Donkey Kong Country 2 - Mining Melancholy | Reacting To Video Game Music!

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#DonkeyKongCountry2 #DonkeyKongCountry #Reaction

[@JessesAuditorium]

This song is incredible.

[@PostTraumaticChessDisorder]

Donkey kong country 2 has a special place in my heart, rent free. Any track on any level has something magical to it. By the way, congrats on 50K! Keep up the good work!

[@StewNWT]

Aquatic ambiance, Stickerbrush Symphony, hot lava land and Fewr Factory are some of the other insanely good DKC tracks

[@kobarsos82]

Donkey kong country 1 and 2 not only defiined the genre of coop platforming, but also had such an amazing ost as a whole, that we can still remember the songs after more than 25+ years... How insane is that... David Wise what a genius... I remember the tracks like it was yesterday.. You can only imagine what lasting impressions these can leave on young kids. Those games are still fun as hell by the way. They wrote gaming history in my eyes. Aquatic ambience, Fear Factory, Stickerbrush symphony are also beyond amazing and iconic in their own way. These osts are phenomenal. PS: You can still play these games on emulator on pc. Easily. Everything is easy these days.

[@carlosanasco9296]

Phill Collins aproved

[@carlosanasco9296]

😂🎶

[@VelvetAura]

This whole soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal.

[@MindJunkPictures]

David Wise is an absolute Legend. His feeling for the right setting is unreached

[@kobarsos82]

Couldn't agree more!

[@darthmarth87]

David Wise came back to the series for Tropical Freeze, I highly recommend that soundtrack if you want to hear some of his more modern work

[@Nedread]

'Aquatic Ambiance' from the first Donkey Kong Country is one of my favourite video game songs. It's so haunting but beautiful and intriguing at the same time.

[@jordandeadley360]

It’s actually from the first Donkey Kong Country, but it’s an absolute excellent track.

[@TheAntsygamer]

Aquatic Ambiance is a really good track from this series! However, I think you might misremembering, but AA is from the first DKC, not the second one.

[@Nedread]

You're both correct. My brother and I had DKC2 growing up. Must have mixed my memories of the game with listening to DKC1s soundtrack on youtube. Thankyou!

[@MrJhound4]

Man. I see why my best friend likes DK Country so much. I never played it, but yeah. That didn't have to go that hard. But they did that for us.

[@Austar7]

Highly recommend you play the games, dude! 🙂

[@wangchung2157]

DKC Trilogy are some of the greatest games ever made I highly recommend them, if you have to play one play DKC 2 its a masterpiece

[@TheSwissChannel]

David Wise's work in donkey kong country 1, 2 and tropical freeze are amazing and I hope you get to tropical freeze's ost in the future

[@markdebruyn1212]

Din't he also do the music for the GBA remake of Donkey Kong Country 3

[@shaobues]

David Wise was very inspired by Phil Collins while writing the soundtrack

[@waffles7038]

I can hear it. Great taste in pone, by the way.

[@VirgoTruck]

Donkey Kong Country 2 is in my top 5 soundtracks of all time, and Stickerbush Symphony is probably my second or third favourite VGM track, hopefully we see that one day ❤️

[@whitz1995]

Stickerbrush is definitely goated. What’s your first??

[@VirgoTruck]

@@whitz1995 my instant first thought is Counterattack from Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I just love that song so much and it just keeps going places, but honestly so many songs on Xenoblade soundtracks are right up there for me. Soundtrack wise it's basically Ocarina of Time, all numbered Xenoblade and then DKC2. After that probs Chrono Trigger, I love it but I never got to play it when I was younger so doesn't hit the same

[@whitz1995]

@@VirgoTruck I never played xenoblade 2 unfortunately. I had no idea the soundtrack was that good! Chrono Trigger definitely has one of the best soundtracks out of any game. If you’re on the same page about Chrono Trigger as I am, then I def need to check out XB2

[@VirgoTruck]

@@whitz1995 they are quite different but both produced by Yasunori Mitsuda, though Counterattack among many others are composed by Kenji Hiromatsu. Between them, Manami Kiyota, ACE and, on the first soundtrack, Yoko Shimomura, the whole series has very high tier music 😁

[@alicechan1462]

@@whitz1995 Stickerbrush is indeed GOATed, but I love Mining Melancholy nearly just as much. It's hard to say any song from DKC2 is 'underrated' but I feel like this one is a bit overshadowed by a few of the more memorable tracks from the series.

[@psicogames5509]

Ah yes, dk2, my brother still has his SNES and it's so magical to hear the loud sound of the "power" button.

