2020: In Review

January: The year started with the Takeover Tournament, with comedy posts flying left and right. Dyland surprised all with a rare appearance and a new post series! This month marks also the introduction of 3D character models.

February: Dylan's post series continues, and I fight a bacterial infection, in what would be the last month of "normalcy" as The Pandemic kicked in.

March: Being sick is now illegal. Go directly to home, do not collect $2000.

April:

May: Dyland keeps PTE going with the countdown #7-#3.

June: Dyland's series hits its finale with the top 2 and honourable mentions.

July: Mythri is crowned champion of the Takeover Tournament. PTE becomes a Music Blog, and the RO Music REview Series Begins.

August-December: The RO Music REview series continues, with over 25 songs reviewed! (28 total, of a possible 50)

December: In a bid to keep PTE from turning into a RO Music REview blog, the Takeover Tournament is kicked off for a second round, and the winner ends up being...

Now: In The Year 2020, Nobody Wins.

Better Luck Next Year!

 

 

(Results to be posted January 1st, 2021)

Record Scratch: PTE the Music Review Blog

6 months of running PTE has shown Mythri the evil that is running this blog. 

In a bid to keep PTE interesting, a poll is now running until the end of the year. Whoever wins the poll will work with Mythri to try to further PTE, perhaps in a slightly new direction.

Check the "Characters" Page to see what each contestant's plans are!

RO Music REview: Vultures of Love

 

Title: Vultures of Love

Released: November 12, 2011

Genre: Heavy Metal

 

 Basic and instrumental, but it does fit the genre. An experiment clearly, and if it had vocals (or screaming) it would probably have hit a little more success.

That does bring forth the 'what if' scenario, but I suppose that applies to every song, each one has an influence on what came next.

I dunno what this song could be useful for, but it's a composition of noises!

 Rating: 5/10

RO Music REview: Ultimate Nemesis (Amy's Theme)

 

Title: Ultimate Nemesis (Amy's Theme)

Released: April 8, 2012

Genre: Industrial

 

 Similar to the last song, this song has a certain unpolished edge to it that certainly adds to it. The drums in this are weirdly quite on point, especially since they are simple drum loops.

This screams "video game song" more than for anything else. Whether that is a downfall or a win is open to debate. It did at least end up in a game, albeit a doomed flash one.

 The overarching synths are repetitive for sure, and the song doesn't give a huge variety of sound. But it's interesting to listen to, and holds a steady vibe.

 Rating: 7/10

RO Music REview: ~Lockdown~

 

Title: ~Lockdown~

Released: November 4,2010

Enacted: November 20,2020

Genre: Industrial

 

 Gritty. Tense. Strange. Ominous.

Fitting for the theme, and experimental in its sound.

This again is a piece that be befitting of an album, even though its far from radio worthy.

 

Oh no.

 Rating: too real/10

RO Music REview: City of Hope & Can't Wait for the Weekend

 

Title: The City of Hope

Released: Oct 17, 2010

Genre: Misc.

  

Certainly something different. The chorus is familiar sounding, and had I been more known I'd may have faced the trials and tribulations Talyor Swift had. I'd argue ironically the main tune is what holds this song back. Overall a pleasant tune, the thick bassy synths are the best part.

          Rating: 3/10

Title: Can't Wait for the Weekend

Released: Oct 20, 2010

Genre: New Wave

 

Though the synths don't hit as hard on this, the drums do. The synth in the breaks work well. I don't know how the mainline synths need altering, but perhaps what this song really lacks is a solid bass. 

Relatable title!

 Rating: 4.5/10

RO Music REview: Techtox

 

Title: Techtox

Released:September 25, 2010

Genre: Trance

 

 A song with words! Sort of. Voice loops, which was yet another experimental track.

Overall this track comes off as very basic and uninspired, but there's moments where the direction is more interesting. 

The only take-away here and from the last song is the words thing really wasn't happening for me. Ah well.

 

 Rating: 3.5/10

RO Music REview: Escaping Her [Special Mix]

 

Title: Escaping Her [Special Mix]

Released:August 30, 2010

Genre: Industrial

 

 Another song in the 'her' story-line.

The synthline, though very repetitive, is quite good for setting the tone.

The breakdown is fun, and the gritty second half of the chorus parts of the song are still a well done technique to me.

Certainly it's loopy, and tweaking some of the song-lengthing repeating would go a long way.

But it's fun to listen to.

