Posted 2015-06-15, evaluated by the judges panel


Some pretty cool news coming out of E3 this year... enough to get even a jaded oldster such as myself a little excited ;) Time to resume broadcast with an upbeat funk/fusion Sonic 3 ReMix from Amphibious, who also has some great original albums in the same vein on OverClocked Records:

"Here's a mix I did in the 2nd round of the Sonic Zone Remix Competition 2014. I was attempting a sort of jazz fusion sound mixed with lots of FM elements. At times the Azure Lake usage is a bit out there, and I definitely played with the rhythms of both themes throughout this tune in the melodies and bass. But I felt that what I did with the sources works well with this style. Overall, this was a super fun piece to put together, and I am definitely working on making more music in this style. Special thanks to those on the Workshop forums who were able to help me spruce up a few things! I hope you all enjoy. :D"

DAT BASS; great, funky, & uplifting sequencing from Jordan, who blends the two themes quite a bit, melting them into a soup and then reconstituting them into something that bears an uncanny resemblance to both sources and is recognizably an arrangement but also kinda sits in its own pocket. zykO addressed some of the concerns about the arrangement being liberal by invoking his patented "eyear" technology:

"i don't do all that source breakdown stuff; ya know, i give the eye test with my ears and this is earsex because i can hear the sources in there, albeit mangled with your brilliant (and liberal) arrangement of them. it's more marble garden than it is azure lake but that's by design and that's fine because it's the betterâ„¢ source lol it passes my "eyear" test.

that said, production values are on point of course. the chops here are ace across the board, nice showcase of really strong phrasing sensibility; you know when to "say" things and when not to "say" things. over all, a very entertaining tune that stays busy for 3 minutes and some change... does a lot, goes a lot of places. it's active like nike, thick like minaj, stays fresh like farmer's market, and overall satisfies me like... umm.....

i don't like the anticlimactic ending but that's just as small a quip as they come and bears nothing more than a mention in light of how awesome everything else is. anyway, no surprises here. amphibious always comes with it."

Nutritious adds:

"Man, loving this funky approach. Production is spot on - literally no gripes here. Huge thanks to Larry for the detailed source breakdown. Makes my life easier. The amount of integration and sometimes constant switching between both sources along with heaping dose of personal touches is pretty amazing on the arrangement end."

You might say this is "an arranger's arrangement" - Jordan makes it quite interesting & even challenging to track the ways he's using the melodic/harmonic source material at any given point in time, and he switches it up like a champion boxer to keep you guessing. That being said, it's also hella fun, and you don't really need to think all that hard just to have a good time and to spot the many nods to "Marble Garden," especially. Great stuff that's creative, interpretive, fun, AND rewards analysis!

― djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 7 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Chernabogue
on 2015-12-29 14:09:40

A very energic remix. It stays a little minimalist in some parts, in terms of instrumentation and choice of synths. Super groovy -- love the bass and the middle part. The breakdown wasn't expected, it was a little too quiet to my taste. Nice ending. Nice job! :) .

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Psyber
on 2015-08-07 19:50:26

This remix is very energetic and does rather remind me of gran turismo and a couple other racing games. The way the 2 songs are mixed together practically makes its own stage/act track yet retains elements of each of the used stage/act themes at the same time. I can't help but listen to this remix more than once. I'm also looking forward to trying this remix out on audiosurf as its energy and variety should make for a nice ride. Great work!

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Crulex
on 2015-06-28 15:33:00

This is a good mix of Marble Garden and Azure Lake, with a good flow, ace production and some guitar stab playing that I can get behind. Still maintaining the speed and fell of Sonic with a new funky approach, great work. Not bad.

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DimeTower
on 2015-06-19 23:27:59

Boy, I'm not even a fan of the source (one of my least favorite Sonic tunes) and yet I felt compelled to comment how quality this mix is! Interesting, upbeat, and absolutely not at all repetitive yet isn't just some randomly thrown together half-sourced instrumental mix, this thing has a beat and a purpose. Must give you props for the quality and the vision!

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Black_Doom
on 2015-06-16 11:18:57

Yeah... I clearly remember this track from SZRC'14. And I remember that I voted for Ivan's track in this match-up, haha :D Anyway, I really enjoy your work here, Jordan! It's damn funky and bouncy :) Of course, I have to mention the highlights: the first is the fast-paced EP solo @ 1:19 as well as the following soaring guitar solo! And the second is the drop-off @ 2:13. Awesome work!

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MrKyle
on 2015-06-16 08:54:45

I don't know that I've heard a jam like this on OCR before... not that I've listened to them all of course. But this arrangement is very fresh to me. It sticks to that Sonic-speed/punch/momentum combination that the OSTs all possess but with a nicely polished interpretation and production. Great listen. Looping this one.

Edit: Gran Turismo! That's what was coming to mind with this. Those crescendo-ing synth/guitar stabs are just great.

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Liontamer
on 2015-06-15 10:21:08

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

Sources Arranged (2 Songs)


Primary Game:
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Sega , 1994, GEN)
Music by Bobby Brooks,Brad Buxer,C. Cirocco Jones,Darryl Ross,Doug Grigsby III,Geoff Grace,Jun Senoue,Michael Jackson,Tatsuyuki Maeda,Tomonori Sawada
Songs:
"Azure Lake Zone"
"Marble Garden Zone: Act 1"

Tags (6)


Genre:
Fusion
Mood:
Funky
Instrumentation:
Electric Guitar,Electric Piano,Synth
Additional:
Origin > Competition

File Information


Name:
Sonic_the_Hedgehog_3_Marble_Clouds_in_Azure_Skies_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
4,709,046 bytes
MD5:
7a5e42ba54051f719ff2a6791dd21a7f
Bitrate:
192Kbps
Duration:
3:12

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