[@peggieschafer485]

It's amazing how something so little can take you back in time. My thing is from Mario 64 - the ominous music and a cackling Bowser that plays when you try to enter a door you don't have enough stars to unlock it takes me straight back to Best Buy around 11 years old, clutching that ridiculous controller and destroying my neck to see that screen that was intentionally way too high to deter kids from parking there all day. Never stopped me 😂

[@MieuxMerci]

That intro/percussion never fails to make me think of Phil Colins!

[@peggieschafer485]

Check out the one that plays in the swamp stages, "Bayou Boogie." The beat is *identical* to "In the Air Tonight." It's so good you can forgive it for not having the epic drum breakdown 😂

[@misterbin00]

I haven't played this game since I was a kid, but this BGM still plays in my head sometimes.

[@Darkkarsh]

I'm pretty sure that Busted Bayou from Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze could blow your mind, it's an amazing song ;)

[@Biosleeve]

So glad you mentioned Phil Collins! I always ended up singing In The Air Tonight during this level when I was a kid

[@CirnoFairy]

I think you might be thinking of Bayou Boogie

[@Fuzunga]

The first Donkey Kong Country soundtrack is a classic, but he really blew it out of the water with DKC2. That and Tropical Freeze are masterpieces. Every song is incredible.

[@juandiegoferro2539]

i totally agree!

[@drbuni]

The soundtrack of 3 is incredible, too. Better than the first.

[@studio_1]

DKC2 has some of the greatest classic VGM ever created. David Wise basically crafted his own style within the limitations he had, going past anything in DKC1 and would only be matched when he’d return as lead composer on Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze. His first try at a DKC soundtrack outside of the limitations of the SNES and I really hope you react to some stuff from that soundtrack.

[@shaunw2154]

This is what I miss about games from the '90s. Everything was fresh, new, innovative. Nowadays everything is a copycat. Glad you enjoyed!

[@zephytime8196]

I can think of very few non-legendary David Wise DKC songs, honestly. Very consistently incredible work. Echo all the calls for you to listen to Tropical Freeze tracks, particularly Busted Bayou, but his SNES work is kind of in its own timeless league. The SNES has a warmth it tends to give its samples that he really put to good use, particularly in his basslines, imo.

[@ThePoltergust5000]

Y'know, I've always wondered about these "restored" versions of SNES music like this DKC2 project. Not to disparage the work the fans go to at ALL, to find the right instruments to reassemble the songs in HQ, but I wonder if the original composers didn't ACCOUNT for the bitcrushing that resulted from putting their music on SNES hardware when they composed the songs in the first place. Especially when I notice things "missing" from the restored versions, like at the part around 1:31 in this video, in the original version there was an extra emphasis on the "CLANG *CLONG"* sound in the background that I don't hear as much in the restoration, and I never know if it's just something the person who made the restoration _missed,_ or if it was something that specifically arose BECAUSE of the lower quality on the SNES. Either way, Mining Melancholy is an absolute slam dunk- the mining sounds as percussion have so much KICK, it's irresistible no matter what version you're listening to. If you're interested, I'd love to see you listen to both the restored and the original versions if you do more SNES tunes where you have the option-- the differences are marginal, but interesting, I think. Maybe I've just listened to these songs way way way way WAY too much LOL

[@JessesAuditorium]

Oh I had no idea it wasn't totally original.

[@ThePoltergust5000]

@@JessesAuditorium From reading Jammin' Sam Miller's channel description, it sounds like he manually recreates the music with higher quality versions of the exact same samples David Wise used, so it's about as close to the original as it would be possible to get without ripping the song's sequences directly from the game's ROM and attaching instruments/samples to them. Sam Miller does GREAT work, most of his restorations are almost 1:1 recreations of the originals in higher quality-- my nitpicks up there are just that, nitpicks, haha. You didn't listen to the "wrong version" or anything, don't worry, this is like 99% accurate, it's just sometimes _tiiiny_ little idiosyncrasies in the audio are lost in the transition to higher quality sound- the kind of stuff you would never notice unless you'd listened to the song a thousand times

[@Fuzunga]

It sounds better crunchy, honestly. This version loses something.

[@ryanfoster2869]

It's cool that they've reached out to you while you've been making these

[@bananachild1936]

3:06 You're definitely thinking right. David Wise had a lotta inspirations from Phil Collin's songs when making the soundtracks for DKC 1 & 2. Especially the soundtrack for DKC2 called "Bayou Boogie", which is basically just "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins, but for a game about monkeys and pirate crocodiles. David Wise and Phil Collins are a legend both in their own rights.

