My kind of song...
Amazing, it sounds like something I'd hear in one of the newer final fantasy games or a fantasy movie. Beautiful work with the dynamics and the melodies, in fact good job with everything.
The only thing that hits me is the key change at 1:59. Something about it doesn't sound smooth, but I really can't put my finger on it, so I'm chalking it up to my own musical bias.
Excellent work, haven't talked to you in a while, but I'm glad you're still pumping out masterpieces.
Hey, it's good to hear from you friend. Been a while, I was beginning to think you had left us for good. Hearing such wonderful words of praise from you really means a lot. You know how much I enjoy your pieces as well.
Thanks again.
-Gravey-
I was never good at high-emotion dramatic pieces
So listening to this is helpful, I can learn some techniques to bring out that specific emotional feel.
I think this would have been better as simply a short, cinematic piece though, that way you could have put a really dramatic finish at the end to tie it all together. All in all though, this is a really good piece. I can see the scene you described in your comments as clear as day.
Nice man, 9/10, 5/5.
This is going to be a short review
Because it's late as hell.
Damn near flawless is all I have to say. Your skill with synths is exceptional and, once again, your drums are awesome. Chords are great, melodies are great, this whole song is pretty damn amazing.
I was going to suggest smoothing out the transition at :33, but it may not even be necessary.
10/10 5/5 awesome!
:) thank you! you just made my day! :)
A full, thorough review
For this review, I'll use my generic review format:
Melody-8
There were some areas where I wasn't sure where you were going with the melody. In particular, the section betweeen 1:30 and 2:00. Honestly, it feels a bit random to me, and it actually took me a while to realize you were still following 4/4 time there because of the way you arranged the melody.
Harmony-7
Let me just say now, many of my comments are going to zero in on the aformentioned section and those like it. The rest of the song is excellent. However, the chord progression in that one section doesn't seem to have a central goal. It doesn't express any emotion or theme. Don't worry, I've written many a bad chord progression in my lifetime, usually as a result of me trying to be TOO original. If anything, you probably shouldn't have ended the chord prog in those sections by switching to an augmented 7th and placing the bassline on a 5th.
Rhythm: 10/10
The rhythm is excellent and carries the song very, very well. Keeps your head bobbing and everything.
Instruments: 9/10
Perhaps too many saws in the beginning, but overall excellent choice of synths.
Mix: 10/10
Every instrument compliments the other. There's not a single problem here.
Mastering: 10/10
And the mastering job is excellent, I have to say. Really good job dude.
Beginning: 8/10
Seeing as it follows the same chord progression as the aformentioned sections I was complaining about before, I can only give you this score. However, you have a very smooth flow from the intro to the main melody, which I want to acknowledge.
End: 8/10
My only complaints are that you should let that last instrument fade out rather than ending it abruptly.
Overall, an 8/10. Good job, I really enjoyed this song. Especially the main melody, and it's as you say, very upbeat and energetic. My main beef with that one section is that it seems to run counter to the theme of the rest of the song. It doesn't seem to fit. But regardless, it's a great song.
:) I love that you took the time to write such a marvelous review! Thanks! It makes my reviews seem a little pitiful lol
The compressor...
You might have intended for the compressor to kick out some of the instruments as a result of the bass, but it might be too compressed. It's really noticable when the strings are playing, which I would have excused if not for the fact that I can hear its effects on the piano too. Actually, better idea: lower the volume of the kick drum. With its volume level, it won't drop the actual volume of the kick, it'll just lessen the effects of the compressor.
Another thing: you might want to make the release longer on the strings or add some reverb. (I recommend both, but if you're going to do only one of them, do the first one.)
Other than that, this song is pretty good, it's nice and chill. The melody, as you say, is pretty catchy. Good choice of instruments too. I really enjoyed this song, good job. It's too bad I can only give you a 7/10 because of what I mentioned above though, which really isn't bad btw.
Thanks man! I do agree on all your points! It's good to see someone who knows what they're talking about. I think I'll try the bass tip and reverb on the strings to give it a more "real" sound. Thanks again for the advice, I love hearing from the people.
The first thing that stuck out for me...
The ?stomps? (can't tell for sure, I'm using quite crappy headphones) in the beginning needs to be fuller, to really carry the rhythm, and not get drowned out by the heavy chords. This might also be my headphones, but I'm almost positive it isn't.
Melody and Harmony- 10
You've done some pretty creative things with this melody, and it really drives the theme of your song very well.
Rhythm- 6
At some parts, it doesn't seem to have a central beat, it's just playing to drive the overall tempo. It's clear that your strong point is melody and harmony, I can tell. However, you do some great things with the rhythm at certain parts, for example, at the :11 area (the drums need to be fuller, perhaps add a snare or better yet, a bass drum on the rhythmically important parts of the beat), the :32 area, the 1:12 area, and the last section.
Instruments- 8
Unfortunately, while the melody is good, the dynamics and expression seems to be the same throughout for each instrument. I wish you would have put more emphasis on expression and dynamics, as I can only see significant dynamic activity when you add or remove playing instruments or in the playing of the drums.
Beginning- 8
The intro stomps continue to mess with me, and that unfortunately extends for the ending too. Speaking of which...
