30 Days of Sonic DAY 27 - Music Track of the Week 4: 'Remixes' [30DOS22]

[Dreadknux]

It's the last Monday of the month! That means one final Music Track of the Week!

   

You now have the opportunity to earn a fourth badge by participating in this week's activity. By taking part in all four weeks of Music Track of the Week, you can earn a Blue (Week 1), Bronze (Week 2), Silver (Week 3) and GOLD (Week 4) Badge all at once!

Music Track of the Week

Remixes

This is kind of apt, given that we are also currently running the Sonic Music Spectacular 2022 in this forum, but our final activity here is all about Sonic remixes. What's your favourite? You can pick either a fan made remix or an official one (for the record, Tee Lopes' Sonic Mania OST tracks of classic stages counts in this). 

I'm going to cheat and use my Remix pick for the Sonic Music Spectacular - only because it's my current favourite and an absolute banger of a track

I first heard this remix at Summer of Sonic actually, back in 2013 I think. It was in the set that RadioSEGA DJs had lined up for the evening's 'Club Sonic' event, and I heard it whilst on stage chucking plush toys out to the crowd. I didn't know what the setlist was going to be in advance so it was great to be introduced to a brand new remix (and a Sonic Colours one at that) in situ.

What's your favourite remix?

[Covskin]

Ok, how about a track I heard for the first time at the 2012 Club Sonic?

I have still never bothered playing Sonic 06, so Dreams of an Absolution doesn't really do anything for me. But this mix, speeding it up and adding guitar, is masterful. I can even overlook the vocal tuning/effects which for me are normally a deal breaker.

[Sega DogTagz]

Much as I would like to bury Sonic 4, it did give an odd gem every now and again, and right at the top of that list would be Metal Sonic's boss theme. Its always just hit me the right way. You can speed it up, slow it down, throw in a bunch of heavy guitar riffs, it just works

 

Here's one that lived rent free in my head for years. I was always strumming out the tune in my head.

 

 

 

[Cuz]

 

Doing the same and claiming my musical spetacular pick. This lyrical rock cover of Time Trials really does it for me. The refrences like "long time no see I know" or "I'll be Unleashed"don't feel as forced as their Friends cover, and the song just flows. I could listen to this on repeat at nauseam. 

Honorable Mention to Walk on Water the Hydro City OCremix. 

 

[Eggman Fan]

I like the green hill from generations.

[castell-neath]

I have two which come straight to mind with remixes, and away from my suggestion on the music spactacular I'd have to say this is my absolute favorite remix of any sonic track...it still sounds as great today as when i first found it years ago.. the Chemical Plant Dance Remix!

 

 

I do also like the Hydrocity Dance remix a lot too...thankfully there were no MJ obsticles on that track being reused for Mania and Origins!!! 

 

[Cosmos Rogue]

I have a playlist on YouTube consisting of nothing but dozens of Sonic remixes in it. So, this is a hard decision for me.

But if I have to narrow it down to just one single track...

 

Everything by Jahn Davis is solid gold and I strongly recommend checking out the rest of his channel. He's also contributing the soundtrack for the upcoming Super Sonic Maker Sonic Studio, which is just another reason to look forward to that project.

[A super No.1 washedupgamer]

If we were allowed to list all of out favorite remixes, I'd crash the topic because I have over a thousand of favorites but I'll settle for posting four:

When I first heard this remix it caught me by surprise. I never thought I'd hear another classic zone getting a remix. I love how they modernized sandopilis zone and the guitars are just amazing. Gave it a spooky yet faster paced feel than the original could.

Also, I love me some sand road:

The original was pretty dull but this remix makes it more exciting and fits the setting of a race in the desert.

As for fanmade remixes:

This remix of angel island is pretty ravey.

Last One:

This guy takes death egg zone and gives it a menacing, metallic madness us bf remix and it's awesome. You can imagine a feeling of hopelessness and despair as you listen to this. It has an end of the world vibe like the original lacked and there's no turning back.

