Only analog guitar, bass, drums and vox in this one! I never claimed to be a good singer! Not as polished as I would like, however I just made it in one sitting tonight!

Mainly for fun, and a quick test of my mode study so far--this is over an altered blues chord progression that has some odd chromatic changes. While my improvisation is not super impressive, and I had to punch in once or twice to make sure I was playing in the correct mode/scale, this is far better than I could have done prior to the start of my study!

I didn't mix anythign, but DID put a compressor on the vocals simply for loudness, because I accidentally recorded it at a super quiet signal level and was not about to re-take it!

Tried to fill this with a ton of futuristic sounding motorcycle synths throughout (revving, accelerating, etc.)! The original seemed to just sort of repeat the same things over and over again, so I took each section and tried to give it some harmonic variations while still tying everything together with what I felt were the main themes and motifs. Because the original track is called "Suburbs," I thought it would be fun to add tubular bells to represent a mega church totally displeased with these racing antics. Happy accident--the quiet breakdown part in my remix happens at the same time as the original! I did not plan this, but it just ended up working out that way! For that part, I decided to use a similar sound to that of the original.

This was a fun one and a great practice for EQing, still feeling rusty, but I really like how this one turned out!

coloradoweeks was very much correct...this tune absolutely lends itself to a latin groove! Their bonus entry inspired me to go this route!

As a jazz drummer I love playing the bossa nova among other latin type grooves. The real earworm for me in this song is the part where it switches to 2/4 and 6/8, programming an Afro-Cuban rhythm over that part was INTENSELY satisfying. Takes me back to my time playing in jazz ensembles in college! And, as much as I love drum programming, I am anxiously awaiting my drumset to arrive so I can start tracking live drums. It's currently on a shipping container outside the coast of California.

I did not deviate from the source much at all, outside of the introduction, the bass line, and a few harmonic liberties. I add subtle changes after each repeat, and ultimately fade out with the track reverb and delay automated to the max to give it an ethereal finish. Made over the course of about 5 hours, I hope you enjoy!

It has only been a few weeks since I have accomplished my dream of building out a home recording studio, and during the process I was most excited about getting into the VGRemix scene. I have followed OCRemix since probably 2001 or 2002, and I'd consider it a huge factor in my decision to ultimately study music! Still dusting off my studio chops, tackling this remix was great practice!

Knowing that this is a battle song in FFTA, I wanted to recreate a version that felt a bit more like an intense battle than the original. Upped the tempo, programming high energy drums, electric guitars, just to name a few methods to accomplish this. I just purchased a parts-caster off of craigslist (Strat Neck and Tele body), and this competition the perfect opportunity to test it out! I recorded the melodies, and one of my best friends, Jake, laid down a gnarly guitar solo, and also some tenor sax toward the end. In order to keep a somewhat orchestral feel, a flute and mallets play a prominent role, and a subtle horn pad lies underneath.

I chose to end the song with the victory theme from FFTA--though I think I only got the arpeggio half right, I still love how it sounds. Enjoy!