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OverClocked ReMix

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right OverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix or OCR, is a website dedicated to reviving computer and video game music from the past and re-interpreting it with new technology and software, as well as various traditional means. The site's mission statement explains how its members seek to prove that such music "is not disposable or merely just background, but is as intricate, innovative, and lasting as any other form."

Contents

Origins

The webmaster of OverClocked ReMix is David Lloyd (aka. "djpretzel"), who began the site in late 1999 as a spin-off of his gaming and emulation related 3D webcomic, OverClocked. The site grew, and many other artists submitted musical arrangements ("ReMixes") to it. Currently, there are over 1,400 ReMixes hosted on the site, from a variety of genres such as classical, heavy metal, techno, and hillbilly, by over 450 "ReMixers" including David Lloyd himself.

Purpose

Opinions on the purpose of OCR are mixed, a controversy mainly centered around the definition of ReMix and the originality or level of composition involved. Much confusion has resulted over the amibiguity of the term remix, which in musical terms typically involves minor changes or musical alterations, although it can technically mean any alteration of a song (which means it often overlaps with more specific terms such as arrangements). Lloyd himself has said that this is unfortunate, since the site is dedicated to original rearrangements of classic themes, not merely changing minor details or plagiarising the work of others. However, he notes that OverClocked Rearrangements is a less catchy name, with none of OCR's history. For this reason, he coined the use of the word ReMix to refer to an arrangement, as opposed to a remix.

Submission process and site standards

The submission process at OverClocked ReMix is a two-tiered system, consisting of a preliminary evaluation by David Lloyd himself, followed by a more thorough review by a judges panel. In the preliminary review, an arrangement is examined for violations of submission guidelines (detailed below) and immediately rejected if a violation is apparent. Conversely, particularly outstanding ReMixes or those produced by well-known artists in the community may be approved before reaching the judges panel.

In most cases, however, a submission will pass on to the panel of judges. These members are usually either accomplished artists or contributors to the community. After unanimously receiving either three "NO" or four "YES" votes, the submission is either rejected or accepted and posted on the main site. Voting can be extended up to a majority decision if necessary. If a submission is a clear standards violation after reaching the panel, a judge has the power to "NO Override" it. David Lloyd also has the power to veto the judges' decision, although instances are very rare. The judges' decisions are viewable on the site forums.

ReMix removal and lockdowns

Due to human error and stricter criteria in the site's standards, there have been many ReMixes that have been removed from the site over the course of its history. During a "lockdown," all ReMixes between a certain minimum and maximum identification number are reevaluated for submission and standards violations. Such violations can include MIDI rips (taking a MIDI file found from VGMusic.com or elsewhere on the internet, sprucing it up, and passing it off as one's own original work), stolen/unoriginal music, covers, overly-liberal arrangements, or obvious sub-par execution.

There will also be times where a ReMix will be removed at the artist's request. When a feud over administrative decisions caused virt, prozax, and mp, as well as several others, to leave OCR, they demanded that their ReMixes be removed. Others who left asked for their works to stay, although they would not submit future works anymore. Lloyd complied with this, and these mixes, along with other "OC ReMoved" songs, are considered a collector's item by some (although they are in reality not that hard to find). After this, however, some who removed their ReMixes from the site requested to return, and this was granted with the provision that they not remove their work from the site again.

Controversy and reform

The changing or amending of site standards and policies functions as a closed process. On occasion, the approval, removal, or rejection of a ReMix will be questioned by the community of OCR. One such case was the medley (and later individual arrangements) of songs from the SNES game F-Zero by bLiNd, where there was much heated debate as to why that particular submission was not given the approval by the judges. The community will often pressure DJP and the Judges Panel to reform their policies, and when suggestions are not immediately considered then extensive debate and even flaming can ensue.

Community

The OverClocked ReMix community consists largely of video gamers and musicians. Members are part of a typically youthful demographic, perceived by some to be a source of irritation and immaturity. Despite this, there are many accomplished artists and programmers among them.

OverClocked ReMix forums

The discussion forums are where the vast majority of community interaction occurs.

Community subforums include General, where members can discuss video games, music, and other related topics, Politics, Philosophy & Religion, where members can discuss more serious topics not suited to the General forum, Technical Assistance & Newbies, where members can ask questions about the site as well as receive technical assistance, and UnModerated, where members are free to post whatever they want within the bounds of rules concerning abuse, flooding, hate-speech, etc.

Site-related subforums include ReViews, where members can discuss ReMixes posted to the site, ReQuests, where members can request particular songs to be arranged, Judges Decisions, where the Judges Panel posts their decisions on submitted arrangements, and Site Projects, where members organize community projects and collaborative efforts that benefit the site.

Music-related subforums include two Works (In-Progress & Completed) forums: one for video game arrangements, and the other for original pieces and arrangements of non-video game music. Both Works forums are places where artists can post their work for feedback. Another music-related forum, ReMixing, is a place where members can discuss techniques for music composition and production.

The Judges and Moderators also have their own private forums that aid in the running of OCR.

With the exception of Judges Decisions, Site Projects, and UnModerated, the forums are currently moderated by site members GrayLightning, DarkeSword, Smoke, zircon, Liontamer and Mythril Nazgul.

#OCReMix IRC channel

The IRC channel, located on the EnterTheGame network, was created by Children of the Monkey Machine and is frequented by a comparatively small group, generally around fifty people. The channel itself was originally moderated by a small group of channel operators, or ops. Due to the real-time nature of IRC, the operators had to be extremely vigilant to stem occasional disturbances that occurred there. Eventually, one by one, the channel operators grew tired of constantly policing the channel and started moderating less and less. As a result, the channel's discussions became more open, but also more controversial. During this time, one would only be forcibly removed from the channel for repeat flooding offenses, and then only temporarily. Because of the lack of moderation, during late 2003, David Lloyd brought about a reform of the channel, citing its general unfriendliness to newcomers and negative reflection on the site as a whole.

Projects

Many projects have been undertaken by the OverClocked ReMix community. Some, such as an official OCR Winamp skin and download manager (called "OverClocked ReCollections"), have been unsuccessful or abandoned after long periods of inactivity. Among the successful projects, however, are an internet radio stream called Ormgas and large BitTorrent distributions of ReMix archives.

OverClocked ReMix also has an official podcast, VGDJ, which made its debut on May 22nd, 2005. Drawing mainly from existing music on OCR, the show compliments the site in seeking to raise awareness and appreciation of video game music. Hosted by community representatives zircon and pixietricks, it features several weekly sections: ReMix Reviews, The Rama Report, Compo Report, Meetup Report, and Russian ReMix Roulette. Although VGDJ serves to keep current members up to date on new remixes and community happenings, it also aims largely to introduce newcomers to OCR, and is thus very listener focused. With a toll-free phone number (1-800-990-VGDJ) for voicemail forwarding, IRC chat (enterthegame.com #vgdj), and thread on OCR, the hosts of VGDJ strongly encourage audience interactivity.

A trend among ReMixers has been the creation of "collaboration projects," arrangement albums of entire game soundtracks by multiple artists working in a team. These are typically published in the site's "Spotlight" section on its front page. The current list of completed site projects are as follows:

External links

Press and interviews

OverClocked ReMix Site Projects
Released: Relics of the Chozo | Kong in Concert | Hedgehog Heaven | Repercussions of Fowl Lamentation | Rise of the Star | The Dark Side of Phobos | Chrono Symphonic | Blood on the Asphalt Planned: Project Chaos | Summoning of Spirits | Milkyway Wishes | Around the World | Children of Erdrick

 

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