Also the special mix was due to taking out lyrics. A constant struggle, but I won't dock marks for that, since this version ended up preferred.

 Rating: 8.5/10

RO Music REview: The '09s

Title: Challenge

Released:January 6, 2009

Genre:Dance

 

 This song is certainly nice and punchy. Love the kick. It's overall hi-energy. The 'woosh' noise seems unnecessary, even a detraction. 

Smoother than usual, that's the programs merit.

 Rating: 6/10

 

 

Title: Midnight in Eric City

Released:January 7, 2009

Genre: Trance

 

 Unsurprisingly similar to the last, but with a bit of good change-up. This one reads more melodic, and structurally feels more like a 'real' song.

 Rating: 9/10

 

 

Title: 1000

Released:January 11, 2009

Genre: Techno

 

 A stride was clearly hit. It's very nice to listen to, and memorable.

 Rating: 9/10

 

 

Title: The New City

Released: March 7, 2009

Genre: New Wave

 

 This song epitomizes the upbeat vibe. It's quirky and weird, but so positive.

Very clearly loops, but mixed nicely, and all the parts work together weirdly well.

I can say based on all these reviews, there's clearly a skill I was starting to hone.

...In theory.

 Rating: 8/10

 

 

Title: The New City

Released: July 4, 2009

Genre: Industrial

 

Lengthwise it's ambitious. One of my longest. And it's definitely not the sort of thing you'd hear in a club or on the radio. So it's a far-cry if all these reviews were centered on that.

But it's a dead-ringer for an 'original mix' sort of song. A classic techno tune that nowadays gets 20 remixes.

Based on my previous work, that remix will certainly not be coming from me.

 Rating: 8/10

 

 

Title: Technorage

Released: July 26, 2009

Genre: Techno

 

 This song reads like a medley. The 'transitions' certainly work, but since the tune is all over the map, it feels like you're watching a Tarantino film. It throws tidbits and seems to use the piano to remind you what song you started with. But unless someone is looking for a strange tune that jars the mind with it's quirkiness, this song will fall flat.

 Rating: 5/10

 

 

Title: Aquasize

Released: September 19, 2009

Genre: ???

 

Flawless.

 Rating: 10/10

 

Title: ~Ravewave~

Released: October 22, 2009

Genre: Trance

 

Repeptitive. Strange. I know I used a technique where I pitch-shifted loops, and I can (and always will) notice it in the 'chorus' of this song. It's experimental in the tact, but it's outcome is a mixed bag.

I do really enjoy the drop at 2:00 though.

 Rating: 5.5/10

 

RO Music REview: A Fantasy of Her

 

Title: A Fantasy of Her

Released: December 15, 2008

Genre:Dance

 

 The Pros: Upbeat, Trance, Dreamlike, Decent progression, pleasant to listen to, name fits.

The Cons: Basic, Similar to Dream of Her structurally, sounds like a sample song.

The best part about this song is the fact that its namesake pushed the idea of a song-story which would ultimately end up being told in 4 songs. 

 

 Rating: 6.5/10

RO Music REview: Mad Fiesta (Full w/o lyrics)

 

Title: Mad Fiesta (Full w/o lyrics)

Released: December 14, 2008

Genre: World

 

You'll be hard-pressed to find a version with vocals. I'd struggled with the idea for adding that to my music and it peaked with this song. I designed the tune around the vocals I was going to add, but I admitted defeat whilst recording.

There is or was actual lyrics written for this song. Not sure where that file went.

 The kicker in all this is this song went on without my words to become a bit of a hit. Featured in an online game, and occasionally appearing on youtube.

Structurally it follows what I'd normally do to a T. It shines on its own merit, from the instrument loops chosen to the synth to add flair.

Will a version with lyrics ever come out? Unlikely.

But it's certainly another point for trying something different and garnering success from it.

 Rating: 9.5/10

RO Music REview: Mystery Hills

 

Title: Crazy Phenomenon

Released: October 23, 2008

Genre: Trance

 

Starting with a sound effect to set the tone, moving into a moody baseline, carried along with a melodic synth. 

Tracks like this are the type I could see on an album of mine, if I ever were to release one.

It's not the type of song that would ever get popular, or likely even recognized. 

But as an instrumental piece, it plays out like a story. My thoughts anyway.

Even without the titular title, this song proves itself an interesting piece.

