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1997-11-10
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WMR (Reviews [week #32])
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(Originally compiled and added on November 3, 1997)
(last updated November 8, 1997)
-----========================================-----
-----================================================================-----
"Pulse"
by MING of DiSC/Impression
(20ch IT, 03:55)
(m5r-pulz.zip [226K/375K])
[Industrial]
(Melodic industrial dark rock)
"An industrial tune so dark it even scares the shit out of me. Not really
aggressive, only deep and dark, and with a bass that is meant to shake your
guts. So play this loud. This song entered MC5 in the rookie division
(hey, I AM a newbie :)), but didn't make it to the second round. Looking
at the judges comments, I could see that they either loved or hated the
song. So let's see what you do."
[MING]
Samples -----------------.
Originality -------------. |
Technical ---------. | |
Composition -----. | | |
Overall -. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
====================
Rebriffer 80+ 80 75 85 70
WolfSong 78+ 80 75 75 55
Shrift 65+ 70 55 68 65
Skullsaw 50+ 35 50 45 50
Nemesis 34+ 15 30 30 60
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Shrift ]========------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
This piece threatens to turn into a pretty trancey dance-fest, but it
suffers from some ineffective transitions, and some rhythmic repetition.
One thing which struck me immediately about this piece is that a pretty
contrived rhythm was following all the way through. This song's rhythmic
stagnation became obvious to me quickly because the rhythm is so central to
the structure of the piece--it is a rare moment in this song when the
melody out-dances the rhythm. It was also made obvious because of an
off-tempo string melody, which acts as a sort of central thread throughout
the piece. Generally, I liked the rhythm just fine, but when it came time
to transition, the rhythm failed to keep my interest--transitions in this
song (there are several) constitute the dropping off of any melodic
elements, allowing the slightly changing rhythm to fiddle around for a few
patterns before more very minimalistic (as in, three notes) melodic
elements come in and again drop off. The rhythm changes so little between
these transitions, and it is so focal to the movement of the piece, that it
didn't work very well for me. It also suffers because of the lack of
variety in terms of melodic elements, which is frustrating because the
simplicity of the melodies could have been drawn out much more (this would
probably have made the piece more trancey, and I would have been more
accepting of the rhythmic stagnation).
Still, this piece has some really fine-sounding ideas sprinkled throughout,
the largest of which is this recurring string melody (which changes
slightly each time) in combination with an also recurring melodic rhythm
which is first seen at the beginning of the song. Had these minimalistic
elements been brought out more fully, I think the piece would carry itself
more as a single entity than as a set of detached ideas. There is an
accompanying melody which comes on an off, but I think it pushes this piece
more into the realm of pop-dance, and so it wasn't quite what I was looking
for in the piece.
The main rhythm doesn't do much for me, possibly because the samples used
to create the rhythm are flat-average quality. The samples used for the
rest of the song are neatly above average, with a few supers thrown in.
Although this song may appear to be a sort of pop-dance piece to some, when
that slow and sober string comes in, it suggests something more to me. I
think this piece wanted to be a dancey-trance piece, and I think it was off
to a good start. I think it only really suffered from a lack of ideas
which would have kept the song feeling fresh pattern after pattern--after
you've heard the first thirty seconds of this song, that covers about two
thirds of the thematic ideas, and a higher percentage of the rhythm (which
is supposed to be very strongly supporting the melody--the melody as
formulated in this piece would have trouble standing by itself). When I
say rhythm, I am including the repeating melodic element of that
rhythm--this element is one of the few rhythmic elements that really
changes the flow of the rhythm in this piece (not counting the addition and
retention of various non-central rhythmic sounds), but does so by merely
shutting off and clicking back on.
The ending seemed to be a bit impotent--I didn't feel like the song was
ready to end, though I personally had heard enough for it to end. I think
that the song had not been built up cohesively enough to end, as the climax
of the song is merely a combination of the melodic themes which occurred
throughout the piece.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
As well as being a WMR reviewer of long standing, MING is also a regular of
Usenet's alt.binaries.sounds.mods. I have watched this composer (and his
DiSC stablemates) with much pleasure as they developed their own way and
style of doing things. MING (and DiSC) are a signpost of the way the MOD
world is taking a sharp turn out of the restrictive 'cultish' MOD scene of
compos, gatherings and #trax. DiSC have built up a following, like a lot
of new groups, out of a web presence and a willingness to involve
themselves in projects such as WMR. Speaking as a mod listener, I would
recommend DiSC's output to anybody as an example of how to make good--yep,
and interesting--product.
Having just issued my weekly vitriol against my usual windmills, this track
was an entrant into the MC5 contest in the 'rookie' section. I'm sure that
MING will correct me, but I don't think it won anything. Two things
surprise me: 1) why didn't it win on the basis of doing it differently
enough? And: 2) why MING entered as a 'rookie'?
Not your usual compo entry then, eh?
Nope, nothing like it, and therein may lay the seeds of its downfall, at
least in the refined(?) atmosphere of the world's most important mod
competition. Taken as just a track, Pulse scores on loads of levels, one
can only assume that it wasn't sufficiently 'MOD' sounding enough. Pulse
is a very hefty slice of some of the most hypnotic rhythms I've heard
outside my own mob (okay, so I'm a shameless plugger!). It's also very
different in the way these rhythms weave in and out of each other as if
they were engaged in a bit of aye aye, naughty, naughty.... ;)
It treads lightly on the dissonance/cacophony trail as well, which is not
to everyone's taste, but definitely to mine. It also suffers a bit because
the samples seem to be overly loud...but that may just be my player. If
you like your music on the challenging side, I can heartily recommend this
slice of hypnotherapy. Download it, get your favorite things around and
inside you, turn your system up as loud as it can go and drift away....
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ WolfSong ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
The first thing that I noticed about this module was the sound quality--the
area that I think could have used the most improvement. Most of the
samples sounded like they were either replayed at a low rate of speed or
were sampled at a low quality, many being hissy and noisy. On the
flipside, there was nothing wrong with the actual selection and how well
the instruments worked together--they seem to have been picked out
thoughtfully. In fact, if the actual samples hadn't have been so fuzzy, I
wouldn't have had anything to complain about in this area.
The other elements of the song fared quite well. This seems to be a
relaxed dance piece that makes good use of rhythmic elements, with a beat I
thought was quite clever and certainly danceable. The instruments are all
synth and range from warm, rounded melody sounds to sharp, saw wave sounds
that stab through the mix to double as musical highlights and rhythm
enhancement.
The strong point in this song is the composition. Different elements of
the song come together in a very solid structure allowing it to flow from
phrase to phrase with plenty of punch and intensity. Bits and pieces of
music are introduced, taken away, brought back then added with other parts
which enter and exit the stage from time to time. This technique allows
the listener to develop a recognition of elements in the same song and
gives it a comfortable and exciting feel without being repetitive.
If I were to complain about anything else it would have to be the volume of
the percussion. You've got a nice beat here, Ming...show it off a little!
