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1997-10-29
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1,308 lines
WMR (Reviews [week #31])
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|o / | | \ o| |o | | |\ o\(mansooj)
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(Originally compiled and added on October 27, 1997)
(last updated 10.27.97)
-----========================================-----
-----================================================================-----
"Phurther"
by Xerxes of Night 55
(26ch XM, 07:04)
(xr-phur.zip [521K/1226K])
[Ambient]
"The tune is loosely based on Dune's k. If you like ambient, you must
check it out. Because of a heavy artillery of drums, this is not your
ordinary ambient tune, but the mood it conveys is more on an ambient level.
Hope you enjoy it!"
[Xerxes]
Samples -----------------.
Originality -------------. |
Technical ---------. | |
Composition -----. | | |
Overall -. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
====================
Rebriffer 100-100 100 100 100
Emit 95+ 95 95 95 95
Cubix 90+ -- -- 100 80
Mansooj 87+ 75 -- 70 80
Skullsaw 83+ 70 60 70 90
Nova 76+ 78 72 70 67
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Phurther is an ambient trip so silky smooth it could put turn you into a
drooling, slumbering mess even despite your desire to listen...and listen.
The ambience is somewhat minimal, sufficing itself to rely upon a backing
synth, a phat (am I using that term right? ;)), warm synth carrying short
melodic clips, some beeps and boops, a rather standard percussion of closed
hihat + bass drum + pseudo-clapping accompanied by a nice bass. This is
overlayed with frequent vocals which sound to me to be abstractedly saying
"Ahhhhhstrid" and "time."
So, the components are not especially unusual, and being ambient, the tune
does follow some fairly standard conventions, but it has a very fluffy feel
to it that allows me to settle into its vibe. I guess you could say it has
personality, and I doubt I'm alone in feeling that that is an important
factor in any track. By way of comparison, it has the same sort of
character as some of Jarre's more sedate tracks, in fact, there's even a
noticeable comparison of sound.
As ambient, the marked lack of overt variation is an acceptable reality,
made less significant by the very fact that the sounds being presented are
so soothing and expressive. Xerxes does manage to avoid the complete
flatness that some ambient pieces exhibit (and I believe, despite the
foregoing statements, to their detriment) by breaking the tempo briefly
with some washing waves (the sort you can imagine rolling up at night on a
relatively calm sea) at the four minute mark, returning with more of the
same now supported by a stronger (but not much different) percussion beat.
This small infusion of change is enough to revitalize the energy an
otherwise completely streamlined track would lose about halfway
through--presuming it was a long track like most ambient pieces. As a
trailing side note, the track has a really nice, full, w-i-d-e sound to
it--nice stereo/panning.
It's an odd thing for me, that when coming into the WMR as a reviewer, I
had very little exposure to ambient. I could often be quoted as saying how
important I felt note density was (something ambient is almost an
antitheses for); and now, ambient is right up there in my most favored
style categories list. With that realization comes a better understanding
of and appreciation for the genre. I think it says something for
broadening one's horizons (though that's not to say you can't dislike
something anyway).
With that in mind, I feel I can say with reasonable assurances that
Phurther is a worthy track for anyone who can appreciate a drifting type of
music, and a must for all ambient lovers. The song, in a word, is
beautiful. Pick up Squared Circles too, while you're at it.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
If you are a fan of the Scandinavian tracker scene, then you are going to
download this like a shot--and you'll love it to death! If you aren't a
fan of this genre, you should download this like a shot, anyway--you'll
still love it to death. This, o disbelieving spawn of Beelzebub, is the
u-l-t-i-m-a-t-e in class....
Yeah, yeah stop grovelling and dish the dirt, you cry....
Not this time, undeserving wretches, because this track has nothing--that's
n-o-t-h-i-n-g--wrong with it at all. An absolutely priceless chunk of the
most beautiful sounds this side of heaven itself. In all my reviewing life
with WMR I have never yet given a track a whole 100 for all categories but
this one has achieved that lofty goal--and I have to say I don't even
particularly like the musical style.
So what is this track that's turned me into wet mush? Phurther is a
classic mod in all senses. The samples came from some of the acclaimed
heroes of the scene (Jogier Liljedahl, Basehead, Dune, etc.) and some from
the composer himself. You can imagine that the quality on display here is
nothing short of magnificent. The track saunters along in a groove that is
too cool for its own good; and the vocals will effortlessly raise the hair
on the back of your neck. Effects and coding really show the score though,
and once again, Xerxes knows exactly what to do, economically and
efficiently. A master of the art in top form...grab this now, promise it
undying love and you'll live happily ever after.
