The Last Ninja - Level 1

Have you released a new remix at Remix.Kwed.Org, AmigaRemix or somewhere else on the web? Tell the community about it here!
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Subzero
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The Last Ninja - Level 1

Post by Subzero »

Ok, how can i best describe this - a mixture of pop meets culture? NAAAAAHHH just some guitars, a few drums, throw in an oriental symbol here and there and you've got my remix of the last ninja. Only available from the website below (which I redesigned this very morning!!!)
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Re: The Last Ninja - Level 1

Post by Waz »

subzero wrote:Ok, how can i best describe this - a mixture of pop meets culture? NAAAAAHHH just some guitars, a few drums, throw in an oriental symbol here and there and you've got my remix of the last ninja.
Yawn.

<sarcasm>Another Last Ninja remix. Excuse me while I contain my excitement </sarcasm> And yes, I did listen to it, and it did nothing for me, despite some different instrumentation. Sorry.

Instead of following the old road of the tried and tested tunes that have been remixed countless times, I suggest you have a read of the article I wrote a few months ago, explore HVSC a bit more and feel inspired by the many excellent demo tunes which are (unfortunately) still being neglected by some people:

http://www.remix64.com/?load=Progression_not_Regression
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Post by Subzero »

I have all the SID's on my hard drive, but i have only ever picked the ones i liked before.
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Post by Waz »

subzero wrote:I have all the SID's on my hard drive, but i have only ever picked the ones i liked before.
Question: have you actually listened to anything other than the supposed "classics"? I'm just intrigued to know. If you have, then there should be enough inspiration for you to try something different. If you haven't, well, I strongly drop hints you do.

No matter how well any of the "classics" have been done by you it pains me to listen to them as they've been done far too often.
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Re: The Last Ninja - Level 1

Post by putzi »

wazzaw wrote: Instead of following the old road of the tried and tested tunes that have been remixed countless times, I suggest you have a read of the article I wrote a few months ago, explore HVSC a bit more and feel inspired by the many excellent demo tunes which are (unfortunately) still being neglected by some people:

http://www.remix64.com/?load=Progression_not_Regression
The downside of remixing unknown tunes is that people vote more bad
for remixes of tunes they don´t know as SID. See my remix of "Underground".
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Post by tas »

See thomas's Slow tune?

that kinda makes a mokery of your statement?
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Post by Razmo »

Hi all!

Well,... If so many people do the same piece, it must be because it means something to them. Actually I've got an unfinnished version of exactly the same tune that Sub just did. I did it not because it had been done this or that many times before, but because I like it very much, and want to do MY interpretation of it. For me, the old classics are from the time I was active on the C64 (1984-88). Many of the newer ones I never heard untill I stumbled upon SIDPlay again after many years away from the SID (AMIGA and PC took over). Therefore, these newer tunes is not nostalgic to me in any way at all. Many are good indeed, and many are technically better done than the old classics, but they don't "take me there". Personally I've done a few of the "unknown" ones (Demons First and Tiikerihai), but that's because I REALLY like them because of the melodies. I like a lot of DAF, DRAX, Jeroen Tell, Agemixer, Sage etc. and will do more of those in the future, but sometimes you just need the "rush" of doin' a classic... no matter how many times it has been done.

Also, are there such a thing as the "perfect remix"?... Is there really a state where a whole community can say: "Yep! ... It's there! It cannot get any better!"?.. I don't think so. There are also many different musical styles to try a remix out on. Personally I'm not much into rock, and the only remix I've heard of Bombo tune 1 is a rock-like remix. I can hear that it's darn well produced, but should I withdraw from making a Goa Trance style remix of it, because the other is already well done then?... I don't think so.

Conclusion? ... Do what you want to do, it's your remix, so you decide if it's worth remaking. If you are not really "into" the arrangement you're doin' this will show in the result.

so yes! ... there might very well be a new monty, delta, ninja whatever remix by me in the future.
Regards, Jess D. Skov-Nielsen (Razmo).
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Post by tas »

thats possibly the best argument i've heard against Warrens article Razmo. Very well put.

But i think Warren's statement says that as a listener to hear Last ninja whatever gets really boring when it's been done much better before. I don't think Warren would disagree if there was a track on last ninja thats been done 100's of times before if it really shone!

