CD 1 Track 1
Monument of Non-Existence
Lashmush
Source: Dancing Mad
Game: Final Fantasy VI
Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
Artist: This was a big project but a labor of love for sure. I'm a huge fan of FF6 and Dancing Mad so inspiration was overflowing! I tried to get the track into really heavy and extreme metal while still representing the original. Tier 3 got shaved down as I wanted the mood to stay dark and brutal which was just hard for me to do if I kept it all in. All in all I'm very happy with this track and thanks to some healthy back and forth in the project forum it turned into quite a beast.
Director: To quote another evil clown bent on destruction: "And here... we…. Go!" Remember when BadAss 1 gave you a relatively calm track to get into the album? We give you seven seconds... After that, all hell breaks loose.
Assistant Director: And here we go. This track was chosen as the album opener so you don't forget our theme was “epic remixes”. And Lashmush made sure his first symphonic metal behemoth would hit the listeners right in their faces. You have seven seconds before we launch into a brutal maelstrom of madness, filled with blast beats, guitar solos, and majestic orchestral melodies. Hold your breath...
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CD 1 Track 2
Zeromus Sum Game
Sbeast
Source: The Final Battle
Game: Final Fantasy IV
Composer: Nobuo Uematsu
Artist: I’ve previously covered music from the Final Fantasy series (Terra’s Theme) and have been wanting to do another one for a while now and this project gave me a reason to. I went with the Final Boss Theme from Final Fantasy 4 because…well it sounds badass. In terms of arrangement, it’s pretty conservative and if it was a political party it would be Republican. This is mostly because I liked the original arrangement as it was and didn’t want to make major changes to it. So I changed the instrumentation, extended some sections and added embellishments here and there whilst keeping the original themes as a foundation to build on.
Director: "Kefka is not the only Final Fantasy villain that deserves an epic orchestral rock rendition of his theme. Meet Zeromus, a being of pure evil who just got much more BadAss thanks to Sbeast’s awesome take on his theme. Sbeast joined us quite late in the game, with his first full arrangement in October. But talented as he is, he could quickly make incorporate the suggestions we had to make a great addition to our album.
While this mix may be one of our more conservative mixes, Sbeast has infused with a great evil vibe and added some great dynamics and variations to certainly give this a unique feel to it. While Sbeast may not have solo mixes on OverClocked ReMix, he has quite a lot of mixes on his YouTube channel, so go check it out! And to those already complaining about having too much Final Fantasy or Square Enix mixes on it: you know you’re only complaining because you already can’t take the amount of Evil and BadAssery on this album. Still with us? Then let’s continue…"
Assistant Director: From Kefka to Zeromus. We continue with some epic rock, and a rock/orchestra take on another FF final boss. The orchestra is more discreet on this one, so you can appreciate better the guitar work. With the addition of a few synths, Sbeast creates a perfect, fast-paced track, that still have a lot of energy.
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CD 1 Track 3
Darksightedness
Kammo64
Source: Dark Bowser
Game: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Composer: Yoko Shimomura
Artist: Darksightedness is a track I just began making just for fun. It started to sound pretty good so I decided to sign it up for BadAss 3. Much to my excitement it was accepted and with the help of the staff I turned it into the powerful electro metal song it is now. The most difficult thing for me while writing this track was making realistic guitar sounds using samples.
Director: Bowser is Back on BadAss Baby! Though perhaps not one of Bowser’s best known themes, we present you an awesome rock version of the Dark Bowser theme from Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, complemented with some orchestral and mainly electro influences. Newcomer Kammo64 has really impressed us by having two great mixes on our album. Keep an eye on this BadAss ReMixer, because you will most definitely be hearing a lot from him in the future.
Assistant Director: Did we forget to mention that “creepy” was also one of our keywords on the project? Well, Kammo64 introduced the second theme of the album with another RPG final boss theme. This time, electro elements support the heavy guitars. The high-pitched synths may bring a little hope, but a few octaves lower, you still understand the madness isn't over yet.
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CD 1 Track 4
The Metal Emperor
Chernabogue, AngelCityOutlaw, Furilas
Source: Machinedramon
Game: Digimon World
Composer: Yuko Ishii, Kouji Yamada
Artist: Chernabogue: Digimon has always been something I loved from my childhood, and still like to play those old games when I get the occasion. I started an arrangement for BA3 but it wasn't epic enough for the album's style. Chris/AngelCityOutlaw came up with a new arrangement that sounded really great and I started mixing it with Furilas' bass recording. The arrangement doesn't sound too evil like other ones from the album, but the power metal inspiration really makes it sound epic, with super fast riffs, crazy synths, and great guitar solos. Thanks to Chris and Mac for their skill and time; to Pieter, Eino, and Tim for their feedback; and to the creators of Digimon for their awesome work!

