Milky Way Wishes: A Kirby Super Star Tribute Comments from album directors Niraj Sharma (Arek the Absolute) and Drew Wheeler (halc), and assistant director Stevo Bortz (Level 99) Album freely available at http://milkyway.ocremix.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And here we are. What an amazing journey this has been. It is quite a trip looking back through the years of this project, I am not going to lie. Almost 8 years... wow. So many memories and friendships were made during this, and I treasure each and every one of them deeply. This project means so much to me personally. Reflecting on each memory really tugs at the heart strings. As I was browsing through the art files while listening to the soundtrack, I found myself starting to think about all the memories I have treasured working on this since the day it started. Those memories that I treasured started to just flood my mind all at once: all the laughs and joy shared between all the artists, all the hype that was created when the project first debuted... heck, even the arguments that was had between my younger, dopey self and others about progress and how things should be. That is when I realized something: throughout the years, the project became something more than just a collaboration. It became something that was "real" to me. Development for this project was very interesting. Throughout the lifespan of this, I have gone through 8 hard drive crashes. This constant data loss set back the project immensely, which explains why the updates came pretty frequently at first, but then came only every so often. Not only that, but I have gone through 9 different Flash artists, probably the biggest setback. Development for the storybook side of things was pretty much in a perpetual state of limbo because of the constant problems I had with artists, either with pay (learning experience for sure here), commitment problems, or just straight communication. Suffice to say, the production of this was definitely a unique experience. Definitely stressful, but memories I would not trade for the world. I want to thank every single person who was involved during the development of this project. The whole thing wouldn't have even reached this far if it wasn't for the staff that I have worked with. Each one of you guys are so amazing and deserve so much praise. I could seriously go on and on, raving about each of you and just how amazing every single contribution you have made to this project was and just how much it meant to me personally, but that would make this far too long (and far too sappy). I will say, at least, that I platonically love each and every one of you and I thank you all. The friendships that I have made with you are bonds that I will cherish forever. I want to also apologize to every single fan out there who has waited ever so patiently for the release of the project and was hoping to see the Flash storybook I dreamed up come to life. Deciding to release the project as-is was by no means an easy decision for me to make, trust me. I slept very little the night I submitted this because of how much this affected me personally. It felt like a small piece of me left me, but in the end I know it is for the best. It has come to the point in this project's life where I have to just let it go. And, with all that said, I present you with the fruits of the labor of the most amazing and awesome staff that anyone could have asked for. Some files are unfortunately missing (thank you HD crashes and failures), but a vast majority of everything is still retained and put up on this site. Thanks for the memories, guys. - Niraj Sharma (Arek the Absolute) After a long and arduous, nearly 10-year journey, I'm finally proud to present Milky Way Wishes: A Kirby Super Star Tribute! I'd like to extend a deep, heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to and stuck with the project after all these years, through all the silly delays, project rebirths, and the mind-numbingly long periods of absolute silence. It's all over now, and the result is something very special and dear to my heart. I'm so excited for you all to finally hear it. Please enjoy Milky Way Wishes! - Drew Wheeler (halc) If anyone thinks directing an album is easy, I have two words for them: think again. I came on the album very late in the game. Currently, I'm one of the main OCR staffers who tracks albums and helps directors prepare for their release. I had been in talks with Arek about getting a bundle of the album ready for me to begin album prep for quite a few months, since he had decided that the storybook idea was likely not to get finished within a reasonable time to meet his expectations. I had been poking and prodding him off and on until I got a call one morning that the whole album had been posted on the forums as a bundle. As an artist on the album, this was not the release I was told it would get when I signed on. As a staffer waiting to get my hands on the file, this was not what I had expected either. This album has more heart in it than most other things I've come across in my life. The art, the music, and the legacy that this album has deserved to be given a proper release. I've had the music since it was submitted for evaluation two years ago. Milky Way Wishes has been inches away from being released for so long, how could I let every bit of hard work reach completion in