We really secured a great representation of the OCR community, so be sure to check every one of those guys out. And like we've mentioned in promoting the soundtrack, the depth of our lineup resulted in a ton of musical styles within HD Remix. We've got electronica, big beat, hip-hop, jazz, reggaeton, garage rock, spaghetti western and more in there. If you like those, you can hit www.ocremix.org for more than 1500 other great ReMixes. I'd like to think we're sneaking in musical diversity training for everyone. [laughs] Special thanks have to go to Malcos and José the Bronx Rican for carrying a huge share of the soundtrack. Everyone contributed amazing stuff that'll be part of Street Fighter forever, but those two especially delivered in a big way.
SFD: Can you give any advice to fans who want to be more active in mixing video game music?
DJP: Pick a tool and learn it well. Whether it's FruityLoops or Reason, piano or guitar, it doesn't matter. I think there's a tendency to diversify and/or spend too much time focusing on tools, plugins, samples, etc. at the expense of songwriting. Ultimately, the technical stuff just gets in the way of what's important - making music - and simplifying your workflow and focusing on a specific toolset can help a great deal. Since we're talking about arrangement, primarily, I think it's important to begin with a piece that inspires you, takes you in different directions, gives you musical ideas for completely new pieces. You take that inspiration and then channel it back towards the original composition, you usually end up with something solid. Different people learn differently, but for me, the most helpful musical tutor has been experience. I try to listen to a lot of different types of music, and when I listen, I try to decompose a song into its constituent elements - focus in on JUST the bassline, notice how transitions are handled, ask yourself whether the same song would work as well at a slower or faster tempo. Deconstructing and reconstructing music in your head might seem like a lot of work initially, but once you do it enough, it'll become second nature and won't get in the way of actually enjoying the song. That's the single biggest thing: learning how to listen. Once you can listen to a song and understand what's going on structurally, instrumentally, and from an audio production perspective, you start hearing music in a new way... almost like learning to appreciating different schools/techniques in painting. Then you'll sit up and say "Whoa.... I know Kung Fu," just like Keanu Reeves, only you won't go on to star in two underwhelming sequels... because you'll be too busy making kickass video game remixes.
AE (Alex Esquivel) admiring HD Remix at Capcom Digital Day
SHAEL: Scour as many music-making communities as you can, find the people in each you think sound the best and politely ask if you can pick their brains. See if you can get someone to mentor you via chat, email, phone calls, or even meatspace. Join the OverClocked ReMix ReMixing forum, and the secret OverClocked ReMix IRC chat. Practice. Try something new. Don't imitate; innovate. Though I didn't devise the format, Blood on the Asphalt was the first OCR tribute album to aim for thematic and tonal consistency, and I was the first project head to use the title project director, rather than project organizer, to better reflect my type and level of involvement. Even if you're following an old formula, you can refine it, you can add on and make it better, or at least more suited to your vision. I'm sounding a bit like a fortune cookie here, huh? Here's a big one: don't limit yourself to involvement exclusively in the video game remixing community. There is a practically limitless number of other music scenes out there, and each one can teach you something invaluable that you can generalize to application in video game remixing. Go forth and seek out new worlds!
LARRY: While I don't make music myself, I listen to practically every remix submitted to us as OCR's head submissions evaluator, so I'm in the trenches critiquing and helping artists in our community every day. On top of everything Dave and Shael said, you've got to realize that you can't and won't start off making A-level material. Nonetheless, there are several artists in our community who, despite not being able to read notation or sheet music, have gone from knowing zero about making music to making awesome stuff in about 2 to 3 years. But it's a long process. The ones who persevere will have something to show for it. Beyond that, learn to take constructive criticism well and don't take it personally. Even after you've figured out how to put most of the pieces together, it'll take a while for you to make music that's truly cohesive. We've had fairly decent artists become upset at having a promising remix rejected from OCR, only to continue improving and admit a year later something like "I was mad when I got rejected, but when I listen to that mix now, they were right to reject it." That's what happens as you grow and gain perspective. Just keep at it, absorb knowledge, take criticism, and be coachable.
SFD: Fans have been constantly asking where to find these tracks. Is there an album they can purchase in stores, or a website they can legally download from?
LARRY: Everything we've done at OC ReMix since 1999 has been free, and djp specifically worked out with Capcom that we be allowed to release the soundtrack free. Rey and the company couldn't have been more accommodating. So everyone reading, if you haven't picked it up already, click HERE and you can get OC ReMix: Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Official Soundtrack for zero dollars and zero cents. We love getting our ReMixes out there for the fans to enjoy--that's what our Web site is all about--and it's been a big deal that HD Remix is the first completely fan-made soundtrack for a major game title. Releasing it free gets the work of our guys in as many ears as possible.
OC ReMix is all about respecting and tributing the original game music while showcasing its quality through interpretation. And our industry support shows we're doing the right thing. That support wouldn't be there if the quality of our ReMixes wasn't excellent. I've also read reactions everywhere from the fans and the game reviews, and the major majority of the reception has been great. Thanks so much to all the fans who've enjoyed the HD Remix soundtrack. You guys keep following OC ReMix for more great ReMixes, and just keep spreading the word about what we're doing. We've got new stuff every few days, we'll keep putting 'em out!
SFD: Thanks for spending some time with us guys. Keep in touch!
DJP: Gracias... please tell your readers to go easy on anyone playing online as "djpretzel"... I think I'm ranked 20,000th on the scoreboards, now, and dropping daily!
SHAEL: Thanks for having us. I like your website! I had no idea my Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie VHS was worth money.
LARRY: You serious, Shael? Man, I have that on VHS too, the unrated cut. Couple of Street Fighter II V tapes too! [laughs] Same here, SFD, thanks for having us. Street Fighter Devotion is really thorough. I love all the interviews, character bios and features; they really show off just how deep Street Fighter is, from the games, to the comics, anime, art, figures and obviously the music.
