Song of the Week - WEEK 60 Voting/WEEK 61 Nominating

Now this is a kickass week. I half expected that we were due for a lot of really good material, but this exceeds my every expectation. Thoroughly impressed, I am. Voting is gonna be all over the place, I can see this now.

Originally Posted by Chz

sup Crash

Haha. I like how this has multiple connotations in conjunction with the nomination.

Bionic Commando - I love that some NES tunes are getting put up lately. Always nice. Area 5 is only what I'd consider average as far as chiptunes go, mostly because it suffers from what seems a lot of monotone droning. The melody is solid; I'm just not totally down with the choice of synths used. Capcom was capable of better.

Delicious Selection/Gamadelic - This track presents a quandary for me. I think the musical elements are wonderfully unique and I like how it's arranged. It's got a certain "Mark Mothersbaugh" feel. But the female voice is anything but spectacular. I think her lack of enunciation detracts from the overall quality. But the section where they do the role call - "I'm the wizard! I'm the knight!", that made me laugh heartily. I wish the lead singer weren't so mud-mouthed though. I love everything about this track except her.

Kagero ~ Deception 2 OST - While I'm normally not a fan of moody, sad tracks, there are occasional exceptions. I'm pleased to say that 'The World Is Falling Into Ruin' is one of these exceptions. I think the piano keeps it from being wholly morose and allows for a glimpse of tragic beauty to emerge. It's an exceptionally emotional piece and after several listen-throughs, I'm certain this track will make its way into my iPod rotation. Great, great stuff.

Mr. Driller - I remember this one from when Kaleb asked for opinions on the entire Mr. Driller album. Indeed, this was one I enjoyed also. That opinion hasn't changed, it's still an interesting listen. Another awesome track for this week. iPod bound!

Street Fighter EX - Ah, the ubiquitous "jazzy" nomination, with some rockin' synth tossed in for that "IN YOUR FACE" Street Fighter feel. It's a solid track that makes mostly the right moves and doesn't stagnate. The overdriven guitar wailing at the end was a bit gratuitous, I will say that. But this is a tough week for something like this; it's good, yes, but is it good enough to consistently gain points?

Music From and Inspired by Gran Turismo 4 - My guilty pleasure. I've wanted to nominate this for so long. I love the blend of old-school funk with the injection of more modern dance rhythms. It's one of the funnest tracks I've found and after six months of constant play, I've yet to grow tired of it. Bright, energetic, groovy, infectious beats - how can you not dig that combination? I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.

Treasure Hunter G - Yet another well-composed track! But who would expect any less from mister Sakimoto? I enjoyed the powerful crescendo throughout the first two thirds, which gave way to a light, peaceful piano and harp segue. Sakimoto certainly knows how to evoke the most from the most minimal of elements. This one's going to the iPod too.

Wonder Project J2 - It's not bad. I'd like to hear it in better quality, as I suspect the low bitrate has greatly affected the impact of this track. The melody is serviceable and would probably be much better if the sound quality allowed the true depth of the instruments to come through. I can't help but feel bad for this nomination because it's good but it still feels overshadowed by stronger tracks this week. I wish I had more than six points to allocate.


Giving out points like after-dinner mints this week!!

3 Points - The Music From and Inspired by Gran Turismo 4 - Machine Gun (Gran Turismo 4 Pop Rox Remix)
1 Point - Kagero ~ Deception 2 Original Soundtrack - The World is falling into Ruin
1 Point - Treasure Hunter G Original Soundtrack - Emperor of Balladry
1 Point - Mr. Driller Sound Tracks - Balance

Close call - Wonder Project J2 (Game Rip) - Josette of the Colro Forest

This was a FANTASTIC week. Well done, to everyone who nominated.

How ya doing, buddy?

As far as I know, it's solely this GT4 track. However, it's from an official GT4 album, which makes it fair game.

He's evidently done a lot of mainstream work, both in the drum & bass circuit and in numerous contributions to movie soundtracks. Disney seems to hire him semi-frequently.

Most amazing jew boots

Originally Posted by Chuckster

(3 points) The Music From and Inspired by Gran Turismo 4 - Machine Gun (Gran Turismo 4 Pop Rox Remix): It's good, really good, but it also sounds suspiciously familiar, like I've heard it somewhere before. It has elements of Beastie Boys' Brass Monkey (the guitat at 2:19 is an exact likeness), but its the infectious main melody I can't figure out. Another game? Something mainstream? Whatever, this track's a solid choice.

There is a mainstream influence in this track. What you're hearing is a lot of samples from the 1970's funk song "Machine Gun" by The Commodores. The remix artist, Pop Rox, added a lot of dance and pop elements to modernize it. But this remix was made exclusively for the GT4 "Music from and Inspired by" album, and exists nowhere else, which allows it to be eligible for SotW. (I had to do some rules and background checks to make certain before I nominated it.)

It's possible that the Beasties may have also sampled portions of the original "Machine Gun" song. But I don't know anything about that firsthand.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

For the sake of reaching a better understanding of this argument, could someone tell me what a doujin is?

I always thought it was an amateur comic book, typically drawn in the anime style. Is a doujin something more?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

At least I came in second to a track I enjoyed. It's hard to compete against a Sakimoto composition.

And it's not like a silver is anything to be ashamed of. Thanks everyone!

I was speaking idiomatically.