Score: 8

"Love that change from minor to major..."

submission: Untitled Orchestral Piece (SC)

date: April 20, 2008

This seems like quite an uplifting piece - when the violins(not sure - what are they?) come in at 0:32, it really starts transforming. The shift from minor to major is something to behold.

The slow violins end up as something quite beautiful and it just leaves me yearning for more.

I feel maybe the 5-note melody (that arrives at 32s) could have been shifted a bit - maybe if it started meandering around the 1 minute mark and didn't die out so suddenly, it'd be a stronger piece.

Not that it isn't strong already! I'm sure this'll be great to hear at your concert!

Well done on what is already a great composition.

-Review Request Club-

Score: 7

"Great fresh vibe. But go further."

submission: Beaten into a Pulp (DjD)

date: April 20, 2008

I really like the beats here. The techno vibe makes it sound like something the Black Eyed Peas would use as a backing track for their vocals.

The cymbals work well, but start to sound overused. Maybe because it sounds like the exact same sample each time.

I love the instrument you use that pops up at 1:34, 1:49 and later.

I liked the chords you're playing in the beat and the little instrument shift around 0:30 and 0:50.

However, the instruments you're using don't have as much soul as the original guitars, so I feel like you need to bring in more of your own flavour.

I read your response stating you didn't intend for this to be a dance tune, but assuming you agree it sounds good as a dance track, maybe follow that vibe further.

Maybe mix up the beats a little. Try some different drums or beats here and there. Try composing a new counter-melody, or cutting and pasting those that existed to come up with more going on.

I loved listening to this - the original tune is great and you're moving it in a new direction. I'd just like to hear you go further with this.
7.5/10
-Review Request Club-.

Score: 7

"Can really see this as an animation..."

submission: (FMC) -=Hamburgers=-

date: April 13, 2008

An excellent song that just keeps building and manages to throw in a few surprises.

I liked the fast scale at 1:15and the fairly frequest changing up of loops. All worked well together to make a really adrenalin-pumping whole!

from the little roll as you start, to the few drop-downs where you totally keep the beats going, to the mixing up of the electronic synthy melody for the first half... also, I like the final note at the end. (Kinda reminds me of Cowboy Bebop)

My only crit/suggestion - maybe you could have added some more pounding beats at some point?

-Review Request Club-

Score: 5

"2s might make for a good loop"

submission: Torture Train

date: April 13, 2008

Hrm...

it does kinda loop well and I'd say it would work well for an industrial level of a game if it didn't sound so re[etitive despite its length. From 0:23 to 0:48, it sounds like the same 2s loop repeated over and over.

I like the piano sections, but the heavy mechanical loops just give it an annoying vibe when its on loop.

If you took a couple of seconds of the song, it might work well for an area that folk would spend maybe 2-30s in. As is, it was interesting to hear the first time, but gets dull.

Review Request Club

Score: 6

"Pleasant enough... but formulaic."

submission: Surrender (S.C.)

date: April 13, 2008

Though distortion in the vocals kinda fits the tone, some of the distortion seems to be because of the recording.

It kinda hurt my head after a while, listening to the distortion you have in the guitars and everything.

The instruments are well placed and I liked the sorta rising synth notes you have at the start.

However, it starts to feel a little bit derivative. The places where the guitars come in work well but it all sounds kinda formulaic. I like to be surprised when listening to a tune - I love it when it takes a turn that I didn't expect but still fits somehow. That never really happened here.

It's a well made tune. The distortion gives it a real 'garageband' feel and it was pleasant enough to listen to.

It just never lit my fire.

-Review Request Club-

Score: 7

"maybe use for RRC reviewer-sidecollab"

submission: Snakes on Fire

date: April 13, 2008

The tune had some cool instruments and moments. However, altogether it didn't really gel for me.

The part start starting at 0:16-0:37 sounds kinda like a pop-electro tune. Kinda like something that could be used as the basis for a loop to be used in a little game.

The instrument at 1:46 sounds cool too.

I generally don't like drop-downs in tunes like you had at the end. Just a personal thing, I guess.

Hrm... essentially this is an accomplished tune. It is kinda derivative in places though and it could have gotten a bit more 'pounding' towards the end.

All said and done, I somewhat enjoyed listening to it.

-Review request Club0

Score: 8

"Fun vibe. Like Plok!"

submission: The AfroBlues

date: April 13, 2008

I love the vibe.

Sounds totally upbeat and reminds me of Plok! (John Pickford's game for the Snes). Maybe because of the tempo, vibe and harmonica.

There's an excellent rhythm in all the instruments and the volumes are set really well.

The harmonica really carries the melody, but the piano kinda fleshes it out, bringing it to life.

If you have any loops with this quality of playing, I'd love to use it in a future game or something.

this will probably stay in my playlist for a long while.

-Review Request Club-

Score: 7

"Great improvement, though melody could use more va"

submission: The Street Life

date: April 13, 2008

This definitely kinda sounds different to the version I downloaded a while back. Maybe it was before the 5th...

Anyways, the rapping is awesome, but you don't need me to tell you that.

I like the new beats you have going on, that pop up at 1:53 and various other section.

There's a fair bit of change in the drums now - some really tight loops and they never got too predictable or overly repetitive.

I still feel the piano melody is too overpowering and repetitive. If you were to work this up any further, I'd suggest trying a few different instruments for the melody and maybe maybe lowering the volume or cutting out the treble of the piano at points.

I really liked the part where you did that for the little sample.

It's an enjoyable tune and after getting this new version, I'll probably keep it.

You have every right to feel proud. I'd be really interested to know how you isolated the rapping.

A few changes in the melody (as well as the key change later on) would have helped it step up a notch though.

-Review request Club-

Score: 4

"Turn it into a loop."

submission: Halloween (unfinished)

date: April 13, 2008

The opening instrument sounds like a NES soundchip or something similar. Kinda reminds me of a castlevania vibe. Though the beats and string synth perhaps sound less 8-bitty.

Anyways, if the beats were a tiny bit softer and maybe more like a retro chip, it might be a cool loop for a level of a deliberately retro game set in some creepy location. The melody that pops up is simple and I think I've heard it before but it works well.

As is, it's just too simplistic a tune to really call it a piece of music.

-Review REquest Club-

Score: 8

"I was kinda disappointed by the samey choruses but"

submission: messpionage

date: April 1, 2008

I love the mix of instruments here.

The bongo-type drums are a great base and when guitars come in, it sounds sorta spanish-y.

I really wasn't expecting the electronic pulsing beats, but they sounded cool and I love the rolls that come after. Clapping was a nice touch.

The long droning noises after the 2nd bout of pulses sound kinda like African music somehow. Makes me think of a jungle.

I have 2 complaints:
1 - after 1:30ish, it all feels like it could use a bit of freshness. I think it could have worked well if you'd altered the dirty guitars as well as some other bits, instead of keeping the instrumental 'chorus' exactly the same each of the 3 times.

2 - the end. The bleep is great. But why the 1s of noise before the end of the track? It doesn't loop well onto its start and it'd just sound slightly irritating when it precedes a diffferent tune.

I was kinda disappointed by the samey choruses but loved the vibe and the refreshing mix of stuff.

Please follow this line of experimentation further.

_Review Request Club_