Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed Is A Surprisingly Metal Remix Album

Everyone’s favorite N64 era composer is spicing things up in 2021. Legendary video game composer Grant Kirkhope recently released a remix album full of reimagined versions of Banjo-Kazooie songs. This collection of remixed tracks is appropriately titled “Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed” and the album lives up to its whacky name. Rather than simply upcoming the tracks, Grant takes a much more imaginative and creative angle with his new remix album. The former Rareware composer took the liberty of changing up many of the tracks in ways that make them drastically different from their N64 era counterparts. The most shocking of these remixes are the heavy metal versions of “Gobi Valley”, “Mad Monster Mansion”, and the infamous “Rusty Bucket Bay”. Check out the album down below and continue onto the rest of the article where I further discuss Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed.

Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed Is Surprisingly Heavy At Times

The whole Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed album isn’t heavy, but certain tracks sure are! I must say I audibly laughed after hearing how metal some of these tracks are. This was extra shocking to me, as the beginning of the album did not contain this level of grit. Some songs contain some electric guitar within them – most notably towards the end – but Grant goes all out on some of the tracks.

Gobi Valley

“Gobi Valley” is the first track on the album to receive the metal treatment. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing at first. I never thought I needed a metal rendition of this desert themed Banjo-Kazooie world, but now I am so glad it’s here. The classic score sounds great with the extra added punch, and weirdly enough to metal attitude fits the stage.

Without fail I always fail at collecting all the notes without dying in Gobi’s Valley. The stage is drastically more difficult than any that came before it, and there is even a timed insta-death maze within the stage. If you die in Banjo-Kazooie (at least in the N64 version of the game), you have to restart your note collection from the start of that world. This makes the stage that much more intimidating. The Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed version of the world’s soundtrack adds this intimidation right into the music itself. I applaud Grant for his creativity with “Gobi Valley”.

Mad Monster Mansion

Another track that receives some newfound metal flair is “Mad Monster Mansion”, and what a great track to choose. For those who aren’t familiar, this world is very different from any other world found in Banjo-Kazooie. The stage is full of monsters, ghosts, ghouls, and more, and it has a creepy atmosphere to match. The only thing scarier than the monsters and atmosphere is what you have to do in the world. Banjo and Kazooie find themselves diving into toilets in search of jiggies. Terrifying I know. The soundtrack to this stage has always been fitting, and it really helped nail the scary vibe of the world.

With Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed, some metal flavor has been added to the spooky track. Grant Kirkhope has the track sounding more appropriate for a fast-paced Mad Monster Mansion amusement park ride than just a simple remix. The track is energetic, heavy, and still as threatening as ever. I never thought I would be rocking out to a spooky N64 world map, but “Mad Monster Mansion” gets the blood pumping every time. This track is just another example of Grant taking some unexpected – but highly appreciated – artistic liberties with this remix album.

Rusty Bucket Bay

The most infamous stage from Banjo-Kazooie now has an aggressive soundtrack to match its threatening nature with “Rusty Bucket Bay”. For those who don’t know, the original world is notorious for ruining speed runs and 100% completion runs. This is due to the mechanic I mentioned either. If you die in Banjo-Kazooie without collection every note, you have to restart from zero. So why was this a problem? Well it is incredibly easy to die in Rusty Bucket Bay. The boss battle is difficult, the platforming is merciless, and there are many timed challenges that can insta-kill you. Add in poisonous water that frequently makes you dive down into it, and you have the hardest stage in the game.

I never could have imagined a heavy version of the Rusty Bucket Bay theme, but it does make sense. The difficulty of the stage added in with the industrial nature of the world makes sense for a metal remix. “Gobi Valley” and “Mad Monster Mansion” as heavy tracks made more sense to me initially, but the more I think about it, the more “Rusty Bucket Bay” makes sense as well. I have a newfound appreciation for the track in general thanks to this remix, and this just shows how great Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed is. Not only does it enhance the original soundtrack to fit modern times, but it even has me appreciating the classic versions of the track in hindsight. I once again applaud Grant Kirkhope for his creativity with this track.

How Does The Rest Of Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed Sound?

The rest of the album takes very similar creative routes, they just aren’t exactly metal (which is totally fine). Other highlights to me include the re-jiggyed version of “Click Clock Wood” and “Treasure Trove Cove” which have a classic 8-bit sound to them. Both tracks work great with this style, and I find them to be absolute joys. Meanwhile “Gruntila’s Lair”, “Blubblegloob Swamp”, and “Freezeezy Peak” have an orchestrated sound with plenty of horns. These tracks are the most faithful to their original versions, but the fresh coat of paint adds a modern flair that adds to their quality.

The last two tracks I haven’t mentioned are “Mumbo’s Mountain” and the iconic “Spiral Mountain”. The most chaotic song on Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed has to be “Mumbo’s Mountain”, as I can’t even pinpoint what is going on in the track. It sounds kind of like the 8-bit influenced tracks, but with a more wild hyperpop/EDM sound. Lastly, the intro track sets the tone for the entire album. “Spiral Mountain” contains elements from all the styles found on the album. The classic sound is there, the electric guitars are present, and there is an orchestrated sounding section. It seems like Grant added everything to the iconic theme, and what a fitting track to do so.

Finals Thoughts

Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed is a wild ride, and as a long-time Banjo-Kazooie fan, I find it very enjoyable. While the classic versions of the soundtrack can never be replaced, it is wonderful to have these creative alternatives to listen to. If these tracks weren’t so create, it might have been unappealing to revisit this album often. However, due to the artistic liberties composer Grant Kirkhope took with this album, I find it worth many revisits. I am partial to the heavier remixes on this track, but the whole thing is worth a listen. The only thing missing from the album is a re-jiggyed version of “Clanker’s Cavern”. I believe that the track is missing due to licensing issues, but perhaps it will be released someday in the future.

This article wasn’t written as a formal review, and more of an educational piece, but after diving into it so thoroughly, I feel like it is appropriate to leave a final rating. One of the album’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. I would love to hear 8-bit versions of the rock tracks, and rock versions of the 8-bit tracks. Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed has me thinking of all sorts of alternative versions to this iconic and beloved soundtrack. Hopefully this isn’t the last time Grant Kirkhope experiments with the soundtrack.

Final Verdict: 9/10 Shells

Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed MP3 Download

If you wish to purchase the album, you can follow the link below and pick yourself up a copy of Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed! Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, I will never recommend a product or service I don’t have 100% faith in. Happy listening!

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Need more of Grant Kirkhope in your life? I recommend you check out my article on the hilarious DK Rap Limp Bizkit remix by Todd Barriage. In the article, I breakdown everything you need to know about the Youtuber’s hilarious nu-metal remix of Grant Kirkhope’s classic track. So check that out down below if you’re interested!

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What did you think Grant Kirkhope’s Banjo Kazooie: Re-Jiggyed album? Did you enjoy these remixes? Please share your thoughts down in the comments.