It wasn't so soft that it was inaudible, but during the heavier parts of
the music it did become a bit phased into the background. Nothing would
have made me happier than to hear that beat thump my walls, but they needed
just a little bit more weight.
Overall: Cool tune! Thumbs up! Definitely what I'd consider a musical
success.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Nemesis ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
The only logical conclusion after hearing this tune is that Ming definitely
has heard Mechanism 8 one too many times. This track resembles Mech8 in
structure, sample selection, and sample usage, but unfortunately, it
doesn't hold a candle to the excellent Necros tune. Marred by extremely
noisy mixing, as well as extreme repetition, this track could use a lot of
work in its technical and compositional areas. The drums are its best
aspect, I feel, but they can hardly be heard underneath the thick, gritty
synthesizers and industrial buzzing.
The song structure, as I said, is similar to Mechanism 8, whereas they both
only use a few basic chords with which to build themselves up. However,
whereas Mech8 somehow kept the interest of the listener despite its musical
simplicity, this song does not. Even at the 'MC5' condensed length of 4
minutes, it seems long: I really had to resist the ever present urge to
hit that little fast-forward key in IT.
I found very little here that I could readily enjoy. I'm not sure where it
placed in the contest, but I would put it around the middle of the pack as
far as the rookie section goes. I'd skip this one and go for Mechanism 8.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
This was interesting for the first thirty seconds. The problem is once I
heard the first few seconds, I'd heard it all as there's no development of
a decent idea. A somewhat Meat Beat Manifesto heavy drum/breakbeat
underbelly with an endlessly repeating synth riff, a bass part that I could
vaguely hear and a four bar chord progression is about all there is to
Pulse. Sure, things drop in and out of the mix, but this is a road to
nowhere. It would make decent music for film, but as a listening
experience, nah.
Some interesting samples are used; assorted noise hits, warped synth stabs
and such. The drums are a bit of a blur, very little bottom to them, they
just don't punch.
There's just not much to hear in Pulse, everything that needs to be said is
said within the first seconds of the piece. Don't get me wrong, it's not a
horrible waste but it's certainly not a gem.
-----================================================================-----
"Sonata"
by Chris and the Clones
(24ch XM, 10:53)
(Sonata01.zip [77K/344K])
[Experimental/Progressive]
(acoustic, solo, classical, modern (piano))
"Sonata01 is a modern classical piece that extensively uses quartal and
quintal harmony to contrast with various melodic elements. It is somewhat
reminiscent of early 20th century classical composers like Igor Stravinsky,
though not as consistently dissonant. There are 4 distinct movements to
the piece, each exploring a different theme."
[Chris and the Clones]
Samples -----------------.
Originality -------------. |
Technical ---------. | |
Composition -----. | | |
Overall -. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
====================
Shih Tzu 95+ 97 87 96 86
Skullsaw 90+ 95 95 85 70
Rebriffer 80+ 90 60 90 80
Emit 65+ 65 60 80 25
MING 40- 55 50 100 50
Ka'PQat 30= 60 10 80 20
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
There are four kinds of modules. There are modules that sux, and there are
modules that rox, and there are modules that finds a little place to live
and set up a home, grow old and die between those two definitions.
And then there is Sonata by Chris and the Clones.
There are four kinds of music. Music that fills a purpose other than
listening pleasure (like movie scores, commercial jingles, etc.), music
that fills no other purpose than listening pleasure (aka Easy-Listening),
and music with an artistic message.
And then there is Sonata by Chris and the Clones.
There are four kinds of composers. Those who make music to please as many
as possible, those who don't give a shit what others think, and those who
do their thing, and hope pepole will like it.
And then there is Chris and the Clones, composer of Sonata.
A very (at least in the modscene) odd composer, this Chris fella (who,
despite the name, actually is one person). With an artistic fingerprint so
different from your common hit chart stuff it probably scares most people
off at first contact. But not me. Oh no, not this deathdefying reviewer.
So, plunging myself headforward into the deep waters of Modern Serious
Music (the coiners of the style obviously don't regard any other music as
serious, but that's their problem, not mine or Chris'), I'll continue this
review with a brief description.
It is an all piano piece. The only sound in the tune is (ta-daa) piano.
So far so good. It's when describing the music, themes and styles of
composing that clouds of problems start gathering on the horizon
foretelling real shitty weather further on (where's that umbrella?). It is
fairly indescribable. If I were mean, I could say something like "If you
put a thousand monkeys in front of pianos, one of them would eventually
play Vivaldi's Four Seasons, but the first hour or so, would sound like
Sonata." No, it is not true, but for some people it will probably sound
that way. Just random notes.
There is one difference, though. In a manner of total self-sufficience and
boldness, I pride myself of recognising musical correctness. And in Sonata
every single note (and there are plenty of them, in over 120 patterns) is
totally correct. Nothing is put there that doesn't have an obvious
function in the song. But (always those damn buts) that alone is never
enough. There is no coherence, no theme to follow, no engaging melodies.
No nothing that makes this, in my opinion, structured music. There are
patterns, now and then, where everything fits in, and where a sudden burst
of inspiration on C's behalf has produced painfully beautiful sections.
But they never last for more than a couple of seconds, before the monkey is
back, hammering mindlessly. Even though those few patterns are enough to,
at least, keep the song on my drive, I can't say I'm impressed by anything
other than C's musical knowledge.
Referring back to The Bells, a tune which I, as a representative of the
minority at that time, really liked, I can just say that, even though my
reaction (a big laugh for a great funny tune) turned out to be quite
different from what the composer intended ('twas a serious tune! :)), it
did mean something to me. It did communicate, although in an apparently
unintended way. I kinda interpreted the tune in my own way. Art is in the
eye of the beholder and all that funk.
However hard I try, Sonata can't make me do that.
If there is an artistic idea behind this song, I'll be damned if I can find
it. And if there is a message, it's far beyond my grasp. I do not
understand this song, I do not understand this style, and I absolutely do
not understand why he has released this as a module. The fact that the
tracked format does not give this tune the dynamic chance it would have on
a real piano is another thing, but as I regard composition to be the only
real part to judge in this tune, I'll leave it at saying that the technique
is...okay, at least. The main problem is that the modscene is absolutely
not a potentional audience for this kind of music. It is a quite tolerant
society, but when it comes to music with such a different attitude, I think
people will start getting intimidated. Just a thought, isn't there other
media where this actually could do well, both in presentation and in terms
of success?
At its best, if those fantastic seconds I told you about could have been
developed into a more traditional style and coherence raised a thousand
percent more than it is now, this could be a gem. But that's not Chris'
style. But whatever his style really is, he alone knows. It does very
seldom happen, but this time, I have to say that the high originality does
tend to lower the overall. A module is too 'normal' a framework for such
an abnormal composition.
