ReMix:Pokémon Sapphire Version "Gotta Catch a Wave and a Memory" 4:56

And now for something completely different... echoes of Santo & Johnny in this minimalist electric guitar rock ballad arrangement of Pokémon Sapphire from newcomer M4PLEHOODI3 (Von Nebo), who offers up a bluesy, soulful, unique, & surprising interpretation of "Dewford Town":

"Back in the day when I would play
my game all day, let me just say...

...No, but really. When I would play good old Pokémon Sapphire, there would be times when I would simply fly to Dewford Town and put down my Game Boy so that I could listen to the town theme. For some reason, the song gave me this lonely feeling, but yet the feeling that everything would be fine in the end. I found it so calming and nostalgic.

So, I figured I'd do a cover of it as a soul-driven, lonely guitar tribute to how it made me feel. I tried to pour the emotions I gathered from the passing of time and that song into my own take on it. The result is a sleepy surf melody that had me nodding off when I was putting the finishing touches on the mix.

It's strange, because I would feel nostalgia even back then when I listened to the song on the Game Boy. As if I knew that those days were going to be the "good old days." And now, here I am years later. These days aren't bad. But these days aren't the old Pokémon Sapphire days either.

Thank you for receiving my submission. :] I will be doing more in the future. I hope you enjoy."

It's a simple treatment, but it grows & develops nicely, and the core of the concept is executed such that the whole thing works; each note is infused with meaning, and there's an easiness & a grace to the timing. Very reflective & introspective stuff, with a soundscape & structure that make it fairly unique on OCR; I think with the fast pace of news & information & everything being so hectic these days, this might be a welcome respite/oasis for some. Like Gario, for instance:

"That lead guitar sounds incredibly clean, and it really shines as far as performance goes. The subtle background elements and soft change ups from the bass really help push this piece forward.

Honestly, I think this track does exactly what it's supposed to do. It's incredibly relaxing because of it, too - the minimalist element to it just lets what's there shine through that much more. I think it's pretty damn good, myself."

NutS adds:

The protagonist here is of course the guitar, and boy did you run away with it. You really took your time with the development of the arrangement, and for the first 2 minutes I was wondering where this was going but you did enough to keep me curious. After the lead enters in full force it never lets up or disappoints, taking the source and transforming it naturally over time. Sometime exploring feelings of nostalgia, other times just being cocky and playful. I dig.

Well said, from both Greg & Mike; this one's all about patience, restraint, and saying a lot with a little. Give it some of your time & it'll reward you. Expressive, memorable, and immersive debut from Von; definitely looking forward to more!