by

Ivar Scorpion
(Scorpion)

This song shows a lot of practice in musical composition -- it's definitely among the better-built intermediate entries that I've heard. It is remarkably well-done and coherent, and I haven't heard this style done quite this way before. Technique is okay -- the composer gets the sound out of it that they want out of it -- but it's done in a very Amiga/S3M-ish fashion (with effects columns dictating every little bend and fade). More of IT's advanced instrument management features could have been exploited (like dupe checks to keep the electric piano from getting muddy in the intro). Sample set is good, but sample 5 could use some better looping (looping is an art that pages could be written on, but this isn't the place for it -- I'll just say look at the waveform up close THEN use your ears to fine-tune for clicks, and try listening to a copy of that sample looped at 40000/52090 up against the original loop) and maybe drop the attack since the one place it's heard drags the whole sample into sounding off-key. If I were you I'd study up on NNA's and Note Off. And if I were you, I'd enter veteran next year because... well, you're definitely qualified. :-)

tune sounds a little familiar (only if you know what JPOP is or HKPOP); but is unique in it own cool way. Sample #1 & #12 are my favorite (house samples rule!). They both sound great & are used to their maximum potential on this song! As for the rest of the samples, they are really clean and crisp. The superb balance of high's & low's, as well as the excellent volume control, displays the knowledge & expertise of this tracker!

The introduction to the song is perhaps a little too familiar to a popular song both in melody and timing. It does thankfully change however and the originality of the remainder of the piece is refreshing. The wandering bass in particular is captivating and is the essence of this style of music. Some of the tonal samples are perhaps just a tad too electronic and some more natural sounds would have been great. The continual fade on the lead instrument makes it hard to follow the melody so greater attack on the tone would have helped. Otherwise a very competent piece.

COOL INTRO! Vibrato is a bit heavy in long tones of 2-3 cool bridge at pattern 12-14 GREAT SONG!

Samples are just fine, but some instruments fade too slowly, blurring the mix. Guitar lead is sampled and executed well. Some nice chord touches - a bit of jazz here and there help build the atmosphere. Either the bass is out of tune or it just does something weird now and then. It could also be a bit louder, and more expressive. Use some note offs and effects, especially volumes, there too. Most of the time I really enjoyed your music, but some annoying disharmonies hit my ears. Synth lead is technically better than the sax, study some saxophone patterns to treat your listeners with some delicious sax tricks. Electric piano is too dominant in the mix, swamping the percussion and bass almost completely. All in all, this is a module no one can laugh at.