ReMix:Mega Man X "Braincooler" 4:46

By Rozovian

Arranging the music of one song...

"Chill Penguin Stage"

Primary Game: Mega Man X (Capcom , 1993, SNES), music by Makoto Tomozawa, Setsuo Yamamoto, Toshihiko Horiyama, Yuki Iwai, Yuko Takehara

Posted 2009-10-13, evaluated by the judges panel


Our last Mega Man X mix was posted back in 2006? What the heck is up with that? Pure, unadulterated shenanigans, that is, and Rozovian is here to put an end to it. Rozo ritez:

"I call it... Braincooler. It was originally planned to be something of a three track medley, which is why the name is alluding to Brainsick Metal. But... no. It just didn't want to go that way.

I've recently started trying to keep the number of tracks to a minimum, which is the same approach I had with Beyond Velocity and it seemed to work out well. Here I had to route my 7 midi tracks (and two tracks with audio loops) to a myriad of buses and auxes. That, plus the dozens of automation tracks made it a bit scary to work on towards the end. I suppose I've found my style. Or a style, at least. Like EYOD, this is a bass-based track with long bends, long break-downs, key change... and eggshaker. :D Didn't expect the eggshaker to become such a success, but I don't mind. And here it is again.

It wouldn't have taken this long or turned out this good without the help of the WIP board, the #ocrwip channel, and the Judges that I turned to during the making of this."

Nice props! I like the title; it makes me thirsty, but in a not-unpleasant way that is far from incompatible with wanting to listen to some cool, refreshing electronica. Which, fortuitously, the artist has provided; Rozovian continues with his (relatively) minimalist, restrained electronica that's sleek, slick, and chill. Appropriate, then, that he's provided us with with our first coverage of the 'Chill Penguin' theme. Get it? See what I did there, etc.? The kick here is quite round & deep, which bothered me a bit until the rest of the drum track filled out with the aforementioned shaker and snare. Synths aplenty dominate the landscape, with leads, pads, and gated accompaniment, but I especially dig the drop around 2'12" into what sounds like a cave, with a bell lead and cross-panned water droplets - reminded me of Edward Norton finding his power penguin ("slide!") in Fight Club. The arrangement does take awhile to get going and at first seems a little pedestrian, but eventually fulfills its potential, which is basically what OA said:

"I agree that the first half was lacking a bit of excitement, but by the second half, there was a lot of cool ideas moving around. The bass overall was pretty cool, i loved the huge drops that were frequently used. The beat was really boring as it built up, but as more and more melodic elements started interacting, it became more driving and worked a lot better. I thought the keychange was a little weak, but it worked; i just wish there was a larger build, or a melodic lead in to it. It seemed a bit abrupt as is.

Production was nice; good balance, clean and clear, and good textures. I've got no complaints here. So despite what I thought was an average beginning, it really did pick up into something both creative and cool."

Cool... and chill. Appropriate, since October temperatures are finally starting to fall. Solid stuff from Rozo that provides a long overdue dose of MMX mixage.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
Polo
on 2016-03-30 18:42:21

1:23 feels like a decisive turning point. Why? It follows an initial run through part of the source not unlike a scout on reconnaissance, who then beckons the rest of an army onward toward some great purpose, like attacking a fort or storming a castle. The bass, percussion, and 5-notes-then-4 pattern are all saying "we're heading out. The mix is on the march."

The bulk of the breakdown vividly encapsulates a cavern setting (as djp pointed out), particularly 2:12+ with its icicle-soft synthwork and 2:55 with its "high up with the stalactites" edge of loneliness.

3:40+ is another momentous section of Braincooler, what with its key change and 3:48's melodic creativity. To me, this is where the mix is really starting to spread its wings and fly to more promising places as long as it keeps evolving. It sure has the momentum to do so.

avatar
OutSpoken
on 2011-07-05 01:57:38

http://reoganworks.blogspot.com/2011/01/song-of-week-26.html

Rozovian already saw the writeup one of my authors did on my blog for this track, but in case anyone else wants to check it out, the link is above.

avatar
JenZ
on 2010-07-04 12:30:52

I'm real picky with what synths people select in a track...and I believe this one was actually done well and great enough for me to leave a comment.