--- References ---
The Bells by Chris and the Clones ([download]/[reviews])
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Shih Tzu ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Let me begin by saying that I am not especially prepared to write a review
on a piece like this. What we have here is a contemporary classical solo
piano, something that I might be able to thoroughly critique during, say,
my senior year of college as a music major (I hope). Right now, I have
only meager knowledge of classical music and an even drier well of
information about contemporary music, but it's all I have to use. I'm sure
that Chris and the Clones doesn't expect all WMR reviewers to be professors
of music composition anyway.
The title would lead one to believe that the piece is a sonata, but if it
is, it certainly is well disguised. It's very difficult to find any
repeated themes in the piece. The few I notice include the theme that
opens the piece, a theme that makes a strong return in the coda. Another
recurring theme is CDEDF#CC, which appears both midway through the piece
and at the very end. Since these two themes close the piece, one would
assume they are important, and they may well be the two main themes of the
sonata (again, presuming it is one).
It's not really possible for me to give an overall account of the form of
this piece, since it changes style and mood so frequently, and I can't pick
out any themes at all that would cue me in to a recognizable form, such as
that of a sonata. I especially like a section in the first third of the
piece where the midrange drones a single note that gradually becomes a
small cluster while the bass and treble question and answer each other's
melodies. Contemporary methods such as twelve-tone and tone clusters are
present throughout the piece.
But wait! This is not only classical music, it's a module. Therefore, one
must also take into account technical ability and sample choice. On the
whole, I am impressed by the tracking displayed in this module. There are
a few rough spots, most notably during fast runs and trills, where the
illusion of actual piano playing is broken. Too many of these runs (like
the one about 15 seconds into the piece) are limited to one channel; the
ones that alternate between two channels sound much better. Generally,
when one plays a legato series of notes on a piano, one presses down the
next key before the first key is fully released, so at times two notes are
actually sounding at once. This overlap is lost if a run is restricted to
one channel. This technique is used throughout the piece, but it's only
noticeable in the extremely fast segments.
The piano is generally a very good-sounding one, but it seems to pop when
one note is cut off and a new one is played. Again, when multiple channels
are used, this problem disappears. Unfortunately, the pops are evident
throughout the entire piece, and one must simply put up with them. It's
not a huge problem.
I like the idea of having the low notes to the left in the panning and the
high ones to the right, but this might have been carried to extremes in
this case. I'm not sure whether the lower half of the piano is used more
often in this piece or it's just louder, but either way, my left ear seems
to tire far more rapidly than my right. This is much less of a problem if
one backs away from the speakers or lowers the span of the panning in the
player. Still, pitch/panning correspondence is a good idea, and a logical
one, considering the instrument simulated.
Other than those, I have no complaints about the technical aspects of the
piece. Either the composer used some sort of hookup between his tracker
and a keyboard or he paid a fantastic amount of attention to volume and
tempo. This is some of the most believable piano playing I've heard in mod
format, perhaps THE most. There are some patterns where the tempo and
speed go absolutely nuts; I'm curious if the composer is using random
tempos to explore the contemporary ideas of randomness and spontaneity in a
tracking medium.
In fact, I'm curious about a whole lot of this piece. If ever a module
would benefit from composer notes in the instrument list, this one would.
All we get is "Chris and the Clones/Sonata 01," and I can't even resolve
the 'sonata' claim. Although there is something to be said for letting the
music stand on its own, it would be extremely interesting to hear the
composer's explanation of the piece and learn things about it that one
might miss at first glance.
Still, I don't have to know exactly what's going on to say that I find it
all extremely interesting, and definitely worth listening to. Chris and
the Clones has (or have) crafted a marvelous, inventive, highly enjoyable
work, composed with incredible talent. Classical mods live on!
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Ka'PQat ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
This song was created with only one sample, a piano sample that clicks
often and is a bit hissy. I don't know how it was done, but the piano
instrument, without panning commands, automatically pans to the left for
the low notes and right for high notes. This would be fine and good except
there are only about 5 panning positions instead of a continuous spectrum;
the top and bottom 5ths of the keyboard come only from the right channel
and only from the left, to very distracting and unrealistic effect.
It is a very modern classical-style piece that seems to noodle and meander
endlessly, punctuated by stammering, dissonant chords and continuous,
seemingly aimless, leaps from key to key. It will probably be intolerable
to most listeners, especially ones not as hungry for musical ideas as I am.
I am convinced that certain people very close to me would be spraying
bullets through the neighborhood with an AK-47 by the end of the piece,
were they forced to listen to the whole ten minutes of it. This is
especially because, in addition to the above flaws, it seems to have been
created by using some MIDI device to play it live into MOD-conversion
software, with very little modification through commands to smooth it over.
This causes both unnatural note cutoffs, especially in the sections using
only 4 of the 24 tracks, and irritating errors in timing in sections of
very fast arpeggios and riffs that were incompatible with the
quantization/pace of the tracking patterns.
This tends to make it sound like a very skilled college-student pianist
annoying all his friends by constantly fooling around and attempting to
improvise on the piano, while in reality, he is combining little snatches
of various pieces by other composers he has memorized, with interludes of
just random notes questing for a transition, sprinkled with periods of
autistic obsession with certain finger/hand movements.
If, by any chance, you can get past all that and give it a closer listen
purely for the composition and musical ideas, it gets fairly interesting.
The overall feel, once you can discern the theme to it, is like the
soundtrack to a very analytical and dispassionate public television
travelogue detailing the points of interest along a certain train route.
The theme phrase even sounds like one of those musical blurbs that plays
when the logo of the station that produced the show is displayed on the
screen. There are certain passages with train-like rhythms, and even a
'hill-climbing' ascending passage. It could be pretty tolerable, even
pleasant and evocative, if only a 'true' tracker had created this XM.
Anyhow, picturing a train ride through moderately interesting countryside
helped me to almost enjoy it. I thought I could detect traces of George
Winston influences in it, also.
It seems to be divided into 5 sections. The first introduces a simple
5-note theme descending on major fourths, and continues with slightly
chaotic but recognizable variations on the theme. The second seems to
reverse the theme into an ascending one, and develop that into more of a
12-tone section. The third introduces the first hints at recognizable
emotional references/'catchy' rhythmic sections that are rather jazz-like,
but immediately deconstructing and unraveling each one. This is bracketed
by interludes of distant, sustained descending triplets with a
contemplative feel. The fourth section toys with applying baroque and
classical dance forms to the theme to surprising and pleasing effect, and
by this time the tracking has become a bit more sophisticated, as if the
composer was learning as he went along. Finally, the original theme
returns and is built up to a fairly logical conclusion.
This is one I never would have listened to had I not been reviewing it, but
I'm rather glad I did. I would not, in general, recommend it; but I do
hope Chris and the Clones either acquire a good tracker or develop good
tracking skills themselves and perhaps put out more realistic and beautiful
renditions of their work, which already seem pretty thoughtful, intriguing,
and certainly indicative of musical skill. I get sort of an impression
that they may have simply used the tracker to build their composition in
order to listen to it without having to do all the writing first, but
without forgetting their musical ideas either. I suspect this because that
is what I have done myself with my own piano arrangement, which doesn't
sound much better.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ Emit ]========-------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Coming in just shy of 11 minutes, Sonata is a "modern classical" track,
(however much a contradiction that may be) reminiscent of some of John
Cage's piano pieces. It has the distinction of not repeating a single
pattern throughout the entire module. Nevertheless, there is a very
pleasing flow to it, as melodies are bumped into and then discarded in an
almost accidental manner.
