Posted 2026-09-18, evaluated by the judges panel

Brad's been improving & refining his sound for years; I was glad it was him that ended up directing the Chrono Cross album, in particular, since his blend of electronic & organic vibes fit that game/world like a glove. I'm not familiar with Monster Train and only recently cut my roguelite teeth on Hades, which was brilliant, but as Gario writes, this arrangement "really chills the source out" quite a bit... but still manages to evolve & develop, which is key. I miss the sax Brad would bust out more often back in the day, but the pluckier chromatic percussion and percolating synth bits employed here imbue the melody with enough vitality and variation to avoid lead fatigue. Layered textures and ambience with a vast space & nice stereo movement keep things immersive - there's plenty of detail & development to listen for, but you can also just ride the flow. Great work from a ReMixer who has kept a relatively consistent aesthetic over the years while successfully enhancing, refining, & applying it to many different games. Love the Fall & Rise album concept, hoping I can rise again too some day - and of course, looking forward to the album itself!

― djpretzel