Anime Remix: Forums

Emotions that Never Die from Ayashi no Ceres
Remixed by Ghetto Lee Lewis featuring Jennifer Mae
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Yet another remix with vocals, this is Ghetto Lee Lewis-style trance featuring Mae. If you've ever been hooked by the infectious groove of some of GLL's video game remix hits, you're sure to like this one.

For those who aren't yet convinced, more detail is in order. First, the samples used are great: GLL-trademark synths of a variety for which I don't know the proper name play the main melody, but they are backed up by a number for which I do know the scientifically proper term, such as your "high whiny synths," your "high beepy synths," your "humming I'm-pretending-to-be-bass-strings synths," your "modulated cut-pattern Mae-synths"... wait a second. Okay, scratch that last one. Ghetto Lee Lewis has taken wonderful vocals by Mae and edited them in the style of certain pop electronica songs, where the voices are made to sound electronic, and the cut patterns and filters are tweaked to make it sound extra-interesting. It really works great in the song, too: without it, the vocals just wouldn't fit, but as they are, they really fit in with the trance synths and the -- oh, I forgot to mention it -- surprisingly good flute sample. The lyrics themselves are not extraordinary: they're really kinda generic. But, they're not offensive, and they get the vocals across cleanly, while providing a little bit of mood, and that's a job well-done in my book.

The composition itself is solid, as well. Not having heard the original, I can't say what kind of changes have been made, but I'm sure there wasn't anything like this on the Ayashi no Ceres soundtrack, so the overall transformation is to be commended. The individual parts, though, are what make or break a mix, and Emotions that Never Die has those in spades. It neither wears itself thin nor breaks awkwardly throughout: the instruments and their patterns mix themselves up nicely throughout; of course, having lyrics never hurts the replayability of a song as well. The transitions are smooth, though they are somewhat "stock trance," which is to say, you won't be surprised by them, and will always be able to tell they're coming (either by the general modulation of a synth or by the building snare roll) but they manage not to break the flow of the song, so it's all good.

Overall, a well-envisioned and well-executed trance song with excellent, professional-sounding vocals. It's not breaking any particular musical boundaries, but it raises the bar for anime remixes and is a great listen.