a minimalist release? After talking with Arek, halc, and the staff, I ended up coming on to take care of the odds and ends to get this ready to roll out. My experience with administering this album may have been short, but it has been intense. halc and Arek and everyone else involved with it should be proud of what it is, instead of what it could have been, because as it is, this is one amazing tribute to the little pink puffball. - Stevo Bortz (Level 99) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-01. OverCoat - "Kirby no Nozomi" Source: "Milky Way Wishes" 1-02. Monobrow - "Dream Within Dream" Source: "File Select" 1-03. halc - "Welcome to the Galaxy" Source: "Milky Way Wishes Map" 1-04. PROTO·DOME - "THE BEST 2 Minutes 14 Seconds OF YOUR LIFE" Source: "Peanut Plains" Lyrics: k. thx. bye. 1-05. halc, PROTO·DOME - "Grape Soda" Source: "Sea Stage" 1-06. Benjamin Briggs - "Don't Hold My Breath" Source: "Candy Mountain" halc: Briggs at his bubbliest. This song is so infectious, and I love the conceptual "holding your breath" segments; very creative filter and EQ work. And a killer arrangement to boot. Float on. :) Arek: Ben Briggs never fails to deliver. There isn't much to say that already isn't implied by just having his name be attached to the song. Ben always consistently delivers amazing creations, and this is no exception. The conversations I had with him during the production of the song are probably my favorite I have had with any staff member during the project. The enthusiasm Ben had for this while creating it was something intense. You could just "feel" the love oozing from the words he was typing. 1-07. Mazedude - "Mummy Dance" Source: "Underground Forest Area" 1-08. Hylian Lemon - "Spelunking in Space" Source: "Cocoa Cave" halc: Lemon brings a fairly conservative, but straight-up, no BS arrangement of "Cocoa Cave" that pays homage to the original, while injecting a near-lethal dose of that bubbly, lemony charm. No fatalities have been reported at this time. Arek: This is one of my favorites not only because of just how awesome it is, but because of the "dark horse" nature of it as well. I hardly really knew Hylian Lemon outside of seeing his name on the forums a few times, so when halc told me that he was on the project, I really had no idea what I was should expect. Next thing I know, I am shown one of the best remixes of "Cocoa Cave" I have ever heard. Hylian Lemon has a lot of talent, and I know this is just the tip of the "iceberg" of what we will be seeing from him down the road. Hylian Lemon: This was one of the most enjoyable project tracks I've done. "Cocoa Cave" is an incredible source; it can stand on its own, but it's also pretty open to arrangement. And it's just good. Especially the bassline. Gotta love that bassline. 1-09. PROTO·DOME - "Chef Kawasaki's 16-bit Jazz Orchestra - Walkway of Stars" Source: "The Battleship Halberd: Interior" halc: I freakin' love this song. The style adaptation might seem a bit liberal at first, but the treatment of the melodies is downright nostalgic. Some extremely well treated SNES soundfonts are the icing on the cake - I mean, just listen to that intro again... so good. <3 Arek: PROTO is an amazing talent. Not only is a genius with music, but he also is quite the Photoshop savant. Both his art and music contributions "carry" you away. I simply love the production value of the track. To quote halc, "so good." PROTO·DOME: If you like 8-bit, you'll feel a little disappointed, this is 16-bit. No, don't cry, grow up, the late 80's was ages ago. The early 90's is cool now. Okay, this one is a little liberal in the way it treats the source, but it is pretty much constantly source, just SLOOOOOWWWWW'd down. Don't be afraid to put YES. I'll accept YES (borderline) too, I'm a pretty easy-going guy. Damn, I love Kirby. 1-10. Geoffrey Taucer, Usa - "Victory Festival" Source: "Continue (Milky Way Wishes)" Taucer: arrangement, production, live performance of guitars and Irish whistle Usa: arrangement of percussion, bass, and piano, as well as a few very helpful ideas and suggestions along the way; Usa also supplied the patches used for the fiddle and the vox synth Geoffrey Taucer: ...I borrowed a lot of ideas from Mitsuda's "My Village is Number One" from the Xenogears OST, as that was very close to the feel I was aiming for. I would also like to say that it was absolutely awesome working with Usa. His percussion tracks were especially brilliant, and this mix would not have been anywhere near as good without his help. I definitely consider this to be my best work so far. 1-11. halc - "The Incredible Star Machine" Source: "Vs. Marx" Arek: Words cannot describe just how amazing halc is, not only as a producer but as a friend. He is instrumental in having this project see the light of day. This track, just like all of his creations, is nothing short of magical. halc kills it with this remix. halc: Marx has one of the most kickass boss themes ever. The original song is pretty linear, so I took a more conservative approach while modulating the time signatures and tempo to give it little more variation. This track was made in 2010 after I jumped in as co-director and, so, quite a bit more recent than some of my other mixes on the project. Please enjoy! <3 1-12. Ergosonic - "A Reminiscence" Source: "Staff Roll" 2-01. PROTO·DOME - "GO! GO! GO!" Source: "Grand Opening" 