Vampire Variations: Volume III Comments from album director Alexandre Mourey (Chernabogue), visual artist Andrew Warwick, and ReMixers Album freely available at http://vampire.ocremix.org This is the end of a grand adventure. Looking back five years ago, I didn't expect I would end up finishing an album trilogy in 2015. I wasn't a posted remixer and not well-known in the VGM scene, and I know I improved a lot since. It started all out as a simple tribute to Castlevania's 25th anniversary, and we're now celebrating its 30th with the final volume of the Vampire Variations trilogy. Once again, Dracula rises as humans wish to pay him tribute. This last album's production started after several people encouraged me to do it. Plus, when you already have two albums out, you cannot quit before doing a third one. After thinking about which game we should cover, and discussing it with djpretzel himself, I decided to choose Super Castlevania IV for its classic, yet under-remixed soundtrack. As the final volume had to be the most epic, I also decided that all tracks should feature orchestra instruments in order to create a somewhat cinematic experience. I cannot thank enough all the artists who helped me and dedicated their time to create those albums. I truly hope we have been able to do justice to the Castlevania series with this trilogy, and that people will appreciate our hard work. I am far from being good at writing such notes, so I'll keep it short: enjoy, and thank you for everything. -Alexandre Mourey --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artwork Speaking of delivering, Andrew really succeeded in bringing to life the universe of Castlevania. His style captured the atmospheric essence of Super Castlevania IV and fitted my epic cinematic goal for the project. A great album should (must!) have some great artwork to accompany it, and I couldn't be happier with Andrew's art. A truly gothic companion to our music! -Alexandre Mourey Super Castlevania IV has always been about atmosphere. Right from the opening demo; when the sun sets on Dracula's grave, we know that all sorts of things will creep out of the darkness into the fog-enshrouded landscape of Transylvania. Its soundtrack, sound design and graphics all have a sultry, dark and creepy mood that oozes foreboding, that rightfully makes it one of the most popular Castlevania games. For Vampire Variations Volume III, it was necessary that the album's artwork reflect that evocative, all-encompassing sense of dread; the near-hopelessness of Simon Belmont's quest to rid his homeland of raw, unbridled evil that is so prevalent in the original game. That is what I wanted to express. My thanks go to Chernabogue and his stalwart ensemble of talented musicians for the opportunity to work on this project. The brief snippets of music I was fortunate enough to listen to early in the project really helped the ideas flow, and I can only hope that the visuals have done the album -- their album -- justice. The kind only a Belmont can deliver. -Andrew Warwick --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1-01. Chernabogue feat. XPRTNovice - "A Dark and Eerie Night" Sources: "Akumajo Dracula (Title including Password)," "Prologue (Stage 1-1 BGM)" Chernabogue: Creating the introduction track to an album can be a tricky task. Super Castlevania IV's intro movie may be one of the best video game introductions. The fog, the thunder, Dracula's grave, and the bat -- unforgettable. I decided to arrange two short tunes from the beginning of the game, "Prologue" and "Demon Castle Dracula," to create something like a modern version of the introduction. Past the soft introduction, I had trouble finding inspiration, but it eventually came out after some time. The SFXs help to recreate that creepy atmosphere, and XPRTNovice's narration sets the mood. Not too long, as an introduction should be, but definitively indicating what's to come on the album. 1-02. Brandon Strader - "Bringing Out the Dead" Source: "Simon Belmont's Theme (Stage 1-2 BGM)" Chernabogue: It is time to end the Cage trilogy. This one truly is a sequel to the two previous ones and blends efficiently heavy rhythm guitars (love the tone), orchestra, synths, and acoustic guitars. Yet, it sounds a little happier than Brandon's previous mixes. Once again, the quotes, while totally unexpected in such a remix, fit perfectly. Thanks to Brandon for rushing his track near the very end of the album's production. And praise the Cage. Brandon Strader: The world's finest actor... but also the world's most renowned villain? Indeed, Dracula (or should I say Cage, in one of his many forms) returns to wreak havoc upon the land of the meek. I'll briefly explain part of the story, or at least the concept, behind this piece. Previous entries into this series have had an acoustic breakdown which lead back into a heavy section. This time, the acoustic section plays out until the end. This is because conceptually, Cage Dracula has entered what I like to refer to as a Halo 3 legendary ending. Having accidentally plucked his Rose (or