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- Jul 18, 2008
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Environment: Desert
Make a piece of music that expresses the environment of a desert.
Here's my judging of the second music contest at hiveworkshop. I felt that there were a LOT of high quality music this time.
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Sincerely Yours,
Nara-shikamaru
Deepblade:
Theme - 15/15 It certainly gives a feeling of being in the desert.
Creativity - 10/10 Good choice of instruments, Nonetheless this is a creative and unique piece of music.
Dynamic/Tonation - 8/10 It flows well, but the vocals in the beginning (at about 01:12) sound a little like some cheap keyboard sound, to me it's a bit annoying.
Composition - 13/15 Well composed, though i can see some flaws at some parts of the song (not many). The ending is a little bit dissapointing.
Score: 46/50
Overall: It is a truly unique piece with a nice beat and good choice of instruments. I could definitely play a game or even see a movie with this music.
Theme - 15/15 It certainly gives a feeling of being in the desert.
Creativity - 10/10 Good choice of instruments, Nonetheless this is a creative and unique piece of music.
Dynamic/Tonation - 8/10 It flows well, but the vocals in the beginning (at about 01:12) sound a little like some cheap keyboard sound, to me it's a bit annoying.
Composition - 13/15 Well composed, though i can see some flaws at some parts of the song (not many). The ending is a little bit dissapointing.
Score: 46/50
Overall: It is a truly unique piece with a nice beat and good choice of instruments. I could definitely play a game or even see a movie with this music.
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Devine:
Theme - 2/15 It does not give the feeling of a desert, feels more like gameboy music for a mario game first in the castle with princess peach everyone is happy (0:00), then bowser kidnaps princess peach (0:22). Mario teams up with luigi (0:34). Mario runs after and then engages bowsers minions (01:11). And then he engages bowser (01:38)Then mario saves princess peach (02:34). Sorry for the bad comparation!
Creativity - 6/10 It is very creative, but instruments are very monotone and that brings the score down alot.
Dynamic/Tonation - 8/10 When the violin starts getting higher tones, the violin starts hurting my ears and that is very annoying.
Composition - 6/15 Sometimes i get the feeling that i hear some kid just randomly pushing the piano keys. Though sometimes it's very catchy.
Score: 22/50
Overall: It's a creative piece of music that is very unique and some parts of it can fit very well as battle/boss music. However this doesn't fit the theme nor is it well composed.
Theme - 2/15 It does not give the feeling of a desert, feels more like gameboy music for a mario game first in the castle with princess peach everyone is happy (0:00), then bowser kidnaps princess peach (0:22). Mario teams up with luigi (0:34). Mario runs after and then engages bowsers minions (01:11). And then he engages bowser (01:38)Then mario saves princess peach (02:34). Sorry for the bad comparation!
Creativity - 6/10 It is very creative, but instruments are very monotone and that brings the score down alot.
Dynamic/Tonation - 8/10 When the violin starts getting higher tones, the violin starts hurting my ears and that is very annoying.
Composition - 6/15 Sometimes i get the feeling that i hear some kid just randomly pushing the piano keys. Though sometimes it's very catchy.
Score: 22/50
Overall: It's a creative piece of music that is very unique and some parts of it can fit very well as battle/boss music. However this doesn't fit the theme nor is it well composed.
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Jaret:
Theme - 15/15 It fits the desert.
Creativity - 4/10 It fits for shop music but that's what it is and this song is nothing special. Good choice of instruments except the modern drums that enter after a while in the song.
Dynamic/Tonation - 7/10 It has a nice beat.
Composition - 5/15 It is very repetive and i bet it can be annoying after a while. For a song that is to be looped, it is nice with some variation.
Score: 31/50
Overall: It fits for a bazaar but it's nothing special and a bit repetive.
Theme - 15/15 It fits the desert.
Creativity - 4/10 It fits for shop music but that's what it is and this song is nothing special. Good choice of instruments except the modern drums that enter after a while in the song.