Okay, almost done. God, all this drooling makes the ol' floor slippery,
dunnit?
Let me make one thing very clear: I do not like this sort of material.
This track transcends all those sorts of normal prejudices, though. A
brilliant diamond of a track and one that illustrates, once again, how good
these Scandinavian trackers are. Is it something in the air, or what?
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ Emit ]========-------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Incredible! A brooding and sparse ambient track, perfect for the fall.
This is, without a doubt, one of the best modules I've ever heard.
Phurther is seven minutes long, but I hardly noticed as it moves so
gracefully. I actually found myself wishing it was longer.
The track is fairly minimal, composed mainly of an elegant rhythm--not too
fast nor too slow--and with wonderful variation--not just a high-hat and
overdriven 909. Behind this are some subdued synth chords. A few
reverberant noises occasionally rise up and disappear. Finally, two short
vocal samples provide the main motif of the track, and stay with it
throughout the seven minutes.
The samples are excellent and are used with great skill--everything is as
loud as it should be. The percussive and vocal samples are particularly
rich; these are far from stock samples, and much care has obviously been
put into them.
The composition is extremely well done, with particular attention paid to
the stereo image, giving the track a satisfying fullness. There are also
many subtle but appreciable changes which occur to the sounds throughout
the seven minutes. The subtlety and depth allow this module to be listened
to many times over without loss of interest.
Phurther is 1.2MB in size, but I will not complain; it is more than
justified. Download this module now and listen to the haunting ambient
track Xerxes composed for us.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ Nova ]========-------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Phurther is a tune that is straight from the heartland of ambient. From
the initial embarkation into Xerxes' world until the silence at the end of
the song, you are submerged in a tranquil and restful track.
The intro has a few unique sounds that complement a soft, droning synth. A
female voice mixes in with these sounds and a set tempo begins. The rest
of the song is very Enigma-like. A stable and unchanging rhythm set the
beat for surging synths, slow breaking waves, voices that fade in and out
of the audible range and many other sounds that add additional depth to the
tune.
The voices are done well--not overshadowing the rest of the instruments and
not crashing in over the top. There are a few breaks in the beat which are
filled with various instruments such as a bass guitar-type sample. All in
all, this is one mellow tune. The only negative thing that I can think of
is that the song lacks the significant depth that is needed for a truly
great ambient tune. This is a very good listen and those of the ambient
following will enjoy it, but I doubt this song has what it takes to appeal
to lovers of other major genres of tracking.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
I haven't much to say about Phurther as there isn't a whole lot of material
here, but I quite like what there is. It's an ambient excursion with a
mid-tempo beat. A restrained percussion track features a wonderful
processed snare and wet-sounding pops and blips. There is some nice
fretless bass complete with pitch slides, as well. A female(?) sings some
indecipherable words, waves wash on a shore and solemn strings play a
melancholy progression--that's more or less all there is for seven minutes.
Doesn't sound like much, does it?
I like this one, it's mellow and relaxing. The rhythm parts are
interesting and there are some intriguing sounds tossed about for color.
It's very simple, harmonically, but hypnotic. I didn't even mind the ocean
waves sample. I may even keep this one.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ Cubix ]========------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
This is quite an unusual piece, and if I had to classify it, I would place
it in the "Futuristic Meditative Music" category.
The piece begins with a bizarre sound I could only describe as the sound
you would hear if you were standing behind a 'muted,' revving jet engine
while someone was hosing water through the turbine. The piece then
progresses with, at first, one high priest, then two, chanting in a
complementary manner all while the bizarre jet/water sound plays
rhythmically in the background.
This is a great piece to meditate to and would recommend this to anyone for
such a purpose. The samples could use a bit of cleaning up, however I
think that they have served their purpose in this piece. Kudos to Xerxes
for such an original track.
-----================================================================-----
"RMW"
by Chris and the Clones
(8ch XM, 02:26)
(rmw.zip [601K/1220K])
[Experimental]
"This is a piece that explores the collision of noise, rhythm, and
traditional melodic and advanced harmonic techniques, and the resulting
beauty to the discerning ear."
[Chris and the Clones]
Samples -----------------.
