thanks so much for listening and giving such detailed feedback! while spirited was intended to be gritty with a lot going on, i definitely could have achieved it with more attention to mixing. i finished "spirited" within an hour so i didn't pay as much attention to mixing as i wish i had and could have definitely improved it given i had more time. again, thank you a ton!!!
yeah, 24 hours! it was definitely difficult and i finished the last track within like the last hour, but i made it work. thanks so much for listening!!
great and very creative use of panning! i love the creative use of glitchy type effects made by the dipping and cutting of instruments. good production. honestly, i feel like your first track could benefit from one or two more layers or perhaps blending like Eetu mentioned to give the song more depth (this is done well at 1:34 imo!). the second track adds a lot of contrast in comparison with the first track and i like the breakcore-type drums utilized with the piano. very unique and creative ending with the glitchy effects. great work!
you're insane at sound design and you're really good at depicting an eerie landscape. i really felt like i was in the space you were depicting with how immersive this is! super unsettling and such an incredible listen. wow. great work!!!!!!!!!
immediately starting the track, the deep groaning synth you have droning is super intense and sends chills running down the back! i imagined a post-apocalyptic type landscape going alongside your track, kind of like post nuclear war vibes. i like the move from ambient to more movement in the second half of your track. my only critique is adding some variation in the first part of the second half of your track, particularly in the chord progression in the first part (you do a good job at this when the very well composed percussion chimes in later on)! overall this is definitely one of my favorite submissions though and i really had fun listening to this and picturing a story within my head to run alongside it. very dark, unsettling, and emotional and in the best way! great work!!!!
great vocals!! (wow, a lot of ppl are utilizing vocals this jam)
very intense and dark. really feels like you're approaching a significant turning point in the journey. a constructive critique i have is introducing the level of movement you added in the second half of the song earlier when you have the male choir singing, and later on after the middle portion. i noticed some comments about the chord progression feeling repetitive, but i think it's because the vocals are droning quarter notes alongside the bass drum and adding some rhythmic movement could add so much to the song. overall, i love the intensity of the world you've crafted with this song and your choices in instrumentation is super smart! i love the abundance of vocals in this track and i love the main motif that pops in occasionally throughout the song. great work!!!
this mixture of rock and orchestral is really full and fleshed out! my only thing has to do with mixing like pixcele said. some orchestral parts are lost in the mix sometimes (not often), balance the strings out with the guitar and you'll be golden. very nice compositional skills!
also, to add, i noticed in an earlier comment you left that all of the guitars are live recorded - thats super impressive, great job on that!!
very intense! i like how you manage to build on the intensity as the track progresses and you add variation using the vocals and percussion moving beneath the main melody. i like how you move off from the main motif around the 1:14 and go into some chromatic movement, it helps make the motif sound more new when it enters again, especially with a brand new chord progression later on. my only critique is that the track is very loud and i had to crank down my volume to be able to listen. other than that, very industrial and intricately made! great job!
really nice indie-like track! it gives me the vibe of time mindlessly passing by in a campfire-like environment the night before everybody parts ways. i love the warm feel. something this track could benefit from is a moving melody floating above the chord progression given by the piano, or like pixcele said, some vocals, just to add some variation! overall, very nice job!
really lovely theme. i like how the beginning feels like its trying to push a peaceful vibe, but the glitchy-like noises are restricting it. it adds emotion to the track, as if a main character is attempting to have a good day but is plagued by some sort of memory. the climax with the EDM drop really adds to this and ties it all together with cohesion. great work!
what a unique mixture of relaxing and unnerving. it's like you're in an unfamiliar place that you know you're safe in but are unsure of how you got there or how to exit. the plucking of the strings adds a very important layer that would not exist would it not have been added. very smart choices here, great work!
mallets best percussion instrument hands down.... (im biased)
good stuff! my biggest things would be in terms of composition - just work on balancing each instrument and adding some rhythmic variation (syncopation, rhythmic percussion) beneath so it doesn't feel like the song is marching to a strict beat. otherwise good effort, great job composing 6 tracks in a short block of time!
oh no yeah i totally get that! i wanted kind of a tone shift for the final track since it was supposed to represent the main character confronting her mother, resurfacing nostalgic good And bad memories, but with the vibe i set in the first two tracks, i definitely see how that can contrast greatly (especially since i utilized The pop chord progression in Spirited). great tip, thanks for adding!!!
very nice!!! i like the (semi-detuned?) backing behind the main piano melody at the beginning. and came along the harmony with the main melody, adding so much more emotion. i kind of agree with twitchywhalez regarding the vocals - they ARE a very nice touch and very creative, but they feel as though they are laying on top of the song instead of flowing along with it.
basic compliment but if minecraft used vocals in its tracks its def sm i would hear there i fear ... GREAT WORK!!!
nice orchestration and very nice use of dissonance while keeping it tasteful, great chords! i love how you gave each section of the orchestra a time to shine - a lot of people writing orchestra music usually hone in a specific instrument family and neglect to give much attention to other parts of the orchestra, but you've achieved fluency well in this composition. as a band kid, this is honestly something i'd have fun playing in a band setting! nice work!!
