Octamed 6/Octamed 6.iso/text/vol12_modspotxii.wtr

Text File | 1995-10-13 | 16.5 KB | 328 lines

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-THE OFFICIAL MED USERS GROUP-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-







                                      T I









                             Reviews by Mike Richmond








-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-THE OFFICIAL MED USERS GROUP-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


                                  Mike Who?

      Hi ModSpot fans!  If  the  name  sounds  familiar,  then thanks for
      reading my OctaMED tutorial  articles!   I've  been  taking  a well
      earned break from tutorials for a couple of issues, and just before
      the start of  my  major  new  OctaMED  v6  tutorial series, I'll be
      slagging off all your modules, just  to  make  sure you really hate
      me.

      Please remember while reading  these reviews that I know bugger all
      about music  and  that  everything  I  say  is wrong.  It's only my
      opinion, and if I say your module is crap (which I won't do without
      justification) then that doesn't  mean  everybody will think so. If
      you think you've  been  hard  done  by,  write  to  the  Bureau and
      complain.  Take me to court.  See if I care...  8^)

      Let's get straight on with the show.




       Derek Heasley - Electron                                      4TO

      Electron - Small and negative.  Luckily Derek's mod is neither.  At
      54 Blocks long it's no tiddler and I just  managed to hold back the
      tears while listening.  Electron  is  a  fast  paced Techno-ish mod
      which, while initially showing promise,  fades  out to your typical
      repetitive mod.

      There are some nice  riffs  and  a lovely thunder sample.  The drum
      track  complements  the  song  well,  even   if  it  is  a  typical
      bass-snare-hihat Techno pattern.  The  real  problem  is  the  lead
      sample, which is a rather weak `duck' sound.  It just doesn't sound
      right,  and is overused - this kind of sound is okay in small doses
      but it doesn't hold the tune together very well.

      If the mod was a tad shorter  while still retaining its effect, and
      the  duck  didn't  appear  as  often,  I  would  have  unreservedly
      HotShotted it.  As it stands, I think I'll give it...



                                                        MARK 71%







       Innis Barford - Disco 1                                       4TO

      After a bad start, which didn't really gel together well enough for
      my  liking,  the  mod  takes  off  with  a  bucketload  of  typical
      `Ooh Baby' vocal samples  and  an  uninspired  piano  solo.  Up the
      scale and back again, with a few minor diversions on the way. To my
      ears, it sounded  miles  out  of tune to the bass line - not a good
      way to make me re-listen to the mod.

      The opening bass sound is nice, but  continues  throughout the song
      and gets tedious.   The  drum  sounds  are good but manage to sound
      repetitive, even though the drum pattern keeps changing.

      To be honest, the vocal  samples  are  chronically overused in this
      mod, and they use up tracks which could  have  easily  been used to
      fill out the sound a bit more, just  drums  and  bass  are all very
      well if they are rationed, but overall the sound is a bit shallow.



                                                        MARK 50%







       MONO - M101                                                   8TO

      In  my  book,  there  are  two  types of mods.  Those that use that
      annoying brass sample from the OctaMED samples disk, and everywhere
      else, and those that are good.   Can  a  mod be in both categories?
      M101 uses  the irritating  echoey trumpet (20% off for that :-) and
      is an 8 channel mod (add 20% 'cause I don't have an  '020 or better
      to hear it in its full glory :-).

      Being an 8 channel mod,  and  therefore  suffering  from  appalling
      sample quality, I didn't expect too much from M101.  After a couple
      of listens, it started to grow on me, but I can't help feeling that
      Mr. MONO could have  composed  this mod better using four channels.
      Most of the channels are  playing  the  typical cop-out 64 lines of
      clicky hihat that everybody seems to use in 8 track mods.

      Basically, M101 is based around a repetitive bassline, with various
      lead riffs  floating around.  Nothing  spectacular - it's been done
      before a thousand  times  and  it  will  continue  to  be  done for
      eternity.  The  mod doesn't really add anything new to the genre (I
      reckon this type  of  mod  deserves  a  slot all of its own).  It's
      hardly earth-shatteringly good, but it isn't bad either.



                                                        MARK 65%







       Nemesis - The Thin Line                                       8TO

      Another 8 channel mod,  and  a  well  done  one  at  that.  A great
      electric  guitar  sample  starts  off  the  mod, followed by a drum
      rhythm that creeps up on you, but the lead is uninspiring and could
      do with pepping up a bit.

      There isn't a lot I can say about this mod.  It's done well without
      being brilliant, and  although  I  enjoyed listenign to it, I can't
      see myself coming back for more.