AngelCityOutlaw: Alex wanted to do a metal remix of Machinedramon's theme. However, the original concept wasn't metal enough (for my tastes anyway) and so using magic wands made by Jackson and Ibanez, I re-arranged it into an attempt at European power metal of proportions so epic that playing it has the power to summon Kai Hansen. Alex took the stems and then, via alchemy, dark magic, and a touch of Furilas, he made it all come together in his cauldron of metal.
Director: Time to cut back even further on the additional genres in our rock mixes to give you a power metal version of the Machinedramon theme, one of our lesser known sources on the album. This mix really keeps the energy high throughout and gets your adrenaline pumped to the max. Oh, we didn’t warn you about that and you wanted to sleep within three hours? Not gonna happen – this album is called BadAss for a reason. Chernabogue’s mix features great guitar work by AngelCityOutlaw which is complemented by Furilas’ bass lines.
Assistant Director: Another rock/electro hybrid that pushes the epic factor to the max. Inspired by power metal, filled with electrosynths and organs, and supported by double guitar solos, we introduce another angry dragon to the BadAss family. This track is one of the shortest on the album, but you can bet we made one of the fastest.
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CD 1 Track 5
Warriors of Shredder
GamerShredding (OmariuZ; Luis Sáenz)
Source: Mid-Boss theme Boss theme
Game: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project
Composer: Kozo Nakamura, Yuichi Sakakura, Tomoya Tomita
Artist: We chose to ReMix these two boss themes of TMNT III for BadAss 3, because this was one of our favorite games. When we initially joined BadAss 3 we started to make a ReMix of Final Fantasy VI's 'Decisive Battle', but we had problems with a former member of the band who didn't want to contribute anymore. We then decided to restart the process by choosing another game - which resulting in 'Warriors of Shredder'.
Director: No time for eating pizza’s and yelling “cowabunga”, there’s some fighting to be done! GamerShredding members OmariuZ and Luis Sáenz start this track with some ominous choirs before their crazy guitar work kicks in. The choirs make another appearance just past the halfway marker to give you that last moment of creepiness before this mix kicks it into high gear, only letting you go at the very end.

Like Sbeast, GamerShredding is not very well known at OverClocked ReMix, but they have some great mixes on their YouTube channel – which is how I found them to be such BadAsses that I had to get them on the album! Check those guys out!
Assistant Director: We'll let you catch your breath during this intro. Because crazy guitar work awaits ahead. The guys from GamerShredding know their stuff, and brought a clever arrangement on another classic source. Tight solos, heavy rhythm, a few instruments to support the fast-paced track: here's your recipe to make some turtle soup. After all, it's all about shredding.
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CD 1 Track 6
Jaded by Death
HoboKa
Source: Deathevan
Game: Breath of Fire 2
Composer: Yuko Takehara
Artist: I decided to make use of that Damage Drum kit that I've been itching to use and man did it work well for this one, at least in my perspective. And as pu_freak wanted, I made "Jaded by Death" as evil as I could, employing the use of creepy orchestral and industrial influences, with some SFX and scary drones and stuff. I actually enjoyed making this remix and hope that you guys do too! One frustration I have were getting the mix sounding as good as can be; and another more distant but always nagging feeling is pleasing the J panel; always a strain for me, but luckily I don't focus on making music solely for OCR, else I'd probably suffer an aneurysm lol.
Director: And from GamerShredding’s last choirs we enter HoboKa’s. Gone with the rock and adrenaline pumping, this mix brings you pure Evil and Despair. You know you’ve set foot in the wrong place, a place so seeping with evil that it’s taking you over. HoboKa’s use of strings and choirs is complemented by excellent percussion which forms the skeleton of this mix. It’s minimalist in an orchestral and evil way, only building up the energy in the second half of the song. At the end, it leaves you all alone in the corner, with the ominous choirs letting you know you’re never getting out…
Assistant Director: Let's leave the guitars for a while, and dive into an ocean of orchestra. HoboKa opens with a dark and heavy arrangement – a perfect transition between rock and symphonic remixes. The drum work is excellent and boosts the whole track. The organs and dark synths/pads will help the track keep a creepy feeling. You know something is coming.
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CD 1 Track 7
Crescendo to Chaos
Chernabogue
Source: Last Battle (VS Rival)
Game: Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow
Composer: Junichi Masuda
Artist: Since the first volume of BadAss, people requested that someone should arrange a boss theme from Pokémon, especially the final battle with ""Gary Motherf*ckin' Oak"" from the first generation. A remix of that track was in the works for the second volume, but it never happened. As I was working on a Digimon remix too, I thought I could also do something for the Pokémon fans.
The source from Pokémon RBY is very chaotic -- it sounds frenetic and not structured. I tried to make it sound as epic as possible, since epic is the theme for this final volume. Bombastic was the goal here, but I also added some darker/ominous sections, which I really love. Gary Oak is the final boss, the ultimate obstacle, the last trainer you have to best before finally earning your title of Pokémon Master. Are you ready? Because he really is.
Director: Alexandre’s second mix is an orchestral rendition of the Champion Battle from the first generation of Pokémon games. It may be the same genre as HoboKa’s Deathevan mix, but this has quite a different energy. THIS. IS. WAR! Imagine yourself having defeated lots of enemies, only to climb up the last hill. But when you’re on top, the only thing you can see are the enemy’s vast armies. A whole different level of despair, as you’re overwhelmed by the power and conviction within this mix. Still standing? You better be, because we’re not even halfway to the end.
Assistant Director: We're still in the orchestral section of the album, but “orchestra” doesn't rhymes with “quiet” here. Get ready as this track contains more crescendos and decrescendos than a roller-coaster. This soundtrack is the one that plays during your greatest battle against your rival. Are you ready? Because he is.
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CD 1 Track 8
The Power
XPRTNovice
Source: Grahf, Omen
Game: Xenogears
Composer: Yasunori Mitsuda
Artist: I always wanted to do something with Grahf's theme, because I thought it was one of the most powerful themes in Xenogears, and BadAss3 seemed like a great opportunity to do it. I originally wanted to make this a sort of Middle Eastern thing, but it took a sort of cinematic turn that retained some of those elements, such as the oud and the string timbre. I also really liked some of Grahf's lines from the game, so, being a voice actor, I thought why not? And out came this sort of slam poetry thing. Grahf's story is really kind of tragic and messed up, and you can evoke a lot of emotion just by trying to re-tell that story, which is what I tried to do here.
Director: XPRTNovice, the man that can play 837 different instruments AND is a voice actor. And which instrument did he think was the most evil? Right, a didgeridoo… that guys is insane! But hey, that’s a prerequisite to join BadAss 3. The intro of this mix alone is so twisted and ominous, with Middle Eastern-style vocal work and dissonant strings on the background. But then the voice-over comes announcing its desire… for Power!
The mix then turns orchestral, bombastic and epic with a militaristic feel to it, building up tension and evilness until one last moment to take a break… before the full military force is unleashed upon you! A great arrangement from XPRTNovice which ends so incredibly creepy and twisted. Man, oh man, what have you gotten yourself into?
Assistant Director: Another great orchestral take on a less-remixed source. XPRTNovice brings an oriental influence to the album, with weird wind instruments, ethnic percussion, and even didgeridoo. In addition of all this, he also plays with his voice and adds some creepy narration and voice acting. Do you think you can handle it all?
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CD 1 Track 9
Amputate your Metal
Mak Eightman
Source: Boss Theme
Game: Wild Guns
Composer: Hiroyuki Iwatsuki, Haruo Ohashi
Artist: pu_freak asked if I wanted to ReMix this source and I've taken inspiration from this track from "To Mega Thirion" from Thirion's album Theli. This album was a very interesting endeavour on the production side. After several attempts at mastering it, I asked Tim (timaeus222) for some help. Thanks to Tim it sounds as much good as it possible with the stuff I recorded. The titanload of work he's done deserves a lot of respect! I'm thankful as hell!.
Director: It’s time to get pumped up for the end of the first disc, and what better way to do it then the way it began: an adrenaline pumping orchestral rock mix that turns to pure metal at the end! After you’ve been mentally broken down by the previous mixes, Mak comes with his maximum-energy track which feels like the ultimate boss battle! I’ve personally requested Mak to mix this source, since it’s been a longtime favorite of mine. Mak liked the source and here we are: a bit out of Mak’s comfort zone in terms of genre since he normally makes industrial mixes, but man did he deliver! That intro alone will get you pumped up and ready to fight, making you feel BadAss and ready to take any boss that comes in your way.
The mix title is a play on the Western phrase “Amputate Your Timbre”, meaning “Get the hell out!”. It seems fitting since this mix gets you ready to take on any boss, which in this game’s case are giant metal contraptions, and in case of this mix, by giving you same awesome metal shreddage.
Assistant Director: Mak starts off with some orchestral, but if you know the guy, you probably also know that some guitars will eventually start taking over the rest. Once again, heavy metal returns to BadAss – with some Ennio Morricone influence. Do you feel how the energy is coming back? We want to end with something hard-hitting. And Mak really has it.
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CD 1 Track 10
Are You BadAss?
Chernabogue, Tuberz McGee, Furilas, Mirby, Brandon Strader
Source: Sturm
Game: Advance Wars
Composer: Yoshito Hirano, Taishi Senda
Artist:
Chernabogue: Believe it or not, but this mix was supposed to be released on BadAss II. That means I've been working on it for almost four years. Countless collaborators participated to its creation, and I can't thank enough those who patiently helped me.