The good future is just as good and gives a feeling of hope and victory.

[JezMM]

Ahh I gotta do a few of different categories again!

Favourite In-Game Remix:

Crisis City has always been one of the great Sonic themes, but I never considered it one of my favourites.  Both Generations remixes utterly turned that around though, but Act 2 has the slight edge.  I just absolutely adore how Ohtani made this rather chaotic sounding track sound so smooth and flowing, and the bits at 1:04 and 1:46 where the mood totally changes into this cool, upbeat feel works so well for the context of this dramatic stage appearing in a best-of compilation of stages.

Honourable Mentions: Crisis City Act 1, Rooftop Run Act 2, Big Arms & Challenge: Mission 5 (Sonic 3D Blast Saturn Theme) from Generations, Planet Wisp Act 2 from Sonic Colours Ultimate, Stardust Speedway Act 1&2, Lava Reef Act 2 and Metallic Madness Act 1 from Sonic Mania.

Favourite Promo Remix:

In terms of remixes that don't appear in the games, this one just blew me away. Naturally I've got some nostalgia bias here big time, and half of it is that I simply never expected them to make such a front-and-center reference to this game again.  The other half is that this song is SO dang cool.  Combines techno and rock into a style that suits the stage perfectly.  I particularly like how the mood shifts for the second loop at 1:45, and of course, Jun's solo near the end is amazing.

Honourable Mentions: Splash Hill Zone Medley Special Remix by Tee and Jun, Dreams of an Absolution (Starry Night Remix), Open Your Heart (K-Klub Remix), A Ghost Pumpkin's Soup (2019 Remix) (Sonic JP Youtube Channel Only), Green Light Ride - Tyler Smyth Remix, Dr. Gigglyman - Sonic Remix

Favourite Fan Remix:

Tudd and General Offensive are two of my favourite Sonic remixers in general - their names pop up again and again in Sonic covers that I enjoy. Their talents come to a head here in this incredibly emotional rendition of Fighting Onward from Sonic Forces.  The original had this air of unease and melancholy to it that suited the Avatar's first dive into the scary unknown of aiding with the resistance, and this mix takes all of that mood absolutely up to eleven, with a steady build-up of intensity to an incredible climax.

The Gamechops Spindash albums in general are great, to the point that... ah I can't resist, just one more!

A beautiful, chilled out remix of Planet Wisp that just makes me wanna lay on a hill on said Planet during that Sonic Generations mission set at dawn and just vibe.  I have a thing for sad and melancholy music, but Sonic rarely goes HARD in that direction.  I guess I love a good remix that takes a song that dabbles in that mood and pushes it harder in that direction.

Honourable Mentions (and I'll give a brief description of these to help someone potentially discover a new favourite):
Lover Reef (OC ReMix) by D-Lux, GeoffreyTaucer, pixietricks, shonensamurai, zircon - A really nicely textured vocal song that turns Lava Reef into a love song
Time Traveller's Delight (from "Temporal Duality") by Overclocked Assembled- Utterly chaotic jazzy hip-hop vocal remix of Stardust Speedway that just sounds like a bunch of folks having a ton of fun
1on1 (from The Sonic Zone Remix Competition 2014) by TheGuitahHeroe feat. WillRock - Really steady and atmospheric but intensly climactic sounding remix that combines S&K Death Egg Zone with Aqua Planet from Sonic Chaos like they were always meant to be together
Totally Rad (from "Spindash 2") by D.J.R - You know how Crisis City Act 2 turns a once intense serious track into something upbeat? This remix kinda does the same to Radical Highway but with a heavy 80's synthwave influence
Special Stage (Cover) (from "Impressions Vol.3") by Breezewax - A heady and dreamy take on this classic chillout Sonic song
Aquatic Ruin Zone (Latin Jazz/Rock Cover) by 130Grit Sound Studio - Exactly what it says on the tin, really works!
Topsy Turvy Tower (from "The Sonic Stadium Music Adventure 2012") by TrickyWolfy - Super cool and intense beefed up version of Hang Castle. I remember around the time hearing a really nice "Sonic Generations Classic" style Hang Castle remix - well this would be my ideal "up to eleven" Modern Remix if I could ever imagine one!
Credits Theme (from Sonic 2 for Master System/Game Gear) [Sonic 25th Anniversary] by Hunter Bridges - And finally, gotta end with something Sonic 2 8-bit... Hunty, who went on to contribute to Sonic Mania Plus' soundtrack, composed this for the 25th Anniversary theme along with the intro medley, but I believe it sadly went unused.  It's a gorgeous, funky rendition of the track that really fits into the Sonic CD (often closely associated with Sonic 2 8-bit's soundtrack)/Sonic Mania musical style nicely.

