Aminet 22

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Text File | 1997-10-21 | 86.6 KB | 1,600 lines

WMR (Reviews [week #11]) __ __ __ | \ __ ______/ |_ | | | o \ | | | / o | \ |o | | \| o| |o _/ | o\ []=======| |==| \ |=| |/ | \========[] []=======| |==| \ |=| | |\ \=======[] []=======| |==| \|=| | |=\ \======[] :: | | | \ | | | / / :: :. | | | |\ \| | /| |/ / :: : | | |/\ | \ | |/ | | / : | | / \| |\ | | | | / :. | | / \ | \ | |__| | / .: :: | |/ \| \_| | |/ : :: | /\ | | __| |\ :: []=======| / \ |=| |==| | \==========[] []=======| /| \ |=| |==| | \=========[] []=======| /=| |\ |=| |==| | \========[] |o / | | \ o| |o | | |\ o\(mansooj) |_/ | o | \_| |__/ | o | \__/ |___| |___| (Originally compiled and added on January 20, 1997) (last updated 09.20.97) -----========================================----- -----================================================================----- "Praying For a Dream" by Dilvish of Gemini Productions (16ch IT, 03:15) (gem-drea.zip [271K/633K]) [Ballad/Soft Rock] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Peraphon 82+ -- -- -- 80 CCerberus 78+ 73 77 70 76 Rebriffer 70- 75 65 75 70 MING 70- 68 70 45 70 Raul 65+ 67 75 60 85 Mansooj 60= -- -- 70 73 /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ There are no doubt many composers who have had the same experience as myself when it comes to choosing which tracks to release. Here's the scenario: you have this track that everybody and his brother just *loves* to death, and all the indications are that this is the very track that will show just how good you really are at this tracking lark... You release it, and then, immediately, suddenly, you start spotting all the millions of things wrong with it you should have noticed before release. I know that the same thing happens in the real music biz so it comes as no big surprise. Unfortunately, this track falls headlong into this trap. There are parts of the track where you find yourself thinking "wow that's really beautiful" (the electric piano chords over the main track), and parts where you feel as lost as the composer obviously did. Once again, this has all the elements of a great track, which misses the target by not being focused enough. Nice enough, though, especially a particular electric piano chord progression. /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ The public can place yet another guitar ballad into the lists. I've heard many more of these recently while doing reviews, than I ever did before. That's probably because I was handpicking what I downloaded, and I'm not a huge fan of this style, though I don't harbor any particular biases against it. For the most part, this is a nice sounding song, however, it suffers rather a lot due to a distinct lack of variety. Except for a very few small changes, mostly instrument drops or additions rather than actual compositional variety, it seems like the patterns could almost be randomly jumbled and turn out a similar sounding song. I believe this sort of thing to be one reason why I don't get all giddy at the prospect of hearing another soft rock guitar ballad--it's a very common foible. Unfortunately, aside from commenting on the moderately nice central sound, I can't find much else to give praise to. This is something of an unmemorable song, and that's saying a lot in a small space. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ Raul ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This tune starts very well with awesome guitar samples and a nice melody. As it continues, more instruments are slowly added, however, by about pattern 8, things seem to get out of hand as the number of sounds begins to overwhelm the music. The most notable problem of this sort occurs with regard to handling volume fades while using the guitar and electric piano. The composer uses 4 channels for the guitar and 6 for the piano, and because the volumes of past notes are not decreased quickly enough when a new note is struck, it sometimes gets to the point where it sounds like there are 4 guitars and/or 6 pianos playing individually at once. Overall, the samples seemed well selected for this sort of music, but the techniques behind their usage were questionable. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ CCerberus ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This is a beautiful, mournful soft rock guitar song. According to the embedded text (which includes full lyrics to the song), this song is basically an expression of the musician's loneliness after his girlfriend has left him. Standard theme, yes, but it's nice nevertheless. My only complaint is that the song seemed to have many opportunities for real emotional projection which were not taken advantage of. A powerful burst, with a total change in musical feel, could have been extremely effective near the middle of this song; perhaps with some distorted guitar power chords or something like that. As it is, the song never seems to quite get going the way one would expect. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Normally, I despise these kinds of sorry, mellow songs with whiny washleads and dreamy guitar patterns drifting into oblivion, but there's one thing that differentiates this from most similar ones. Most of the time, hours of effort are put into making this muzak float through without catching your attention. This one, though, is a sucker for attention. The nice melody is straight and simple and not as overworked as is often the case; this makes it stand out somewhat. It's not hidden in a jungle of softness and neither is it a jungle by itself, meaning that I can follow the turns it makes and recognize them the next time I hear them. That's harder to achieve than it sounds, folx. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Peraphon ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This song started off very well, but somehow went a little astray. There seemed to be some parts that sounded a bit off-key, although that may have been because I was playing it with Cubic 1.7...who knows? For the most part, however, this is an excellent guitar piece. Both background and foreground guitar sound great and complement each other. Eventually things do tend to get a bit repetitive, but a smooth sound such as this can never be boring. The samples are of a high quality, and this is evident from the smoothness of the song. Overall, a very good one that is worth a try if you like predominantly guitar pieces. -----================================================================----- "Alien Beat XXMM" (Extended XM Mix) by PAH (20ch XM, 04:55) (pahalbxm.zip [381K/720K]) [Breakbeat Techno] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Peraphon 84+ -- -- -- 80 Rebriffer 80+ 75 75 70 60 MING 80= 80 72 70 80 Mansooj 79+ -- -- 70 75 Parallax 56= 47 70 55 55 JuiCe 40+ 30 55 -- 60 Skullsaw 10+ 10 50 10 50 /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Quite an interesting one here. Its primary influences are breakbeat techno with some house thrown in. I've grown to like the breakbeat style, for the most part, but it can get rather spastic at times which actually makes it sound more like a joke composition than something serious. I almost expect to hear Alvin or some other chipmunk come in with its squeaky little voice. The main points I like in this particular module are its use of non-musical samples (voices placed at proper points and not in overabundance), some industrial style noises, and a convincing jet-swoosh. As for that housiness I mentioned already, it's relegated only to a somewhat ubiquitous plinking chord, nothing else. At least for me, this is good, because I'm not big on house in general. I also fell for a nice fat synth used here, which is something I've always found makes an interesting presence. On the other side of the ledger, there's one of those silly tempo-glides where the tempo increases repeatedly as it bridges into some other section. Now this is all fine and dandy sometimes, but it seems like it's severely overdone most of the time, and here it certainly is. Short and dramatic is much more effective because you then don't have the opportunity to start wondering just how fast it'll be going when it reaches its plateau. Overall, a very bouncy and fairly enjoyable piece of work. Not long on originality, but put together well enough to be interesting. I'd recommend it if you like fast-paced energetic music with a clever mixture of sound effects. