ReMix:Max Payne "Tragedy of a Bullet" 3:58

This must be one of the most polarizing mixes on the site. Personally, I think it's phenomenal. The emotion is so strong and heartfelt - I'm not even sure a better quality vocal would capture the same air of desperation. Great atmospheric effects, and the beat is just oppressive. I'm extremely glad that OCR took a chance on this one, it seems to have found its audience.

No idea why this mix ended up being polarizing, when it's obvious it has so much creativity and emotion behind it. There are aspects that could be improved in the execution (as were pointed out in our votes), but those were minor in the big picture. The vocals definitely weren't one of those things. The Radiohead comparison made all the sense in the world.

Whether a mix represents the mood or story of the game it's arranging makes no difference to how the judges vote. But that said, the backstory and imagery behind the mix completely justify the risky choices made here and add another unique layer of enjoyment.

The super extended intro and build. The minimalism. The vocals. Everything Neil did here comes together with such a synergy. Very, very cool.

This must be one of the most polarizing mixes on the site. Personally, I think it's phenomenal. The emotion is so strong and heartfelt - I'm not even sure a better quality vocal would capture the same air of desperation. Great atmospheric effects, and the beat is just oppressive. I'm extremely glad that OCR took a chance on this one, it seems to have found its audience.

Alright, I didn't dig this remix before, but I have recently really gotten into Radiohead, and when this came up randomly while my iPod was on shuffle, I was amazed at how good this remix actually is. While very different from everything else on the site, the male vocalization and harmonies are just beautiful, and the minimalist percussion throughout is fitting. This is a remarkable interpretation. Wish I fell in love with it sooner.

I love this.

I like music to be raw and immediate; qualities which can be lost in the pursuit of perfection. It sounds like Neil was caught up in the moment when he made this, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

It's minimal, but there is a lovely narcotic effect to the whole thing that could have been compromised if it was made any busier. Excellent work.

Great piece to "break through" for such a memorable game.

Spine tingling.

I'm not a pitch perfect listerner but I have been listening to remixes for a while now and this one gets my vote.

What he said. I'm only finding this now but I think he's got the whole tragic feel to the game nailed to this song.

Although most of you that's posted mightn't have stopped to think about it, but maybe if you're that grief-stricken (assuming this is sung/wailed from Max's perspective, that is) then he wouldn't be too worried about whether he was pitch-for pitch perfect with the original.

Amen to that , Silent Hill does need more attention

wow this guy should remix the silent hill soundtrack! in fact someone get this guy to do it! I dont remember this track from the game but who cares its awesome! Its like the madison project meets the pixies meets videogame world, and its cool to see such alternative music on OCR.

This song is amazingly beautiful. It's haunting, creepy, emotive, and very effective. The dissonance works as well as the harmony. I can picture something like Boondock Saints set to this, easily. Chilling and sad.

I've listened to this piece a dozen times so far, and it gets better every time, and I liked it to start with. Just listen to the difference tones made by the different voices. Hear how rhythms are created with only the voice. The high pitched piano tones merely emphasize the etherealness of it all.

The different voices, though all made by the same man, each have a distinct and specific personality to them, and this comes out in the song. Different flavors and varieties of mourning, from wailing agony to simple low-key despair.

It groans with feeling. This is awesome.

Back on VGMix 1, someone uploaded a version of this song that was either a direct rip, or had some small additions. Ever since, I've liked this theme quite a bit. I was hoping to hear more of the original in this, like at 2:12, but instead I was faced with vocals reminiscent of silent's In the Atrium.

I think 2:12 could have worked with or without drums, and "with drums" including some different sounding percussion than the ones used here; needed something more unique to fit the style of this mix.

The vocal bits remind me of the end of silent's In the Atrium OCR from Ninja Gaiden. Seriously check that mix out if you want to hear the exact same kind of "out of tune vocals." Some of them sound verbatim from that mix. I didn't like those kinds of vocals in silent's remix, and I don't like them here. It's supposed to be a style? Just sounds out of tune to me. Some of it seems stylish, but other times (which also seem deliberate), I just don't like. Regardless, I'll probably keep this just for the part that I wanted to hear (it's well-done).

Stories within mixes sometimes does not = casual listening, and that is the case here. With this, along with some other "flaws", of course people have very good reason to say it sounds terrible (though, as a fan of detail, elaboration on their part would be nice). But to not sound preachy (not that I want to), I'll stop here.

I think it's really cool. Never heard nothing like that before.

While not exactly my cup of coffee, I do acknowledge the quality of this piece. The voice sounds just fine to me, and I think it's a great idea to make a song like this one.

The thing that irks me a bit about it is the missing of any melody, or let's rhythm, until 2:12 when the drums come in. This moment, the whole thing improves quite a bit.

Great piece to "break through" for such a memorable game.

Spine tingling.

I'm not a pitch perfect listerner but I have been listening to remixes for a while now and this one gets my vote.

I've always wanted to make a cappella piece similar to this. After reading the judges' decisions, I'm now a bit afraid to step up since I'm also thinking of putting no background instrumentation whatsoever, unlike this piece. After all, it is called cappella for a reason, eh?

In the same time, however, this piece inspired me that anything is possible. Very haunting and ambient stuff here. Love it. You have some nice pipes on you, too. Sure, people critisize the flaws here and there, but to me they're being too picky since the great stuff in this track overpower the minor "sloppy vocal execution" parts. Also, the instrumentation is more than enough for a genre like this. If Neil put in more instruments, the haunting voice would've been hidden in the background, thus eliminating the purpose of this remix.

Very nice work, Niel. I'm hoping that my upcoming ReMix has the same quality of this one.

Amen to that! This song is fine the way it is. It's impossible to cater to every one's taste anyways, so don't let the haters effect ya

I've always wanted to make a cappella piece similar to this. After reading the judges' decisions, I'm now a bit afraid to step up since I'm also thinking of putting no background instrumentation whatsoever, unlike this piece. After all, it is called cappella for a reason, eh?

In the same time, however, this piece inspired me that anything is possible. Very haunting and ambient stuff here. Love it. You have some nice pipes on you, too. Sure, people critisize the flaws here and there, but to me they're being too picky since the great stuff in this track overpower the minor "sloppy vocal execution" parts. Also, the instrumentation is more than enough for a genre like this. If Neil put in more instruments, the haunting voice would've been hidden in the background, thus eliminating the purpose of this remix.

Very nice work, Niel. I'm hoping that my upcoming ReMix has the same quality of this one.

After listening to it several times, I have to say that I really enjoy this one. Definitely has a quartet under a street light feel to it, slightly flawed vocals and all. I think the word "charm" has been used several times but it's fitting, it definitely has charm.