Dynamic/Tonation - 7/10 It has a nice beat.
Composition - 5/15 It is very repetive and i bet it can be annoying after a while. For a song that is to be looped, it is nice with some variation.
Score: 31/50
Overall: It fits for a bazaar but it's nothing special and a bit repetive.
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JetFangInferno:
Theme - 12/15 Most of the song fits the desert, but i find some parts of the song not very desert-ish.
Creativity - 10/10 Very creative, excellent choice of instruments.
Dynamic/Tonation - 10/10 Almost couldn't be better.
Composition - 14/15 Well composed, though the ending could be better.
Score: 46/50
Overall: I like it, good music for games, but even better for movies. It's an epic song, reminds me of the theme from the movie "The mask of Zorro". Too bad it lacks in the theme part.
Theme - 12/15 Most of the song fits the desert, but i find some parts of the song not very desert-ish.
Creativity - 10/10 Very creative, excellent choice of instruments.
Dynamic/Tonation - 10/10 Almost couldn't be better.
Composition - 14/15 Well composed, though the ending could be better.
Score: 46/50
Overall: I like it, good music for games, but even better for movies. It's an epic song, reminds me of the theme from the movie "The mask of Zorro". Too bad it lacks in the theme part.
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lexalex:
Theme - 15/15 It gives off a feeling of the desert.
Creativity - 7/10 I would have liked to hear some more instruments. Nonetheless it's creative.
Dynamic/Tonation - 6/10 I could certainly imagine this song with some more variation. The drums are timed nicely.
Composition - 10/15 Interesting composition. I felt that the ending was missing something.
Score: 38/50
Overall: It's a good song, with some more variation and instruments it could be really good.
Theme - 15/15 It gives off a feeling of the desert.
Creativity - 7/10 I would have liked to hear some more instruments. Nonetheless it's creative.
Dynamic/Tonation - 6/10 I could certainly imagine this song with some more variation. The drums are timed nicely.
Composition - 10/15 Interesting composition. I felt that the ending was missing something.
Score: 38/50
Overall: It's a good song, with some more variation and instruments it could be really good.
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Rao Dao Zao:
Theme - 15/15 It fits the desert.
Creativity - 9/10 It's creative.It has a very nice echo sound and the wind in the background is nice.
Dynamic/Tonation - 3/10 The drums are nice. It can be annoying sometimes because the maintone and the drum is played at the same time.
Composition - 2/15 It's a rather booring composition that is very repetive without almost any variation. In the ending one tone just ends without finishing.
Score: 29/50
Overall: It's a nice song, but it's very repetive. I feel that i might fall asleep when the maintone and the drums stops.
Theme - 15/15 It fits the desert.
Creativity - 9/10 It's creative.It has a very nice echo sound and the wind in the background is nice.
Dynamic/Tonation - 3/10 The drums are nice. It can be annoying sometimes because the maintone and the drum is played at the same time.
Composition - 2/15 It's a rather booring composition that is very repetive without almost any variation. In the ending one tone just ends without finishing.
Score: 29/50
Overall: It's a nice song, but it's very repetive. I feel that i might fall asleep when the maintone and the drums stops.
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Watchman:
Theme - 15/15 A more modern desert song with a lot of action, even though it differs a lot from the other entries it fits the theme well.
Creativity - 9/10 It stands out a lot since it's a creative and unique song. Some of the instruments are bad quality though.
Dynamic/Tonation - 9/10 Great beat and it flows very well. though sometimes i feel that you should fade the tones a little more at some parts.
Composition - 14/15 A genius composition with a lot of complicated solos that fits the song perfectly, i can see that you have worked a lot with the composition. though i felt that the ending was left unfinished.
Score: 47/50
Overall: It's a great song and a fasted paced piece of music. Very advanced and well composed. It represents the desperation of being in the desert.