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ A very smartly composed piece of conventional techno music with an unconventional sound. The song itself is not carried forward by any distinct main themes or riffs (though the bass is well worth noticing, simple 'n' smart), but by a hysterical drumbeat, an addictive percussion, a good spacey feeling and a well chosen set of voice samples. Because of the wall of sound you're given to lean on, although the song seems repetitive from time to time, it's simply nice to listen to. In the middle, the repetition problem is solved as the song picks up in pace enormously as it rushes to a climax, giving the listener some kind of preview of a big finale...which never comes. Instead, you are shuffled into another set of rhythms that are somewhat uninspiring, but quite okay anyway. This is, to sum it up, a very good job with some interesting ingredients. Although the main concept is as old as techno music can be, curiously, it still had me listening. Most likely, mainly because of those voices, which are "composed" nicely. They had the right dynamics, acoustics and, most importantly, the right timing. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Peraphon ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ The space-techno genre seems to get a fair workout these days, and I think this is one of the better examples to come down the turnpike. This song starts out at a medium pace with a prominent saw-wave synth in the background, and gets steadily faster thereafter through many BPM increases, which eventually bring it to an almost blinding pace. It speeds along for awhile, and then drops back to its beginning tempo, where it remains until the end of the song. The samples used are of a high quality, and I cannot detect any loop faults, or other discrepancies. There are voice samples as well, and they sound very "astronaut-like," especially a high pitched beep sound of the type that can be heard on space mission radio transmissions. This adds very well to the spacey aspect of this song, naturally. Overall, I would have to say that this is an excellent piece and is well worth trying. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Gads, this is an annoying piece of music--high speed softcore hardcore, if ya get my drift. Alien Beat is loaded with gimmicks from NASA samples, which are used in too many mods, to a really horrible accelerando towards the end. The most annoying element is the harmonic progression that plays over and over. Then again, maybe it's the manic percussion track. Or maybe it's the piano chord that plays on every downbeat. I don't know, there are just so many grating elements in this mod it's hard to choose which is the most annoying. 'Nuff said. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ JuiCe ]========------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This song kicks off with an atmospheric intro vaguely reminiscent of Babylon Zoo's Spaceman. This quite promising intro is then ruined by the rest of the song, which is basically just the same 3 chords played over and over and over again. There's no melody, just a few breakdowns here and there, a poorly sequenced beat using what sounds like ST-01 samples, and a voice thrown in sporadically.... To sum it up: a very repetitive song, with poorly sequenced beats, and lacking melody (which is essential in demostyle). /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Parallax ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ The first few patterns fooled me by letting me think I was going to listen to a sci-fi song, which is surely not the case--it quickly becomes a mix of speech samples. Then follows some kind of weird techno song that goes so fast I couldn't stand it even when cleaning the house. At one time, the patterns simply repeat themselves a zillion times while the speed is increasing. It would fit a euro-demo quite well if the samples were better. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ A fast (200bpm) MOD that starts atmospherically enough, but the rest of the track's sounds tend to be a little on the "thin" side. It rattles along satisfyingly enough, though, and there are a couple of very neatly handled breakdowns that assists the track's progress. A very good effort, just a little more thought on the actual samples would have made this a dy-no-mite track! -----================================================================----- "Sarsippius' Ark" by Radix (8ch XM, 02:28) (rdx-sars.zip [184K/332K]) [Jazz/Funk] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== MING 94= 95 80 80 95 Rebriffer 90+ 90 90 90 90 ESP 85+ 86 80 65 80 Mansooj 80= 72 75 65 80 Raul 74+ 82 70 80 85 Parallax 70+ 77 77 62 62 CCerberus 59= 60 74 44 46 /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Very "cool" jazz, in a relaxed vein. This actually sounds somewhat 70's-ish with its deep smoky stylings, and mixed organ/jazz-synth presentation. I often find it difficult to even gather a list of points to comment on with this particular sort of jazz. It's all so wavy and submerged, it usually doesn't end up doing much of anything even though it has a very distinctive character. In most cases that would be bad, but with jazz I rather expect it and am rarely left completely dissatisfied, at least when decent quality samples are used. However, this is, in general, not what I'd call great, but instead, just quite good within its class. There's nice bass-work, a solid, relaxed beat, some nice warbling jazzy-synths, and a sleepy organ accompaniment. The problem is you can take that list and fit it to a hundred other funk/jazz pieces. Technically and compositionally, this is good, but not noteworthy in any specific area. It even tends to remind me of many old 4-channel Amiga jazz/funk modules (the Nuke and Heatbeat style mostly), which although great for the time and great under the conditions, don't usually stand up quite so well in the face of current productions be your better-than-average contemporaries. Ahh, but is this an inherent problem with this style of music? How many of those options now available in all these effects-laden trackers can you really use to further the presentation of this sort of music? I don't know, I'm not a composer, but the composers who are apparently trying to be impressive with this style just don't quite get there, as far as I can tell. If you like jazz, if you like laidback funk, if you don't mind hearing another set of basic premises rearranged a little, if you like solid but staid re-representation, then go and get this one, I doubt you'll be disappointed. But if you're unsure, you might want to reread what I wrote above. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This, ladies and gentlemen, was cool. This was extremely, utterly, overwhelmingly cool. Before this song floated through the air to soothe my ears, I thought I had a decent insight as to what words like "laidback" and "cool" meant. Truth is, I had absolutely no clue. Not before I heard this. This song is the essence of coolness. Everything with it is totally, incredibly cool. The soft samples are cool, the too-cool-to-even-try-to-make-it-sound-like-a-real-sax sax melody rollercoaster is very cool, and the fuzzy rhythms are cool beyond belief. The strings in the background are cool even all by themselves. Hey, even the title is cool! And when I now say "cool" I don't mean the kind of cool that normally slips out when there's nothing else nice to say. This is genuine coolness, the kind that makes me wanna wear sunglasses, a necktie and a hat, and build a drumset out of the nearest floppy boxes and CD-ROM cases to play along. That kind. Coolness oozes out of every little note, every single byte of this song. It's literally drowning in it. Anyway, cool song. [You don't say? ;) -Boris] /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ CCerberus ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Hm. If I had to characterize this song in just two words, they would be "mush jazz." I don't mean "mush" as in "mushy," like "lovey-dovey," but rather, the sound ITSELF is sort of mush...like it's all squishy. That's not really bad, it's just something that I noticed early on, and something I continued to notice throughout the whole tune. As with most jazz, a great deal of technical proficiency is illustrated, at the expense of melodic coherence. Basically, this song is a lot of instrumental solos over a repeating chord progression which, again, is characteristic of a lot of jazz. I guess I just wasn't excited by it. It's not really anything new, or even very interesting, for that matter. /----------------------------------------------------\ )-------------------------========[ ESP ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Lazy, lazy, lazy. What more can I say? This is a track with no small degree of class, it's subtly produced, and intelligently mixed; level control on the various parts of the various tracks is expertly applied, which gives it a very professional feel throughout. There is a solo which runs the length of the track, which is pretty damn good, but is still the limiting factor on the overall score. The main trouble being that even though each pattern-full of solo is beautifully executed, with great groove and emotion, the change from pattern to pattern is not handled as smoothly as it could have been, and it is very obvious where pattern divisions are, spoiling the overall emotive flow. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ Raul ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Radix is one of the composers I recently "discovered" and I like his tunes, however this one isn't one of his best. There's a good melody and nice orchestration, but the ending isn't well done. I also think the tune is too short for something of this style, but it's always better to leave a tune somewhat short than to extend it through repetition. If you happen to like this tune you might also pick up some others by Radix, such as: Evidence, Abbey Road, Icing Invitation, Marsian Girl and Sunjammer, all of which I think are better than this one. --- References --- Abbey Road by Radix ([download]) Evidence by Radix ([download]) Icing Invitation by Radix ([download]) Marsian Girl by Radix ([download]) Sunjammer by Radix ([download]) /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ The "sleeve" comment (the little bit in the track information) states "damn, what did I smoke?" and I would have to wonder the same thing. This is a really lovely MOD, though, and I think we should find out what Radix *did* smoke so we can all have some. Beautifully crafted atmosphere, lush, well managed samples and an unerring eye for the rhythm, help to make this a classic, if a little jazzy, MOD. Smoky is also an apt analogy for the atmosphere created by this MOD. Well worth downloading if you just can't resist a good tune. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Parallax ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ A typical Amiga-style, slow, funky song. The samples would be really nice if they were a little more clear; this song has an important S/N ratio which is becoming significantly less acceptable these days, and even moreso with the XM format. Nevertheless, it's fun to listen to and despite the fact that some samples seem to be 8KHz only, they sure are original. Too bad the drum part is not "tracked," but instead is just sampled. Keep up the good work. -----================================================================----- "Flat Cylinder" by Synthetic Minds (24ch XM, 09:16) (s_flat.zip [224K/597K]) [Acid/Trance] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Skullsaw 87+ 90 70 85 85 Rebriffer 80+ 95 60 80 75 CCerberus 80= 82 70 67 76 Mansooj 78= -- -- 70 75 MING 72+ 70 60 70 70 Parallax 70+ 70 70 77 62 /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Blend some acid, some spacey synths, a little jungle, and truss it all up in a trance package and you could easily end up naming it Flat Cylinder. As per usual with trance, the module is very long, managing to crack the 9 minute barrier. Fortunately, there's a little more variety in this example than there is in many others. It still retains a rather flat feel (I'm not sure I'd recognize a cylindrical feel) throughout, which I tend to think is intentional. So until shown otherwise, I don't consider it a detracting point. The samples are quite smooth and clean overall. There's some abrupt cutting off of the synths at the beginning and end that yields an almost backward-masking feel, which is, for some odd reason, rather appropriate to this piece. As is often the case with my recommendations, I have to gear it to the intended audience, which in this case are trancers, acid-trippers and zoners. This qualifies as very good mind-food for you. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ As far as I'm concerned a flat cylinder is something impossible, and so is this song. It has beats where, if they exist, would destroy the rhythm, yet they do exist, and don't result in the expected destruction. It has some sounds and twists that should make me hate it, yet I don't. From a rather bland start, a quite interesting drumbeat was placed upon some sweeping pads, and additionally there were some far too quirky and repetitive rubberband thingumies. This then follows the overused pattern of "take one ingredient and replace it smoothly with another, and repeat ad infinitum." Rather old formula, but well done at times, and produced with a sense of good taste and quality. Add to this an unexplainable, but unique touch, and good quality samples, and the result is quite good, though not at all excellent. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This is a daring piece of work. I'm sure many would find this a bit boring, but not me. Yes, it is very repetitive but I'm sure it's purely intentional so as to provide the trance factor. Delicate drums, dreamy synth washes and simple melodic parts make for a very hypnotic combination. Touches of acid synths here and there provide surprising textures against the overall mellowness. After seven or so minutes things get a bit heavier with the introduction of a deep breakbeat but this soon melts away bringing the listener back to where it all began. Flat Cylinder is a great trance tune with many interesting sounds. The arrangement truly pulled me in with its hypnotic minimalism. I think I'll keep it. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Parallax ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Even if FastTracker lets us make some nice panning effects with instruments, it doesn't help this one since it's not really a song; it's more a drum arrangement accompanied by some modern strings (a really nice sample, by the way). It seems somewhat "movie-like"--you could hear this one while watching a movie focusing on a ship travelling through deep space. One particular thing I hate in this mix is the "let me puke" sample which you can hear after 20 patterns or so, it's too loud. It drags a tune that would be great, down to something less impressive. Too bad. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ CCerberus ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ For some reason, I really liked this. I actually started zoning out a short way into this song, which is something that doesn't often happen to me when listening to modules. I believe this song achieved the PERFECT balance of melody, harmony, volume fades, and mechanical sounds (I'm a huge fan of mechanical sounds/themes, as bizarre as that may seem). The kickdrum was beautiful...possibly one of the best I've heard in a while. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ The composer of this tune used a really interesting style, worth of a lot of praise. Most of the appeal comes from the way he wove the samples together; there's a distinct lack of coding here. It doesn't harm the track in the slightest though, which just goes to show how versatile FT really is. A very nice laidback "acid" track that wouldn't shame any self-respecting hard drive. -----================================================================----- "In a World of Butter" (final version) by The Fear of Mistery (16ch XM, 02:53) (tf_iwb.zip [207K/374K]) [Funk/HipHop] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Parallax 85+ 85 85 90 77 Rebriffer 85+ 80 85 85 85 Mansooj 80= -- -- 77 79 Peraphon 79= 85 -- -- 80 Raul 77+ 65 70 70 70 CCerberus 52= 53 58 37 43 Skullsaw 50- 50 50 35 60 /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ I think I'll invent yet another new style name for this one--I'll call it jazzhop. And the definition will be: "more or less standard funk/jazz-fusion influences coupled with an occasional hiphop style beat and optional rap samples." Rather amazing that as I sat here and invented this new style description, I just HAPPENED to be listening to a module that fits it to a tee. Amazing, innit? Humor (such as it was) aside, this has its charms, and is a reasonably catchy bit of work. A nice blending of funk, synth and a bit of hiphop, but there's a problem, and that's the somewhat bothersome jump-into-a-beat and then die away into a synth bridge thing going on. It forcibly disrupts this particular piece (unlike a similar approach in Back to the Cocoons). Fortunately, the strengths of each individual beat-point are enough to maintain a good overall sound, if not perfect cohesion. Putting it all together, I think this would have been significantly more pleasurable with less distinct transitions and far fewer incidences of voice samples. Plenty good enough to go get it and see for yourself. --- References --- Back to the Cocoons by Scorpik ([download]/[reviews]) /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ Raul ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Starting from an overall perspective, the song sounds good throughout, from the orchestration to the samples. Well, except the single speech sample about which I only have a problem because I generally dislike such things in modules...so skip the nit if you're not of a similar opinion. One oddity is that this tune uses a really strange tempo 5-1-5-1...changing in each row. I don't really understand what this tempo manipulation was meant to do. Nothing seems to be gained by this since all the note hits are on tempo 1. The net effect would appear to be the same as a constant tempo of 3. Weird. Something specific I didn't like was that the main melody kept stopping, repeatedly breaking the song's continuity. Though there are some little things I found to quibble about, this tune is quite good and well worth the download. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Peraphon ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Initially, this song shapes up as being a very smooth and unassuming ambient piece, and it does retain this quality in places through the song, but it then takes on a funky aspect with the addition of guitar and drums. I think it's a very effective implementation of this combination; it seems to work extremely well in this piece. In the songtext, the composer complains about his piano usage usually being poor, but I think the composer has done a great job with the pianos. Of course, the piano is mainly in the background and is, to some extent, drowned out by the other samples, but it can be heard and it sounds great. The samples used are of a high standard and I cannot detect much if any ungainly clicking or hissing. The song is definitely interesting. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This is yet another in what seems to be an endless supply of funk/psuedo jazz modules. Oh, there's the addition of some rappish vocal samples and the drums are somewhat heavier than usual, but it's still a two chord fusion piece. I do like the electric bass, lots of thumbed string popping. Unfortunately, though the samples themselves sound good, most notably the bass and strings, that's about all that I like about this one. Once again, I hear a well executed piece of music that sounds like a lot of others in the style. This is about as original as wearing socks under one's shoes. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Parallax ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Remember the old days? Let's just say this song is inspired by older tracked songs; you can hear it in the samples. But it has been adapted to newer trackers which gives us more memory, more tracks, and panning. I like the one-and-only lyric in it which says "I'm going to stand and fight." The "trou-normand" (for those who might know) consists of a slower part in which you'll hear birds sing. Certainly not the best song ever made, but it sure is quite original. That's the kind of song I like downloading, I'm not left with the feeling I've wasted my time. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ A very good start to this MOD leads into a "fusion" track that lopes along agreeably enough. A vocal samples was used here, and personally, I thought it could have sounded a little warmer, but other than that mere quibble, this is a great track covering a lot of fertile ground. Fans of 70's disco would particularly enjoy it. I would think the author's comments about the "pianos suck"ing should be be rethought too. Well 'andy, I'd have said! /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ CCerberus ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Not much in this song really caught my interest. The bassline was pretty cool at points, but the fluidity of the song is nearly destroyed by several pointless, overly-calm interludes. I feel that those interludes wreck the groove of the tune. Other than that, this song just didn't seem to go anywhere. This is one of those that sounds like the musician may have thrown it together in a couple of hours. -----================================================================----- "You're My Guest!" by Vadim VS (8ch S3M, 02:56) (vs_guest.zip [202K/272K]) [Metal] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Rebriffer 80+ 85 75 85 70 Parallax 75+ 77 77 77 77 MING 72+ 70 65 89 80 JuiCe 62= 75 55 -- 65 Peraphon 60+ -- -- -- 65 Raul 60= 55 75 80 50 Mansooj 50+ -- -- 70 65 CCerberus 31+ 34 22 61 11 /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Okay, what do we have here? A Russian module? Now what can that be? Believe me, it was not what I expected. Hold your horses, and press the play button.... Without any warning, an assault led by a set of really pissed guitars and a massive drumset comes rushing towards me. As a matter of fact, I haven't heard anything this loud in a long time (not counting Teapot's Rollerblade Bob, which I, myself, was partly responsible for. That one sux, but it was only meant to be yelling. :)). The attack rushed forward and I'm eagerly waiting for a lead to kick in. 4, 3, 2, 1, here goes.... Nothing. All of a sudden, the very promising start falls flat, down into a sad, sloppy, mellow thing that rips to pieces my optimism for this song, leaving me sobbing and reaching for a remedy in the form of the nearest Metallica album. Why, Vadim? Why did you do it? You had the perfect start for a totally fantastic kickass metal tune (a very rare and more wanted thing in the scene than you might think), and you blew it. If the reason for sliding into this bland middle part was to be able to provide a melody (why you couldn't have done this in the heavy part is beyond my ability to grasp, though.), I'd say it didn't succeed. In total, this is quite a good two-genre rocktune without a main theme, but with one so-so mellow and two very good metal parts. --- References --- Rollerblade Bob by Teapot ([email me if you have a link for this!]) /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Ho hum. I can't believe I almost fell asleep listening to a metal module. I happen to like metal, and I happen to think I know good metal when I hear it. I didn't hear it while this module was playing. It's consistently slow paced which, in my opinion, just doesn't work too well. Some slow sections are fine, and in fact can be very dramatic especially when surrounded by fast, raw metal, but this was just one big long slow section without any surroundings at all. This is not to say that everything here is necessarily mediocre. I get the impression Vadim could do better than this, though he showed little personal ingenuity. I like the power chords, but there was one higher-tone guitar sample that just made me chuckle, it seemed so out of place. Like a skinny little runt trying to show off in front of the tough kids. No, I can't recommend this one at all. I just can't find anything here that I think others would find worth bothering with, except perhaps for hardcore metalheads who are hard up for anything in their favorite genre. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ CCerberus ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Hoo boy. I hate to have to be hard on a song of this type, since I generally enjoy rock/metal, and I wish there was more of it out there...but this song just doesn't cut it. I have a number of complaints. For one, the guitar samples are CRAP! They're TERRIBLE! I've got better samples than these...the guy should have asked me. :) The tuning is just as bad, at times sounding flat out dissonant. I'm not inherently opposed to dissonance when I think it's used deliberately, but here I think it was just the result of bad tuning, bad tracking, and so forth. Ugh. In the middle of the song, things clear up a bit. A guitar solo kicks in, and the terrible distorted guitar samples lay off for a little while. But then they're back before you know it. Yuck. The song also ends rather suddenly, with no real wrap-up. I'm sorry, but I just can't recommend this song. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ Raul ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This tune could be divided into three parts: the first 7 patterns and the last 8 are of the same style, while the middle section is a lighter style of rock which, taking the song as a whole, I think the composer should have concentrated on instead of the heavier parts. In the heavy parts the main sample is an overdriven guitar that I think was too loud and actually tended to drown out all other instruments. Also, I know overdriven guitars are always a little noisy, but this one was a bit too noisy. The guitars in the middle, lighter, section were not only better used but better quality. The basic theme isn't executed too well anyway. The two style varieties aren't mixed convincingly, and there's a general sense of repetition. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Peraphon ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This is a moderately tame metal song; it's not thrashy, it's not full-on death metal. It is, in actuality, fairly generic stuff as far as metal goes, with some melodic accompaniment in one part of the song. This is definitely not a bad song, far from it. It does have a slightly "empty" feel to it in places, though, and that does tend to somewhat let down this otherwise good song. The samples used in this song are of a good quality, but there's a noticeable white noise crackle in some of them. Not too bad, but a bit of work could have made a definite difference. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ JuiCe ]========------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This is an attempt at a heavy metal song, which isn't seen very often in the mod scene. This is most likely due to the fact that the guitar is one of the most difficult instruments to emulate using samples, that is, unless you sample whole riffs, of course. This fact shows in this mod as well, because the guitar sounds very artificial with very little expression, and the solo essential for such songs is virtually nonexistant. Nevertheless, it is one of the rare examples of listenable heavy metal mods, so all you headbangers out there should get this. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Parallax ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Here's probably one of the last songs Vadim made before joining NOiSE (which I think already counts its number of rock composers). For those of you who like distortion guitars, drums and cymbals, you'll be happy. But, that's all you'll hear if you quit the song before it really kicks in. At the 9th pattern or so, the song assumes a totally different style with some kind of higher-tone electric guitar. The panning is really good. Overall, a nice song. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ T'ain't often us grubby reviewers lay our hands on a sweaty rock track but here's a really hefty one. Originating out of Russia, this MOD has a sharp, clear production which highlights the energy in the track, bringing us a really *decent* rock track for once. Like most of its genre, it can get a bit repetitive, but it doesn't stop the energy and drive coming through. Good ear noise for any rock fan. -----================================================================----- "Winter Dreams" by BlueShadow of Original (16ch S3M, 05:06) (wntrdrms.zip [295K/472K]) [Fantasy] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Peraphon 96+ 80 -- -- 90 Mansooj 90+ 84 -- 80 72 CCerberus 82+ 83 68 92 61 Parallax 76+ 85 55 77 77 Nemesis 75+ 80 75 75 70 MING 74= 78 65 75 70 Skullsaw 50- 55 50 65 40 /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Nemesis ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ I can't say that I was too impressed by the intro to this song, with a great many overused samples and such that I immediately recognized. It's somewhat standard synthpop, with an electric guitar added in for good measure. The drums are nothing special, though functional, and at times they sound a little strange and distracting. There isn't exactly a standard melody per se, but more like a sequence of piano arpeggios alongside a thumping bass and background pads. After a minute or two, the song changes up into something just a hint faster, with drums more typical of techno. It continues on for awhile with the same piano arpeggios, and the electric guitar mixes in nicely, mostly holding to rhythmic usage and nothing too melodic. Now, at some point down the line, a lead instrument is brought in. You know the sample, it's the same lead instrument heard in so many Future Crew tunes. The melody isn't all that spectacular, but it does its job, creating a little ditty atop the thumping drums, electric guitars, pads, and bass. The ending follows the same pattern as much of the rest of the song, and at some point, it simply slows down and fades out. Now, this type of song, I suppose, you could easily classify as 'demo music' or 'synthpop,' and while not the best attempt at that sort of thing, it certainly holds its own. The mixing is what stands out in this piece, with the electric guitar at a nice level where it isn't grating, nor fading into obscurity. However, I couldnt really find anything particularly memorable, as the melodies aren't quite as catchy to my ears as I'd like them to be. I suppose the high point in this song would have to be somewhere towards the middle when bigger sounding techno drums are introduced, and the piano begins to play straight chords instead of arpeggios. It was the only really intense moment in the song, for me. With all those negative points said, I think I should clarify that it's not a bad tune. Rather, it's well above average, and this composer seems just on the edge of really stepping up and making something groundbreaking. It certainly does have its good points, and we can look forward to some better songs by BlueShadow in the future. /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ A welcome respite from the loads of ambient I've been listening to for the past few days--within Winter Dreams beats the heart of a rock song. This has a nice, dense, wide sound to it, which is something I tend to look favorably upon. There's a lot going on, with pianos, synths, guitars and a decent, if unspectacular, percussion track all doing their best to keep the note density high. The tempo remains upbeat and quick-paced (not fast) until the climax, while a triumphant, freewheeling emotion is conveyed mostly through the synthwork. Many songs relate absolutely zero emotion of any kind, and I feel this is an important omission in most cases when in context of something as inherently expressive as music. The sample set is varied, but doesn't reach the top-notch quality that some master modulists manage to achieve, however that's not to say they detracted from the presentation. Of note is use of a rave-style bass (first coming in just prior to the midpoint), which would at first seem rather incongruous in this style, but it worked quite well. I do think BlueShadow could have improved the presentation some by investing time in some careful panning, as there is noticeable separation. Even so, the note density being as high as it is, this is a minor gripe. Yes, overall, this is clearly a winner, if not by a mile. It would've been with better samples, and with more attention paid to panning effects, as I see nothing obvious about the composition that is lacking. It's definitely head and shoulders above much of what is distributed these days, even if one were to focus more heavily than necessary on the few quibbles. BlueShadow clearly has a good ear for musical design and I look forward to sampling more of his work. I suggest others take some time to do so as well. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This is a rarity for me. Typically, a mod grows on me after a time, not so here. I started out liking Winter Dreams but it rather quickly fell out of favor. Oh well. What grabbed me first was the use of 6/4 time signature (maybe it's 6/8 but who's counting). I just have a thing for odd time signatures, anyone can knock something out in Common time but it does take a bit of thought to work outside of the normal 4/4. What hooked me next was the cyclical nature of the tune and the three bar phrasing, again atypical. Unfortunately, it's the latter that ruined things for me as the chord progression really gets monotonous rather quickly. I happen to like minimalistic music whether it is minimalistic in its harmonic content, soundscape, whatever, but I still need to hear something change over time. The piece cycles on and on with almost no noticeable variation in orchestration which makes the minimal harmonic and melodic content wear very thin. Some variation in dynamics would have helped matters here as well, the music is at full bore throughout save for a couple of short interludes where instruments drop out. Basically, all there is is a rolling bass part, some staccato piano chords, a guitar stab and arpeggiated synths on top of a bigbeat. The only thing that breaks up the piece are some drum fills, some minor lead synth lines and a change over into 4/4 time. I hate to dig into this one like this but the samples are hurting bigtime. A rinky-dink piano, buzzy bass and a mix that sounds very cluttered make for a very dense sound. So, what I'm left with is an interesting time signature and a repeating chord sequence. It was definitely worth a listen but not worth keeping. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Peraphon ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This song is, in a word, brilliant. It's a very well constructed, catchy rock piece with an abundance of great guitars, piano and bass. There are a few places in this song where quite marked changes take place, but they all mesh smoothly and give the whole thing a dynamic and energetic feel. These changes range from being slowish and moody to taking on the rhythm and beat of a dance tune. The song goes for just over 5 minutes, which many consider to be too long; I think it suits this song extremely well. Not once during the entire song did I feel like stopping it and listening to something else, and it's not really that often that a song captures my attention to that degree. The individual samples are of an extremely high standard, with no audible loop faults or clicks. The percussion is fantastic, and utilizes a wide range of drum/cymbal samples which are used to great effect. This is a class act all the way, and I have no hesitation in recommending it highly. This one is definitely going into the collection. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This song partly counts in 3/4 and 5/4, but is still conducted as a normal rock piece. Interesting, as it creates interest through the rhythms alone. Unfortunately, the other parts, themes, riffs and melodies, are not as outstanding in originality, although I must admit they're beautiful. There's another thing in this that catches my attention, and that's the dynamics. Some parts, such as the drums and strings (which, by the way, are some of the best and most complexly arranged strings I've ever heard in a mod), sound great, while leads, like the guitar chords and pianos, sometimes sound way too plastic. In an overall sense, it's an enjoyable song and I wouldn't argue with a higher praise from those who happen to like it more. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Parallax ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Woah. Think about those who might listen to your music through headphones! I don't think panning was implemented at all in this one since the sound has strict left and right separation. Nevertheless, the composition is very good, as is the song, overall. I probably would have spent more time on the drum beat, though. It's not as good as the piano and guitar, which leads me to believe that the composer is more of a piano player than a drummer. This is a song you could easily hear in the credits at the end of a movie like Top Gun(?). /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ CCerberus ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Wow! Nice! This song skillfully combines the conventions of rock, the sounds of techno, and the texture of a Purple Motion song, all in 3/4 time! I'm impressed! This is fun to listen to, enjoyable, and interesting. I wish there were more music like this. That is, I wish there were more music that had a truly unique sound to it, such as that possessed by this song. I choose to issue no complaints about this, other than that one particular sample, an electro-tom, kinda bugged me. :) -----================================================================----- "Xenogenesis" by Xenoc of ACiD (16ch S3M, 06:04) (xc-xenog.zip [242K/342K]) [Fast Ambient] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Mansooj 88+ -- -- 78 85 Peraphon 83+ -- -- -- 85 Regulator 78= 81 83 69 78 Parallax 77+ 77 80 77 70 /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ It's about time some fast ambient has shown up on the WMR doorstep. This is my preferred substyle of ambient, although I am quite fond of more traditional slower forms as well. One of the nicer aspects of a faster pace is the ability to merge a more upbeat tone into what is usually a rather mysterious, downbeat or introspective style. Xenoc does a pretty good job of this and chose to keep it subtle, and more on the light side than the bouncy side. This factor makes this song quite a bit more fun for the listener and a more involving experience. You don't have to turn your brain off for 6 minutes or so; you can play along. This module is very solid, and very satisfying for those who might like some movement in their ambience. I personally like it quite a bit, as I detect a number of very nicely composed elements which fit perfectly into this style. Like other ambient, it does tend to get a little on the repetitive side, but there's enough variety and a fast enough pace to keep you from being able to dwell on it. Xenoc should be credited with breaking away from his usual style (whatever it is, I confess I've never had the pleasure of hearing more of his work to date), something many composers find it hard, if not nigh impossible, to do, and do well. Xenoc, you've apparently opened up a new vista for yourself, and I suggest you take further advantage of it. If this example is indicative of what you can do on your first foray into something you're not used to, I say go do lots of new things. (Your title choice was quite appropriate as well, in light of this.) /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Regulator ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ A tune reminiscent of some demo tunes by the Future Crew, but which exhibits some unique harmonics, melodies and style. Fast techno drumloops are surrounded by fast synth effects that take the listener on a trip through space and time, just as any well-designed demo tune should do! The melody is nice, but it gets less and less interesting the longer one listens to it, and in my opinion, this track would have done well to have finished after the first minute and a half, or so. All told, a well performed track. I personally don't care much for techno-like songs, so it's pretty tough to judge this one as objectively as I'd like to. So, I'll have to just say that if you like techno influenced demo-style music, get this one, as I think it'll really be worth it to you. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Peraphon ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Hmmm, could this be called atmospheric dance? It seems to have some of the smoothness and calmness of an atmospheric song in places, but for the most part, it's a dance track that's very upbeat and energetic. The main instrument sounds like some sort of flute, adding to the atmospheric aspect, especially in the introduction. The samples are of an excellent quality, having only a reasonably small amount of ring that is normal for 8-bit samples. The percussion track is excellent, and contains several different bridges to give some variation. Overall, this is a top-notch song that sounds great. Get it! /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Parallax ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Technically, this one's a killer, but I can't say I *really* like the song itself, at least in an overall sense. The key instrument which carries the tune, a flute-ish sample, sounds too much like a Nintendo with a choral, but the percussions...those were really nice, and so was the use of a xylophone-like instrument that accompanied it. There are some fuzzy samples, used mainly in the first four tracks, and nowhere else. I ended up muting those first four tracks and the end result was a song which created quite an ambience. A very good tune regardless of the small problems noted. -----================================================================----- "Ebbtide-Moon" by 4T Thieves of Morphology/MONO (4ch MOD, 08:20) (m_ebb.lha [561K/820K]) [Trance] Another completely original guest-star tune from the "reclusive" 4T Thieves, stuck out on an island off the South Coast of England making some of the weirdest, most exhileratingly alien MODs I've heard in quite a while. Hear the depth, won't you? Stuck out in the moons of Venus, diving into the seas beneath Saturn, or just chillin' out in your bedroom, Mono takes you out there. Out _there_ :) [h0l] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Skullsaw 97+100 70 95 85 MING 96+ 97 80 90 55 JuiCe 83+ 75 75 100 85 Rebriffer 80+ 90 75 85 70 Mansooj 68= -- -- 80 78 Raul 58= 50 43 85 65 Peraphon 44- -- -- -- 67 CCerberus 31= 30 28 43 52 /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This one should win some award for being one of the weirdest modules around. The strangest thing about it is that it isn't at all musical in the normal sense, but yet it isn't unlistenable. It sort of exists on the cusp of music and non-music; a place most people fear to tread, and I think in most cases, rightly so. To venture a guess, I'd posit that this belongs in the trance/ambient category, but I've never heard anything quite like it before so it's hard to say for sure. In reality, this is nothing more than a collection of strange samples (that sound pretty interesting when played alone) thrown together in the semblance of a dark trance/ambient tune, but I'd hardly call it music (did I say that already?). This does have a faint Pink Floydish flavor, but I would run away if asked to point out where I got this idea from. Okay, I admit I'm kinda lost on this one, but for some reason I'm afraid to examine, it's starting to grow on me (playing for the third time now, as I type). This alone is something I'm probably too naive to be horrified by. Let's just say I can't call it music (did I say that already?), but it might have an appeal for those who want to shoot-up and kick back in something other than utter silence. Pardon me, I must go now and eat lime jell-o, in the nude, hanging upside down from my balcony. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ I think I'm about to give the highest ratings I've yet to give a module. Ebbtide-Moon connects with my sensibilities, it oozes originality in every respect. I find music like this difficult to categorize. Elements of ambient, sound collage, trance and pure electronica are all present. I do quite a lot of music along these lines and I just file it under "Hellish Music." The music flows from an abstract, meterless beginning through various stages of construction and deconstruction using multitudes of electronic and natural sound. The first couple of minutes have a tape loop quality, hypnotic and evolving. Eventually harmonic elements appear as well as an underlying pulse. A great trip all the way. The samples are not of the highest quality, but this in no way detracts from the music as the sounds are so fresh and interesting. I wish I could find more mods like this as it reassures me that I'm not alone in my desire to experiment and play with sound. Ebbtide-Moon is the best module that I've had the pleasure to review to date. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ CCerberus ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Hmm. This song struck me oddly. Lots of times I really like weird music like this, but in this case, I'm not so sure. This was almost like "wanna-be ambient music" that didn't quite hit the mark. Something about the song had an endless TENSION to it...I kept waiting for it to kick in. There were lots of opportunities for that to happen, but clearly, the musician didn't have any intention of creating that kind of sound (although I think it would've been an improvement). Lots of places existed in this song where some of the "edges" could have been smoothed, as some of the samples seemed to trigger a little too suddenly at times, where a fade would have been more effective. As a final comment, the sample text in this song says, "Sorry for the crap sound quality...Imagine you're playing this on a PC!" Well, I have some bad news...I WAS playing it on a PC. :) /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ "Apologies for the crappy sound quality" is the plea that meets the listener who reads the sampletexts. Oh, yes you're forgiven. This is high-quality fantasy ambient. Really fantastic, with so many twists and turns that I almost got lost trying to keep track of them all. If this had been of top sound quality on an album, it would surely have been the next CD I would own. A little industrial, a little (actually, a lot) ambient, a little new age, a little...well...something. This is, at most times, plainly brilliant, and the few not as good parts are actually quite fantastic too. Too bad on the samples, but don't let that silly detail spoil the impression of a wonderful song. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Peraphon ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Whoa!! Very bizarre indeed, this one. Personally, I don't think this one can be even called music until the tenth pattern or so, and even then, the link to "music" is very tentative. I'd be more inclined to class it as a semi-ordered collection of semi-related noise. I was struggling to get through this one. The samples used sound reasonably good by themselves, it's just a pity they don't sound a little more appealing when put together in this module. Not worth the 800k it takes up. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ JuiCe ]========------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This tune is *completely* out there somewhere (if I hadn't decided not to give originality marks for any song, this one would deserve a clean 100 [Well, I took the liberty and stuck in there anyway, so nyah! -Boris]). Lost in the outer reaches of the human subconscious...or something. :) Moody swirling synths spiral in and out crossfaded with unidentifiable sound-fx. Definitely not the kind of tune you hear every day. It's the sort of thing you either love or hate. I know I love it. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ When the composer states that this is a "bizarre musical composition" they weren't kidding. Then, it kinda lives up to the title and is quite interesting on a "bizarre musical composition" level. I may like it because I do quite like these floaty, bleepy things, so I'll probably reserve some disk space for it. Top marks for the effort! By the way, isn't 4t Thieves a great tracker name? /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ Raul ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This one starts with sounds that put you in mind of being in a jungle with a lot of exotic birds. Then it moves slowly as it enters the body of the tune, but it seems as though it never really gets anywhere. For my tastes, the tempo is too slow (0Ah), and overall, the tune doesn't seem to have much direction or point. I also noted that some of the samples weren't very clear. -----================================================================----- "Computer Sins" by Sun of Dreamdealers (4ch MOD, 05:48) (Computersins.lha [214K/301K]) [Demo/Light Rock] Samples -----------------. Originality -------------. | Technical ---------. | | Composition -----. | | | Overall -. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ==================== Rebriffer 100+ 90 100 80 75 Mansooj 91+ -- -- 76 73 Fanta C 86+ 92 90 83 79 Peraphon 82+ -- -- -- 67 JuiCe 81+ 90 85 -- 60 Raul 80+ 85 75 50 55 CCerberus 80+ 77 79 79 64 MING 65- 45 70 40 75 /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Boris pulls another 4-channel classic from the shadows. This is one of my all time favorite older modules, which I've loved now for over 4 years. These examples are great humblers, in my opinion, because as I mention many times with 4-channelers that I like, they remind us what can be done by quality musicians in narrow confines. I wonder if Sun is still doing the computer music thing, because I'd *love* to hear what goodies he'd whip up in 16 channels or so. Primarily, this is a demo-style module entered (I presume from the sampletexts) into the music compo at The Party II. My results don't show it as having been in the main compo, which means either the pre-selection dolts were busy drooling over the T&A in the graphics compo, or this never made it to the table. I say this mainly because, in my opinion, this trounces over at -least- half the modules that made it to the voting (and most of those were pretty good too). Perhaps I should say something about the module itself sometime, eh? Okay, here it is in a nutshell: it's great. It is a premier example of the mastery of the old 4-channel maestros. The samples are old, but haven't lost all their lustre because the use they're put to is masterful. Unfortunately, that age does show in some unacceptable (nowadays at least) minor pops and clicks during note transitions, (one of the grin-and-bear-its of limited channels), and a little loop trilling. I particularly like the opening to this piece--deeply emotional synths, and the way it filters into the main line so smoothly you don't even notice it at first; and the ending is not left hanging like a useless appendage as a sweet guitar solo (though a bit sharp due to the 8bit sample used) graces the listener as a final pull on the senses. Included in this tidy little package is a good deal of variety, both in samples and composition, though the overall style remains fairly consistent. No chance of dicing this one up, rearranging the pieces, and coming out with virtually the same thing. It's amazing that I can count 15 modules by Sun in my collection, and only 2 that I've actually had the time over the years to listen to...feh...I'll soon fix that. This comes highly recommended if you can appreciate the limitations of 4-channels, and can adjust your expectations just a little for age (though I find it completely unnecessary--quality is quality). If you like this one, I'd also recommend the other module by Sun which I've heard called Happy Bees. Nice upbeat little piece. --- References --- Happy Bees by Sun ([download]) /----------------------------------------------------\ )-----------------------========[ Fanta C ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ Picture the scene: I have a MOD to review. Coffee in hand, monitor dimmed, lights off. Play MOD...listen. I'm giving Computer Sins the treatment. Great samples, engaging melodies and wicked composition. Two instruments in particular stand out: a slap electro bass and a lead guitar used during the last minute. Yeah, this guy has it sussed. It'll get the marks. Okay, song finishes, lights on, monitor up. Read text. It was written in 1992--amazing! Download this one whilst I run you through it.... Start: slow, melodramatic rise into echoing synth progressions. Bass in at 0:30, drums in at 0:40, more and more until the entrance of the lead synth at 0:49, playing the main melody. Lead instrument change at 1:25 with previous lead alternating slightly--nice. Short break at 1:44 to backing with enhanced drums and bass. At 1:52 a key change to variation on the initial melody for about a minute. 2:52, a drop into tempo/key change and variation. 4:00 to 4:56, a bridge into the end piece. 4:56, a stunning Wish You Were Here type guitar work until the end at 6:00. For a late 1992 MOD, it's outstanding. It's music. This one is going into my daily play list. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ CCerberus ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ I liked this song quite a bit. It's an interesting style combining the sliding synth-sound of a Purple Motion song with a distinctly rock 'n' roll feel. That's pretty interesting, and since I'm a big rock/metal fan anyway, that wins some points with me. The samples were clean, as well, even if they were perhaps a bit too synthy for my usual tastes. Fortunately, they were all used quite skillfully. Technically, this song seems fairly complex. Particularly worthy of note is a Pink Floyd-esque guitar solo at the end of the song. The feel of it was almost out of place in the overall picture of this song, but that's what I liked about it...it showed that the musician is able to tie together several musical textures with ease. A very good one. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This one was made back in '92, and it's clearly noticeable. Not that it's in any way technically unmodern. The MOD form had already fully matured back then, and this song is made by a talented musician, one knowing how to use a tracker. But the style is so ancient I would have dated it to 1993 or older without hesitation. Since then, modules have become a tool for creating music and not something that lurked in the demo and game scene. And so, the music may have matured and may have become, in style, professional. This is still a good song, with lots of enjoyable melodic corners to explore, and despite my basic dislike of this style, I really recommend it. If you're into old-school demotunes, that is. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Peraphon ]========-----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ It may be a bit old, but in no way does that stop this song from being good. I think it sounds pretty typical of the mods from around 1991-92, so this sort of composition was probably not a pioneer or trailblazer. Nevertheless, I love it. As with most MOD compositions, it's a little limited by the 4-channel format, but the majority were back then, and this is definitely one of the more powerful pieces to be stuffed into the mold. It starts off very slowly with a spacey kind of feel. It progresses very steadily, and sounds great throughout with great bass and drum work. The samples sound very familiar, they seem to feature in many songs from this period. Generic, but they sound pretty good anyway. This module is well worth the effort of downloading. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ JuiCe ]========------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ This one comes from the golden age of Amiga demostyle (1992) before techno-related styles stormed the scene. The samples obviously show that this is a 4 year old tune, but they are very vell used, and the song itself has very nice structures and melodies. The trademarks of old skool demostyle--ever changing chord progressions, and a lot of transitions, are present in this tune, but nevertheless, it flows beautifully, keeping the listener's attention without becoming annoying. And a guitar solo near the end blows you away considering it's been done with only one guitar sample.... Realistic vibratos and pitch slides manage to give very lifelike expression to it. A very fine piece of music, despite its age. /----------------------------------------------------\ )----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ An older (1992) MOD, and the differences are immediate and very, very startling. If you play this track with Mod4Win take a look at the effects section--*that* is the difference between most MODs released today and the "classic" older MODs. Effects, tricks and production value were and are the hallmark of great MODs, and this one has the lot. I haven't heard this particular track in a long while and it was a most welcome return indeed. Everybody should download this track to see how it's really done. /----------------------------------------------------\ )------------------------========[ Raul ]========-------------------------( \----------------------------------------------------/ The style of this tune is what one would call "old-school." It dates from 1992 and its age is easily recognizable, mostly due to its average samples. Even with that, it contains lots of good melodies presented within multiple segments, using varied tempos and styles, as if it were made for a vector demo (although it was, in actuality, made for the Party '92 music compo). -----================================================================----- "