Discover Top Posts Tagged with #drakeld

Track #3-56: Wonderwave

NOTE: No YouTube upload available.

Artist: Drakeld

Original: Sector 4 Aquatic Depths by Minako Hamano and Akira Fujiwara

Length: 4:36

Continuing a vague run of water themed-remixes from the covers of the Sunken Frigate and Wrecked Ship themes comes this new remix of Metroid Fusion's somber aquatic depths theme got a remix. An earlier remix of this track, 'Bioluminescence', was the fourth track on the first album. This new remix by Drakeld, back once again on the Returns album, goes for a club remix which plays around with the melody to add new derivative sections and compact the lingering notes.

I've been so excited to get to this song. In my head, this remix and 'Garden of Zebes' from earlier in the album are siblings in terms of the infectiously dance-able energy they exude. It still hits the sad, lingering moments from the original song, but with energy that wasn't in the original. The remixed melody is punchy and unexpected and very good. So I like this remix very good.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Track #3-55: The Lost Vessel Awakens Track #3-57: Operation Golem

#Metroid #shinesparkers #hoah #Harmony of a Hunter #Drakeld #Wonderwave #four stars #remix #music

Track #3-36: Aethereal Nexus

NOTE: No YouTube upload available.

Artist: Drakeld

Original: Luminoth Temple by Kenji Yamamoto

Length: 3:26

'Luminoth Temple' from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was previously remixed as a dramatic choral piece on the second Harmony of a Hunter album. Drakeld's take on the theme takes things in a different direction, while still coming across as faithul; where Laura Intravia's piece went all in on 'Luminoth Temple''s deep vocals, this one focuses on the steady percussion and bass riff. Drakeld's instrumentation centers on acoustic guitar and piano, with woodwinds and synths saved for specific melodic moments (the synths, in particular, play a riff reminiscent of the one in 'Sanctuary Fortress' from the same game).

Well, both remixes of 'Luminoth Temple' turn out to be knockouts. This was already one of the more interesting songs on Echoes' soundtrack for its upbeat tone, and this remix leans into it hard. It's a nice contrast with both the first remix of this theme from 101% Run, and with the preceding remix, which are both highly dramatic and ominous choral remixes. The light, gentle tone is very welcome here, and the use of mostly classical instruments makes the song livelier and more grounded than the original's dark, otherworldly synths. All together a very pleasant piece.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️

Track #3-35: The Age of Gold Track #3-37: A Crack in the Glass

#Metroid #shinesparkers #hoah #Harmony of a Hunter Returns #Drakeld #Aethereal Nexus #four stars #music

Track #3-32: Darkness Rising

Artist: Drakeld

Original: Darkness, Crateria Surface by Kenji Yamamoto

Length: 4:07

Dark Samus's powerful, eerie battle theme was covered on the previous album as a faithful rock cover. Drakeld's interpretation goes in a different direction, following the electronic sound of the Prime games' soundtracks to produce a techno remix of the track with high strung synths and a constant beat. Just after the midpoint, the song quotes the Crateria Surface theme from Super Metroid before launching into the ending.

This is a very well done song. Drakeld's style is sinister and groovy at the same time, and the synth solos rock. With all that said, this really isn't a remix of 'Darkness'. Melodically, structurally, I genuinely can't tell what parts of it are supposed to sound like Dark Samus's theme; it feels more like a reimagining of what a Dark Samus theme might sound like than a remix of an existing song with a very distinct and memorable feel. Like, Drakeld's work on this is so good, but it feels like an original song and not a remix. The only thing tying it to Metroid is the inclusion of the Crateria Surface theme, which, while it makes for a nice heroic interlude and makes for a nice implied reference to Samus (due to it being her theme in Super), isn't the most appropriate song to mix into a remix of a song from Echoes. So this is a confusing addition to the album.

Rating: ⭐⭐

Track #3-31: In the Name of Science Track #3-32: Darkness Versus Light

#metroid #Shinesparkers #Hoah #Harmony of a Hunter Returns #Drakeld #Darkness Rising #Two stars #music

Track #3-23: Groundshaker

NOTE: No YouTube upload available.