Theme - 15/15 A more modern desert song with a lot of action, even though it differs a lot from the other entries it fits the theme well.
Creativity - 9/10 It stands out a lot since it's a creative and unique song. Some of the instruments are bad quality though.
Dynamic/Tonation - 9/10 Great beat and it flows very well. though sometimes i feel that you should fade the tones a little more at some parts.
Composition - 14/15 A genius composition with a lot of complicated solos that fits the song perfectly, i can see that you have worked a lot with the composition. though i felt that the ending was left unfinished.
Score: 47/50
Overall: It's a great song and a fasted paced piece of music. Very advanced and well composed. It represents the desperation of being in the desert.
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Zipper:
Theme - 15/15 It's a song that fits the desert.
Creativity - 8/10 It's creative, but it's not unique... i feel like i've heard it before in the game diablo 2.
Dynamic/Tonation - 10/10 Nothing to complain about at all... infact, it's really good.
Composition - 15/15 An excellent composition, well executed.
Score: 48/50
Overall: Excellent song, but i feel that i've heard it before.
Theme - 15/15 It's a song that fits the desert.
Creativity - 8/10 It's creative, but it's not unique... i feel like i've heard it before in the game diablo 2.
Dynamic/Tonation - 10/10 Nothing to complain about at all... infact, it's really good.
Composition - 15/15 An excellent composition, well executed.
Score: 48/50
Overall: Excellent song, but i feel that i've heard it before.
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Sincerely Yours,
Nara-shikamaru
deepblade - Deepstrasz Nomadic Cult
| Theme | This definitely reminds me on a desert and some kind of adventure in it, the used instruments and pentatonic(-based) scales and make this feeling nearly inevitable. You use the clichés but you use them greatly for your advance. | 14/15 |
| Creativity/Originality | You are using cliché-sounds (see also above), but besides from that, you expand the theme "desert" to a quite interesting world and build a multicolored piece out of it which fits your also original explanation/story. | 8/10 |
| Dynamic/Tonation | The piece has a good flow and closeness, your scale changes are managed quite persuading. | 10/10 |
| Composition | There is nothing in your piece that causes bad feelings in me as a listener, everything is logical and easy to understand, but nevertheless varied and interesting. There are only very few moments (especially in the middle part from around 1:50 to 2:20) where it gets a little less exciting. Also using clichés in a persuading way needs a lot of know-how, but you show how to do it. | 14/15 |
| Conclusion | Great piece of music using cliché-desert-sounds in a very professional and varied way making the desert theme an adventure. | 46/50 |
Devine - Desert of Banland
| Theme | I think your music fits your story, but already your story is partly not connected to the desert. Nevertheless I think there are some things making the idea of a man banned in a desert plausible, I especially like the part where the main character goes crazy: The high, violent violin parts make me feel the burning sun… I think that would get me crazy, too. | 10/15 |
| Creativity/Originality | Your story/program is definitely worth to be told, also in the connection of this contest, since it is focused not only on an environmental desert but on an emotional desert as well, which adds a lot of atmosphere to it (and it's transported in the piece quite convincingly, I think). You are using no cliché-desert-instruments, which might be noble, but you rely on the european standard with string instruments and piano (and short brass entries), which is not very original as well, so I think this aspect is quite in balance. | 8/10 |
| Dynamic/Tonation | Well, it flows, but often there are very fast changes in scales and chords, which don't make sense for me every time. | 7/10 |
| Composition | Sorry, but I really have to complain here, that your piece is simply to short to summarize a story of a few years. You try to express nearly every sentence in your program musically, but it is not longer as if you'd just say it in speech and the listener often has no chance at all to catch up on your development with his feelings. To make the listener feel this whole story, you definitely have to take much more time then nearly 3 minutes, I'd think this should become at least 10 because you have very big emotional contrasts in it which could be expressed much more convincing if you put much more development into it. The suicide is not hearable for me, the piano ending sounds quite arbitrary, just not fitting to the theme and not at all the story's ending (suicide!!). So here it is where one can hear that you don't have so much experience in writing music until now, but this is just normal and should not at all make you give up writing but make you practice it!  | 7/15 |
| Conclusion | A complex story compressed into a short musical piece full of contrasts. | 32/50 |
Jaret
