Hemophiliac Judges ⚖️
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Posts posted by Hemophiliac
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Tasteful take that manages to insert energy into a source that was already very ethereal and ephemeral. The development through soloing is classic jazz combo arrangement fare, with soloing on piano and awesome vibraphone.
Great arrangement, great performances. Absolutely recommended.
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Really cool that you both can work together on something. Family contribution should really be a more regular thing. As for the piece, the overall vibe here is cool, but there are many issues to go over.
For something that seems to be subtle and groove-focused, there isn't any groove to it. The sound design choices also don't mesh well together, but I did like the filtered sweeps in the background that start at 1:12. The bass in particular feels like it's on an island by itself with the only other element nearby that is the kick. These two at least don't step on each other's toes, and both are clear against each other. The bass is rather large but doesn't have much going on, it could be more interesting with modulation.
Individual parts get reused a few times and this gives a static and semi-repetitive feeling to the song. Transitions between sections are nearly non-existent and it's jarring to change things up suddenly. Even basic or simple drum fills can go a long way to smoothing things out. Ear candy could also do the trick for transitions as well.
The dynamics are relatively flat, but you at least give the illusion of change through elements dropping out and coming back from time-to-time.
The ending isn't great as the energy just sputters out like a single candle's flame flickering out.
This feels like a rough draft missing more fine polish to the sound design, mix, and development of ideas. It could be something and has potential, but needs more work.
NO
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So this is fun, I enjoy the whole concept of the piece. Holy hand grenade included with that. Mr. Chapman's bass performance is excellent, and I found the voice-over fit nicely.
What isn't working is the mixdown. It's lacking a lot of clarity between parts, and missing crispness. There's a tilt towards the top-end of frequencies making everything much brighter. This in turn is making the bass lose some weight. With an awesome performance from Mr. Chapman, it's a shame it gets overshadowed and overpowered by the top end. Emunator is right to point out the specific instruments that are the biggest offenders of top-end crimes.
The final section 2:39-4:50 really stepped up the energy nicely (adding the synth a nice touch), but the mix is so unclear that it's tough to tell what's going on.
I don't know exactly what it is but everything just isn't sitting together and feeling cohesive as it should. I suspect there's some amount of compression or something in the master that's adding to the issues.
There's a few plosives in the voice-over 2:24-2:39 that could be tamed, while they were not terrible; should be addressed.
The arrangement was done well, but this battle was lost in the muddy trenches of mixing.
NO
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Sound upgrade done right. This is a mostly conservative approach where the melodic elements aren't expanded upon. The layering of instruments in the background is done very well. The approach to the samples is handled well too. I love your use of dynamics and they have a solid range, including a nice contrasting section in the middle where everything pulls back.
Closing out the track with a ritardando was a nice way to wrap things up without creating a big, over-the-top ending. That was such a pleasant touch, and felt very fitting for the track.
The solo voice falls into the uncanny valley for me, but not so bad that it hurt the track for me.
After the middle section, we get a nice layered approach to bring everything back in for a final recapitulation. A long crescendo was a nice way to get us back to the beginning. However, this is where things took a turn. There's no melodic embellishment, expansion, or development of the original idea on this second time. The solo voice returns almost at the very end to add one small new element, but that was not enough for me. There should be something new for this recapitulation to make it stand out and not be a direct copy and paste of the first A section. A few suggestions could be: melodic embellishment, passing the melody lines to other instruments, or adding countermelody (or all of the above). Anything you could add to make this final section more of your own and less of just the source/a copy of the first A section would put this over the top for me.
It probably sounds like I didn't like this, but the opposite is true. It's quite a lovely piece, and I really enjoyed it. I'd like to see some more work done on it, and please send it back when you're ready.
NO (resubmit)
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Once again, we're in your wheelhouse smashing your keys. Your key-based prog never fails to disappoint and this one is no exception.
The contrasting break at 1:28 was a great way to bring in the Smash Bros theme for a quick cameo. Plus the contrast helped the track not feel ultra-high energy for the whole way through.
You know the right moment to bring in some planing chords to excellent effect, 2:09-2:12 is a great example of this plus you layered in orch hits for extra power. So cool.
This doesn't overstay it's welcome and wraps up quickly, just leaving me wanting more awesome prog-riffs that subvert expectations while playing with time.
