ReMix:Super Mario Galaxy "Meteorites and Rabbits" 3:24

By jmr

Arranging the music of one song...

"Space Junk Road"

Primary Game: Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo , 2007, WII), music by Koji Kondo, Mahito Yokota

Posted 2009-12-04, evaluated by the judges panel


Check it out - our first Super Mario Galaxy ReMix! This also happens to be our first ReMix from "newcomer" jmr, aka Jeffrey Roberts, who's actually been registered on our forums since way back in April of 2002. He writes:

"Didn't plan on submitting this one, but after re-listening to and tweaking the PRC version, I felt it was a strong enough piece for me to at least attempt submitting it. I wouldn't be surprised if the arrangement is a sticking point. I'll admit it's fairly conservative at times, but the majority of the backing parts (especially in the latter half) are original. Either way, I hope you all enjoy it."

SMG has one of the best current-gen soundtracks out there, and stands as a shining example that song-based scores, with plenty of original melodies, are still appropriate and still resonate with gamers. I sometimes play this game JUST to hear the music, though I confess to my utter lameness in still not having beaten it - you try running this site, working full time, going to school, and planning for a wedding, and see how much gaming time you can manage :) The specific source here is NOT one of Kondo's tracks, and is actually by Mahito Yokota, who worked on the Kessen series as well as DK: Jungle Beat. Roberts did keep his arrangement fairly close, both melodically and in overall tone, to the original, but made some creative & pretty well executed changes and additions to the accompaniment. Larry writes:

"I had the opportunity to listen to this in the Austin airport on the way back from a business trip, and this was a nice transporting arrangement. I definitely understand Jeff's hesitation on the arrangement being conservative, but I think the overall mood was different enough and the new backing parts added another original level to this."

I agree; not every mix has to reinvent the source material to succeed. It's awesome when artists *do* find completely new directions to take a given piece, but it's also rewarding to hear mixes that stay in the same general vicinity while changing other internal elements up. In this case, the artist has definitely maintained the spacey, floating sensation Kondo and Yokota achieved with their combination of orchestral elements, bell pads, and theremin-esque synths. The rising and falling piano line has been replaced with pizzicato strings, which add an even lighter, buoyant feel, and the overall instrumentation changes all really serve to enhance the strength of the original melody, which is left intact. Not a ground-breaking mix, and not a perfect mix, but definitely a solid mix, and hopefully the first of many from jmr AND the first of many from Super Mario Galaxy's brilliant soundtrack!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Cash
on 2011-11-08 22:39:06

Just beautiful. Relaxing to the max, with a hint of mystery from the space-like ambiance. A must download.

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Crulex
on 2010-12-23 13:45:31

Ah, relaxing, easy going and peaceful. It really does give off that "floating through space" feeling that seems to be key in this game and music. The vibe is just so smooth and natural. I'm glad the first SMG ReMix turned out to be enjoyable and solid. Hopefully the rest of the game gets some love, cause the soundtrack opens up so many possibilities for sweet mixes like this one.

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The Radical Sifu
on 2010-04-05 09:27:45

Let it be known: Mario Galaxy has one of the very, very best videogame soundtracks of all time. It is a masterpiece. Thank God someone has done a remix!

This is wonderful. Perfectly captures the euphoric, spacey feeling that makes Galaxy the awesome experience it is. More please!

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Universe-X
on 2010-02-14 22:31:21

Awesome song, really takes me back

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Martin Penwald
on 2009-12-16 12:20:45

Sounds like it'd be appropriate for both Halloween or a trip into space. Maybe Halloween in space? Guess it's the theremin.

Also, I really like the quiet strings around 2:30.

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SwordBreaker
on 2009-12-16 05:39:05

Excellent work. Just like everyone here, I love Mario Galaxy's soundtrack because it manages to be just as catchy as 16-bit VG music despite using a full orchestra. On that note, remixing tracks may be a bit intimidating.

Such a good job in capturing the mood of the original, jmr. The mixture of orchestral sounds and space synths are just as haunting. We really need more Mario Galaxy remixes for this site, not to mention space music genre. I think this is the first remix to feature the latter.

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42
on 2009-12-14 13:45:07

I've recently started replaying Super Mario Galaxy recently so the source is at least semi-fresh in my mind, and I have to admit I like this better than the source. While it has the same mood as the original, it does liven it up some. It's still calming and evocative of space as ever, and its quite an interesting listen. While it does have a habit of causing the listener to place it at a lower mental awareness, there's a lot of variation of the sound scape here, plenty of changes in dynamics and speed. The ending is a little wimpy though, just quickly fading out with no resolution...

All in all, I like it and totally recommend it.

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Rozovian
on 2009-12-13 10:49:44

Appropriate for the source, beautiful track. Has a bit of an old record feel to it, all that's missing is the reduced sound quality and the noise. :D SMG has some great music, this track represents the soundtrack well.

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Hy Bound
on 2009-12-08 15:13:08

This is absolutely scrumptious. I really like how close to the original it originally is and then kind of makes its own way from there. Very relaxing, wonderfully out-of-this-world and enjoyable. Almost reminds me of william orbit.

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OA
on 2009-12-08 13:46:12

A conservative take on the source, but it's super relaxing. Despite the rawness of the violin solo part, I dig the track.

Congrats on being posted, and I am excited to hear what you've got for us next! :-)

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Level 99
on 2009-12-08 12:13:06

Simply stunning. I heard this back before it was posted and was blown away then, and am blown away now.

There's a lot of subtleties going on here that really add up to a sound-picture that's soothing and inventive. I still think you need to build a Theremin and I'll buy it off of you, but listening to this makes me think you'd be a lot more effective in using it. String work is superb, and I can't wait to hear how you tackle your next song.

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metalsnakejuice
on 2009-12-08 08:46:38

This has to be my favorite remix arrangement this year. It really is so peaceful.

Great work.

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MechaFone
on 2009-12-06 15:52:28

While this song doesn't scream ACTION or INTENSE like you might want it to, this song excels in something that makes me feel at peace. It makes me feel floaty, weightless, like I'm just blissfully drifting through space. I give this remix two thumbs up just for that.

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Less Ashamed Of Self
on 2009-12-06 13:33:21

Beautiful track, BEAUTIFUL reinterpretation. Very very well done.

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Igami
on 2009-12-06 12:55:43

YES, SUPER MARIO GALAXY!!!

Best Mario game in the world!

Ok, enough with non-relevant opinions.

REALLY glad that jmr did this ReMix right. Super Mario Galaxy has a very, VERY strong soundtrack. It's tough to make something as good as Super Mario Galaxy better, or even just as good.

Gorgeous spacy feel, very relaxing and pleasant.

Downloaded as soon as I saw Super Mario Galaxy.

No regrets after the matter.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo , 2007, WII)
Music by Koji Kondo,Mahito Yokota
Songs:
"Space Junk Road"

Tags (4)


Genre:
Ambient
Mood:
Peaceful
Instrumentation:
Strings,Synth
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Super_Mario_Galaxy_Meteorites_and_Rabbits_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
5,587,883 bytes
MD5:
dfa7aedf011ba08b829ebb62666460bd
Bitrate:
215Kbps
Duration:
3:24

 

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