ReMix:Nemesis the Warlock "Nemesis the Doorlock" 3:45

By Makke

Arranging the music of one song...

"Title"

Primary Game: Nemesis the Warlock (Martech , 1987, C64), music by Rob Hubbard

Posted 2012-04-20, evaluated by the judges panel


Man, Makke is just... crazy. Crazy creative, crazy talented, and just plain crazy; if you haven't checked out his amazing, absolutely unique arrangements simply because you're not familiar with the games, you're REALLY missing out. He's been a trailblazer for vocal game mixes in a variety of genres for years now, and every new mix seems to show some other side to both his influences & his capabilities. This arrangement of the legendary Rob Hubbard's score to Nemesis the Warlock is no exception, channeling one of my favorite bands - The Doors - for an unforgettable jam:

"I used to love the comic Nemesis the Warlock, but never really got the greatness of the game. I loved Rob Hubbard's soundtrack for it though. The gloomy theme perfectly captured the dark and cynical atmosphere of the comic. I've been wanting to remix this track for years, but never had an idea that does it justice, and with Mixer's excellent jazzy remix of it, I gave up.

Then I got the idea of making it into a late 60's, The Doors-like arrangement. I even tried singing like Jim Morrison to begin with, borrowing a few of his poetry phrases for the lyrics. But it sounded ridiculous, so I went with "my own" voice in the end. I kept the original remix name idea, "Nemesis the Doorlock," as it was just too cheesy a word play to pass up on.

Hope you enjoy it! Be pure! Be vigilant! Behave!"

There are little details here that you almost have to be a fan of classic rock from the era to fully appreciate, but I think the whole thing rocks the trifecta, working as a fantastic standalone track, a pitch-perfect homage to The Doors & classic rock, AND as a great tribute to Hubbard's original music. I'm lovin' the peculiar, inquisition-inspired lyrics, too - it really does sound like something penned back in the 60's. Some judges took issue with the panning, but I'm gonna have to agree with AnSo:

"The panning is VERY obviously a poke towards how production was made back then and I think it really works in this case. Great arrangement, terrific vocals. I'm ok with this!"

Not ALL production from the era, but certainly a lot of it, employed more exaggerated ("harder") panning than is commonly considered acceptable in tracks from the 80s through to today. It's a generalization, sure, but I agree with Mattias that Makke knew what he was doing, that he succeeded in an admirable emulation of the era's aesthetics (in particular The Doors, although that organ doesn't sound like a Vox C to me, which Manzarek was known for), and that it was a good idea to do so. CHz adds:

"Excellent, this is a Hubbard tune I haven't heard yet. I can cross this one off the list now. And that's certainly a direction I wasn't expecting this to be taken. Very cool. The intro is longer than I'd personally have liked, but it's source all they way through and there's still close to three minutes of awesome that comes after it, so no worries."

Of course, The Doors also had some longer intros, so that too I'd say was walking in their footsteps... the initial bass pattern and the way the intro works structurally both remind me of 'Riders on the Storm,' in particular. It's possible I got more out of this than most of the judges simply because I'm a huge Doors fan; for what it's worth, I definitely recommend checking them out - influential, singular, and great in a very specific way that you really don't see too often. So as a fan of the band (and music of the era in general), a fan of Hubbard (as all should be!), and a fan of Makke (ditto!), I'm ALL ABOUT this mix. Check it out, check out the rest of Marcus' arrangements, and check out The Doors too, while you're at it!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 12 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Black_Doom
on 2014-12-06 23:34:06

Oh damn! I actually don't like the intro here, it was too long, so I'd like to hear more variation there, but then I hear the vocals and... BOOM!! I'm blown away. They're so awesome, so catchy. I'd also like to hear crazy guitar/organ solo at the end, but this is nice too.

P.S. My favorite verse is about Thomas de Torquemada :nicework:

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evktalo
on 2014-06-03 03:52:04

I have a mighty appreciation for this, pretty much. Maaann, I need to go back to some Doors listening for sure. I only feel the production is a little bit too clean.. and yeah, I wouldn't have minded the piece being longer, like with a dirty organ solo at the end or something. I also do think the panning works, it doesn't even sound "unbalanced on purposed" to me, I didn't particularly notice it before reading the write-up.

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Loning
on 2014-05-03 17:33:08

Really great work with this remix and i really enjoy the vocal piece you added in. Definitely my favorite mix from you so far.

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Crulex
on 2013-07-18 14:31:04

I actually dig the late 60's (if I didn't read the write-up, I'd have guessed early 70's) style arrangement and the vocals here. It's interesting and done pretty damn good. Just has that classic rock sound down and I have to give you a hell of a lot of props for it. Lot of things going for the positive column in this ReMix.

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djpretzel
on 2013-05-21 18:39:44
R.I.P., Ray Manzarek.

A true legend - very sad news, but thanks for chiming in, and thanks for paying homage to him AND Hubbard with this mix.

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makke
on 2013-05-21 03:25:47

R.I.P., Ray Manzarek.

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Bahamut
on 2012-07-04 19:09:10

Not sure how I feel about the style employed - it seems to evoke thoughts of old western movies, but not quite. The song feels underdeveloped to me, but that might have to do with many songs back then - not my cup on tea on that front and I wish more was done personally there. Otherwise, the song appears to be well crafted with the instrumentation and their usage. I love that guitar and the synthetic organ appearance in particular.

Hope to hear more from Makke in the future!

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YoshMaster
on 2012-04-28 01:40:52

I'm not a huge fan of the style but man do I have to say this is an impressive remix!!!!

I'm SURE I could play this for my dad and make him believe it's a long lost Door song and he'd believe it! :)

Singing is awesome by the way!

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elementc
on 2012-04-23 15:16:02

The vocals are not awful. Congratulations on making something that sounds better for having them.

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DjMystix
on 2012-04-21 14:48:32

My god! When it started, I was like.... eeeehhh it's okay! then the vocals came in and blew me away! This is an amazing track!

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Damashii!!
on 2012-04-21 07:28:31

you deserve more than this but it's all i can give.

huge props. as a long-time doors fan i was a bit nervous after reading the write up but just like that indie zelda track that came out recently i was blown away by the production and arrangement creativity.

some will love this, some will hate it. you've got my vote though!:nicework:

grooooovy vibes maaaaaan.... far out.

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djpretzel
on 2012-04-20 17:27:47

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Nemesis the Warlock (Martech , 1987, C64)
Music by Rob Hubbard
Songs:
"Title"

Tags (6)


Genre:
Rock
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Electric Guitar,Organ,Singing,Vocals: Male
Additional:
Lyrics > Lyrics: Original

File Information


Name:
Nemesis_the_Warlock_Nemesis_the_Doorlock_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,349,303 bytes
MD5:
574f408c53becd61951bbdae9c622e94
Bitrate:
222Kbps
Duration:
3:45

Confide in me
I am the warlock that sets you free
Free from disguise
Gaze on a city under television skies

Tell all the people that you see
Follow me down, follow me down, Purity Brown
Down on the ground
I know your moves, I know your mind

Tomás de Torquemada
Will pull na-na-na-nada
As long as Sister Stern is sure
Is sure that he's impure

Confide in me
I am the warlock that sets you free
Free from disguise
Gaze on a city under television skies

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