ReMix:Deltarune "Arcane Anticipation" 4:06

Newcomer Saxxon Fox (Tony Konzel) sends us a lively trance take on "The Legend" from Deltarune:

"Originally titled "Toby Fox vs. Sanxion7 - The Legend (2003 Trance Mix)" but while it's the meme format of trance music from that era, I've called it "Arcane Anticipation" for OC ReMix.

I wrote this in a fever of inspiration while at Summer Games Done Quick 2019 (yes, the event itself, in the hotel room) and since I didn't have any of my gear or software with me, it was pure FL Studio 20 + Sytrus start to finish, plus whatever sample sets I felt like waiting for (hotel internet is not so good).

About 15 years prior to this submission, I used to write a lot more trance music under the name Sanxion7 back in the day (it was popular at the time and also my fave!), and this is a direct translation of everything that I knew back then, reimagined now, for a fun remix. So, this remix revives the classic early 2000s/millennium trance genre that I used to love so much.

This remix follows the typical trance format: intro, drop in to the melody, break down, bring in another section, break down, bring it all back in the end. It's abridged a bit from its first trance length draft (over seven minutes!) in order to keep things interesting. The melodies themselves build up and become more complex in each part. Plus, I've added some original melodies in there also. The synthwork is entirely hand-crafted specifically for this remix.

I did the composition and sound design on a laptop at the event itself using FL Studio, then took it home and did the remainder of the mixing on my main setup.

Thank you for your time! Thanks for listening~"

Excellent energy & an old-school vibe, with lead synth textures having a nice chiptune feel... Tony covered the play-by-play & structure, so not much to add in that department - amazing what one can do with FL Studio & Sytrus in a hotel room! Judges were torn on this primarily due to production, where many felt that the lead gets a little buried and that things are a bit busy; while I see those critiques as valid, they still didn't bother me that much. Emunator writes:

"I appreciate the obvious effort to add variation to this arrangement. Although it always finds its way back to the classic 4-on-the-floor trance rhythm, there's plenty sprinkled in here to keep this fresh. Sound design, percussion samples, and overall sequencing was on-point, and I have no complaints about the bones of this mix.

I do agree that some volume adjustments/EQ tweaks to allow the lead to sit more up-front would really suit this track well. The overall mix is a little hot in the mids and high frequencies, as well. However, I don't believe that any of this amounts to a dealbreaker - the strength of the arrangement and sound design puts this over the bar, IMO. The leads, although quiet, are certainly still audible.There is room for improvement on the mixing end, but it's enough to get the job done this time."

I concur with Wes; the issues that most judges identified are valid, and there's room for improvement on balance/EQ, but nothing dealbreaking or which prevents the toe-tapping & the head-bobbing from commencing. Plus there's so much Sytrus in this mix that just listening to it will cure scurvy ;) Great throwback EDM vibes from Saxxon Fox, looking forward to hearing more in the future!