When a track has been remixed such as last ninja is becomes very boring to the listener if it's just run of the mill type stuff. It has to shine!!!!!!

Cos as a listener if a last ninja tune isn't of a high standard then i turn off instantly.

i guess it all depends on what ya want... do it for yourself, or do it for the listener?

I never subscribe to the notion "I do it for myself" btw. If that was the case it'd never be uploaded to RKO and instead be kept with yourself.
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Post by XGener8or »

I'm not bored by Last Ninja remixes, however, this had some pretty strange sounds, and some of them just drowned out in the echoes of others. Sorry. I just don't like those sounds :?
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Post by CraigG »

Well, if there's another LN mix, I'd like to see the level of innovation inherent within I'm a Pumpkin Man or TDG's Judge Dredd, rather than yet another mix, just with slightly different instruments. Although I don't entirely subscribe to Waz's ideas, I understand his point, and often wish remixers would innovate a bit more.
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Post by tas »

like remix64 v2 eh craig ;) LOL.

heh, i tried ;)

want a bung ;)
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Post by Razmo »

I can understand what you say guys, but lets try to keep the Quality and Overusedness as too separate things ok? :O)

I wonder if Sub would have been asked to go and remake an unknown tune if his remix was "really shining" as you say?

To me this sounds like if you cannot make a remix that sounds better than another already produced, then you should not. I really don't know what to think about that. That would certainly not allow the novice remixer a chance of remixing much, and surely only from other than the "UNKNOWN" bin. Had it been me I'd have considered if it was worth participating at all...

Just my point of view.

And one last thing; I think Sub would be happier about some feedback that tell him what to improve on so that he can get better :O) ... I'll do that later Sub, just don't have the time right now...
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Post by tas »

Quality and Overuseness actually does have some comparisons when it's unleashed upon the listener. I'm not against SUB here, he really is improving and i hope he keeps with it. What i'm saying with every remix made the quality has to be better than the previous as for the non-musician it's painful. Where as if there was a remix of something other than Last ninja then people would accomodate it more. I've listened to all subs tunes and have given him feedback (he'll prolly not like my feedback cos i'm SOOOOO honest) but with this i know what i'm expecting and i know it won't reach the standards set of before.

What i am saying if someone (not necessarily sub) does a tune thats been done so many times before, you have to understand that the listener can't get enthusiastic about it.

As for feedback, i will always say it as i see it. Ask my mate Infamous. I absolutely slated his tune and gave it a green googly across the board in a review. He's was pissed at me for doing so i admit, but he went back to the drawing board because of those coments and has no become a very competent remixer and musician.

They key thing is for people to improve you have to be honest, there's too many people saying ooo, this is nice when it's obviosuly not. Be honest to a musician and tho they may not like it at first, it's the only way they will improve. Mr infamous is a perfect example.

Ofcourse there's some musicians who can't handle criticism, if thats the case i tend not to give feedback at all. I'm here for anyone who wants my opinion, but i'm not interested if they get ass on cos i think it's not to their liking.
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Post by merman »

Waz makes a good point - do we need another Ninja remix? But at the same time, remember Subzero is still learning his craft, so tackling a well-known tune will help him.

I'm with Waz though - let's get some classic DEMO tunes remixed, let's get some new STYLES of remix going, let's make the New Year a new start for remixing!
--Anyone want to remix my SIDs?--
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Post by CraigG »

Razmo - in my opinion, it's not down to whether you can do something that sounds "better" than what's gone before, but whether you can innovate. I have some remixes of popular c64 tunes in iTunes that lack production values, but I've kept them because the ideas within are interesting.

To me, too many "remixes" are interchangeable, and so often it's merely a case of adding some new instruments. People tend to be harangued for having the audacity to muck around with the original arrangements, too - something that I find truly bizarre. It would be great to see more remixers merely take the c64 tracks as a starting point, and use them as the basis for interesting, innovative and fresh music. Unlike Waz, I'd be happy to hear another LN remix, but it would have to be truly innovative to capture my attention and imagination, and not just the same old tune with slightly different instruments.

As for the track within this thread, I agree that newcomers could do well to initially work on well-known tracks; whether such tracks require rampant publicity is another thing altogether...
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