Donkey Kong 64 - Fungi Forest - Day/Night (cover)

I've been waiting for the perfect time to cover this tune! It's been one of the most prolific tunes on my list of VGM favorites, and I am quite happy how it turned out. While the arranging proces was rather smooth (shoutout to high school me for transcribing this over 12 years ago), I knew this would be a LOT of work on the mixing and production side. I even added two instruments that I don't regularly play (viola and double bass) to the instrumentation and made it work! I really wanted to stay true to the instrumentation of the original, and Joe Difiore (JD Winds) and Nathan Banegas came in clutch to make this all happen. When Joe sent over the files, he told me how much this tune brought him back to playing this game's level as a kid and it sure did the same thing for me too. Also gotta shoutout that Nathan, who's primarily a trumpet player, took the challenge of recording french horn for me and he sounded great! Enjoy our cover of Fungi Forest!

Originally composed by Grant Kirkhope

Featuring
@JDmusicwoodwinds - Piccolo, Flute, Clarinet
Nathan Banegas - French Horn

B roll courtesy CinematicVideosLibrary, OrangeHDcom

Arrangement, Timpani, Glockenspiel, Marimba, Cymbals, Hi Hat, Tambourine, Synth, Violins, Violas, Double Bass, Mix, Video - Nico Mendoza

Thumbnail: Dajay Designs

#DonkeyKong64 #FungiForest #Cover

[MaesterMike]

If Donkey Kong 64 was ever remade, I’d imagine the music to sound like this. This is as good as the official song.

[GameGrooves]

The production on this is just perfect.

[ramonmff]

You don't hear a lot of orchestral covers in which the original theme is so clearly present, but infinitely stronger because of the real instruments. Absolutely well done! ❤

[MrCrash-hzxy]

when 4:23 started that really hit me 🥲this is probably one of my favorite soundtracks on a game of all times

[marvech]

This is perfect and this is coming from a very picky-when-it-comes-to-covers person. I would gladly have the whole DK64 soundtrack from you (and your buds)

[koemon_exe]

This is by far the best cover for this song. It's my fave song from DK64 so thank you for doing the soundtrack justice

[edselflores]

I love DK64! This is truly incredible. I hope Grant Kirkhope sees its

[TheGrumpiestPanda]

Hearing DK64 music fully realized with actual instruments desperately makes me wish we could get a remake/remaster of DK64.
Because I feel like a lot of issues with that game could be easily fixed with some modern QOL additions.
Or at least another attempt at a fully 3D DK game in general.

[danielharrison]

I love how when you play Fungi Forest the tone of the music changes when you change the atmosphere whether you change it from day to night or night to day.

[StatickyCat]

This is what the Day music sounded like to me when I was a kid. So lively and deep...

It's like listening to it for the first time again.

Thank you and your fellow co-musicians for this. It really brings out a memory that was deep in my soul.

And also that transition from Day to Night was seamless and awesome.

[ThrashManCan]

My 100% favorite soundtrack of all time, done perfectly.

[JCATransportationLLC.]

God-Tier!!! I dare say this is better than the original. Real live instruments add so much. Goosebumps.... Great job!

[troypetrova]

This is how a remake should sounds like ❤

[zam]

The game with unmatched level themes and atmosphere. Thank you for these!

[Gustavoestupido]

This song is so beautiful that whenever I hear it, I always shed a tear of happiness

[Barrie]

Best music in the entire game. So beautiful. Perfection

[EndOfTheSeaVGM]

this is like, obscenely pretty. Stupid me didn't read the title and had a bit of a hype moment when the night theme started too haha, glad you included that. Loved the tones and textures from this 3 person powerhouse orchestra!

[GoatFelon]

Holy crap those horns!!! The strings section is on point too! And the clarinet! This sounds amazing Nico. Really great mixing. This is kind of mind blowing.

[MattListor]

When the French horns come in 🤯 excellent work. Breathes so much more life into this great arrangement

[PeterLeMusic]

My memories of this song are so clear. Definitely a trip.