2-02. Insert Rupee - "Bias, Groove" Source: "Float Islands" Benjamin Briggs: Kirby's Dream Land was the first video game I ever owned. I used to drain the four AA batteries in my gigantic Game Boy listening to the sound test -- without headphones. It's truly one of the most memorable chiptune soundtracks of all time, and the song we chose is certainly no exception. The opening sound effect is a direct reference to the original "Contagious Eye Infection," a remix which I personally recall playing hundreds of times, usually on the bus to middle school. Other than that, all I can say is it's been a pleasure and a trip remixing alongside Drew, and the work we've done together has very effectively rekindled my remixing flame. Hope you all love it. halc: I don't have nearly as much to say as Ben... I have an undying love for Kirby games and the wonderful music held within. I guess I'll point out that the lead at 1:37 is actually a marimba soundfont and that we pumped out this mix in about two weeks. I'm having a lot of fun with these collaborations, and we hope to keep them coming. Enjoy! 2-03. halc - "Blowing Bubbles in Space" Source: "Bubbly Clouds" This is a track I made back in 2008, before I was taken in as co-director. This was one of the first mixes where I went all out with in-game SFX, treating them like percussive and sometimes also pitched instruments. It's slightly dated in comparison to my most recent works, but I had a lot of fun making it and I hope you all enjoy!~ 2-04. Sir_NutS - "A Green Green Dedede" Sources: "Great King Dedede's Theme," "GREEN GREENS" 2-05. Brandon Strader, halc - "Kirb Your Enthusiasm" Source: "Mallow Castle" 2-06. halc - "The Ballad of Meta Knight" Source: "My Friend and the Setting Sun..." 2-07. Brandon Strader - "The Kirb Reich" Sources: "GREEN GREENS," "Clash! Gourmet Race" There's a lot that can be said about this mix. Primary source is "GREEN GREENS," with a very tiny showing of "Clash! Gourmet Race" near the end. This entire mix is pretty much, when it gets right down to it, a statement exposing the comparative qualities of Kirby and Hitler. During the Super Star era, I think this aspect of the game was less prevalent, but if you've played Epic Yarn (which also features both of these sources), you will recognize it quite clearly. There was a large and deplorable genocide that took place in that game, by the hands, or... or... fins? ...of the ruthless Kirby. You see, in Kirby's Epic Yarn, Kirby would travel the land to many places unseen and many out of his reach and unavailable to him. Throughout the course of the game, Kirby destroys countless innocent civilians and gains access to previously locked areas through the use of force. Kirby doesn't just destroy these innocents, but he unravels them at their very core. He even transforms into a tank at one point. Naturally, my response was to make this appropriately dark ode to that unfortunate genocide. The acoustic guitar follows the primary source bits, backed by a German symphony and the sounds of war which... never changes. If you close your eyes and imagine yourself on a street in Berlin in 1945, it'll help with the vibe. Another inspiration for this mix is the film "Children of Men." There's a scene where Michael Caine turns on the radio and the supposed music of the time just sounds like gunshots. I remember thinking, "Is it just me, or has rap gotten really lazy?" Anyway, this mix is the culmination of these past and future elements that I think makes one chilling remix with an insanely dark atmosphere. Which, naturally, fits perfectly with Kirby and his nefarious ways. 2-08. Sixto Sounds - "The Savior of Dream Land" Source: "Coliseum Battle" halc: Sixto brings the heat. What else can I say? This is a truly faithful arrangement that takes the source and gives it a full-on makeover, with all the bells and whistles and incredible guitar solos we've come to expect of Sixto. Rock on. Arek: It is quite safe to say that this is by far one of Sixto's finest works. It is everything that you would expect from a track by him, and so much more. According to him, this is one of the tracks he has spent the longest time on perfecting, and it shows so well. Every second of the song is something special. Sixto: Loud metal, shreddy guitars, and the first use of my new LASS Lite string library. The original version's acoustic guitar intro was provided by my pal Stevo (Level 99), but the final version's is not. 2-09. Mazedude - "Samurai Kirby" Source: "Battle with the Boss" 2-10. PrototypeRaptor - "So Easy" Source: "Great King Dedede's Theme" Lyrics: Hey... (yo!) This is King D (He's the king!) With Easy Style #1 It's so easy! The boss of the castle comin' down (He's the boss!) Alright Here we go I'm DeDeDe and they all are capital Cruise control is caps lock It's not accidental (F-sharp) And don't even start, baby You're so argumental (Fuck you!) I'll show you my force with my hammer, it's centripetal Pushing on the doors I'll let you right in (To the kitchen) The final boss lies somewhere within (Oh, I see) You think you can fight and you think you can win (Probably not) I'm on the top of my game (like football?) and you're a has-been (YEAAAAAH!) You think that I'm a penguin Yeah, well I think that you're gay (fabulous) You're pink after all (ha) And no straight lives that way A ball of fluff that thinks that he's tough But at the end of the day