ReMix:Final Fantasy IX "Yummy-yummies" 5:32

First off, how cool is it that former judge and ReMixer Mattias Häggström Gerdt not only works for Propellerheads on Reason, the DAW he himself has used to produce countless amazing mixes, but also that he's seen the product through the addition of VST support in 9.5 (!!) and recently announced the upcoming version 10 with amazing new synths on social media?

It's pretty damn cool. And the addition of VST convinced me to dive back in & purchase a license, so it's effective, too :)

Mattias's mixes always have interesting sound design & modulation "things" going on, and I think this is a testament both to his own imagination/talents and also to how hands-on & approachable Reason makes tweaking & experimentation; if nothing else, I know that when I fire it up, I can easily get a completely unique and interesting sound going in a matter of seconds, and that's a big deal. Mattias knows the software forwards & backwards, as this & other pieces demonstrate, and propheads were wise/lucky to hire him. Of this accelerating/decelerating quirky EDM-ish take on "Qu's Marsh," that he put together for Final Fantasy IX: Worlds Apart, he writes:

"Quina Quen is one of the best characters in any game ever. Period. S/he is lovably weird. And, luckily, the music for "Qu's Marsh" is just as lovably weird as everyones favorite androgynous frog-eater. Strange, minimalistic, and atmospheric.

In this remix, I tried to respect the weirdness, but also make you tap your feet. Hopefully, that was accomplished!"

Liontamer writes:

"Nice job by Mattias adding funkiness, tempo, and genre changes to what was already a quirky & classic but much more deliberate theme. With Mattias super-busy and killing it over at Propellerhead as a Reason product manager, it's good to get some old-school Mattias posted these days, complete with some of his signature laid-back raggae influences. :-)"

Ditto; would love to see some new stuff - perhaps a showcase ReMix for all the fancy new thingamabobbers in R10?? - but this quirky take on a quirky source makes it more head-noddable & toe-tappable while retaining the signature oddness, and was yet another fantastic addition to Worlds Apart. Lovely, evolving texture work, some slick bass trickery, & effective use of ritardando/accelerando in an electronic context make for something memorable, distinct, & fun!