Cortana?), Dracula Cage reluctantly enters the coffin to rise in a long distant time. But this has nothing to do with Halo 3. Apart from sounding more epic and better produced than a Halo 3 remix I once did (wink, nudge) If Nicolas Cage ever does see this song, or the other 2 in the trilogy, I hope he enjoys them. His taste in music is vast and far-reaching. His son was in a black metal band. He enjoys jazz and classical. I also hope that the esteemed Mr. Cage is flattered by these tributes rather than offended. It has been an honor to create this trilogy, and I am very thankful to Chernabogue for giving the opportunity, and being a great album director. It's fine if you don't experience the emotional roller coaster I do when listening to, and from having worked on, this and the other songs. We can't all be so lucky to have been enlightened by the Cage. I'd like to give a special shoutout to the community at /r/onetruegod for giving some quote ideas and suggestions. 1-03. Jorito feat. Tuberz McGee, Furilas - "Selva Oscura" Source: "Forest of Evil Spirits (Stage 2 BGM)" Chernabogue: "Deforestation" is a remix I love from OCR, and topping it is a hard task. Jorrith came up with some really nice ideas in terms of arrangement. At 7+ minutes, I was afraid the arrangement could be repetitive, but he managed to create enough variation in the different sections of the remix to keep it interesting -- that's what progressive rock/metal does (plus some nice cinematic influences). I can definitively hear some "Forest of Jigramunt" influence (from Castlevania: Curse of Darkness) here and there as well, which is one of my favorite soundtracks, so that's a good thing. Big thumbs up for my frequent collaborators, Tuberz and Furilas, who provided live instruments for this track -- it's actually weird not to see my name with theirs, haha! Jorito: I stumbled upon the Vampire Variations III recruitment topic on the OCR forums, but all the tracks that I actually knew were already taken. Since I never played Super Castlevania 4, I'm not familiar with the soundtrack. However, "Forest of Monsters" was still available and inspired me. I thought a harpsichord and some light orchestral elements would work nicely for this track, so I started out with a harpsichord arp. Essentially, the entire track created itself from there in a bout of inspiration. The end result is this 7+-minute-long monster of prog rock with orchestral instruments, rocking guitars, choir chants, guitar/synth solos, and lots of sound effects to create the setting of a dark forest. Hence the title "Selva Oscura," which translates to "dark forest" and is actually one of the places in Dante's Inferno. Since the only instrument I play is my DAW, I obviously needed some real instrumentalists to replace my MIDI guitar parts and really bring the track to life. Fortunately, both Furilas (bass guitar) and Tuberz McGee (rhythm and lead guitar) offered their help and, after a few back and forths, it was done. Their performances really bring the track to the next level. When asked for comments about the mix, Furilas kept it short and to the point: "I was just happy to be playing. This was a pleasure." I hope that the listeners feel this pleasure too. Personally, I had a blast making this remix and I think it fits the theme of the album and the game nicely. Source breakdown: 0:00-0:47 - original intro 0:47-1:11 - forest of monsters lead that starts at 0:43 1:11-1:35 - forest of monsters lead that starts at 0:05 1:36-1:47 - original buildup 1:47-3:47 - forest of monsters lead and structure, 0:05-1:43 3:47-4:47 - original solo part 4:47-5:11 - original break 5:11-5:35 - subtle cameo appearance of Castlevania's "Wicked Child" 5:35-5:59 - forest of monsters lead that starts at 0:43 5:59-6:41 - forest of monsters lead and structure, 0:05-1:43 with extra harmonies 6:41-6:47 - forest of monsters break, 0:37-0:42 6:47-7:23 - original outro Not counting the "Wicked Child" cameo, it makes for ~240 seconds of direct source material (with some rounding errors). On a total of 443 seconds, that makes for about 54% of source usage, so I think it's enough. :) Tuberz McGee: Man, Jorito brings the prog. I love this arrangement. I love it so much, I actually learned to play the solo (which was initially far too difficult for me [probably still is (ah, the magic of editing)]). Seriously though, what an amazingly fun track to work on. The riffage is real here, folks. <3 Furilas: It was the most fun I've had working for vampires since VV2! 