 Rating: 9/10

RO Music REview: Crazy Phenomenon

 

Title: Crazy Phenomenon

Released: October 22, 2008

Genre: Experimental

 

 I claimed this as hip-hop, but I don't think this qualifies.

What...what is this?

It's an absolute absurdist tune throwing different elements together.

In that regard, the name is really fitting. 

A real Frankenstein song.

I don't know man.

 Rating: 3 or 7/10

 

RO Music REview: ~City Girl~

 

Title: ~City Girl~

Released: October 21, 2008

Genre: Pop

 

 Incredible to realize this followed Rise of Sin. 

I don't think it's pop. I'd call this some form of electro.

But it's hard to fit this song in a category and I like that.

It starts off sweetly with that soft synth and retains a certain light innocence to the sound. 

The drums and bass are an odd combo with it, somehow they work. Not perfectly or seemlessly mind you, but they don't detract at least.

This sort of song doesn't necessarily need lyrics. And this is more closely compositional of a song, despite it being a loopy mess.

If all looped songs could turn out to be the gem this was, there would be a foot to stand on. But this was a one-off and it still has its fair share of imperfections, loop matching and sound mixing and whatnot. 2 or 3 loops carry the entire project and I can't decide if that's a good or bad thing.

But this song is closer to what I'm looking for.

 Rating: 8.5/10

RO Music REview: Rise of Sin

 

Title: Rise of Sin

Released: October 20, 2008

Genre: Metal/Hard Rock 

It certainly is... a change of tune. *ba dum tss*

Since it is a different genre, I gotta judge it accordingly.

It lacks vocals, which could have helped carry it more. The riffs are cool, but seeing as they were the only ones, they had to be played into oblivion, which weakens them. The drums are pretty fast and don't seem to add a lot.

No guitar solo? Clearly I don't know instrumental rock, or didn't back then.

Had this come out in 2000, this could have ended up in a nice edgy flash game that nowadays would be obsolete or likely some level of offensive.

But in terms of exploring a new genre, kudos to that.

 

 Rating: 3/10

RO music REview: Sunny Holiday!

 

Title: Sunny Holiday

Released: October 19, 2008

Genre: New Wave

This song is a classic RO Design, I can tell my patterning from a mile away.

Because of that, the 'intro' is not great. I don't mind the hook of the ukelele, but it'd have been nicer to chop out the entire next bit and skip to :53, and repeat that once more. Past that it's pretty pleasant, save for the snares at 2:25, which I know was to add flair but it really just added too much.

For a bunch of loops, not bad. Arranging is it's own challenge, and even with a DAW I'll struggle with that.

 

 Rating: 5/10

RO Music REview: ~ Revolution

 

Title: ~ Revolution

Released: October 19, 2008

Genre: Electronic

 

Immediately it's clear I jumped into a new loop program, as the quality improves. Still loopy but much more smooth.

I'll admit working with new loops is very exciting, and is part of what kept me going the loop route. Why bother with a DAW when you have pre-made good noises that you just have to try to combine in a clever way?

But that's why we're here, because that thinking is exactly the flaw. And this is about growth!

Speaking of which, this song progresses decently, and though the sprinkling effects tactic remains a wash, it's certainly something easier to listen to than some other works.

Rating: 5/10

RO Music REview: Bassyer

 

Title: Bassyer

Released: October 18, 2008

Genre: Another song name that starts with 'Ba'

In a struggle to keep innovating, one turns to their previous work, and alters it.

This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

 

 Rating: 3.5/10  

 

RO Music REview: Evil-Theme

 

Title: Base 50 (Riccy's Base)

Released: August 13, 2008

Genre: ?? Music?

Ah, Evil-Theme. A song of cardinal sins.

The grating synth-line, being the core of the tune, meant to carry the entire song.

Drums that play at the speed of light.

We hear the return of the bass from Base 50. The other f/x work a bit here and there.

And the title? Truly unique.

I wish this was my worst work, but sadly, there's more.

Rating: 1/10

RO Music REview: Base 50

Title: Base 50 (Riccy's Base)

Released: August 12, 2008

Genre: Industrial

 

This screams title screen for an early 2000s FPS game. That's my now impression.

It's certainly got a slick and dark vibe to it. It's of course repetitive and loopy, but it's upbeat enough to not become too grinding on the ear.

Some effort choices are oddly fitting, but certainly only for this song, and are otherwise not  overall super pleasant. 

The 1:30 mark onward has too much overlapped noise. 

The intro and first "Chorus" are definitely the highlights here. Very good opening hook.

