Monster Hunter Compilation “RE:”MIX Chiptune
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Album Title: Monster Hunter Compilation “RE:”MIX Chiptune |
| Record Label: Suleputer |
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| Catalog No.: CPCA-10342 |
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| Release Date: July 02, 2014 |
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| Purchase: Buy at CDJapan |
Overview
Capcom’s record label, Suleputer, has started a new CD series that takes their classic franchises and turns them into chiptune remixes. The first album in the series, Monster Hunter Compilation “RE:”MIX Chiptune, tackles their extremely popular Monster Hunter series and features a variety of chiptune based remixes of the franchise’s musical history. Featuring a variety of artists, such as sasakure.UK and Professor Sakamoto, it boasts a plethora of styles. What is the end result of this compilation album?
Body
The album opens up with sasakure.UK’s medley “A Highly Vibrating Chest ~ Departure ~ Golden Reminiscence ~ Kechawacha (sasakure.UK 8bitnik Remix).” It’s a very simple chiptune rendition that manages to capture the melodies of the originals quite nicely. It also features a nice blend of styles and is one of the better tunes on the album, since it manages to capture the essence of chiptune moreso than a lot of the other entries on the album. A highlight of the album, Professor Sakamoto’s “Wind of Departure (Professor Sakamoto Super 8bit Re”mix) manages to capture the epic original and turn it into something vibrant, airy, and fitting for a retro platformer or RPG. connie’s “Searching for the Secret Hot Spring ~ The Secret Hot Spring Where Hunters Meet (connie Remix)” is another remix that manages to display chiptune in full force. There is a lovely bossa nova soundscape that helps give of a very tropical vibe.
However, a majority of the album tends to focus more on using chiptunes as supplemental material rather than using it as the core of their remix and with it, varying success. U-ji’s “The Cloak That Conceals the Light ~ Gore Magala ~ Reincarnation of Light and Darkness ~ Shagaru Magara (U-ji Remix)” is a successful one that combines a nice dark atmosphere with a bit of a dance and other modern electronic tunes. I love the mix of chips with some sounding from the NES and others from the PC-88 realm. Less successful is PICNIC WOMEN’s “Meandering Melody ~ Garara Ajara (PICNIC WOMEN Remix).” It features a dance vibe with some Arabian chiptune melodies, but isn’t anything particularly special. Junky’s “Local Brocade Decoration, Nyah (Junky Retro Future Remix)” is a tune that is entertaining with an acid jazz sound and some exuberant melodies; however, a majority of the piece doesn’t focus on the chiptune element. “Sparkling Blue Light ~ Zinogre (HyperJuice Angry Zinogre Remix),” by HyperJuice, manages to capture the epic nature of the original, but at the same time, there is much less focus on chiptune. When it is present, it manages to work quite nicely. There are a lot of other elements, such as rock, orchestra, and some hip-hop inspired electronic elements on the tune but they are more the focus, rather than the exception.
One of the biggest offenders on the album, Carpainter’s “The Roaring Dragon Bares Its Fangs ~ Tigrex (Carpainter Bassline Hunting Remix)” manages to ruin a classic tune by incorporating a lot of experimental effects. While the remix sounds like it will do the original justice in the beginning, it degrades quickly into an electronic dance driven remix with the original material being rendered into a very abstract form. The remix alternates between these two things, but the end result isn’t satisfactory. CANDYBOY’s “Empress of Flame ~ Teostra & Lunastra (The Blood of Machigerita Remix)” features a hardcore electronic beat and a chiptune melody. However, I find the slower tempo sections to be much more satisfying. While it isn’t entirely chiptune focused, it is an enjoyable tune if you are into energetic hardcore mixes. Hige Driver’s “Proof of a Hero (Hige Driver Remix)” is another tune that blends chiptune and more modern synths together. It is very reminiscent, in terms of style, to the “Chrono Trigger ‘Character Medley’” from SQ Chips, with its blend of dance and chiptune. In the end, it’s another enjoyable tune that does manage to focus more along the lines of chiptune, but complements them in a good way with electronic elements.
Summary
The Monster Hunter Compilation “RE:”MIX Chiptune album is one that is sure to cause differing opinions. Those hoping for a purely chiptune album will find the inclusion of non-chiptune elements to be disappointing. That said, not all of the album is this way, as some of the tunes do focus purely on the chiptune element while others include modern sounds, albeit with varying success. Fans of Monster Hunter music might find this enjoyable, but it is an album that I recommend with caution.
Do you agree with the review and score? Let us know in the comments below!
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Posted on November 6, 2014 by Don Kotowski. Last modified on December 13, 2014.
About the Author
Don Kotowski Currently residing in Philadelphia. I spend my days working in vaccine characterization and dedicate some of my spare time in the evening to the vast world of video game music, both reviewing soundtracks as well as maintaining relationships with composers overseas in Europe and in Japan.
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