Originality -------------. |
Technical ---------. | |
Composition -----. | | |
Overall -. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
====================
Skullsaw 83+ 85 70 90 80
Ka'PQat 75= 70 75 70 90
Rebriffer 70+ 70 65 80 65
Shrift 65= 35 25 80 85
Shih Tzu 64= 61 72 97 82
Kazmeyer 60+ 60 62 75 72
MING 57= 45 60 95 80
Emit 45+ 40 50 60 35
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Shrift ]========------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
One thing that has been consistent in CatC pieces is their sense of
intentional randomness. CatC pieces almost never repeat, and typically
employ themes which are so unconventional as to be difficult to accept. I
don't have a problem with them for this reason, but in this piece I have my
one criticism of CatC's compositions reaffirmed--conventional instruments
(melodic and not) are often used in ways that scream of dicontinuity and
amateurism. For example, in this piece, I could in almost no way imagine a
real drummer playing the rhythmic themes--they aren't in any way jazzy or
even intentionally spontaneous. The drum rhythm sounds about as fake and
electronically produced as one could envision--imagine a drum machine that
got fried by a dumped cup of water, and imagine the drum sequences it would
produce.
Now, I'm not saying this was not done intentionally, as CatC has shown he
has a sufficient technical knowledge, but I am saying that it doesn't work
for me. It comes across (like many aspects of CatC pieces) as poorly felt
(as in, no soul), and non-authentic, even if intentional or contrived.
Even when listening to only two tracks of rhythm from a pattern with all
the extra weirdness turned off, it sounds like nothing I'd associate with
skillful or interesting rhythm--the drums don't do what drums do (keep or
create time).
I do appreciate CatC's attempts to produce music that is so removed from
our common preconceptions of sound-organization that it is barely
recognizable as music...but it isn't that much fun to listen to. See, if
this song had a crazy improvizational or jazzy rhythm section in the
background behind the characteristic weirdness, I'd have few complaints,
but so few things are done to cater to the listener that I can only call it
amateurish. For example, almost no effects are used, and I assure you that
it could use some--the whistle samples used in this song are horrible and
jarring, and I'd be surprised if they weren't poppy (as in, stimulating
your speakers to make popping sounds) on some people's machines. Likewise,
the rhythm could have been made to sound more intentional by appealing to
some actual rhythmic standard. Saying that no standard (ie, random) is a
standard is a cop-out--I can make music no one wants to listen to fairly
easily, even though it appeals to some strict (but subtle) compositional
form.
I would love to see CatC produce music that has been more clearly designed
to show its true colors--something that would make it much more difficult
for people to wave their hands at and dismiss as noise.
Now, as characteristic of CatC pieces such as this one (including the Radio
series), the sample quality tends to be quite high (with the exception of
the aforementioned whistles), and this is the case here as well. Likewise,
this piece certainly is original, as much as random contrivances are
original, but unfortunately I see little to indicate that this randomness
was very thoroughly felt by CatC, because this song generates very little
emotion (much like CatC sonatas). If that was a goal, then this 'song' is
a screaming success. One thing is clear--RMW has a pile of very acutely
strange samples, and that makes me suspicious that CatC was trying to do
something here, if only to explore the nuances of sound, and this
accomplished, all I want is more feeling and noticeable textures because
this comes across to me as entirely cold and alien.
If anyone wants an opportunity to look musically ignorant by failing to
appreciate a piece of very odd music as being inspired, check this out.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
What have I done to deserve this? Not that this song is plain lousy, and
that I suffer through the long minutes Boris has forced me to devote to
it--it is not at all that repulsive. In fact, I rather enjoy it. But what
I don't at all enjoy is WRITING about it.
I could just say "It's totally freaked out," and leave it at that.
Whatever more I wrote would be just a repetition of that statement with new
words. So I'll do that instead: repeat myself.
It's totally freaked out.
It's totally freaked out.
It's TOTALLY freaked out.
Okay, that was the Overall Impression department. But I guess you won't be
satisfied with just that. Damn sadists. You want to see me suffer, or
what? Alright, alright. Into details we go.
I'll start with something I CAN judge fairly: the techniques.
Samples are all of high or semi-high quality, and the drums, especially,
were very clean, which created quite an interesting effect when combined
with the more chaotic structure of the song...but more about that later.
Effects were used sparsely, and channels were never spanned out more than
absolutely necessary, and I find myself wishing a little more work had been
devoted to making it sound at least decent, dynamically. Yet, the
techniques are not so much of a down point that it matters to the overall
effect.