| Theme | Well, you are using arabian sounds for percussion and guitar-instruments and try to do everything in an arabian style, but this only makes it arabic for me. Of course arabian states (referring to your description "a shop in a desert") do have something to do with desert, but the desert itself seems to be a little secondary here, although it should be the primary focus, if I understood the contest theme correctly. | 7/15 |
| Creativity/Originality | Again, using arabian sounds is not very original and in this case not even precise enough. | 5/10 |
| Dynamic/Tonation | No problems here, I think, the piece flows well and concerning tonation: you don't risk anything here, but this is OK for the theme and sounds nice. | 9/10 |
| Composition | I really like the idea that you use so few material and develop everything in the piece from the first little motive. Also the length is fitting: since you just have so few material, you don't have to work with it longer. Well you could add another part which contrasts a little with the part which is already there and build some kind of A-B-A form out of that to show more different perspectives of the desert. All in all, it's just very easy to overview and could take a little more complexity though. | 12/15 |
| Conclusion | Well, as you said yourself your piece is only fitting by accident, but since you said you don't have much experience in writing music: you are definitely on the right way since you don't write things you can't overview yourself. Continue with that and your pieces will get more complex just by themselves while still sounding good. | 33/50 |
JetFangInferno - Saharan Abyss
| Theme | I think it is a very romantic perspective on the desert, but as such, it works quite well. | 13/15 |
| Creativity/Originality | Damn it, your main theme reminded me on James Horner's theme for Zorro from the first moment on. Besides from that, your view of the desert is an interesting and in the area of this contest original one. You mostly rely on the normal orchestra with strings for the main parts, but also some special parts making it sound interesting (non-standard flute, guitar, pizzicato). | 9/10 |
| Dynamic/Tonation | Everything works well, I think, I don't know what to do better anywhere here. | 10/10 |
| Composition | As you said, this is unfinished. Your reprise is destroyed and a little coda could have made your piece very round. As I have to judge the piece as it is now, you have to loose some points here. Besides from that you build up your piece quite professional, working with your theme and developing it also with a contrasting middle part. | 12/15 |
| Conclusion | A very romantic vision of the desert that only needs an ending to be a very nice piece of music. | 44/50 |
lexalex - Desert Winds
| Theme | You fit the theme very well in my opinion, your music sounds very rough just like the desert's character. | 14/15 |
| Creativity/Originality | The sound is very original; you use the strings not in a standard way and you mix different styles and sounds. There are no real melodies/motives here, but it should be questioned if the theme needs this. You could have changed your chord pattern sometimes, though. | 9/10 |
| Dynamic/Tonation | If flows quite well until it stops. There is no ending and also the moment when the high strings stop is quite persuading, since the constant element until there just disappears without anything else changing. Besides from that, this aspect is nicely done, although it is not that complicated if you have just a looping chord progression. | 7/10 |
| Composition | For me, this piece is not finished, just as JetFangInferno's. You have two different moods here, the darker second part and the high whirring strings which could symbolize the sand in the winds making the burning heat even more violent. This is a nice beginning but you definitely have to do something with these contrasting elements, unite them, get them in a conflict and just let them stand besides each other also in the end, or whatever. For now this is just a material overview, not only the ending is missing (like in JetFangInferno's piece), but the whole central development of the piece is missing. The part you made is well building up, but for me this just sounds like the entrance of something, it definitely needs to get more. You also should try to get rid of the ever-repeating chord pattern, just vary it a little, transpose it or something like that, it gets a little boring with the time. | 8/15 |
| Conclusion | A nicely building up piece but as soon as you have all your stones, wood and everything you need, you just leave instead of building the house out of it. | 38/50 |
Rao Dao Zao - Fanfare For The Ashes
| Theme | It really demonstrates the feeling of the desert, the silence, the wideness, nothing living to see until the horizon, just dry ground. | 14/15 |
| Creativity/Originality | The electronic "fanfare" sounds surprising, but fits the atmosphere and makes it a little more unreal, adding another dimension to it. Some more different sounds could have made this more interesting though without destroying the "nothing happens" atmosphere. | 8/10 |
| Dynamic/Tonation | This flows as well as it should, I suppose. Sometimes the pauses in the fanfare are so long that I ask myself if it is finished but then it continues without explaining why it was gone so long. And then finally it is gone very suddenly, and the echo-drums and wind also, which is a very surprising and in my opinion not a very convincing ending. | 7/10 |
