ReMix:Sonic the Hedgehog 2 "Oil Ocean (WT-40 Mix)" 3:26

By PlanetSkill

Arranging the music of one song...

"Oil Ocean Zone"

Primary Game: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega , 1992, GEN), music by Masato Nakamura

Posted 2007-07-15, evaluated by djpretzel


The last time AE submitted anything was back in 2002, so in terms of veteran ReMixer comebacks, I think he might win some sort of award for longest hiatus. This time, however, he brought his peeps with him. While the band Wave Theory might be familiar to some of you (if not, check them out!), in this case this particular mix is being released by PlanetSkill, which is described on their site as:

"...a multitude of different artists of all different crafts, whether it be dancing, graphic design, screenplay writing, or music mastering. PlanetSkill was designed to showcase everyone involved in a non-pretentious way; we simply want to exhibit what we love to do best and would appreciate your feedback."

... I might comment that when trying to be non-pretentious, one might do best to avoid self-ascribing the word "skill" through one's moniker. These guys definitely have it though, in spades; AE's a formidable electronica artist by himself, but when part of a larger whole of similarly endowed musicians, things get downright ridiculous. Hence "PlanetSkill" is, at the very least, not misleading. It also beats the hell out of "PlanetHumble" in terms of marketability. I saw these fellas (AE, tumult, Ransom Rath, Digimatic) perform at MAGFest back in January, and it was an awesome set - in particular, they had a sweet narrative multimedia presentation that helped segue between songs, and followed the whole act up with some mad freestylin' action.

Prior to this ReMix, AE's repertoire on OCR at least was limited to Mega Man 2, but at M5 PlanetSkill covered multiple games, and this Sonic 2 ReMix also deviates from Blue Bomber territory. The "WT-40" in the mix title is both a reference to Wave Theory ("WT"), and WD-40, a well-known oil lubricant that does a whole bunch of things but which, in my youth, I primarily used along with a lighter to create a mini flamethrower, for the extremely important purpose of melting G.I. Joe action figures so as to assist Cobra in their plans for world domination. Don't try it at home. Or elsewhere. As another first, this mix features vocals, in the form of some very slick rapping that comes in after the first minute. The first minute feels like another kickass AE electronica mix: dominant synths, ph@t b33tz, and top-notch attention to detail are all present and accounted for. But at or around the minute marker a seriously mean shredded electric guitar joins the mix, and vocals enter soon afterwards. The eastern intonation makes this sound something like... Egyptian Hardcore Rap Rock Electronica? Trying to place this one in a genre would probably be a mistake, unless "awesome" can tentatively qualify as such. This is our first mix of the Oil Ocean Zone theme, and whatever genre this is, suffice to say it lends itself amazingly well to the source material. The rapping is similar to some of what I've heard from Wave Theory; quick, pretty witty, and very appropriate in style for what is essentially more electronica than hip-hop, musically. The combination of amazing electronica, heavy rock, rap, and an arrangement that turns an exotic eastern motif into one that really blows your hair back all adds up for an awesome ride; AE couldn't have picked a better way to return, and you should all check out his site(s) and see what he's been doing in the meantime. Fantastic.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Trism
on 2017-05-27 17:47:38

I'm not a hip-hop/rap fan, however this track is pure awesome. The flow of the track is amazing and the vocals fit perfectly with the source. One of the best remixes on the site.

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Flexstyle
on 2015-07-17 17:02:54

This is still one of my personal favorite OC ReMixes of all time. :D

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timaeus222
on 2013-09-10 02:55:14
:lol: I, for one, loved the vocals and their production. For me they filled out the arrangement, and the timbre fit rather well. The execution was really good, and the backing instrumentation fits in very nicely.
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Wina A. Kamlongera
on 2011-10-26 15:58:53
To his credit though, he does sound a lot like Mr. Hahn from Linkin Park

He sounds a lot like Mr. Hahn...the DJ? :???:

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The B Man
on 2011-10-25 03:07:06

Damn! When this track first started playing I was COMPLETELY diggin it... and then the lyric part came in. Sorry, but im just not diggin the lyric portion of this track.

Does a non lyric version of this mix exist? This track would be WONDERFUL without the vocals. Please, if a non lyric version of this exists, please link me. That, or is there a piece of software that can remove vocals?

I hate to sound SO harsh on whoever did the "rapping" on this, but I just LOVE the track itself so much, that I REALLY want it without the vocals. And whoever said that Vocals can only add to a track, that is absurd. You have to truly have the voice and ability to add to a track with vocals, you cant just throw howdy doody on to a song and expect it to sound good or add to the song, it dont wory that way. For me, its not that the artist didnt have rhythm, its that his voice just doesnt lend to rap. Whoever did the vocals just does not have the voice to be a rapper.

To his credit though, he does sound a lot like Mr. Hahn from Linkin Park, and his skills would probably be perfectly suited to tracks like theirs, just not like this one. I would actually be really interested to hear him rap behind some Metal with some flow like Linkin Parks first two albums have.

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Crulex
on 2011-05-24 13:33:33

This is badass. The lyrics are tight and flow smoothly with the music and hell, the chorus fits the level. Really, a rap-rock ReMix doesn't get better than this. But wait, there's more! Throw in a little bit of Egyptian sounding music behind the beats, and it's not only a great song, but a unique one as well. Awesome stuff. The only thing that gets me is every time I listen to this, I keep expecting two lines to come after the "Open the flood gates, get ready for the flow" bit considering the rest of the song had four lines of rhyme. Still, this is pretty interesting. Great stuff.

