Here, London-based VGM remixer ROBKTA gives the Sonic back catalogue an invite to an after-show party, then a double vodka and Red Bull before pushing it out onto a bottom-lit dancefloor and letting it groove.
What follows is ten adrenaline-fuelled dance takes on those classic tracks we’ve all been enjoying since 1991. Good.
The album cover – and design overall – completely captures the mood of the album. Featuring a POV rooftop shot, the image illustrates a neon-lit city at dusk rich in orange, purple and pink hues as rings and familiar red checkpoints are scattered across the roofs in view – perhaps we are even in Studiopolis?
In a nice touch, there is an EGGTV tower in view, as well. The rear of the album is a bird’s eye view of a city as viewed from the atmosphere, again the rainbow-like effect of the summer colours calls to mind cooling cocktails and long, sweat-drenched festival nights as two searchlights pierce the sky from the ground. From this distance, it’s hard to tell if we are staring at a horizon-spanning city from an incredible height or a field filled with tens of thousands of lit-up festivalgoers, but the sense of scale, party atmosphere and feel-good summer music are almost palpable.
The record itself is ensconced in a white anti-static bag (awesome) and is Sonic blue in colour, with the inner circles featuring snippets of the cover and rear album artwork.
Track by Track
Side A:
Green Hill Zone (from Sonic the Hedgehog) – ROBOROB’s mastering skills come hurtling into the fray pretty much straight out of the gate, as natural sounds of birds chirping and lazy keys gives way to tight and poppy electric bass and chiming guitar chords. The laid-back drumbeat is pure ‘70s funk, the groove sets in - and it’s only after this awesome intro that the distant tones of Green Hill Zone is hinted at, before coming to the fore after a minute or so. It’s a tasty take on the track that explores the funky side of things, with that simple Green Hill melody rolling through. It uses the melody as a flourish more than a complete basis and that choice is what gives the whole track a sense of jamminess and space as squealing trumpet, crunchy, milky guitar and synth all take turns to stand out. A great, breezy opening track, beautiful stuff!
Chemical Apex (from Sonic the Hedgehog 2) – A step up from the opening track in terms of pace, the vibe from the outset in Chemical Apex takes no prisoners, it’s a brisker affair that gets that incredible dancey beat and melody straight out in the open. This track keeps a tighter focus on the main melody, but the amount of layering and peppery touches of embellishments that surround that central melody are so rich that I can imagine I’ll still be hearing little details after devouring twenty spins of this record. Following a few melodic run-throughs, the song changes gear and moves off the path of the main melody, getting intense and exploratory. It’s only two songs in and I’m really enjoying the direction that the album is taking, with ROBKTA not afraid to get hips deep and fly off the rails in terms of his approach and instinct. High five as well to the nod to a very familiar repeating sound effect on this one!
Press Garden Act 1 (from Sonic Mania) – A mellower start here with some nice, glassy keys that – of course – soon ramps up to a skittery, percussive beat with that lively bass holding down the low end. A great track from Sonic Mania, here it’s a turbo version that knows when to push and pull the tempo and groove to keep the vibe going. In some respects, this feels like the closest version to its original counterpart on the album– possibly because there was already so much going on through the track. The keyboard work here is not shy!
Marble Zone (from Sonic the Hedgehog) – One of my favourite tracks on the album – and another that highlights the incredible production and mastering. When this started, I initially had no idea where ROBKTA was going to go, big drums, and quite a full-on intro gives way to some tasty midi slap-bass and the main theme. The drums are kick-heavy and that, combined with the rhythm set by the piano and style of downscale give an almost Spanish tint to some sections. There are so many things going on in this one that it’s quite easy to lose track of it all, with multiple guitars and that almost rocket-like percussion, with walls of sound that drop in and out, it all builds to an incredible crescendo that then drops back to the main melody. At points it’s almost too intense, but ROBKTA manages to pull it all back together before it loses definition and becomes engulfing, easily one of the biggest tracks so far!
Planet Wisp (from Sonic Colors) – A more ambient, dreamy opening with trance-like hi-hat work and muscular bass. Echoing piano comes in with a far more understated, electronic backbeat this time. It has flourishes of ‘90s Euro in the piano half-speed breakdowns and swells, but only for a few moments, as the tempo ramps up for the majority of the track. It’s well-placed on the album as it does feel a lot calmer than Marble Zone, and acts as a bit of a breather – even though it barely takes its foot off the gas, itself!
Side B:
Sonic Mania Miniboss (from Sonic Mania) – The first track from the second side builds up to a tasty, crisp bouncing beat that perfectly sits around the exploratory main melody. There are some touches that add an almost spooky touch before again morphing into a bass-led (always a highlight) section that opens up into a huge jam. Again, there’s so much gold just casually happening throughout that it threatens to almost be too much, ROBKTA somehow knows exactly when to pull it all back and hone back in on the central theme. This was a real early highlight for me, it struck me as a clever and enticing balancing act.
Oil Ocean (from Sonic the Hedgehog 2) – Some Eastern-inflected strings at the start of this soon meld with a driving beat that settles into an almost cyberpunk setting. The accompanying harsh, ambient samples add to this sense of neo-futurism, it really does capture the sense of an industrious, automated city/factory in a desertscape. As the track progresses, automated glitchy techno adds a nasty edge to the song – easily one of the more full-on tracks thus far - by design. It pushes my personal tastes in terms of coming across as almost boss-theme-ish, but if you like your beats intense and gritty – look no further.
Mystic Cave Zone (from Sonic the Hedgehog 2) – It’s a step back from the edge as we are back in dance territory, a more traditional open hi-hat snare / kick beat and occasional piano breaks give a breezier vibe, with shimmering, spooky notes – hinted at earlier in the album – take me right back to 2-player races on Sonic 2 in that oddly high-resolution that existed in the split-screen, good!
Studiopolis (feat. ROBOROB, from Sonic Mania) - One of my favourite tracks from Sonic Mania, this kicks off – as every song should – with rich, slap bass. This is as aurally colourful as the cover of the album is, visually - and feels like a blast of summer out of your speakers, calling to mind hints of Paradise Killer. And it features a drum solo, followed by a saucy bass solo. Good. Good. GOOD.
Ending (from Sonic the Hedgehog 2) – A great choice of final track, the swathe of memories that come through from listening to this album get to settle as you drink in this final moment. The low piano, poppy drums and strong central melody really shine here, it’s an incredibly feel-good track that ends a varied album with a real sense of character and power – matching the speed of Sonic himself in some tracks.
SUMMARY
Whilst I enjoyed Needlemouse Mania upon my first couple of listens, it was only after a few more that it revealed its true depths to me. ROBKTA has managed to capture the vibrancy – and speed – of the world of Sonic the Hedgehog, weaving mental images and remembered environments from the games into the soundtrack itself.
I’m a huge fan of how he does not feel the urge to be completely tethered to the originals and will freely launch into wild tangents.
Combine this artistry with fantastically evocative artwork and booming production – and you are onto a winner.
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