| Composition | The most things here are round and logical and make sense to me. Everything is very simple though and there is not much which can be said to be built up. The ending is too sudden for me and not logical, too. | 10/15 |
| Conclusion | A piece daring to show there is nothing there in a desert. Interesting and very fitting approach! | 39/50 |
Watchman - Sands of Desperation
| Theme | This is definitely a quite rocky approach with aggressive tendencies. Nevertheless I think it fits the theme, especially with the story you wrote in your explanation. At least it does from the perspective of rock music; although I think there could have been more explicit parts without completely loosing the style (e.g. why do the drums always have to have a certain beat and never play a little more freely? The weirdness and rage could have been more aggressive, too, I think). | 11/15 |
| Creativity/Originality | I think using rock style to describe a desert scene is not the first idea everybody would have. You also have very fitting extensions of the standard rock instruments using e.g. the sitar. If the flute sounds really add to the atmosphere in the way they are used, may be discussed though. | 9/10 |
| Dynamic/Tonation | I think the overall piece flows quite well. The scale and chord changes sometimes are very surprising though and could use some more connection to each other. Nevertheless most of the complexities work making it interesting instead of difficult to listen to. | 8/10 |
| Composition | A very long piece, and logically arranged. You take enough time to tell the most parts of the story in a persuading way. Only the sandstorm part could have been a little more extended to work as the climax of the piece, it's developing from the second "running-around-becoming-crazy-part" which is very good, but for me it only gets really clear in the part from about 5:45. Maybe you could build up it here a little more adding more layers, just throw more sand in the air. The ending is quite sudden, too, but not too bad in this case. Maybe you could have reduced the pattern a little before it. | 12/15 |
| Conclusion | A destiny in a Desert in perspective of rock. A fresh approach which could be optimized! | 40/50 |
| Theme | I think especially the instrumentation really makes me think about a desert, the overall mood reminds me on some kind of caravan in the desert. I get the impression that in this desert, contrasts are very little though. In your description you say "the sandstorm is coming". For me it has (different from the title's suggestion) obviously not arrived yet and you are just describing this special moment, so I'll just take it that way and your music is quite fitting: calm but with an uncertain suspension to it. Maybe you could have extended the story and piece to get some more perspectives of the desert. | 13/15 |
| Creativity/Originality | You are using some standard-desert-feeling-instruments, but in fact you have a whole orchestra of such instruments (including multiple percussion) and you handle it quite well. It's not just a duduk and an oriental guitar with standard stuff besides it but a nice mix of many different colors in sound. You fail to develop any persuading melodic theme, though and therefore your piece is very difficult to remember. | 8/10 |
| Dynamic/Tonation | Your piece flows so perfectly that I'm nearly about to say that it flows too nicely to be interesting. There are some harmonic cuts in there though, especially in the end, which are not really understandable (e.g. where is the connection between the final chord and the part before it? It starts a modulation to another key but then this modulation is just cut on it's turning point). | 8/10 |
| Composition | Taking the idea of the theme the way I explained in the point "Theme", you manage things quite well, especially concerning orchestration. You begin quite relaxed and suspension is rising to the end. Your musical material is developed only a little, though. You have too much musical (melodic and harmonic) material, I think, it is difficult to understand your piece or memorize anything when one listens to it the first time. There should be anything that keeps more or less constant in it, something to get orientation from. Your ending, especially the final chord itself is very surprising and definitely needs something following. The storm must begin now, the stuff must go on, we want to hear more of it, there needs to be a climax. This piece could be a very nice preparation for something bigger, but seen as a stand-alone piece, it feels uncompleted and the end is not satisfying. | 13/15 |
| Conclusion | A relaxing piece with great instrumentation. | 41/50 |
deepblade
Nomadic Cult
Theme: 15/15
Creativity/Originality: 6/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 8/10
Composition: 15/15
Overall: 44/50
Very very good piece, this is composed very well - I love how it flows in sound, moving from harmonic minor type scales to more major and minor scales, overall the piece transitions very well and carries with it much emotion. It all sounds very Arab-ish, which though perfectly fitting for the theme isn't intensely creative, it's exactly what you'd expect for a desert type theme - don't get me wrong, this is a very very good piece.
