Matt Gray Produced Box Set

[NecroPolo]

But if Central Park was the "teaser", would that satisfy everyone a little _too_ fast?

That's all about philosophy. What you're suggesting is about long term tactics that is a great move doubltess.

I don't know, it's just me. Instead of the idea of knocking on the door, kicking in the door always fitted me better

[Chris Abbott]

It depends on whether you want there to be a door afterwards

[NecroPolo]

It depends on whether you want there to be a door afterwards

I leave zippers all around to fix the case

[64KReady]

I've started preliminary work on some of the Last Ninja 2 tracks with a view to put one of them on line as a taster for the boxset project. It'll be interesting to know what LN2 track people would be eager to hear first ?

Hi Matt,

I was always most impressed with “The Basement In-Game” – the atmosphere in that track compliments the game beautifully (it also nicely blends a lot of different melodies and the change-up midway through the song is wonderful). It’s a very pure soundtrack, though, and may not translate so well outside of the context of the other soundtracks, as well as to people unfamiliar with the ninja theme*. As more of a standalone track, I always loved “The Street Loader” (that song just explodes at 1.22 and never lets up). But in terms of the electronic footprint of your work (comments and remixes and alike) nothing appears to exceed “The Central Park In-Game” – people really respond to it, and I suspect if you nailed that remake it would generate a lot of hype, which may translate into more support.

*I know that may sound strange (who unfamiliar with the original ninja game would support this project?) but as someone who arrived at your music independent of the game I believe that it stands well on its own (as many soundtracks do). Like an updated classic, there’s potential for a new audience.

[Ninja Sounds]

I've started preliminary work on some of the Last Ninja 2 tracks with a view to put one of them on line as a taster for the boxset project. It'll be interesting to know what LN2 track people would be eager to hear first ?

Hi Matt,

I was always most impressed with “The Basement In-Game” – the atmosphere in that track compliments the game beautifully (it also nicely blends a lot of different melodies and the change-up midway through the song is wonderful). It’s a very pure soundtrack, though, and may not translate so well outside of the context of the other soundtracks, as well as to people unfamiliar with the ninja theme*. As more of a standalone track, I always loved “The Street Loader” (that song just explodes at 1.22 and never lets up). But in terms of the electronic footprint of your work (comments and remixes and alike) nothing appears to exceed “The Central Park In-Game” – people really respond to it, and I suspect if you nailed that remake it would generate a lot of hype, which may translate into more support.

*I know that may sound strange (who unfamiliar with the original ninja game would support this project?) but as someone who arrived at your music independent of the game I believe that it stands well on its own (as many soundtracks do). Like an updated classic, there’s potential for a new audience.

Hi 64kReady

Thanks. I agree broadly on The Basement In Game. So many people love the atmosphere it creates for that level. From a personal point of view I was always pleased with the actual sounds used in that track. To get the big kick/tom that dominates the 1st half I found if I used a very low root note on a certain wave with some heavy vib you got exactly what I was looking for, not a note but a drum effect. And at the other end of the track the outro riff just needed to sound as much like an overdriven guitar as possible without using a sample that is.

Central Park all round seems to be everyones cup of tea and The Streets. The trick to these bigger productions is going to be how I replace the distinctive oriental sounds I had at my disposal on the SID such as the famous SID fast arped chord. But that's going to be the fun of it I suppose.

Just out of interest, how did you come to hear the LN2 tracks if you weren't a c64 gamer?

Matt

[64KReady]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your response. I’m unsurprised to hear you took the time to search for the right sounds in a track—your melodies and harmonies seemed effortless (which is doubtless is a skill in itself) but what also distinguished your work was how well you manipulated certain sounds on the SID chip in service of a game’s atmosphere.

I was born after the C64 heyday (our first computer was an Amiga 500) but about five years ago I went to a retro-games night where someone was playing Comic Bakery on a C64. I didn’t think much of the game but I was taken by the sound of the SID chip and a few months later I googled ‘best commodore music’. I listened while working on something else, and while I enjoyed a few of the tracks, the moment I heard Dominator loader version 2 I was captured. So maybe I misrepresented the truth before – I did actually arrive at your music by way of the c64.

Perhaps it’s too early in the project for you to reveal, but your comment about the challenge of replacing the distinctive oriental SID sounds made me curious about your direction. I’m fascinated to see how you’ll reproduce SID sounds like pitch bends and your characteristic arpeggios with a pulse wave. Will you favour electronic, kind of like Ou Est Le Swimming Pool’s ‘Dance The Way I Feel’, which I thought of because it has a lovely sound but also a similar melody to LN2’s The basement in game at 2.03; or more classical, like the C64 orchestra project a few years ago that reimagined Rob Hubbard’s and Jeroen Tel’s work?