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tweex
on 2010-08-07 13:01:51

A big five year break from AE, and this is his debut mix back into the fray. RIght out of the gate, we hear the classic synth, but this one is different. They have the same concentration of lots of filtering, oscillation, etc, but this one brings it to a new level. Having collaborated with a few other people, this pushed AE out of his comfort zone more than usual. The dynamic progression of this mix is VERY different from his previous works. The rapping is excellent, the guitar was a great addition, and the more natural sounding drums really bring this piece into a new domain. The lead synth is big and meaty, and I love it. The vocals were captured really well and they fit into the mix really well. The arrangement is simple, but this arrangement is in the details, like more AE tracks are. I love hearing him collab with other people as it introduces a lot of new elements. Definitely one of his bests mixes to date! Awesome work AE and the rest of PlanetSkill!

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Bahamut
on 2010-06-27 18:52:34

Oh wow, I never commented on this? I remember when this mix first got posted - love it, my only complaint is that I wish it were longer, but what's here is pretty sexy!

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Digi_Dude_78
on 2010-02-01 02:10:15

Wow...

I gotta say, usually I'm not a big fan of the rap style of music... but this is completely different... coming from a video game song... this was totally unexpected...

It sounds really awesome! Great job!

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Yhoko
on 2008-01-24 04:19:55

"You know that oil and water don't mix" - But this tune surely does!

Excellent work, really. Gotta love it. :-)

Yhoko

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zircon
on 2007-12-21 00:35:34

I heard this live as an instrumental during MAGfest '05. While it was very cool, the vocal version is excellent and fills things out.

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JTD121
on 2007-12-20 23:13:56

Hmm.....A little late, I suppose, but better than never.

I like the music, the mix, the arrangement. Very true to the source, I'd say.

But the vocals...don't get me wrong, they are good. Very slick. However, I am not a fan of rap and most hip-hop. Again, not to say they don't fit, or are bad in any way. I am just not into them as everyone else. Maybe it just takes a couple listens to get used to or something.

But overall, this is great. I wonder if AE will release an instrumental version, as the backing music sounds like it could stand on it's own without the vocals.

-Josh

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Jaybell
on 2007-10-23 19:23:39

Now that I think about it, some of those rhymes seem kind of forced. Basic/it makes me cringe, and "whatchoo gon do" is used twice in a row. "You know that oil and water don't mix" is still awesome, though.

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Mr. Fox
on 2007-08-26 14:38:52

Now as for KogeJoe...

Koge, do yourself (and the rest of us as well) a favor and just stop posting in the reviews forum. Your reviews are consistently idiotic, and always based not on the merits of the individual song, but on your opinion of the composer, or the genre, or the game. It's annoying and unconstructive.

Not to mention pretentious.

I have been listening to this song constantly in the last few days and I find it pretty damn tasty. I also think that the first half of the rapping distinctively better then the second one (maybe it's because the tone he uses while saying the first "you know that oil and water don't mix" - particularly in the word "mix" - is awesome, and he doesn't say it quite the same in the second time :( )

Anyways, nitpicking aside, this is awesome!

Excellent work on all parts.

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Darklink42
on 2007-08-26 00:32:57

I downloaded this mix after a long drought of not being able to download any mixes.

First off, I've got to say that I really like the music itself. It's got a great flair and the perfect instrument set for the sound that the original BGM tried to convey. It kind of reminds me of the some of the Timesplitters songs, which I also like a lot.

That being said, I've got to say that the lyrics were not quite as impressive. It's got a lot of good lines ("Oil and Water don't mix", "Open the floodgates", "Oh my lord, what'cha gonna say next?"). But for all the good lines, there were also some that I thought were kind of cheesy ("But I guess you don't think", "lie more so", "everything you do comes back always").

Despite the lyrical content troubles, I really like listening to the song anyways and it's almost always on my playlist. I'd love to hear more from these guys.

One last thing, that sproing sound at 2:43 makes me chuckle every time I hear it.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega , 1992, GEN)
Music by Masato Nakamura
Songs:
"Oil Ocean Zone"

Tags (7)


Genre:
Hip Hop
Mood:
Aggressive
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Synth,Vocals: Male,Vocals: Rapping
Additional:
Lyrics > Lyrics: Original

File Information


Name:
Sonic_the_Hedgehog_2_Oil_Ocean_(WT-40_Mix)_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,025,972 bytes
MD5:
d725a711f8c1e7ab804cb0cc23fd2fa9
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
3:26

You're looking like ya think that I don't know
Thinking that the signs of a lie don't show
Little by little, you rhyme or so
I'mma give ya something so ya don't try no more

Oh my lord, what ya gonna say next?
Do anything for a little paycheck
I'mma tell ya short, simple, and basic
It really doesn't look like you're gonna make it

[Chorus]
You make me sick, with all your tricks
You just might slip, your feet lose grip
You're not that slick, I'm much too quick
You've broken something that you just can't fix
You know that oil and water don't mix

I'm only trying to make things run smooth
But now I gotta worry 'bout whatchu gon' do
You shoulda came to me to tell me whatcha goin' through
But now you're on the wrong team, gotta own you

Don't you ever think about how they all say
Everything that you do comes back always
You made a big leak, and your ship might sink
I woulda thought you woulda thought, but I guess you don't think

[Chorus]

Open the floodgates!
Get ready for the flow!

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