1-04. Rexy - "Heart of Limestone" Source: "Limestone Cavern (Stage 3 BGM 1)" Chernabogue: Bev nails all of her piano arrangements, and this one is no exception. This take on the source sounds very "classical," and composers like Mr. Claude Debussy (who is French too) would be proud. It is a nice break from the more aggressive tracks on the album, but still keeps the adventurous feeling I was aiming for. The music speaks for itself here -- and apparently shows our mutual interest in a certain blue hedgehog! Rexy: Creating a piano arrange for Vampire Variations 2 was a wonderful experience, so it was a no-brainer decision to return for the follow-up. Part of me was glad that Alex's choice of symphonic theme made it fit right in, however, I found the score for Super Castlevania IV to be very experimental in nature and difficult to find something with a melodic flow for much of the way through. Thanks to coverage from a handful of other VGM scene musicians over the past 10-15 years, the Cave music ("Limestone Cavern") had etched itself into my head and felt really appropriate to work on a piano arrangement. Fitting with the project's classical approach, I tackled the source with another sonata formation, which, when working with a 3-idea source, made the arrangement a very interesting one to draft out. And yet, from a gamer standpoint, this felt like it needed a much lighter approach in comparison to the steep waterfall climb and awkward ruin platforming much later on. The biggest challenge for me by far was trying to get back into the piano arranging game. When I only just started making a name for myself as an arranger, I often cranked out solo piano arrangements at least once or twice a month depending on what else was going on within the community; however, two years had passed between this and Vampire Variations 2, and I hadn't done any other piano arrangements during that timeframe. It felt like the equivalent of getting an old bicycle back out onto the road after years of being locked in the garage. Other than that, it was great being able to work with Alex again. His production methods really caught up with his character as of late, and his insane passion for the Castlevania franchise really showed with the way he handled the entire trilogy. I don't know if he will continue to add to the albums in the future, but one thing for sure is that he definitely knows how to use that Belmont whip of his. Yeah... what is a Frenchman? A magnifique pile of berets and baguettes... but enough buttering-up. Have at you! 1-05. HoboKa, Chernabogue - "Reflections" Source: "Waterfall (Stage 3 BGM 2)" Chernabogue: "Waterfall" is one of my favorite tracks from the Super Castlevania IV soundtrack (and the Lords of Shadow version is excellent too). HoboKa came up with a nice arrangement idea, and we agreed on the fact his track needed a sample and mixing update. The source just asked for this: a calm orchestral take, as relaxing as meditating under a waterfall. Thanks to Pete (Phonetic Hero) for giving us feedback on this one! HoboKa: The "Waterfall" theme of Castlevania IV has always held a special place in my heart - one of my favourite tunes of the whole SNES era; it's a shame that it appears only briefly in the game. Anyhow, I've taken my hand at remixing this one way back and even made an original track inspired by the theme. Now, I have returned to it in full force and had Chernabogue help me out big time with the production and some cool soundscape effects, so Alex definitely deserves credit; and I'm glad I had the opportunity to collaborate with him. 1-06. BMC_WarMachine - "Submerged" Source: "Submerged City (Stage 3 BGM 3)" Chernabogue: Let's leave the quieter part of the album behind, shall we? This source is tricky, as many other tracks from that early-90's Konami era -- very jazzy and chaotic. BMC accepted to take the challenge and to remix this track after the previous artist dropped it. While he completed the arrangement quickly, the production side of the track was more problematic, but with enough feedback, it ended up sounding very good and more professional. I'm happy to see projects can be an opportunity for artists to learn new tricks. BMC_WarMachine: As for the story/inspiration, it can be short and sweet: CV4 + taking a jazz theme and making it more Lords of Shadow-styled with some metal = awesomeness, lmao. 1-07. Sbeast - "Whipped into Shape" Source: "Rotating Room (Stage 4 BGM 1)" Chernabogue: Sbeast made it straight and simple: heavy metal, and light touch of orchestra -- it works pretty well, plus the source is asking to be arranged in this way. Scott's remix sounds pretty massive and some variations in his arrangement were nice additions, like the little breakdown near the end. Excellent playing and spot-on production for a very aggressive remix. Sbeast: When I first heard about Vampire Variations: Volume III, I immediately wanted to be involved with it, because I'm a big fan of the music from the Castlevania series. After listening to the Castlevania 4 soundtrack, I ended up choosing "Clockwork Mansion" because I thought I could come up with a good arrangement for it... oh, and Simon's theme was already taken. I came up with a heavy metal arrangement featuring some slap bass, a guitar solo, and syncopated, groovin' riffs. Due to the project requirements, I also made use of some orchestral instruments including strings, horns, piano, organ, and a choir to fill out and add interest to the song. Additional thanks goes to Chernabogue for some useful feedback which allowed me to improve the song even further. 