ReMix:Ragnarök Online "Sun Ra" 3:57
By Anthony Lofton, Joshua Morse
Arranging the music of one song...
"Higher Than The Sun"
Primary Game: Ragnarök Online (Gravity , 2002, WIN), music by soundTeMPPosted 2009-03-06, evaluated by djpretzel
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This is Morse's last submitted mix from Hybridism, presumably named (comments did not clarify) for the jazz iconoclast & his "Arkestra". If you haven't read up on Sun Ra, follow the link and scour the Wiki, or at least check out the first couple paragraphs - Ra was quite a character. Or, for a good time, check out this performance - not representative of his overall style, but fun to watch. There's even a VSTi named after him. But enough about Sir Ra, let's talk about sirs Lofton & Morse. This arrangement is far more accessible and structured than most of what I've heard from Ra, but who the heck cares, because it's groovy, funky, and the staple adjectives you've come to expect from these two, esp. w/ regards to Hybridism: slick, polished, meticulous, ridonculously flavored with funk/jazz spices, and drippin' wit riddim. Only thing I wasn't feeling 100% was the fadeout ending, but that's a whole can of worms unto itself, so let's talk highlights:
- lil break w/ hp filtered breakbeat and bass slide at 0'33"
- synth solo circa 0'51" and da EP that follows it up
- perc squeaks and squeegies at 1'39"
- funky digiclav solo at 2'27" and da AP that follows IT up
And of course, the drum layering is fantastic and bass part writing is spot on. jm REALLY knows how to work a bassline, which is so core to the genres he usually works in and gives all his tracks a concrete foundation. This was the case before Hybridism was released, with his previous mixes on the site, but I think with this album what he specifically perfected was incorporating authentic, 70's era funk/fusion/jazz synth solos. Not just with the playing, but with the patch selection, and the relationship between the two; everything feels RIGHT, and by right I mean 3+ decades old & authentic to the form. My mental image of these solos being performed doesn't involve VSTis or DAWs, but beastly old analog and digital synths, caked with buttons, sliders, and knobs, played with a knowledge of what each can do. That's a pretty cool trick, and a pretty hefty compliment, and it applies to more than a couple tracks off the album. 'Sun Ra' is essentially a standout track from a standout album - 'nuff said.
Discussion
on 2015-12-18 14:43:14
Honestly, I love Hybridism a lot, and this is one of my favorite tracks from it - it's certainly got that classic smooth Morse's touch of funk/jazz. The soloing @ 1:05 is very good. Amazing track!
on 2009-04-04 16:50:19
Man, I love the patches used in this, most of which djp hit on too. The jazzy writing works great in combination with those sounds - very refined work, you guys.
on 2009-03-24 18:17:07
On a related note, I was confused for a few seconds, but in the actual album this track is listed as "Higher than the Sun."
Same here.
But yeah, great song.
on 2009-03-16 10:52:43
A great sonic palate here- there's a ton of variety without it losing that strong funk flavor. The textural shifts are well executed, as there is so much going on, and the little synth cameos are excellent. The clav is extra fun, and some stuff I can't even name.
Really, this is like a journey through funk; there are so many sounds in this, I really like it.
on 2009-03-06 23:47:56
Alright, even though my enjoyment of the song was interrupted by Firefox being a shit, what I -was- able to hear of it impressed me. But then again I come expecting to be disappointed so impressing me is easy to do
on 2009-03-06 21:44:23
Anthony and Joshua are still amazing at working those solos. It's one thing to just play up and down the scales, but it takes a good ear to make very unique solo where every random note grabs your attention.
on 2009-03-06 19:13:38
This is sooo good.
The intro is just stunningly great.
Awesome background synth filling in.
A little Jamiroquai string arrangement it sounds like. Good job on those.
Awesome track.
Highly recommended I say. Get itz!
on 2009-03-06 18:04:49
re: intro. The timing of the piano is a little off. I double-checked, and curiously it sounds fine on laptop speakers, but quite offensive on headphones. It's a nitpick, yes, but it's also the first thing one hears when pressing play. It wasn't the greatest first impression.
That out of the way, let me reiterate that this is one fiiiiiiine track.
--Eino
on 2009-03-06 17:29:36
Haha I can see why people are criting the intro but honestly, its the nittiest of nit-picks and not a problem for me.
I'm loving it, sounds awesome, like your other stuff
your public demands more
on 2009-03-06 16:13:02
pretty fly, for a white guy
edit: yeah, what's wrong with the intro?
on 2009-03-06 15:02:04
Haven't got Hybridism
For shame.
Anyway, I can understand why the piano would be a little skittish for the intro, but that can be overlooked for what comes after.
This isn't just any lounge/jazz music though; its full of caffeine giving it a very nice jittery, upbeat, energetic vibe going on.
On a related note, I was confused for a few seconds, but in the actual album this track is listed as "Higher than the Sun."
on 2009-03-06 14:43:41
Yeah, the piano slurs the intro pretty badly. But thankfully, it's just a few seconds. What follows is tight. Plenty good. I like the alternation between busier, lead-filled sections and more mellow, laid-back ones. This doesn't quite blow through the roof for me (yet, more listens might open it up more), but it's near, and it's very enjoyable, and it's making me groove..
--Eino
on 2009-03-06 13:58:38
This is sweet. Haven't got Hybridism, so getting these via ocremix is great. The messy little intro really screws up this listener's expectations before the track goes into what I by now associate with and assume permeates Hybridism, if not RO. Love the scratches and and stuff, especially those around 2:02.
Sources Arranged (1 Song)
- Primary Game:
-
Ragnarök Online (Gravity
, 2002,
WIN)
Music by soundTeMP
- Songs:
- "Higher Than The Sun"
Tags (5)
- Genre:
- Funk,Jazz
- Mood:
- Instrumentation:
- Piano,Synth
- Additional:
- Origin > Collaboration
File Information
- Name:
- Ragnarok_Online_Sun_Ra_OC_ReMix.mp3
- Size:
- 5,933,477 bytes
- MD5:
- cc4afb51c5e29651c27f76319d56ac44
- Bitrate:
- 197Kbps
- Duration:
- 3:57
Download
- Size: 5,933,477 bytes
- MD5 Checksum: cc4afb51c5e29651c27f76319d56ac44
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