And then the hard part: the music.
It all starts with a whistling sound playing a freaked-out melody. This is
soon joined by pads, distorted voices, perfectly clean, but rhythmically
freaked out drums, freaked out little bleeps and beeps, numerous real-life
instruments blurting out, not quite cacophonic, but at least freaked-out
sidetracks and small second-long themes. It is like there once was a nice,
classically structured, a little bit jazzy piece once, but Chris and the
Clones dropped it on the floor, and it shattered into hundreds of pieces.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall and all that....
And he just couldn't glue the pieces together. But by now, as I have
gotten a pretty good view of this fellow's artistry, I can say with quite
some certainty that every little note, every effect and every byte of the
song is carefully put into place right where Chris wants it to be, ordered
by some alien logic we normal people can't even begin to understand.
And as such, all his production seems to follow that logic. So, if this
had been the first Chris and the Clones tune I'd heard, I would probably
have liked it much better than I do now, as it wold have been a fresh
experience. So, as a single tune, RMW is quite interesting, and even
enjoyable at times, unless you are too faint-hearted, and your brain
collapses at too high a stress level. But as an artist, I'm beginning to
grow honestly tired of Chris. The style in which he makes music is quite
interesting, but also highly trying. And I think I've had my share for a
while, thank you very much.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Shih Tzu ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Well, what can I say? This one is weird. Granted, everything I've heard
from Chris and the Clones is weird, although I only have the three I was
assigned to review to go on. Of the three, Sonata, Radio2, and now RMW, I
have to say I like RMW the least.
Perhaps like is the wrong word. After my experience with Clones, I can
tell that he is a fan of contemporary classical music, and one does not
necessarily like contemporary music. One appreciates it, much as one
appreciates any other art form even if it does not, and is not intended to,
instill happy feelings in the audience. Still, I find it difficult to
relate to this piece, and I'm not sure what mood it's trying to inspire.
RMW is an extremely chaotic collection of dissonant sounds with few
constant elements. There is a sort of synth-piccolo that occasionally
plays slow melodies over the more hyper background noise. In addition to
all the very strange synthetic samples there is a voice sample that seems
to say, "You know, you're just filling (killing?) me." There is some
percussion that is played either randomly or in a very complex time
signature. The percussion samples sound a bit pedestrian compared with all
the weirdness that swirls around them; used differently, they would easily
fit in a demotune.
It's difficult to tell from this piece how good a tracker Clones is.
Especially in the beginning--the synth-piccolo pops and doesn't play its
melody very smoothly, and other pops are present in the background. But
quite a lot of this piece is fairly clean, and I have to wonder whether
anything I can find fault with is intentional--an advantage, I suppose, of
writing such experimental music.
There isn't a lot I can say about this module except that it didn't click
with me. I don't necessarily hate modern music brought into an electronic
format; in fact, I was very impressed with a similar Clones piece, Radio2.
Unfortunately, and perhaps due to my lack of familiarity with contemporary
classical, I was unable to get much out of RMW. However, I still encourage
readers to give it a try; your opinion could very easily differ. Besides,
where else in the realm of tracked music are you going to find a module
that sounds like nothing so much as a CD being fast-forwarded?
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Ka'PQat ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
This appears to be of the tape-loop genre of musical experimentation, like
the work of the Psyclones, or a soundtrack accompanying one of those
multimedia sculptures of screens, monitors, twisted metal, plastic, and
household and office odds and ends. It begins with a slow, slightly
ominous jazzy whistling-on-the-sidewalk-alone-at-night tune, soon joined by
futuristic beeps, siners, and sci-fi-like sounds sneaking in from all
directions.
Then it's jacked up with sheet-metal-warping roars and random drumbeats,
and soon it creates more of the atmosphere of a video-game parlor, bringing
back memories for me, even the whistling reminding me of a basketball-hoop
game in one I used to frequent. Little cheezy tunes by various electrified
instruments play over the cacophony, and then something unexpected...a
flanged electronic/robotic voice, from a stuttering beginning, starts to
say in a genial conversational tone, "y'know, you feel like...." More
permutations and combinations of sound follow, finally cutting down to a
few more notes of the bright/langorous, nonsensical whistling hanging in
the silence.
