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*NO* Super Metroid "Ridley's House of Acid"


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track is mono. stereo is a requirement, so this can't pass as-is. i'll review it through anyways with that in mind.

starts out with some bass fading in and eventually some hats. this is a pretty long intro - it's not until 0:45 that we even get a kick, and the snare doesn't come until 1:06. so that's a full minute at the beginning with admittedly some not-super-interesting synths to be listening to. there's some melodic content for the first time at 1:50 - that's simply too long of an intro without the synth work being sublime.

at 2:20 or so you add an open hat on top of the existing hat pattern. you'll want to dovetail those together to more simulate a drumset being used - the closed hat sounds wouldn't play when the open hat is struck.

this noodles for several more minutes before slowly winding down, but there's nothing else new being added. so, from an overall perspective, i think that there's a neat idea here but it needs a lot of execution help. the synths overall lack panache and punch and as a result are really generic and low-energy. the heavily repetitive background part (in the bass, the 404, and the little bell tones that accompany the bass) are just too repetitive - especially for an original that regularly changes it up! lower norfair has a ton of changes as the track goes on, and none of that is reflected in this remix. separately, it's very clear you're turning on and off channels rather than really crafting a shape for each section - the ending as instruments drop out really reinforces that. there needs to be a lot more intentionality to the overall shape of the piece beyond just clicking in and out boxes. lastly, from a mixing and mastering perspective, the piece lacks verve. the percussion is pretty bog-standard but there's no sidechaining or EQing to make it really pop, and the track overall feels quiet.

i think this needs a lot more workshopping before it's ready to rock. there's a neat concept here, but there needs to be a lot of attention paid to the arrangement, to the synth instruments and what they're doing, and then to the mixing and mastering before this is ready for prime time.

 

 

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  • DarkeSword changed the title to 2024/01/15 - Super Metroid "Ridley's House of Acid"
  • 4 weeks later...

I'm afraid I have to agree with proph. This is a very long burn: it's nearly 2 minutes of intro, 3 minutes of a static loop, and a minute of wind down. The synths are bland and quiet, and the overall sound is flat. I don't really have anything to add that Brad didn't already say, so just read his critique and take it to heart.

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100% mono is an instant dealbreaker.  Wow that's a long and boring/repetitive intro.  The 303 is very plain when it enters.  The drums are completely on autopilot and very loud compared to everything else.  Other than adding things slowly in (like the 303 synth, ride loop, additional percussion and synth bits), there is zero development to this arrangement.  There is no lead anywhere other than quiet little bits of source motif (not that every track needs a lead, but there's nothing interesting happening other than a static soundscape).  

I recommend taking this to our wip forum for further advice on how to develop this.

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  • Liontamer changed the title to *NO* Super Metroid "Ridley's House of Acid"
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