Score: 7

"Creepy toytown vibe Feels like it should be longer"

submission: >Welcome to my Haunted House<

date: August 1, 2008

It actually sounds like we're in a major key until 0:11.

Then you start dropping in notes that identify it as a minor, before the laughs and it goes all-out creepy. Good work.

The laugh is perfect, with a macabre nature about it and the fast piano work that follows.

It gets a bit repetitive with the pattern towards the end, but that kinda adds to the evil toytown feel.

My main crit. is simply that the song perhaps isn't long enough to really develop the mood you start.

Score: 5

"Memorable but aggravating mismatched beats."

submission: Sad²

date: August 1, 2008

For the first listen, I really felt like the beats and slow melody didn't match up at all in tempo. Though I don't find it quite as aggravating anymore, it definitely still sounds odd.

Not much of a song - it just sorta starts, adds the beats, then keeps going with no movement. I mean, the melody doesn't go anywhere - just looping over and over. At the end, I just feel unsatisfied.

The thing isn't particularly emotional either, despite its name. Though in a minor chord, you've got to perhaps make the beats a simpler match, get some varied melodies on the go, then maybe give some emotive melodies the space to breathe.

Keep at it.

In the end, the mismatched beats became memorable, although I'm not sure I ever enjoyed it.

Score: 8

"Packed full of energy. Perfect for a transitory sc"

submission: EpicDnB_EnergyLoop

date: August 1, 2008

screen on a game.

I've gotta admit - I can't really tell the difference between the first half and 2nd half of the track. Except that maybe the track starts without the resonance of the last note, making for a slightly imperfect loop?

Imperfect, but nigh-on perfect.

Anyways, for the length of the loop, you pack in a lot. The drums sounds specially ace and I liked the medium-tempo melody.

The slow, high-pitched one could perhaps have been slightly lower in volume? It seems to dominate a tad.

Still awesome work. I'll definitely return and listen to more of your stuff. Looking forward to it, if this is anything to go by.

Score: 7

"Great for increasing-intensity rhythm-tied game."

submission: {dj-N} Not Alone (RMX)

date: August 1, 2008

I wasn't too keen on the fast high-pitched synths you started off with. At first, I was kinda irritated by the high modulation. Or maybe it's the static you mentioned.

I got used to it by my 2nd listen though.

The melody that kicks in at : 25 is really joyful and fun! I love how you have a fair amount of variation and loads of instruments within the 2 minutes.

It had some repetition within each channel, but that's kinda part of the style.

Fun to listen to.

Score: 5

"Surreal, but the script got dull."

submission: Jasons Phone Call

date: August 1, 2008

The idea of pimping Jason was kinda amusing. I also liked the Arnie impersonation and the 'HahaHahaHaHAAaaaaa' chorus on the Jason song. Kinda surreal.

About a minute in though, the conversation started getting dull - sounding like a million other phone spoofs.

Maybe if Hugh Heffner had a better voice it might be funnier? Also a more engaging script.

I like the 'you sound so happy!' bit, but most of the rest just sounds like it's off the cuff, and unengaging thanks to it.

Score: 6

"Unique sound, though the guitars destroyed it."

submission: Succubus

date: August 1, 2008

I really liked the distortion on the voice. No idea how you did that, but it does sound pretty cool.

At 1:03, where the guitar becomes the main instrument, the song becomes kinda repetitive and the aggression of the guitar kinda nullifies the creepiness of the vocals.

Maybe you should concentrate on the creepy vibe and maybe throw in some other random shit in too? Breathing, glass breaking, howling...

Score: 8

"Desperately poignant and affecting."

submission: Forgotten Tears - Mjattie

date: August 1, 2008

This kinda reminds me of the Snes DKC music. Slow but contious changes in everything. Repeating a phrase 4 or even 8x may happen but only with changes elsewhere. Each new element is judiciously timed for its entry.

The opening atmospheric noise is excellent, as is the tremendous resonanating echo of the drums.

I love the way the melody originally comes in at around :40, in the background.

Pulling back everything else at 1:23 is a bold move, but you pull it off perfectly.

When the 'main' piano first pops back in it's a great payoff.

Hitting the higher notes at 2:57 is also a lovely pattern.

I feel like the whole last 40s is kinda weak - a bit of a cop-out. The 3:55-3:58 bit kinda felt like it was gonna go for one last spin, so to hear it finally wind down was disappointing.

What makes it even worse is the chord played at the end. C'mon! The song's unsettling, slightly poignant and why give us a payoff? Leave us hanging! Stop on that one last note if you've got to have an ending.

If you'd had it loop though, that would've been a boon in my opinion. I like being able to listen to songs as great as this over and over with no pause or stop in between. ;-)

Score: 7

"Filmic. Poignant on first listen."

submission: Winter Dream

date: August 1, 2008

Slightly affecting, but the formula kinda seemed overly visible on repeated listens, making it lose its charm.

The whole piece has a filmic quality - kinda like a soundtrack.

For the first minute, you're putting out phrases, followed by replies, then you start moving from one phrase to the other. By the 1:40 mark, when you're replaying old phrases, it does get a bit tiresome. I feel you could've varied those phrases a tad when they pop up their 2nd time.

The last chord seemed a little too full and joyful for the tone of the piece. Maybe something a little more thoughtful and quiet - maybe ending on a single note?

You do have some great sounds here. Try to be more adventurous at times though.

Score: 7

"Some real energy."

submission: Bob-The Chase

date: August 1, 2008

Now THAT's a track I can get behind! I'm hearing the passion and it got me up dancing for 5 minutes. Good work.

The melody from :22 - 0:47 should perhaps have been a little louder.

There are a couple of points where the lead synth could have had a tad more variation on the melody.

The 1:48 bit is fantastic - kinda mirroring the powerful main riff in its own way, whilst providing a new viewpoint and a little respite.

Cool track and there's a real feeling of energy from that lead synth. The drums/bass in the bg provide some good atmosphere and help add energy, even though they never do anything notable.

Score: 5

"Again, lacking aggression and too repetitive"

submission: Journey through Dreams

date: August 1, 2008

I wasn't overly keen on this. The whole thing has a kinda repetitive house-vibe, but it doesn't have the aggression I'd look for in that kinda music.

Love the opening bubbly noise.

The variations at :40 - :50 on the synth were kinda cool.

Also liked the synths you later bring in at 1:06 and 1:17.

Also the change-up on the lead synth around 1:40.

I feel like if you were going for something really pumping, maybe giving your beats a bit more resonance would help.

It can get a bit repetitive at times and maybe playing with the lead synth more would help, as that's really the instrument that comes to the fore.