But will it keep someone for the entire 2 minutes? Not so likely I think.

Love the vibe ultimately though. 

Rating: 6/10

RO Music REview: Hip Hop Meltdown

  

Title: Hip Hop Meltdown

Released: May 6, 2008

Genre: Hip-Hop/Electronic

This song gave a good lesson about naming songs before releasing them. It's name now is somewhat fitting, as it certainly fringes on a proper hip-hop sound, but definitely has too upbeat of a melody to fit. Plus it's too fast. 

Because of the absurdly upbeat bass, the later synth definitely doesn't fit, being more dramatic and dark. The bubbling synth is cool though.

This definitely fits in the category of 'Sound experiments'. If that's your vibe, you're welcome.

Rating: 5/10

RO Music REview: Tricky Trixie

 

Title:Tricky Trixie

Released: April 30, 2008

Genre: Electronic

 

The tricky part about this song is not giving it too much free points for it's namesake. But it's not about the titles, its about the sound.

I feel like this song epitomizes where my loop sound was headed ultimately. The loops are extra obvious in this one, and it sounds like something very cheesy.

Sounds get layered and 'add more drums' is my go-to. The fade at the end is a nice twist though.

Aside from a flash-era game or as the homage it is, not a lot going for this one. 

But it's far from the worst one yet.

 

Rating:2.5/10

 

 

RO Music REview: Bassy

 

Title:Bassy

Released: April 21, 2008

Genre: Experimental

Tutorial Stage. Menu Music. BGM.

Though the first experiment was a flounder, continuing to play with music was a good choice, leading to the making of this interesting piece of work.

Hearing it now, this reads to me as a classic basic hip-hop track. I could see this having a rap dubbed over it. It's versatile in its simplicity.

It's still made of loops, but in this specific case, that might not be such a detrimental thing.

 

It is actually in a published game too, so clearly I'm not alone in thinking this song had something going for it.

Rating: 9/10

RO Music REview: -Msm- (Hyper Instant Mix)

 

Title: -Msm- (Hyper Instant Mix)

Released: April 17, 2008

Genre: ?? Music?

 

With experimenting comes... output. I think PJ had it right when he reviewed this back in the day with 'This never should have seen the light of day.' This was nothing short of a creative exercise, and the fact it's published is a bit short-sighted. But! For reviewing purposes, I'm glad it exists.

Remixing music in and of itself is an art. And for my first attempt at it, I took an 'okay'(Debatable)  song, and tried to spin it into something more. What was my infatuation with these sets of noises? It's hard to grasp now where my brain was then.

I did throw some other sounds in, and funny enough I think if I had taken those sounds (around the 1:00 mark) and scrapped the basis of the remix, I could've had maybe a semi-decent song in place of this. 

But this did teach me things! It just... is... noise. Oops.

 

Rating: 0/10

RO Music REview: Msm

 

Title: -Msm- {DJ Riccy's Theme}

Released: April 15, 2008

Genre: ?? Music?

A sound clip of me made with my "extremely high quality" dollar store microphone. That followed with some quick drums and a guitar loop.

I mean, it has vocals technically I guess. And it was certainly an experiment.

It sounds like an intro to a cartoon or something. Best I can think of. I dunno about it being my theme song still though. 

Rating: 2/10

RO Music REview: Elemental Zone

 

Title: Elemental Zone

Released: April 5, 2008

Genre: Electronic Music 

Loopy as it is, (get it? heh.) this song certainly has quite a strong intro, and solid melody.

But if it weren't for the pre-genned loops at my aid, it likely would have sounded half as good. 

Would vocals have added? I feel with this genre it can go either way.

At least this song doesn't feel like it's VGM only. But it's got room to improve. 

The release time was due to an inspiration blitz that came with the music making program. I can only reminiscence on that feeling...

Rating: 7.5/10

RO Music REview: Ric's Exhibition

 

Title: Ric's Exhibition

Released: April 5, 2008

Genre: Electronic Music 

In this case, realizing the limit of loops, I tried to break the mold and do something different. That said, I still and only knew how to loops. So enter this: A song made without the systematic building-up that was all previous songs.

It's a bit chaotic, albeit it's certainly interesting. The lack of lyrics in this one makes sense, because the diverse noise definitely holds the attention. It'd likely end up a track 8 or 9 on an actual album, but it sure is music of some sort. Room for improvement? Always. But this was a good direction.

