Posted 2013-02-03, evaluated by the judges panel


When I think "Superbowl Sunday," I think Eye of the Beholder 2: The Legend of Darkmoon!!

Actually I don't, and it'd be really weird if I did, but today's the "Big Game" here in the States and I just felt peer-pressurred into a pseudo-connection of some kind. This is our third posted ReMix and first non-album track from Jaka Čibej, aka Archangel, and it's also the first mix to come out of his "PCReMix Initiative" - an effort to address the relative lack of old PC game ReMixes here on OCR. Let me just say that I FULLY support this project, I'd like to thank Jaka for starting it, I look forward to hearing what else results from it, and if this first mixpost is any indication, I think we can expect great things. You may not have played Eye of the Beholder 2, but its soundtrack was composed by Frank Klepacki of Command & Conquer fame, who many should be familiar with. Of this dark, sweeping orchestral arrangement, the artist writes:

"This time, I've decided to throw popularity to the four winds and make an arrangement from a game only the elite few appreciate: Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon. Allow me to make the OC ReMix Emperor's writeup-writing job a little easier by providing some key information about the game: it was a classic DOS dungeon crawler, the sequel to the (supposedly) highly popular Eye of the Beholder. The plot was pretty standard and the gameplay was somewhat tedious (as is the case with most dungeon crawlers), but I liked it anyway. Probably because it takes place in the Forgotten Realms and because I'm a huge fantasy freak. If you're into old school dungeon-crawling, you should definitely check it out.

The soundtrack was written by Frank Klepacki, whose work I've adored ever since I first heard the tunes he wrote for one of my favorite childhood games ever, The Legend of Kyrandia (of which you can expect a ReMix or two from me sooner or later). Unfortunately, his soundtrack for Eye of the Beholder II is not very extensive (the opening and ending themes, and a couple of short jingles, I think), but the game's introduction is a masterpiece. When I was little, I always imagined what that swelling, ominous music would sound like if it were orchestrated. Well, now I know, sort of. I turned it into my most soundtrackish arrangement yet. It's not played by a real orchestra, but I tried very hard to make my samples sound as realistic as possible. Hopefully at least a couple of people will overcome their consolemania and listen to this."

As do I, and thanks for calling me emperor; I usually feel more like an indentured servant ;) Ominous & swelling is right - bombast and tempo get the cold shoulder as Jaka gives the source tune a moodier, deliberate treatment. Tremolo strings underpin minor-key descending piano lines, and there's even a waterphone thrown in for EXTRA creepiness, plus muted choral components and bells. Things actually DO get pretty majestic towards the conclusion, with a wide brass/string ensemble procession, before string clusters and chimes lead us out to a final, sustained bass note. Superbly executed stuff; Vinnie concurs:

"This is fantastic. So much tension, so much control over the pace of the song. This is exactly what I look for in an orchestral arrangement. And there's these little creepy textural moments that make this a pitch-perfect cinematic arrangement; there's really nothing I would change. I think anyone who knows the original song is gonna love the hell out of this, and the rest of us will love it anyway."

Strong words, but well-earned. While this would be an excellent mix to queue up on a Halloween playlist in October, I think the ReMixer strikes a perfect balance of detail and development, making it a great atmospheric piece for ANY time of the year. Don't let familiarity - or lack thereof - cause you to miss out on a fantasticly dark & gothic arrangement that shows off what Archangel is capable of and helps prove his point about older PC games needing more love. Jaka's a man on a mission, and while other artists are thankfully contributing to his PCReMix agenda, he's made the opening arguments himself, and I think you'll find them persuasive!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 12 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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on 2022-04-08 20:57:17

this was really well done thank you for doing this

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schlang
on 2016-12-14 04:11:45

I love it - thank you for this beautiful remix

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Crulex
on 2013-04-23 14:06:07

Oooh, so dark and....just, whoa! I love it! Really drives the hammer in for orchestral pieces that utilize piano to perfection. You can just feel the foreboding malice and ominousness grow in this one. God, I just can't stay enough how much I love the piano in this ReMix. Awesome stuff.

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Mustin
on 2013-02-20 13:54:22

This is really freakin' good. Great work. Enjoyed it very much. I'm keeping this. You really know how to use your libraries. Seriously good stuff!

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Magellanic
on 2013-02-07 08:25:47

Amazing!! So enjoyable and beautifully crafted. Such a fantastic start to the PCR Initiative :)

Only one thing......GIVE US MOARE!!!!

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Darangen
on 2013-02-04 15:42:09

I've had this on my playlist for the better part of a year, and it usually ends up on repeat.

Great job!

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WesternZypher
on 2013-02-04 13:05:17

Great work, AA! Very atmospheric and moody. Good "dungeon-exploring" music! If there's ever an HD-remake (those things seem to be really making a comeback) this definitely would fit right into the soundtrack.

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Esperado
on 2013-02-04 12:15:12

cool! eye of the beholder music! glad to see pc gaming gettin some love :) nice mood too.

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JadeAuto
on 2013-02-04 05:27:38

Wow. Good work! This makes me want to slug through EoB again. Or wait until the Grimrock mod for EoB comes out.

Well done, sir. Very good sound to it.

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HitoriJaNai
on 2013-02-03 23:16:15

I absolutely love this song. I've never played the game or even heard of it before tonight, but I'm loving the gothic and creepy vibes that are coming off this, and I am always a fan of well-executed orchestra. These types of arrangements were what really made me sit up and get into OCR back in the day. Keep up the fine work, Jaka! :-o

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Chernabogue
on 2013-02-03 16:32:00

This is the kind of song that makes my own orchestra stuff sound like crap.

Extremely nice arrangement, master production. Bravo! :nicework:

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djpretzel
on 2013-02-03 13:04:42

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

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Eye of the Beholder II: The Legend of Darkmoon (Strategic Simulations , 1991, DOS)
Music by Frank Klepacki
Songs:
"Introduction"

Tags (8)


Genre:
Cinematic
Mood:
Dark,Spooky
Instrumentation:
Brass,Orchestral,Piano,Strings
Additional:
Time > Tempo: Slow

File Information


Name:
Eye_of_the_Beholder_2_The_Myth_of_Darkmoon_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,620,883 bytes
MD5:
9103833f73af77145ea5d7b281b80bb9
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
4:32

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