ReMix:Hitman: Codename 47 "Contract Cleaner" 4:26

By Sonicade

Arranging the music of one song...

"Main Title (Extended Version)"

Primary Game: Hitman: Codename 47 (Eidos , 2000, WIN), music by Jesper Kyd

Posted 2009-07-28, evaluated by djpretzel


A huge & hearty congratulations to Andy & Jill - their wedding was awesome, from the serene, Secret of Mana-esque setting of the ceremony to the amazing musical performances at the reception, it all came together beautifully. Their first dance was to Deliverance of the Heart; while possibly not the first time a wedding couple has danced to an OC ReMix, it had to be the first time that mix was also a collab between the two of them. I've already congratulated them personally, but on behalf of the community I'd like to thank them for all the music they've made individually & collectively, and all the music, memories, and joy they'll now share with us as Mr. and Mrs. Aversa!

We didn't have a particularly appropriate mix lined up, so I'm now going to segue awkwardly into talking about Hitman. Let's see... "When you think about it, marriage is LIKE contract assassination, in that..." - no, that won't work at all. How about:"The bond between a Hitman and his employer is like the bond of holy matrimony"? Probably not... it's essentially unsalvageable, thematically. However, as we wish Jill and Andy our best, we can also congratulate Sonicade, aka Kentaro Fischer, for a huge comeback mix. His first, very promising track was posted back in October of two-thousand three, so it's been almost six years between that FF9 mix and this new arrangement from Hitman. He writes:

"The Hitman games are one of my favorite series. I became a fan of Jesper Kyd through playing the games and have wanted to remix one of his tracks for awhile. I went with the Main Title from Codename 47 because I liked the tone as well as the melodies and strong strings. Hope you enjoy it!"

Sonicade's debut mix had some pretty hot production, and it's good to see that six years has only sharpened his game: Cinematic brass and strings soar over a thick electronica beat, with James Bond-ish stabs, a slick, gated synth solo pitch-bending riff, and the Middle Eastern intro motif that starts the whole thing off making a comeback later on. Following a beat drop at 2'46" we get follow-through into an extended acoustic piano solo at 3'03" that's really quite beautiful. Arrangement up until this point is fairly conservative, but the solo piano adds a lot, and the additional elements (gated synth riff, bell counter-melodies, etc.) Kentaro throws in throughout fit in perfectly. It's definitely a more additive approach to arrangement, taking the original and peppering it with additional hooks & components while reconstructing the beat/backing bits, but it certainly works for me. Check out more of Kentaro's original/compo work over at www.sonicade.com; sweet stuff, good to see you back!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 14 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Emunator
on 2009-12-21 23:35:36

Yeah, this one isn't bad. Very simple riffs and beats but you kinda can't help but get into the groove :-) Once the bass picks up and the strings start to come in, it's especially fun! I don't know what you did with the synth that comes in at 2:03, but damn is it good! That's my favorite part of the song :-D

Really, this isn't what I'd call a standout track by any means, but it's got all the makings of a good, unassuming mix that doesn't try to be more than it is, but still throws a lot of cool tricks at the listener with each repeated verse. Everytime I thought this mix had given all it had to give, it threw something new like the piano at me and I just got more into it!

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Polo
on 2009-12-07 01:03:29

The percussion's like the ideal employee: happy, busy, no complaints, no need to overcompensate, and maintaining an ingenuous air of professionalism. The initial lead sounds more chill here than in the source, and the electrical bass beat at 0:41-0:50 (and afterwards) reminds me of one of the starting beats in "CMS Level One OC ReMix." 0:52 steps up the action a notch, bringing in Christmas-y bells for sweetening sections from that point on. I love the smarmy lead entering at 2:01 - it knows it doesn't carry the same humble work ethic as the other players, but still grooves with a "holier than thou" smirk on its face. 2:45 takes a step back and reflects by way of a holy-sounding pad, and then the piano from 3:02 onward grounds our senses and guides us to the end.

Suave and high-class.

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Gabriel
on 2009-09-12 10:26:25

Great mix! I really enjoyed listening to this one. It's got a very electronic sound. It reminds me of some of the music from the original Unreal Tournament. I'm keeping this one for sure.