Rating: 8.5/10

RO Music REview: Crystone Caverns

 

Title: Crystone Caverns

Released: April 4, 2008

Genre: Electronic Video Game Music 

Ever the ambitious one, I was thinking about making games of my own when composing this. Based on how my tunes were coming out, I was on the right track. It certainly invokes a feeling of some sort, and does keep changing enough that in the background of a space or fantasy-esque game level, it would fit nicely.

Outside of a video game though, it's not the sort of thing someone would be putting on their playlist.

At one point the game that was planned for it was the infamous project ADOH. This song is a good reminder that I need to learn to code.

Rating: 7.5/10

RO Music REview: Bomb Factory

 

Title: Bomb Factory

Released: April 3, 2008

Genre: Industrial Techno 

This, paired with "A Dream of Her", shows my general preferred genres to make.
It is without lyrics as usual, though for this style of music, is more common. That said, it is repetitive unsurprisingly. However, it is atmospheric in sounding very metallic and gritty.
The ending sounding like machinery turning off is a nice touch, uncertain if it was really necessary but from listening to other electronic style music, something like that does tends to add more than detract.
Would you hear this on the radio? Never. Unless you were tuned into a free-for-all university station I suppose.
But in a game, or a promo, or a background sound for something industrial related? Potential.
So if the goal was background sound, mission accomplished. But otherwise, not really much more.
The title's a bit odd also, granted it was inspired from a PS2 game where the level was named 'Fireworks factory', so I suppose this is just more the on-the-nose title of that.

Rating: 6.5/10

RO Music REview: A Dream of Her

Welcome to RO Music REview!

First and foremost: Yes, all the songs are made with loops. That alone is the biggest critique, but it'd be boring to read on every post, so just know it's there, and I'm sorry.

I'm curious to know what you think each song did right, where they needed improvement, or just your thoughts on my critique in general!

Without further ado(h), let's begin:

Title: A Dream of Her

Released: April 1, 2008

Genre: Ambient Trance

It starts gently, which though very quiet, does help introduce the tone. Long intro but hard to say if it'd work shortened.

The main synth riff is very atmospheric and it pervading throughout does weirdly work.

The different slew of loops throughout serve to make up for a lack of vocals, but they do sound random.

It is easy to imagine this as a background song in a video game, or featured in a music-based video game.

For a first song though, not terrible.

Rating: 6/10

Union Dixie

Friend who listens to top 40: "What type of music do you like?"

Me: "Uh..... Well I have been listening to Union Dixie on repeat for the last 48 hours."

P.S this may be the best historical example of a song trolling! The song "Dixie" was the unofficial anthem for the Confederate States of America during the Civil War. Union Dixie is a version by the north that mocks the Confederacy, saying that they are "traitors," overrun by "rattlesnakes and alligators" and asserting that the Union will be victorious.

RO Music REview: New Post Series Coming Soon!

The lovely thing about having trouble falling asleep and staying up til 3am is that harebrained  ideas come about much easier in those hours.

Enter RO Music REview: a 54 post series that will have me, Eric Riccy, go through each of my 53 Newgrounds songs, and CRITICALLY review them. The point is to see which of my songs is the best, but through it, see what can be learned from each song. As well, I'll personally rate each song. The 'newest' song is 5 years old, so it's been a long time since I've touched any of these projects, aside from casually re-listening to.

I'll be sure to post the song along with each post, so you can judge along with me!

Victory! PTE feels the BEAT

Changes have been made to the "What is PTE?" Page following this announcement. Thank you to all who have been posting and commenting!

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #1

AND WITHOUT FURTHER TO DO MY #1 FAVOURITE REMIX!

It's been a long time coming! When I started this list back in January, I had no idea what the world would be like as I unveiled my number 1 choice, but man I sure do think this song can help everyone who is suffering right now.

If you know me personally, you know I loved watching Bob Ross growing up and, this remix makes my heart melt when I hear it; it's like a lullaby that calms me down and lifts my spirits. We truly never deserved to have Bob. He was too good for this world and touched the lives of many.

This remix was created by John D. Boswell (melodysheep) in collaboration with PBS and is everything you would expect and would want from a Bob Ross remix.

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes Honourable Mentions

Before we announce my favourite remix we gotta give some love to the honourable mentions. They are all in my remix playlist but just didn't quite make the cut for one reason or another. Please feel free to click through and enjoy!

