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Posted on: Jan 12, 2009
The Sounds of Street Fightin'
WORDS BY: Mitch Dyer
It was a long time coming, but Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix was worth it. Our 9.0 review score tells you how highly we think of it, and HD Remix was everything a Chun-Li-fanboy could ask for. Something that stuck out as much as the new character art and Remixed gameplay, however, was the music. The blend of new-era thinking and loyalty to fans' nostalgia fused distorted guitars and groovy bass beats to create a kick-ass soundtrack that you would want to listen to on an iPod.
Because the entire thing was a fan-made effort, tackled by the passionate music-nuts at OverClocked Remix, you can.
The tunes resonated so much with us that we thought we'd catch up with David. W. Lloyd (better known as djpretzel), and Larry "Liontamer" Oji, the soundtrack's Director and Assistant Director, respectively. Lloyd, OC Remix's president and founder, has taken his passion to the professional level, appearing alongside Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall, co-creators of Video Games Live. Oji, on the other hand, has handled well over 2,500 fan-made remixes as a judge of nearly five years. Impressive qualities, if you ask us.
But how did these passionate music-lovers come to create a Capcom OST?
*****
What is OC ReMix, and what exactly do you guys do?
djpretzel: OC ReMix is an online community of fans (guys AND gals) who arrange/remix video game music and make it available for free. It's sort of like the musical equivalent of fan art or fan fiction - we take game soundtracks, often (but not always) from older 8-bit and 16-bit games, and we put our own spin on them. That could mean doing a jazz quartet version of the main Zelda melody, rocking a heavy metal Castlevania track, turning a Mega Man theme into a trance/electronica anthem, or putting a funk spin on Sonic the Hedgehog. All of which actually HAVE been done and are available at www.ocremix.org, along with hundreds more.
It's a way for those with musical inclinations to express both their love for video games and video game music, while also expressing themselves. At the same time it helps highlight the awesome & often overlooked work of video game composers. All the music on our site is available for free, no profit is made, and the entire collaborative & creative process is meant both as education and homage to the art of game music.
OC ReMix is responsible for tons of music, but the Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix soundtrack might be the biggest thing to come out of that community since its inception. How many people were involved in its creation?
Larry: 21 ReMixers, along with myself assisting things. Capcom approved several tracks from our Super Street Fighter II Turbo remix album that gained their attention, Blood on the Asphalt (sf2.ocremix.org), which locked in the first 10 ReMixers. Creating the remainder of the soundtrack from scratch, we had a great opportunity to involve more artists from the community. There's too many to rattle off, but soundtrack co-director Shael Riley and fellow assistant director Malcos (Stephen Malcom-Howell) followed the progress of the music the entire way.
How long did the process take, from inception to implementation?
Larry: Most of the work was completed between September 2007 and March 2008, but delays on the art side from UDON gave us a lot more time than we, or Capcom, had originally anticipated. Ultimately, the delays benefited the game: UDON had to work quickly once they re-conceptualized the art, but their revised approach looks magnificent in action. Meanwhile, [the game's Lead Designer] David Sirlin took advantage of the opportunity to further test and balance the gameplay. For us, the delays allowed time to tweak some things and improve the final soundtrack, polishing what we thought was already a strong score.
Mon, 01/19/2009 - 12:17
Posted by ethanjude
Love it, Mitch. The soundtrack was fantastic, and this is a great interview.