Super Dodge Ball: Around the World / Super Dodge Ball: Around the World / Super Dodge Ball: Around the World

Super Dodge Ball: Around the World
Comments from album directors Kyle Crouse (KyleJCrb) & Alan Bish (Murmeli Walan)

In March 2009, as production was wrapping up on Summoning of Spirits and release of that project was imminent, I decided to reach out to my good friend, Walan, about helping him wrap up his project, which had been languishing in development hell for quite some time. Over two years later, the project is finally complete! With 19 arrangements from 25 artists, we pay tribute to Kazuo Sawa's amazing Super Dodge Ball soundtrack with an eclectic mix of ethnic, metal, nerdcore hip-hop, new age, hardcore trance, and orchestral music. I am very proud to have assisted Walan in putting together an album that I feel is very consistent and fun to listen to. I hope everyone enjoys checking out Around the World!

- Kyle Crouse (KyleJCrb)

The original concept of Around the World was to showcase and tribute the music of Kazuo Sawa by reimagining his Super Dodge Ball soundtrack in an ethnic style. Over seven years after the concept's creation, Around the World has been released! Featuring 19 tracks from 25 artists, AtW includes a wide range of musical styles from rock to hip-hop, electronica to world, trance to symphonic. This album would have never been completed without the help of co-director KyleJCrb, who stepped in in 2009 and recruited an amazing group of talented musicians from all corners of the Internet. It's my hope that everyone who listens will enjoy Around the World!

- Alan Bish (Murmeli Walan)

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Song comments from album creator and co-director Alan Bish (Murmeli Walan)

01. Around the World (Title)
Arrangement: pu_freak
Performance: pu_freak (piano)

Director's Note: The album starts off with the track that shares its title. pu_freak starts with a slow, somber piano intro that gradually builds and creates an excitement that sets the pace for the entirety of the album. The way that he builds and expands on the original melody of the title screen is a common theme throughout Around the World.

02. Dodge This Sakura (Vs. Team Japan)
Arrangement: bLiNd

Director's Note: bLiNd is the best he is at what he does, and what he does is make you dance. While technically being an arrangement of the Japanese folk song "Sakura Sakura" and not originally written for Super Dodge Ball, Jordan delivers with a combination of traditional Japanese instruments and a heavy bass synth that drives this high energy remix.

03. Birmingham Beatdown (Vs. Team England)
Arrangement: Hoha
Performance: Hoha (guitar)

Director's Note: One of the original visions I had for Around the World was to have remixers interpret the music in their own styles while keeping the "flavor" of the countries being represented in the game. Hoha went above and beyond in a spastic track that jumps all over the place in tempo changes and pays homage to good old fashioned British rock. Did you catch the classic British rock reference in the intro?

04. Dodge Mahal (Vs. Team India)
Arrangement: Protricity
Performance: bustatunez (flutes), Jeff Ball (violin), Level 99 (guitar)

Director's Note: Longtime OverClocked ReMix veteran Protricity takes listeners on a journey with this arrangement of the "Team India" theme. This remix continues the ideas started in the original song and expands them into a Middle Eastern-influenced odyssey with the help of bustatunez on flutes, Level 99 on guitar, and Jeff Ball providing expert violin work. Production- and arrangement-wise, this track is truest to my original idea for Around the World.

05. Almost Frozen (Vs. Team Iceland)
Arrangement: Rexy, Monobrow

Director's Note: Okay, so Greenland is actually the island that's a frozen wasteland, but who's counting? This is one of the oldest tracks on the project, and while Rexy's arrangement was fantastic, the production wasn't as high as it could be. That's when Monobrow stepped in and added funky prog-rock style synths that improve the track a hundred-fold. Excellent work to both of these lovely ladies.

06. Big Blue Ballin' (Vs. Team Shadow)
Arrangement: ergosonic
Performance: ergosonic (guitar)

Director's Note: This track came about thanks to the efforts of co-director KyleJCrb. After nearly the entirety of the music side of the album was complete, we found ourselves sitting in the OCR album release queue. Kyle decided we had time and room for another track, so he reached out to ergosonic from the Dwelling of Duels community. I consider "Big Blue Ballin'" to be the "sister track" to "Birmingham Beatdown" in that they share a similar off-the-wall, rapid fire, spastic yet playful take on the source material.

07. Six Dodge Balls and a Lotus Flower (Vs. Team China)
Arrangement: Dj Mokram

Director's Note: Throughout the whole of Dj Mokram's contribution, he creates a wonderful soundscape that invokes the land of China. Interesting and lively percussion peppers the rest of the remix in a meeting of old and new. If Hoha and ergosonic's tracks are related in theme and style, then this would be the "sister track" to Protricity's India remix.