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #2

I apologize for missing last week's post – I took part in a spur of the moment camping trip; it was a much-needed break from the city and the pandemic news. Being disconnected felt freeing, and I even found time to begin reading again. We stopped at a small family-owned bookstore on the way, and I picked up the first book of George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones. I read nearly 300 pages over the week while soaking in the sun and listening to the sounds of nature deep in the beautiful inland rainforest.

This ties nicely into #2 which is Melodysheep's series of Game of Thrones remixes. A cop-out to have multiple remixes in a single spot I know, but I had too hard of a time limiting it to one like I did the Lord of the Rings remixes. Overall they're all good remixes of a series I enjoyed greatly.

P.S. Stannis "The Goddamn Mannis" Baratheon = the best

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #3

Back to back Rick and Morty posts, a true testament that when I began categorizing this "genre" I was certainly consuming a lot of these R&M remixes. At #3 is RoyishGoodLooks' Mr Meeseeks remix, a song which stays at the top of my YouTube remix playlist and I often begin with because it's so darn catchy!

It's a weirdly happy sounding song despite the lyrics being dark. The harmonies are terrific and that key change at the end *chef's kiss*

It's a shame TikTok got a hold of it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #4

At #4 Human Music is a Rick and Morty remix created by Chetreo. When I was 17 and starting university, Rick and Morty began to take off in popularity. That's when I stumbled across
Chetreo's series of R&M remixes. Whereas
POGO does mainly Disney stuff Chetreo
made Rick and Morty his bread and butter
and this is where it all began.

The song does a great job encapsulating the entire feel of the show into the song. The
melody he's constructed has a very warm
feeling, so happy and almost reminiscent
sounding.

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #5

TOP 5 TIME!

#5 is a remix created by John D. Boswell aka Melodysheep of the classic Terry Crews old spice ads. Boswell himself described it as an assault on the senses, but I believe it's far more chill than that.

On the surface, it may appear to be goofy remix featuring the shining product of the internet Terry Crews however it sounds fantastic and leaves you wanting more because it's so short. I especially like the chorus, and that combination of "power of music/Oh nooo" is so magnificent. 

This gives Terry a Mister Rogers vibe, and it becomes weirdly wholesome in a sense and makes me nostalgic for the older videos that you found on YouTube back when this was released seven years ago. 

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #6

#6 was a tough choice; I had four potential
songs, all based on Lord of the Rings, but I
forced myself to only select one. The others
were relegated into the honourable mentions category.

At the end of it all, Chetreo's The Lord of the
Rings: The Return of the King remix beat out
the others. 

If you haven't seen or don't enjoy the trilogy,

this probably won't hit you the same way, but
there are lots of great lines in here for the
LOTR fans to reminisce about. Including but
not limited to: 

1) Billy Boyd's Pippin's Song

2) Gandalf's "Your father loves you, and Faramir"

3) Aragorn's "My friends you bow to no one." 

and many more!

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #7

#7 is a remix of Dreamworks Animations' The Road to El Dorado by Israeli-American artist Yoav Landau, better known online as The Living Tombstone. 

I first came across Landau in 2012 when he created "Tom's Dog", which is the theme for the 5th instalment of the popular web series, asdfmovie by TomSka. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and subsequentially used it on a couple of my projects, including my old vlog. I continued to follow him, and in 2014 he released this Road to El Dorado remix.

I can leave this remix on repeat and never grow tired of it; there have been many late nights with this on repeat in the background as I completed work or schoolwork. That "ONE MORE ROLL" line is just so contagious, and it is just one of the many classic lines from this movie included in this remix.

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #8

#8 is Glover's tribute to Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy. I have listened to this remix a lot! In terms of the music, it certainly goes 0-100 real quick. I enjoy the use of the trumpets, harp and horn as melodic sounds, the bridge is incredibly catchy and the ending gives me goosebumps. 

Something I also don't usually talk about the music videos, but this one was quite fun to watch, with Bilbo and Gollum dancing and of course I particularly liked the Gimli cameo!

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #9

#9 is another wholesome remix to help make
your quarantine a little better. Homarge by Nick Bertke aka Pogo is a Simpson's remix focusing
on Homer and Marge's relationship; specifically using footage and clips from the older golden
years of the show. 

Bertke could have gone for comedy, remixing
the "Doh!" that we all associate with Homer, but
he didn't do that though and it really turned out quite beautiful. 

And damn that and I’ll never let you go line
hits hard.

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #10

TOP 10 TIME!

