ReMix:Mega Man 10 "Solarcoil" 4:50

Draconiator makes his OCR debut with this MM10 electronica mix from the GRMRB 2011:

"This is my entry for the Grand Robot Master Remix battle 2011, first round. I really didn't feel that comfortable at first when JakeSnke17 urged me to enter, and I kind of felt like I leapt before I looked, to be honest. But as it came closer, I started getting excited about it. I was so excited that I knocked this one out in 1.5 days once the contest got going. I got paired up with Prophetik, who had Spring Man.

This is in the form of a pop song. It has 2 "verses" and two "choruses" and a bridge. Each verse is 4 or 8 (depending on how you look at it) lines long, and each line is split in half as far as what robot master I used, Solar Man first, then Spring Man. The chorus has Spring Man with some original writing. The bridge is all Solar Man. I had to be creative with the interpretation because both songs are in a different key, and I wrote this in yet another key."

DarkeSword's Mega Man compos have been absolutely brilliant, not only in terms of producing tons of amazing arrangements, but also in getting a lot of newcomers on board; reiterated kudos to him for organizing these events. Justin resubmitted this mix twice based on panel feedback, but I think this final version justifies that time & effort with sweet beats (love dem toms) and funky, sliding synth lead. The formant lead synth is so slippery, resonant, and thick that it ends up dominating the track, but that's not a bad thing per se - it's distinct, unusual, and I like it. Orchestra hits add to the retro vibe, as do shimmering bell pads, and the overall aesthetic pairs well with the source tunes. OA writes:

"I think the level of detail that has been added to this is pretty remarkable, and the song feels a lot more interesting. There is a lot of new variation, some additional instruments, and some new harmony. The beats feel a lot more dynamic, and the transitions are solid. Each time the melody returns, there is a slight variation on it, keeping it feeling fresh. Pretty solid resub, nice work!"

Larry & Jesse had some criticisms, but I liked Palpable's response:

"I didn't like the formant lead at first, especially on those slides, but started to like it more as it added notes in higher octaves. I didn't agree with Larry that the added stabs and lead notes broke up the flow. Sounded totally natural to me and was a fine way to develop the mix. Not to mention, even though the patterns you use there have been used prior, that combination has not been used before - the first verse is a lot sparser. In all, I thought this was good stuff, pretty easy to pass."

I concur; I can also see people being iffy on that lead just because the sound is so specific and, as mentioned, consumes the majority of the track, but I think it's actually a differentiator that makes this mix stand out, makes it more memorable than it might have been otherwise. Great debut from Justin that fully embraces a texture & runs with it, while also doing a solid job incorporating two different sources!