ReMix:Minecraft "Blue Magic" 2:32

NoTuX (Damon Campbell) returns with a subtle nod to his former moniker with "Blue Magic", a remix of C418's "Aria Math" from Minecraft. If you know Minecraft, you know C418 (who also has his own remix on OCR) created masterful, atmospheric, and yet somehow perfectly simplistic music to go along with the game's open world. (Has it been long enough to call it nostalgic yet?) Let's see what NoTuX has to say about his mix:

"It's been a while. I hope everyone is doing well.

I have a something new that I would like to submit. This is a remix of "Aria Math" from Minecraft. I personally haven't played this game since it was still in beta back in 2011, but my daughter plays it. I just happened to be in our game room when she was playing, and "Aria Math" randomly started playing in the background and I knew I needed to add it to my VGM collection. I really loved the feel of this song and after listening to it for a while, I decided to try a remix.

The mix isn't too crazy. It's kind of my normal style: easy listening/chill. I wanted to keep things kinda short and concise while being sure to follow the flow of the original. I'm still terrible at playing the keyboard and still don't know much about the technical side of music production, but I am proud to say that I did put my old Novation Impulse 49 to good use this time around.

Anyways, I hope you all like it."

And like it we do! I think Damon is being a bit humble here given his impressive track record when it comes to making amazing music. "Blue Magic" is a wonderful journey of electronic chill, which I feel offers a softer and more relaxing tone compared to the original. I'm really grooving to that bassline that is just always doing its own thang subtley in the background throughout the mix. Everything is harmoniously balanced, building as the song progresses and introducing each element at just the right time and place. Damon never lets the music get too complex though, so you can really hear and enjoy every part of the mix. The esteemed Liontamer puts it more eloquently:

"Beats at :23 felt a bit tame for me, but things filled out more as things continued on, so it was a very fleeting feeling; the way this piece's textures gradually escalate until 1:25 and then simplify for the second half is such a fun arc. Excellent example, just like C418 did with his original, of establishing the core pattern and then building on top of that with more and more varied, original writing ideas. Though it's Minecraft-inspired, this would fit in perfectly with a modern SimCity-like game."

I didn't pick up the similarity to SimCity until I read Larry's comment, and he's absolutely bang on that this would very much suit a modern SimCity game. I would even go as far as saying it would slot right into Minecraft alongside C418's soundtrack, if there wasn't an aversion to all things percussive in the game's music.

Judge MindWanderer suggests that the song might be a little short and that the ending could've finished more conclusively. That's a valid criticism, although I'm fine with the way the track ended. More NoTuX is never a bad thing. I couldn't finish without including this heart-warming quote from Larry as well:

"It's so rewarding growing up while being a part of our community and seeing how parenthood -- while it subtracts time -- has added to people's creative processes. We've had Xaleph collaborate with his daughter, we've had DarkeSword make something for his newborn son, and now we have NoTuX inspired by hearing this source while his daughter was gaming. Chef's kiss, Damon, you've sincerely brought a smile to my face and tear to my eye; I'm proud of you, this is great fun, and exemplary work!"

Having been in this community for 20 years, it does feel pretty amazing to witness the creation of new families intertwined with our passion for music in this community. Give your ears a treat and pop this one on repeat, turn up the bass, and unwind with some Blue Magic.