End- 9
The most stand-out aspect of the end, its suddenness, is important for this song, and sounds great.
Overall, 8 out of 10. Yeah, I had a lot of complaints, but I still liked this song. Good job man, hope to hear more from you.
Hey man, first off: thanks for taking your time to write a serious review, much appreciated =)
The drums... Yeah, I guess you're right there. I didn't really pay a lot of attention to them at first, but I think I could've indeed done a bit more with them. I'll try to improve it in future songs.
About the dynamics and expression, I'll try to work on that as well.
Thanks for the 8 and the feedback! Will do my best to improve the things you said.
Congrats on top 5!
I'm listening to this on kinda crappy headphones, so excuse me if I get anything wrong.
I can really hear your respective styles on this one, and it really comes out at the 1:51, when the drums and the piano start going crazy. Good job on this, it's pretty awesome.
Seriously, I don't have a single complaint. The song is pretty much flawless in my point of view, but I suppose I should do a proper review:
All scores out of 10.
Melody- 9
Very soothing, goes perfectly with the name, and generally sounds great. Just gotta watch out for that crazy section though, the melody, although not bad, didn't seem to have a central purpose besides being erratic along with the drums. I have that problem in many of my songs though, so hypocrite I am hahaha.
Harmony- 10
Same as above, very soothing and relaxing. The chords in this piece are beautiful.
Rhythm- 10
Like the slightly erratic touch to the rhythm, perfect for this song.
Drums- 10
Like how they start out soft but still carrying the flow, almost portending what will follow later in the song. Later on, that aforementioned crazy section with Quarl's stamp all over it. Yes.
Instruments- 10
Since it was mainly just piano and drums, I guess I should talk about the drums more. I couldn't pick out a bad sample in this whole thing though.
Intro- 10
Very smooth, flawless.
End- 10
Same as above.
I hope I didn't forget any categories, this is the first review I've written in months.
Once again, congrats on top 5, it's well deserved. This is a great song.
sweet review man
you can thank quarl for the intro melodies, i am only responsible for the solo
actually the crazy drum section has my stamp on it for the most part lol
its good to see you back man, i saw you around in the forums
thanks for the review!
Pretty good.
Taking into account that this is a hiphop song:
Melody and Harmony: 4
The melody just isn't doing it for me. On the parts where the synthy violin comes in, it just doesn't match the chord, which I'm having trouble making sense of as it stands. I'm trying to figure out whether I'm hearing a i,ii,xi,ii chord (most likely) or a i, ii, xi, xii chord. As a result, it sounds kinda emotionless. I understand that lyrics are supposed to go on this song, and when I write rap beats, I think the same thing. However, you should reach for something more when writing beats. That's what separates the good producers from the rest.
Instruments: 8
Other than that cello that constantly plays F-E-F-C-E, the instruments all fit. Their melodies may have problems, but the instruments themselves are good where they are. That includes the drums.
Rhythm: 10
The rhythm is nice, and I like your control over the overall flow of the song. The drums flow well with the theme of the song. Good job man!
Variety-Unity: 9.4
Very balanced between the two. I don't think this is too repetitive at all, in fact, it sounds perfect for a rap beat. Once again, that cello hurt your score, but much less in this category.
Beginning and end: 8.5
I like the beginning, but the end is just a bit choppy. Too much going on during the fade-out, though some may disagree.
Mix-Master: 10
No issues here.
Dynamics: 9.5
That cello again. The lack of dynamic changes in its playing bothers me to no end, especially considering it plays for almost all the song. Everything else is good.
Overall, a 7.6/10. Nice mellow beat man, just improve the melody and you'll have an excellent beat on your hands.
aha....Thanks so much for a really, really good review! Thanks for the advice about the cello. Now the only problem is...what do I replace it with? or do I even replace it at all? Maybe I should change it up? haha now im inspired to finish this! thanks man!
I wouldn't quite call this a trance song
This is much more videogame-ish than anything, in fact it reminds me of a videogame I played ages ago.
Rhythm: 10- everything fit perfectly with the overall rhythm of the song. No complaints here.
Melody: 8- around 1:15, the melody gets a little funny, at least to me. Some of the notes don't blend well, although the rest of the song sounds excellent.
Harmony: 10- No complaints here. The melody does grow on you though, I will say.
Instruments: 10- excellent synths here. Flawless and blended well, everything fit.
Variety: 10- Damn near 10's around the board. Good job keeping the song interesting.
Unity: 10- In conjunction with above, making sure the song blended together as a whole, you did an excellent job.
Dynamics: 7- With the exception of the beginning and the end, the song didn't really express much in the way of dynamics. But it really didn't need to do that all that much anyway.
Mastering: 10- Everything sounded clear and perfect.
Beginning: 10- Very strong, excellent intro.
End: 5- The ending sounded weak to me. Not really "conclusive" if you get my drift. But who am I to talk, my last two songs aren't even finished yet.
Overall, a 9/10. Good job, man!
Thanks for the critiques man, this was actually the best review I've gotten. I'll work on what you said. As for the trance thing, I couldn't really decide what genre. I just picked something somewhat close.
If you ever wanted to make high-quality music with low quality inexpensive shit, I'm the man to ask ;-)
Age 34, Male
USA
Joined on 10/24/08
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