08. Nairobi Hop (Vs. Team Kenya)
Arrangement: DCT, LuIzA
Performance: Khakolak Boy (vocals), KyleJCrb (sample), LuIzA (guitar), Mega Ran (vocals), Mr. Jones (vocals)

Director's Note: This is another track that came entirely from KyleJCrb's connections in the remix community. This remix's life started as a solo effort from DCT. Kyle asked for guitars, which LuIzA stepped up and expertly provided. Then Kyle asked for rappers, so DCT brought in Mr. Jones and Khakolak Boy from his Urbanizm Music label. The addition of nerdcore megastar Random, a.k.a. Mega Ran, sealed the deal as one of the hottest tracks on this album. This remix is nothing short of a hip-hop masterpiece.

09. I Lost My Balls in Moscow (Vs. Team USSR)
Arrangement: AkumajoBelmont
Performance: Dimmignatt (guitar)

Director's Note: HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY. Robbie mashes together the old and new, but unlike Dj Mokram and Protricity, he skews this remix closer to the new with a dance club track that maybe could play somewhere in Moscow. Dimmignatt provides guitar, and the solo in the bridge at 3:21 still gives me chills, and I've listened to this track countless times prior to release. Creative music ideas flow throughout this track, making it a great addition to Robbie's signature style and body of work. EUROBEAT RULES!

10. Lightspeed (Vs. Pro All-Stars)
Arrangement: Andy Jayne

Director's Note: If memory serves me right, Andy Jayne's submission to AtW is one of the oldest completed tracks. The original version of this track won the People's Remix Competition #65 on the OverClocked ReMix forums and earned a spot for inclusion on the album. After a revision late in the album's production, Andy's harmonies and bassline augment the creative changes to the melody well and create track that is just as chilled as it is hot and full of energy.

11. Doppelganger (Vs. Team Shadow)
Arrangement: Chrono

Director's Note: The final battle of the single player mode is against a stronger mirror image of Team USA. Chrono gives to AtW a track that is both chilled out and relaxed but at the same time deadly ominous about the last fight of the game. This track isn't nearly as liberal with the arrangement as other tracks on the album, but it plays to the original's strengths.

12. Friendly Fire (Versus Play)
Arrangement: WillRock, Level 99
Performance: WillRock (guitar), Level 99 (guitar)

Director's Note: Two words: stadium anthem. WillRock and Level 99 bring the fury with epic, rising synth stabs and blistering solos. It's a genuine face-melter and the perfect fight music.

13. Kill Bill (Bean Ball)
Arrangement: Ryan8bit
Performance: Ryan8bit (guitar)

Director's Note: For about as long as I've been involved with the video game remix community, I've been a fan of Ryan8bit. Ryan was among the very first people I contacted to be a part of the SDB album, and he was the first to accept. His version of "Bean Ball" is the most conservative on the album in terms of arrangement, but that's not to say it's a negative point. This is straight-up, no-frills, dodge-balls-to-the-wall rock. An instant classic track from one of the greats of game remixes.

14. A Ultima Carimbada (Ending)
Arrangement: 8 Bit Instrumental
Performance: 8 Bit Instrumental (band)

Director's Note: 8 Bit Instrumental is one of the best video game cover bands to come out of Brazil, and this track is a good example of what they can do. They take the relatively short "Ending" theme and stretch and expand it with rock and chiptune elements that end the album the same way it began with pu_freak's track. It starts off strong and gradually fades back into a relaxing acoustic/electric piece that provides the perfect ending to Around the World.

15. Go Balls Deep! (Versus Play)
Arrangement: Sixto Sounds
Performance: Sixto Sounds (guitar)

Director's Note: Sixto Sounds was originally slated to arrange "Versus Play" for the album, but due to technical difficulties, this track was thought to be lost forever. WillRock and Level 99 joined the project later and came through with their arrangement of the theme, but Sixto rose from the ashes and rebuilt this version later, submitting it in the 11th hour to be included as part of the album. Sixto delivers on all fronts, bringing us a hard-nosed, smashed-mouth track that's filled to the brim with synths and the near-virtuosic levels of guitar work that have become Juan's staple.

BONUS 1. Nairobi Hop (Instrumental) [Vs. Team Kenya]
Arrangement: DCT, LuIzA
Performance: LuIzA (guitar)

Instrumental version of track 08.

BONUS 2. Lightspeed (WIP v1) [Vs. Pro All-Stars]
Arrangement: Andy Jayne

Work-in-progress version of track 10.

BONUS 3. Almost Frozen (WIP v2) [Vs. Team Iceland]
Arrangement: Rexy

Work-in-progress version of track 05.

BONUS 4. Whakisi (WIP) [Vs. Team Kenya]
Arrangement: Harmony
Performance: Harmony (vocals)

Unfinished work-in-progress track.