1-08. Chernabogue - "La Danse Macabre" Source: "Boss Theme (Boss 1 BGM)" Chernabogue: Oh, boy, that was quite a challenge. I decided to tackle down this one after finding no one to replace the previous artist. After several attempts which were unsuccessful, I reopened my first project file and updated it. Orchestra and electro is a combination that works pretty well. I also added a few elements of sound design to improve the overall atmosphere and fill the soundscape. Thanks to Dj Mokram for reminding me Vampire Variations needed more whip SFXs! 1-09. goat - "Song of Terror" Source: "Ascension to the Castle (Stage 5 BGM)" Chernabogue: goat's old remixes and albums (Unchosen Paths -- still one of the best) were the first ones I heard, so he more or less introduced me to the world of VGM. His blend of metal, orchestra, and electro elements is really impressive, and he created a very unique mood for Simon's arrival into Dracula's castle. I'm really happy to have this legendary remixer on a project once again, and it sounds like he also had a lot of fun. goat: "In the Castle" is a song that takes place in one of my favorite places in Super Castlevania IV: the eerie climb in the garden-like setting just before reaching the castle proper. This game has the most suffocating, dark, and depressing soundtracks of any Castlevania, and the original song lets you know an important transition is taking place. I'm scared of remixing songs from this game: so much of the atmosphere is tied to how the Super Nintendo samples sound. How can we do justice to that evil atmosphere? Vampire Variations III gave me an excellent excuse to confront this fear. I didn't want to lose the weird, dark, and mechanical feeling of the original soundtrack. I wanted to preserve the haunting, rolling suspense of this song in particular. My composition and execution was motivated by fear of screwing this up. Terror indeed! Happily, I'm satisfied with the result, and I hope it takes you back to that lonely courtyard, traversing the grassy switchbacks that give way to that final jump up to Dracula's castle entrance. 1-10. Mak Eightman - "Nevermindia" Source: "Knight Corridor (Stage 6 BGM 1)" Chernabogue: I was eager to hear how Mak would incorporate orchestra instruments into his track as he mainly mixes metal with electro -- well, he already did a few times before. The result is excellent, and sounds very epic. He even added a little touch of creepiness with some nice FX on his instruments. The track keeps the metal mood on as Simon enters the castle, and you can definitively hear serious business is about to start. And, yeah, toying around with short sources can be a really fun challenge! Mak Eightman: I caught a wave of short sources in 2012 with the "Level Up" theme from the SD3 project. VV2 forced me to take another short source, which also was successful. So, here I am. Another short source, another success. xD I hope... 1-11. Slimy - "Deadly Furniture" Sources: "Banquet Hall (Stage 6 BGM 2)," "Beginning (Stage 10 Dracula's Tower 2 BGM)" Chernabogue: Slimy jumped on this track at the very end of the production, but the source was screaming for an orchestral arrangement. I swear I can hear some Mussorgsky bits in his track, which wouldn't surprise anyone. With its big orchestra outbursts in the middle of the track, the arrangement carries on the epic mood, but adds a baroque twist to it. A very nice and epic way to begin the end of the first album. Slimy: During this stage of Super Castlevania IV, you run across giant chandeliers as they swing precariously, dodge even more chandeliers as they attempt to fall and crush you, dinner tables slide toward you, and coffins come alive, trying to slam shut on you. It's awesome. And hence the name, "Deadly Furniture." 1-12. Eino Keskitalo feat. Tuberz McGee, XPRTNovice, Jorito - "Damned from the Outset" Source: "Dracula's Theme (Opening Demo)" Chernabogue: Well, I guess Eino explained it better than anyone else! This track could have been created by Dr. Frankenstein, as it blends several different elements -- really different ones. Eino has some really creative ideas in terms of arrangement, and I'm sure his mix will be as memorable as its source. Major props to Callum, Jorrith, Joe, and also Sam, for helping Eino create this masterpiece. Collaboration at its best! Eino Keskitalo: Since our effort for VV2 was quite successful, Tuberz and I started conspiring about this track quite early on in VV3's development. We went through a slew of ideas. First, I wanted to play tribute to late 90s/early 2000s King Crimson - turns out emulating their interlocked guitar style takes more skill than I have, and I mean just arranging alone! Instead, I took the main background arpeggio and managed to find a rock groove within. Considering that the intro is what differentiates "Dracula's Theme" from the Dracula battle music, we next focused on that, and came up with the thought to emulate a couple of Edgar Varèse's percussion-heavy pieces, with XPRTNovice handling a clarinet lead. For a while, the plan was to concentrate in this idea, but Chernabogue thought our draft didn't work for the album flow. Out