Note: was that Watchman's editing of the clip, or did your piece really include the extra minute or so of silence?
Nomadic Cult
Theme: 15/15
Creativity/Originality: 6/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 8/10
Composition: 15/15
Overall: 44/50
Very very good piece, this is composed very well - I love how it flows in sound, moving from harmonic minor type scales to more major and minor scales, overall the piece transitions very well and carries with it much emotion. It all sounds very Arab-ish, which though perfectly fitting for the theme isn't intensely creative, it's exactly what you'd expect for a desert type theme - don't get me wrong, this is a very very good piece.
Note: was that Watchman's editing of the clip, or did your piece really include the extra minute or so of silence?
Devine
The Desert of Banland
Theme: 9/15
Creativity/Originality: 10/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 8/10
Composition: 11/15
Overall: 38/50
Hehe I love the background story to this one, seems so.... familiar.
I don't want to sound all "you must use sitar/Arab chanting," but really I'm not feeling a desert here, the explanation got you most of your "theme" points here - without it I would've never guessed this had a desert theme - and no, you don't have to go Arab/Indian style to make something fit the theme of a desert, but this just doesn't seem to hit the mark.
Sometimes the composition can go from pretty random to working well, it's kinda odd as you seem to hit and miss throughout the piece yet the overall piece works.
I love how towards the end it starts to get more atonal/dissonant, you definitely hit insanity on the mark with that, it's "really crazy and all that." Dissonance is pretty difficult to use effectively, but you seem to have done well here.
The Desert of Banland
Theme: 9/15
Creativity/Originality: 10/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 8/10
Composition: 11/15
Overall: 38/50
Hehe I love the background story to this one, seems so.... familiar.
I don't want to sound all "you must use sitar/Arab chanting," but really I'm not feeling a desert here, the explanation got you most of your "theme" points here - without it I would've never guessed this had a desert theme - and no, you don't have to go Arab/Indian style to make something fit the theme of a desert, but this just doesn't seem to hit the mark.
Sometimes the composition can go from pretty random to working well, it's kinda odd as you seem to hit and miss throughout the piece yet the overall piece works.
I love how towards the end it starts to get more atonal/dissonant, you definitely hit insanity on the mark with that, it's "really crazy and all that." Dissonance is pretty difficult to use effectively, but you seem to have done well here.
Jaret
Desert Bazaar
Theme: 13/15
Creativity/Originality: 5/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 5/10
Composition: 8/15
Overall: 31/50
Well the instrument choice works well to portray desert-ish feelings so you got your points in theme, but it's pretty uncreative. It's exactly the sort of thing someone would think of they heard the words "desert music." On the composition side, it's a good start - but it's a bit monotone, it's all the same thing the whole time with some slight variation. It needs to be changed up a bit, keeping a steady drum beat is fine, but your going to want to vary what goes over it to keep it interesting.