[@curtisstyles8495]

MY FAVORITE TRACK in DKC2. When I rented this from blockbuster and listen to this track for the first time, INSTANT LOVE! NEVER forgot this theme, always hum this from time to time throughout my life. I was and still a proud Nntendo boy. Dibbled a little on the Sega here and there. I know everyone loves "Stickerbrush Symphony" (It is an awesome song) but, this is my jam. Wished Smash Bros would remix this track so much.

[@JessesAuditorium]

Damn when you said Blockbuster, I literally smelled it and felt the carpet.

[@AnAdorableWombat1]

This soundtrack is top tier ! It sounds like a Phil Collins song

[@NeoTrggrTheGammer]

first time I heard this song growing up, it gave me goosebumps...still does, Jib Jig is another favorite of mine from the 2nd game...its just such a magical tune that is one of the first level themes you get to hear

[@spontanvideok246]

This song my Childhoods favorite. Absolutely Wonderful in 2023😍🥰😍

[@leftymu]

I get the sense that David Wise might be a bit of a perfectionist. As a person he seems frank and gentle, and if I had to describe his music in a couple of words it would be "mellow" and "tidy". It feels like everything is so measured and well balanced, nothing overdone, thought out and executed perfectly.

[@innershaper7775]

The DKC games are ones of the few SNES games that have soundtracks so good that you can pick a music at random and believe you stumbled upon the best track of the game. Not only it is well composed, not only it perfectly conveys and extends the spirit of the game, but it also pushed the boundaries of what Nintendo thought was possible to do with its machine at the time. So much, that many gamers at that time couldn't see what was the hype with the Playstation and it "CD quality". The only games I can think of that could achieve the same level on SNES would be "Secret of Mana" , "Chrono Trigger", and maybe "Super Metroid". But where DKC is different from these games is that most its music loops are between 3 and 5 minutes long. So when you would play the game, not losing would be a double reward because you could also hear the whole track ! I recommend "DK Island Swing", the first level music, as the next DKC reaction. It is a good example of how a VGM can be welcoming at first, then bring you somewhere else completely.

[@jordandeadley360]

This is brilliant!! Stickerbush Symphony & Hot Head Bop from this game are two of my favourite pieces of music ever.

[@jellycore1316]

YESSS I'M HYPED FOR THIS XD I have to watch this tomorrow, since it's about midnight for me right now, but I'm definitely excited for this one! ^^ Thanks for the reactions, Jesse, it's always really cool and gets me really excited when I see one for a game I know!

[@PiuGraveMusic]

You're absolutely amazing at breaking these songs down. I'm enjoying hearing your appreciation for all these good songs.

[@kaplooeygames8515]

Just recently found out about this song myself. What a coincidence. It is really good. The drums sort of remind me of the drums in Great Bay Temple. Something about the industrial vibe

[@DPTBassment]

This was a cool version of the song. I’ve listened to It enough to know this isn’t the original SNES version but it’s close.

[@Maxbeedo2]

I wonder if you could make a whole CD with just the songs on the SNES that had "anvil"/"mining" clang percussion. DKC2 Mining Melancholy, FF6 The Devil's Lab, plus SMRPG Weapons Factory would be a pretty good start.

[@suicidalkangarooz]

Please please please do Stickerbush Symphony. One of the greatest music tracks in gaming.

[@SirSlush_]

This is a slightly different version than to what plays in the game. I'm fairly certain you've been given a "restored" version for the video. Definitely not a bad thing but we can only dream of an SNES actually sounding this good.

[@whisped8145]

Something that sticks out similar to this athmosphere is the phenomenal "Phendrana Drifts" track from Metroid Prime. Relatively simple, very chill, and you can feel the geometry of the place your going through form in your minds eye just from the sounds you hear.

[@Swishyhead]

This song always reminded me of very early hip-hop. David Wise is absolutely the coolest. ❤️ And he's so versatile! One of his greatest pieces is definitely the transcendental Stickerbrush Symphony, but he can even do metal! I highly recommend checking out Big Top Bop for that.

[@lightningbolt95]

Now you NEED to hear the rest of the soundtracks they are all crazy good.

[@siverwrites]

Yes! It's hard to really pick a favourite from DKC 2's soundtrack--so many fantastic songs, but this one is definitely among them.

[@CaffeinatedKing]

DKC2 to this day still has one of the coolest Video Game OSTs I've ever heard, and that's even with being a fan of Metal Gear, FF, Nier etc. There's just something about what they were doing back then and how unique it still sounds to me that I love and have never gotten over. I wish there was a JRPG that had a soundtrack like this in it. "They didn't have to go this hard" is what most of this game's OST is about.

