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Dracula X Remixes :: Review by Daniel Lopez
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Album Title: | Dracula X Remixes |
| Record Label: | King Records | |
| Catalog No.: | KICA-7801 | |
| Release Date: | October 3, 1997 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at Game Music Online |
Overview
This is basically a short sampling of the many club and house remixes of Dracula X game music that are, no doubt, flowing their way through Japanese video game otaku dance clubs. The operative word here is dance, by the way — there won't be any orchestrations of Dracula X's "Olrox's Quarters" on this disc or even a power rock arrangement of the already blazing "The Tragic Prince". There's nothing but booty bouncin' beats on the CD, and if dancing and Dracula music is your thing, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.
Body
The first track, "Dracula X - Gate to Heaven - dj feilong Xbeat Mix", is a fairly standard club mix. There is a constant steady beat that changes up here and there, but basically sticks to the first pattern. There is a sample of "Dracula's Castle", laced over it, but it really has no other connection to the game's music. This cut is really right where it belongs, at the head of the disc, as it is neither exceptionally good nor annoyingly bad. An excellent precursor to some of the other cuts.
Track two features the "Vampire Killer" theme from the original NES Castlevania sung with what seem to be Japanese and English lyrics performed by "carina". The beat here changes up more than the first track's does, but always has an underlying, perhaps annoying, sequence. The idea of using lyrics to sing a game melody is always a sound one, but the beat on this track is rather boring, which, with this being a club song especially, prevents one from really jammin' with it.
Track three, titled "Big Burn X-Storm Dub", is the worst of the bunch. It starts out with a very bland effect, which is slowly (too slowly) added to. The whole thing doesn't really start to pick up until about five minutes into it, at which point its sequencing reaches its would-be climax. Unfortunately, the entire thing is very, very boring, and will ultimately go unlistened to except by those who are feeling too lazy to hit the skip button on their CD player.
The fourth track, "Trans Form", comes much stronger, and is more danceable than all but the last track of the CD. There are more effects thrown in as it progresses, all of which syncopate in very nicely with the others. Whereas "Big Burn X..." just droned on and on, this one turns a little trick here and there to make its full listening enjoyable, rather than painful. If there is a blight on this track's rhythmic face it is one of the first few effects added; some strange scream that sticks around for most of the cut. That eventually falls to the wayside, though, as you'll probably be too busy groovin' to let it bug ya.
Track five, "Cemetery of Rainbow", comes in just under "Trans Form", but only because its beat is a little too repetitive. Not boring, mind you, just repetitive. It comes on no less strong, and is just as easy to listen to as any of the other good pieces on the CD.
Track six, another mix of "Vampire Killer", sung and presumably mixed by "carina", is easily the best song on the whole disc. It features an extended string of the vocals she sang on track two, and a nice, pounding beat. The reason that this song wins out against "Trans Form" and "Cemetary of Rainbow" is the fact that, unlike those and the other tracks, it is a real song. Even though it is the shortest track, it has a melody you can grasp and lyrics you might almost be able to sing with, or at least hum with. It also has the normal progression of a song, and a cohesive feel to it, rather than just sounding like a few different sequences thrown together.
Summary
Altogether, Dracula X Remixes will not disappoint you, should it be dance music you seek. The good, being the last three tracks, far outweighs the bad, i.e. the short length of the disc and those six minutes of "Big Burn X..." Those of you wanting a more melodic arrangement of the Dracula X pieces will have to look elsewhere, but others should pop this in and shake yo' booty!
