With one week left to spare, I'd figure I'd share how the project is going. I have now decided on the naming convention for all 10 tracks and are done with or close to completion on all but the last two.
The tracklist, and current progress per track is as follows:
- Elfentanz (Marshmellow Juke Mix) - Arrangement and mixing completed
- Sh3riff Traxx0r - Arrangement completed, still working on mixing and minor touch-ups
- Fancy Fiddle (Fancier Feetle Edit) - Arrangement and mixing completed
- Splitmek (Splitskull Bootleg) - Arrangement completed, mixing mostly completed
- Monks (Nevada Nirvana Mix) - Arrangement completed, still working on mixing though it should not require much work at this point
- Look Down (At My Legless Feet Mix) - Arrangement and mixing completed
- Refraction (Maximal Ninjutsu Edit) - Arrangement and mixing completed
- Calliope (Calliopeton Riddim) - Arrangement almost completed, mixing WIP
- Madness4 (Club M Backroom Dub) - Not started on yet, but got a solid idea for it, and will start working on it within this week if not tomorrow.
- Chicken Juke - Not started on, might not be completed on time, but I do have an idea. Worst case scenario it will be a post-Madness Day release
In the end, most of these remixes are leaning more heavily on footwork/juke rhythms and breakbeats than I had originally planned. Currently, the biggest outliers are the Splitmek remix and the Calliope remix, where the former has been made primarily into a tech house, speed garage and UK bass track in 138 BPM, but with a trap breakdown in the middle and for the outro. The latter, as implied by the remix title, is taking a turn towards dembow and reggaeton-inspired rhythms at a modest 125 BPM, which makes it the slowest track on the album. But I just couldn't resist the goofy combo of the MIDI-fied Powerhouse melody played on a synthesized circus organ with a banging dembow. And I am currently resisting the temptation of adding even more goofy cartoon SFX to it. I should just save that for the Chicken Dance remix if anything.
I've also gone ahead and made the cover art myself rather than commissioning it. Put about as much effort into it as I would've done for a similar project 13 years ago (except that I had to make this in GIMP rather than Flash as I no longer have a Flash install), but that's all right because it fits the overall aesthetic. Though I may end up changing the DJ D-Face logo.
But that's all I have to report for now. Madness Traxx vol. 1 will be released on Madness Day on here, Bandcamp and SoundCloud, and if I can be bothered I might put it up on YouTube as well, but that would be later on. Anyway, see you on the 22nd!