[@KeyKong1981]

Wait until you hear Seashore War in DKC: Tropical Freeze, David Wise himself considers it one of his best songs. It's honestly a perfect blend of somber and melancholy that you would mistake for a song in anything but Donkey Kong.

[@azenar1894]

All DKC games have soundtracks that go hard

[@westcoastizback]

as a kid mining melancholy was the only video game theme that made me stop playing and stand still just to listen the music

[@Toumasu]

In an interview, David said he was inspired by vangelis, mussorgsky (and some others). When you listen to haunted chase you can hear the influence from night on a bald mountain. With this song I hear vangelis especially when the synth vocals come in (conquest of paradise). But as you said also some collins. You just have to appreciate the level of genius it took to create this and put it on a snes

[@michaelmarcuri1506]

Dude this song is incredible! Please react to more DK country 2 music! They are sooo gooood

[@RaK0]

One of David Wise's best works. Donkey Kong Country 2 is my favourite game of all time and the music is a big reason for that. I cannot wait for the day you review the Stickerbrush Symphony.

[@tanner3270]

literally my 2nd fav donkey kong song ever

[@Aoenias]

A fug this is such a nostalgia trip. This was my favorite track on the OST as a kid.

[@reydesonic]

This game also has Bramble Blast which, needless to say........ Is also reeeeeally good.

[@thend4427]

Thats crazy the composer reached out to u...looks like he made this version separately from the one in game...stickerbrush symphony is another famous song from the game

[@tacojosh3981]

This one is actually by Jammin' Sam Miller. He restored the entire OST for the Donkey Kong Country Trilogy using the soundfonts and equipment David Wise used which is why it doesn't sound compressed.

[@thend4427]

@@tacojosh3981 interesting

[@michaellindenmuth9446]

I think the other one I like besides stickerbush Symphony is Castle Climb

[@timelessninja]

Donkey Kong Country 1&2 have such good music. We need more of it on this channel.

[@ravssb]

This is awesome! So glad you listened to this

[@BeanWagon90]

When you mentioned Phil Collins...that made me think you should listen to Bayou Boogie from the same game. I definitely feel like the intro to that song was inspired by Phil Collins famous "In the Air Tonight"

[@kalebmaxwell2640]

Man this game is amazing, this song is amazing 🥺 but my favorite is florest of illusion and sticker bush symphony

[@NobleRed]

Ooooo man. If there is ANY track from DKC2 I can recommend if you HAVNT already heard it. Flight of the Zingers. Really the WHOLE soundtrack is amazing.

[@omanitoo]

Forest interlude will always be my favourite, but this is a banger

[@hansgretl1787]

I need to bring this up: The channel "Gametal" has an icredible metal remix of this song, and it's amazing. Big recommendation from me.

[@PhantomWorksStudios]

This sounds like Jammin Sam's miller remastered remake which does sound fantastic but sadly there are some things missing that was not carried over from the original. Few examples are some instruments like the main riff when it kicks in which in the original it starts out light but then can hear it as it's hammered hard within a few seconds and repeats but sadly that same effect isn't in the remastered reamke version. When you get the chance also listen to the original which sounds also sounds very good and you can hear the subtle effects that I'm talking about

[@mistwalker1985]

I recommend Wing Ding from DKC: Tropical Freeze. I bet you will love that if you loved this one =)

[@seekittycat]

One of my favorites of all time ❤️

[@GeebzGBZ]

David Wise, the composer, has stated Phil Collins as a major inspiration for DKC2, so makes sense you thought of him.

[@schobii5643]

also thought of phil collins immediately, definitely gives in the air tonight vibes

[@PostTraumaticChessDisorder]

In before all the "you should check Stickerbush Symphony" comments

[@Mooljim]

Seconded.

[@Slagomancer]

So sick every time.

[@PostTraumaticChessDisorder]

Oh by the way Jesse, did you know David Wise adjusted the death theme to any different soundtrack the game has? So the death sequence of the Kongs adjusts to this soundtrack in these mine levels. Everyone rocks out on the Rollercoaster level death sequence 🤩

[@MindJunkPictures]

Best Track of the entire Game. Love it

[@rickjames9039]

Nintendo needs to show more love to this legendary franchise, as it deserves it

[@85bbenjaminfan]

I highly suggest doing one for Stickerbrush Symphony, but the original one, not the remake from SSBB, it is soooooo much better. I'd also like to see one for In a Snowbound Land

[@luciohernandez2283]

It would be best if he did both so he can compare.