with the avant-garde of early 1900s then, replaced by punk guitar, seguing back to the groovy rock riff. But keeping the clarinet, of course. (And the sirens!) By the time we had come up with the full arrangement of this chimera, we were past the deadline, and Jorito stepped in to help out. I feel his additions not only helped properly fulfill the album requirement of incorporating orchestral instrumentation, but they also glued the arrangement together so that it became pretty much as cohesive as it could be. Jorito also volunteered to mix the track, and for this too he has my many thanks, as I can't now see how I could have managed to do that within any reasonable time frame. Collaborating with Tuberz was as fun, as always. He added the orchestral percussion and a couple of signature guitar solos, going completely nuts at the ending. Amusingly, I was intending to fully handle the main guitar riff myself, but he just couldn't resist giving it a go -- so that's both of our playing, one panned left and the other right. And last, but not least, the living, breathing clarinet was provided by XPRTNovice, in something like less than 24 hours once I finally sent him the final score for the part. I shall hereby dub Joe the fastest clarinet slinger in the Western Hemisphere! Let's see if I remember who did what: Eino - overall arrangement, bass guitar, punk guitar in the intro & outro, guitar on the left 0:30-1:08 & 1:37-2:09, all guitar 1:09-1:37 Tuberz McGee - guitar on the right 0:30-1:08 & 1:37-2:09, guitar solo at 2:09 & 4:19, orchestral percussion Jorito - rest of the orchestra, mixing, editing, saving the day XPRTNovice - clarinet How the source was arranged: * The intro was basically reduced to the bassline G-C-H-D-A#-H, played in the punk outro. Jorito also noted this line appears in "The Forest of Monsters," which he also arranged for the album - neat! * Clarinet line in the intro, clarinet solo, and outro are combined from the lead lines at the beginning of the arpy part, and the final section of the source - the notes are very long sustains there, so it has been time compressed into a more mobile melody. * To accommodate the clarinet line, there was much adjusting of the bass (and guitar harmony) - I think that the basic, identifiable progression of the intro of "Dracula's Theme" is maintained. * The only bits with completely original writing (as far as I consider) are the short guitar breaks at the end of the intro & first verse. * The middle part of the arrangement follows the source quite closely: the guitar groove is closely based on the main arp, the clarinet plays and elaborates on the lead line in the first "verse," and the string melody enters in the second "verse" -- soprano line covering it in the third. Callum's solo pushes the next part into a different mood from the source (I think of it as Dracula laughing), but the clarinet plays the exact same long sustains the source has, and even the bass is based on the arpeggio. * Even the sirens are based on the source! Thank you for reading my most chilling essay on the most fiendish Dracula theme arrangement ever put together! Many thanks to Alex for directing the album -- his direction on the track was integral in how it shaped out. For instance, it was great to know the first track on the album and try to arrange accordingly. Likewise, he wanted us to (spoiler ahead) reference Sam Dillard's Dracula battle arrangement towards the end of the album. I requested the soprano line as a sample to use in a glitchy manner, and both Alex and Sam liked the idea. These sort of parameters -- like the orchestral instrumentation requirement -- add a lot to working on a track on the album! Tuberz McGee: So, Eino and I have a pretty good (weird) track record of being weird (good) and, basically, this track is no exception (good [also weird]). This is probably my favourite arrangement of Eino's that I've had the chance to be involved with and it's a killer. It has seemingly no genre limitations and excels at all of the differing genres it utilises. Also, that groovy riff is the coolest thing I've ever heard (good).  Jorito: Near the VVIII deadline, Eino and Callum reached out to me with a very early version of their collab. At the time, I was tied up in finishing my own tracks, but a few weeks later, Eino spotted me on #ocremix again and handed me an updated preview. We started talking about the track. I thought I could replace his string samples with some better quality ones, and that started me working on the few string and brass parts. After writing my parts, I started playing around with some reverb to add a bit more depth to the sirens. Somehow, that resulted in me ending up with mixing duty for the track too. Which was quite challenging, with recordings and changes coming in frequently over the following 2 weeks. Surprisingly enough, my mixing skills were good enough for this quite busy track, and I think it came together pretty well at the end. I love this track for all its quirkiness and Eino's punk style blended with Joe's clarinet and Callum's totally weird but appropriate solo. Its tendency to stick in my head for the rest of the day makes it a memorable and enjoyable track! 