[Ninja Sounds]

Comic Bakery is a classic and there's a great remix by Reyn Ouwehand from early 2000's that for me shows the track off how it was probably intended if the sounds and technology had been available to put it in the original game. With my project I want to reproduce the tracks as perhaps I might have nearly 30 years ago had the sounds been available. Whilst that will hopefully include some live strings where needed, I'm not totally into the idea of doing orchestral versions of them when I can re-record them using synths,guitars,drums,live bass,etc to duplicate what I had to "settle" for at the time. However, the SID is it's own entity and has it's own unique character so there will be some sounds that are what they are but maybe modified. It's early days though so who knows I may find sounds that capture the same mood and work just as well.

[Mayhem]

Maybe not too surprisingly, Reyn's version of Comic Bakery is my favourite remix of the track too

[Waz]

I agree broadly on The Basement In Game. So many people love the atmosphere it creates for that level. From a personal point of view I was always pleased with the actual sounds used in that track. To get the big kick/tom that dominates the 1st half I found if I used a very low root note on a certain wave with some heavy vib you got exactly what I was looking for, not a note but a drum effect. And at the other end of the track the outro riff just needed to sound as much like an overdriven guitar as possible without using a sample that is.

I do concur with that and with 64Ready said as well. Interesting that you mention the big kick / tom drum though, as one of the remixes I've heard of this really does get that same heavy on the drums feel, namely this one by Load Error:

http://remix.kwed.org/?search_id=3122

I'm probably in a minority that really like that one, and it doesn't feature the second half of the original tune, but concentrates on the somewhat dark moody atmosphere of the opening part, which won me over somewhat.

I think as well for me what's always been important is feeling. When you played the original Last Ninja 2 for example, the soundtrack helped massively to get you into the game and contributed to getting the sense of location and atmosphere right.

The best remixes of any C64 tunes I've heard over the years convey that same feeling of capturing that same feel and atmosphere to it, somehow enhancing it but without losing feeling. It's a pretty important thing for me, probably because I'm quite emotionally attached to certain tunes of that era.

[Ninja Sounds]

I think, Waz those are some good points and I think it's probably best to eliminate the term "Re-Mix" from my project. For me that term has taken on new meaning over the years. When it first emerged in the record industry it was literally referring to the balance of the mix and arrangement perhaps of the original track,but quickly evolved into an art form of totally reinterpretating a track to feature new sounds, new rhythm tracks and often just leaving the vocal (if there was one) from the original work. What I'm trying to do is to produce my c64 games tracks using not just the SID as a synth but any instrument that given the chance to I would have used when I orginally composed them for SID. Many a time I could hear the sound I wanted in my head but simply couldn't get anything like it using the SID chip. So I had to work around it. The plan is to keep the feeling of the tracks but enhance the sonics.

Matt

[Chris Abbott]

For anyone who missed it, Matt's now got a Facebook page up at http://www.facebook.com/MattGrayC64
Go, like, share, invite, have a sauna. Sauna optional!

Chris

[Infamous]

well.. ive requested the sauna.. no answer yet

[Chris Abbott]

I think it's now available on Steam

[tomsk]

What I'm trying to do is to produce my c64 games tracks using not just the SID as a synth but any instrument that given the chance to I would have used when I originally composed them for SID

I find it fascinating to hear what's being discussed on this thread, and really gets me into this project even more! One thing I would mention, and it's just purely a "preference" thing, is that although at the time you were limited to the sound the SID produced, that sound in essence became an important part of why people loved your music. You hear SID and emulated SID all over in modern dance music (I'm sure I've no need to tell you!), it's quite in vogue right now as it sounds retro, yet awesome and new to the ears of today's youth. They've had never heard SID arpeggios before, so it's being unleashed as a new concept, even though it's donkeys years old...anyway I digress, what I'm trying to say is don't loose sight of why your tunes stand out, the sound of the chip is an important factor. It's your call but it sounds promising when you say "What I'm trying to do is to produce my c64 games tracks using not just the SID as a synth ". I love to hear modern re-makes/mixes, but alongside your new instruments, I hope you include some reference to the original sound. Just my thoughts.

[madfiddler]

Interest registered. Particularly because of the quality of people it sounds like you're going to get involved with this Matt!