[@sophmys7653]

Fav dkc2 song lol

[@GreatSpaceToaster]

This is entirely unfounded, I didn't even play these games as a kid, but I always thought the DKC soundtracks were the first time a lot of kids really took notice of video game music. I cannot imagine this not sticking out to a bunch of kids just wanting to play a game about apes jumping around collecting bananas. I loved these games and their music when I played it for the first time, 13 years or so after their release, but this shit must've been * seriously * mind blowing back in the day.

[@p.diddykong5047]

This is a classic but "Forest Interlude" will always be my favorite.

[@Saito86]

Hell yes my favorite song from the game

[@AMTRAX]

The drumbeat goes soooo hard

[@AMTRAX]

“For some reason I’m thinking of Phil Collins” yup

[@nekorion]

DKC2 actually has so many stand out songs, it's actually incredible. So few tracks aren't incredibly strong There are bee enemies in the game and the humming vocals done toward the end of the loops always reminded me of each other, so it always felt like it absolutely fit

[@trvorgaming5376]

🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝

[@jaye5716]

Praying to the GODS that someone ends up paying Jess to listen to Mario and Luigi: Bowsers inside story - in the final (Final boss theme OST) god its SO GOOD im absolutely SHOOK no one suggested it yet.

[@334immortal]

I’m shocked you haven’t reacted to Stickerbush symphony or Aquatic Ambience. Two best songs from the series

[@Djieff]

If you never heard it, PPF`s cover of this song is amazing!

[@Pascll]

it'd be really funny to see jesse react to one of tropical freeze's boss themes

[@melanchlorin]

You should listen to the Tropical Freeze OST aswell. It's legendary.

[@rainofkhandaq6678]

My favorite track in the game. The game has many great tracks though

[@danlet]

Phil Collins vibes in the percussion... and this was years before Phil himself made jungle-y music for Tarzan heh

[@Th3G4m3F4n]

Ah yes, DKC2, full of great music. I recommend Chicory: A Colorful Tale. Listen to "Wielder Temple", it'll be a blast.

[@Ingisen]

donkey kong 64 puzzle in the caves Cupcake

[@jackalsniper4232]

Hot head hop goes so hard

[@CaelanBassett]

Crocodile Cacophony next! :D

[@kaizerzero07]

I grew up playing this game.

[@calvinospina7307]

Oh bro you got to listen to DK 64 music. Frantic factory is a good one

[@trvorgaming5376]

What's my favorite instrument you ask? ⛏️ 🐝🐝 🐝 🐝⛏️

[@MindJunkPictures]

I love this song so much but...... this is not the original version. it's rearanged with some new sounds here and there. The choir sounds different too. Nice song but the original arrangement is much better imO

[@Nexdex]

it's not rearranged, just uncompressed samples

[@MindJunkPictures]

@@Nexdex Ah ok. Sounds very different to the original version on the SNES-Game

[@n1fffan]

while I tend to prefer Japanese composers (particularly Nobuo Uematsu and Motoi Sakuraba stand out to me), English VG composers are in a league of their own with their creativity. Names that specifically pop up in my mind are, of course David Wise, his fellow Rareware alumnus Grant Kirkhope, Tim Folin, and the legendary Rob Hubbard, whom I just realized actually composed for one of my favorite Genesis soundtracks, Road Rash (donno why it never clicked before now)

[@carlosanasco9296]

Phil Collins aproved ajajaj

[@pointlessmanatee]

IT DID NOT HAVE TO GO SO HARD

[@strangefishman7635]

please listen to the Tropical Freeze soundtrack, you'll love it

[@PerfectScrewUps]

I hear Bloody Roar 2 in the background at the beginning of the video.

[@JessesAuditorium]

My favorite VGM OST of all time!

[@goawaypleasethanks]

I'm really sad that your first listen was the restore because the initial intended sound of the instruments deliberately accounted for through the game system is lost. I find it takes away a lot of the magic of the original and a lot of the art from what David Wise was trying to do.

[@komi___]

I have a question, is there a list of the current songs in the waiting list posted somewhere? I want to request something but I wanna see if it was already suggested.

[@JessesAuditorium]

Yes, it's my $1 tier on Patreon. (There's about 2,000 in there)

[@fernandomalpica1870]

Come on Uncle, do Ender Lilies' North theme!

[@Phantomizer]

Broooo, you gotta do Fear Factory from the original DKC!!!

[@cloud9979]

He’s done Fear Factory from Returns

[@Phantomizer]

@@cloud9979 the one from DKCR is different though, right? I'm at work, so I can't go look until later and I've never played it.

[@cloud9979]

@@Phantomizer It’s a remix, yeah, but it’s still the same melody and everything.

[@backfromcuba]

Yeah, which version is this, anyone know - it's not the SNES original that's obvious! :)

[@ExplosionRadius]

I miss nintendo-era rareware...