ReMix:Donkey Kong 64 "Anthropoid Overture" 3:36

It's been a bit since Argle (Adam Kirby) hit us with anything, and while this uptempo, symphonic march arrangement of "DK Isle" from DK64 isn't technically new, it's fun, brisk, and spirited:

"Hello! It's been a minute since I submitted anything, and sadly this is not new, rather something I made many years back and never sent in. The idea for this song existed in my brain for almost a decade, so it was good to be able to realize it eventually. I have to say the hardest thing about this track was coming up with a name other than "Simian Symphony," which regrettably was taken and would have been perfect. Hmph. Anyway, hopefully my musical burnout doesn't last forever and I can produce some new tracks eventually."

While sample quality on brass and strings is a bit dated, everything else is energetic, flamboyant, and invigorating, as a running snare sets a quick pace and a diverse assortment of woodwinds trade with brass for melodic lead. Gario sums things up rather accurately:

"Donkey Kong 64, eh? I dig it, and I dig the arrangement here, too - rather than the relaxed atmosphere that the source had, this hits us with some bombast and large orchestra. The orchestration, while standard 'epic' fare is still well done, and the neat chromatic sequences that break the music up from time to time (like at 0:51) are quite fitting.

The production on this is acceptable - no mixing/limiting/compression issues that I can hear in this one. The instrument quality, though, does leave me hanging. The brass and strings sound just a bit low quality, but there's an effort to give them all a human touch, and overall they don't sound terrible. Just... a little N64-ish in their sample quality. I can't say it's enough to swing my vote, though - everything else sounds quite good. I'd be happy to see this one on the front page. Great work!"

The orchestration is dense & lively enough that realism is less of an issue than it might otherwise be, and the dynamics & overall energy keep things moving along. I love the myriad solo winds (bassoon!) here as passages interweave, and some of the cinematic percussive elements (anvils!) are a nice touch. This sits somewhere between a traditional symphonic march and more of a soundtrack vibe, and that's a good thing. Whenever this was originally completed, it's aged well, and I'm glad Adam decided to submit it; good to see more N64/DK64 in general, and I think many will dig this lively, adventurous take on Grant Kirkhope's original!