ReMix:Crash Bandicoot "Hogging Molly" 2:58

Crash Bandicoot!! Finally! It's taken 12+ years, but Crash finally has some representation, thanks to Rexy, who is responsible for not one but TWO ReMixes of the first game's music! First up is another collab between her & Brandon Strader, with an oddly (coincidentally?) similar porcine title. This is some rip-roarin', top-tappin' hoedown roots rock, almost reminiscent of a certain Bubble Bobble mix of yore, only sans vocals and with much better instrumentation & production. Rexy says:

"Working with Brandon on 'Hogtied' for OCRemix's recent Sonic 1 project was a lot of fun, so a second encounter could be proven inevitable, hence the construction being really similar. So here we go, tackling the 'Hog Wild' stage theme in Crash 1 (and like my other Crash submission there's some light homages to the main theme and Cortex's theme hidden in there as well). Its roots were as a Celtic Punk arrangement, written in the style of Flogging Molly (hence the title), though when Brandon chipped in later with his contributions it soon got a more southern flair attached to it. I won't be surprised if the user would actually smell the raw bacon halfway through!"

I for one believe bacon to be more aromatic when cooked, but either way, good job; I picked up on more of the Southern flair than the Celtic vibe, but the energy was infectious either way. Brandon adds:

"Speaking of raw bacon, Rexy sure knows how to write parts that are a bit challenging. That lead part with all the chromatic notes was tricky to lay down because of my stupid fingers that want to land at logical places. I practiced it until I could record it without fault and the challenge was very refreshing for me. Will I do something like that again? Nope. Well, only if Rexy writes it on a future collab.. ;P Recording these songs is part of my huge evil plan to get closer to Rexy. :D"

OKAY THEN... Yeah, the chromatic stuff here is certainly fun, and adds some tension to an otherwise raucuous, carefree jaunt. Vigilante writes:

"You certainly did a rocking job with it. Very well-adapted to the instrumentation. You manage to convey a lot of energy considering so many of the instruments aren't live. I'd say my biggest gripe is that the electric guitar is a bit forward in the mix, but really this is short, sweet, to the point, and doesn't give you time to get bored."

halc adds:

"yeah, no additional crits here, this is just plain old fun stuff. nothing mindblowing, but plenty solid overall. keep up these collabs, you two; they've yielded some interesting results."

Agreed - in addition to covering source material that's gone untouched for ages, the genre/style here is unique, fun, and well-executed, which is more difficult when working in a folksier, rootsier style. Props to Bev & Brandon for another great collab and to Rexy in particular for making CB a home on OCR!