For Music Monday this week I was lucky enough to interview the creator of the genius remix album, Ocarina of Rhyme, in which some of the most memorable music of the N64 era is smashed together with rhymes from some of the best MC’s around. The mind behind the album, TeamTeamwork, was nice enough to answer my questions, as well as providing an exclusive track not heard on the original album.

Eric: What was your inspiration for creating the remix album?

TeamTeamwork: A few months ago, my girlfriend started a new game of The Ocarina of Time. When she got to Hyrule field, it hit me that the Hyrule Field theme was the perfect tempo for a hip hop sample. Then I got the idea to dig deeper in the soundtrack and see what else I could make work. It turned out that more than half of it was in the right tempo and the other half was in 3/4 so it was virtually unsamplable. So I set a goal to make ten remixes, came up with a name and got to work.

Eric: How much time went into the creation of the album/what kind of tools did you use in making it?

TeamTeamwork: It took about two months from conception to release. I used Ableton Live and Reason for the production.

Eric: How long have you been remixing music? From the music on your myspace (which also showcases some pretty sick beats) it seems as if you are not new to the remix party.

TeamTeamwork: Since October 2007. That was when I first played around with Live on a friend’s computer and caught the bug. At that point, I would come home from work every day and spend like 6-8 straight hours messing around, trying to learn the software.

Eric: From your selection of rap artists it seems like you have quite a diverse taste in hip-hop, any other favorites that didn’t make the cut or that you would like to remix with in the future?

TeamTeamwork: There was a track by The Streets that didn’t make the cut. I just couldn’t find a sample that complimented it in a way that sounded right. In the future, I’d really like to remix Gang Starr, Wale, ODB and Jadakiss.

Eric: What was the selection process like (for both artist and soundtrack song), was it a mutual selection or did you find one and then look for a partner to match it?

TeamTeamwork: First I decided on a group of songs I’d like to try to use. Then I dug up the acapella tracks that were available. This crossed about half of my desired songs off the list. Then I beatmapped all of the vocals, compared that to the BPMs on the Zelda tracks and tried to see which fit together most comfortably. The one exception is the Dre track. I was trying something a little different with that one. I’m really happy with how it turned out. The internet, however, is really polarized on it. People either despise it or love it.

Eric: Do you have more songs to do with Ocarina of Time/Other Zelda Titles (I’d personally love a Gerudo Valley Remix), and do you have any other games that you’d consider making a similar album for?

TeamTeamwork: That’s actually one of the most common questions/criticisms of the album that I’ve heard: “Where’s Gerudo Valley?”. And I had a really hard time making it work because the Gerudo music is really fast - much faster than hip hop normally is. My next project is more straight up remixes, along the lines of what is on my Myspace. Good raps with some contemporary samples, skirting the line between mashups and remixes. As for videogame themed concept remix albums, I have an idea for one with some Nobuo Uematsu compositions, but it’ll be a long time before it comes out because I don’t want to be pigeonholed as the videogame remix guy.

Eric: Do you have any favorite video game moments/memories?

TeamTeamwork:Beating world 1-1 in Super Mario Bros. at 3 years old is my first and most prominent video game memory. Other big deal video game moments (a little less personal): The first battle in Final Fantasy 7, even though it was just with a Shinra soldier, it was my first RPG, so it was a big deal. First leaving the vault in Fallout 3 was an amazing moment. And of course, the Temple of Time scene in Ocarina, where you [SPOILER ALERT] get the master sword and become an adult.

Eric: If you could make a beat for one MC who would it be?

TeamTeamwork: Ghostface. He is one of the most versatile MCs and can rap over anything. For example, check out his original version of Charlie Brown, with the Caetano Veloso sample. It’s so fast and funky but he kills it.

Eric: If you could be stuck on a desert island what video game would you take with you? Bonus Question: What musical album would be with you as well?

TeamTeamwork:Tough question. Assuming this island has a tight AV set up so I can use these things I would bring Fallout 3 and Madvillainy.

Thanks to Teamteamwork for granting this interview, you can check out some of his other remixes at his myspace, and if you follow the links below you can download the exclusive Gerudo Valley track not originally found on the soundtrack.

Ocarina of Rhyme Soundtrack Download: http://www.sendspace.com/file/45pogy

Gerudo Valley Bonus Track: http://www.sendspace.com/file/yrdq7m

-Eric Wall

Tags: featured, Koji Kondo, Music Monday, Ocarina of Rhyme, Ocarina of Time, Remix

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