1. Redial Raver (Happy Hardcore Edition)
   TheVideoGamer
2. Fuse it or Lose it
   Wassup Thunder
3. Black Powder Campsite
   Souperion

Anachromium - There's much creativity in this song, liked the way you used and variated the source into this jazzy version.

Souperion - Good way of alternating the source parts which works nicely with the instruments and other stuff in it. Also enjoyed the background sampling.

TheVideoGamer - Happy Hardcore it definitely is. Liked the start and build up to the 2 source parts, which comes in after 2 minutes and around 3:00.

Wassup Thunder - Liked the sampling, the combination works great with the drumwork.

Bundeslang - Another spoon to your collection. This time a reversed one.

1. Redial Raver (Happy Hardcore Edition)
   TheVideoGamer
2. The Redial Lounge
   anachromium
3. Laider
   bundeslang

I was quite torn on who to vote for. Everyone's work was truly stellar.

TheVideoGamer, you nailed this one. The intensity, them drumbeats, the contrast with the pianos, lovely chords... A true delight.

Anachromium, you got that jazzy lounge vibe down pat. Excellent work. The drum and bass lines sounded quite nice, and the gentle variations proved quite soothing.

Bundeslang, major props for going between reverse and regular! That provided plenty of variation by itself, and your assortment of vibing synths and happening drums made a wonderful sound.

Souperion, sorry I couldn't vote for you too. You got a great rustic, accoustic approach to the song that told a brand new story with it. Good work.

1. Fuse it or Lose it
   Wassup Thunder
2. The Redial Lounge
   anachromium
3. Black Powder Campsite
   Souperion

Really tough vote this time. Well done, everyone. All of these are very good.

bundeslang - I'm not sure what backwards remixing is, but I like it. The sounds used make me think of Kirby. The key changes (?) are neat. I think the ride cymbal is a bit too sibilant. (Yes, the original was like that too.)

Souperion - Love the take on the source. The left-speaker flute sounds too far left IMO. The one in the right speaker is a little to far as well, but it's not as extreme.

Wassup Thunder - I liked the creative flourishes on the melody. Overall this is really solid and fun.

TVG - Whoa, it's fast. I like the variations in the drum parts. I don't know if the lack of variation in drum velocities around 4:37 is characteristic of the genre, but if it's not, I would recommend varying them a bit or varying the sample, because to me hearing the same crash sample four times in a row in solo is a bit much.

anachromium - Really cool take. I think the flute could be panned a little more centrally and could use some more reverb. The drums and bass are really well done. Horns are on point.

1. Redial Raver (Happy Hardcore Edition)
   TheVideoGamer
2. The Redial Lounge
   anachromium
3. Fuse it or Lose it
   Wassup Thunder

Bundeslang: A backwords remix! It works nicely, better than I would have imagined. Very plucky and charming

Wassup T: Dang, this is some very happening stuff! Loved the melody innovations. I think the eurobrass sounds a tad dry, maybe try a bit of reverb to add depth to it. But I loved every single bend those synths made. Really fun stuff here.

TVG: You never disappoint, this reminds me of some of your OHC beauties (I AM THE GOD OF HELLFIYA!) Even though it takes a bit to get to the melody and such, I can pick out the tribute to the original percussion line. Very fun. I enjoyed your instrumentation, the piano work reminded me of some music from Custom Robo (Gamecube.)

Anachromium: Smooth as peanut butter and just as tasty. Very stylistic, mellow and definitely happening. I want this playing in hotel lobbies the world over.

1. Fuse it or Lose it
   Wassup Thunder
2. The Redial Lounge
   anachromium
3. Black Powder Campsite
   Souperion

After thinking long and hard i think Wassup Thunder should get the win. Let's go from the top!

Bundeslang - Really nice interpretation here, feels like a rework/re harmonized kind of thing. You kept the beat, like in the original, but obviously with drum samples, the original was a breakbeat. I do like the way you slowly build it up into the main melody, it's creative and i like it. I do think however, despite my praise, it strains a little too far off-topic. I didn't get the melody until about 2 minutes in. Nothing wrong with that, except it makes it really hard to identify the source, which in-term makes it a little more of an original piece "Inspired by" Bomberman. Mix wise, the balance is perfect, but if it was me, i would switch things up, into different instruments. Most of the sound palette stays the same for 4 minutes, so i feel variation could work. Other than that, this was a really well produced remix! Well done!

