u/makarastar

I wonder if the designers of R-Type felt flattered or peeved when they saw this the year after their own take

https://youtu.be/vnmgWKLVH1c

Makaras Music - Mecha Blazer / re-imagined music for "Blazing Star" arcade shoot 'em up game

https://youtu.be/GsuObxTiT2E

This is my re-imagined soundtrack for a 1998 Arcade game I've never played - but was impressed upon seeing a video clip of it recently

Suggest listening to this while watching the part of the game that inspired it - when the tiny enemy vehicle in the bottom-right ascends and transforms into a giant "Mecha" (hence the title of my track) -

https://youtu.be/9HptrvEoXjI?t=24

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Behringer LM Drum machine

Tempo - 135 BPM

My own user-created preset "Vertical Blast" used

Bank - "LM9" (Linn 9000)

Sequenced Drums - "Beefykick" / "Bunkick" / "Policy Snare" / "Snare" / "Clap"

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Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Tempo - 270 BPM

VSTs -

Roland D-50 / Presets -

"Sweet Vibes"
"Clear Bell Pad"

Synth1 / Presets -

"Dramatic (play chords)"
"ARP:3Note Riff RH"
"Betrayer Stereo"
"Old skool bass"
"Caged"
"[ARP] Falling Chimes"

Makaras Music - Victory within sight

https://youtu.be/9tRW3pQ-Qvo

This is dedicated to the Democratic Republic of Congo - who at this moment in time seem to be on the verge of sending England home from the 2026 World Cup

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Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Launchpad Pro Mk3 in "Chord" mode

Tempo - 140 BPM

VSTs -

"FB-7999"

Preset - "Strings-1"

"Synth1"

Presets - "Wide Bass" / "Voice Stab" / "Moog [1]" / "Quite big"

Makaras Music - Accidentally Enabled

https://youtu.be/ghONXdBABCA

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Behringer LM Drum machine

Tempo - 120 BPM

My own user-created preset "Vertical Blast" used

Bank - "LM9" (Linn 9000)

Sequenced Drums - "Beefykick" / "Bunkick" / "Policy Snare" / "Snare" / "Clap"

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M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini midi controller in "Chord" mode

"Arpeggio" + "Latch" both turned ON

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Launchpad Pro Mk3 in "Chord" mode

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Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Tempo - 120 BPM

Ableton presets used -

"Snow Peaks Arp"
"Steeple Chaser Arp"
"Mean Pulse"
"Shaznoffer Bassline"
"Thicket Wail Pad"
"Vapor Chimes Pad"
"MPE Glorious Chord"
"Rolling Hi Tech Perc"

Watching this video - and one of the games I haven't heard of in it struck me in how the eventual Transformers-type enemy first starts off as a small speck on the ground at the bottom-right - then gradually ascends to your level - then turns into a Mecha

https://youtu.be/CxNlyIpH8Lw?t=778 to 13:20

Edit - it really reminds me of "Dai-X" junction in "Star Fleet" (a.k.a. "X Bomber") - for those old enough to remember 1982 / 1983 television - and by God I used to fancy evil alien Commander Makara :-)

https://youtu.be/vKBH1qBjRD8?t=64

Makaras Music - Vertical Blast / re-imagined music for "Terra Cresta" and all Vertical shoot 'em ups

https://youtu.be/GZcpHTYgRdo

This is my re-imagined soundtrack for "Terra Cresta" - but can be used for any Vertical shoot 'em up

Suggest listening to this while watching the 1985 game that inspired it - and has one of the best most thumping soundtracks ever - https://youtu.be/VduSQI23tbI?t=22

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Behringer LM Drum machine

Tempo - 135 BPM

My own user-created preset "Vertical Blast" used

Bank - "LM9" (Linn 9000)

Sequenced Drums - "Bass" / "Snare" / "Hi Hat" / "Tom" / "Conga" / "Clap"

Volume sliders for "Hi Hat" / "Conga" / "Clap" all lowered to around 75%

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Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Tempo - 270 BPM

VSTs -

"FB-7999"

Preset - "Strings-1"

"Synth1"

Presets - "Wide Bass" / "Voice Stab" / "Classic Bass Arp"

Can we take a moment to appreciate just how awesome the speeded up part of the below track is?