The samples are the main source of my criticism; they are samples of piano
and either heavily processed piano or some type of synth tone. Their
quality is somewhat lacking, especially the piano, which comes across as
dull and muffled.
The samples have been looped at the end, so as to allow control of the
decay of the sound. However, one of the samples has not been looped very
carefully, and as a result, CLICKS. While I am interested in the
critique of a digital medium and the use of noise in music, this particular
sample frustrated me to no end. I found it difficult for me to listen to
the track without making a sour face every time that sample played.
Overall, the composition was interesting and dynamic. The music is layered
piano, which ranges stylistically from fairly simple to very complex.
There are some impressive build-ups and explosive moments scattered
throughout the track, as well as some very effective uses of silence.
However, there were also several moments during which some samples were
repeated far too quickly--this caused the piano sample to sound more like a
whacked synth sound. I found this sounded too unlike the rest of the track
and weakened the integrity or 'wholeness' of the piece.
In general, I was fairly impressed by this track, both in itself and
because it is a genre of music I've never heard attempted in any modules
before. The file is only 78k, so I would definitely suggest if you're at
all interested in modern composers such as John Cage, Steve Reich, or Terry
Rilley, that you give Sonata a listen.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Reviewing XMs is usually a doddle, but every once in a while, a track is so
difficult to categorise that reviewing becomes very hard work. Chris and
the Clones specialize in this sort of track.
They (he, actually) has been active for around about a year and a half,
mainly concentrating on Real Audio files but they have made the occassional
XM. The last XM release I reviewed was The Bells--which, I have to admit,
I liked, but there again I would.... See, the problem is that C&tC occupy
a very uncomfortable area of MODdom--you either love it or you hate it.
This is not music to drift off too.
Sonata No 1 is not at all like their usual XM fare, however, as it is a
pure piano peice, but not yer typical piano outing by a country mile. C&tC
are no great shakes in the tracking department but they more than make up
for that in the depth and breadth of their musical vision. There's only
one sample (piano, surprisingly enough) but it is a clear, well balanced
piano, and its use is little short of dazzling.
Now, before I get into the standard "C&tC are god" speech, let me be quite
clear on one point: C&tC are definitely an acquired taste, and don't say I
didn't warn you. However, for this reviewer, they are always fascinating,
complex, incredibly deep and above all extremely uncompromising.
So what do we actually get for our sonata's worth then?
A piano piece that harks back both to some of the best classical and/or
jazz traditions and a lot more besides. It's a very simple peice that
somehow evokes storms of memories--some real, some put there by the piece.
It's chock-a-block full of the most innovative runs and riffs I've heard
this side of some of the very, very best jazz pianists (Keith Jarrett
springs to mind, automatically), so if you like 'cool' in the jazz
tradition, this'll do ya! It isn't easy to get into by any stretch of a
fevered imagination but once you are there, it's definitely worth it.
Handle with care, and if you like a challenge....
--- References ---
The Bells by Chris and the Clones ([download]/[reviews])
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Hoo boy, if this isn't a mod made for a select listener, then I don't know
what is. Sonata is a solo piano piece. It is definitely a product of the
20th century, this isn't Chopin or Ludwig Van, but more closely aligned
with Zappa, Stravinsky and Ginestera. I swear I can hear Keith Emerson
influence in the heavy use of riffs and even in certain melodic lines.
As a composition, I think Sonata is pretty impressive, especially when
compared to 99% of the mods I've listened to. There is a lot variety in
texture, density and dynamics. The piece moves smoothly through atonal,
modal, freeform and traditional styles. The coding is excellent, whether
intentional or by accident, the piece sounds like it was entered via a
piano, pedals and all.
The only real fault I can find as a module is the piano's sound. It's too
machine-like in tone but, frankly, I think it's impossible to do a truly
accurate piano sound in the mod format. The piano has too many subtleties
for a tracker to handle no matter how well it's coded. That being said, I
don't think it can be done any better than this.
This is the second piece I've reviewed by Chris and the Clones, the other
being The Bells, and I must say they're (actually he's) on a roll with me.
Sonata is original, daring and very refreshing. You won't come away
humming any melodies after hearing this one but you will hear something you
haven't heard before.
--- References ---
The Bells by Chris and the Clones ([download]/[reviews])
-----================================================================-----
"Soft--Classic Myst Mix"
by Mysterium
(64/21ch IT, 06:12)
(sftccm.zip [998K/1557K])
[Melodic Dance/Pop]
Samples -----------------.
Originality -------------. |
Technical ---------. | |
Composition -----. | | |
Overall -. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
====================
WolfSong 83+ 86 79 71 81
Rebriffer 80+ 80 75 75 85
Nemesis 75+ 80 75 75 70
Novus 70+ 70 -- 80 90
MING 67= -- 80 30 50
Skullsaw 65- 55 60 55 85
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
AAAAARGH!
No, no, no. Why, oh why? Woe, woe and doom! What is the world coming to?
"What is HE raving about," you think. Well, I'll tell you what I'm raving
about: Blasphemy. That's what it is. First of all, here I am set on
reviewing composers and their work. And what do I get? A remix. How do I
judge the composing skills on this? Where is the artist? What is new,
what is stolen? Fortunately, I happened to have CyberZip's original tune
(Soft, from the demo of the same name; a rather great one, by the way) on
my drive, and even in my all-time favourites directory, so references to
the original was no problem. What Mysterium has done here, and what the
real blasphemy of it all is, is that he has taken a masterpiece with
delicacy and small scale perfectionism as its trademark, thrown in some
rusty nails, some gruel and one medium sized hand grenade, and mercilessly
shaken in around. This he calls "giving it some 'umph,'" but belive me,
'umph' is the last thing a song like Soft needs.
To the soaring melody of the original he adds sharp breakbeats to replace a
clean techno throb, strings in big massive chunks are rushing down at you,
every sound is given a liiittle edgier touch than it should really have.
The order and buildup of the different themes are quite overhauled, and I
belive one of two smaller themes are added too, so I have to give up on
calling it "just a remix," and see it for what it is: a huge overhaul of
another tune.
Of course, Mysterium is no idiot or newbie in the tracking buisness, and
all he does he does with quality, so, overall, this song is still quite
good and worth a listen. But it is not half as good as the original.
Also, there are some technical aspects on crutches here. The samples, if
nothing else. Almost throughout the entire tune I have a snare digging
into my right ear with the stubborness of a nasty hangover, and the way
every one of the old sounds seems 'roughed up' isn't really anything to
boast with either.
So, I guess if this had been an original composition my Mr. Shah himself,
it probably would have gotten a warmer reception, but as I have the
original song in mind, I can not but groan.