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Level 99
on 2009-09-01 21:21:09

I've not heard the original, so I'm taking this from a completely original-song standpoint. The song, while taking a while to reach the real meat of the mix, is a great moody buildup that plays very well on the somewhat-recognized gypsy scale (I dunno if I'm right in what it's called, but you know what I'm implying!). The drums are crisp, if just a little on the flat side, but I love the snare you used. And when the bass fuzz comes in, followed by the processed drum fill...that was pretty sexy.

The brass is nicely leveled and the bell chime adds a lot to the progression. The production is excellent for the most part. It's a more laid-back groove that makes me think of a CSI cutscene, actually. When it switches up the base chord and the piano starts to play, I really ended up grooving to it.

While not an epic or overly-glamorous mix, this is something I can chill out to and is well above my standards of a well-made song. It is hard for the song to be boring, and while I do have some small problems with it, they don't detract enough to take away from the mix as a whole. Great job!

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DragonAvenger
on 2009-09-01 21:19:29

This has a lot more melody than I was expecting from a game called "Hitman", but I guess that's just me assuming. This has a surprisingly almost triumphant feel to it, which I find pretty neat. The brass hits add a really nice flavor, I'm definately a fan of that.

Overall, I feel like there wasn't much in the way of direction of the piece, but it doesn't bother me that much in the end. Just something I noticed while listening. That and the beginning got just a tad (and I mean a very little) repetative.

Other than that some nice work!

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Palpable
on 2009-08-25 14:21:12

I haven't played the Hitman games, but this has a great 90's dance sound and atmosphere, and the style is very nostalgic for me. The middle section with the modulating synths is excellent. Send us more stuff, dude!

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Liontamer
on 2009-08-10 20:22:05

I kill anyone who passes up this mix. Loved the subtle usage of the theme throughout most of the track; it was pretty intelligent arrangement. Definitely hope we hear more from Kentaro!

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Martin Penwald
on 2009-08-10 15:48:15

Very relaxed and chilled remix; not exactly what I'd expect from a Hitman mix. Has a very interesting sound to it. Digging the piano.

Nice work. Shame only so few people seem to have listened to it, judging by the number of comments so far.

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OA
on 2009-08-09 12:56:50

Some really cool textures and a bunch of really well chosen sounds make this feel very polished right off the bat. Everything clicked well, and though it sounded a bit more upbeat in some sections than you'd expect a hitman game to sound, it still sounds sophisticated and cool.

A few things that seemed overlooked was the lack of a strong transition to the modulation about halfway through made it stick out a bit, and the ending seemed to be abrupt, but overall this was pretty great.

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Audity
on 2009-08-01 19:39:41

Kind of cheesy, but remixing game music is mostly like that, and I like anyway.

More random (I could go into the positives, but I already said "I like") comments: the transition 2/3 the way through and the abrupt ending are both awkward. And the piano during the ending could have been more to the forefront/clearer. That's about it for the negative, besides potentially being beefier overall. Phat bass and Beatdrop quality needed to be perfectly ideal. Actually this reminds me of Beatdrop's Guardian Legend ReMix once the bass gets deeper and somewhat more when the strings enter. I can hear it being overlaid in a song mashup already!

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Sonicade
on 2009-08-01 07:07:56

It's great to see this was accepted and thank you for the comments. I'll do my best to submit another track before another 6 years passes. :)

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Dafydd
on 2009-07-29 17:18:37

I didn't realize there was a way to reinterpret this theme, really. This is wonderful, if a bit airy and distant. Congratulations on your comeback, hope it won't be another 6 years until your next mix :)

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BlackPanther
on 2009-07-28 11:27:47

Not really familiar with the hitman soundtrack I've only played the second one but hearing this I can definitely hear this being in a hitman game. Productions great, strings were sweet and the piano solo was very cool. Overall nice piece =).

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djpretzel
on 2009-07-28 10:03:25

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Hitman: Codename 47 (Eidos , 2000, WIN)
Music by Jesper Kyd
Songs:
"Main Title (Extended Version)"

Tags (4)


Genre:
Mood:
Chill,Dark
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Orchestral
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Hitman_Codename_47_Contract_Cleaner_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,151,527 bytes
MD5:
6aea792e625f79b3bd2227e5e7c54a67
Bitrate:
182Kbps
Duration:
4:26

 

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