ReMix:Zelda II: The Adventure of Link "Secret Labyrinths" 4:04

By Gaspode

Arranging the music of 3 songs from 2 games ( view all )...

"Great Temple", "Lost Woods", "Temple BGM"

Primary Game: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Nintendo , 1987, NES), music by Akito Nakatsuka

Posted 2021-11-17, evaluated by the judges panel


A Tale of Two Temples! Gaspode (Peter Köller) debuted strong back in January and returns with a follow-up that puts a suspenseful cinematic EDM spin on temple themes from Zelda II & Breath of the Wild:

"Here's my latest submission. Hope you like it. It's a remix of the two temple themes, »Temple« and »Great Temple«, from »The Legend of Zelda - The Adventure of Link« (original score by Akito Nakatsuka) enclosed by the »Lost Woods« theme from »The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild« (original score by Yasuaki Iwata & Manaka Kataoka)."

Things intro with a deep, dark pulse & ambient percussion/FX, as we build into an eventual beat. I dig the kick employed here - it's either two distinct sounds, or it has a deeper, second hit after the initial transient, but either way it feels like a heartbeat. Backing synth & vox pads have envelopes that allow them to slowly exhale, and the bell tones employed for the familiar lead melodies have a pure, crystalline clarity to them. That being said, I was a bit worried about "lead fatigue," which I would personally define as the overuse of a single timbre/instrument for lead melodic duties in an instrumental arrangement that cries out for at least one alternative voice. Subjective, sure, but I do feel like I know it when I hear it - thankfully, Peter avoids this pitfall by introducing a nifty fuzz/saturated synth lead at 2'37" - it's distinct & unorthodox in and of itself, but it also provides necessary contrast and variety. Emunator pointed this out specifically on his vote:

"Right off the bat, I'm digging the adaptation of these themes into a darker electronic rhythm. You take your time building up to full steam but I appreciated the slow burn. The sound design throughout the first few minutes was perhaps smoother around the edges than I would have liked, but the gritty lead that enters at 2:37 gives this the necessary bite to carry the arrangement home."

This is the type of arrangement decision that might not seem like a huge deal, but we get a fair number of submissions that run long and fail to differentiate their second half from their first - something as simple as swapping in a different melodic lead can have a huge impact on a mix, especially w/ regard to avoiding repetition (real or perceived) aka "sameyness" for pattern-based pieces. Liontamer adds:

"The nice integration of BotW's "Lost Woods" with the Zelda II material, along with a significant change in the energy and style of the Zelda themes added up to a very fresh approach. Good stuff, Peter!"

It's a dark, "undercurrent"/gritty sort of vibe, and it works well with both temple themes, which are already suspenseful and point in this general direction, to a certain extent. Solid, immersive stuff from Gaspode - enjoy!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 4 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
CJthemusicdude
on 2024-03-31 19:42:34

This is the video that finally spurred me to give a big shoutout to the music visualizers. And what better remix to have as the soundtrack? Those (snaps/snares?) sounded WET. It was a chill and delightful bit of ear candy throughout the entire song. BRAVO. ?

avatar
Black Chakram
on 2021-11-22 00:47:27

Like Gaspode's Metroid Mix "Vast Infinities", I wasn't sure if I liked this very much, but after a few listens it's quickly growing on me. I've waited a VERY long time for someone to remix the Great Temple theme so my heart skipped a beat when I saw this. I'm glad to hear the source tune finally get some love. Thanks for this!

avatar
Polo
on 2021-11-19 02:37:33

This is a pretty chill bop. It packs just enough suspense and mystery to stay on the inviting/whimsical side of exploring those dangerous temples. I've actually been playing some Zelda II hacks recently, and this mix is a fine supplement to the experience.

avatar
Liontamer
on 2021-11-16 12:19:57
What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (3 Songs, 2 Games)


Primary Game:
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Nintendo , 1987, NES)
Music by Akito Nakatsuka
Songs:
"Great Temple"
"Temple BGM"
Additional Game:
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo , 2017, WIIU)
Music by Hajime Wakai,Manaka Kataoka,Yasuaki Iwata
Songs:
"Lost Woods"

Tags (9)


Genre:
Cinematic,EDM
Mood:
Chill,Suspenseful
Instrumentation:
Bells,Electronic,Synth
Additional:
Effects > Distortion
Time > 4/4 Time Signature

File Information


Name:
Zelda_2_Secret_Labyrinths_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
6,861,162 bytes
MD5:
526851fb8a0d7018eaa20e4ea8b7fb54
Bitrate:
222Kbps
Duration:
4:04

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