ReMix:Mega Man X4 "Race the Phoenix" 4:05

Our first Gariosity of 2014 comes in the form of this Grand Maverick Remix Battle compo entry that mashes Slash Beast & Blaze Heatnix together into a blistering, chiptune-infused explosion:

"Hey there! I noticed something strange about my current accepted submissions, so far - while all are well produced, solid tracks, I feel like this site hasn't hosted one of my more traditional styles (for me, anyway) - a fast paced 9-bit blast-fest with solos, crazy leads and some hardcore chiptune wankery. So here you go, one of the best remixes of this type that I have to offer (as of the time of typing this).

This was the first round submission to the Grand Maverick Remix Battle of 2012, and what a dousy it was. By a strange twist of fate, the competitor that I matched up with in the final of the Sonic compo (and lost to, as well) was pitted against me for an odd sort of rematch. Naturally, I gave it my all, and this was the result - I'm pretty damn happy with the resulting track. Gotta love the spirit of competition. I hope you all agree that it brings out the best in me."

Definitely some excellent stuff; the pauses between string stab passages help to punctuate the otherwise unrelenting barrage of NOTES. Lots and lots of notes. Too many notes? Nope, just enough. Greg's clearly gone plaid on this one, as everything whizzes by at ludicrous speed, but a special mention has to go to the decadent orgy of chip solo (chip shot first!) that begins @ 2'03" - we're talking Caligulan levels of oscillated indulgence here, and it sounds great. But don't take it from me, take it from brOA:

"Pretty solid work here, it's got the Gario10bit style in full effect, with some powerful momentum and some cool transitions and breakdowns. I'm really feeling those hardpanned arp synths that open and close out the track as well, they are a big part of the frantic energy this song has."

And Oji-Wan:

"Man, I've heard some crazy chiptune tracks, but the way everything in the arrangement was played around was overloaded with ear candy and manic energy. Short and sweet, an awesome arrangement! :-)"

Larry doesn't just hand out that closing emoticon like candy - you gotta earn it. Greg certainly did, with a hot mess of neat beats & quick chip that's quite the ride, giving MMX fans & lovers of rapidly intricate EDM something to celebrate!