by

Joakim dalle
(dalle)

up until about 00:54 I said "this song made it into round 2?" but the progression and lead at that point is what won over judges i suppose.. nice harmonies in that "chorus" but after the second time its repeated at the 'end' it got really old really fast.. samples - id fix the loop in the lead which isnt a totally original choice but it fits well.. strings are nice... form - a little repetitive.. even though its a really short song and has a catchy chorus it could use a LOT more as far as just material goes. some nice ideas, keep working with them

*File Specs* [Filename]m6v-aqs.xxx[Title]Adequate Song[Total playing time]05:11 *Musical Values* [Creativity]Every there are songs going along to the second round and my doubts rise if they really deserved that spot when comparing skills, techniques and musical value with songs in the second block, i notice here three patterns (note that i mean song motives!) which are being repeated all through the whole song together with a commercial beat hardly junct to new transitions... [Story]Energy[Structure]build, breaks and transitions in the first 2 minutes are intresting, repeating the first three motives already started to make the song boring, then the final existed out of constantly repeating only one motive and i lost intrest in the musical value, expectable ending.[Harmony]Though muscally the song is not too intresting, the harmony is there, instruments listen well to o eachother only the mains seem to be a bit too much devided here and there, don't push them too far from the center, in majority depth and width was okay.[Realness/Fantasy factors]N/A *Technical Values* [Instruments]Fair [Samples]Notched samples, ripped samples, badly looped samples, definately needs to be worked out better on this area. [Arrangements]For as far as i looked to arrangements only channelpanning and volume-arrangements have been used, channelpanning could have been arranged little bit more balanced to the center, for the majority i found notes, no serious flaws found in songarrangement. [Use of...]N/A [Sample Quality]Fair *Sounding Techniques* [Depth]Little but mostly this depth is there thankfull to sample-environment and not instrumental arrangement[Width]Leads could have been arranged better in this aspect, though in the third section (chorus) where they get an echo emulation they are giving more dimension than they do in the couplet-parts.[Headphones]Sounds reasonable[Speakers]Sounds great here during the chorus sections...

Hard core style with very good guitar riffs. Not such bad portamento and panning at chord tracks. Sorry of just averadge samples.

Good selection of samples for the mood you were trying to create and the instruments around them were well-designed. Those pizzicatoes at the beginning are a little bit scary for the beginning of a song, and they go on unaccompanied for probably a bit longer than is necessary. It's a very standard cheesy techno tune until you get to pattern 8, where it gets lyrical, soaring leads reminiscent of oldschool Amiga stuff (particulary Tip & Mantronix). It was a sudden change in character for the tune -- which was neither good nor bad, on balance. The standard advice of varying the tuning and/or volume and/or panning of your crash cymbal each time you hit it applies. The tail-end repetition of pretty near the exact same pattern gets quite boring quickly but is quite fun for the first two reps or so. This song really needed a bit more musical development and a little less of the "I've got four really cool leads, let's mix 'em up" tack.

This is really a very catchy song which works very well in many ways. The call/response motif played with the lead instruments during the verse of the song works very well and the chorus part features a simply awesome guitar solo as far as tracked guitar solos go. The only disappointing thing is that towards the end it sounds like the composer ran out of ideas with a little too much repetition and a very abrupt ending. Also echo-synth at the very start of the song really is a bit unnecessary and abrupt too. Apart from those slight problems this is definately a more than adequate song :)

[my comments from round 1] [Hehh, the Adequate Song? So read my Adequate Judgement! :) I start with the samples. I must tell, You used a very unusual instrument set... let me see, tr909 hihats, synth leads, orchestral strings, electric solo guitar, bassguitar... so really interesting. The sample quality is rather medium, the solo guitar is awfully looped - I named the main faults. Now about Your form, arrangement - You surely noticed, that putting together a rock symphony with some techno-like glow is not a light-weight semi-contact round against the tracker and the instruments... To track a good rock song You need more technical skills and/or a few megs of riffs. I don't say You haven't enough skill... in this case You standed ground and what You performed is really nice and interesting, (the drums are a bit simple for the whole structure), You know how to PUT THINGS TOGETHER. How to put them together ... and I pointed to the bad side of your musical try. This song is a put-them-together song, and I feel a heavy need of compactness when listening to it. That's what is missing... the main line, a specific atmosphere. You have to learn about that :). Full stop.]

Very unique style, with interesting melodies and harmonies. Some samples are very commmonly heard in tracked songs throughout the years, but nevertheless, used very effectively. What else can I say?? Its a well-tracked and musically catchy song.

This song was not outstanding in any way other than that it was extremely catchy! It is an interesting mix of styles with a good "moving" feel. The theme in the strings and organ is well done but it is perhaps a little empty compared with the following chorus. I really like the guitar in orders 8 and 16 although it is perhaps a little corny! The orchestration is good with the distorted guitar and strings tracked effectively with nice use of panning. The song has good distinct sections which follow on well - I justed wanted more - the song is underdeveloped. The mainly 8 bit samples are clean and very well used. This is a song that I didn't really like at first but grew on me, and now I enjoy listening to it! More than adequate!

If your goal was to earn as much points as possible for originality, you made it. Unfortunately mixing all available musical styles isn't in fact the best way of making a good tune. The tune is technically well done, but it doesn't sound good as a whole.

Didn't like the guitars, but some nice mudical ideals - overall interesting to listen to. Could do with some samples that are less harsh though.

Perhaps this song would have greater merit as background music. On its own it suffers from a bit too much repetition especially in the pizzicato strings.