Absolutely YES
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This certainly is a departure from your usual soft-orchestral style. A pleasant surprise!
Sparse, yet evocative. Lonely, but at the same time hopeful.
The ambience in this is oppressive, and likely the biggest contributing factor to the feeling of loneliness. With very little harmonic or tonal material in the lows, the top end is left to carry the burden of the melody. In a way, I feel like this is too sparse, but at the same time you could not create the same emptiness and emotion without being sparse. I would have liked this to get fuller at some point or had more going on in the low-end tonally, but I can't argue with the result. Yes, that's a criticism, but your artistry still comes through regardless.
Even though this is a relatively quiet track, the peak still gets up to -0.1, way to use that space! Full dynamic while still remaining sparse and quiet.
I think people will be surprised when they hear this, Rebecca; as I was. Moving.
YES
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Gotta kick this off because you're not able to get in here and vote before anyone else. 😅
To start off, I think the arrangement is great. I also love the ebb and flow of the dynamics throughout, and as it builds to a climax at the end. Playing with the rhythm of the original melody was nice, it gave it some new life. Especially because the original has such a heavy medieval feeling that conveys a more singular static emotion rather then a push forward and having a drive to it.
During 0:54-1:35 there's a series of large background percussive hits, they have a lot of reverb on them. The placement in the back of the mix is good, but the tail on them feels much longer then the other parts during this section. I feel like a compromise on the length of decay/reverb could help them fit in better. Right now they don't feel ideal, but are at a take-it-or-leave-it spot to me.
The distortion-like effect that starts happening around 1:56 starts to get out of control as it ramps up into that section, it gets too hot and dominates some of the other elements through 2:16. For example, the high string synth gets obliterated and I can't really follow the line that it's taking until the higher long held out note at the transition. This next bridge (2:16-2:37) bringing in the beat and bass was nice, but it sounds like the snare has lost some part of it to EQ.
2:39 when the new high synth (playing the melody) comes in, it has a really long tail or reverb that's drowning out much of the other parts and is almost overlapping with itself. This sustain from reverb or release can be adjusted and reduced to fix it. I love the energy brought to this final recap section, but the mixing here is messy. The percussion in particular sounds like it's lost some of it's sonic color due to EQ or something else, and it makes it sound strange to me. There's just a lot of fuzz and distortion sounds filling up space and just making things generally unclear.
There's about 30 seconds of silence at the end of the file too, easy fix.
The two major things that put out the fire are the drum mixing and the messy mixing in the final recapitulation. If you can take care of those things we'll be in business.
NO (resubmit)
Edit 1/22: New version.
The bamblong hits are much improved with shortened tails on them. Distortion on the middle was lightened and feels like an excellent texture now instead of taking up a lot of space. The final section has cleaned up significantly with the removal of some effects/parts. Still not huge on the drums in this final section as something about them sounds off, but that's probably more personal preference. As a whole this is an improvement and I can switch to a pass now.
YES
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So I too have been playing this too much and it was immediately apparent how things have been used in the track. Props to tackling something so new and fresh.
Playing with time was a great approach to take and it really works well. I actually never once felt off-kilter or jarred by any time changes and it flows so smoothly.
The opening section (0:00-0:36) is probably the most modified when it comes to source recognition but it still really feels like the title screen theme. Keeping the time changes and similar motion helps in that regard.
The bass and electric guitar do a great job of filling space and making it so warm and cozy, and the synth choices also feel appropriately selected. Not much more I can say, but this is great and what I've come to expect from Truong lately. Smooth, warm, and semi-jazzy vibes. Dig it!
YES
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Including the sheet was nice to read along with the performance, not necessary but nice to have, thank you.
This is incredibly lovely! There's a ton of expression in this and emotion pours out of it. The rubato and playing with time really contribute to an incredible feeling of anticipation. I know you called this unembellished, and I know what you mean that it's traditionally unembellished, but for this community it's a good amount of embellishment. The original shines through while you add your own spices to the arrangement. I particularly liked how you handled measure 11 beat 3 and 4 as a suspension and let that be slightly resolved despite landing on A7 and then you give us a resolution on the downbeat of mm12 to D in first inversion. Resolved but still moving forward because it's in first inversion. That was so tasteful.