Because of the pivotal, ingenious machine-voice sample, this piece gives me
the feeling it is conveying a sense of technology stumbling over itself to
please its human creators, to very sympathetic effect. It takes a whole
bunch of usually rather ominous sounds and uses them to create an almost
friendly atmosphere, rife with the candied adrenaline like one feels from
video games.
The sample quality is very high, and the tracking makes most of it sound
very real. Some of the whistling and other lead instrumentation was not at
all smooth, notes cutting one another off. I do not know if this was
intentional or not, but it certainly discourages me from wanting to listen
to it much. Overall, I'd say it was a rather interesting listen with good
samples, involving a moderate amount of skill, but nothing to crow
about...though the voice sample does continue to haunt me. Kinda captures
that feeling of wanting to tell someone how you feel, whether expressed by
a person caught up in technology, or by an actual machine coming to life.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ Emit ]========-------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
RMW is an experimental track of about 2:30 minutes. The first twenty
seconds begin with a high pitched whistle (which I find too loud) playing
what almost sounds like a fragment of an X-files/mystery movie theme. Also
playing in the background, there are some low rumblings and drones. The
whistling subsides, and then the track leads into crazed, chaotic
percussion over the drones and now strangely distorted voices. The
remainder of the track continues in a simlar fashion, as the percussion
fades in and out, and the whistling (unfortunately) re-emerges several
times.
Technically, RMW shows great proficiency with the use of panning controls;
also, the sounds build into quite impressive layers at times, while
avoiding the 'wall-of-noise' effect. At its high points, the track almost
sounds like playing a CD in fast-foward (a bit like Oval's 94diskont
album). However, I feel that this is greatly compromised by the
high-pitched whistle, as it is far too bright, distracting the listener
from appreciating the complex and subtle sounds occurring beneath it.
On the topic of samples, many of them are fairly interesting sounds on
their own. However, I have one complaint: It may be rather irrelevant to
some people, but I think some of the samples are so similar to one another
that they could be accomplished by using volume controls and the built-in
effects of Fast Tracker ][ on the original sample. While not as important
as the music itself, I think size is a valid concern for composers and
listeners alike; RMW is 1.2MB, which I think is awfully large for a track
only two and a half minutes long. By experimenting more with fewer sounds,
I think the size could have been reduced, while still maintaining the
quality of the sound.
All in all, RMW wanders into musical territory quite unexplored by most of
the tracking world. However, I'm not certain if it can find its way back.
To translate; RMW is a beginning, but I think it escaped before it was
really finished.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Either my copy of this is bad or some of the samples need cleaning up!
RMW is another of C&tC's excursions into the wilder extremes of music
post-Zappa, and as such demands a more enquiring mind than the endless
Timelord/Maelcum/FM stuff we are constantly bombarded with. You either
love or hate Chris and the Clones, and I am a fan. I don't like *all*
their stuff, but I do like this wilder, almost cacophonic stuff they get up
to. It isn't stuff that I put onto my playlist on a regular basis, but in
those manic times, a dose of C&tC's particular brand of aural mayhem works
up a blistering headache...hee hee.
Seriously, if you like your music to be unstructured sound, delivered with
style, then C&tC will probably be someone you are going to hear sooner
rather than later--so you may as well be the first on your block! RMW is a
very, very strange (and short, at 2:20) excursion even by C&tC standards.
I starts with a whistle I *know* I've heard before, and then degenerates
into aural chaos the likes of which would drive your parents mad in
seconds. It's even got *drums* in it. Yep drums! and they almost hang
together too!
Chris and the Clones are either musically insane to the point of brilliance
or they are musical imcompetents--and I know which side I'm on. You'll
have to make up your own mind.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Kazmeyer ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Definitely an experimental piece. The drums are all over the place (in the
stereo-sphere as well as rhythmwise) and there's a whistle too (sounds like
the X-Files whistle). Next come some digitally manipulated vocal samples,
and harsh factory-type sounds. Then some cheesy synth sounds jump in for a
second, a shaker, and then the voices again. When I listen to this, I
imagine this is what it would be like to be a schizophrenic watching the
X-Files!
The song tries to fuse too many elements to make it a solid piece,
though--it sounds more like a series of sounds than a song. There is
really no discernible melody, chord structure, or rhythm to it; I believe
you need at least one of the three to call something music. I assume the
composer was trying to create something really original, but this piece
seems to really push the envelope as to what components you really need to
make 'music' rather than just 'sound.' Oftentimes, I like music of this
type, but this song somehow doesn't draw me in.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
RMW is dance music for Tourette's sufferers. The drums stutter and stop, a
cheezy whistle plays melodic snippets and synthetic textures splash into
the mix throughout. A disembodied vocalization speaks from beyond while
all around it indescribable samples slip in and out of the mix. The total
effect is one of a short circuited tracker. Though some samples suffer
from aliasing, they in no way detract from the whole. I'd rather hear low
quality, original samples than gleaming hi-res overused samples.