Advance Wars is a series I enjoyed a lot on GBA, and Sturm always has been a problem, as the final boss. The music of those two games is really interesting, and Sturm's theme kept looping in my head -- I had to remix it. During this period, I was listening to a lot of Helloween (still do), and this remix is a tribute to their music that inspire me a lot. The metal fans may find out I was inspired by the song ""Are You Metal?"" by that band, and I decided to write a similar song for Sturm.
All riffs, solos, synths, and stuff in that remix were written from Sturm's theme, while the structure itself is inspired by Helloween's song.

As always, after the horrible MIDI arrangement, I contacted my recording buddies, Tuberz McGee and Furilas, in order to have live guitars, bass, and vocals. I also contacted Mirby to get a better version of my lyrics. After all, my English isn't the best -- vive la révolution!

The first version was rejected by the Judges and cut from BA2, despite my best attempts to master the beast. And when Pieter contacted me to help him on BA3, I knew it was the time to finish it. Not so strangely enough, it was the last track we finished for the album (searching for a good vocalist, re-recording of the guitars that were lost in a data transfer, etc.) but I think we really did something epic.

Thanks a bunch to everyone who helped -- especially Tuberz, Furilas, Mirby, and Brandon -- they were BadAss enough to keep Sturm alive. Now, enjoy this track and the rest of the album. \m/

Line-up:
Chernabogue -- arrangement, lyrics, mixing/mastering (v1)
Tuberz McGee -- lead and rhythm guitars
Furilas -- bass, vocals (v1)
Mirby -- lyrics
Brandon Strader -- vocals (v2), mixing/mastering (v2)

Mirby: Chernabogue needed better lyrics for this song so, being a fan of the series, I obliged and helped out, adding in more references to the games and the world in which they take place. It was fun to write.