everyone's mentioning the 7/8 time signature but i have to as well i fear... composition on funky time signatures is difficult, and you've done very well! i'm loving the jazzy chord progression and could def groove to this! great work!!!!
no yeah you're absolutely right, mixing is kind of impossible on beepbox. like i've said before and you've reccomended i'm going to switch DAWs because it's incredibly limiting. i'm glad my attempts at mixing were somewhat successful nonetheless, and i'm glad you enjoyed the compositional elements! thank you for listening!!
hey, i appreciate the long response!!! especially since this was made in 24 hours a lot of your critiques are very fair and listening back you are absolutely correct, especially with your tips to make things feel more deliberate. you noticed a bit of the deliberate musical choices i made in each track that i didn't mention, kudos to you for that! thanks so much for the feedback, and i'll for sure be checking out 'oneheart!!'
thank you so much! yeah you can't really mix on BeepBox and i plan to switch DAWs in the near future because of this, it's kind of limiting. thanks for listening!
i appreciate the feedback! just a couple things for clarification -
in lost to time, the clashing is purposeful but i did not utilize minor 2nds - the first chord is an Edom9 (no G#) and the second is a D6/9, and so on, with an E drone throughout. the strings are droning the root of each chord and E, the vibraphone-like instrument is playing the chords. it was a stylistic choice as i was attempting to represent a "haunted mansion" kind of vibe, and typical video games utilize dissonance to achieve this, and also i'm drawn to clashy chords as a jazz guy. but i totally see where you are coming from and will keep it in mind!
the reverb and chord structure is deliberate in nuts and bolts - but i see what you mean at the 1:08 section, i could've toned that down and matched the rest of the song where i did a better job at using minimal instrumentation to add chords beneath the melody.
the muddy mix critique is very fair and i agree with that. it's kind of impossible to do on beepbox and i plan to switch DAWs in the near future.
really wonderful track capturing an abstract topic! i love your use of somber strings that sit upon the background noise of everyday life. really conveys the theme well. great work!!
really nice folk OST, i'm in love with your use of overtones in the vocals to add such a unique and amazing texture to your track!!! the overtonal singing is absolutely INSANE i'm obsessed
thank you for the detailed feedback!! i was wondering if anyone would notice the pop progression in Spirited, lol - i thought it would fit very nicely into the feel i was going for in the track and it easily allowed me to hover around sol for one melody while inserting lietmotifs for others, especially since i was in such a time crunch. thank you for listening!
what an unsettling and ethereal ambience!! the vocals added another layer of complexity to the track that wouldn't have existed without them. really tells a story and i can imagine it put in an opening cutscene for a game. great work!!!
KaS pointed this out as well - the stacked fourths at the beginning were very nice and brought a lot of oomfph to the introduction! my only thing is mega nitpicky and has to do with dynamics - some dynamic shaping (i.e. making some parts rise and fall) could add another level of intensity to your piece and could even symbolize the growing and dying of fire as it ages. the visual was a nice touch, and the sound effect at the end of blowing the match out really pulled it all together!!!
yeah i totally get that! i initially was gonna go for a more traditional chiptune track for nuts and bolts but by that point i decided to abandon that idea and revert back to my use of more electronic instruments. i definitely should have introduced the idea sooner, but i'm glad that everything else sounded fun and were nice to listen to!
beautiful piano arrangement with a great thumbnail! very unique choices were made with your chord progressions. i would play around it a little more, because some were done tastefully and very well but some passing tones (particularly chromatic) in other sections seemed a bit jarring. other than that it was wonderfully made and i love the writing you did for the piano part!
spooky atmosphere and great job depicting such an abstract subject in an abstract manner! this soundtrack gave me chills, major mistake listening to it at like 3:30AM. great work!!!
i love how you combine and cross genres in this OST, super unique!! its so intense and mystical. i tell this to most people but i especially mean it for you - you've told your story SO well with this OST and i'm obsessed! great work!!!!!
super mystical! i like how nostalgic and upwriting your compositions are. i definitely hear leina raine inspirations within your style, but you've shifted it into your own and have masterfully told your own story. i like how "wist" and "wander" connect to each other as two piano waltzes, with one to start off your journey and another to close. great job!!!
realy cool orchestral writing!!!! your tracks are very visual and cinematic, i love how they build a story in such a unique way. Lots of smart musical choices here. fantastic work!!!
super fun listen!! sounds super ethereal and intense at the same time, i love the mixture of genres you have within this OST. your introduction of metal is super creative! this was awesome to listen to and "azure depths" was my favorite!!
beautiful chiptune soundtrack with an orchestral intro! really feels like you're underwater. i like how you connected your first track with the rest of your music besides the styles being vastly different. this is definitely one of the higher quality chiptune soundtracks - great job, and i love the musical creativity of your entry!!!