Click on link - and wait for 0:47 through to 0:57 to kick in

https://youtu.be/M25NJ1YoFco?t=34

Makaras Music - Boss Type / re-imagined music for end-of-level Boss encounters in "R-Type"

https://youtu.be/KxhxRD7uvso

This is my re-imagined soundtrack for when you encounter the Bosses at the end of each stage in "R-Type"

Suggest listening to this while watching the parts that inspired it - https://youtu.be/R2cPeliXKpI

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M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini midi controller in "Chord" mode

Chord voicing - "1,3,5,7"

Chord type - "Minor"

Octave = Minus-1

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Behringer LM Drum machine

Tempo - 140 BPM

My own user-created preset "Beat Dem Boyz" used -

https://youtu.be/OhmfYEmZUVc

- but with volume sliders for "Sidestick" / "Tamb" / "Cowbell" / "Claps" all lowered to 50%

My original version used Bank "LM2" (LinnDrum) / but for this track I changed it to Bank "LM1" (Linn LM-1) / then switched it to Bank "LM9" (Linn 9000) part-way through

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Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Tempo - 140 BPM

VST - "Synth1"

Presets -

"8-bit"
"Fifth arpeggio (toggle LFO2)"
"Quite big" - reduced volume
"Quite big" - normal volume
"Betrayer Stereo" - reduced volume
"Betrayer Stereo" - normal volume

Makaras Music - Giant Battleship / re-imagined music for Warship stages in R-Type + Thunder Cross

https://youtu.be/8Q8xfywAyMU

This is my re-imagined soundtrack for Stage 3 of "R-Type" / and Stage 4 of "Thunder Cross" - both featuring giant enemy Warships

Suggest listening to this while watching the levels that inspired it -

R-Type - 1987 - Stage 3 - "Gigantic Warship" - https://youtu.be/s5PDf3R6zd4

Thunder Cross - 1988 - Stage 4 - "Great Battleship" - https://youtu.be/vnmgWKLVH1c

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Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Tempo - 125 BPM

VSTs -

Roland D-50 / Presets -

"Sweet Vibes"
"Clear Bell Pad"

Synth1 / Presets -

"Dramatic (play chords)"
"ARP:3Note Riff RH"
"Betrayer Stereo"
"Old skool bass"
"Caged"
"[ARP] Falling Chimes"

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Behringer LM Drum machine -

Factory preset - "Street Beat"

Tempo - 125 BPM

"Casaba" + "Cowbell" volume sliders both reduced to 66%

Makaras Music - Shoot the Core / re-imagined Music for Gradius II verbal commands to destroy Bosses

https://youtu.be/OMI1ZMCzd_g

This is my re-imagined soundtrack for when "Gradius II" (known as "Vulcan Venture" in the West) commands you to "Shoot it in the Head!" / "Shoot it in the Eye!" / "Destroy the Core!" / etc

Suggest listening to this while watching the "All Bosses" video - https://youtu.be/0-QjUmykbYs

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Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Launchpad Pro Mk3 in "Chord" mode

Tempo - 125 BPM

VSTs -

Roland D-50 / Presets -

"Sweet Vibes"
"Clear Bell Pad"

Synth1 / Presets -

"Dramatic (play chords)"
"ARP:3Note Riff RH"
"Old skool bass"
"Betrayer Stereo"
"Caged"
"[ARP] Falling Chimes"

KOTO - Cosmic Connection - partial intro / Launchpad Pro Mk3

https://youtu.be/LRlvDG3wlZk

Launchpad Pro Mk3 in "Chord" mode

Tempo - 110 BPM

VSTs -

Roland D-50 / Presets -

"Sweet Vibes"
"Clear Bell Pad"

Synth1 / Presets -

"Dramatic (play chords)"
"ARP:3Note Riff RH"
"Old skool bass"
"stringzoid_03"

Original - https://youtu.be/Cu20iehdRBM

Makaras Music - Challenger 2026 / Re-imagining and Tribute to "Challenger 1985" music from Gradius

https://youtu.be/cE0ucavUT4M

The original "Gradius" arcade game (known as "Nemesis" in the West) included what I consider one of the best pieces of music ever - "Challenger 1985" from the first level

This is my re-imagining of what the Gradius soundtrack might have sounded like had it been created now

- hence named as "Challenger 2026"

Challenger 1985 original - https://youtu.be/pW_A4vcB7ys

Gradius Level 1 gameplay - https://youtu.be/_xUPrh0T5gU?t=28

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Behringer LM Drum machine -

Factory preset - "Take me on"

Tempo decreased to 140 BPM

"Hi Hat" volume slider reduced to 66%

Manual triggerings used - "Hi Conga" and "Sidestick"

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Yamaha PSR EW425 Arranger in Normal mode

Launchpad Pro Mk3 in "Chord" mode

Tempo - 140 BPM

VSTs -

Roland D-50 / Preset -

"Clear Bell Pad"

Synth1 / Presets -

"Subtetly Bon arp-lk"
"[ARP] Falling Chimes"
"Bass Arp [5]"
"dramaPad_02"