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Milestones Mix :: Review by Don
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Album Title: | Milestones Mix |
| Record Label: | Sweep Record | |
| Catalog No.: | N/A | |
| Release Date: | February 25, 2011 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at Sweep Record |
Overview
Milestones Mix is a bonus album that was given to those who ordered the Milestone Sound Collection from Sweep Records. It contains the bonus remixes originally found on the Karous Original Soundtrack and a brand new mix by Shinji Hosoe.
Body
The album opens with a 30 minute mix by Shinji Hosoe. Encompassing quite a few tracks from Milestone's history, it blends music found on the live set heard on the fourth disc of the compilation album with the original soundtrack music. It's a very chilled out remix with only a few moments of intensity. However, I think it serves as a nice contrast to the heavy bonus remixes that follow.
Moving to the Karous remixes, Hosoe's "1000 clouds -solid mix-" takes the original and definitely gives it a bit of an edge. The beats are a bit heavier, the distortion he adds makes the theme sound fuller, and the introduction of some new synth samples help give it a bit stronger industrial edge. It's got a nice futuristic soundscape but still manages to give that feeling of flying through the clouds. His second contribution, "Sex Pervert of a Silence -near heck mix-," takes an already hardcore mix and manages to make it much more hardcore. The beats are much harder and frequent, there is some excellent new percussion sampling, and overall, it seems to have a much more vibrant sound. Out of the Hosoe arrangements, this one takes the cake for me, but for most, it's probably intolerable, unless of course, you are into hardcore electronica.
Next up on the list is Ayako Saso with two arrangements of her own. The first, "One Thing Reality -switched-on mix-," is much more rave like. Heavy beats, an extremely fast tempo, some additional synth lines to give it its own unique identity, especially in the beginning all make this theme much more energetic than the original. It reminds me of something you might find in a Ridge Racer game. "Electric Chair -Terminal Hardcore mix-" also throws in some elements for which she is known. Take the sinister approach of the original, keep it intact, but also throw in some new rave sections and a more hardcore beat to create an exhilarating atmosphere. The inclusion of some vocal samples throughout much of the remix helps give it that Saso touch and really works well with the accompanying beats. Overall, this is the best of her arrangements on the album.
Takanori Sato's sole arrangement, "The Extraordinary People -break down mix-," takes the rather tranquil atmosphere of the boss theme and creates a nice house remix with some killer beats, industrial accents, and excellent mixing. I think what I like most about this remix is how the industrial aspects of the original are carried through in the background and the fact that it's such an upbeat remix. Of course, Sato does throw in a bit of the calming atmosphere of the original, but adds some distortion and other electronic effects into the mix. This is one of my favorite arrangements on the album!
Last, but surely not least, is Yousuke Yasui. His first arrangement, "You Can't Fxxk Mme -rush act-," definitely intensifies it quite a bit. The opening intro is much more effective in terms of creating a powerful feeling and although it extends for a period of time, similar to the original, Yasui adds enough electronic variation and effects to make it interesting. His new electronic variations also really work well with the piano line that is carried over from the original. However, his second arrangement, "Death from Above 4098 -artillery mix-," is the better of the two, in my opinion. Whereas the original focused on a minimalist approach, Yasui opts to add a nice, hardcore beat that really accentuates the powerful distorted synth in the melody line. To take it one step further, later on in the remix, he masks the distorted synth almost seamlessly and uses it as more of an accompaniment rather than the feature. Hell, at times, he even distorts it further. Truly an interesting take on the original!
Summary
In the end, this bonus disc is a nice little bonus in an already generous compilation. Those who have the Karous Original Soundtrack may not find this worthwhile, but for those who don't own it, it's a nice little compilation. The extended mix also showcases some of k.h.d.n's more soothing soundscapes while the remixes transform the original music of Karous into something a bit more intense.