Artist: Drakeld

Original: VS. Thardus by Kenji Yamamoto and Kouichi Kyuma

Length: 4:20

After Stephan Wells' 'The Inn by the Glacier' established a chill vibe for Phendrana Drifts comes 'Groundshaker', a remix of Thardus' theme from Prime by Drakeld (appropriately so, seeing as Thardus is the boss of Phendrana Drifts). Drakeld brings shrill electronic instruments and keyboard sounds to their cover of Thardus' battle theme, alternating between fast-paced suspenseful sections and descending piano melodies.

This remix covers a lot of ground, but it feels like it ends too soon. Each part of this song is gripping, from the unnerving electronic parts to the cathartic piano section. That piano part is my favorite, by the way, for the color it injects into the song - it ties it back to the gentle dreamlike feel of Phendrana Drifts. It's a good fit for the hectic battle against Thardus, where Samus can go from running from electrical blasts to staving off a snowstorm in an instant.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Track #3-22: The Inn by the Glacier Track #3-24: Redemption

#Metroid #Shinesparkers #hoah #Harmony of a Hunter Returns #Drakeld #Groundshaker #three stars #music

Track #3-12: Mechavania

NOTE: No YouTube upload available.

Artist: Drakeld

Original: Quadraxis by Kenji Yamamoto

Length: 3:44

Quadraxis's battle theme from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes previously received a remix on Harmony of a Hunter 101% as an electronic piece similar to the original; Drakeld now covers the song in their own style, which, while also somewhat faithful to the original, brings in new variations on the theme. This remix combines orchestral and electronic instruments, including chanting vocals to carry the melody; most notable is a strong ticking sound underlying much of the song, suggesting a mechanism working through the whole remix.

I wish this remix was just a little longer, because it is very fun. It's intense and exciting but also sad in a kind of lonely way in parts. The instrumentation is rich and varied throughout. Compared to its predecessor 'Sanctuary Sentinel', it doesn't open as strongly, but the execution is great and overall it works as a worthy followup to the early remix. Its placement in the album is also very good; it releases the eerie tension of 'The Pursuit' in a way that sets up the dramatic next remix (another boss theme from Echoes), 'Metamorphosis', in a brief but invigorating burst of energy.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Track #3-11: The Pursuit Track #3-13: Metamorphosis

#Metroid #Shinesparkers #hoah #Harmony of a Hunter Returns #Drakeld #Mechavania #three stars #music

Track #3-4: A Severed Queen

NOTE: There is not a single video upload of this on YouTube! Enjoy this link to the album download of the track.

Artist: Drakeld

Original: Parasite Queen by Kenji Yamamoto and Kouichi Kyuma

Length: 3:51

The Parasite Queen boss theme from Metroid Prime was first covered for Harmony of a Hunter as the first song of Disc 2 on the original album, which was primarily dedicated to the Prime subseries. That remix, 'Parasite X', was a low-key, funky interpretation of the original. This new remix by the duo Drakeld is a percussion-driven synth remix. While the remix opens on the Parasite Queen theme, it quickly branches out into a number of original sections and solos based on the original, which dominate the song.

The original Parasite Queen theme is pretty short and repetitive, so the new variations are very welcome. The placement of this song early in the album recalls both the early placement of 'Parasite X' on the first album's second disc, AND the fact that this is one of the first songs a player will hear in gameplay in the first Prime game, so there's a nice bit of continuity there. The percussion and bass are always shifting and give the song a swinging feel to it without losing any of the original's driving tone. This is a very welcome remix and a fresh way to iterate on the original, and the first of many exciting remixes by Drakeld.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Track #3-3: Lost Science of the Chozo Track #3-5: Justice Will Prevail

#metroid #Shinesparkers #Hoah #Harmony of a Hunter Returns #Drakeld #A Severed Queen #three stars #music