Bradon Strader: The universe conspired against me finishing this song but it's done, so enjoy it!
Tuberz McGee: So Alex (the bae) asked me to do guitar things for a metal thing on an album thing and I said sure thing. So I loaded up the file and saw that he'd written some tough stuff so I actually had to practice, so whatever I guess that's a good thing right? Either way, this song is BadAss. Thanks for having me Alex (l).
Director: Pumped up for the end of disc one? Good, 'cuz we're going to finish the first disc with a bang: this is Chernabogue's hattrick and he's brought an entire army of mixers to do it. Our only mix with lyrics and its sheer power is proof that BadAss 3 shouldn't contain any more of them. I mean, we want our listeners to actually be able to listen to the rest of the album.

A combination of great arrangement work by Alex (Chernabogue), guitar by Tuberz, bass by Furilas, lyrics by Mirby and Brandon's powerful voice, asking you very friendly if you're truly BadAss. I mean, we're halfway to the end now so you should have a pretty good idea if you're BadAss enough for this. And yes, this is us being friendly.
Assistant Director: Are you BadAss? That's a good question. After almost four years in the making, countless collaborators, and endless remasters, the world is finally ready for Sturm's return. Epic riff? Check. Crazy vocals? Check. Creepy laughs? Check. So are you BadAss? We surely are.
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CD 2 Track 1
Opening the Way
PabloComa
Source: The Opened Way
Game: Shadow of the Colossus
Composer: Ko Otani
Artist: "Opening the Way", is a take on Koh Ohtani’s "The Opened Way", one of the most prominent tracks in Shadows of the Colossus’ OST. My goal was to create a completely different atmosphere, while keeping some melodical material by Mr. Ohtani. The epic feeling has vanished and been replaced by a dark, twisted atmosphere. Shining somewhere within it, a slim ray of hope.
Director: Different disc, different vibe. Time to take a step back and get immersed into an abyss of despair. Pablo has made a calm, empty and very eerie version of the first Shadow of the Colossus boss battle. The violin fills you with sorrow, with the mix further drawing you in and crushing your spirit - twisting your mind with creepy music boxes and sfx. Beautiful, yet very haunting and disturbing. This mix is not BadAss due to a high energy level or a feeling of evil, but by it’s incredible atmosphere. This disc has the mixes that will destroy you mentally – they won’t destroy your body with power, but they’ll take your mind and soul instead.

Pablo is not very active at remixing anymore, but I’m very glad he found time in his busy schedule to finish this mix! Why is he so busy you ask? Check his bio; he’s making his own games! You can also check out his SoundCloud where he has more mixes and soundtracks.
Assistant Director: Back to the abyss with you. PabloComa starts off the second disc with a very quiet, but yet very ominous take on the music of Shadow of the Colossus. The orchestra brings a lot of tension, and the SFX/synths add a lot to the creepy factor. How can you bring to mind the Colossi with such a calm arrangement? Listen and you'll know.
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CD 2 Track 2
The Dark Defender
pu_freak
Source: Magus Castle, Magus Confronted
Game: Chrono Trigger
Composer: Yasunori Mitsuda
Artist: For BadAss 3, my aim was to create an album of mixes that make you feel evil, sinister, or twisted. To achieve that, people should either have something bombastic or epic in their mix (like the Imperial March), or make it creepy and twisted. I've always used one example for the latter category: the 'Blood Theme' from Dexter. To that end, I wanted to make a mix of my own in 'Blood Theme'-style.

The mix starts the same as Magus' Castle theme, with brooding low strings and howling wind in the background. However, when playing the real Magus theme, I only use the two chords that are present in the Blood Theme (two chords that are twisted in itself). In the 0:29 - 1:20 part, I've used music bells that are very close the the background motif used in 'Blood Theme'. I couldn't do much else in terms of recreating the Blood Theme-vibe, since incorporating non-VGM is unwanted of course, but I think it's enough to remind people of the Blood Theme and to give the same creepy and twisted vibe. To increase the twisted feeling, I've made a dynamic panning and volume for the music bells, and the music box later in the mix. Furthermore, some intstruments (most notably the piano at the end) have a chorus effect, making them sound more distorted. Big differences in volume throughout will - hopefully - also instigate an unsettling effect and the mix featured brooding strings throughout. The uses of music bells and music boxes should also add to the creepy feeling. In terms of vibe, this mix combines the feeling of my Pokémon track on OCR and my Gilgamesh mix from BadAss 1.

