That tempo pickup is fun! I loved how the bass notes in the piano start to come in and fill things out from time to time. I do think it's BEGGING for strings to come in, hopefully you did that in your full version!
Loved the variations I heard on this in the discord. Thall as hell, great use of midi guitars (which I usually turn my nose up at being a metal guitarist, but this was excellent). Vocals were awesomely used as well. A+.
Crying at the shinto shrine to this. Nice melodies, good arrangement! I think the Erhu library you used lacks a bit of expressiveness, but we all know about working within the limitations of the libraries we can get, so I'm not docking points for that at all. It only sticks out because everything else has so MUCH expressiveness.
Also echoing everyone else - a middle line/countermelody and shifting the drone to other notes would've added a lot. But you do have good melodic skills! I like the first two variations the most.
Great vibes! I agree with other commenters that pushing the percussion a bit back by increasing the wetness of the reverb might help them sit a bit better. That's tricky when the strings are so lush and in that reverb area though.
Love a good bitcrushed sound. Your use of effects is very tasteful. Arrangement is top notch too! Every instrument fits nicely, and the mix is awesomely balanced. Nice work.
I like the tempo shift in The Hanged Man. I think your drums could use a bit more humanization, especially since everything else sounds so expressive. Love that modulation that comes in too! Same opinions for The Sun - these are two good companion pieces!
The vibe going from a bit upbeat and spunky to dramatic was really well done - a tone shift like that is super difficult. The acoustic guitar sounds great too! Loved this one. Feels like the start of a hero's journey.
That intro comes on STRONG and chaotic. Love the violin/guitar combo! You also do a lot of great articulation work on the midi guitar stuff. I think the rhythm guitar could have a touch less reverb on it - it feels slightly indistinct. But the melodies and overall energy are awesome.
Really fantastic progressions/harmonies. I can hear some of the timing issues but it makes things sound a touch more human actually! Nice dynamic build at around 1:50. I think you would only need to tweak the attack on some syllables and you'd be golden. They're just hitting some syllables extra hard lol.
This has some slight NIER Automata vibes for me. I go back and forth on the vocaloid - you do some really cool stuff with it, especially when it layers and how some parts fade in nicely. But other times, the odd way it moves from syllable to syllable is distracting. I think I just personally don't dig vocaloids. Your use of each instrument in the arrangement is lovely! There's some moments where there's a lot of reverb buildup, but other than that, it's a pretty balanced mix.
That acid bass is rad. I liked the variation we got in the drums midway through - great percussion/fill writing. Same thing when we get the arpeggio section against the four on the floor and organ bit. Epic retro electronic stuff. I feel like this belongs in an early PS1 game. I think maybe adding a bit of modulation on some more parameters for the bass and synth lead would've livened it up a touch, but minor quibble there.
The composition is pretty good - but I agree with most other commenters that variation of timbre (get to know your mod wheel on your midi controller or other light modulation of parameters over time with automation!) could have helped this sound a little less flat. Sometimes just putting an LFO with a teensy bit of depth on things like the filter or wavetable position of a synth can do a lot! I do think you've got a lot going for you in the chords/melody, and the bassline was a standout part of this, so you succeeded there. Percussion is hard, and is a week point for me as well - I recommend studying and copying percussion parts you really like.
Overall very well done - I love the clarinet and piano together. I'm not sure I love some of the harmony choices when the melody is played in 3rds - some of the dissonances seem like you didn't stay diatonic, which isn't a rule you MUST follow, but wasn't something to my personal taste. I think the clarinet could have use less low end or perhaps a touch less reverb to make it a bit clearer. The melodies were beautiful!
Overall very well done - I love the clarinet and piano together. I'm not sure I love some of the harmony choices when the melody is played in 3rds - some of the dissonances seem like you didn't stay diatonic, which isn't a rule you MUST follow, but wasn't something to my personal taste. I think the clarinet could have use less low end or perhaps a touch less reverb to make it a bit clearer. The melodies were beautiful!
Love the harp. This would fit perfect in a Nintendo game. I think you're mixing is a-ok! Any mix adjustments would be a personal taste thing. Nice work!
hey all! I’m Chris, and this jam tickles my fancy. I specialize in heavy metal or synthesizer based music, but am definitely willing to try other vibes. I’ve got a small indie game under my belt and a portfolio you can check out at www.oselkasound.com
If your game needs distorted guitars or dungeon synth vibes, I’m your guy. If you need custom sounds, also your guy.
