WMR (Reviews [week #31]) __ __ __ | \ __ ______/ |_ | | | o \ | | | / o | \ |o | | \| o| |o _/ | o\ []=======| |==| \ |=| |/ | \========[] []=======| |==| \ |=| | |\ \=======[] []=======| |==| \|=| | |=\ \======[] :: | | | \ | | | / / :: :. | | | |\ \| | /| |/ / :: : | | |/\ | \ | |/ | | / : | | / \| |\ | | | | / :. | | / \ | \ | |__| | / .: :: | |/ \| \_| | |/ : :: | /\ | | __| |\ :: []=======| / \ |=| |==| | \==========[] []=======| /| \ |=| |==| | \=========[] []=======| /=| |\ |=| |==| | \========[] |o / | | \ o| |o | | |\ o\(mansooj) |_/ | o | \_| |__/ | o | \__/ |___| |___| (Originally compiled and added on October 27, 1997) (last updated 10.27.97) -----========================================----- -----================================================================----- "Phurther" by Xerxes of Night 55 (26ch XM, 07:04) (xr-phur.zip [521K/1226K]) [Ambient] "The tune is loosely based on Dune's k. If you like ambient, you must check it out. Because of a heavy artillery of drums, this is not your ordinary ambient tune, but the mood it conveys is more on an ambient level. Hope you enjoy it!" [Xerxes] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Rebriffer 100-100 100 100 100 Emit 95+ 95 95 95 95 Cubix 90+ -- -- 100 80 Mansooj 87+ 75 -- 70 80 Skullsaw 83+ 70 60 70 90 Nova 76+ 78 72 70 67 /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Phurther is an ambient trip so silky smooth it could put turn you into a drooling, slumbering mess even despite your desire to listen...and listen. The ambience is somewhat minimal, sufficing itself to rely upon a backing synth, a phat (am I using that term right? ;)), warm synth carrying short melodic clips, some beeps and boops, a rather standard percussion of closed hihat + bass drum + pseudo-clapping accompanied by a nice bass. This is overlayed with frequent vocals which sound to me to be abstractedly saying "Ahhhhhstrid" and "time." So, the components are not especially unusual, and being ambient, the tune does follow some fairly standard conventions, but it has a very fluffy feel to it that allows me to settle into its vibe. I guess you could say it has personality, and I doubt I'm alone in feeling that that is an important factor in any track. By way of comparison, it has the same sort of character as some of Jarre's more sedate tracks, in fact, there's even a noticeable comparison of sound. As ambient, the marked lack of overt variation is an acceptable reality, made less significant by the very fact that the sounds being presented are so soothing and expressive. Xerxes does manage to avoid the complete flatness that some ambient pieces exhibit (and I believe, despite the foregoing statements, to their detriment) by breaking the tempo briefly with some washing waves (the sort you can imagine rolling up at night on a relatively calm sea) at the four minute mark, returning with more of the same now supported by a stronger (but not much different) percussion beat. This small infusion of change is enough to revitalize the energy an otherwise completely streamlined track would lose about halfway through--presuming it was a long track like most ambient pieces. As a trailing side note, the track has a really nice, full, w-i-d-e sound to it--nice stereo/panning. It's an odd thing for me, that when coming into the WMR as a reviewer, I had very little exposure to ambient. I could often be quoted as saying how important I felt note density was (something ambient is almost an antitheses for); and now, ambient is right up there in my most favored style categories list. With that realization comes a better understanding of and appreciation for the genre. I think it says something for broadening one's horizons (though that's not to say you can't dislike something anyway). With that in mind, I feel I can say with reasonable assurances that Phurther is a worthy track for anyone who can appreciate a drifting type of music, and a must for all ambient lovers. The song, in a word, is beautiful. Pick up Squared Circles too, while you're at it. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ If you are a fan of the Scandinavian tracker scene, then you are going to download this like a shot--and you'll love it to death! If you aren't a fan of this genre, you should download this like a shot, anyway--you'll still love it to death. This, o disbelieving spawn of Beelzebub, is the u-l-t-i-m-a-t-e in class.... Yeah, yeah stop grovelling and dish the dirt, you cry.... Not this time, undeserving wretches, because this track has nothing--that's n-o-t-h-i-n-g--wrong with it at all. An absolutely priceless chunk of the most beautiful sounds this side of heaven itself. In all my reviewing life with WMR I have never yet given a track a whole 100 for all categories but this one has achieved that lofty goal--and I have to say I don't even particularly like the musical style. So what is this track that's turned me into wet mush? Phurther is a classic mod in all senses. The samples came from some of the acclaimed heroes of the scene (Jogier Liljedahl, Basehead, Dune, etc.) and some from the composer himself. You can imagine that the quality on display here is nothing short of magnificent. The track saunters along in a groove that is too cool for its own good; and the vocals will effortlessly raise the hair on the back of your neck. Effects and coding really show the score though, and once again, Xerxes knows exactly what to do, economically and efficiently. A master of the art in top form...grab this now, promise it undying love and you'll live happily ever after. Okay, almost done. God, all this drooling makes the ol' floor slippery, dunnit? Let me make one thing very clear: I do not like this sort of material. This track transcends all those sorts of normal prejudices, though. A brilliant diamond of a track and one that illustrates, once again, how good these Scandinavian trackers are. Is it something in the air, or what? /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ Emit ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Incredible! A brooding and sparse ambient track, perfect for the fall. This is, without a doubt, one of the best modules I've ever heard. Phurther is seven minutes long, but I hardly noticed as it moves so gracefully. I actually found myself wishing it was longer. The track is fairly minimal, composed mainly of an elegant rhythm--not too fast nor too slow--and with wonderful variation--not just a high-hat and overdriven 909. Behind this are some subdued synth chords. A few reverberant noises occasionally rise up and disappear. Finally, two short vocal samples provide the main motif of the track, and stay with it throughout the seven minutes. The samples are excellent and are used with great skill--everything is as loud as it should be. The percussive and vocal samples are particularly rich; these are far from stock samples, and much care has obviously been put into them. The composition is extremely well done, with particular attention paid to the stereo image, giving the track a satisfying fullness. There are also many subtle but appreciable changes which occur to the sounds throughout the seven minutes. The subtlety and depth allow this module to be listened to many times over without loss of interest. Phurther is 1.2MB in size, but I will not complain; it is more than justified. Download this module now and listen to the haunting ambient track Xerxes composed for us. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ Nova ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Phurther is a tune that is straight from the heartland of ambient. From the initial embarkation into Xerxes' world until the silence at the end of the song, you are submerged in a tranquil and restful track. The intro has a few unique sounds that complement a soft, droning synth. A female voice mixes in with these sounds and a set tempo begins. The rest of the song is very Enigma-like. A stable and unchanging rhythm set the beat for surging synths, slow breaking waves, voices that fade in and out of the audible range and many other sounds that add additional depth to the tune. The voices are done well--not overshadowing the rest of the instruments and not crashing in over the top. There are a few breaks in the beat which are filled with various instruments such as a bass guitar-type sample. All in all, this is one mellow tune. The only negative thing that I can think of is that the song lacks the significant depth that is needed for a truly great ambient tune. This is a very good listen and those of the ambient following will enjoy it, but I doubt this song has what it takes to appeal to lovers of other major genres of tracking. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ I haven't much to say about Phurther as there isn't a whole lot of material here, but I quite like what there is. It's an ambient excursion with a mid-tempo beat. A restrained percussion track features a wonderful processed snare and wet-sounding pops and blips. There is some nice fretless bass complete with pitch slides, as well. A female(?) sings some indecipherable words, waves wash on a shore and solemn strings play a melancholy progression--that's more or less all there is for seven minutes. Doesn't sound like much, does it? I like this one, it's mellow and relaxing. The rhythm parts are interesting and there are some intriguing sounds tossed about for color. It's very simple, harmonically, but hypnotic. I didn't even mind the ocean waves sample. I may even keep this one. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ Cubix ]========------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This is quite an unusual piece, and if I had to classify it, I would place it in the "Futuristic Meditative Music" category. The piece begins with a bizarre sound I could only describe as the sound you would hear if you were standing behind a 'muted,' revving jet engine while someone was hosing water through the turbine. The piece then progresses with, at first, one high priest, then two, chanting in a complementary manner all while the bizarre jet/water sound plays rhythmically in the background. This is a great piece to meditate to and would recommend this to anyone for such a purpose. The samples could use a bit of cleaning up, however I think that they have served their purpose in this piece. Kudos to Xerxes for such an original track. -----================================================================----- "RMW" by Chris and the Clones (8ch XM, 02:26) (rmw.zip [601K/1220K]) [Experimental] "This is a piece that explores the collision of noise, rhythm, and traditional melodic and advanced harmonic techniques, and the resulting beauty to the discerning ear." [Chris and the Clones] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Skullsaw 83+ 85 70 90 80 Ka'PQat 75= 70 75 70 90 Rebriffer 70+ 70 65 80 65 Shrift 65= 35 25 80 85 Shih Tzu 64= 61 72 97 82 Kazmeyer 60+ 60 62 75 72 MING 57= 45 60 95 80 Emit 45+ 40 50 60 35 /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Shrift ]========------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ One thing that has been consistent in CatC pieces is their sense of intentional randomness. CatC pieces almost never repeat, and typically employ themes which are so unconventional as to be difficult to accept. I don't have a problem with them for this reason, but in this piece I have my one criticism of CatC's compositions reaffirmed--conventional instruments (melodic and not) are often used in ways that scream of dicontinuity and amateurism. For example, in this piece, I could in almost no way imagine a real drummer playing the rhythmic themes--they aren't in any way jazzy or even intentionally spontaneous. The drum rhythm sounds about as fake and electronically produced as one could envision--imagine a drum machine that got fried by a dumped cup of water, and imagine the drum sequences it would produce. Now, I'm not saying this was not done intentionally, as CatC has shown he has a sufficient technical knowledge, but I am saying that it doesn't work for me. It comes across (like many aspects of CatC pieces) as poorly felt (as in, no soul), and non-authentic, even if intentional or contrived. Even when listening to only two tracks of rhythm from a pattern with all the extra weirdness turned off, it sounds like nothing I'd associate with skillful or interesting rhythm--the drums don't do what drums do (keep or create time). I do appreciate CatC's attempts to produce music that is so removed from our common preconceptions of sound-organization that it is barely recognizable as music...but it isn't that much fun to listen to. See, if this song had a crazy improvizational or jazzy rhythm section in the background behind the characteristic weirdness, I'd have few complaints, but so few things are done to cater to the listener that I can only call it amateurish. For example, almost no effects are used, and I assure you that it could use some--the whistle samples used in this song are horrible and jarring, and I'd be surprised if they weren't poppy (as in, stimulating your speakers to make popping sounds) on some people's machines. Likewise, the rhythm could have been made to sound more intentional by appealing to some actual rhythmic standard. Saying that no standard (ie, random) is a standard is a cop-out--I can make music no one wants to listen to fairly easily, even though it appeals to some strict (but subtle) compositional form. I would love to see CatC produce music that has been more clearly designed to show its true colors--something that would make it much more difficult for people to wave their hands at and dismiss as noise. Now, as characteristic of CatC pieces such as this one (including the Radio series), the sample quality tends to be quite high (with the exception of the aforementioned whistles), and this is the case here as well. Likewise, this piece certainly is original, as much as random contrivances are original, but unfortunately I see little to indicate that this randomness was very thoroughly felt by CatC, because this song generates very little emotion (much like CatC sonatas). If that was a goal, then this 'song' is a screaming success. One thing is clear--RMW has a pile of very acutely strange samples, and that makes me suspicious that CatC was trying to do something here, if only to explore the nuances of sound, and this accomplished, all I want is more feeling and noticeable textures because this comes across to me as entirely cold and alien. If anyone wants an opportunity to look musically ignorant by failing to appreciate a piece of very odd music as being inspired, check this out. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ What have I done to deserve this? Not that this song is plain lousy, and that I suffer through the long minutes Boris has forced me to devote to it--it is not at all that repulsive. In fact, I rather enjoy it. But what I don't at all enjoy is WRITING about it. I could just say "It's totally freaked out," and leave it at that. Whatever more I wrote would be just a repetition of that statement with new words. So I'll do that instead: repeat myself. It's totally freaked out. It's totally freaked out. It's TOTALLY freaked out. Okay, that was the Overall Impression department. But I guess you won't be satisfied with just that. Damn sadists. You want to see me suffer, or what? Alright, alright. Into details we go. I'll start with something I CAN judge fairly: the techniques. Samples are all of high or semi-high quality, and the drums, especially, were very clean, which created quite an interesting effect when combined with the more chaotic structure of the song...but more about that later. Effects were used sparsely, and channels were never spanned out more than absolutely necessary, and I find myself wishing a little more work had been devoted to making it sound at least decent, dynamically. Yet, the techniques are not so much of a down point that it matters to the overall effect. And then the hard part: the music. It all starts with a whistling sound playing a freaked-out melody. This is soon joined by pads, distorted voices, perfectly clean, but rhythmically freaked out drums, freaked out little bleeps and beeps, numerous real-life instruments blurting out, not quite cacophonic, but at least freaked-out sidetracks and small second-long themes. It is like there once was a nice, classically structured, a little bit jazzy piece once, but Chris and the Clones dropped it on the floor, and it shattered into hundreds of pieces. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall and all that.... And he just couldn't glue the pieces together. But by now, as I have gotten a pretty good view of this fellow's artistry, I can say with quite some certainty that every little note, every effect and every byte of the song is carefully put into place right where Chris wants it to be, ordered by some alien logic we normal people can't even begin to understand. And as such, all his production seems to follow that logic. So, if this had been the first Chris and the Clones tune I'd heard, I would probably have liked it much better than I do now, as it wold have been a fresh experience. So, as a single tune, RMW is quite interesting, and even enjoyable at times, unless you are too faint-hearted, and your brain collapses at too high a stress level. But as an artist, I'm beginning to grow honestly tired of Chris. The style in which he makes music is quite interesting, but also highly trying. And I think I've had my share for a while, thank you very much. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Shih Tzu ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Well, what can I say? This one is weird. Granted, everything I've heard from Chris and the Clones is weird, although I only have the three I was assigned to review to go on. Of the three, Sonata, Radio2, and now RMW, I have to say I like RMW the least. Perhaps like is the wrong word. After my experience with Clones, I can tell that he is a fan of contemporary classical music, and one does not necessarily like contemporary music. One appreciates it, much as one appreciates any other art form even if it does not, and is not intended to, instill happy feelings in the audience. Still, I find it difficult to relate to this piece, and I'm not sure what mood it's trying to inspire. RMW is an extremely chaotic collection of dissonant sounds with few constant elements. There is a sort of synth-piccolo that occasionally plays slow melodies over the more hyper background noise. In addition to all the very strange synthetic samples there is a voice sample that seems to say, "You know, you're just filling (killing?) me." There is some percussion that is played either randomly or in a very complex time signature. The percussion samples sound a bit pedestrian compared with all the weirdness that swirls around them; used differently, they would easily fit in a demotune. It's difficult to tell from this piece how good a tracker Clones is. Especially in the beginning--the synth-piccolo pops and doesn't play its melody very smoothly, and other pops are present in the background. But quite a lot of this piece is fairly clean, and I have to wonder whether anything I can find fault with is intentional--an advantage, I suppose, of writing such experimental music. There isn't a lot I can say about this module except that it didn't click with me. I don't necessarily hate modern music brought into an electronic format; in fact, I was very impressed with a similar Clones piece, Radio2. Unfortunately, and perhaps due to my lack of familiarity with contemporary classical, I was unable to get much out of RMW. However, I still encourage readers to give it a try; your opinion could very easily differ. Besides, where else in the realm of tracked music are you going to find a module that sounds like nothing so much as a CD being fast-forwarded? /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Ka'PQat ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This appears to be of the tape-loop genre of musical experimentation, like the work of the Psyclones, or a soundtrack accompanying one of those multimedia sculptures of screens, monitors, twisted metal, plastic, and household and office odds and ends. It begins with a slow, slightly ominous jazzy whistling-on-the-sidewalk-alone-at-night tune, soon joined by futuristic beeps, siners, and sci-fi-like sounds sneaking in from all directions. Then it's jacked up with sheet-metal-warping roars and random drumbeats, and soon it creates more of the atmosphere of a video-game parlor, bringing back memories for me, even the whistling reminding me of a basketball-hoop game in one I used to frequent. Little cheezy tunes by various electrified instruments play over the cacophony, and then something unexpected...a flanged electronic/robotic voice, from a stuttering beginning, starts to say in a genial conversational tone, "y'know, you feel like...." More permutations and combinations of sound follow, finally cutting down to a few more notes of the bright/langorous, nonsensical whistling hanging in the silence. Because of the pivotal, ingenious machine-voice sample, this piece gives me the feeling it is conveying a sense of technology stumbling over itself to please its human creators, to very sympathetic effect. It takes a whole bunch of usually rather ominous sounds and uses them to create an almost friendly atmosphere, rife with the candied adrenaline like one feels from video games. The sample quality is very high, and the tracking makes most of it sound very real. Some of the whistling and other lead instrumentation was not at all smooth, notes cutting one another off. I do not know if this was intentional or not, but it certainly discourages me from wanting to listen to it much. Overall, I'd say it was a rather interesting listen with good samples, involving a moderate amount of skill, but nothing to crow about...though the voice sample does continue to haunt me. Kinda captures that feeling of wanting to tell someone how you feel, whether expressed by a person caught up in technology, or by an actual machine coming to life. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ Emit ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ RMW is an experimental track of about 2:30 minutes. The first twenty seconds begin with a high pitched whistle (which I find too loud) playing what almost sounds like a fragment of an X-files/mystery movie theme. Also playing in the background, there are some low rumblings and drones. The whistling subsides, and then the track leads into crazed, chaotic percussion over the drones and now strangely distorted voices. The remainder of the track continues in a simlar fashion, as the percussion fades in and out, and the whistling (unfortunately) re-emerges several times. Technically, RMW shows great proficiency with the use of panning controls; also, the sounds build into quite impressive layers at times, while avoiding the 'wall-of-noise' effect. At its high points, the track almost sounds like playing a CD in fast-foward (a bit like Oval's 94diskont album). However, I feel that this is greatly compromised by the high-pitched whistle, as it is far too bright, distracting the listener from appreciating the complex and subtle sounds occurring beneath it. On the topic of samples, many of them are fairly interesting sounds on their own. However, I have one complaint: It may be rather irrelevant to some people, but I think some of the samples are so similar to one another that they could be accomplished by using volume controls and the built-in effects of Fast Tracker ][ on the original sample. While not as important as the music itself, I think size is a valid concern for composers and listeners alike; RMW is 1.2MB, which I think is awfully large for a track only two and a half minutes long. By experimenting more with fewer sounds, I think the size could have been reduced, while still maintaining the quality of the sound. All in all, RMW wanders into musical territory quite unexplored by most of the tracking world. However, I'm not certain if it can find its way back. To translate; RMW is a beginning, but I think it escaped before it was really finished. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Either my copy of this is bad or some of the samples need cleaning up! RMW is another of C&tC's excursions into the wilder extremes of music post-Zappa, and as such demands a more enquiring mind than the endless Timelord/Maelcum/FM stuff we are constantly bombarded with. You either love or hate Chris and the Clones, and I am a fan. I don't like *all* their stuff, but I do like this wilder, almost cacophonic stuff they get up to. It isn't stuff that I put onto my playlist on a regular basis, but in those manic times, a dose of C&tC's particular brand of aural mayhem works up a blistering headache...hee hee. Seriously, if you like your music to be unstructured sound, delivered with style, then C&tC will probably be someone you are going to hear sooner rather than later--so you may as well be the first on your block! RMW is a very, very strange (and short, at 2:20) excursion even by C&tC standards. I starts with a whistle I *know* I've heard before, and then degenerates into aural chaos the likes of which would drive your parents mad in seconds. It's even got *drums* in it. Yep drums! and they almost hang together too! Chris and the Clones are either musically insane to the point of brilliance or they are musical imcompetents--and I know which side I'm on. You'll have to make up your own mind. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Kazmeyer ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Definitely an experimental piece. The drums are all over the place (in the stereo-sphere as well as rhythmwise) and there's a whistle too (sounds like the X-Files whistle). Next come some digitally manipulated vocal samples, and harsh factory-type sounds. Then some cheesy synth sounds jump in for a second, a shaker, and then the voices again. When I listen to this, I imagine this is what it would be like to be a schizophrenic watching the X-Files! The song tries to fuse too many elements to make it a solid piece, though--it sounds more like a series of sounds than a song. There is really no discernible melody, chord structure, or rhythm to it; I believe you need at least one of the three to call something music. I assume the composer was trying to create something really original, but this piece seems to really push the envelope as to what components you really need to make 'music' rather than just 'sound.' Oftentimes, I like music of this type, but this song somehow doesn't draw me in. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ RMW is dance music for Tourette's sufferers. The drums stutter and stop, a cheezy whistle plays melodic snippets and synthetic textures splash into the mix throughout. A disembodied vocalization speaks from beyond while all around it indescribable samples slip in and out of the mix. The total effect is one of a short circuited tracker. Though some samples suffer from aliasing, they in no way detract from the whole. I'd rather hear low quality, original samples than gleaming hi-res overused samples. As always, Chris and the Clones use sound as paint and the tracker as a canvas to make an aural Picasso, angular and abstract. Experimental and original, what more could I ask for? -----================================================================----- "M W V" by Kita (8ch XM, 03:44) (Mwv.zip [247K/338K]) [Experimental/Progressive] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Skullsaw 70+ -- 50 -- -- Kazmeyer 65= 60 55 70 65 Emit 60+ 50 55 75 55 MING 52+ 50 40 70 60 Rebriffer 50+ 55 30 55 30 Anders Akerheden 32= 29 24 97 38 Shrift 30- 20 15 70 55 /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Progressive? That's the one word that meets the eye when reading the songmessage in this rather odd piece. That, combined with a total lack of experience of mods and composers with a .jp email address suffix, made me plunge head over heels into something I couldn't know to expect. And plunging head over heels into this did actually hurt quite a bit. The impression I got was not really "Wow, this is loud!" It was more like someone had channeled a