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Parasite Eve Remixes :: Review by Chris
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Album Title: | Parasite Eve Remixes |
| Record Label: | DigiCube | |
| Catalog No.: | SSCX-10023 | |
| Release Date: | July 30, 1998 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at eBay |
Overview
The Parasite Eve Original Soundtrack was principally an electronica soundtrack and featured plenty of artistic potential. As a result, it was a good choice for an ambitious remix album. The Parasite Eve Remixes features ten renditions of favourites from the score in a wide range of electronic styles. While most artists featured on the album are unknowns, some famous electronica artists contributed alongside prominent game music musicians Yoko Shimomura and Hidenori Iwasaki (aka VAG40). While the album has its highlights, the overall effort unfortunately proves somewhat muddled and inaccessible...
Body
The album opens with an electrifying remix of "Theme of Aya" by the game's original composer, Yoko Shimomura. This track stays relatively faithful to the distinctive melodies and harmonies of the original, while offering a number of elaborations during its extended playtime. The piano lines remain as catchy and upbeat as ever, while the jazz-inspired solos and interludes are a positive diversion from the slightly repetitive original and give the theme a more substantial musical basis. The track is mixed and mastered wonderful, with the heavy drum work and ethereal synthpads being particularly fitting for the Parasite Eve universe. This remix is one of the most accessible on the album and a solid introduction.
Several of the tracks on the album take a relatively downbeat approach. Toma's interpretation of "Arise Within You" blends drum 'n bass beats with vocoder interpretations of the melody. Among the more tame remixes, it is most notable for the way it conveys human emotions using robotic sounds. However, parts of the seven minute remix have a repetitive feel and the production values now sound outdated. Dan K's "Missing Perspective" takes an even calmer approach with its soft beats and piano infusions. In addition to being somewhat boring, it is probably the least artistically appealing track on the album, resembling mainstream chillout music rather than anything more cutting-edge. More impressive is "Urban Noise", which retains the inorganic feel and dark mood of the original, while pioneering a trip-hop style with its low-fi samples and vocal parts. Though the original is greatly distorted, the material that the original provided was limited in the first place and minimal inclusion of such material seems a sensible move.
Some tracks take a more upbeat approach. Quadra's "Plosive Attack" is written in a relatively typical club style, gradually thickening over its 8:34 playtime with new samples and compelling beats. It's a fairly generic interpretation that, once again, is rather repetitious. However, the original is transformed in a fairly convincing manner, retaining its quirky qualities while giving it a mainstream reach. More abstract is Tribal Masters' "Influence of Deep", an ever-varied blend of operatic voices and drum 'n bass beats. While well done, it may be too bizarre to generate widespread appeal. Another ambitious remix is Hidenori Iwasaki's "Across the Memories", with its rapid polyrhythms, heavy distortion, and various thematic references. It's a much crazier rendition of the original that still keeps the melodies intact. Once again, it will appeal to those who like to live dangerously.
Perhaps the most encompassing track on the entire album is "Under the Progress". Rhythmically compelling beats, industrial samples, ethereal piano passages, and subtle sound effects are all blended here in a stylish way. It's especially enjoyable how the theme of Aya is reprised in fragmented form on the piano from the 2:16, giving a hook for listeners to latch on to while bringing the album round full circle. What's more, unlike many of the remixes on the album, this one stood the test of time and still sounds great in 2010. Something wonderful, indeed. The album concludes with an arrangement of the vocal theme "Somnias Memories", translated from Spanish to English. Though the melody remains distinctive throughout, it loses some of the qualities of the original with its broken English and novelty sound effects.
Summary
About 97.8% of the world's population will think this album is nothing but senseless rubbish and find no redeeming features in the remixes. Indeed, the arrangements are abstractly styled, the originals are often distorted to the extent that it is unrecognisable, and there isn't a fragment of traditional music to be heard. However, the album will hold a wider appeal to electronic junkies out there. Many of the arrangements do a good job of blending the atmosphere and melodies of the originals with electronic styles, such as drum 'n bass, trip-hop, and chillout. It's a pity that some arrangements are either too repetitive, abstract, or poorly produced to yield a wider appeal. Most can safely skip this release.
