ReMix:Halo: Combat Evolved "Sierra-117" 3:32

Pl511 follows up a lovely solo piano Zelda medley debut from last year with a stirring, cinematic orchestral arrangement of a modern classic - the main theme from Halo:

"This mix was conceptualised about two years ago, a long time before I had enough of the software to achieve the level of quality that would do the original track justice. Since then, my orchestral writing has improved pretty significantly, and - with about 10 arrangements under my belt - I finally feel like this kind of stuff is OCR standard.

Most arrangements and remixes I've heard of the track lack the emotion of the original, and, with this particular arrangement specifically, I've been attempting to breath a little life into what is now quite a cliché track to work on. As well as a lot of variation and artistic license used throughout, I've also composed two or three melodies to accompany and serve to enhance the original main melody. Hope you all enjoy it, it's been a blast to work on!"

I love what's been done with the voicings, dynamics, and supporting patterns, here, turning the original into something with a Thomas Newman feel; it specifically reminds me of the main theme from Angels in America, which was amazing. Liontamer writes:

"On the arrangement side, this was a very cool cinematic approach with a very different mood than the original, some parts plaintive, some parts hopeful. For my taste, the textures plodded a little bit once the energy peaked from 1:38-2:22. That said, the entire gradual build was very well written, with subtle rises in the density and energy level, and even during the fullest parts, there was enough variation in the leads and textures to keep the track evolving. Much like Arkimedes/Leitbur did in the past, Pl511's certainly achieved a drastically different side of Halo music. Nice job!"

Emunator adds:

"Very nice job on the arrangement and dynamics of the piece - your orchestral elements ebb and flow around the consistent piano arpeggios in a way that reminds me of the work of Ludovico Einaudi, one of my favorite pianists. The string work in your track is gorgeously articulated, and the winds, while not quite as convincing, don't detract your mix in any significant way. I found this whole piece to be very moving :)"

It's great work all around; to me, the Newman influence (whether it's conscious, subconscious, or just coincidental) is striking, and the instrumentation, dynamics, and timing all come together to successfully convey that type of aesthetic, which ALSO happens to work really well with this source. Great stuff that puts a distinct spin on a familiar source; also cool to see Pl511 return with another mix, and switch from solo piano to a broader palette without skipping a beat.