ReMix:Goemon's Great Adventure "The Heart Beats with the Rhythm of the Rain" 5:27

By PrismaticBlack

Posted 2023-02-01, evaluated by the judges panel


We've been quiet for a bit, but now we've got a very nifty series of mixes from newcomers to share with you, starting with this hybrid folk/ambient/downtempo arrangement of Goemon's Great Adventure from PrismaticBlack (Hunter Johnson):

"I didn't own this game for years. I would always rent it from Blockbuster time after time, until I eventually beat it. There was something alluring about this game during my childhood years that kept me coming back to it. It was humorous. It had epic robot battles. It had a colorful cast of playable characters and a wicked soundtrack. It all stuck with me. I absolutely cherish this game for its influence on me musically. Love this soundtrack. So underrated, IMO. I really love the music, so there is a good chance that there may be more in the future.

From my years perusing the internet, I have found a commonality amongst those who appreciate this game: the "Mokeke Forest" music has the ability to put a millennial at ease. I can't recall how many times I've seen a comment on the reuploads of the OST that say "This song relaxes me when I feel overwhelmed" or "This is nostalgia in its purest form". The truth is that there is something magical about this song. The N64 Goemon games blend Japanese folk music with funk, jazz, and rock, and simply cannot go unrecognized.

The nostalgic elements of the gameplay certainly add to its appeal. In this particular level, you can take the clear and apparent path to reach the Entry Pass, or you can wade through the waters and wait at a bus stop hidden deep within the forest and be transported to the mystical Tengu Village. It was one of the first experiences I had with a game involving a lore-enhancing "secret", and, for that reason, it really sticks with me. There is wildness in the air.

I wanted to preserve the traditional Eastern vibe of this song, while creating a new listening experience. I let the melody lead me into new directions and eventually I ended up with what I can only call a "journey". I mean this sincerely. The track starts off sedated and calm, but builds into a grandiose modernized interpretation of the source material. It just happened organically, and I can't effectively explain it. I think that's why I am so proud of it. I just let little old me from 1999 lead the way. I imagined myself deep in the forest, and searching for a way out. Did I take the clear path or the road less traveled? The answer is "yes", as cliché as that sounds. Please enjoy our adventure through Mokeke Forest."

More than half this mix is essentially sans drums, and envelopes the listener in a natural atmosphere that's rich with Japanese and Chinese instruments; the erhu really stands out, and I'd like to know what Hunter used for this, because it sounds pretty durn good. There are also various plucked components, some nature FX/ambiance, and assorted accompanying electronic textures & bits. I enjoyed reading Hunter's writeup because I had a somewhat similar experience with Legend of the Mystical Ninja back in the SNES era. Some judges had an adverse reaction to the stylized & assertive sidechaining that kicks in past the halfway point, but prophetik music articulated the prevailing wind, more or less:

"there's a break and a big chillsteppy hit at 2:55. the heavy sidechaining here is absolutely a stylistic thing - this is every single downtempo track i've heard in the last 5 years. ducking even the melodic content behind the kick is something i've heard a lot in that style. this is a little more intense of transition between kick and everything else than i've heard, but it's not an incorrect methodology, it's a genre choice."

Execution is always debatable as to whether things "went too far," etc., but I've certainly seen sidechaining applied with generous, American-sized portion control in modern production contexts. I think it could/should have been dialed back a bit, personally, but it wasn't experience-ruining for me, either. XPRTNovice adds:

"I have to admit, when I saw a 5:36 song on a source that was about 30 seconds, I was a little skeptical. But man, there are some really great variations and flourishes in there. When that koto came in at 1:28 ish, I got goosebumps. This track is great, and it doesn't stop changing or morphing until the very end. Well done."

Well done, indeed; love the backstory/context, love the articulate & very musical blend of Eastern instrumentation, and love the way the track morphs from a folk/new-age meditation into something more modern/downtempo, without losing its soul. Great kickoff to our series of mixes from new artists - absolutely hoping to hear more from PrismaticBlack in the future!

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 5 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
avatar
CJthemusicdude
on 2024-03-29 12:46:53

This remix has such a good sense of ebb flow, of left and right, up and down, tension and release. Great style and a great remix!

avatar
PrismaticBlack
on 2023-02-06 19:05:32
1 hour ago, lemnlime said:

I was only familiar with the loveably catchy I Am Impact theme song before hearing this and this just makes me want to download all the Goemon OSTs now!

Thank you! You definitely should, by the way. It's some of the best music I've heard that puts a modern twist on Japanese folk music. There are some really groovy tracks on the N64 games that I often put on for a nostalgia trip.

avatar
lemnlime
on 2023-02-06 17:47:30

I was only familiar with the loveably catchy I Am Impact theme song before hearing this and this just makes me want to download all the Goemon OSTs now!

avatar
PrismaticBlack
on 2023-02-06 07:29:40

Firstly, I want to thank each and every judge who evaluated my ReMix. All of the criticism was valid and enlightening. I had absolutely no hangups or disagreements with your suggestions, and had my submission been given a "NO", I would have 100% followed the roadmap of tips suggested to me in order to get it "just right".

I cannot express enough how useful it is to have so many talented people provide such in-depth analysis on a production, and simply for that service, OCRemix is one of the most important resources to me as a producer. I'm sure we all know how it is to be so used to something from all the frequent playback in the DAW that we become unaffected by any of the little nuances that a first time listener may pick up on. I certainly understand that this style may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the feedback definitely put some things into perspective to me. I will use all of the helpful tidbits suggested to me to elevate my future submissions even further. Once again, thank you all!

To DJ Pretzel:

Your writeup on the detail page is fantastic, and I noticed you had some questions about some of the virtual instruments.
From the page:

Quote

More than half this mix is essentially sans drums, and envelopes the listener in a natural atmosphere that's rich with Japanese and Chinese instruments; the erhu really stands out, and I'd like to know what Hunter used for this,

I actually purchased the "East Asia" Kontakt expansion for the sole purpose of giving that Eastern vibe to the ReMix. I had gotten the first half of the song done and decided it was worth biting the bullet on that library because I felt compelled to move forward with it. The erhu, koto, percussion, and all other traditional instruments came from this library, and I cannot recommend it enough. The key triggers for bends, slides, vibrato, and the like sound superb to me. I spent hours trying to utilize the various playing techniques in just the right spots.

avatar
Liontamer
on 2023-01-24 16:38:28
What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (1 Song)


Primary Game:
Goemon's Great Adventure (Konami , 1998, N64)
Music by Hirotaka Kurita,Nobuyuki Akena,Shigeru Araki,Yasumasa Kitagawa,Yusuke Kato
Songs:
"Tororo-kun Is My Neighbor (Mokeke Forest)"

Tags (11)


Genre:
Ambient,Downtempo,EDM,Folk,New Age
Mood:
Chill
Instrumentation:
Erhu,Sound FX,Synth
Additional:
Regional > Chinese
Regional > Japanese

File Information


Name:
Goemon’s_Great_Adventure_The_Heart_Beats_with_the_Rhythm_of_the_Rain_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
10,294,052 bytes
MD5:
4e30521b551395b89b3ccb594d750099
Bitrate:
250Kbps
Duration:
5:27

Promotion

8-bit Jazz Heroes - Press Start
View All

Latest Albums

View All

Latest ReMixes