Not that the tune stinks. As a stand alone piece, it's okay, but as a
remix, 'blasphemy' is what comes to my mind.
--- References ---
Soft by CyberZip ([download])
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Having just listened to Myst's Atmospheric Light (it's very good!) I looked
forward to this when I saw it on my review list. This is actually more a
remix of a melody by Myst's Nebula stablemate CyberZip but it's still a
little diamond for all that.
Stretching over 29 channels, this is a HUGE IT in all respects: 102
patterns, 1MB compressed, 1.48MB uncompressed--you get the picture.
So will it be worth the many hours you are going to invest trying to
download this whale of a track? In this reviewer's humble two cents worth,
definitely. Mysterium is one of those trackers who can always be relied
upon for quality tracks. He often borders on the bland, mind, but that's
about the only negative thing I've ever found about his tracks.
Soft has a really upbeat, bouncy feel about it that I suspect derives
mainly from the melody (this is the CyberZip part) but Myst has done a
marvelous job embellishing that main theme. If you like good, clear
rave/trance tracks, then I highly recommend you lashing this beast to you
as quickly as your modem can manage. The samples are as clear as the
finest crystal, the mix positively hums along and the track ends long
before you want it to.
All the hallmarks, then, of a bona fide classic, but it just misses that
peak by the merest fraction. The merest fraction being enough, of course.
The problem is that as good as the track undoubtedly is, there is still
this tendency towards the bland which can be very offputting.
No...wait...there must be a better way of putting this.... This bland edge
can lead the listener to assume that the track is lightweight, kinda
forgettable, throwaway, as it were. I can't see that as the reason why
Mysterium spent his time and energy making it, but it nevertheless is the
impression it leaves.
Despite the extremely minor quibble, I still maintain this is as good as it
gets....
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Nemesis ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Starting off with quite cliche thunderclaps, rain, and wind, this tune
surprised me as it brought in a fairly nice set of house drum samples,
definitely one of the highlights of the tune. I'm usually not a fan of
straight house style music, but this had a lot of other elements that kept
me vaguely interested. The only thing I think I didnt like all that much
about the drums was the snare sample that is overlayed on top of
everything: In my opinion, it's about one-third louder than it should be,
but it doesn't really disrupt anything, so it's not that bad.
Within no time, we're into the song's main part, which was definitely my
favorite part of the entire thing. It has piano and strings simultaneously
playing the melody, which is really nice. Unfortunately, it does hit a few
strange notes here and there when trying to harmonize a little, and that
made me wince a bit. As I said before, the drums are good, but at some
places it seems like the loop gets just slightly off for a bit (towards the
end). The song clocks in at around 6 minutes, which is not really a
daunting figure, but there is quite a lot of repetition, so it made it seem
a bit longer.
The only honestly bad part of this song, has got to be where an overused
flute sample that everyone's ripped from Heatbeat is introduced, It's got
this little three note riff in the sample itself, and it gets played like a
synthlead or something, without using sample offsets or porta-to-note to
stop the beginning few kilobytes of the sample from playing every time.
But, with only one aspect that I can really nitpick about, I'd say this
tune isn't all that bad. In fact, I'd say it's quite good. Not
incredible, but a good track from Mysterium, and far above the average tune
out there.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ WolfSong ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
A dance song with heart!
The main instrument in this song is a piano, but it's far from a mushy love
song. It does have a strong level of emotion in it, but not the kind
that's so sickly-sweet that it hurts to listen to.
If I had to pick one word to describe this song it'd have to be 'vibrant.'
The beat is strong and motivating, the highlights are thoughtful and
expressive and the melodies are moving and emotional. I was impressed with
the balance of the musical elements. Not necessarily the volume levels
(although there is certainly nothing wrong with them) but the combinations
and proportions of the different ideas and parts of the music. The
composer didn't put extra weight on elements that he felt were more
important to hear, thus trusting the ear of the listener and producing a
piece that allows the audience to be taken on a musical journey rather than
being shoved and directed into it.
The musical muscle remains strong through the entire song. Soulful, mature
chords keep the structure solid as slightly sad but intelligent melodies
guide you through the song. There's even a rhythm change in the middle but
in perfect taste. Despite the force driving this piece, it all comes out
as a smooth, almost relaxing package.
My complaint here is a minor one. Part of the melody is played with a
certain flute sound (the one made popular by Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer)
that is becoming way overused and almost cliche. I know I shouldn't be the
one to talk since I used that same sample myself in a recent composition,
but I've learned my lesson since then and now that I'm on the reviewing
end, I can understand the reasons for the criticism I recieved for doing
the same thing. It honestly is getting old.
I believe this song would be enjoyable to the general music lover and not
just fans of a particular style. It's a good, quality piece of work and a
good song all around. Downloading is definitely recommended.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ Novus ]========------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
This was actually a joint project between CyberZip doing the melody and
Mysterium doing the drums, and it works quite well. Sure, Soft has a few
weak points, but the great melody and the high-energy beat make it very
easy to overlook the song's weaknesses.
CyberZip creates a relaxing melody that is carried effectively at different
points by pianos, strings, and panflutes. When Mysterium adds in his
fast-paced techno beats, the result is quite similar to Madonna's dance
remix of Don't Cry For Me Argentina. The song is well supported by very
clean samples, which are well chosen and well used. Only a few patterns
are repeated, a definite plus. But they pay almost no attention to bass or
the background instruments. In too many places this oversight leaves the
melody sounding naked. In dance-style songs, the drums and the bass are
what make the song move, and the absence of a strong bass line in this song
is quite obvious. Using some kind of string or synth chords at a low
volume in the background would have also helped to make the song complete.
And the slow down three-fourths of the way through could have been a nice
move except that they didn't even try to do anything special with it.
Overall, this song really is a nice piece of work, but it should have been
better.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Yep, this is definitely melodic dance pop: a heavy disco beat with a sappy
chord progression and some simple melodies. The one thing that hurts this
tune (okay, there's more than one) is the length...it just goes on far too
long. The progression, riffs and melodies are not interesting enough to
sustain the six minutes plus length.
What this tune lacks in composition it makes up for in execution. The
composer shows some real skill in arranging--this wasn't slapped together
in two hours, I can hear the effort Mysterium put into it, very good
orchestration.
The samples are, however, a mixed bag. Their quality is just fine, but I
saw the use of an Asian flute coming from a mile away. I could live
without the 80's electro-toms as well, just a personal thing. On the
positive side, the loops on the sustained sounds are perfect, nice job. I
must give a nod to the deep bass, nice and thick.
I probably would give this one higher praise if Mysterium put as much
effort into the composition as he did into the arrangement. The piece just
doesn't stand up to repeated listenings. In fact, it kind of got on my
nerves as the progression and lead lines are just beaten to death. All
that being said, I recommend this one for downloading as I think most mod
lovers would enjoy it quite a bit even if I didn't.