2-01. Sam Dillard - "Endless Tomes" Source: "Library - Collection Space (Stage 7 BGM)" Chernabogue: I don't exactly know who Sam's influences are, but you can definitively hear some Interstellar (by Hans Zimmer) in his track. The atmosphere has a very interesting "exploration" feel, and is a nice way to get started with the second album. The orchestra writing is top notch, and the sound design/cinematic elements Sam added contribute to its unique atmosphere. Definitively an interesting take on the source. Sam Dillard: This was kind of an awkward track to start with, so I took its essence in a different direction from the almost jazzy feel and emphasized the sense of mystery. There's an overall vibe I wanted to portray, which is that sound of pages turning like rapidly flipping through a book. A feeling of things constantly fluttering in the haunted shadows. 2-02. Existence Zero - "Dark Cellar" Source: "Cellar (Stage 8 BGM)" Vishal Soni - bass & drum programming Jorge Gurreiro - lead, rhythm guitars Mark Crabtree - orchestration Eric "Bloodaxe" Gillingham - guitar solos Chernabogue: Existence Zero participated to all of the Vampire Variations albums, and it is nice to see how they progressed since the first volume. Vish was very excited about arranging this track, and you can hear his band had great ideas in mind: the softer/cleaner guitars contribute to the album's pace. Despite its length, the track doesn't get repetitive thanks to the use of different variations on the theme. Existence Zero: Whilst normally traversing the furthest reaches of cosmic war, Existence Zero has returned to Earth and plunged into the darkest depths of Castlevania. There could be no response other than to confront the ravages of vampyric insanity with an unadulterated barrage of crushing brutality. Yet somewhere, buried amidst the devastation, we uncovered a sinister seam of malign beauty, like noble blood running along the stone floor of a dungeon that has heard countless screams... 2-03. PirateCrab - "Candles Galore" Source: "Secret Room (Bonus BGM)" Chernabogue: I actually never found the secret room in Super Castlevania IV, and thus never heard this track in-game (only on the soundtrack CD). This one is short and may sound a little different from the rest of the original soundtrack, but PirateCrab's groove metal style really did the job. The small touch of orchestra is the cherry on the cake. Excellent playing and production -- try following those rhythm guitars on a dance pad! PirateCrab: Well, that certainly wasn't an easy track to write. How short do you want to keep your source material, sheesh! The track effectively started in a completely different direction. Much slower, a little groovier, but it effectively followed the track beat by beat but transferred over to guitar. I only wrote 50 seconds worth before I gave up and scrapped it, because it had absolutely no flow, deader than the deadest of dead chickens (That's pretty dead, right?). So, I picked up my guitar, jammed a little, figured out this badass version of the riff, got it recorded and it flowed from there! From a month or so of writing the original 50 secs to writing the new version in about a week. Rad! Man, I should write books or some shit, they'd be totally cool. Well, I'd read the hell out of it. 2-04. timaeus222 - "The Harbinger of Death" Source: "Treasure Room (Stage 9 BGM)" Chernabogue: Who would have guessed that dubstep and orchestra would be a great combination? Well, Tim certainly did. His arrangement are very creative, and this one is no exception, as he blends a lot of elements into this cinematic remix, with a certain Henry Jackman influence (X-Men: First Class). The breakdown is a very nice addition and allows for more crazy stuff later on. A really unique mix -- drop the bass! timaeus222: This started out with me just trying out some new sounds from The Unfinished's Zebra soundset, Serenity, which is a mixed batch of atmospheric and distorted sounds aimed at cinematic music. As I was looking through it, I found a fair amount of scary tones that fit pretty well with some of the sounds I've been creating recently (one of mine is called "Alien Tuning Fork"), so, as an experiment, I wrote an intro out for Vampire Variations III using these horror sounds. Then, I remembered that there was something I've been meaning to try ever since I heard, on Lindsey Stirling's "Shatter Me" album, a particular bonus track (the orchestra version of "Take Flight"). I'll admit, it was a little underwhelming of a track for me, compared to how awesome the rest of the album was, but it did inspire me to try to pull that style off myself. It's a little hard to describe to you guys the style I was going for in the climax without yet hearing either that bonus track or this ReMix yourselves, but I guess I could say it's like... a mangled orchestra with dubstep-style processing. ...Yeah, sure. That. As I kept writing this ReMix (mainly inspired by Stephen Anderson, zircon, and