Desert Bazaar
Theme: 13/15
Creativity/Originality: 5/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 5/10
Composition: 8/15
Overall: 31/50
Well the instrument choice works well to portray desert-ish feelings so you got your points in theme, but it's pretty uncreative. It's exactly the sort of thing someone would think of they heard the words "desert music." On the composition side, it's a good start - but it's a bit monotone, it's all the same thing the whole time with some slight variation. It needs to be changed up a bit, keeping a steady drum beat is fine, but your going to want to vary what goes over it to keep it interesting.
JetFangInferno
Saharan Abyss
Theme: 15/15
Creativity/Originality: 7/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 10/10
Composition: 15/15
Overall: 47/50
Wow.... very music soundtrack esque - pretty high quality writing and execution.
The sound is overall very blissful (especially in the intro).
I love the buildup in the middle part, it works very well to flow into the string melody, holding the sound tense before providing relief with the strings.
I really want to score this higher in creativity, but really it's still not intensely creative of a take on the desert theme.
Btw, your explanation of the piece is incredibly poetic, probably one of the best written explanations in the contest.
Saharan Abyss
Theme: 15/15
Creativity/Originality: 7/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 10/10
Composition: 15/15
Overall: 47/50
Wow.... very music soundtrack esque - pretty high quality writing and execution.
The sound is overall very blissful (especially in the intro).
I love the buildup in the middle part, it works very well to flow into the string melody, holding the sound tense before providing relief with the strings.
I really want to score this higher in creativity, but really it's still not intensely creative of a take on the desert theme.
Btw, your explanation of the piece is incredibly poetic, probably one of the best written explanations in the contest.
Lexalex
Desert Winds
Theme: 15/15
Creativity/Originality: 9/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 8/10
Composition: 10/15
Overall: 42/50
I love how you picked a specific idea to try and represent in your piece that was very specific to the desert, it's a very creative take. It feels unfinished In my opinion. I have to say the main downfall of this is the lack of variation, I know winds are very steady and constant but maybe some sort of solo instrument about the strings could sound good and break up the similarity of sound.
Desert Winds
Theme: 15/15
Creativity/Originality: 9/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 8/10
Composition: 10/15
Overall: 42/50
I love how you picked a specific idea to try and represent in your piece that was very specific to the desert, it's a very creative take. It feels unfinished In my opinion. I have to say the main downfall of this is the lack of variation, I know winds are very steady and constant but maybe some sort of solo instrument about the strings could sound good and break up the similarity of sound.
Rao Dao Zao
Fanfare for the Ashes
Theme: 15/15
Creativity/Originality: 7/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 8/10
Composition: 10/15
Overall: 40/50
Very ambient - this whole piece just screams the emptiness of a desert.
The drum just constantly bangs on and the listener just waits for it to go somewhere, this piece sounds like it's leading into something, the listener just waits but it never seems to get to the "something" it's leading too. The piece works well, but it's incredibly simple. Simplicity is not the enemy, but after so much time of indulging in the ambiance you realize that the song is composed of only a few layers - a drum, an occasional bass hit and a single melody/solo -ish synth brass. This only works out so long before the listener begins to desire some complexity, or even a rhythm layer behind a more solid melody for that matter.
Fanfare for the Ashes
Theme: 15/15
Creativity/Originality: 7/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 8/10
Composition: 10/15
Overall: 40/50
Very ambient - this whole piece just screams the emptiness of a desert.
The drum just constantly bangs on and the listener just waits for it to go somewhere, this piece sounds like it's leading into something, the listener just waits but it never seems to get to the "something" it's leading too. The piece works well, but it's incredibly simple. Simplicity is not the enemy, but after so much time of indulging in the ambiance you realize that the song is composed of only a few layers - a drum, an occasional bass hit and a single melody/solo -ish synth brass. This only works out so long before the listener begins to desire some complexity, or even a rhythm layer behind a more solid melody for that matter.