Souperion - This feels like a western banjo interpretation, which i find both humorous, and very unique. Maybe it's the banjo my ears are picking upon. As an idea, this is great, i love how you tried a more organic approach, since the original source, is pure rave/electronic music, with a hint of goofiness in-between. The melody actually transcribes perfectly to the banjo. It just feels right. Now if i have to point out some flaws, what i would really love is some electronic instruments. I know organic sounding instruments are awesome, but i feel it could shine more with that. I also have similar problems with yours that i did for Bundeslang's, is that majority of the sound palette stay's the same. It feels like too much plucked strings, and not so much violins or brass. That's me though, i would have added something different. The arrangement though was spot on, props to you for that! All in all, great work! Well done!

Wassup Thunder - Interesting that you went for a euro-rock approach. This is great, the synths are lovely, and definitely fit the source super well! You've managed to take some of the ideas of the original, and really make it your own. The electric piano solo's are incredible. As a whole the drums make this piece, i just like that you didn't go too far, the euro approach works well for this source. If i had to point out some flaws, for me i feel it needs polish, specifically in the chords. Some of the melody choices were a little...interesting. I feel like if you kept it a little more simple, you could work the melody and synths more together. It just feels like some parts are trying to be it's own separate track. A more minor nitpick sure, but the bass could work better an octave lower, to really punch up the kick. Rest though was super creative and amazingly executed. Well done!

Anachronium - Never in my life did i think Bomberman would work in a Jazz context. If Duke Ellington decided to cover VGM haha. In all seriousness though i think the sax melodies are incredible. They work so well with the drums. The fact you had a real sax player with this arrangement, is amazing in itself. It just works so well with the chords, which by the way, awesome harmonisation! The only flaw i have, and it might just be me, but i feel this is....slow. It doesn't feel like it's building up to anything exciting (I think it might be the dynamics are simple, i don't know). Maybe i'm not as educated in Jazz (It's hard sometimes to pin-point exactly why i don't feel this way. I'm sorry.) as i feel, but i don't know, you could have like a big band showtune thing in the middle. The ending could have been interesting too, it just suddenly stops, which to me, could have been like some ride cymbal and sus chord going on. Other than that, the rest sound amazing though! Mainly for me it's polish. Nice creative idea though, well done!

1. Redial Raver (Happy Hardcore Edition)
   TheVideoGamer
2. The Redial Lounge
   anachromium
3. Black Powder Campsite
   Souperion

Wow, this is an incredible selection of not only really good remixes, but they span across a wide variety of music genres as well. And I don't overly have anything to say bad or "wrong" about any of it, not even to nitpick for the sake of critique. This is again another difficult round to choose 1st through 3rd, but I'll try my best!

And again, as I've stated before, I'm very glad for the sizeable turnout and people's like / approval of the source material. :3

Here we go!

----

1) 'Redial Raver' (Happy Hardcore Edition) - TheVideoGamer

Pros:

* This is definitely your wheelhouse, and definitely incredible to hear. Inspired by a song called 'Archangel' by Burial and some documentary stuff I had seen on YT by a guy called 'Timbah-on-Toast' about the dubstep scene in the UK in the '90s and early 2000s, I was going to try and go for something similar to this myself for my BONUS entry. But when I heard this, it kinda blew my idea out of the water and into a puff of smoke, ROFL. I'm a bit jealous of it, but you've truly got talent for Drum n' Bass styles.

* The change-ups are great, and I am unsure if you completely ripped out Redial's drumline and replaced it with your own or incorporated some of it to the composition, but it fits perfectly with the melody of the song.

* This reminds me a lot of Russian Hard Bass... Just imagining Bomberman in a Adidas trackie suit squatin', drinking vodka and eating sunflower seeds with a smoke in his hand. Hahaha. Fuckin' love it, though. Great work!