-----================================================================-----
"Thief of Faith"
by Nino of Realities/T-o-M/SOS/VSP
(25/23ch IT, 02:59)
(ninotief.zip [578K/886K])
[Atmospheric/Orchestral]
"Thief of Faith is a movie theme song-type song originally composed for
Assembly '97. It consists of melodies played with orchestral instruments,
a drumbeat and some techno sounds."
[Nino]
! An entry into the Assembly '97 music compo !
Samples -----------------.
Originality -------------. |
Technical ---------. | |
Composition -----. | | |
Overall -. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
====================
Old Wolf 92+ 93 90 87 91
Nova 91+ 95 90 90 85
Mansooj 91+ 90 -- 92 90
Anders Akerheden 87+ 89 87 92 88
Nemesis 85+ 80 85 90 85
MING 79+ 85 75 70 75
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Oh, this is a nice one. There, I've said it, now I have to come up with
some explanation.
First of all, this track is one of the smoothest I've ever heard. The
samples are top-notch and crystal clear, and the articulation of each
sample with the rest is so expertly done I was instantly and willingly
drawn into the world this piece crafts. All the sounds are silky smooth
and soft, but without blurring together (this has a strange correlation
with the mesmerizing motion of the panning blocks when played in Impulse
Tracker--you'll understand if you see it), but it retains a very
distinctive sense of forward momentum. Even during a couple of slowdowns,
the sounds work to steel you up for another rush, rather than breaking the
structure into obvious blocks by making themselves plainly obvious.
The main driving instruments are a sort of electronified guitar (no, I
doubt it's related to a guitar, but it has that edge to it), deep and
ragged, and its rather incongruous main accompaniment: a warmly
round-toned xylophone. This is used throughout, but takes frequent breaks,
thereby helping to make the following resumptions more welcome, and serving
to juxtapose the variant tones between itself and the The opening is a bit
unusual given the body of the track, in that it's basically a dark
orchestral extraction of deep strings, rolling timpani and an ethereal
flute. The track is infused throughout with elements of this intro--flute
here, timpani there, soulful strings elsewhere. All these varied
instruments mix together with the help of a dance-oriented percussion
track, which lets up a couple of times to allow Nino to reprise the tone of
the intro before turning the heat up again.
One of the main things I like about this track's structure is that each of
the main instruments work together in a sort of handshaking affair where
one takes the stage, another joins it with its own accompaniment, it fades
to allow another to come in with its accompaniment, etc. It's this sort of
interplay that gives the track such a wonderful sense of fluidity.
This is definitely one of those tracks that you pretty much have to hear to
understand the sort of sensation the sounds create, primarily because it
isn't your average track--not by a long shot. It's very invasive and
satisfying, and has easily become one of my newly chosen favorites. Don't
hesitate to grab this one, you won't be sorry. And if you're smart (like
me!), you'll go and root out anything else you can find by Nino--the guy is
swimming in talent. I mean, he actually successfully mixed a flute and a
dance beat, and made me love the flute on top of it (I'm not a keen lover
of that usually irritating little blowstick). This is an accomplishment.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Old Wolf ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
This composition is a very slick, original piece with many nice touches and
twists. It uses up to 25 channels to provide a very full sound without
ever swamping the listener. This is especially true of the last
half-minute, or so. Here, it becomes extremely busy with each instrument
adding to the whole effect and none being lost. I think this song is worth
it just for that last section alone.
But, this song is not just one section. Each piece fits neatly together,
with nary a seam showing. The instruments are introduced at a nice pace,
allowing you enough time to settle in with those already playing, but not
so slowly that you become bored. The changes between orchestral/orchestral
and rock/electronic are handled nicely, being very smooth and well
executed.
Use of a glockenspiel-synth was a strange, definitely inspired, choice for
a lead instrument in this piece, as is its handling. I've got to confess,
I've never heard a glock slide from one note to the next before! It, along
with the rest of the instruments, are all well chosen, very clean, and
beautifully handled.
Nino's use of effects is brilliant. He uses the volume column almost
continuously providing each instrument with a very natural sound. He also
uses only portions of some instruments to provide some very strange
effects, which add to the fantasy feel of the whole. Really, about the
only niggle I have with his use of effects is his panning. For the most
part, it's well done--the instruments are very mobile, helping to increase
the depth of the sound. The problem is that it's too central. It really
would have been nice if he slid further out to each side occasionally,
rather than hovering around the middle. This lack doesn't ruin the piece,
I just feel this would have pulled it up further.
Speaking of niggles, there is one thing I really feel Nino's fallen down
on: the ending. The whole thing just fades out. While appropriate, it's
disappointing. The last portion pulls in all the instruments and really
builds up beautifully, then it just disappears. I was expecting a big
ending, or something special, or different.
So, all in all, a lovely piece. The word I've most used is 'full.' and
that's how it feels. Again, the instruments are well chosen and well
handled; the composition and arrangement is top notch; the use of effects
is lovely, and really enhances the composition. Really, only the lack of
panning and the, to my mind, poor ending pull it down. Download this one.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
I first came across Nino's work some months ago, just randomly downloading
songs, and found his music to be very pleasant indeed. A skilled tracker
combined with a talented composer. What more can you ask for?
Variety for one thing. Albeit superb tunes one and all, the artistry of
this fella is maybe not the most thrilling. In style, it is almost
impossible to differentiate one tune from another. They are all smooth,
they have sweepy atmospheric pads and string arrangements, and outfiltered,
chompy drums. They have a classical or jazzy theme and they are melodic
and easy to take in, without actually being 'easy-listening.'
In Thief of Faith, Nino rocks out. Meaning a pace that speeds up to a more
normal tempo, and some synthesised, overdriven guitars. Plus smooth
strings, jazzy xylophone and chompy drums. As it starts with the normal
upfading string session, and a low-key, drilling flute that's like a carbon
copy of that in True Professionals, I thought "Oh well, here goes another
one." Then one guitar is added, and soon a beat and more noise, so that
after a while, it really builds up power, and starts getting to me. And
there it stalls, where it could have branched out into a really rocking
tune. Instead, it halts at 'almost something' level, before it comes down
again to strings and pads for the ending and closure of the circle.
Nothing in there is really loaded with action, but compared with a lot of
Nino's other work, this is like...trash-metal or something. But in
reality?
Naah.
It is simple and inoffensive in composition, quite well tracked (with the
occasional click and noise flare, but hey, nobody's perfect), and with, in
general, very high quality samples. Nothing more to say about that, over
to the roundup of this review....
As I intepret the title, Thief of Faith would mean someone that is, by
faith, a thief, right? Well, it is not about Nino then, that's for sure.
Because he has so much of himself in his music, such a strong 'artistic
fingerprint' he obviously is not stealing from anyone.
Except from himself, over and over.
--- References ---
True Professionals by Nino ([download]/[reviews])
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ Nova ]========-------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Why can't I pick this lock? Damn...the guards are about to come around the
corner. Ah...I'm in. Now, where are those plans...I have to take
pictures of the plans for the super-long-range spy laser.... Uh...okay.
I'm okay, really. See? I'm back to the real world now. Really. I was
just trying to illustrate the kind of imagery that Nino creates with this
piece.