[qt.steeph]

There's one particular underrated remix I've heard that I'm choosing for this one! 

This remix samples a bunch of sounds and songs from Sonic 06 and turns it into this lush, dance-inducing track! There's even this fun second half where the song suddenly turns into a tribute of Casino Park from Sonic Heroes that ends the remix on a really fun note. Always comeback to this and it's become a track that really gives off a bit of nostalgia for me!

[Shiny Gems]

1 hour ago, Dreadknux said:

It's the last Monday of the month! That means one final Music Track of the Week!

   

You now have the opportunity to earn a fourth badge by participating in this week's activity. By taking part in all four weeks of Music Track of the Week, you can earn a Blue (Week 1), Bronze (Week 2), Silver (Week 3) and GOLD (Week 4) Badge all at once!

Music Track of the Week

Remixes

This is kind of apt, given that we are also currently running the Sonic Music Spectacular 2022 in this forum, but our final activity here is all about Sonic remixes. What's your favourite? You can pick either a fan made remix or an official one (for the record, Tee Lopes' Sonic Mania OST tracks of classic stages counts in this). 

I'm going to cheat and use my Remix pick for the Sonic Music Spectacular - only because it's my current favourite and an absolute banger of a track

I first heard this remix at Summer of Sonic actually, back in 2013 I think. It was in the set that RadioSEGA DJs had lined up for the evening's 'Club Sonic' event, and I heard it whilst on stage chucking plush toys out to the crowd. I didn't know what the setlist was going to be in advance so it was great to be introduced to a brand new remix (and a Sonic Colours one at that) in situ.

What's your favourite remix?

Would this, as well as the rest of the album this song is from count?

[Indigo Rush]

Hands down my favorite Sonic 1 remix. Marble Zone's BGM was a weird blend of mystery and danger, yet the catchy melody shines through as an uplifting one. 

This remix takes this and makes it intense. You're in an ancient castle sinking in lava, filled with medieval death traps and crumbling floors. This remix truly sells the vibe that Marble Zone was going for, and that's something a great remix ought to do. 

[Tornado]

There's been so many great remixes I've heard in the past twenty years, even ignoring all of the official ones as Sega leaned more into that.

 

The first one that comes to mind is the phenomenal Water on the Dance Floor from Project Chaos, waving that "WIP" label in front of my face for over a decade for a finalized version likely never to come (also, fuck me, Project Chaos is nearly 15 years old now?!?!).

 

 

 

 

But the one I actually have to give it to is another track, which I've seen in so few places and have not been able to find a download link for for quite a long time.

I downloaded this wonderful piano composition medley of most of the soundtrack of Sonic 2 sometime in probably 2004/2005. It gives such a great new spin on so many of the songs (the entire game in order through Sky Chase) that it has completely stuck in my mind ever since. I had been legitimately worried it wouldn't even be on YT to link here, it's fallen so far by the wayside.

[Ryannumber1gamer]

My favourite official remix would have to be...