lightning bolt through my headphones, or stuck a food processor in each ear and switched it on. It shrieks, it hammers, it yells and it crashes, all at once, and all so assaultingly loud I think my heart skipped a beat or two, and my brain was out of sync for several seconds (more out of sync than usual, that is). And still, there is a melody, a reasonable rhythm and a groove in it at first, that combined with the bomb of noise it is, really makes it quite fantastic. It does hack your inner ears to pieces, but you'll probably like it. At least for a start. There is one thing this tune lacks so completely it will take up the majority of this review: Patterns. Actually, there is only one pattern worth notice in this song. It is pattern number 0, the one the 'refrain' I told you about above is made of. That is the pattern with the melody, heavy drumming, and twisted bass is all combined. And this is the pattern that the song keeps coming back to, over and over again. Not much variety here. The total numbers of patterns are no more than four, and they are repeated like they had nothing better to do. It's like the composer had a lucky strike when mixing the first pattern together. Then, discovering he can't make more out of it, says "Bugger. I'll release it anyway." And does just that. And second, although the song (or rather pattern 0) sounds so nice, I can not credit that much to the composer. It is rather a jolly good mixwork between a Kraftwerk-on-the-heavier-side sequence, and one of some more melodic sort. Spiced with some buzzing strings, it does sound like an original piece, though, and to me, not knowing the samples' origins, couldn't hear it wasn't original in all ways until after I saw the samples. So, a horribly loud song with one top quality pattern, quite okay technical production, and the rest best left forgotten. All I know is it was so...bad I coudn't really make tell whether it was intentional or not. Recommended? Well.... Entertaining? Yes, once. Progressive? Naah. Only loud. But do, by all means, download it. For kicks if nothing else. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Now here's an interesting mod. Comes from Japan and boy can you tell! In various ways it reminds me of the work of the Kodo Drummers--some of the rhythmic patterns are almost certainly from that particular school of sound. I am a great--no, HUGE--fan of so called 'world' music which from almost anywhere produces it's own highly distinctive sound. Having a predilection for this kind of music, my ears kind of adjusted over the years to assimilate what most people just hear as screeches. :) Don't let the fairly abrupt and dissonant beginning put you off because if you like sounds oriental/Chinese/Japanese (and I definitely do) you will get a lot from this mod. It probably will not appeal to those people who prefer their mods to sound like mods, this sounds anything but. Moreover, the seemingly chaotic use of sounds tend to make a huge blur out of the sound events--most people may just dismiss it as a howling noise, and they would have a (kinda, sorta) point. However, look a little closer and you can maybe see where the chaotic feeling comes from. There is virtually no use of FastTracker's coding facilities here and that can often be used to smooth out the rough edges in a track. All of which is a crying shame, because the track is--as I say--'interesting.' The main samples used are quite noisy, however, and mixed in with that peculiar whiny sound that characterises Eastern music to Western ears, there really aren't going to be that many takers for a track like M W V. I have a couple of suggestions for Kita that may help him with his next release. a) choose your samples with care, and make sure they really add to the tune, not muddy it further; b) take a little more time with the texture of the backing track. The Kodo influence in the drum section would definitely have been stronger if the drum samples were deeper and harder. Without it, the track lacks the power it undoubtedly should have. So, not a track I would imagine for the greater mod world, but certainly of interest to those folks who like the more 'left field' mod composers. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------========[ Anders Akerheden ]========-------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Wow, so this is the sound of Japan?! Well, if that's the case, I'd rather hear the sound of someplace else. M W V is some really weird, twisted s**t. The tune (noise), basically consists of, and listen closely now: one loop sample which sounds like medieval folkmusic, and two hard rocking metal loops. Well, actually there's room for two more samples. A string sample that lacks any depth whatsoever, plus one of those "Enigma panflutes." You know, like the ones they used in Sadness. Back to the loop samples earlier mentioned. When they're played simultaneously, as in this here tune, it sounds like, "Mom, I got a serious hangover!" It's absolutely astounding, IF originality is ALL you're looking for. I'm not!; and so I don't find one empty track in the intro especially intriguing. Nor this twisted combination that'll cause some serious overdrive effect on your speakers if you play it too loud. The samples loop okay if you play them one at a time, but linked together you won't notice that, I promise! I suppose some people could appreciate this so-called music. That is, if you're into headbanging while inhaling krazy glue. Err, don't you people start thinking I've done anything like that, now! I'm a good boy. The only reason I'm not inclined to completely dismiss this track is because of ONE thing: one folk music loop. Besides that, I was not in any way impressed with the technical skills, or sound. Some panning is all you'll find. Not too thrilling. Still, people with a twisted mind could always enjoy a peek! Happy sniffin! Eh, forget that last thing. Wouldn't want to fool any of you easily manipulated folks into trying that. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ Emit ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Where did this escape from? Three and a half minutes composed of only three patterns. Hearing this alone, you may immediately think this is an impossibly bad module. However, I was pleasantly surprised; M W V is simple but effective. I'm not quite certain what to describe this module as...some permutation of loud progressive-retro-industrial-electronic. While it is rather minimal and extremely repetitive, there is enough depth and internal variation within the samples that I can listen to the whole module without shouting ENOUGH! and pressing stop. The rhythm is very driving and crunchy, making it difficult to escape from. The samples, in and of themselves, are not spectacular, but the combination of distorted samples ripped from other music with the sound of a flute and awful violin is mind-boggling. Part of me thinks this is a result of poor composition and is rather irritating by that, but another part feverishly believes it is both humorous and intentional. As I mentioned, compositionally, the module is very basic--barely any use of effects other than panning. I am sure much more work could be put into this module to improve it; there is much potential, and Kita, the composer, certainly has an ear for bizarre and impressive combinations of sounds. More time should be spent on this module, but I think it is off to an impressive start. Indeed, M W V is a strange artifact of the module civilization. /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Shrift ]========------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ I'm starting to wonder if making deliberately confusing and painful and ugly music is becoming a ploy for people to celebrate their unique characters and identity. In any case, this music has obvious tempo clashes caused by differently or awkwardly timed samples, and has among the most poor excuses for transitions that I've ever seen (all but one quiet rhythm-looped sample shuts off flatly about five seconds before the end of a pattern to show change). This song is repetitive (only four patterns worth of uniqueness stretched out over a couple minutes), and suffers from a total lack of effects use with one exception being a simple panning command. It uses two Kraftwerk samples which don't do Kraftwerk justice. There's an Enigma-esque woodwind sample that's of a decent quality, and a strange and subtle rhythm-loop sample which is intruiguing--it is tribal and ambient. However, it doesn't benefit the song signficantly. And then there's a string/violin sample that's outright terrible. I dislike giving high originality ratings for things which are original because they are so poorly contrived that few would dare to release them to the public. One reviewer called my own recently reviewed song Suffering Variety interrogation material--has he heard this? /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Kazmeyer ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Whoa! This song kicks in with a thunderous clash of sounds including distorted guitars and bagpipes (I think), so watch your volume! This song is quite experimental, using distorted samples, but it really doesn't move me. The patterns are all very similar to one another; the song has a good start, but seems a little undeveloped. I would like to hear it remixed! After the initial riff, the tune settles down for a couple of bars with some Japanese flute sounds (I'm not sure if that's the proper term for it--it's that Enigma flute), which go a bit crazy along with the bagpipes...then it kicks in again after you've just settled in to the floaty bit. If you would rather hear songs that attempt to expand what is termed music than another Top 40 sounding song, then this could very well be for you. Although the song doesn't move me much, I loved the samples and the unique textures created by the unusual instrument layering. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ On first listen, I thought to myself "What the #@*% is this %$@*?" What it is is a couple of samples from some Japanese noise band, somewhat industrial in tone yet with an Asian flavor. Whether intentional or not, the piece opens with silence and then...WHAM! Cymbals, toms, Asian wind instruments and strings blast in out of nowhere. There are only four patterns here, the basic body of the piece and interludes. It's either a full blast sonic attack or a contemplative break. That's it. I'm a bit stumped on how to score this one because I suspect the samples, meaning the entire piece of music, is lifted from someone other than Kita but there's no way I can be sure. The sound is in your face and loud. As a composition, I can't give a score because I don't think Kita wrote this. That being said, I like this for the module it is. -----================================================================----- "'Tis My Millenium" by Anders Akerheden (16ch XM, 03:44) (an_clrip.zip [942K/1378K]) [Funk] "Based on the super funky Acid Jazz album Millenium by Cloud Nine, I tracked this piece. It is highly influenced by this very album.. However, it is not a cover." [Anders Akerheden] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Rebriffer 100+ 95 85 100 90 Kazmeyer 84= 80 82 70 80 Shrift 75+ 75 70 83 78 Walrus26 72+ 50 50 80 85 MING 58+ 40 50 70 75 Nemesis 50+ 40 30 60 70 /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ What a waste of bandwith. I mean, it's not like this song sucks or anything. It's just too large to make up for the result. Huge 16 bit samples, long sequences and loads of different sounds, and still it's thin, edgy and somewhat noisy in the output. It starts with a poorly looped but quite nice drumloop, soon joined by a disordered assault of acid jazz sounds, and a vocal that rhythmically belongs somewhere else. Not that the composition or idea is bad, not at all, but the composer fails totally to make it flow. I know the style itself sometimes has a tendency to be a little...well, uncomfortable rhyhmically, but never to this ridiculous an extent. Big chunks of sound come rushing out of nowhere when they really should have been chopped up and pasted across the whole place. And with a bass so fat it's almost unhealthy that has the bad habit of clicking in the most inappropriate moments, I can't be anything but annoyed. The rest of the song is dominated by this bass, and a jazzy guitar sequence. Here and there the voice comes in, and we have occasional breaks and some little solo outbursts on different instruments, and after a while, and with no real warning or logic, the song ends, giving me an impression, easily referred in one word: Blunt. The tune is...blunt. Both in terms of composition and tracking. The samples are each quite fantastic and the 16 bits do, in fact, give the song a clarity often only experienced in studio work. But you can drag a bunch of tone-deaf morons into a studio, and it will still sound clean. Anders Akerheden is not a tone-deaf moron, in fact he is quite a good composer. But with this song, something went wrong, and he probably didn't notice it. It's both dynamically and musically overloaded. He tries to put so much impact behind things that he doesn't seem to care that he puts it where it really doesn't belong. Getting punched in the belly can be an interesting experience...once. Here, the composer delivers deep basspunch after deep basspunch in a neverending stream that muffles the other, more delicate sounds. And the chaotic rhythm and song construction is like an exaggeration of normal acid fusion-jazz, where the most annoying bits are taken out and enlarged. Just too bloody much funk, too little music. Judging from the underlying quality in the music, spoiled by the dynamic and rhythmic mishaps, he has greater potentional than this shows. The millenium ain't over yet, so I guess you'll have plenty of time to make it yours. Eventually. /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Nemesis ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Upon listening to this one, I couldnt help but notice that the main guitar riff in here is a single 16 bit sample about 340kb in size. This riff is played quite a few times across the whole song, which is really a shame, since I'm sure the sample could be split up into little bits and manipulated into a pretty interesting tune. What I would call the main melody in the tune is carried by a vocal sample, apparently sung by the composer himself. Now, to give you an idea of what this song is like, that same vocal sample is repeated whenever the composer feels a need for a melody, which happens to be quite often. It's not a bad little melody, but it would serve better as a smaller part of something larger. The drums, to me, were the best aspect of this song, and though one of the samples was a rather large loop, not unlike the guitar riff, they did all fit together pretty nicely, and there were a lot of interesting, complicated rhythms in there. The bass is alright, but sounds a little dull. The bass instrument itself was apparently too quiet, so the composer plays it across 3 channels simultaneously to make it a bit louder. Not to be nitpicky, but it's always a better idea to normalize the sample, or just lower the volume of everything else instead of just playing it in more channels. Playing the same sample two or more times simultaneously always causes flanging on a GUS, and I'm not sure exactly why, but I think it has something to do with the GUS' timer not being quite perfect, or just the way players tend to handle samples. This tune does have its moments, although not too many of them. The ending was a major downer for me, since the old volume fluctuation tracking method is used on the organ, and I'm not a big fan of that. (You know, where you increase the volume to like 64 (or whatever volume you happen to be using) in one frame, and then drop it to 00 in the next, and then back up to 64, and so on and so on, so you've got this strange stuttering effect. See Ambient Power by Vogue for an example of this, and see Introspection by Necros for an example of the 'right' way to do it.) So, I suppose, this tune isn't all that bad, but for an acid jazz piece, it's certainly lacking in the composition and technical areas. A few of the samples are large loops, but most of them are 16 bit and sampled well. So no, this isn't a failure, but it certainly could use some more work. /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Shrift ]========------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ I really like this song as a compositional whole, and I think the transitions carry the song through very well and with some class. The bass line is pretty funky, and the jazz organ that comes in halfway through is pretty 60's, but as a whole, I'd say this is more jazzy than anything else. The author's voice samples give this song a very dreamy feel, almost loungy or trancey, but the rhythm section, in particular, is quite definitely jazz. This song is playful and uses some inventive and subtle samples. The quality of the samples in this song is quite good, and they are used very effectively--several of them are 16-bit, which in itself, is still a rarity. I think the voice samples, and combination of (to me) distinctly different thematic styles (funk, jazz, 60's, lounge/trance) give this song a very strong sense of originality, and this is complemented by the formal cohesion of the song as a whole. I really like the transitions, and the ideas between them are formulated with enough variety and repetition to sit this song amongst contemporary composers, even if the style doesn't quite give it the same audience. This song is completed and intentional, start to finish, and to say it is also consistent, and well delivered gives this a thumbs up, even if it isn't the sort of thing I'd normally listen to (the voice samples and the dreamy electronic synth background don't do for me what the jazzed-up rhythm of the song does, though the whole thing feels relaxed and enjoyable). Even if I wouldn't listen to it under normal circumstances, it is still very well composed and original. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Billed as an 'acid jazz' track, this one is obviously a sly dig by Boris. :) As those regular readers of these reviews will already know, I tend to go overboard for the more improv/jazz/or just plain weird mods. This one should be right up my musical creek then.... How is it that the Scandinavians almost have a stranglehold of the more interesting mods? Whoever comes up with an answer to this puzzle of modern times will be more anally retentive than yours truly. :) Mmmmm, you may be thinking, he's trying to avoid something nasty here, he hasn't mentioned the track once yet.... Folks, *this* is an ACE, killer-diller, 101% TOP tune...if you like your mods with a *very* professional veneer. No rough bits on this dude, not to be tolerated maaaann. Instead, what you get is the kind of track that NetRadio should have been made for. Most of the samples used are absolutely stunning--moreso since all samples are made by the composer--and their use is nothing short of brilliant. Acid jazz and a million more good things. Must be obvious to you now that I love this track so much, we are almost in elope mode. Weeellll, almost. :) Make no mistake, this is a track of the very highest quality, it really doesn't get much better than this. The only real problem is that it may be a tad too 'bland' for the average mod listener. For those fortunate folk with a clearer sense of taste, download this RIGHT NOW! A certified gem. Okay, so how about some of this kind of material from our transatlantic cousins? /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Kazmeyer ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ "You got me high now get me higher," sings a light male voice. Works perfectly with the groove that is quickly established by the solid rhythm of the drums and funky bass line. A nice pad laid over the top and a funky lead synth sound make for a great sound! For the verse(?) sections, a great sample of an organ with the Leslie speakers full-on! Also, the vocal sample is used judiciously--adding just the right touch to the song (not like some--me included--who often just let the vocal sample go on, and on, and on...). Solid rhythm and nice use of drum loops. Not just one loop over and over...but workin' it a bit! Technically solid: Anders uses fadeouts and -ins, the tempo speeds up and down, different sized patterns are utilized, different effects on the samples; a lot of forethought went into this tune. 'Tis My Millenium also has a nice variety of sections where the energy goes up and down. The composer self-labels this track as being acid jazz--not exactly what *I* would call acid jazz, though. But hey, we all have different interpretations of what music fits into what categories.... Overall, it has more of a jazz/R&B sound to it. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Walrus26 ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ 'Tis My Millenium is a funk-jazz chart that provides a good funk 'feel,' and leaves you with a riff that you'll keep singing in your head, or out loud, for hours. Maybe days. I don't know yet. Not many funk modules (or any kind, for that matter) around can claim a melody that you can remember five minutes after it's heard. However, the potential of the module, as a whole, was not fully explored. Aside from the vocal melody, none of the instruments offer any kind of melodic contour. The guitar, organ, and bass provide a good rhythmic background, but don't support the melody in a contrapuntal way. The rhythmic energy is broken up by unnerving pauses, primarily during the first part the module. There are places where the song just stops for no apparent reason. And in a final spurt of arrhythmia, the module comes to a crashing halt with a cymbal. Overall, 'Tis My Millenium is a module that shows signs of excellence, but just doesn't go that extra mile. -----================================================================----- "Summer 97" by D.T. (4ch S3M, 02:53) (summer97.zip [163K/236K]) [Demo/Easy-Listening] (Old style/Chord-Mellow/Flute) Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== WolfSong 65+ 74 67 69 61 Mansooj 62+ 70 -- 66 45 Novus 60+ 75 -- 85 40 TheKid 60+ 70 70 60 60 Nemesis 60+ 50 75 60 55 Rebriffer 55+ 45 55 50 40 /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Nemesis ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ With a soft chord or two and a little bongo roll, this tune starts off: not a bad intro, but marred by an obvious loop point in the chord samples. It progresses neatly into what is best described as light rock, with an easy-going drum track, pulsating chords (yes, the ones with the bad loop points), a panflute for the lead, and a bass line that would be quite alright, if it weren't for the fact that it is nearly a halfstep out of tune! Also, it didnt seem like the bass ever moved with the chords, clashing a bit sometimes, which was a little annoying as well. The flute melody is alright, but a bit repetitive: A song of this genre is really screaming for a chorus of some sort. I mean, all I heard was verse after verse after verse after verse. When working with the more contemporary musical styles, it's important to follow your standard ABA musical progression. What this means, is that you have an 'A' part, or 'verse,' which is like a bit of playing around with some melodies, and maybe a bit of phrasing, and then you move into your 'B' part, which is your 'chorus.' The chorus is where you stick in a dramatic chord change, which if you're too lazy to figure out something inventive, can be done with the same chord progression in 5ths or 3rds above the original. By doing this, you'll make your song a lot more fun to listen to, and a lot more like the song you're trying to create here. Anyways, continuing on, the song does this verse, verse, verse, verse thing for awhile, and then we finally have a major change: a conclusion of some sort, where the drums and bass drop out, with everything slowing down a bit. This is, IMHO, the best part of the song, and the composer does a nice job of fitting everything into 4 channels. In fact, if it weren't for this nice ending, the song wouldn't really be recommendable at all, but as is, it's alright. Oh, and the samples, before I forget: This could have been a sample set from a random Purple Motion song, as I recognize them all as being from his music. (Well, he ripped a lot of them in the first place from god knows where, but it doesn't make much of a difference--most everyone knows what I'm talking about when I say "samples from Purple Motion.") Unlike many people who take their samples from PM, though, this guy has the sense not to take those damned siner synth leads. :) I think his sample rating went up at least 5 points for that. :P So, all in all, it's not a bad song, but then again, it isn't exactly groundbreaking. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ A Russian mod! Yep, you read that right--a mod coming from Russia. I've seen mod composers from literally every other ex-Soviet state, but real Russian trackers are very thin on the ground (except now I'll probably be flamed by the other 2 million or so I fail to acknowledge). Geographical considerations aside, is it a *good* Russian mod? Weeeeelll, depends on your definition of good. It's a standard 4 channel S3M file (which, in this day and age, of multichannel trackers is a bit self-defeating) but for a 4 channel jobbie, it does okay. However, using ScreamTracker these days seems more than a little pointless. When IT can do everything that ST3 can do, and a million other things besides, it seems to be a real shame to stick with this increasingly antiquated format. Yes, yes, I know you don't want to hear my standard diatribe against 4 channel MODs all over again--so I won't inflict it on you. Suffice to say that the track would have been greatly aided by using Impulse Tracker. However, as far as the 4 channel format goes, this can hold it's head up in some exalted company. Musically, it's about as standard a mod track as you are ever likely to come across, this side of the Urals--and that must be another strike against it. There is a marked preponderance of this kind of track floating around, so speaking simply in downloading terms, I don't think it'll hang around anyone's hard drive for long enough to gather any dust. The samples, too, are very noisy (the synth sounds especially). This may have more to do with the inelegant 4 channel method of panning absolute right/left but my money is on the side of bad samples. One last thing (and this is probably the most important advice I can offer the composer): do not let your tracks end like this one! An abrupt end usually means that the composer ran out of ideas. The most important areas of any mod tracks are the beginnings and endings, and that is where most composers put in the utmost effort. Even a halfway decent fade would have done the trick better than the gut wrenching, falling off the end of the song feeling you get from mods of this type. All in all, then, an okay 4 channel mod but not one I could recommend for any extended listening--it's just not interesting enough.... /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ WolfSong ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Once upon a time a programmer said, "Let there be .MODs." And it was so. And composers and fans of music alike saw that it was good and said it was good and it was good. The world became filled with a new style of music and many people danced happily. Sometime later, some programmers said, "Let there be .XMs, .S3Ms and .ITs." This wasn't just good, it was awesome! Now artists had up to 64 channels to work with instead of only 4. Many different styles of music evolved and many more people danced happily because there was such a wide variety. A problem comes up when an artist who prefers to use .MOD format wants to make a song in a style that was brought out by the advent of 32 or 64 channel trackers. No matter how good the song might be, compositionwise, it's going to sound a bit empty. And though it might be a song that would have really been impressive a few years ago, people are used to hearing