If possible, I'd like this to get boosted up because there is a lot of space available for it to be louder, but if not possible it's not the end of the world. All it would take is applying some compression to make up the space, and you would not lose the strong dynamic range you've created with the performance. I really enjoyed this, and both arrangement and performance are great.
YES
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Wow that's a crazy interesting source tune. Gonna be wild to arrange this, let's see what we've got. For anyone who comes across this thread in the future, I encourage you to check out the source.
Chimpazilla put it perfectly when she said that this sounds like "The non-glitchified version of this original". I have to thank you for providing a breakdown because that is a long source. You've definitely done a great job of adapting this in your own way and moving the individual sections and parts around to fit your own liking. That is the strength of this piece, the arrangement. Good job there. The additional high woodwinds were a great choice for accenting the top of those fast runs early.
It's very tough to get stuff sounding hyper-realistic and this is a case where some aspects of it are solid and others are lacking. For example, when there are runs by strings and horns late into the track (2:31-2:42), it feels like they are slightly behind and have longer attacks. Marcato or short patches might work better in this circumstance. The dynamics were handled well, hearing the tiny crescendos at the end of phrases was good, and there's a slow and gradual crescendo in a few other sections. The timing humanization isn't a bother (but it could be exaggerated) for realism because the snare is keeping time and is not turning into a machine gun. The samples used just barely squeak by in terms of quality, but they could be much much better (legatos). For what's here though it gets by.
The ending is nice and wraps up the chaos in a nice neat little bow.
YES
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Well this certainly has come a long way from it's first steps last year. I'm happy you've gone from being a long-time fan to diving into producing and arranging, to now submitting! The vibe on this one is dark and contemplative, it creates an almost haunting atmosphere at times. I think for that aspect of things you've done a good job creating that feeling. In a macro-sense I like how the whole piece is laid out and how it flows. Your singing was done well, and the effect of filtering added more eeriness to go along with the other elements. At the same time too, the vocals are very loud and feel very on top of the other parts rather then sitting in the same space and same mix. The formants are loud as well specifically in the range of about 1,800~3,500Hz. If there's a boost there from an EQ, I suggest to reduce it some.
I feel like there's a lot that could've been done to help the piece feel less static and propelled forward.
The background elements sound okay, but the focal melody lines are very exposed letting us hear how sequenced and unreal they are. Barring better samples or a live performance from the oboe and bass clarinet extra attention to humanization would be needed to make them work better in a soloist's context (more attention to velocity, dynamics, timing, phrase lengths). Also there are percussion rolls that get the "machine-gun" effect (IE: hi-hat rolls 0:18, 1:08 concert tom, 2:23 piano roll). At times the leads do also wander about and noodle. Not the worst I've heard, but it definitely could be improved upon.
Right now, there's a lot of issues adding up rather than one singular large issue to focus on. There's a great concept here, however; it needs better execution of production/humanization, and consideration of how to reduce the static feel and noodling.
NO
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It's really cool that this is a non-Final Fantasy Uematsu source. This is a lot of fun, and people will dig it! Honestly was indifferent to the Homestar Runner clips, they didn't add or take away anything for me.
Big sound right off the bat, right after some Homestar Runner clips and slick chips bring us in. There's noticeable pumping from side-chained compression and it's just on the border of being too much. I'd prefer slightly more transparency from the side-chaining, but this is done as effect to help create groove in the track. Hearing the release from the side-chaining on the bass is most evident during 1:44-1:52. During this short bridge it feels too much, but I can overlook it because it's just a short moment.
The genre adaption is cool, and I'm grooving. There could have been more melodic embellishment and interpretation but there's plenty of other variation and style to make this your own.
YES
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This is minimal in a maximalist way. Do the most you can with as little as possible. Sparse, dark, and subtle. The massive reverbs fill so much space that you can use very little but maintain fullness.
The departures from the source are welcomed as the original is mostly sparse and doesn't do much dangerous.
I really liked the kick drum dropout for the final ~20-30 seconds or so as it was going relentlessly throughout. A change-up in that kick pattern sooner or a dropout could have added some textural contrast, but you also did kind of achieve that by making 2:44-2:52 drop down in velocity and maybe a slight high-pass filter on it too (hard to tell). At the end of it all, that's a nitpick as the pattern is fine as is; it's not the main focus but a driving force to move the song forward.