#10 is an absolute heartwarming tribute to
the great Robin Williams by John Boswell
aka Melody Sheep.

Boswell did a fantastic job with it. Robin
Williams was one of a kind, but his work
always brings a witty wisdom with it! It's a
truly wholesome song on humanity that gives
a positive message we should all take with
us and in the current climate, it brings me personally hope.

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #11

At #11 is "The Ballad of Loki" by Schmoyoho. If any of you know me you know that Loki is my favourite character in the Marvel cinematic universe and this song does a great job of encapsulating his performance in the first Avengers movie. A personal favourite line, besides Loki's speech on humanity, is Tony's "Doth mother know you're wearing her drapes" which he actually said to Thor, not Loki but I digress.

My only grievance is same of all Schmoyoho songs: the annoying end card that you have to skip or are forced to listen to. 

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #12

At #12 Pogo's Hermione Mix is one for the Harry Potter fans out there. I always liked Hermione the best out of the main three, I do remember grade one me having a crush on her, so that is probably why I personally prefer it to his other HP remix Alohomora.

The song is quite calming having a good synchronization between the rhythm, the bass,
and the background reverbed chords. Some in
the comments say that this song has a fascinating dream-like feel to it, due to the nostalgic memories it brings back. I stopped watching Harry Potter after the first one and didn't pick it up again until 2014 so I can't say I'm too particularly nostalgic for it.

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #13

Australian musician Pogo did the impossible: He made minions NOT annoying.

At #13 "Gruve" does a good job encapsulating the heartwarming story of the first Despicable Me movie, which many people forget due to the minions. The song is very chill, with a slower pace through most of the song only really ramping up in the chorus, and it checks off the wholesome tickbox.

"Now you brush the fur'" is a particular favourite line of mine because her voice is quite soothingly harmonic. In choosing the voice samples you can distort the voice lines and pitch shift it to anything you want, which sounds very very robotic and ruins the life in the sample. Pogo, however, keeps that beautiful balance between pitch shifting and natural harmonic vocals within the samples. It takes true skill to pick and choose these samples and craft it into a pleasing melody!

This Post Has Been POSTponed

See you next month

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #14

Well, what an eventful few days! My anxiety has certainly kept me on my toes during the last 48 hours. Despite the outside world looking a little bleak, I wanted to continue bringing my favourite remixes to you in order to maintain what little normality you have left in your life currently because I know mine has certainly changed drastically.

"Bite-Size Candies" is a remix by Pogo celebrating the 75th Anniversary of M&M’s. The song has a great sound to it; I find that samples that were taken from old 50s footage just sounds so good. In conclusion, this song is actually just like an M&M it's sweet, colourful and it makes me happy.

Stay safe out there everybody!

Being sick is now illegal

If I catch anyone coughing or sniffling around here, they will be banned.

*sniffles*

USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #15

#15 is a commercial, for the second consecutive week. "Magically Delicious" by MelodySheep

is surprisingly pretty good for being a bunch

of auto-tuned clips of Lucky the Leprechaun.

I enjoy how they used commercials from

different eras, I am certainly a sucker for

oldie advertisements. The song is pretty 

whimsical which certainly matches Lucky 

Charm's mantra but in saying that it does boil
down to kids stalking an Irish fellow who they believe is a leprechaun....

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #16

#16 is a Vancouver remix from IFHT Films in collaboration with Major Fox Sounds. This curveball perhaps doesn't quite fit in this list but it is too good to not include even if it is a commercial for Snapple.

I have always enjoyed the beauty of Vancouver, I'm of course biased being from the West, but overpopulation and expenses forced me to choose elsewhere to live. This video does a good job of showcasing the city and creating a banging remix all while promoting...Snapple? I can't comment on the product, I don't drink.

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #17

#17 was created by Pogo for Pokémon and boy
it's one that's embedded in my brain. Partly
due to the randomizer favouring this but
also because it's so darn catchy... get it
because it's called Catchatronic?... I'll let
myself out.

I love the energy, beats and transitions but I'm
sure some find the lyrics a bit repetitive, but
that may be the case for a lot of these remixes. Another little tidbit that myself and others have pointed out that 0:47 sounds like fashion show music. Like it's something that would play at a
vogue fashion show in New York or something
and I'm not sure why.