 

 

Ironically enough, despite my growing annoyance at how often Chemical Plant is reused nowadays, it tends to be the Chemical Plant remixes that slap the hardest for me. Gens' version is another one of my favourites in general, updating the song and melody with a rock instrumentation that really makes it feel great to hear as you're blitzing through Modern's Chemical Plant.

But that said, the Mania version is the clear winner to me. It's got such a new high-energy to it while keeping the original spirit of the song, along with a excellent jazzy flair that in my eyes really makes it stand out in a game filled with excellent music. It was when I got to Chemical Plant Act 2 in Mania that I immediately realised just what we were going with when it came to the Act 1 and Act 2 structure, and how Act 1 would act as the original, while Act 2 would be a total revamp, and the music was a big part of that, it hits hard immediately after hearing Act 1's music.

In terms of unofficial remixes, my vote is going to Poisoned Paradise by Lil Boulder. Planet Wisp Act 1 is one of my all-time favourite tracks in the series. For me, one of the problems that official remixes of Planet Wisp Act 1 tends to run into is that their idea of a remix is just taking the song, amping it up with more energy and up-tempo sounds and the like, and calling it. Which while not bad in of itself - it imo kind of hurts the original because the original song in of itself represents Planet Wisp's state - starting out calm and beautiful with the nice piano piece, before suddenly amping up into a much more traditional Sonic song, representing how Eggman's gutted the beautiful locale of Planet Wisp for his schemes.

However, this remix finds a great middle ground IMO - it keeps the nice calm piano bits and calmer moments, while also adding a fun funky remix to the rest of the song, giving it a pretty nice vibe imo.

[Dr. Detective]

I was so unfamiliar with Sonic 3's music that I didn't even know Boo's House was a remix of Sandopolis and I still jammed out to that shit man. TSR's music is so good guys. 

The one that had me going crazy aside from Boo's House and Haunted Castle was Bingo Party though. The way the music makes it sound like the cars are bouncing off the bumpers while on the road before the action takes hold again is freakin' sweet.

I would also be remiss not to bring up the Doc. RoBEATnix mix from Shadow the Hedgehog.

I mean come on. It's too awesome.

 

[WanderingBleats]

This is yet another question suffering from an embarrassment of riches. I can't even begin to count how many great remixes there are. I'm gonna regret leaving something out no matter what I do, so I guess I'll go ahead and highlight the ones I posted in the Music Spectacular topic and go into more detail about why I chose those ones.

Found My Way by Emi Jones: I first heard this one in the Tails trailer for Big's Big Fishing Adventure 3 and it's just so cool to me. It mashes so many themes throughout the series together. Like, seriously. It's got Believe In Myself, Bridge Zone, Mission Street, Balloon Park, Seaside Hill, Route 99, even freaking Green Hill Zone from Sonic Blast of all games. And the lyrics reflect an idealized version of Tails that sadly isn't lived up to in the games of late. I want so desperately for him to grow and flourish, and this song manages to kind of fulfill that desire. It makes me feel proud of him, and that has some meaning to me.

 

 

Aqua Planet (YM2612 Arrangement) by mrbuttercup37: I wanted to highlight this one because Aqua Planet is a criminally overlooked track, and this remix really helps bring a lot of power to it that the Game Gear's sound chip just wouldn't be capable of. The original kinda reminds me of music from Namco's old arcade games, like Mappy and Metro-Cross, and that's a good base to build on. ...I don't have much else to say about it, I just really like this track and wanna draw attention to it!

Also, since official remixes are a thing, I also linked to Metallic Madness Act 2 from Sonic Mania because of the super rad Eggman rap, which is quickly followed up by the incredible sax portion.

[Dr. Mechano]

From the "Sonic Remix" album, Dr. Gigglymen is a remix of both Sonic CD's boss theme, final boss theme, and a little bit of Stardust Speedway. The result is a chill remix that befits Eggman's Empire. I've always liked this tune, and I still often throw it on for creative inspiration when I write or draw something Eggman-related.

