Posted 2007-01-24, evaluated by the judges panel


Blue Magic, aka Damon Campbell, had a couple really promising mixes back in 2005, then was relatively quiet in 2006. Now he's back, with a mix title that coincidentally describes this temporal schism. Equally ironic is the fact that this mix has been waiting to be posted for a bit. So, without further delay on our part or his, we give you his latest work, an atmospheric, mellow mixdown from DKC2 with equal parts acoustic (emulation) and electronic components. Damon writes:

"Here, I am attempting to combine both the "Stickerbush" and "HotHead Bop" themes, but in order to do that, I had to make quite a few note and key changes to the original melodies. Also, I was also trying to do this mix only from what I could remember from playing the game years ago, so I didn't listen to the originals while making this mix. With that said, I hope none of you are turned off by the fact that it will be a little inaccurate. I really wanted to simulate the feeling of pure amazement that I had when I first played this game and heard its soundtrack, and I'm hoping everyone that hears my little remix will fill the same way."

Incidentally, I've composed a number of my better mixes going off memory, intentionally not referring to the original; I think it's a viable approach, because - as long as your memory is relatively coherent - your mind can end up doing things to the underlying structure and context of what it recalls over time, and often the blurriness of such memories can be more interesting than intentional, focused alterations. It can also be dangerous, for the specific reasons that the ReMixer alludes too - taking too many liberties and drifting too far - but usually if the memory's strong enough to inspire a mix in the first place, it's strong enough to ensure that enough of what's remembered gets through. This one had some turbulence in the panel, primarily over production issues and a lack of direction, but prevailed in the end. There's no salient aspect of the production that I've got substantive beef with, but as far as direction goes, I could have used a stronger melodic presence earlier in the arrangement - the last couple minutes get high marks on this, but the first two don't have as much leadership. Nevertheless, while an extra minute on the end or one less on the beginning might have balanced things out a bit more, the mix is solid, something you can sink your head into, and does a great job of merging the two themes involved. Shariq writes:

"Reminds me a lot of the Metroid Prime soundtracks, though with more focus on melody. I really like the texutre here, and I think that your sounds are working really well together. Acoustic sounds and synth sounds have a nice synergy."

Ditto on the MP likeness; anyone diggin' that stuffs should be diggin' this stuffs, anyone not diggin' that stuffs probably should be, and even if you didn't understand anything I just colloquialized, check it out anyways; good to see Mr. Magic back.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Crulex
on 2010-12-30 11:49:18

Combining two of the best themes from DKC2 and sounding this good doing it is an impressive feat. This is a very slick ReMix and I kinda get Metroid and Mass Effect (that one could be just me) vibes from it. Not particularly the kind of chill that I can actually chill to, but it's peaceful and all around awesome. Very mystical and rewarding to hear. And with that, I think I caught up on the DKC ReMixes....until the next one drops.

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42
on 2009-12-24 15:10:57

Everything about this mix has a mystical and full of awe and wonder vibe to it, and I really like how it develops into a smooth jazz feel. I can almost feel the lights dim and a little fog roll out as I listen to this, lol. There are an appreciable large amount of textures here at play making the atmosphere feel weighty and tangible. Definitely a wonderful track to go check out.

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OA
on 2008-06-10 16:02:47

I'm a huge fan of that panned glide synth at the beginning; I think that's such a classy technique overall.

This is a very slowly-evolving piece, but there is a lot going on to keep it interesting at all times, though I think a few sections could have been stepped up a bit. The pads were great, but the acoustic-sampled instruments sounded pretty mechanical. That guitar especially was fakey sounding to me. There was a lot of percussion, but I didn't feel that it drove the song too well. The piano was fake sounding too, but i don't really have as much of an issue with that as I do the guitar. Guitar bias? Who knows. -_-

What the mix does excel on is it's soundscape and layers of textures, and it works very well as a new age piece. The transition between themes was also pretty seamless. Nice work. :-)

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drummermg131
on 2007-10-18 10:36:03

I would love to know how the heck nine months managed to go by without me noticing this remix in the DKC2 roster. Regardless, this is really good stuff. I typically automatically love anything DKC, but this remix really sets up an atmosphere and I was really diggin it.

Great job. This one's goin' in the playlist for sure. :)

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Sole Signal
on 2007-03-28 00:58:54

Great mix here. Loving the laid-back atmosphere. Nice work.

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Martin Penwald
on 2007-02-13 15:23:15

Very laid back atmosphere, I dig that. Some parts of this song seem almost like a softer version of what Enigma did.

The best thing about it is the guitar coming in at 2:44; really nice.

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MrBogus
on 2007-02-02 20:04:30

The right words aren't coming to my mouth, but I get a sense that this mix meanders a bit. Don't really get a feel for the music going in any particular direction, even for a laid back piece. The music kind of seeps in and then fades out before you really notice it's there.

But I will say that the melding of the 2 melodies was quite impressive. And of course, it's a very chill track, so that's always a plus. Could have been more cohesive in my opinion, but still recommended and a great mix to relax to.

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Souliarc
on 2007-02-02 15:33:55

Great vibe. You've really improved production wise. Could've used a little more thickness from appropriate compression, to bring some of that great production to the front, but overall, it's a mix I'm more than happy to indulge in.

This style is right up my alley.

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HoboKa
on 2007-01-29 19:46:08

In the first 10 seconds i was like uhhhhh.....WHOOT. its totally awesome :D

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adam2
on 2007-01-28 08:12:55

Very nice mix and well polished. Blue magic has done great here. If you are reading this and haven't downloaded this track do it now, especially if you like chill.

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Mustin
on 2007-01-27 17:54:04

Really can't tell you why, but I like this mix. I listened to it on loop for a few hours while I did work on the computer. Very... chill.

Nice work!

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Ness757
on 2007-01-26 17:21:07

The best thing about Diddy's Kong Quest was it's music. This piece take two of the three best songs in the game and merges them into one remix.

I have to say I'm impressed. I never thought of these two songs as being able to go togther, but you you pulled it off pretty well. I am, however, disappointed that is focused more on "Hot-Head Bop" instead of "Stickerbush Symphony," my favorite song from the game. Other than that, i can't find anything wrong with this song.

9.5/10

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Decoy Octopus
on 2007-01-26 14:57:02
This is one seriously bitchin' mix.

Aye. My sentiments exactly.

I don't want to overemphasize the Metroid Prime vibe to this song... but I hear it. And I dig it.

You did something good here.

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Radiowar
on 2007-01-25 13:06:53

i have been waiting for this to be posted for some time

this is good

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Geoffrey Taucer
on 2007-01-25 11:03:30

This is one seriously bitchin' mix.

Sources Arranged (2 Songs)


Primary Game:
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (Nintendo , 1995, SNES)
Music by David Wise
Songs:
"Hot-Head Bop (Hot-Head Hop)"
"Stickerbush Symphony (Bramble Blast)"

Tags (5)


Genre:
New Age
Mood:
Chill
Instrumentation:
Acoustic Guitar,Piano,Synth
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Donkey_Kong_Country_2_The_Delay_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,819,361 bytes
MD5:
9e9c35b349131f0462f0855e45265bb2
Bitrate:
160Kbps
Duration:
3:57

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