ReMix:Street Fighter II: The World Warrior "Memories of a Master" 3:04

By Captain Hogan

Arranging the music of one song...

"Ken (U.S.A.)"

Primary Game: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (Capcom , 1992, ARC), music by Isao Abe, Yoko Shimomura

Posted 2011-07-22, evaluated by the judges panel


Shouldn't that be "Memories of a Masters"? But no, newcomer Captain Hogan (Hulk, Heroes, no relation...?) artfully avoided the punhole and drove his vehicle around it, realizing his Ken in rather a new way:

"I've been hearing a lot of rock versions of this track, and occasionally some electronic or folk-like versions of this song, but I have never heard a jazz version. The song is way to good in those chords to have nobody do it justice in that sense, so this was my attempt at the jazz version of the song. All of the instruments (guitar, bass, drums) are done by me."

I've actually been mentally working on my own arrangement of this, in an untried (to my knowledge) genre, but it's not jazz, so I don't have to hate the Captain for beating me to the shoryuken. OA writes:

"Really interesting idea to take Ken's theme on a jazzy journey, as seriously, it just demands to rock so much, it takes a true master to resist the call. Style-wise, this is just what the theme needed, as the source is so familiar with so many people, that hearing it in this context is really fresh and cool. The guitar tones were great, and the drums and bass were serviceable, and kept the track grounded. They weren't especially exciting on their own, but had small nuances that kept them interesting enough as role players."

It's a great, absolutely classic theme - there's good reason Capcom used AE & Prozax's souped-up incarnation for the HDR title & menu music, and good reason 'The Ken Song' sticks in your head weeks after only a single listen. While it has been arranged quite a bit, this is actually only the third posted ReMix of it here on OCR, which is definitely surprising. Mellow elec. guitar intro that sounds like it could actually go heavier segues nicely into the jazzy groove drop @ 0'31" - love the fret noise & doubled-up, cross-panned guitar tones. Vinnie adds:

"The melody line has a different, way more laidback rhythm, and there are extra notes littered throughout. The backing guitar has some great original lines. The weak spot here is the drums but even then, I thought there was just enough effort put into them that they didn't sound lazy."

Judges also pointed out the bass being dialed up a bit, but actually the only thing that kinda bugged me was the line hum, evident particularly on the outro. Alright, so production isn't immaculate & there's room for some improvement there, but I actually LIKE that the drums are so clean and the bass deep - really brings out the guitar, which is emotive, articulate, and sells the arrangement as if the melody had been crafted this way from the beginning. Promising, chill debut from Captain Hogan that puts a new face on a familiar theme and avoids flowcharts entirely ;)

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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JBanks
on 2022-09-10 07:52:45

Absolutely love the change of pace for this track, super chill!

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Bahamut
on 2011-12-15 10:40:51

What a chill take on Ken's theme! It's an enjoyable trek through the past and does a great job in setting the short but sweet mood. Good job :) .

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Crulex
on 2011-09-06 12:38:00

Extremely odd hearing Ken's theme in this style and tempo since I'm used to harder stuff, but this works for me. I think taking the source in a completely different direction than expected worked wonders here. Can't say it's my favorite take on the theme, just that it still sounds pretty damn good to me. It's ReMixes like this that remind me of the wide-ranges that a song can be taken in and what they can be turned into when a ReMixer runs wild on it, so great job, fella.

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Martin Penwald
on 2011-08-24 14:57:41

Nice arrangement of the source. Production is also pretty good.

That being said, the remix is not really my cup of tea; it's just too melancholic. Certainly an interesting direction to take the theme in, just not for me.

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eshman
on 2011-08-07 16:44:50

I must admit that I'm really diggin' this as a smooth, jazzy remix that just seems to melt all over the place the more times you listen. Keep up the great work and I can't wait to hear more!

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taurus82
on 2011-07-26 10:17:38

This would sound even better as a chilled/ambient mix.

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WesternZypher
on 2011-07-25 22:55:33

Also a fan of the jazzier mixes on the site - this is a unique and refreshing rendition. It's Ken after a long day of dock fights, sitting at the end of the pier and watching the summer sun slowly set. :]

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DjMystix
on 2011-07-25 15:11:54

Excellent piece! Sooo groovy. Loved it! A very beautiful take on the source. One of the best remixes of the source I've heard.

Great work!

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Swanky
on 2011-07-25 13:12:25

Nice, reflecting remix on something that is usually used to rock. I dig the slow pacing and the relaxing guitars. Thanks a lot!

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ZealPath
on 2011-07-23 15:15:41

Excellent arrangement, jazz mixes tend to be some of my favorites and this is no exception. Since the tendency with this source has been to go rock, and it has worked well in the past, it's great to hear it in a different genre too! Smooth, and the guitars lend it that familiar sound from the source while being totally different at the same time.

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DiGi Valentine
on 2011-07-23 07:59:20

I like smooth jazz so hearing Kens theme receive this treatment is very welcome.

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NeOmega
on 2011-07-23 02:45:23

NM.....................

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uay
on 2011-07-23 02:19:25

Oh, that's just great!! One of best remixes of Ken's theme EVER!!! Like it very much!! ))))

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Brandon Strader
on 2011-07-22 22:48:36

Love it. I could imagine something like this being played by Rainbow, or a similar act from the 70s. Very nice mood and flow, digging the drum tones and the overall appropriately aged sound of the production.

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GallenWolf
on 2011-07-22 22:28:54

Haven't played SF in years - quite a treat to hear this nice mellow version :)

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (Capcom , 1992, ARC)
Music by Isao Abe,Yoko Shimomura
Songs:
"Ken (U.S.A.)"

Tags (3)


Genre:
Jazz
Mood:
Mellow
Instrumentation:
Electric Guitar
Additional:

File Information


Name:
Street_Fighter_2_Memories_of_a_Master_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,501,107 bytes
MD5:
f3b9646826919f5a28648c633d8304cf
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
3:04

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