songs with wide sounds and many instruments. It would be like trying to impress a movie fan with stop motion effects after seeing the Jurassic Park flicks. No matter how much work is put into it, it's just not going to hold as much wieght as it once did. Blame it on technology. The point is, this piece isn't bad. The composition is structured well and it has a good rhythm and a relaxing feel. The instrument sounds go well together and their quality is more than acceptable. It's a good piece of music. However, it could have been better. Even though it's an S3M, the composer has elected to use only 4 channels. Perhaps he was challenging himself or he was asked by someone to make it under size restrictions. Whatever the reason, the fact that it only uses four channels does leave it sounding quite empty. If I were to compare it to the body of .MOD format songs floating around out there, I'd say it definitely belongs in the upper ranks, but compared to modules in general, it does leave something to be desired. This is a good song whose overall sound needs some work. A few more channels added would have done it a world of good. /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ TheKid ]========------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Very Cool; very Slick.... The introduction into this module is short but it does set up the main body quite well in regards to the track's mood. This is a soft rock/pop/top-40-sounding module. In fact, do I dare say that this sounds like the music that I used to listen to in high school? You know, that mellow 80's sound...eeek...am I that old? I do have some reservations as to the quality of samples used, there are some short 'cut-outs' that can be most detected in the introduction's long samples(loop) and pan. They are noticeable, but only if you listen for them. I was really impressed with the way the chording instrument and solo flute instrument worked together. The other solo instrument was an attempt at an electric piano...I have heard better piano samples. Don't get me wrong, a true piano sample is extremely hard to get hold of, let alone create yourself, so I won't be too harsh on that point. The total running length of this module was a nice surprise, I enjoy short and simple songs. Why run on if you don't have to? I know that this may be a negative factor to some reviewers, but it's a big thumbs-up from me. The bass and drum sequencing was a little unsettling. If you listen to the latter stages of this module, and listen to the structure of the bass/drum tracking, you'll see the effects of a 4-track module: too fast, and all in one ear. Okay, enough technical bashing. "How about the song as a whole?" Yes, it is an acoustically pleasing collage of sounds, therefore it does satisfy my primary quantitative classification...as MUSIC! In other words, it was very nice to listen to. It's a good song. /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ First: 4-channels...why? Okay, I guess it doesn't really bear on anything in the long run as there are still some excellent 4-channelers being produced nowadays. However, I wonder what the point is for restricting oneself with S3Ms. That aside, the track is okay, but nothing extraordinary. A flute of the type used in tunes attempting to convey a sense of tropicality a la a light-hearted pirate tune. The rest of the instruments, mainly synths, piano and percussives are adequate to the purpose, although there is some painfully noticeable seaming with at least one of the synths. There's a fair amount of internal variety to be had, though. Including a piano part, lots of little brief-use sounds (thin tinkling chimes, electro-water cascades, etc.) which help dress up the piece. It's a light tune, with a somewhat happy-go-lucky nature, and is easy to listen to with its playful flute-work. In this, it's a pleasant tune that, especially given its size, is worth the download, although I don't imagine it'll be considered a classic by many. It entertains and serves its purpose for the duration...much longer? Hard to say.... D.T. does show familiarity with the demo-ish style and apparently has the tricks in his mind--it's just a matter of applying them to a format with a lot more depth, and taking far more care in honing his sample loops (composers shouldn't underestimate the annoying quality obvious loop seams have!). I strongly suspect D.T. can come up with some quality stuff when/if he chooses to take the multichannel format for all it's worth. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ Novus ]========------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ I'm a little amazed that people still bother to write 4-voice songs today, but I gave this one a chance and was impressed, overall. D.T. does the best he can do with what he has. The song has a relaxing, vaguely tropical sound, which is interesing coming from a tracker from Moscow, Russia, and it works! The samples all sounded like they came from an old .MOD file from back in the 80s, a few patterns were repeated a few too many times, and of course 4 voices will limit any song, but those are really my only serious complaints. It's not bad for his first song or for a 4-voice tune, so I'm sure D.T. will get better with time. When he finally learns the ropes and starts pushing the .S3M format to its limits, I seriously hope he comes back and re-does this song, because better samples and more voices could make this nice melody soar. -----================================================================----- The Weekly Module Review Overall Module Rankings last updated 10.27.97 Welcome to the Weekly Module Review overall rankings page. This is the place to get a complete overview of all the modules reviewed thusfar and how they stack up against one another. Current Status [10.27.97] A bit late on this update due to configuring a new machine. [10.14.97] Business as usual. /---------------------------\ < New Entries For This Week > \---------------------------/ (reviews for these modules are found in wk31.txt) (modules below the dashed line are older titles recently completed to criteria adopted after their initial reviewing; their reviews are found in other documents--see full rankings below for which files) Number of completed modules ranked so far: 238 Ranking (of 238) Overall No. of Reviews | Title Composer Rating: (lo - hi) | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Phurther Xerxes 89.52 76 -100 6 120 'Tis My Millenium Anders Akerheden 74.76 50 -100 6 191 RMW Chris & the Clones 65.83 45 - 83 8 212 Summer 97 D.T. 60.62 55 - 65 6 221 M W V Kita 57.24 30 - 70 7 --- ----------------------- ------------ ----- ------- -- 232 Love is War Subliminal 46.50 10 - 60 8 234 Off Topic Obuk 44.54 11 - 73 8 /------------------------------------------\ < Overall Rankings for "Completed" Modules > \------------------------------------------/ Ranking (of 238) Final # of Revs | Week Title Composer Rating: (lo - hi) | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 wk29 Cosmic Outflow Falcon 95.00 70 - 97 7 2 wk06 Fall From Sky Elwood 94.00 80 - 96 7 3 wk02 Under the Sea FBY 91.62 50 - 96 7 4 wk31 Phurther Xerxes 89.52 76 -100 6 5 wk04 Mind Machine Elfstone 89.00 65 - 91 7 6 wk30 Awakening Nighthawk 88.93 50 - 95 6 7 wk22 Positive Negative Tanic 88.00 67 - 95 7 8 wk23 The Blue Valley Karsten Koch 88.00 60 - 99 7 9 wk07 Envisions Quasian 87.60 80 -100 6 10 wk12 Synth Candy Strago 87.22 77 - 95 9 11 wk18 Czech Pohoda Mateus 87.00 65 - 95 9 12 wk02 Merciful Lie Siren 87.00 50 -100 7 13 wk17 Beneath the Blue Moon Zauron 86.50 74 - 94 8 14 wk07 Fiat Lux Stalker 86.36 65 - 95 7 15 wk16 Jaunt WolfSong 86.16 61 - 96 9 16 wk10 My Wonderland Dax & Turbo.B. 86.07 73 - 99 7 17 wk24 Wake Up and Dance! Cheech the Sneech 86.00 76 - 95 5 18 wk28 Four Handed Blues SoundGod 86.00 75 - 91 6 19 wk22 Indigo Basehead 86.00 59 - 98 8 20 wk15 Dark Promise Hunz 85.92 55 - 97 12 21 wk23 Secret Dance WolfSong 85.86 75 - 89 7 22 wk06 In Absence of Minor ManChild 85.53 52 - 94 6 23 wk16 Ranger Song NightBeat 85.14 72 - 97 8 24 wk18 The Harlequin Basehead 85.00 55 -100 9 25 wk11 Computer Sins Sun 84.96 65 -100 8 26 wk01 (Messing With) Motifs Mick Rippon 84.86 79 - 90 6 27 wk08 Endless Heaven Karsten Koch 84.81 67 -100 6 28 wk17 Birth of a Star Heatseeker 84.50 70 - 86 8 29 wk04 Polar Bjorn Attack Azazel 84.50 66 - 90 6 30 wk16 Trance of Heaven DJKiKe 83.44 55 - 95 9 31 wk18 Celestial Lullabye Basehead 83.16 79 -100 9 32 wk08 Crimson Eyes Pariah 83.00 65 - 87 7 33 wk22 Ex Turn Void CyberCerberus 83.00 54 - 88 7 34 wk03 Stomping on Elephantus Mystical 82.95 55 - 87 7 35 wk04 Giggle of the Fairies Shudder 82.71 73 - 95 9 36 wk15 Erilaisia Nelikulmioita Croaker 82.50 71 - 89 10 37 wk24 Fishbone MING 82.38 50 - 93 7 38 wk04 When the Penguin Slides DustBin 82.27 55 - 88 7 39 wk28 Reminder Tobe 82.07 55 - 91 6 40 wk11 Winter Dreams BlueShadow 82.05 50 - 96 7 41 wk07 Urgent BUT Unwanted Wave 82.00 72 - 85 7 42 wk10 Cycle of God Beacon 81.94 60 - 90 8 43 wk12 Deus ex Machina CyberCerberus 81.91 27 - 95 10 44 wk01 Solar Eclipse Cosmic Eclipse 81.71 70 - 90 7 45 wk19 Another Dream Impression 81.50 25 - 96 8 46 wk13 Snowin' at Sahara Weed 81.32 70 - 93 8 47 wk09 Jasmine Tea Lord Blanka...Black81.07 42 - 95 6 48 wk15 Daylight Daft 81.04 67 - 96 9 49 wk21 Icarus Rising Basehead 81.00 65 - 90 10 50 wk26 True Professionals Nino 81.00 64 - 89 6 51 wk25 Dream Flight: Inst. Mix Mysterium 80.90 69 - 91 6 52 wk18 Boston