The author states that his song "owes a great deal of its inspiration to
Phillip Noyce's The Saint and to Luc Besson's The Fifth Element." Well, I
can see an element of both in this song. I am even a proud owner of
The Fifth Element soundtrack (The Diva's Song in track 15 is incredible!).
But I digress.
A flute sample and a cello-like synth start this track off with a little
mysticism. A xylophone and a bass guitar then grace the aural stage; soon
followed by many more orchestral instruments and a driving rhythm. I
literally started the head bob at this point and soon after, my foot
followed. At about a third of the way into the song, I realized that I was
listening to a keeper. This tune shall forever grace my hard drive.
Whoa...wait a sec...what is this...why, it's a nice bridge done with
timpani. Now, how often have you heard that in the tracking realm?
I come away from this song feeling refreshed and uplifted, as if my spy
mission into the enemy compound to retrieve the plans has been successful
and I'm on my way out--back to the speedboat to make my getaway.
Please do not think of this tune as a traditional orchestral piece such as
those made by Bach or Handel, but rather a modern one. This very much
could be a tune that could be used in a movie soundtrack to enhance or
create a mood.
This is a great tune and one of my only complaints is that it needs to be
about ten minutes longer. I want more. Nino has to make more. He simply
must! Well, that's enough of my ranting, give this track a listen!
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Nemesis ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Ethereal chords, a forlorn-sounding flute, and a low rumble open up this
tune, the tracking skill being quite immediately evident. Nino adds in a
rather spooky-sounding marimba, performing a melody one could label as
almost 'sinister' in its methodical little journey along the scale. A
slick drum track is brought in, with nothing that jumps out and bites you
on the ass, but definitely a little groove movin' around in there. The
always appreciated GUS strings patch can be heard floating around in the
heart of the sound spectrum, and a deliciously warm bass guitar fills out
the lower end. Add on a cutting, bright synth to the mix, and you've got a
keeper...easy. About a third of the way through, the drums cut out, and a
little ditty with the flutes is heard again, with those nice, fat chord
samples fading in and out. Towards the end, Nino wraps it up nicely,
bringing in the drums again, and giving us a rehash of the first chorus;
unfortunately, there isn't much difference between the ending and the part
about a minute into the song, but it works for me.
I suppose my only real complaint with this song would be that it's a bit
too short, clocking in at three minutes. However, this was a reguirement
for the Assembly music competition (which it was entered into; I'm not
aware if it placed, though), and couldn't be avoided, as much as I'd love
to hear a longer version of this tune. So, download it today, I know I'm
keeping this one around for awhile.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------========[ Anders Akerheden ]========-------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Although I'm a big Eric Serra fan, and even though I've seen
The Fifth Element, I can't seem to recall what the music sounded like. And
why do I mention this? Well, Nino himself claims that Thief of Faith has a
typical Fifth Element sound to it. What I can say is that this definitely
has an Eric Serra touch to it. There are plenty of kettledrums around,
though they sound pretty sloppy. Beside this, there's a really nice
atmosphere to the whole song. But I'm disappointed to see that so many of
the samples were ripped, and that the hiphop/slow breakbeat is based on a
loop-sample. Rather dull. No, not the sample! But the fact that it is a
loop, and a ripped one, at that.
But, I shouldn't really complain all that much, because the song, in
general, sounds very rich, mystical and enticing in the way this type of
music is supposed to be. Well, when I come to think of it, Sand Over Water
by Loki sounds somewhat similar to this. But here, there's also a touch of
jazz thrown in as well as a heavier beat. A really nice, and unexpected
combination. This is accomplished by a typical vibraphone sample of fine
quality, playing some jazz harmonies.
So there's virtually nothing to complain about, beside that sample thingy,
and those kettledrums that sound rather weird at times. Now that I've
informed you of all this, I have nothing left but praise for the rest of
this fine piece of music.
--- References ---
Sand Over Water by Loki ([download])
-----================================================================-----
"Cassandra"
by The Decomplier of R.A.F
(10ch IT, 07:40)
(raf-cass.zip [233K/539K])
[Melodic Piano Ballad]
"Cassandra was a girl that would predict misfortunes. Everybody knew about
her but also new that when she predicted a misfortune upon someone she did
it out of hate. This piano piece conveys the mood Cassandra felt up at her
house in the birch forest."
[The Decomplier]
Samples -----------------.
Originality -------------. |
Technical ---------. | |
Composition -----. | | |
Overall -. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
====================
Araneus 93+ 87 -- 92 80
WolfSong 89+ 92 80 93 79
Nemesis 87+ 80 70 75 95
Mansooj 82+ 75 -- 72 92
Old Wolf 65+ 20 85 70 95
Anders Akerheden 39+ 40 38 40 62
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Old Wolf ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
I've been listening to this piece on and off for a couple of weeks now, and
I'm still not sure where to go with it. But bear with me, and let's see
where this review takes us.
This is described by The Decomplier as a piano piece in three parts. It's
really a piano/strings piece, with the only instrument being four samples
of piano/strings taken at various pitches. It fills its 7:40 running time
with three, arguably, separate pieces. It's difficult to decide exactly
where the first piece ends, but I put my guess around 3:40-3:50. The third
piece definitely starts at about 5:30 with an obvious break in the music.
Since there's only one instrument, it had better be used well; and it is.
The four samples are very clean, with the piano fading away leaving the
strings to hold the note. About the only gripe I have with the
samples/instrument is the way the strings just cut out, rather than fading.
This is especially noticeable in the quieter moments. The Note Fade
capability has been used, but I feel it would have been better if he'd done
the fade himself with either a volume envelope or an effect. It sounds
minor, but it spoils the impression that you are listening to a real
instrument.
And that's really the wonderful thing about this piece--you do feel like
you're listening to a real instrument. The piano is 'played.' Almost every
note's volume differs from those around it, just the way a real pianist
plays. With chords, some notes are hit a little before, or a little after
the others, enhancing the effect. Effects are used, but they're not really
needed. The use of different note volumes, and a 'sine wave' panning
envelope are all that are required.
So, the samples are good, and the instrument is handled realistically.
That leaves us with the composition and the execution. Well, I like this
piece, in a way. Bits of it. It's well composed, sort of, bits of it.
This is where the difficulty lies. Of the three pieces, only the second
one really holds together, and even then, only just.
Yes, this feels like there is someone playing a real piano, only they're a
little unsure about it; they can't quite let themselves relax and just
play. They make mistakes. Oh, they hit the right notes, but not
necessarily at the right time, and sometimes too hard, sometimes too
softly. Not only that, it's a piece that they've written themselves.
They've had all these good ideas, and put them all in; a bit here, and a
bit there, then put bits in the middle to flesh it out. What this adds up
to is a piece of music (or three pieces, if you prefer), that seems to have
lots of little phrases from other songs all mixed together and then played
by someone who's a little unsure of themselves.