Maxim Zhdanov), I also ended up finally buying a cool new synth called Serum by Xfer Records, which is basically an NI-Massive-meets-Zebra wavetable synth. I'll be honest, I wasn't really feeling the presets, but, man, the synthesis engine is SO GOOD (it really only took a few days to get used to it). The previous synth I bought was Zebra, three years ago, so that really says something on how good Serum is. By the time I got to the drop I was waiting to do at 2:08, I decided, "You know what, I just need something to go the extra mile and make this one second absolutely insane." I whipped out Serum for this, and it delivered in spades. The rest of the wobbles were Zebra, though, and that laugh at the end was me, recorded at midnight. =3 Source Breakdown: 0:12.64-0:34.90 = Source (0:00.00-0:26.07) 0:37.94-0:50.56 = Source (1:01.76-1:07.68) [subtle; try high-passing "Treasury Room" at 80 Hz or above] 0:50.56-1:01.60 = Source (0:26.07-0:49.87) 1:11.88-1:14.04, 1:23.71-1:25.89 = Source (0:26.07-0:49.87) 1:26.88-1:37.12, 1:39.52-1:49.26 = Source (0:26.07-0:49.87) 1:52.22-2:05.56 = Source (1:01.76-1:07.68) [subtle] 2:22.23-2:24.71, 2:25.56-2:28.05 = Source (0:26.07-0:49.87) 2:28.88-2:31.39, 2:32.23-2:35.56 = Source (0:26.07-0:49.87) 2:38.88-2:51.48 = Source (1:01.76-1:07.68) [subtle] 2:51.48-3:02.51 = Source (0:26.07-0:49.87) 22.26 + 12.62 + 11.04 + 2.16 + 2.18 + 10.24 + 9.74 + 13.34 + 2.48 + 2.49 + 2.51 + 3.33 + 12.60 + 11.03 = 118.02/205.01 = 57.57% 2-05. Aensland - "In the Master's Name" Source: "Boss Theme 2 (Boss BGM 2)" Chernabogue: Aensland captured very well the essence of the source in his remix -- a very chaotic and bombastic source turned into a bombastic yet structured remix. The quieter parts really shine here, with the choir and harpsichord -- a very baroque-sounding remix indeed! It's short but very good, and shows that, even with lower-quality samples, it is possible to create something that sounds awesome. Aensland: The original "Boss Theme 2" is a chaotic piece with occasional regal outbursts, ideal for the grim atmosphere of the castle and the fierce boss battles awaiting there. So, for this arrangement, I had in mind the concept of "the holy man facing a savage evil" keeping the aggressiveness of the original track and introducing slower breaks for an intense comeback. Lastly, I would like to thank Chernabogue for bringing us a chance to show our love for this immortal franchise. It may change names, but the Bloodstained legacy will live on! 2-06. Existence Zero - "This Blood Don't Run" Source: "Bloody Tears (Stage 10 Clock Tower BGM)" Vishal Soni - bass & drum programming Jorge Gurreiro - lead, rhythm guitars, guitar solos Mark Crabtree - orchestration Chernabogue: Bloody Tears has been remixed to death -- yet, the Existence Zero gang gave it all they got, and the result is great. Their arrangement features nice live performances and has a very crunchy sound. It is more brutal than their previous one, but still keeps a strong melodic lead. The transitions work very well and the inclusion of orchestra reinforces the epic side of the mix. Existence Zero: Existence Zero has seen through Vampire Variations from the very beginning to the very end. Its been the first VGM remix project any of the members have ever been a part of. Existence Zero's influences include bands and music such as Sylosis, Xerath, Lamb of God, Children of Bodom, Animals As Leaders, London Symphony Orchestra and a whole lot of VGM, especially 90's Street Fighter music! Other inspirations are also Warhammer 40000 and the Horus Heresy Novels. Thanks to Chernabogue for giving us the opportunity to feature on this amazing project. To all the other amazing artists who have featured on all the VV albums: its been a great honor and a blast! 2-07. Jorito feat. BMC_WarMachine - "Dracula Is Our Vampire!" Sources: "Vampire Killer (Stage 10 Dracula's Tower 1 BGM)," "Beginning (Stage 10 Dracula's Tower 2 BGM)" Chernabogue: Jorito should change his nickname to Dr. Frankenstein, because he loves creating strange remixes with various elements from different genres -- here we have a nice electro/DnB/orchestra/cinematic/metal remix, featuring live performances from BMC_WarMachine and Bela Lugosi (and a little "Beginning" cameo as well). Everything sounds solid and very well mixed -- lots of energy and even more! Jorito: About a month before the album deadline, the "Vampire Killer" track was unclaimed and became available again. Since I grew up with the MSX home computer and Vampire Killer (or Castlevania as it'd be called on the NES), it was an instant nostalgia hit for me. So, I immediately jumped in and claimed it. Took me a bit of thinking to decide what to do with it, especially since I remixed this same track just a year ago already. Using orchestra was a given, but I wanted to do something different this time. So, I thought adding some drum & bass influences to an orchestral palette could work nicely. Again, I created a lot of the basic concepts I wanted to use in my mind, suffered from having too much inspiration, and cooked up a decent WIP in 2 hours on the same day I claimed it. The next day, the basic arrangement was done, and that was when Chernabogue pointed me to BMC_WarMachine. BMC also wanted to remix this track, but I snatched the claim just before him. Wasn't a problem though, because BMC was happy to contribute to my track with some kickass guitar work. Took me a bit of work to fit them in the mix nicely, but I'm pretty happy with the final result, and I think it has this great sense of energy and epicness that you need to slay them vampires! 