Lover Mercure 80.75 40 - 91 8 53 wk01 Hold the Line Libertine 80.71 50 - 82 7 54 wk11 Sarsippius' Ark Radix 80.69 59 - 94 7 55 wk09 Airborne Phorte 80.60 30 - 97 6 56 wk20 Passion Play Basehead 80.56 50 - 90 10 57 wk14 Alive and Alone Aquafresh 80.50 44 - 86 8 58 wk17 Suburbia/High Hopes Basehead 80.33 50 - 95 9 59 wk23 Clandestine Affair Shaithis 80.19 46 - 81 7 60 wk09 Back to the Cocoons Scorpik 80.00 63 - 88 8 61 wk10 Urm / Wur XFyL 80.00 55 - 85 7 62 wk27 Macabre Darkhalo 79.95 54 - 89 6 63 wk17 Luminous / Uvula Groove Basehead 79.89 71 - 86 8 64 wk06 Images of Terror LioZ 79.86 65 - 89 7 65 wk13 Undetermined Feeling Ryan Cramer 79.83 75 - 86 8 66 wk19 Alien Ate My Bong Sulphur 79.83 45 - 94 9 67 wk14 Renouncement Cygnes 79.79 61 - 92 8 68 wk27 Shadowform Nemesis 79.76 65 - 85 6 69 wk20 Tripping to Neptune Basehead 79.76 37 - 90 8 70 wk05 Cotton Wool Mellow-D 79.67 65 -100 7 71 wk07 Fifteen Dynamic Harmony 79.66 69 - 92 8 72 wk11 In a World of Butter The Fear 79.43 50 - 85 7 73 wk22 Consumate Teapot 79.38 59 - 90 7 74 wk11 Flat Cylinder Synthetic Minds 79.00 70 - 87 6 75 wk03 Phobic Future Assassin 79.00 65 - 90 7 76 wk28 Purple of Never Shih Tzu 79.00 62 - 93 7 77 wk11 Alien Beat XXMM PAH 79.00 10 - 84 7 78 wk06 Inevitable Twilight 78.90 40 - 90 7 79 wk27 Crush ZackmanO 78.76 67 - 96 6 80 wk09 Symphony Pumpkin 78.76 25 - 94 7 81 wk14 The Ballad of Romeo Doj 78.67 69 - 90 8 82 wk03 Under Pressure Rage 78.64 20 - 93 8 83 wk24 Picnic For the Soul PanDuh! 78.61 40 - 91 8 84 wk29 Dawn of Pendragon Nightbeat 78.28 49 - 98 8 85 wk07 !Bao!Bao! Maf 78.00 45 - 87 7 86 wk11 Ebbtide-Moon 4t Thieves 77.89 31 - 97 8 87 wk06 The Age of Aries Crux 77.79 46 - 90 7 88 wk06 Deep Spaces Estrayk 77.67 60 - 88 7 89 wk09 Burning Desire Vivid 77.50 25 -100 6 90 wk28 Inverse Science CyberCerberus 77.27 50 - 89 6 91 wk06 My Insanity BLuRry 77.13 50 - 87 6 92 wk08 Street-Surfin Yannis 77.04 50 - 90 7 93 wk09 Ride the Lightning Qyv 77.00 60 - 85 7 94 wk01 PsychoPet's Night Out Phanatik 77.00 55 - 89 6 95 wk04 Landwards Musaya 76.90 20 - 90 7 96 wk12 Infinite Red Shift JuiCe 76.75 57 - 81 8 97 wk05 Submerged Numb Lock 76.46 50 -100 8 98 wk14 Egy Forro Nyar! Shamen 76.42 61 - 97 8 99 wk21 Dirty Old Man SoundGod 76.39 68 - 90 7 100 wk08 A Song Without Words Porus 76.36 65 - 88 7 101 wk24 TripFlight Amorphis 76.32 55 - 96 7 102 wk22 Clouded Visions Setec 76.22 67 - 95 9 103 wk21 Armed Raper 76.14 15 - 90 9 104 wk25 One out of Infinity PanDuh! 76.07 55 - 85 8 105 wk08 Moonwinds Garfield 75.96 70 - 88 7 106 wk05 STUPiDiTY Zanti 75.67 35 - 80 7 107 wk20 Beez Sidewinder 75.50 32 - 87 10 108 wk09 Unforgotten Vizz 75.48 30 - 81 7 109 wk21 Take Me Higher Basehead 75.45 57 - 91 10 110 wk20 Pure Devotion CSM 75.36 35 - 89 10 111 wk13 A Walk in the Sky Barbatruc 75.24 47 - 93 8 112 wk10 Slim Kim Qen 75.24 42 - 82 7 113 wk02 The Masakre YoSFiTS 75.10 25 - 82 7 114 wk09 Capricorn Thaylor 75.00 55 - 82 7 115 wk22 Energy Flow PAH 75.00 49 - 90 7 116 wk02 Exit Hotdog Seven Caramel 75.00 45 - 90 7 117 wk04 Cleared For Take-Off Messiah 75.00 38 - 85 7 118 wk10 Nemesis Euji Acha 74.95 55 - 95 7 119 wk25 Deep Cover Aftab Hussein 74.86 24 - 90 7 120 wk31 'Tis My Millenium Anders Akerheden 74.76 50 -100 6 121 wk07 Another Night of Thought ZaStaR 74.62 35 - 85 7 122 wk27 Daemon Euji Acha 74.54 50 - 95 7 123 wk29 Sea Fantasies Rave-o-Tek 74.52 30 - 85 7 124 wk03 Aevea DJ Beanz 74.50 60 - 90 8 125 wk09 Tower of Roses Zaigamor Spellweave74.38 30 - 85 7 126 wk26 Opal Velvet Galahad 74.29 62 - 95 7 127 wk13 Mellow Thang Zest 74.00 63 - 85 7 128 wk08 This E's For Me Schizoid 74.00 60 - 82 7 129 wk14 Atlantique Atlantic & Malakai 74.00 57 - 89 10 130 wk23 Tide of Seasons Codec 74.00 40 - 91 7 131 wk15 Stingray Hollywood 74.00 39 - 94 10 132 wk15 End Meets End J. Devlin 74.00 36 - 80 10 133 wk15 Streetbeat Mortimer Twang 73.95 33 - 90 8 134 wk14 Cactus Plant Dark Ember 73.91 45 - 87 9 135 wk17 Open Your Mind Basehead 73.81 60 - 85 8 136 wk21 Midnight Soulfunk 73.50 47 - 90 8 137 wk12 Runtime Airon 73.25 54 - 95 8 138 wk07 Gravity-Chick Subi 73.07 45 - 95 6 139 wk07 Eternity Daedalus 73.00 33 - 80 7 140 wk07 Rapture GliTcH 72.82 30 - 85 8 141 wk18 Getting the Hang of (+) Celorn Knossos 72.69 43 - 86 10 142 wk25 Coral Reef Big Bear 72.57 55 - 92 7 143 wk17 Discovery KxMode 72.42 52 - 85 9 144 wk01 Hard Night Grgy 72.36 60 - 96 8 145 wk05 YG-Trance Brouil 72.33 50 - 84 9 146 wk01 Stars McBear 72.14 55 - 90 7 147 wk05 Lodge of 3 Globes Maelcum 72.00 50 - 88 7 148 wk17 Ode to Vanessa AMusic 72.00 50 - 85 9 149 wk08 King of the Rainforest ToalNkor 72.00 50 - 84 7 150 wk10 Inspire X0TherMiC 72.00 50 - 80 7 151 wk18 Revolution 2 Maxtracker 71.84 42 - 83 10 152 wk23 Humanalogue Chuck Biscuits 71.68 52 - 91 7 153 wk03 Lothlorien FeekZoid 71.52 40 - 92 7 154 wk11 Praying For a Dream Dilvish 71.48 60 - 82 6 155 wk14 Rave Zone... Phonc(ie) 71.46 10 - 82 8 156 wk13 Squared Circles Xerxes 71.42 50 - 81 8 157 wk29 Suffering Variety Shrift 71.33 36 - 83 6 158 wk19 Steppin Euphy Scott 71.17 45 - 90 9 159 wk06 Lunar Mass Pfister 70.83 40 - 86 8 160 wk17 Anthem SoundMaster 70.69 55 - 90 8 161 wk18 The Icecream Van ChroMix 70.67 30 - 89 8 162 wk13 Superclear Supernao 70.64 45 - 86 9 163 wk09 The Secret X-File J.R. Brewin 70.50 20 - 85 6 164 wk14 Fuck'n Work Szudi 70.28 45 - 90 9 165 wk04 Oh! Soo Hip Racoon 70.11 50 - 94 8 166 wk03 Travelling DD 70.05 40 - 82 7 167 wk20 Parliament of Dreams Pirat 70.04 59 - 80 9 168 wk12 Not With Words MING 70.00 46 - 96 6 169 wk02 Demo Funk Nova 70.00 35 - 81 9 170 wk24 Lapsus Memoriae Ranger Rick 70.00 30 - 78 7 171 wk14 Can U Feel the Beat Xlr8r 69.47 24 - 82 10 172 wk12 Monster in the Closet CyberCerberus 69.36 42 - 88 8 173 wk03 Jamaican Mars CD 69.24 30 - 90 7 174 wk30 Winter Frost Skull 69.05 49 - 83 6 175 wk18 Faraway Adventure Carebear 69.04 53 - 85 11 176 wk01 Infinite Dreams Killer Kid 68.95 44 - 84 7 177 wk30 The Two Become One The VR Band 68.67 20 - 90 8 178 wk21 False Emotions Skull 68.50 50 - 85 8 179 wk02 Acid Style Luca Restifo 68.07 35 - 90 8 180 wk08 Hypnosis Kotivalo 68.00 45 - 72 7 181 wk06 Rise of the Drake Grymmjack 67.93 52 - 75 7 182 wk12 West South-West Parallax 67.53 50 - 90 8 183 wk07 Inflexibility CyberZip 67.50 17 - 77 8 184 wk16 Tuzie Virtual Reality Ban67.02 49 - 78 11 185 wk15 Centauri Grey Gentle 67.00 44 - 89 7 186 wk02 Continuum W0zz 67.00 10 - 81 7 187 wk03 Ato GD 66.71 47 - 73 7 188 wk22 Evolution Motion 66.18 43 - 92 7 189 wk14 Fight to the Finish! Nitro 66.00 46 - 88 9 190 wk28 Swift Starf0x 65.93 50 - 79 6 191 wk31 RMW Chris & the Clones 65.83 45 - 83 8 192 wk04 Messenger of Light Zovirax 65.79 40 - 85 7 193 wk03 Outer Cloudlands Eye-Oh 65.32 35 - 75 8 194 wk25 More Than a Memory Multivac 65.00 40 - 79 7 195 wk10 Unparalleled World Arcturus 65.00 33 - 75 7 196 wk30 Radio2 Chris & the Clones 65.00 20 - 87 7 197 wk16 Extreme Existance FrizFry 64.58 40 - 85 11 198 wk26 Bionic Monkey Boy Skullsaw 64.52 49 - 90 6 199 wk15 Fade to Blue Procyon 64.31 31 - 87 11 200 wk15 Floating Bricks Rama 63.67 48 - 82 9 201 wk11 You're My Guest! Vadim VS 63.58 31 - 80 8 202 wk13 Happy Daze Zinc 63.39 25 - 87 8 203 wk17 New Dimension Teo 63.36 43 - 85 8 204 wk02 Improvization SoundGod 62.14 35 - 90 8 205 wk12 Cacaphonium BizKid 61.81 33 - 78 9 206 wk01 Insatia Sidewinder 61.72 43 - 74 8 207 wk20 Factory Mixmaster 61.50 10 - 85 10 208 wk16 The Return of the Braves Dead 61.27 48 - 80 10 209 wk30 Find Yourself Rowie 61.00 30 - 85 9 210 wk13 In Complete Darkness pANiK 61.00 15 - 77 10 211 wk16 La Carta Multivac 60.96 38 - 79 10 212 wk31 Summer 97 D.T. 60.62 55 - 65 6 213 wk15 Scorpion Winter Electric Lucidity 60.02 25 - 76 10 214 wk13 Atomic Plague Matt Friedly 60.00 25 - 82 9 215 wk13 Groove Juice Kool Kat Stevens 59.80 25 - 85 10 216 wk27 One Time Red-I 59.25 40 - 80 8 217 wk05 The UberFunkMeister Alex Noble 58.57 16 - 80 7 218 wk12 March 28th Klaws 58.29 20 - 85 8 219 wk02 Paramagic Dancer Iso 57.58 34 - 74 8 220 wk21 Nasty and D (D and Nasty) Wirecrawler 57.50 38 - 70 8 221 wk31 M W V Kita 57.24 30 - 70 7 222 wk10 Essence of the Demon Mordechai 56.22 10 - 76 9 223 wk12 The Castle Wizo 55.58 40 - 82 8 224 wk08 Future Survival D.Lusion 55.50 22 - 85 8 225 wk26 Chains of Iron Ackers 53.68 20 - 72 8 226 wk19 Trance Atmospheric Balistic 53.36 35 - 75 9 227 wk04 Gravitational Pull Salvorite 52.81 23 - 68 7 228 wk16 The Bells Chris & the Clones 52.44 10 - 92 10 229 wk05 Lost in a Cloud Cardiac 52.00 39 - 79 7 230 wk05 Bloodstone Loki 49.19 10 - 92 8 231 wk26 Pocoloco KimiK 48.76 15 - 75 8 232 wk10 Love is War Subliminal 46.50 10 - 60 8 233 wk17 Mixmaster Mixmaster 46.47 15 - 80 8 234 wk04 Off Topic Obuk 44.54 11 - 73 8 235 wk05 The Silence Purgatory 43.29 20 - 60 10 236 wk20 When I Dream Chimp&Z 41.62 10 - 71 10 237 wk29 Deborah's Song The Prof 39.50 25 - 57 8 238 wk01 The Walls Are Crying Brokenheart 38.60 15 - 50 9 /--------------------------------------------\ < Overall Rankings for "Incompleted" Modules > \--------------------------------------------/ Ranking (of 238) Final # of Revs | Week Title Composer Rating: (lo - hi) | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- n/a wk11 Xenogenesis Xenoc 82.65 77 - 88 4 n/a wk08 Obsession Stinger 75.15 50 - 82 5 n/a wk03 Tribute (DMF Remix) Dreamfish 68.63 35 - 90 7 n/a wk10 Cryo-Stasis Matrix Cubed 67.93 28 - 91 4 n/a wk02 Epidemic Vegas 64.28 44 - 80 5 n/a wk05 Hate! HarleQuiN 64.18 30 - 72 6 n/a wk01 Street Trance Joker 49.08 30 - 70 5 n/a wk06 Rave on the Web of Death Darkness 28.33 10 - 45 7