The mix is a bit shorter than usual for me, but that's because you can only do so much with two chords (and I even cheated once at 1:16 by using two other chords). I've not fully used the source (which has to do with the very limited chord progression I could use), but the source - as well as my inspiration - is very recognizable I think. The title is also a nod to Dexter
Director: Time for me to continue what Pablo started. Brooding strings, howling winds, eerie piano, twisted music boxes and an overall empty and ominous vibe should drive you further insane… This is Magus – Dexter style – and will bring out the evil killer in yourself. Let its evil run through your veins and surrender yourself to the darkness…
Assistant Director: The piano is one instrument that can create a whole atmosphere on its own. But with the addition of discrete synths and strings, pu_freak pushes the album's “ominous factor” to a whole new level. Did you need to take a break after all the epicness from disc 1? There you go.
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CD 2 Track 3
(Progeny) Of A Frail Humanity
David L. Puga, Mak Eightman
Source: Wesker's Theme, Wesker - Beginnings, Mercenaries - Wesker, Winds of Madness
Game: Resident Evil, Umbrella Chronicles, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil 5
Composer: Makoto Tomozawa, Koichi Hiroki, Masami Ueda; Masafumi Takada, Jun Fukuda; Misao Senbongi, Shusaku Uchiyama; Kota Suzuki, Hideki Okugawa, Akihiko Narita, Seiko, Kobuchi, Wataru Hokoyama
Artist: Ever since the first BadAss I've been trying to find a way to remix Weskers theme; I was also hoping that someone else would come along & do it, but it never happened. With the 3rd Album I decided to make a remix of Wesker finally, & do it in the 28 weeks later style, cause you know, zombies. This track was done in 3 "movements" if you will, in the same vein as the Final Boss Battles in most RE games. Each section having it's own characteristics, while still being part of the whole, ending wih the bombast & the inevitable bittersweet ending (which sounds just like a basic song come to think of it). Mak Eightman came along towards the end to give the track an even creepier guitar, & I think we've reached complete global saturation, of peoples pants. Because it's so good.
Director: The return of former BadAss boss David L. Puga (previously known as The Joker)! It start as creepy as the previous two songs were with piano and acoustic guitars. But you know something’s lurking in the shadows… you KNOW something’s coming. And why should we disappoint? This great take on several Wesker themes is heavily inspired by the theme song of the movie ’28 weeks later’ (the song itself is called ‘In the house – in a heartbeat’) and it works very well. On top of that, Mak was kind enough to lend his shredding skills for the epic climax of the song. I’m very glad that David is contributing to finish the BadAss trilogy; the trilogy he started. And what better way to do it than with his (in my opinion) best ReMix to date?
Assistant Director: David L. Puga also brought his piano and decided to put more electro elements in. The creepy atmosphere shines here, and the reverberated guitars add a lot to the effect. The metal climax turns the lights on, but don't hope your nightmare is finished. You still have a lot to go through.
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CD 2 Track 4
Fortress of Doom
neshead80
Source: Sub Castle BGM
Game: Super Mario World
Composer: Koji Kondo
Artist: It started as a dubstep experiment & morphed into Muse meets Yngwie.
Director: Who knew a mix from Super Mario World could be so creepy and so rocking at the same time? When I spotted Alan (neshead80) on YouTube I knew I had to get him on this album. The Sub Castle BGM from Super Mario World is one of my favorite sources and this had the perfect vibe for BadAss 3. While technically not a boss theme, this theme is basically a boss level theme which is good enough for us. Especially when the mix is as awesome as this. With some tweaking and improvements to make this mix as BadAss as it could be, Alan created a perfect transition from eerie and unsettling, to rocking as hell within one ReMix!

Like GamerShredding and Sbeast on disc 1, there aren’t any neshead80 solo mixes on OCR, but I really urge you to check his YouTube page for more awesome stuff from him!
Assistant Director: Welcome to our castle... Where did I hear that before? Another combo of guitar/ominous atmosphere brought by neshead80, with a lot of synths, and fat percussion – he brings back the heavy rhythm and a creepy lead melody later on. The guitar work is on spot, and the solo is perfect. Be ready for a whole new arrangement of a very remixed tune. And a good one.
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CD 2 Track 5
Molgera's Love
Chimpazilla, Redg
Source: Molgera
Game: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Composer: Koji Kondo, Toru Minegishi, Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai
Artist: This room, I've been here before. The thick musty smell and the dim sepia-toned light are so familiar. I'm in an enormous sand pit, enclosed by... walls? I can't escape, I must jump down below, must move forward. The ground rumbles as the room fills with even more dreaded sand. Suddenly from the floor bursts the most marvelous creature with sideways flapping lips... is this some kind of god?

Before I can organize my thoughts, the beast has gone back down beneath the sand. The Thing of Glory emerges partially to reveal a single magnificent purple tentacle. I am being drawn into the swirling eddy surrounding this godlike Entity. It seems I am destined to merge with It... but no, the fear is too great, I must resist. Instinctively I lash out; the terror is too powerful to do anything else. Ah, but the Beast speaks the language of pain. I slash away. I am rewarded with miniature copies of Itself!

The wormlike demigods leap and roar and hurl themselves at me. I am blinded by airborne sand. Paradoxically I am helpless against the aggressors until I draw them close to me! At the very moment they could most easily devour me, I have my advantage! I must kill them... I must... the Big One will have it no other way. Sometimes the murder provides me with a life-sustaining heart, but not always. The mini-beasts attack, more and more of them emerge from the sand, while their parent, the Primary, continues to taunt me from its position in the floor, waving toward me with its one sinister tentacle, surrounded by those two odd appendages, flapping hypnotically.

I must kill this Beast. It is him or me, I'm sure of this now; I am running out of lifeforce. The minions surround me, offering sparing, random chances to regain my strength. I need hearts desperately, running too low now... lower and lower health. I hear a strange beeping in my ears, getting louder and louder... Oh Godlike Creature! Please give me life-sustaining hearts! My beautiful Molgera, revered All-Powerful Being, all I wanted was for you to love me... MOLGERA, WHERE IS THE LOVE???