At times, it begins to build you up, push you forward, only to dump you
back with little to actually show for it. Then you'll hear a snatch of
music similar to a bit you heard earlier, then it's gone, leaving something
else, another song, in its place. A similar sounding song, the same style,
certainly, but a different one nonetheless. At other times, it sounds like
the composer is doodling on the piano, place holding, waiting for the next
inspiration to hit. It loses any atmosphere it may have built up, and has
to work at pulling you in again.
This isn't to say the whole piece is total rubbish, it's not. It's
listenable and nice, in its own way. It just doesn't hold together very
well.
This is all a great pity because the way the instrument is handled proves
The Decomplier has tracking talent, and the snatches of really good music
shows he has some real talent at composition. But if this piece is
anything to judge by, he needs to work at making things flow, making things
more consistent. Perhaps this should have been made into a few smaller
songs, all whole in themselves, rather than strewn throughout one long
song.
So, what can I say in summary? The samples are top notch. The instrument
handling (bar the strings cutting out too suddenly) is great. The minimal
use of effects, and the subtle panning is just what is required. But! It
needs more body, perhaps something to tie the whole piece together, or make
several smaller pieces. Anyway, if you download this you'll get some
enjoyment, but it could have been so much better.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
"Cassandra is a person who predicts misfortune or disaster." Hmm...how
does this relate to this piece? Perhaps the somewhat melancholy tones of
the two instruments explains it. Piano and strings (both exceptionally
crisp), the only instruments present, are, of course, prime candidates for
engendering this particular state of mind. However, tonally, this track's
imagery invokes more a sense of peaceful bliss than portentous dark skies.
Be that as it may, the track is simple in structure, but very powerful
emotionally. The Decomplier is quite obviously an accomplished pianist and
also well versed in bringing something out of a merging of just two
instruments. The piece is a slow, moody ballad, pairing the piano and
string sample throughout, like Siamese-twins. This provides a nice sense
of continuity, which helps maintain the focus of emotion.
In the extra text, TD claims this is a piece comprising three parts. I'd
have to say that although this may be true in a literal sense, the track is
too even-flowing to make easy distinctions between each section. Yes,
there are brief upswells and recessions, but they're far enough apart that
the relationships are pretty much transparent. This, of course, has no
real bearing on the quality of the piece, since not knowing the intent
doesn't change the experience any.
This is also a rather long piece at just short of eight minutes. However,
it sustains itself well enough, through a sense of quiet drama. This is
probably one of the best minimalistic piano pieces I've heard in tracked
format. It does sound as though it's meandering a bit, taking on something
of a 'noodling' aspect at times, but overall it retains a nice consistent
flow, so this isn't a problem--I consider it slightly improvisational
instead. Granted, I'm not buried in them, but I can tell a nice piece when
I hear it, and I just have.
To TD himself: if you haven't done so already, please do 'remix' this
track with an orchestral accompaniment. I think its structure could be
well suited to it.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ WolfSong ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
This is a piano song, though not in the way you might think. It's not your
usual mushy love song; it's more along the classical/new age edge.
I want to take a second here to express a bit of admiration for the artist.
He's taken a bold leap into the blue in that the one and only instrument in
this song is a piano. That's all. No drums, no bass or synths. Only a
piano. There are strings in the background but they follow the piano
exactly and are, in fact, part of the same sample. This means that without
tons of effects, wild sounds and vocal samples, the only thing he's relied
on to make the song enjoyable is simply...music. In that task, I would
like to congratulate him. The song is very soulful and emotional. It's
far from being computerized or too perfect. Nighthawk has simulated a real
piano player excellently using speed and volume changes to get the accents
on notes that you would get when hitting real keys. And with the sound out
of the way (as far as mistakes go), the only thing left to listen to is
this wonderful music.
There were a couple of places in the song where the samples didn't seem to
work. Nothing big, only a couple of notes. It sounded to me as though
they cut off just a bit too abruptly. It didn't really match what the
overall sound was trying to express, however, it didn't break the flow too
much.
This song is for fans of music. Real music. Not tracked distractions.
Are you one of the few? If so, this song will certainly be a pleasant
treat.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------========[ Anders Akerheden ]========-------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Cassandra, in one way, sounds almost like one of those 'improvisational
sessions' I sometimes do on our Hofman piano. Just as offbeat, but still
somewhat soothing and comforting. In another way, it doesn't. Figure this
one out: "8 minutes of absolutely non-quantized, improvised music" can and
will sound rather dull at times. Especially if there is no essence or a
sequence that keeps coming back once in a while. Some parts in this song
are better than others. But way too often, a section is incomplete, and
leaves you still waiting for that last tone or chord. The bass tones also
seem to have been cut too soon, in a few cases. In others, the opposite
occurs--they glide into one another. You also notice in the ending
sequence, that, in order to be able to play completely improvised, you're
almost required to set your tracker to play at a stupendous speed. 125 bpm
and speed 3 just won't do. The tones will end up in the wrong place, and
if you don't take the time to correct that manually before release, a sound
like this is exactly what you'll come up with.
The Decomplier used four combined piano/string samples in one single
instrument set. They're of good quality, and so I'll have to average
things out a bit. If you just love improvised music, you might find a few
harmonies to please you, but don't blame me if you have to wait a few
minutes for them.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Araneus ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Yet another piano song? Nope. This one sounds like it was actually
created by a piano composer rather than a computer user's attempt to create
piano music. For starters, the notes are realistically timed, either by
staggering chords, or utilizing variable length rests and note durations.
Additionally, The Decomplier wrote the entire song using beautiful
chords--not a melody coupled with a harmony.
Most piano music heard on the computer is of the pop or adult contemporary
categories--very seldom will I hear this type: a new age, ambient form of
music without a definite shape (meaning lack of a concrete melody), but one
that sounds terrific and full of emotion. The melancholy chords happen to
be the type of music I like composing, so perhaps I'm biased. :)
Whenever I come across a song that sounds like it lacks true shape
(regardless of the class), I always consider how easy it could've been to
just randomly plunk nice sounding chords into the song. Well, if this one
were 'randomly' put together, the composer was extremely lucky; the chords
blend together perfectly, never boring me BECAUSE they contain that element
of randomness to them.
For you piano fans, download this one.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Nemesis ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Now, the first thing that went through my mind when I was listening to this
song had to be, "Wow, nice piano samples!"--they are incredible. I'd say
any musician in their right mind would want to download this song on the
basis of the samples alone, which have beautiful strings mixed in, and were
obviously taken from a damn good synth. The song itself is rather pleasant
to listen to as well, consisting of a slow, methodical, piano ballad,
almost reminiscent of George Winston's works. It makes excellent
background music, with its slow pace, and floating melodies.
My only complaint would have to be that it seems a bit repetitive, though
if you look into it, you'll find it really doesn't repeat that much. I
suspect this is because of the slow pace of the song, and none of it is
really very different in style or tone than the main parts. All in all, a
nicely done, professional and clean sounding piano ballad; definitely a
keeper for me, and it should have a permanent spot on your hard drive as
well.
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