you just like it rough (Come here! Uhh! Uhh!) [Chorus] So if you're pink get the fuck out of town So if you're pink get the fuck out of town So if you're pink get the fuck out of town So if you're pink get the fuck out of my town Do I really have to spell it out for you? I guess so Let me break it down for you I don't take no shit, I get this mic and spit it My words they get it so much better than you have shit So when I get done, come on and hit it If you got the courage to come and get sitted 'Cuz I'm the original and still the best So many dreams they find, they conquest Like the old world to the brave and new Imperialism is gonna find you 'Cuz nowhere is safe from me My ships scattered eyes in the seven seas I've sworn the enemies, they find they got wrecked I'm Cortez, and you da Aztecs [Chorus] What do you have to say for yourself, you pink motherfucker? Hey now, you are having some hate now 'cuz do you really think it's easy being colored Drinking from the special waterfall It's watching you drink them dream fountains I'd love for some Apple Bottom jeans I'd love for some equal opportunities I'd love for some singing abilities But that's why you hate me, shawty Hey now, your plight has really moved me I feel bad enough to break my bad guy continuity (hey, triplet!) So get yo' friends I'll bring mah friends (You don't have any friends) We'll make amends (Nobody loves you) And drink until she sins (but she's not hot) Hey... ey, really? That sounds awesome. Not a chance [Chorus] So if you're pink (I hate you...) get the fuck out of town (...DeDeDe) So if you're pink (I hate you...) get the fuck out of town (you're the worst) So if you're pink get the fuck out of town (...DeDeDe) So if you're pink (I hate you...) get the fuck out of my town (...DeDeDe) Yeah, so now you know If you pink or red or whatever the fuck else you transform into You bes' be gettin' out while the getting out is good You bes' be gettin' out of King D's neighborhood It's so easy 2-11. The OverClocked Plaid Muffins (Level 99, PrototypeRaptor, LuIzA, Swann, Xenon Odyssey, Cyril the Wolf, AMT, Avaris) - "Ska Buffet (All You Can Eat - Dirty Version)" Source: "Clash! Gourmet Race" Level 99: Let's start with who did what on this track, shall we? Level 99: arrangement, lyrics, guitars, drums, mixing PrototypeRaptor: brass arrangement, arrangement, trombone LuIzA: vocals (ALL the vocals) Swann: trumpets Xenon Odyssey: tenor saxophone Cyril the Wolf: alto saxophone AMT: bass guitar Avaris: mixing and mastering Wow. This has been one of the longest-running remixes I've ever been a part of. When it first started, it was just me and some funny lyrics trying to make a ska song. I posted it up on the OCR WIP forums in November of 2009 to an OVERWHELMING response to the song, most of which was insisting of putting live brass in the song. I originally just wanted a better singer than myself, but, as a result, The OverClocked Plaid Muffins was formed. Forged in the mighty brass, mixing, voices, and guitar strings of at least 8 remixers (it's a somewhat-changing rotation of roles), this is our first song together. There was a huge effort to get this all together and as tight as possible. Every person involved gave it everything they had. The ska style is heavily influenced by the band Streetlight Manifesto. And, so, that's about all I have to say for this track. Nearly the entire song is based on or around source. Enjoy and look forward to more from the group in the future! Lyrics: 1, 2 1, 2, 3, 4 Ska-ska-ska-ska-ska-ska... I am eating food, sweet and tasty dishes, dude It is loads of fun, but all these calories are bad for you (Who cares?) Chinese, sushi, please; Spanish, Thai food, it's all good! Shove it all in my mouth, I will give you cash (Oh yeah!) Chips and salsa, peanut butter, tenderloin and rack of lamb Microwaving me some kettle corn and the TV dinners are being baked now Giant burgers and burritos, deli meats and lots of cheese Barbeque and large potato salad, I'll eat everything! (Pick it up, yeah!) Now clear out the buffets in every city in no time Most grocery stores have posted "No Pink Marshmallow" entry signs So disregard the warnings and digest every last bit From frozen foods to the bakery to snacks, sodas and chips So let's hit up all the drive-thrus and convenience stores near here My jaw ain't chewing something now, starvation's to be feared Without a constant stream of eats, I'm likely to just die 'Cause I'm Kirby, bitch, and I need food, so GET ME FUCKIN' FRENCH FRIES! Deep fried cookies, monster cherries, French-fried onions from the can Only veggies if they're soaked in oil, but even then I'd rather eat raw cream cheese Deep dish pizza, shrimp tempura, crispy flat bread drenched in lard I don't care if I'm too big to transport, just roll me to the foods (Pick it up, yeah!) I clear out all the buffets in every city in no time Most grocery stores have posted "No Pink Marshmallow" entry signs So disregard the warnings and digest every last bit From frozen foods to the bakery to snacks, sodas and chips So let's hit up all the drive-thrus and convenience stores near here My jaw ain't chewing something now, starvation's to be feared Why hold back all your inner cravings, straining for today When you could eat the whole world, this ain't no fuckin' gourmet! This ain't no gourmet This ain't no gourmet No fuckin' gourmet This is a buffet!