Chimpazilla: My first wip of 'Molgera's Love' was very upbeat electronic, and was quickly rejected as being too happy. Fortunately I knew just who to ask to help me make it dark and creepy: Redg. His minimalist, bitcrushed, filtered/effected/mangled style is just right for the feel I wanted. I sent Brent the file, and he used my midi and changed all the instrumentation. We continued to collab and add more detail to the arrangement. We think it turned out delightfully unsettling!
Director: Dear god, what the hell is happening here? What is… who… ? Yeah, this mix is twisted and distorted beyond reason. A very unique and brilliant ReMix which takes the rather upbeat theme of Molgera and turns it into a minimal, twisted, mind-warping collaboration between Chimpazilla and Redg. Wait, Chimpazilla? Doesn’t she always make happy mixes and stuff? She also found her inner evil, her twisted self. You can hear it for yourself: the ones who seem the nicest people can actually be the darkest ones there are. Awesome stuff – and certainly one of a kind.
Assistant Director: We're definitively back into the domain of electro, with disturbing synths and creepy FX. The effects used really bring a twister atmosphere, and the stereo is fully exploited. The arrangement itself isn't bombastic, but you can feel something is creeping out somewhere. Chimpazilla and Redg don't want you to turn off the lights. Don't you suddenly feel surrounded by shadows?
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CD 2 Track 6
Mad Jack's Drop
Kammo64
Source: Mad Jack
Game: Donkey Kong 64
Composer: Grant Kirkhope
Artist: Mad Jack's Drop is the second track I decided to make for Badass 3. The main idea was to try making a dubstep song for the first time. I think it turned out pretty well, the hardest part was just mixing everything together to fit nicely.
Director: Are you still keeping it together? Then how about a twisted circus-style ReMix by Kammo64, turned upside down by great dubstep sections? The distorted violin and creepy sfx makes this mix at least as twisted as the ones before it, but then it will destroy you with the force of its dubstep. Another great ReMix by Cameron and this mix perfectly leads into the more electronic songs of BadAss 3. You can feel it’s slowly building up the energy for the very end of the BadAss trilogy…
Assistant Director: What would be a BadAss album without some dubstep? The violin lead adds a lot to a mix that already sounds crazy and twisted. Kammo64 knows his stuff and brings out a very heavy bass, and uses a lot of effects to created an atmosphere that would fit a haunted mansion. A few FX later and you can already feel the monster's breath on your back.
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CD 2 Track 7
Twisted Rebirth
SkyRiderX feat. XPRTNovice
Source: Dark Samus Theme, Tallon Overworld, U-mos theme
Game: Metroid Prime 3, Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2
Composer: Kenji Yamamoto, Minako Hamano, Masaru Tajima; Kouichi Kyuuma, Kenji Yamamoto; Kenji Yamamoto
Artist: This track was a total blast to make! The moment I saw that Badass Volume 3 was still recruiting I knew I had to make something for one of my favorite villans Dark Samus. I wanted to make a remix to almost tell the story of Dark Samus's life but still fit as if you were playing the game and the remix became more of a medley which made things a little harder but more interesting.

The initial WIP came out pretty well but it took a lot of refinement for it to really shine. The great voice talent of XPRTNovice helped bring the track to life by reading a description I wrote of Dark Samus as if he was Samus's visor. The bonus evil laughs and ""Phazon"" line used was actually created by myself and helped add an extra level of creepy to the mix.

The hardest part that came with making this track was the cluttered and muddy sounds I initially had and trying to create a good climax. It took months of testing and playing around to finally find something I liked. Along the way many things were replaced or changed to help better the overall mix - drums, synths, etc. all remade over and over again to get the right sound. When all was said and done though the track sounded great and was well balanced thanks to all the help and feedback from the team.
Director: Another ReMix talent on BadAss 3 with a dubstep song, this time featuring great voice acting by XPRTNovice. Still twisted, but the emphasis lies a lot more on the electronic and dubstep sections of the song. All different Dark Samus themes from the Metroid Prime series are incorporated in a mix that superbly builds up energy and keeps you on edge until its final crescendo. Great work by SkyRiderX, another mixer we will probably seeing (and hearing) more of in the future!
Assistant Director: After Ridley in Volume I, it's time for Dark Samus to arrive. SkyRiderX also uses some heavy bass and creepy effects to bring the darkest side of the Metroid universe to your ears. The narration also creates an interesting effect, and the fast-paced synth solos seem to accelerate the tempo of the track. Can you handle the pressure? In space, nobody will hear you scream...
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CD 2 Track 8
Soiled by the Egyptians
timaeus222
Source: Cave2 Tank, Day 5: Arctic Ridge, Day 9: Hydroponic Lab
Game: Vectorman 2, Vectorman 1
Composer: Jon Holland, Jon Holland
Artist: I've been feeling pretty inspired lately, and after making some good progress on an original album of mine, I decided I'd incorporate some of those elements in a Vectorman ReMix. Both are Egyptian-themed, and I was thinking of combining in some of the Electro House tricks I had put together before in a Darkwing Duck and Mega Man 7 track I did for the WCRG 2013 compo. It wasn't too hard to pick out some nice pieces from Vectorman 1 and 2 to play around with, as they're all so good (the occasional offset panning for a stereo effect is pretty unusual on headphones, but sounds great on speakers).