As always, Chris and the Clones use sound as paint and the tracker as a
canvas to make an aural Picasso, angular and abstract. Experimental and
original, what more could I ask for?
-----================================================================-----
"M W V"
by Kita
(8ch XM, 03:44)
(Mwv.zip [247K/338K])
[Experimental/Progressive]
Samples -----------------.
Originality -------------. |
Technical ---------. | |
Composition -----. | | |
Overall -. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
====================
Skullsaw 70+ -- 50 -- --
Kazmeyer 65= 60 55 70 65
Emit 60+ 50 55 75 55
MING 52+ 50 40 70 60
Rebriffer 50+ 55 30 55 30
Anders Akerheden 32= 29 24 97 38
Shrift 30- 20 15 70 55
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Progressive?
That's the one word that meets the eye when reading the songmessage in this
rather odd piece. That, combined with a total lack of experience of mods
and composers with a .jp email address suffix, made me plunge head over
heels into something I couldn't know to expect. And plunging head over
heels into this did actually hurt quite a bit.
The impression I got was not really "Wow, this is loud!" It was more like
someone had channeled a lightning bolt through my headphones, or stuck a
food processor in each ear and switched it on. It shrieks, it hammers, it
yells and it crashes, all at once, and all so assaultingly loud I think my
heart skipped a beat or two, and my brain was out of sync for several
seconds (more out of sync than usual, that is). And still, there is a
melody, a reasonable rhythm and a groove in it at first, that combined with
the bomb of noise it is, really makes it quite fantastic. It does hack
your inner ears to pieces, but you'll probably like it.
At least for a start. There is one thing this tune lacks so completely it
will take up the majority of this review: Patterns. Actually, there is
only one pattern worth notice in this song. It is pattern number 0, the
one the 'refrain' I told you about above is made of. That is the pattern
with the melody, heavy drumming, and twisted bass is all combined. And
this is the pattern that the song keeps coming back to, over and over
again. Not much variety here. The total numbers of patterns are no more
than four, and they are repeated like they had nothing better to do. It's
like the composer had a lucky strike when mixing the first pattern
together. Then, discovering he can't make more out of it, says "Bugger.
I'll release it anyway." And does just that.
And second, although the song (or rather pattern 0) sounds so nice, I can
not credit that much to the composer. It is rather a jolly good mixwork
between a Kraftwerk-on-the-heavier-side sequence, and one of some more
melodic sort. Spiced with some buzzing strings, it does sound like an
original piece, though, and to me, not knowing the samples' origins,
couldn't hear it wasn't original in all ways until after I saw the samples.
So, a horribly loud song with one top quality pattern, quite okay technical
production, and the rest best left forgotten. All I know is it was
so...bad I coudn't really make tell whether it was intentional or not.
Recommended? Well.... Entertaining? Yes, once.
Progressive? Naah. Only loud.
But do, by all means, download it. For kicks if nothing else.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Now here's an interesting mod. Comes from Japan and boy can you tell! In
various ways it reminds me of the work of the Kodo Drummers--some of the
rhythmic patterns are almost certainly from that particular school of
sound. I am a great--no, HUGE--fan of so called 'world' music which from
almost anywhere produces it's own highly distinctive sound. Having a
predilection for this kind of music, my ears kind of adjusted over the
years to assimilate what most people just hear as screeches. :)
Don't let the fairly abrupt and dissonant beginning put you off because if
you like sounds oriental/Chinese/Japanese (and I definitely do) you will
get a lot from this mod. It probably will not appeal to those people who
prefer their mods to sound like mods, this sounds anything but. Moreover,
the seemingly chaotic use of sounds tend to make a huge blur out of the
sound events--most people may just dismiss it as a howling noise, and they
would have a (kinda, sorta) point. However, look a little closer and you
can maybe see where the chaotic feeling comes from. There is virtually no
use of FastTracker's coding facilities here and that can often be used to
smooth out the rough edges in a track.
All of which is a crying shame, because the track is--as I
say--'interesting.'