Enjoyed this one!
YES
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The vibe on this is really cool, and it's rad to hear you really expand your territory into unexpected places that I haven't heard before. The production is clean as I would expect and it feels like we're getting a sound upgrade to start out. When we get almost two minutes in a new synth is introduced and the soundscape starts to have some evolution.
When the head returns and the guitar is introduced (2:40), it does not feel like it's playing with the same band. It's got it's own ideas about where to go and noodles about regardless of the rest of the song structure. Either this is a prerecorded loop added on top of your backing that you created or the solo was not developed enough. That same thing goes for the trumpet and sax from 4:27-4:58, they step all over each other's toes and at times are not complimentary with each other. If you want to write parts out that are noodling around less, pick a target and have a goal you want to reach with both high and low points along the way. The solos can be telling a story just as much as the whole song does. That way it can go places and progress rather than noodle about aimlessly.
3:06~3:14 there's some odd chords in the synth pad not playing nice with the rest of the parts. Again really crunchy chords in the electric piano 4:19-4:26.
The other problem is not enough micro-variation within the drums. Yes, you do change up the pattern section-to-section, but it would be next level to give some tiny fills or slight variation to the pattern from time-to-time.
Overall this is a cool vibe and energy with strong production, but with a very under-developed arrangement that does not feel completely refined.
NO
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I think we are all in agreement that there are legs in the concept and style adaption here. The genre is rad and injecting some weird elements before the final recap was cool (with the synth). Bring that out more!
Static and repetitive are both words I'd use to describe this. It just doesn't change up much and keeps relentless chugs going. The chugs themselves are also mixed so much more forward and present then the other parts including the leads. The leads should be the focus while the rhythm guitar chugs should be a background element working in tandem with the percussion to drive the piece forward. Right now they are continuous and get dull after a while due to lack of variation.
My fellow judges already did a great job explaining what should be addressed should you choose to continue working on this more. I'd like to see the static repetitive rhythm addressed with variation and some more careful examination of the mixdown/balance of parts.
NO
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Holy bejesus dynamic contrast. I love the huge swings between loud and soft on this. Huge textural contrasts between huge and wide vibrato on the fat bass synth with massive percussion and then beautiful and serene electric piano lines and airy flute.
I'm feeling the source and the melodic interpretations, plenty of it go by and plenty of your own spices to go along.
My only criticism is the ending does trail off in a way that leaves me wanting more, but not in a good way. Uneasy just like other moments in this song through great use of chromaticism (2:12 in the piano) as well as strange and unique synth choices and processing.
YES, loved this.
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I want to start off with the strongest element here, the arrangement and style adaption is done very well. The source is well represented here, and going to metal fits very well. During the recaps towards the end, the melodic embellishments are great; like 4:37-4:52. Good job making the melody your own there.
2:32 was a great place to change things up and give the listener contrast. I think I might have liked it more with even more contrast too. For example, dropping the bass out completely during the second half of that (~2:47) and introducing it again before the transition at 3:24. Not necessary at all, but I think this could improve the song to make the contrast stronger there.
5:24 transition fell flat for me and made the last section rhythm change sudden to me, not the worst but it could be improved. The ending also didn't need a fade out, hit that last chord and let it ring out some!
The mixdown is my gripe here and the biggest detractor from the track from being better than it is right now. The kick has a lot of top end to it and not enough of the bottom end. In general the whole drum kit feels thin and lacking the power it should have. Probably needs some glue compression to fit in everything better with the rest of the parts. The guitars at times seem to be fighting for space in the top end as well. Let the lead sing out the most compared to the others! Though the guitars are closer to being in the right place in the mix when compared to the drums.
This would be a good time to pick out a pro-level song where you like the mix and want to try to emulate that. Not only for the percussion, but the guitars too. Pull up that song and compare it A/B style to yours. Try to match the levels and sound of the drums compared to your own. Jumping into the workshop or discord to get feedback on the mix as you go in the future couldn't hurt, and I think this would benefit from that.
Would love to see this one back again with some more work done on it.