Watchman
Sands of Desperation
Theme: 15/15
Creativity/Originality: 9/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 6/10
Composition: 14/15
Overall: 44/50
Probably one of the most creative pieces in the contest, and not just because a more rock oriented style isn't what's typical in these, the story and execution is overall pretty creative. The piece does work pretty well for a desert theme, but at points it seems that the Sitar and wind are what defines this mainly. I have to say my main problem with this is the execution - it sounds like the mixing could use more polish, at times hearing the main melody/solo is slightly difficult over all the other layers, some of the guitars sound as if they're being played through one of those small pocket guitar amps - you try running the guitar virt. instrument through a virtual amp? That could help that.
Also it ends pretty oddly, like you still wanted to go with the idea somewhere but you either ran out of time or decided you've worked it long enough.
Sands of Desperation
Theme: 15/15
Creativity/Originality: 9/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 6/10
Composition: 14/15
Overall: 44/50
Probably one of the most creative pieces in the contest, and not just because a more rock oriented style isn't what's typical in these, the story and execution is overall pretty creative. The piece does work pretty well for a desert theme, but at points it seems that the Sitar and wind are what defines this mainly. I have to say my main problem with this is the execution - it sounds like the mixing could use more polish, at times hearing the main melody/solo is slightly difficult over all the other layers, some of the guitars sound as if they're being played through one of those small pocket guitar amps - you try running the guitar virt. instrument through a virtual amp? That could help that.
Also it ends pretty oddly, like you still wanted to go with the idea somewhere but you either ran out of time or decided you've worked it long enough.
ZippeR
Sandstorm
Theme: 15/15
Creativity/Originality: 7/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 9/10
Composition: 15/15
Overall: 46/50
Gotta say, I love foreign percussion.
Has a very mysterious sound to it in the beginning, like you just found something unearthed beneath the sands for years. It also fits the theme very well, this IS without a doubt desert music. Very nice swells to the piece, it builds up and lightens off very well - sort of like the tide of the ocean pushing and pulling. The piece ends very well, one last note of foreboding before fading off, as if you and your comrades have been left to fate.
Sandstorm
Theme: 15/15
Creativity/Originality: 7/10
Dynamic/Tonation: 9/10
Composition: 15/15
Overall: 46/50
Gotta say, I love foreign percussion.
Has a very mysterious sound to it in the beginning, like you just found something unearthed beneath the sands for years. It also fits the theme very well, this IS without a doubt desert music. Very nice swells to the piece, it builds up and lightens off very well - sort of like the tide of the ocean pushing and pulling. The piece ends very well, one last note of foreboding before fading off, as if you and your comrades have been left to fate.
((Nara + Wald + Where C)/2) + ((Votes/Max Votes) * 25) = Final Score
deepblade: ((46 + 46 + 44)/2) + ((8/56) * 25) = 71.571428
JetFangInferno: ((46 +44 + 47)/2) + ((14/56) * 25) = 74.75
ZippeR: ((41 + 48 + 46)/2) + ((10/56) * 25) = 71.96428571
Watchman: ((40 + 47 + 44)/2) + ((5/56) * 25) = 67.73214286
Rao Dao Zao: ((39 + 29 + 40)/2) + ((9/56) * 25) = 54.01785714
Lexalex: ((38 + 38 + 42)/2) + ((3/56) * 25) = 60.33928571
Jaret: ((33 + 31 + 31)/2) + ((1/56) * 25) = 47.94642857
Devine: ((32 + 22 + 38)/2) + ((6/56) * 25) = 48.67857143
- 1st: JetFangInferno
- 2nd: ZippeR
- 3rd: deepblade
- 4th: Watchman
- 5th Lexalex
- 6th Rao Dao Zao
- 7th Devine
- 8th Jaret
Contest | Poll
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Special congratulations to JetFangInferno!
