ReMix:Mega Man 2 "WoodChipper" 3:20

This is ONLY the THIRD WillRock ReMix posted this year - crazy, eh? You're slipping, Mr. Harby ;) From the GRMRB 2011 we again get a robot master compositional mashup, with Wood Man taking on Elec Man (or in Naruto, Yamato vs. Kakashi) in a cleaner, slightly less jamtastic joint from WR that also nods its arrangement head to Journey:

"So my round 1 mix was me trying a cross between synth pop and chiptune I suppose, with a Journey homage in the intro. Generally, this caused split opinions from people listening to it, as the curse of expectation seemed to hit me due to my overwhelming rock-out mixes from the previous compos. While some embraced the more laid back nature of the mix, some suggested I was losing my touch with the slight style change, which wasn't the case believe me ;). The journey homage (a fantastic idea of Emunators - credit where credit is due) also drew divided opinions, as some liked it while others thought it was forced and didn't fit with the rest of the mix.

The mix itself, turned out to be one of the cleanest produced remixes i've ever produced, and arrangement wise, I really tried to meld the themes together and make them sound cohesive as possible, which was something I tried to keep going throughout the entire compo. I hope you guys enjoy it, its pretty cute apparently :3"

The beginning definitely plays on the similarity between the 'Elec Man' source & Journey's classic 'Faithfully' - which I think makes a lot of sense, as I for one can't hear that particular Mega Man tune WITHOUT thinking of Steve Perry singing those opening lines. Instead of trying to avoid or mask that likeness, Will just accepts it for what it is, which probably needed to be done at some point. Above & beyond that, you've got a cleaner, more pared-down synth rock jam that's pleasant, doesn't hit quite as hard but still has some synth-hero proggish soloing (see 2'05" - 2'36"), and combines the two themes in an effective, inventive manner. Not much else to say - not every mix has to fire on all cylinders and be thumpin' & pumpin' 24/7, and this kindler, gentler arrangement from WillRock proves that a modified approach can still have good, positive energy and even leave room for some synth noodlin' as well!