NO (resubmit)
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I really want to rubberstamp this so you can get your feedback and move-on, because both Liontamer and prophetik nailed it already. Alex, you have great production chops and it'll only be a matter of time before you figure it all out and get something passed. It's been nice to see you join the community and be involved in the workshop as well as helping out others
As far as this Tekken track goes, unfortunately there's not enough source usage to consider this identifiable and dominant. At times the beat does feel inspired by the beat from the source, but that alone does not really hold strength when there are other elements that are not used or are recognizable. Right now, this is more of an original piece of music...though, it's an awesome original piece. Extremely well produced and awesome to listen to. You absolutely used every single piece of headroom this had available and keeps the limiter busy and this is impressively loud.
One thing that I really liked and wanted to point out was the transition at 1:53, great use of triplet gating. That sudden use of off-time rhythm really is effective when everything was so straight previously.
To summarize, great production chops but I can't pass this because there's not enough source material to get by.
NO
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I could vibe out to this and just have it on in the background and tune-out and chill. That's rad. The production is also solid. The guitar and mandolin both sound good!
Unfortunately, I'm not feeling that the source is very identifiable or dominantly featured. It just doesn't seem to be coming through and I'm not picking up on where it's at. The other issue is the drums are on auto-pilot most of the way through. Give us some variation to them aside from just dropping parts in and out. Variation goes a long way to keeping a track progressing and moving forward without changing the other parts around them. 3:05 with the recapitulation would be a good time to change them up in particular as this is a time you want to bring more energy for a final repeat!
There's potential here, but I would need to hear more identifiable usage of the source as well as some work on the variation in the drums in to consider a pass.
NO
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Silly fun, are two words that seemingly describe this perfectly.
Jaunty and wacky, the sound palette fit Banjo-Kazooie and a big dancy and almost happy hardcore with a 4-on-the-floor feel.
The changes happen at the perfect moments to prevent things from feeling repetitive or dull, such as at 1:15.
It easily could've fell into the trap of over reliance on the sound effects to make things interesting, but I'm glad this doesn't rely on the sound effects to make transitions. They are for flavor instead!
After ~2:20 things really pick up the energy and the ending brings everything together nicely. Great production, solid arrangement, nice work!
YES
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All the usual from Rebecca. -2.3db headroom still available for a boost. Panning is wide on a few of the parts, and this one particularly feels left-side heavy.
Even with the minor production issues, the arrangement is always wonderful. This is no exception. The interplay between parts is great, and the trade-off of melody from instrument to instrument keeps the piece flowing and moving.
My biggest gripe in this is the solo voice part. It keeps feeling behind the beat slightly as the attack isn't always crisp. Also it keeps on the same vowel without much placement change. This part has been handled mostly well, it's just toeing the line of being too uncanny compared to the rest of the other parts. I do feel this one is over the bar, but the vocal synth could have sunk this had it been handled unwell.
Warming and mystifying. I hear the call.
YES
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Really cool vibe on this one, and I would love to see this on the site. However, there are some problems that should be addressed first.
The drums are very repetitive and bland, playing a simple pattern that rarely gives a fill at the end of phrases. Melodically there's some embellishments that are appreciated, but the second half of the song is pretty much identical to the first, except for some half time drums at the end (which was a cool way to change things up). But before you know it, the arrangement is over with a whimper. The change-up in feel was good, it just came too late when it was needing to be done sooner.
The production is handled mostly well, with minor imbalances as pointed out by prophetik. I would love to see the arrangement varied up with more time taken to look at the percussion and other places variation could be applied (such as melody or overall structure). I would also like to see this back as I feel this one has potential and want to see it on the front page with some changes.
NO (resubmit)
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Wild time sigs on the original, surely a tough transcribe as you said. They also give the source a very unique uneven and unsettling feel too.
First off, I want to applaud the direction taken, you've added some much needed drive to this that the source did not have. The original felt very one-dimensional and this is an improvement to me. The live performances are strong and are highlighted appropriately in the mix. Great work all around!
YES
OCR03639 - Dark Souls "Conflagration"
in ReMix Reviews & Comments
Posted
Dramatic, solemn, and cinematic. Hybrid-orchestral take that is very evocative.
The opening string parts passing back and forth had a quality of ticking clocks.
I felt this had some restraint to it, because I kept expecting it to get to a bigger and larger dynamic but it keeps the energy from getting too big and that gives an anticipatory feeling. Wish it got bigger to climax, but I can understand not going there to keep a certain feeling. Great execution, good arrangement.