this song, both beginning orchestra-ish section and the following electronic section. Can't say I was a big fan of the square(?) bass that came in around 1:00. Feels kind've like a direct conversion from a more classical song to techno instruments. Some parts of it work, like the layering of pads/strings with the arp synth, but some others don't (as mentioned above). I think this would appeal to a lot of listeners, especially those into the electronic song from the olden ocr days. It's just not so much my thing.

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OA
on 2007-07-11 11:17:42

There are a lot of cool parts to this mix, but I feel the various components just didn't gel. I thinnk the issue for me is the wimpy kick and strange bass. The constantly repeating synth arpeggio riff that is taken from the first part of the main theme isn't helping matters much; I think i'd have kept those sections out. It just grates.

Not everything is bad though; There is a lot to like in this mix. There are some nice atmosphereic sections, and for some reason I am really liking the super dry and precise hihat. The ending is also really nice, If I had remixed this track, i'd have done something similar with the notes, but the ritardando was a unexpected bonus.

It seems to me like the intent was a more cerebral elecronic track rather than something that's fully dancable, and I like the idea, but the execution isn't quite there; I think an additional texture would have really helped, and a stronger kick and snare to really differentiate the sections.

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Alianger
on 2005-08-07 12:46:07

didn't feel too comfortable with the bass sound, it's kind of disturbing to listen to. Other than that it's very well done, but i also think the theme kinda sucks.

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LibertyCabbage
on 2003-10-25 19:57:01

orchestrated would've been the way to go with this... or dance... or industrial... or something... i just dont think synthesized was the way to take this... plus the theme sux so there ya go... and don't forget that our friend CREATIVITY is missing... wh00ps

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Hamu-Sumo
on 2002-09-10 05:33:34

The intro is very good! But the rest disappointed a little bit. If you hear the intro you think it is a serious techno/trance remix but later it hears... cute. :?

6/10 (1=worst; 10=best)

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neostormx
on 2002-09-05 11:14:48

This is a good remix for a tune that was long over due for one. I dont think this remix is the greatest, I would have appreciated some new influence to the track rather than re-arrangement. At 00:30, I thought it was going to go into a whole new vibe, but i was dissapointed at 00:50, and since then there wasnt much variety. Production wise, it sounds great. But its still just a little simple.

Its a good remix, for a tune that deserves it, and it sounds crisp and nice. good job.

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Darksight
on 2002-09-03 14:04:28

Is it just me, or does the main synth pattern sound eerily like the intro to Stratovarius' "Black Diamond"? Download the song if you can't exactly pick it out.

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Ryan8bit
on 2002-09-02 19:04:50

I liked the intro and into the synths. I would've never thought of this interpretation for the castle music. My gripe is the bass, it just doesn't fit with the rest of it, and with weird delayed notes that just didn't sound right. And perhaps the main part could've not been repeated so much, with more of the second part. But otherwise it's a decent tune.

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krispy
on 2002-09-02 18:34:00

Congrats Unknown, I know youve been wanting this for a long time.

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Ghetto Lee Lewis
on 2002-09-02 17:32:21

A solid arrangement overall, great intro, good samples. From the excellent introduction, I was expecting a fun happy hardcore piece. However, something quite different came instead. A much more relaxed style of techno came instead. The good qualities were there, but parts of the song seemed a bit too repetitive. The piece was nothing like the high energy, fun, dancy tune I was expecting, but it was still enjoyable to listen to. Recommended for fans of downbeat electronica/techno.

7.8/10

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Solarus
on 2002-09-02 12:25:27

I can't get enough of that intro. One of the best there is at OCR!

Yet repetetive, it's great. Sometimes it sounds kind of...

Cute.

I love that intro!

//Solarus

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orkybash
on 2002-09-02 11:54:51

Dragon Warrior 'Hail to the Throne'

This is a solid, if a tad repetitive, tune. But unfortunately, for some reason I wasn't able to get as into it as I'm sure most people will. I'm starting to think that there's some games (Dragon Warrior being one of theme) whose music you can't really get into without having it drilled into your head by playing the game. Regardless, this really is a good remix, and if you played the game I'm sure you'd really enjoy it.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Dragon Warrior (Nintendo , 1986, NES)
Music by Koichi Sugiyama
Songs:
"Chateau Ladutorm"

Tags (3)


Genre:
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Synth
Additional:
Time > 4/4 Time Signature

File Information


Name:
Dragon_Warrior_Hail_to_the_Throne_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,371,661 bytes
MD5:
d451e31f72b0a0da425bef2164be9076
Bitrate:
160Kbps
Duration:
3:34

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