Always like Rozo's stuff. I expect more of it. :P

avatar
Emunator
on 2009-12-21 18:16:48

Yes, I remember digging it up off the WIP forums and liking it then... it's just as good now :-)

I always love how Rozo picks such cohesive sets of synths and sounds for each of his remixes, it makes everything silky smooth and nothing ever sticks out like a sore thumb. It's easy to get lost in his remixes because of this quality.

This is a nice benchmark for him in terms of production and sound design, but after hearing what he's done in tracks like "Eye of the Storm," I can see how much he's improved in a short time. Nice work all around, Rozo! :-D

avatar
ZealPath
on 2009-12-04 00:14:16

Here's one I forgot to comment on. Always liked the WIP, and the finalized version is really something special. I think it's been said but if you have any love for the Chill Penguin track, you can't go wrong with this one.

It's that "chill eletronica" (ohohoho, chill in a chill penguin track, ohohoho) that Rozovian has worked their magic with in other tracks like "Eat Your Own Dust", and it's a style I know I'll keep coming back to.

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Txai
on 2009-10-31 08:04:49

Not bad at all.

Main lead is well developed; reminds me of the Jazz Jackrabbit 2 soundtrack, in a good way.

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Martin Penwald
on 2009-10-31 06:59:30

Nice one. The remix manages to catch the whole 90's video game vibe perfectly; I think it might be the lead that evokes this feeling.

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Flare4War
on 2009-10-26 19:58:35

I really like this one. It somehow seems very fresh.

Great job.

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1makes2
on 2009-10-25 13:59:09

Hey man you ended up doing a nice job finishing your song. i had forgotten all about this track until i just saw it posted. sorry again for getting sidetracked and not helping you in any way with this song, but you obviously didn't need help :) great track and look forward to hearing more from you! we should try and collab again soon hit me up with a pm

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BlueMage
on 2009-10-24 23:28:37

Bloody beautiful. Energetic enough to not put you to sleep, not so energetic that you feel hopped up on redbulls. Nicely done sir.

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jintoreedwine
on 2009-10-20 19:08:28

FANTASTIC! A while ago I stumbled upon this mix in the WIP boards and I have been eagerly awaiting it ever since :) . My favorite section was probably from 1:08 to 1:24 .

Any way you look at it this mix is a great listen. Glad you were able to get it posted!

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Scrap McNapps
on 2009-10-19 23:22:00

I loved the middle of the song, it felt so relaxing and calm. Nice and chill. The sound effects you added in the beginning were a nice touch. I really enjoyed the mix.

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ChaosPlayer
on 2009-10-17 00:23:35

If you love megaman X's cold stage, then you'll love this. I am beyond speechless of the intro of that nice techno like synthisier, hence the reason of it's title: "Brain cooler".

The sound track is not so much as being techno, but lightly with all other instruments being sounded that matches its beauty and old school technique of its originality. Without a doubt, this is one of the best examples, works, and originality of Megam man sound tracks.

Hands down /o,o/ great job.

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bjnartowt
on 2009-10-15 20:25:09

This mix makes me want to jog. Then, it just makes me want to stare out the window at falling snow. Then, it makes me want to fly in the sky. It just evokes so many emotions...it's so chill and intense at the same time. Awesome!!! :razz:

avatar
Jewbei
on 2009-10-15 20:05:18

i cant front i didnt really like this when i first heard it...but the next thing i know i was bopping my head so thats a really really good thing. i like how youve managed to pull this off with a nice chill feeling but also with a lot of energy the only thing that threw me off the first time was the pitch bends but after a while i got used to it. good job man cant wait to see whats next.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Mega Man X (Capcom , 1993, SNES)
Music by Makoto Tomozawa,Setsuo Yamamoto,Toshihiko Horiyama,Yuki Iwai,Yuko Takehara
Songs:
"Chill Penguin Stage"

Tags (2)


Genre:
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Electronic,Synth
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Mega_Man_X_Braincooler_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,279,175 bytes
MD5:
ab865fe787a6ffc7a4f6188ff6399760
Bitrate:
144Kbps
Duration:
4:46

 

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