[Zaysho]

I remember back in the day it was a running gag that Ice Cap got tons of remixes on Overclocked Remix, and while there were a lot, many of them were bangers. But one of them has stuck with me after all these years, and that's DCT's and Noodle's hip hop remix.

EDIT: Other choices (linking to avoid spamming too many videos)!

 

Li'l Boulder's instrumental, faster paced remix of one of Shadow the Hedgehog's ending themes, "The Chosen One" is another one that sticks out to me really clearly.

Since I'm here I'll throw in a couple official remixes as well. Sonic Generations' Collection Room music, which is a remix of "Door into Summer" from Knuckles' Chaotix. Always loved this one. Really wish that soundtrack got more love from Sega because it's full of gems.

Finally, Sonic Forces' remix of the Bad Future Stardust Speedway (US version) for Metal Sonic's boss fight. It's nice that this version can still get some attention and I honestly think it fits Metal as a boss theme more than the JP version. Was really surprised to find out it was part of the soundtrack.

Okay, I'm done now haha. These ones have been at the top of my mind when I saw the thread title.

[NikoS]

Ohh, more music, I'm fine with this

For fan remixes, I'll pick Will o' the wisp by Brandon Strader, I heard it on The Sonic Zone Remix Competition made by OCRemix in 2012, this is one of the best, if not the best version I ever heard of planet wisp (maybe behind Gone, but overall I enjoy this one the most)

About official remixes, I'll have to agree with @Covskinthe remix Jun did of Dreams of an Absolution is... a dream? I always go to this version to listen to the song.

 

 

[Solister]

Like most people, I'll try to retain myself into one official and one fan remix.

For official ones, I'm not really remembering any which sparkles a favorite, but I have two contenders. One is my Sonic Music Spectacular choice, Brand New World, which was already posted. My second choice is what my first choice was at the spectacular if you could select more than 2 songs from the same game:

For fan remixes, I really need to know more names in the area, however, I think no one beats JemenJ for me, a strong contender was the already chosen, Chemical Plant (Dance Remix), so I'll go with this one:

[Winston]

I think my favorite remix is probably Rooftop Run Act 2, or Modern, from Sonic Generations. I just love the original song and I think the Generations modern version is just as good as the original. It's just a catchy song. I do want to give a shout out to Route 99 from one of the Mario & Sonic games, I thought that was another great remix, and it was nice getting an official remix of it. The Mario & Sonic series as a whole is filled with awesome remixes. 

[Adamabba]

I'll pick the S.A.M.E version of Windy and Ripply

The ending they added to this remix is my favorite part

[Nix]

who put persona 5 into sa2

why does it go in so hard

[Sapphirine Wind]

do mashups count as remixes?

I think the Chemical Plant Zone theme greatly improved the song; I heard the original "24K Magic" after this and went "that's it?"

[Celestia]

Metropolitan Highway is one of the few tracks in Forces that I think is genuinely perfect as is, no notes, etc. However Lil Boulder remixes are great. Ergo:

Some others:

• I really like John Tay's remixes and high quality rips etc. and one of my faves are the Sonic 1 remixes. Extra special shout out to Star Light Zone.
• Hyper Potions' Tropical Resort is cute
• Earlier this month Gametal released a remix of Supporting Me and it's great
• 8-Bit Big Band's version of Spring Yard (you might recognize them from when they won a Grammy for their arrangement of Meta Knight's Revenge)

Meme:

• The final boss theme from Lost World but it's in the Crash soundfont. You're welcome for bringing this to your attention.

6 hours ago, A super No.1 washedupgamer said:

As for fanmade remixes:

[Savaged Regime Angel Island Bad Future]

This remix of angel island is pretty ravey.

Only just discovered Savaged Regime's Angel Island CD style remixes recently myself and I just want to say the Good Future version is incredible too.