After getting on solid ground with layering ISW Juggernaut samples in various contexts, I wanted to use those, along with some cool Tabla Tarangs and Indian Ragas vox from Crypto Cipher (who makes unique and useful Middle-Eastern sample libraries) and some other brand new mega-distorted FM bass sounds I synthesized in my free time to write a big ReMix that you can dance to and blast in your car. My goal was big, bold, and unrestrained (okay, maybe a little restrained so it's not super loud :P). I feel like I don't really write a lot of purely dance-able music that focuses mostly on the groove, punch, and development rather than the melodic content, so I figured, why not have one track in my repertoire that's like that?

While writing this, I suddenly thought of something that seemed crazy at first, before I looked it up: Didgeridoo Dubstep. Turns out some people have tried it, though they were either beatboxing or just otherwise playing around. Nothing wrong with that, of course, as now I get the chance to do that fer srs, bro, and with a few twists of my own! The climax was inspired by Zalem, a rather popular didgeridoo beatboxer, and zircon's 'Neurobazaar'. To really make things huge, I ended up sampling a bit of Nutritious's 'Distortion HQ' from the Deus Ex album for the sub bass frequencies at 2:19. When that part drops hard on ya, see if you can't tell the difference between the talkbox-and-glitch-mangled didgeridoo and the wobbles! :D
Director: Time to ditch the creepiness and turn full-on electro with Egyptian influences in a mix that brings back the overwhelming and bombastic vibe to the BadAss 3 – timaeus-style. If you listen to this mix, it’s no wonder that Tim became our to-go man for production feedback and became an integral part of the BadAss 3 staff. The energy sparks from this mix and really makes you feel like a BadAss when listening to it. It builds up the tension about halfway through in an atmospheric Egyptian intermezzo, before building up to the final dubstep part - setting you into full adrenaline mode.
Assistant Director: Only a few remixers can dare to mix heavy electro synths and ethnic instruments. Timaeus222 knows his stuff, and created a very interesting arrangement with such elements – do you think ancient Egyptians and pharaohs used to organize rave parties? Find out and listen to this mix – the music intensifies.
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CD 2 Track 9
Become Death
Darkmoocher, timaeus222
Source: Day 4: Absolute Zero, Day 15: Worldlink Center, Day 2: Metalhead, Day 16: Twist and Shout
Game: Vectorman
Composer: Jon Holland
Artist:
timaeus222: When Jordan came to me with his concept of what this was going to be, I was pretty excited. At first I proposed to him that someone start a fresh WIP to help mesh our ideas together, and I ended up writing the intro. Jordan returns the favor on my birthday with the whole arrangement rehashed from his old, old version of this same ReMix for the second BadAss album. He had a bunch of notes written out in a neat lil' txt file at essay length as per yoozh™, but what I loved about it is that he included audio commentary over a copy of his take. :P It basically said, ""Take this, work your magic, and hold nothing back!"", so naturally, I obliged. Some of his early remarks:
1) "man, you don't play around AT ALL when it comes to heavy percussion and hard-hitting drums and slams. Timaeus, you are siiick, dawg. [...] y u gotta always work so quickly and shizz."
2) "see, now... why you gotta go on like that and just shit all over me by making some suuuper sick beats and ultra fat grooves?"

...So you know this is going to be something for the record books. ;) So, the ReMix itself? It's pretty much like this: I did much of the intro, glitching/mangling, scare-tactics wub wubz & FX, some geetah chugz and soloing (Shreddage 2X), cinematic impacts/slams, much of the drums, and mixing/mastering, while Jordan did the remaining 70% or somethin' of the electric geetahz/bass live, vocals (HOW DARE!) and choir, some sick NI Battery drums, a lil bitcrushed FM wobble here and thar, some ambient hit layers, cinematic textural sampling, LOTS of the arrangement, and uh... yeah, I could keep going on for hours, so let's just say we both did 50/50 and call it good. X) Jordan has some of the craziest ideas I've ever heard, and I'm glad he gave this another shot so that we could flesh it out, melting some faces and scraping, grinding, and busting a bajillion speakers in the process. I also got some new headphones in the middle of working on this and used them in the process to really nail dat bass, so what can I say, djp? You and I are headphone twins. ((( (]^o^[) ))) ...Well, OK, I guess you could say quadruplets with Flexstyle and zircon, but that'd be weirder probably.

With almost 90 (of 99!!) mixer tracks used, nearly 80 layers of stuff, and over 240 instrument/audio clip/automation instantiations (!!!) utilized in FL Studio, if there was ever a musical magnum opus I did something for, it would be this. I mean really, it takes a whopping 6 minutes for the project file to load, and I have to let FL freeze twice before it can scroll around or zoom in or out. It can be hard to pick your own best work, but I'm pretty set on this one being the one at the moment.

Darkmoocher: Where do we even start on this one?
In my attempt to make an incredibly long story short, basically I've had this idea since well before BadAss Vol I. It should be clear that as open I am to most games, I grew up primarily on the Sega Genesis, so eventually some more non-Sonic classics would be coming from me eventually. :)
I knew I wanted to take this arrangement down Buckethead lane and play off of 'Nuclear War-fare"" and dystopian fallout, but my 'killer studio chops' just....

...weren't killing... anything, really.