Critique:

* I wish there were a few more different kinds of vocal chops / samples used in the song. "Here we go!" hits home that deep house / techno / rave-style of beat and feel to it, but I think a few more, especially at the slow-down / softer bits of the song, where you ease up to give the ravers a reprieve on the dance floor could've gone a long way. I think sampling styles like what Pendulum or Savant use in their work would've been perfect for this song. :)

* On the build-up starting around 1:15, I, for some reason, expected like a woman's voice to come out of nowhere doing the whole "ahhhHAAHAH!!" cries or saying "Dance, dance, dance" that tended to be the norm in a lot of Techno and Rave in the '90s, (a-la The Prodigy, etc.) I'm unsure why. xD

* Outside the little niggles with the voice samples, I really have nothing more to say. It's very, very good and on point. :D I look forward to your next remix!

2) 'The Redial Lounge' - Anachromium

Pros:

* Wow... Just, wow. I am so glad I was able to give you some pointers with the drum-work, and that you were so inspired from my Undertale Jazz remix. :) Half-expecting Dizzy Gillespie or Thelonious Monk to come out with a trumpet or piano solo, respectively, and just go ham on this song!

* With that said, you do truly encapsulate the spirit and nuance of Jazz / Lounge music in this. It kinda errs on 'Elevator'-style, (as in Elevator music, but as far as I know that's an actual accentuation you can take on in Jazz and Rhythm n' Blues). It's got classic facets of a jazz band going, (e.g. @ 1:00 when you can hear the brass in the background do a lil' improv with the main melody), and it's all smooth to boot...

* Damn, man, you really leaned into it, and it sounds fantastic. It legit sounds like something from Atlantic Records back in the hay-day, and I think anybody I know as avid "connoisseurs" of the genre, would love it.

Critique:

* I gave it a few listens, and really honed in on the drum section parts, since you asked me about them before. My only nitpick, I guess if I could even call it that, is that I think a bit more play with the hi-hats and cymbals could've been done, and a bit of a heavier snare. The main focus was primarily your brass, and I understand that, but I think at some points we could've had more differences in hit velocity, timbre and pattern with the snare and cymbals, (e.g. short cymbal runs, snare taps, etc.) Your drums were also very soft, and barely audible at points (at least I heard more of the cymbal / hi-hat than the snare or kettle or kick.)

* Along with that, again, I think (because it's a Lounge-style, not Free-style), that's why you put less emphasis on improv by the drum and more by the melody instruments. I'm not a professional by any means about music like you are, but as far as my knowledge goes, you weren't going for a Miles Davis or John Coltrane-feel, which is more about tight-knit, smaller groups (at most, quartets or quintets), that do a lot of improvisation, to the point they don't even use sheet music (or rarely do) and either play or write the song 'on the fly'. You were going for more...a Duke Ellington / Count Basie / Cab Calloway-feel, where it's a full band ensemble, meant for the lounge clubs and speakeasies of the 1930s, where they were way more structured in the composition and the drum played a lot more of its standard role of beat-keeping. So in that sense, you nailed it.

* BUT, if you still wanted some free-form drum-play, that's my two-cents. ^^ But it is a wonderful song, nonetheless! Job well done! :D

3) 'Black Powder Campsite' - Souperion

Pros:

* I never would've thought that you could take a Drum n' Bass piece, like 'Redial' and completely turn it on its head to make...Country / Bluegrass out of it. Once again, you blow me away with your ability to transpose a song, especially when it comes to string / acoustic instrumentation.

* For some reason this reminded me of Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon music... Makes me wanna go do a farming sim, for sure, haha!

* It's very upbeat still, a good workin' man's tune. Very beautiful.

Critique:

* I think you could've used a few more weird and crazy instruments in this one, to really accentuate that country-feel. Unsure what you have at your disposal with whatever DAW you use, but weird stuff like...washboards and blowing on that moonshine jug at points would've made for an even more interesting take. I know you were going for a more serious composition, but I dunno. I think the piece could've went a bit for the extreme this time 'round.

* Why do I feel like a 'dueling banjo' bit could've been thrown in here somewhere, around the midpoint of the song?

* Was a piano used at all in this? Like a honky-tonk? I ask cause I can't really tell. I have a half n' half feeling that maybe a wee bit of honky-tonk play might've spiced it up a bit more, but because it's supposed to be a miner's song kind of thing, probably not? I'm unsure on that one. ^^; Also, I did hear the 'panning' you mentioned, or at least some instruments were on one side and some were on the other speaker / headphone. Definitely gave the song a bit of a more "realistic" feel, as if a live group was playing it.

