ReMix:Donkey Kong Country "Cry of the Chasmal Critter Chain" 4:58

By ella guro

Arranging the music of one song...

"Cave Dweller Concert"

Primary Game: Donkey Kong Country (Nintendo , 1994, SNES), music by David Wise, Eveline Novakovic, Robin Beanland

Posted 2004-10-16, evaluated by djpretzel


"The original consisted of a string of melody fragments connected by random cave ambience - so I basically just connected most of those fragments together. It's a little more stripped-down and lo-fi when compared to my past two OCR mixes... it might not stand out as much upon the first few listens. Still, I think everything ended up coming together in the end. And yes, that is me playing the cello. That part was actually the very last thing added and was more intended to be intermixed with the rest of the instruments rather than being a solo part. I did have some tuning problems as well, but I feel that it doesn't detract at all from the piece as a whole."

So sayeth Adhesive_Boy, who gives us another Kong in Concert submission. JJT and Jesse both had very cohesive, substantive originals to work from, which is not to lessen their individual (amazing) achievements, but AB perhaps had a bit more of a challenge in piecing together something as solid from the interlocking themes in the original material, here. He himself points out some minor tuning issues on the cello, which still does a nice job of tying things together and integrating them. Things intro with tempo-delayed electric piano, setting the scheme for a nice down-tempo groove, somewhat trip-hoppish, as some drones come in stage left, with a very spacious xylo on the right taking on the main "melodic" motif. The cello enters as the structural solo instrument that either covers or doubles the melody, mostly, as synth arpeggios fade in and out across a beat that ends up being faster than one would have expected. There's some repeated triplets on the brush snare that make the pace downright aggressive for a bit, as we then segue into the next of the themes, with distant television-speaker ensemble strings. The last of the themes involves a little xylo riff and is more major key, and the piece winds down on this more positive progression soonafter. Given that the initial and secondary themes get a lot of attention, I would have liked this very different progression and vibe to have been played around with a bit longer, to make it seem more like a third segment than an ending that decides to switch gears a bit before exiting. I love, however, the types of processing decisions AB makes with his mixes - he's never content to mix things the way you'd expect (which is hard enough to do "right", by the way), but instead will always experiment with running this or that part through lo-fi, or distortion, or delay, or what have you - his M.O. often involves unorthodox combinations of effects with instruments they aren't conventionally paired with, and it always seems to work for him. This mix takes a few listens to fully appreciate - there's a lot of little details, many in the processing/production realm, that you notice on repeats. The arrangement walks the line between downbeat groove and something that's more aggressive and demanding of the listener's attention, which is a good border to dance across when you can make it work, as AB has. Also, just to point out, this mix is as different from JJT's as JJT's was from Vigilante's, and all three pieces do a good job of representing the depth and breadth the KiC project mustered together. Further KiC mixes will no doubt be posted, but this is probably the last time I'll talk too much about the project itself, so I'll reiterate my initial kudos to Binnie for pulling everything together and to ALL the mixers involved for their combined creative accomplishment. Great mix from AB, challenging at times and moody, but slick, and an excellent way of handling the material.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Necrox
on 2015-12-22 01:50:49

A nice, cohesive mix with a lot of elements that work together. The strings could have easily sounded out of place, but didn't. Also, the solo at 3:20; good stuff. Very good mix.

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TillyFun
on 2014-02-20 19:49:45

A track for relaxin'. Deep sound.

... also that xylophone! :D

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WesternZypher
on 2011-10-17 13:25:49

This song...it is so...resonant.

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Monobrow
on 2011-03-08 20:37:12

I want to say that this is one of my favorite songs on this site ever.

Liz is a wonderful musical talent, and I can't wait to hear more someday.

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WesternZypher
on 2011-03-08 14:55:41

Just as with GeckoYamori and so many others, Adhesive Boy's another remixer I'd hoped to hear more from over the years. This song has _NEVER_ left my playlist. It's beautiful, and captivating...and cavey.