Nostalgia again plays a factor with this remix as it does for a lot of them. My brothers and I used to have the old Pokemon VHS tapes but we never had YTV so we missed quite a bit of the more modern Pokemon series but it's certainly interesting to see Bertke remix later Pokémon generations because people usually will just remix Generation 1 over and over. 

Not dead Yet: Episode VIII: V Day strikes back

Hello friends,

It's me, Eric Riccy, with no fancy tournament or other silly guise, giving you an update post.

It's wonderful Dyland has returned, and I hope to see the rest of his countdown. At this point he's done 20-18, be sure to check out those posts if you haven't yet.

I am currently under the weather, first time I've been this sick in 2 years. I'm trying to juggle quite the work load in hopes to afford some big life steps, and unsurprisingly there's been hurdles along the way, namely this sickness so far.

It's also partly why I don't post so much, because I think ambitiously and then posting becomes tougher than it needs to be.

I guess I had a baby sized pipedream to try going pro somehow with media, but I still have no idea what I'm doing. It's hard to concentrate when you're dedicating all your energy to other goals and people.

So tl dr tournament paused, check out them Dyland posts and maybe I'll toss one in here and there too. His posting is inspiring me 😎

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #18

#18 is from Chetreo and features Dreamworks' How to Train Your Dragon; a franchise which is beloved by many, including me. The remix
itself is perhaps a little ordinary and doesn't
really have lyrics, which might not be for
everyone, but nostalgia has blinded me
enough to include it.

I watched the entire trilogy in theatres: the first when I was in grade eight, the second film just a week before my high school graduation, and the last film after I had finished university and was celebrating my five-year annivesary with my girlfriend. So I do believe that this franchise
holds a special place in my heart and the
remix brings back fond memories. I should
reiterate that this Top 20 is purely subjective. 

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes #19

This list contains a lot of my favourites, thus
why it's a top 20 countdown so just because
the song is low doesn't mean I don't like it,
it simply means I like others better.

#19 is a remix from the very talented and quite popular schmoyoho channel; who I've been following for nearly a decade. This particular
remix is a part of their Songify The Movies
series and features Disney's The Incredibles.

The lyrics flow well, the chorus is also
very catchy - and builds with the introduction
of each character which is a nice touch, and
of course the "where is my super suit!?" part
is a classic.

This one is lower simply due to the randomizer constantly coming back to it which does lead to overplaying and song exhaustion, but that is no fault of the song (just maybe the end card which is annoying to skip when you're doing other things while listening).

Dyland's Top Twenty Remixes # 20

I'm happy to see that my last post garnered
some interest! I have taken a look at the suggestions put in the last post as well and
really enjoyed them, however in saying that
I don't believe all you understood the weirdness
of this genre. I take responsibility for that
because it is hard to explain but I'll try again: tasteful remixes of shows/commercials etc
that are easy listening while working. 

#20 is from a remix by Chetreo from Disney's
Big Hero 6. I love the energy in this one and
catch myself singing along with it unintentionally; particular the "no ideas, useless empty brain"
part as well as the "it's probably an emerald."

The only reason why it is this low is that it's the shortest remix on this list at just 1:36

It's been a while, I'm sure you all have been quivering with anticipation for the end of the great Dyland content drought, and what brillance do I bring to you after my hiatus? 

A top ten list.... wait! WAIT WAIT! Before you click off, hear me out! I have been busy working away on various projects all while listening to music, very specific music - remixes. My girlfriend hates listening to these so I wanted to share with you my TOP TWENTY remixes that I listen to while working in the hope that this sparks conversation and you all can make your suggestions. 

So these will be coming out every Friday for the next little bit!

- Dyland

3D Taylor

Hop, Skip, and a Thump

Yesterday I nearly broke my ankle.

Firstly you should know, it would've been my own undoing. I like to hop whenever it's convenient.
Anyway, I was hopping down from a ledge and landed wrong. I landed sideways on my ankle. It certainly was a sharp pain, but I didn't put my whole weight down. As I realized how I landed, I essentially shifted my weight back to my right foot while quickly correcting my left foot.

I could tell things were okay, since I could still walk on it. But it certainly was a close call.

It just reminds me of when I started re-learning skiing. One of the first runs I skied, the snow was hard and lumpy. Unsurprisingly, I lost my balance as I tried to grind through it. From my uncle's retelling, I apparently flailed with my legs moving in every direction, like a rag-doll. Somehow, I managed to get back up after, and keep skiing.

I'm going to miss these days when I can no longer 'walk it off '.

Shopping with Riccy