4) 'Fuse It or Lose It' - Wassup Thunder

* Bomberman is defo Initial D-driftin' in the '90s with this one. xD

* It sounds like something that would be used for a bonus stage or a themed race in the game, and I really like that!

* The beginning was real high-octane, and I like the slow-down between 2:10 and 2:25. I can tell with this song you went very creative, and with a lot of improv and extra added to the melody.

* My big nitpick is that I wasn't a big fan of the melody change-up from 2:30 to 2:35 (and what is in the background of the song onwards). The weird, I'm unsure how to describe it...keytar synth doubling-effect with the melody notes, where they "stutter" atop one another didn't sit well with me. It was weird. I know what you were going for, cause I've heard it in racing game songs and that kind of Europop-genre before, but note stutter outside of traditional Dubstep and certain Electronica genres always seemed a bit weird to me. I think it depends entirely on the melody and harmony of the song. Some songs don't suit it. I don't think it suited here.

* Everything else here was groovy AF. Keep doin' you, my man. :D

5) 'Laider' - Bundeslang

* Ooooo... Wait, why is this somehow spooky and a bit goofy at the same time? XD It took me a bit of getting used to, (because it didn't sound like 'Redial', of course), but over the course of the song and a few re-listens, I started head-bobbing and it became really enjoyable. :D

* I've never backwards remixed a song before... Sounds absolutely intriguing! Unsure if I can wrap my brain around the process, or if it's as easy as it sounds, but that's defo some "thinking outside the box", and that's what I like about your work!

* Like Wassup's song, this actually sounds like something that might be in the game itself, as a bonus stage or something. It's catchy and I like the creativity that went into the decision to do it up backwards!

* Honestly, for this, sorry--but I don't have much critique or criticism to give it. It sounds fab and was pretty cool to listen to, even if it took a bit of getting used to. Good job! :)

1. Fuse it or Lose it
   Wassup Thunder
2. Redial Raver (Happy Hardcore Edition)
   TheVideoGamer
3. Laider
   bundeslang

Wow, what a round! Made for an extremly rough decision. The quality was so high that my ranking could have been completely upside down if I listened on another day probably.

My first place goes to Wassup Thunder's "Fuse it or Lose it" for the variety he brought into the mix (and the nice solos).

Second place goes to "Redial Raver" from TheVideoGamer for the really cohesive listening experience.

Third place goes to bundeslang with "Laider" for the extremely interesting take on the theme.

Because of the sheer quality of entries this time I won't get too much in detail with the feedback, just a few thoughts on things that stuck out to me.

bundeslang - Laider

Like this one! Very interesting use of the source, fitting harmonies, a nice groove and a good finish to round it all off.

There were only two minor issues to critizise for me:

• The high-pitched drum - I think it's a hi-hat-type sample? - got pretty annoying to my ear once I noticed it
• At lower listening volumes it felt a little crowded in the lower-mid frequency range, kind of "muddy". It then felt a little boring the throughout the full length as the general sound itself never changed much. Interestingly on higher volumes I didn't had that feeling.

Souperion - Black Powder Campsite

Really like the idea, the instrumentation and the arrangement in this one. Unfortunately, there are technical issues for me. Major two are probably that it misses the typical campside easyness and that it feels dynamically equalish throughout the whole piece.

TheVideoGamer - Redial Raver (Happy Hardcore Edition)

Yep, this one has all a rave needs. I can't critizise too much here as I've absolutely no clue about this genre. Only thing that stuck out too me is, that the synth around 4:10 was extremely uncomfortable when listening at a high volume - which I assume is the intended way to listen? ;) - and from that point on that high frequency range feels a little bit too aggressive, for me at least. Maybe this isn't a problem with speakers as the transients might develop but I had only my headphones for this high-volume pass.

Wassup Thunder - Fuse it or Lose it

I also started out with a rhodes sample, but it seems this one turned out very different! Cool song, and I really like the solo parts in-between! Only thing I can critizise with this one is that it feels a little bit over-crowded in the lower-mid-frequency range and that the ending feels a little bit unsatisfying.