Jazzy and funky stuff came/comes natural, and I'd say I'm a pretty decent guitarist for the harder, rock stuff too, but I just knew on the mixing and production side of things I still had much to learn before I could level up beyond 'Mildly-Aggressive Studio Veggies.'
Not only did I hear about Volume 1 really late, but also the staff were blunt yet understanding about my original WIP by letting me know I had some potential but it honestly wasn't on par with the other tracks on the album; so I got benched but was given the chance to rework it for the next volume...
Fast-forward to Volume II and we've got the same thing... I'm making some decent progress, but it's just still... not killing anything. O___o

"Alright, BadAss Volume III... I've just GOTTA get it this time!"

I look at the director's prompt/album theme in the project thread... then I look at my current WIP.

I look at the current roster... then back at my WIP...

I A-B compare back and forth as much as possible to some Djentlemen, CHUGGA CHUGGA heavy stuff..... aaaaaaaaand then back at my WIP.

... Finally I just throw my hands up and knock on a certain person's door. "Ay yo, Timaeus? So I've got this weapons of mass destruction Buckethead kind of thing going on... and it's 'crazy,' yeah.... but not really nuclearically brutal enough. I've got the chemical process laid out basically, but you think maybe you can help me test this bomb?"

...

And then Timaeus came back to me with a demo saying ""WUUUBBB WUUBBBB WUUUB WOOOWOWOOOWWWOOOWWW RRRRRROOOOOAAAAAAARRRRR!!!"" so it was pretty much a wrap from there.
2014 was an incredibly shitty year for me so unfortunately I ended up as a deadweight for many projects outside of Zone Runners since it was hard to remain motivated on anything else, but I kept coming back slowly and slowly to the WIPs Timaeus would be sending. I'm sure I've had the staff and Timaeus pulling the impatient Sonic pose of crossing their arms and tapping their toes wondering ""where the in the world is Sir J?""
And in the veeery final stages of wrapping up the album I had to be an ass to Timaeus in order to keep going back to make fine adjustment after fine adjustment after fine adjustment.

And so that brings us to the WubWub ChuggaChugga chimaera you hear today. With a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, several months (years, really, on my part) of hair-pulling, and 200+ track stems and instances (each of our DAW projects combined) later....we present to you 'Become Death.'

It is certainly one of the most ambitious remixes I've ever worked on, I truly appreciate Timaeus' phenomenal work (and patience with my asshattery), The directors (especially pu_freak) for continuously giving me a chance since waaaay back in the beginning, and I sincerely hope this gets some muthafuggin thumbs up from Vectorman fans out there.

peace ~J"
Director: Wait, did I say that the previous mix was sparking with energy? I take that back… THIS has energy! These guys are crazy… not twisted like Chimpazilla and Redg in their mix, but rather drooling, psycho, bat-shit crazy! Man oh man, what a mix. From its raw and dark intro, to its funky but distorted guitars and dissonant background guitars, to glitchy effects throughout the mix, to sick and devastating dubsteps section, all the way to a truly crazy shredding guitar solo… this mix has it all. And it all sounds logical. Well, you know, for a crazy as hell, psychotic mix. This mix has been in the works for years and it really shows – not that it sounds dated, but you simply cannot do this in a few months. Kudos to Jordan and Tim for seeing this through to the end and spending so much time on this to make one of the best and craziest mixes I’ve ever heard!
Assistant Director: What is Death? Apparently, it can take many forms – Darkmoocher & timaeus222 present their own version, filled with bass drops, electric guitar, phat percussion, and other crazy elements (special “thumbs up” to the woman choir's shouts). This track contains rock, dubstep, metal, and maybe a touch of reggae. It shares a common trait with the rest – it's totally epic.
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CD 2 Track 10
Seed of Perdition
Lashmush
Source: Lavos' Theme, World Revolution, Last Battle
Game: Chrono Trigger
Composer: Yasunori Mitsuda
Artist: Another big project. This one was a bit harder as the three songs don't interlink naturally which I tried to work around as best I could. Turning them all into metal was relatively straightforward as the moods of the Lavos tracks are so dark and hectic. Again I went for heavy extreme metal which for me just lends itself naturally to these big epics. The result I think is a really intense and epic track.
Director: By now, you’ve probably checked yourself into a mental institution for either becoming a megalomaniac thinking you can achieve world domination, for being driven into despair with a shattered soul, or for having your mind completely twisted by the dark and crazy stuff on this album… Time to finish the job! Remember how this album started? We’ve got another one for you: an eight minute long journey through the three different Lavos themes by Lashmush. It has everything in it this album had: it starts creepy and twisted, going into an orchestral section with epic choirs, before bringing in the guitars setting the energy levels to MAX with the second and third Lavos themes. To finish the journey, the part that features the Last Battle against Lavos features electronic addition to this already heavily packed ReMix. This mix is the final boss of the final entry of the BadAss trilogy. If you made it through all of this, the answer is ‘yes’: you ARE BadAss! Now go back and enjoy those epic guitar solos at the end of this mix!
Assistant Director: And here we are. Lashmush returns with one final epic monster, blending together orchestra and heavy metal. This track shares a lot with Kefka's: organs, crazy solos, heavy rhythm, blast beats – you know the deal. It's the final stretch, the grand finale of our crazy ride, filled with madness and pain. Just like a final boss, this track perfectly concludes the album – an epic climax and the monster's agony. But were you BadAss enough?
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