2-08. Audio Sprite - "Stairway to Perdition" Source: "Beginning (Stage 10 Dracula's Tower 2 BGM)" Chernabogue: Audio Sprite does very nice covers, but may encounter some difficulties when it comes to include more variation into his tracks -- what remixer didn't? Yet, the original parts in his remix really add a creepy groove to the remix. I helped him a little with his track's pace, and the result is very satisfying. It is good to see arrangers like Audio Sprite try their best to improve their music, and that projects can help artists to push their limits. Nice work -- all the credit must go to him, who did a splendid job. Audio Sprite: The mix took on several changes during its process before finally becoming a dark groove, lending itself to the game's gothic nature while keeping a steady and uplifting beat. 2-09. Slimy - "Dracula's Secretaries" Source: "The Attendants" Rooms (Stage 11 BGM)" Chernabogue: Slimy beats alone Slogra, Gaibon, and Death with his 7+ minute arrangement of a totally chaotic source -- I was amazed by his ability to bring several arrangement ideas before mixing them together. The three sections of his remix could be considered as a big reference to the three boss fights before the one with Dracula. This is a real roller-coaster of emotions, creepiness, and epicness. The perfect buildup to the final battle! Slimy: Of all the songs I could have remixed for Vampire Variations III, the climax of "Room of Close Associates" caught my attention. When I heard it, I knew, this one was the one. "This needs BIG! LOUD! TROMBONES!" Oh, right, that's only 15 seconds out of the entire source. So, what do I do with the part of the song that equates to musical gibberish? Eh, I'll throw some woodwinds at it, they can handle it. Everyone else can play whatever. Chord progression? What? Whoops, I didn't mean to put the drum of impending doom in there. Actually, he can stay. He sounds like he knows what he's doing. 2-10. Sam Dillard - "The Night King's Lament" Source: "Dracula's Room (Final Stage BGM)" Chernabogue: This is probably my favorite track on the album, and one of the first to be completed, setting the bar quite high, actually. Sam really captured the essence of the final battle against Dracula himself in his remix. His choice of focusing only on Dracula's theme and not adding Simon's (like in the game) was a very good idea. You can really feel some hatred in this track, but also some sadness/melancholia, and that blend of emotions really worked well to me. This track still give me chills when I listen to it, and I'm pretty sure it'll keep doing this for the years to come. Sam Dillard: I always thought this was an interesting song, with a unique mystical and almost sad feel to it. The idea here is an epic showdown with Dracula on top of his ancient castle in the middle of a violent storm with howling winds. I considered transitioning to Simon's theme as happens in the game, but I decided to keep the focus on the Prince of Darkness himself the whole time, with a dangerously powerful yet beautiful quality. Or something like that... anyway, it was a fun track which let me play around with doing pretty dramatic stuff. 2-11. Chernabogue - "Simon Triumphant" Source: "Dracula's Death (Dying Theme)" Chernabogue: I like turning short jingles into epic orchestra pieces, and I thought a little transition between "Dracula's Theme" and the "Ending Theme" was needed. Plus, it turned the number of tracks to an even one, so that's a cool little bonus for the tracklist. Nothing to add! 2-12. Tuberz McGee - "Live by the Cross" Source: "Ending Theme (Ending)" Chernabogue: Callum nails his final tracks and this one really sounds like a nice conclusion. He accepted my offer to remix this track, and I'm glad he did -- his track was the perfect ending for the album, but also for the trilogy. After all the dark, brutal, and ominous arrangements, this one really shines with optimism. Some chords may sound a little melancholic, but all good things must come to an end. Especially when that end features electric guitars and orchestra! Tuberz McGee: So, Alex got in contact with me quite late in the project because he needed someone to desperately fill the final track of the album. This is a spot that I'm incredibly grateful for as I've done a few "final" tracks now and it's a very gratifying spot to know you have the last notes of an album. I figured that since Alex always makes my guitars sound brilliant in his mixes I probably owed him one, so I made this track pretty quickly. Downtuned geetarz 4 lyfe. \m/ <3 \m/