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MechaFone
on 2010-12-20 23:20:50

Everything about this mix screams professionalism at me. The string solos, the percussion, the old-timey strings and sound effects. Not too surprising considering the album as a whole was fantastic. Well done!

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DarkSim
on 2010-12-15 12:26:03

This was one of my favourites from Kong in Concert, and that's saying something considering I couldn't for the life of me remember this source in the slightest. Usually the ReMixes I relate to most I have some sort of connection with the original source, but not this one. The slow pace of the intro and masterful execution of the cello and xylophone give this mellow remix an assurance that if you listen patiently, you will be rewarded.

The drum beats at 1:36 and 1:46 are great, and then when the song quietens down and builds up again bringing in that bell sound it's just lovely. A really nice change of pace, and a surprisingly good arrangement considering the weak source material.

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Crulex
on 2010-02-18 17:54:00

Fantastic....the xylo beat was probably the part of this and bravo on adding real chello to it. You know, a mix that makes me like the source a little more than I used to makes it greater than some other mixes do to me. The fact that I never cared about the original until I heard this says something. Good job.

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OA
on 2010-01-22 11:01:56

Really a unique and chilled out sound on display here, with some very well done and deliberate pacing. The cello playing was very nice, and the soundscape surrounding it is very cool. I'd have liked to have heard even more cello, but even as-is, this is a mix that holds up really well.

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halc
on 2009-12-02 14:13:30

Adhesive_Boy, where did you go? The world needs more amazing remixes from you.

This song is nostalgia overload - one of the most well-realized DKC mixes on the site imo. I think the hi-passed strings at 2:40 might be mixed slightly too high, but in no way does it hurt the track. Superb production and arrangment ideas make for a moody, nostalgic, and oh-so-subtly haunting listen.

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Emunator
on 2009-09-12 21:50:59
Has a typical remix feel to it...

I have to disagree here - this feels pretty unconventional, partly due to the chosen source material, but it feels completely cohesive and organic. While the cello is nice, it's not just the live instruments that gives this mix personality. Every element of the soundscape comes together to make this mix memorable and unique.

One of my favorite DKC remixes, killer job! :-D

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windkirby
on 2007-06-14 11:09:43

I truly love this song - the opening is absolutely beautiful! The smooth synths, the jungly xylo (i think) and the deep cello all come together to produce such a subtle beauty. It's astounding!

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KogeJoe
on 2007-01-21 09:01:36

Has a typical remix feel to it...

EXCEPT... the usage of real instruments. The cello definitely takes the cake. Also, the improvised melody with the keyboard instruments. In the middle, there's a quiet but prominent suitcase piano instrument... can't put my leg on it right now, but it gives the melody a kind of cozy feel to it. Right about that point it gives me the feeling of sitting down, eating or enjoying coffee at a busy diner in the middle of a large city. There's bustling all about, but I'm able to sit down and talk and/or read the paper...

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Ujjay
on 2006-06-28 03:36:33

This is the embodiment of ass kicking. This is my favorite song on this site.

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k0ping
on 2006-05-08 02:40:22

Overall, this is a good mix. It starts off slow, but builds nicely over the first minute. I loved how the song layered all of the instruments, especially when the strings were added about a minute in; the song comes together very nicely at this point. The chimes at 2:25 really brings you back to DKC. After that point, the mix was nice, but you begin to lose the sense of being in a cave, which is what I think draws the listener into the song. However, it does not detract from from a very nice mix. Great job.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Donkey Kong Country (Nintendo , 1994, SNES)
Music by David Wise,Eveline Novakovic,Robin Beanland
Songs:
"Cave Dweller Concert"

Tags (4)


Genre:
Ambient
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Piano,Strings,Synth
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Donkey_Kong_Country_Cry_of_the_Chasmal_Critter_Chain_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
8,586,337 bytes
MD5:
34d5d6aa197c9000e4af8cc7f33be85d
Bitrate:
228Kbps
Duration:
4:58

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