ReMix:Mega Man X4 "Flight of the Peacock" 2:52

For today we've got a brief but stirring cinematic mashup of "Cyber Peacock" & "Sigma Fortress 2" from timaeus222 (Truong-Son Nguyen):

"As it turns out, in the beginning of the SFRG 2015 compo, I wasn't that happy with using Cyber Peacock's theme. Over the course of the compo though, the track really grew on me. Like a good fungus! By the time Round 7 began, I wanted to do something that people probably wouldn't expect me to do (mostly because stuff I've done that is even remotely cinematic or orchestral has not been released at the time of this writing :P). I tend to lean towards doing something energetic, sometimes with elaborate sound design.

This time, I set out for an orchestral arrangement with a rhythmic core, using a lot of harp, percussive work, and careful part-writing that keeps the melody at the forefront using instruments that you normally don't hear at the front. The prominent percussion is mostly Rhapsody: Orchestral Percussion (definitely would recommend), which I especially loved using for the drum breakdown in the middle; the breakdown was inspired by Brad Jerkins, one of the guys whom I think writes some really good audio demos for Impact Soundworks libraries. I finished the core arrangement in roughly three days, and spent the rest of the week adding variation and polishing it up!"

Rough Source Breakdown:

• 0:11-0:33 = "Cyber Peacock" (0:16-0:27)
• 0:34-0:55 = "Sigma Fortress 2" (0:15-0:29)
• 0:58-1:01, 1:04-1:07 = "Sigma Fortress 2" (0:46-0:48)
• 1:08-1:20 = "Cyber Peacock" (0:16-0:27) layered with "Sigma Fortress 2" (0:46-0:48) [darker mood]
• 1:27-1:34 = "Cyber Peacock" (0:16-0:27) [darker mood]
• 1:45-2:08 = "Cyber Peacock" (0:16-0:27)
• 2:08-2:31 = "Sigma Fortress 2" (0:15-0:29)
• 2:31-2:50 = "Cyber Peacock" (0:16-0:27) [darker mood]

He doesn't mention it, but there's definitely an Asian/Japanese flavor to some of the part-writing; harp could have been a koto and it wouldn't have been awkward, etc. Really nice blend of more immediate hand percussion with epic orchestral flavors, for a strong piece the judges appreciated, even if it lands on the more liberal/interpretive side of things; Gario writes:

"Well, that's certainly different. Giving it a careful listen, the source is certainly there - but only just. You hide the melody and themes of the source behind quite a bit of orchestration, and you change up the harmonies completely. The sources are recognizable, though, and just where you timestamp it, too (thanks for that, btw). A suggestion for future arrangements, though, if you go a similar route: don't mix the theme carrying portions into the background too much. It's not only the judges that have to recognize the source, but also whomever is listening to it ...Clever use of the source overall. Nice work on transforming the sources in this manner, it keeps us on our toes, over here."

MMX fans should be able to make both sources out, but there's a smidge of work in it due to the way everything's woven together - MindWanderer had an easier time than the rest of the panel, so your mileage may vary, as always. Either way, it's an invigorating, soaring, exciting piece that packs a lot of instrumentation into a smaller package and paints a lovely picture - enjoy!