ReMix:Metal Gear Solid "Never Go Away" 6:12

A new ReMix from Dj Mystix is like a mini-event unto itself; each one's special, and Mansoor has a knack for collaborating with amazing musicians & vocalists that bring out the best in his multi-game, pop-friendly arrangements. This stormy Metal Gear Solid vocal ballad mixes in some Assassin's Creed 2 and blends Claire Yaxley's luscious vocals with Chris | Amaterasu's violin for a dramatic experience; just the intro with that ascending vocalizing, transitioning into violin @ 1'01" - beautiful.

Source breakdown:
0:00-1:00: Assassin's Creed 2 ("Ezio's Family")
1:01-1:14: Original writing
1:15-3:43: Metal Gear Solid ("The Best Is Yet to Come")
3:44-4:29: Assassin's Creed 2: Revelations (Title Theme)
4:30-5:50: Metal Gear Solid ("The Best Is Yet to Come")

Mansoor writes:

"The Best Is Yet to Come" is one of my most favorite video game tracks of all time. I have been dreaming of creating a vocal version of this song for years. My biggest issue was writing English lyrics for the song because I'm not good at it. I finally decided to give it a try and have Claire provide her amazing voice for this. As usual, she has done an incredible job and far exceeded all expectations I had for this remix. She made the song 100 times better than what I could do on my own. On top of that, Chris's excellent violin skills lifted the mood of the track. His improvisation in the ending sounds perfect.

As you guys know already by now that I really like to mix multiple games in a mix. :) Both AC2's themes seemed like a perfect fit for this track.

We have really spent a lot of time on this track. Initially, we recorded the song with the original key, but it didn't sound very nice, so we decided to start from scratch and re-recorded the whole track in a different key. Claire and Chris have done an amazing job here and I really feel super lucky to get a chance to work with such talented people. This is mainly a remix of "The Best Is Yet to Come" (MGS). We hope you like our effort and enjoy this remix as much as we did while working on it. :D"

Claire Yaxley adds:

"I was, of course, delighted for the chance to work with Dj Mystix again. I love the mood he creates with his remixes, and this one was no exception. I got the chance to experiment with a different side to my vocals; a softer, gentler, more vulnerable side. It's completely different to what we've done before, and I'm proud of what we've achieved."

Judges did think the main vocal could have sat a little better in the mix, and the audio was submitted as 48Khz instead of 44.1Khz - unfortunately neither of these issues could be resolved since the main project files were lost, so this is the final version. Nutritious sums it up well:

"Simply stunning track here. Vocals sound fantastic. Solidly produced track. Arrangement is really well thought out and executed as well...Vocals are a bit loud, but wasn't a big deal to me. Not much more to say. Fantastic."

Pretty much; the interplay between vocals & violin is great, the arrangement blends the sources as if they were made for each other (Mansoor's specialty!), the lyrics fit the mood perfectly, and the overall experience is a polished, emotional pop ballad where everything comes together & clicks. Great stuff!