Posted 2012-12-24, evaluated by the judges panel


MERRY XMAS!! Whether you'll be opening presents tomorrow or going out for Chinese food or WHATEVER, we'd like to wish everyone happy holidays from all of us here at OCR!!

We've got some especially upbeat, warm, & wintry holiday mixes to help make your season bright! First up is Brad Burr, aka prophetik, with a unique sampled doo-wop/motown vibe going on, coupled w/ live sax and a swing that's the thing, groovin' along to Jangle Bells, which is kind of like Jingle Bells but with less A and more I. Brad writes:

"i didn't want to approach it from the standard jazz approach that i've recently been taking to tracks, though, so i sat there for a bit trying to decide what direction to take the track. i eventually settled on a goofy 60s style mixed with some big band elements. i used a ton of elastik, as well as some trilian, liquidinstrument's horn section library, and my trusty old salvation-army tenor sax."

Lovin' the organ on this; while the elastik usage might seem a bit like cheatin' to those familiar with Ueberschall's Elastik product, the tech actually allows for changing individual notes & timings within phrases - pretty slick - plus Brad defeats any criticism in that regard by rocking some mean (as always) REAL LIVE SAX. Santa approves, and after some judges had weighed in with critiques on production and the copy-pasted background vocals, so did Nutritious, with the deciding vote:

"I do agree that this sounds like it could use some more polish. For me, it's mainly in the mixing department - sax stands out a bit too much over everything, other elements are relegated a bit too much in the background (drums). Better balance would help. Ending fadeout was a bit too sudden. However, the track has a lot going for it, creative arrangement, good performances, nice samples overall. The copy pasta ooh aahs really didn't bother me, even after reading about them here and listening to them after."

I think this is a fun, straightforward mix that definitely gets some bonus points for trying out a genre/style we hardly ever see and for doing a relatively good job on blending live sax with some more preset elements. It's not breaking the bank in the complexity department, it doesn't develop much, and in some ways it's more of a sketch, but it's a fun one, the energy is positive & has a holiday resonance, and it's got an infectious charm that makes it hard not to like.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 5 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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nitrozsz
on 2015-12-14 00:59:36

Very creative arrangement. I can definitely hear 60s Motown in this track. Almost as if the Countours performed with a bebop jazz band in the background during the holidays. The vocals were used very well, as they did not overpower the arrangement in anyway. My only complaint is that the track is too short. I want to have more fun with this track. Three minutes isn’t enough for me.

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Master_Yoshi
on 2015-12-09 13:35:49

"Ooh-wah ooh-wah ooh ooh Vinny!"

I don't quite get the criticism that the Sax is over-mixed. Sure, it could be a bit more subtle, but then I'd be hearing the kinda average accompanying track more than the killer Sax. I don't even LIKE Saxophones and I really dig this!

This is super groovy. Wish I hadn't missed it when I promptly ignored the third freakin' Donkey Kong album. Recommended.

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Crulex
on 2012-12-28 17:55:45

Loved this track since it was released as a special preview. Those vocals and sax make for a very enjoyable time and it just makes me want to dance. It's just so infectious, that the beat gets to you. Great closing track to the first disk.

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WesternZypher
on 2012-12-25 12:12:08

Oh man, I can see this on an old-school holiday special episode of Soul Train. Nice work, this mix is the sweet and warm aural equivalent of a mug o' hot coco!

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djpretzel
on 2012-12-24 15:26:47

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (Nintendo , 1996, SNES)
Music by David Wise,Eveline Novakovic
Songs:
"Jangle Bells"

Tags (7)


Genre:
Jazz,Soul
Mood:
Instrumentation:
Brass,Organ,Saxophone,Singing
Additional:
Time > Tempo: Fast

File Information


Name:
Donkey_Kong_Country_3_mojo_gogo_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,385,941 bytes
MD5:
23ef662ead3382664e7e0c4377f548b7
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
2:59

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