ReMix:Mega Man 3 "Proto Man's French Horn Concert" 4:28

OUTER SPACE EXPERIMENTAL MEGA MAN 3 FRENCH HORN JAZZ.

Always.

John Stacy serves up something decidedly different, layering 16 different french horn parts & throwing in a good bit of ambient DSP to create an utterly unique take on "Proto Man's Whistle" from Mega Man 3:

"This mix, while not a first for me, is venturing into newer territory. I arranged the track for 16 French horns, then recorded all 16 parts in a single session. I spent about a week editing the project, doing a lot of hefty work with automation and plugins to create many different sounds.

The arrangement makes use of various color options, the main one being the wide variety of tone colors and pitches available to the horn, spanning from the G an octave below the bass clef to the G right on top of the treble staff (speaking in concert pitch) and using dynamics from as soft as possible to as loud as possible. There were also some passages I played muted as well.

The wide range of colors used in the arrangement combines with the new colors possible with electronic effects to push the horn into territory it does not normally travel to, and in this case, I think it worked out quite well."

The effects applied are transformative enough to give some of the horn parts a synth makeover, and the whole thing has a sci-fi, space-operaish vibe to it. Some folks don't know how much the horn is capable of, thinking primarily of John Williams-style rips and epic motifs, etc. - not that there's anything wrong with that - but jazz horn often gives the instrument a bit more space to show off its considerable tonal range. Add some modern FX on top of that, and you've got this otherworldy & extremely horny ReMix. Sir_NutS sums it up well:

"I'll be honest here, I've never heard a French Horn-only arrangement before. This is new territory to me and I find the textures created by the assemble are fantastic. The different performances and articulations add a lot of personality and variation to a concept that would've felt very boring very fast otherwise. The arrangement is very good as well, with plenty of interpretation and weaving harmonies between the different instances. The electronic pads and drones add even more originality to this idea, which was pretty alien-feeling to me in the first place, but with the addition of those just became one of a kind.

Like Deia I don't think this will be for everyone, but for people who are into experiencing new concepts objectively, this will be quite a treat. This also may be great for people who just like the protoman theme, as this packs a nice arrangement of the classic tune underneath the novel ideas."

Well, if I might impart upon the reader some life advice: try to be a person who's into experiencing new concepts. Try to expose yourself to the unfamiliar on a semi-regular basis. Even if you're disappointed or underwhelmed more often than not, it's good exercise for your brain. This was new for me, as well, although I've heard work in a similar vein before. I dig the arrangement, I dig the treatment, and I think the entire concept came together persuasively & effectively, resulting in a beautiful, unexpected, & transporting mix - very cool!