                                                        MARK 78%







       Dean Murray - Song for Janet C                                4TO

      This is a slow paced,  romantic  mod  (as the title suggests), that
      captures the feel of that song  by  Enigma  a while ago through the
      chanting monks sample.   There is little activity in the lead - the
      (gorgeously complicated) drum track and bass carrying the tune
      along.

      `Song for Janet C' wouldn't  sound  out  of place on the high-score
      table of a commercial game,  and  I  can't  think  of  many  higher
      praises for a piece of Amiga music than that.

      The  only  reservation  I  have is that it doesn't seem to be going
      anywhere.  What the heck - this is laid-back music at its best.



                                                    MARK 94%  MHOTSHOT







       George MacDonald - Erynn                                      4TO

      Ooh!  This  mod  has  a  very  jumpy bass line. I could hardly keep
      still when I first played it.   It's  a  shame  that  some  of  the
      samples are a bit too loud, but the overall effect works well.

      I would  have  loved  this mod to death if it weren't for one major
      problem - nine blocks is WAY too short.   Come on peeps, let's have
      mods that last  at least three and a half minutes - if it works for
      pop music, it can work for you too. Still, you can't deny that this
      mod could have turned into something spectacular with a little more
      work.



                                                        MARK 72%







       Steve Gane - The `B' Group                                    4TO

      Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!   Hee hee hee hee!  Hahahahah!  HA HA HA!

      Excuse me, but this is hilarious!   It's one of the TI2 competition
      entries by the sound of the crap samples, and takes its inspiration
      from, yes,  the A Team theme.   It's  completely  awful  but  in  a
      brilliant way, it's  saving  grace  being  an excellent guitar solo
      near the end.

      Anyway, I'm  jealous  as  hell of Steve because his mods are all so
      brilliant, so just to spite him... :-)



                                                    MARK 21%  GRIMBIN







       Alex Jones - Ghosts of Chornobyl                              4TO

      At  first  I  thought   this   was  going  to  be  an  atmospheric,
      experimental mod based around some weird sound effects, but it soon
      turns into a `Russian' sounding mod with a `spooky' feel (spooky as
      in Scooby Doo incidental music!). It speeds up, as all good Russian
      tunes do, and it certainly made me laugh.

      Okay it's crap, but it's like Eurotrash - so bad its good. But don't
      have nightmares...



                                                        MARK 71%







       Mick Lovering - Celtic Sunrise                                4TO

      Celtic pipes with  modern bass and drums. Sounds like typical chart
      music fodder  but  Mick  has  tackled it well, and although I can't
      forgive the main leads instrument for being too harsh and too loud,
      the tune is good, with some good use of the vibrato command.

      After a while,  Mick  seems  to  have  run  out of Celtic riffs and
      throws in a very modern sounding section which eventually fades out
      prematurely.  I know it's a favourite  gripe  of mine, but this mod
      would have  benefitted  from  a  refrain before the end, to make it
      last longer.



                                                        MARK 70%







       Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence - Ben Thomas                    4TC

      Ryuichi Sakamoto's  classic  tune from that film I've forgotten the
      name of, and the inspiration behind Rob Hubbard's classic C64 music
      for International Karate,  a MED conversion of Merry Christmas, Mr.
      Lawrence was always going to be of interest to me.

      Although it isn't exactly the same as the original,  that is a good
      point in my estimation - the  point  of  a  cover is to capture the
      feel of the music in your own style.   Ben has captured the feel of
      the original brilliantly, with  a  gorgeous  lead  sample  and some
      really good chord and lead interplay.  The only bad point for me is
      that it is far too short. You just start to enjoy it and WHAM! it's
      the end.

      Nevertheless, this is one of the best MED covers I've heard, and it
      gets a HotShot,  as  well as the dubious honour  of being my mod of
      the month.



                                                    MARK 95%  MHOTSHOT







      ___________________________________________________________________

      I hope I haven't made too many enemies  during this ModSpot, I hope
      those  who  I've  given  low  marks   take   all  of  my  criticism
      constructively and aren't too discouraged.

      Look out  for  another  great  ModSpot  next issue where some other
      unfortunate soul has to sit and listen to all your mods :-)


      Mike Richmond, 86 Station Road, Hessle, North Humberside, HU13 OBG.


      THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  I think Shannon  out  of Home and Away is the
                            most desirable female ever to have lived.  Am
                            I sad or chronically misguided?


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-THE OFFICIAL MED USERS GROUP-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-