The main samples used are quite noisy, however, and mixed in with that
peculiar whiny sound that characterises Eastern music to Western ears,
there really aren't going to be that many takers for a track like M W V. I
have a couple of suggestions for Kita that may help him with his next
release. a) choose your samples with care, and make sure they really add
to the tune, not muddy it further; b) take a little more time with the
texture of the backing track. The Kodo influence in the drum section would
definitely have been stronger if the drum samples were deeper and harder.
Without it, the track lacks the power it undoubtedly should have.
So, not a track I would imagine for the greater mod world, but certainly of
interest to those folks who like the more 'left field' mod composers.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------========[ Anders Akerheden ]========-------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Wow, so this is the sound of Japan?! Well, if that's the case, I'd rather
hear the sound of someplace else. M W V is some really weird, twisted
s**t. The tune (noise), basically consists of, and listen closely now:
one loop sample which sounds like medieval folkmusic, and two hard rocking
metal loops. Well, actually there's room for two more samples. A string
sample that lacks any depth whatsoever, plus one of those "Enigma
panflutes." You know, like the ones they used in Sadness.
Back to the loop samples earlier mentioned. When they're played
simultaneously, as in this here tune, it sounds like, "Mom, I got a serious
hangover!" It's absolutely astounding, IF originality is ALL you're looking
for. I'm not!; and so I don't find one empty track in the intro especially
intriguing. Nor this twisted combination that'll cause some serious
overdrive effect on your speakers if you play it too loud. The samples
loop okay if you play them one at a time, but linked together you won't
notice that, I promise! I suppose some people could appreciate this
so-called music. That is, if you're into headbanging while inhaling krazy
glue. Err, don't you people start thinking I've done anything like that,
now! I'm a good boy. The only reason I'm not inclined to completely
dismiss this track is because of ONE thing: one folk music loop. Besides
that, I was not in any way impressed with the technical skills, or sound.
Some panning is all you'll find. Not too thrilling. Still, people with a
twisted mind could always enjoy a peek! Happy sniffin! Eh, forget that
last thing. Wouldn't want to fool any of you easily manipulated folks into
trying that.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ Emit ]========-------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Where did this escape from? Three and a half minutes composed of only
three patterns. Hearing this alone, you may immediately think this is an
impossibly bad module. However, I was pleasantly surprised; M W V is
simple but effective. I'm not quite certain what to describe this module
as...some permutation of loud progressive-retro-industrial-electronic.
While it is rather minimal and extremely repetitive, there is enough depth
and internal variation within the samples that I can listen to the whole
module without shouting ENOUGH! and pressing stop. The rhythm is very
driving and crunchy, making it difficult to escape from.
The samples, in and of themselves, are not spectacular, but the combination
of distorted samples ripped from other music with the sound of a flute and
awful violin is mind-boggling. Part of me thinks this is a result of poor
composition and is rather irritating by that, but another part feverishly
believes it is both humorous and intentional.
As I mentioned, compositionally, the module is very basic--barely any use
of effects other than panning. I am sure much more work could be put into
this module to improve it; there is much potential, and Kita, the composer,
certainly has an ear for bizarre and impressive combinations of sounds.
More time should be spent on this module, but I think it is off to an
impressive start. Indeed, M W V is a strange artifact of the module
civilization.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Shrift ]========------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
I'm starting to wonder if making deliberately confusing and painful and
ugly music is becoming a ploy for people to celebrate their unique
characters and identity. In any case, this music has obvious tempo clashes
caused by differently or awkwardly timed samples, and has among the most
poor excuses for transitions that I've ever seen (all but one quiet
rhythm-looped sample shuts off flatly about five seconds before the end of
a pattern to show change).
This song is repetitive (only four patterns worth of uniqueness stretched
out over a couple minutes), and suffers from a total lack of effects use
with one exception being a simple panning command.
It uses two Kraftwerk samples which don't do Kraftwerk justice. There's an
Enigma-esque woodwind sample that's of a decent quality, and a strange and
subtle rhythm-loop sample which is intruiguing--it is tribal and ambient.
However, it doesn't benefit the song signficantly. And then there's a
string/violin sample that's outright terrible.
I dislike giving high originality ratings for things which are original
because they are so poorly contrived that few would dare to release them to
the public. One reviewer called my own recently reviewed song
Suffering Variety interrogation material--has he heard this?
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Kazmeyer ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Whoa! This song kicks in with a thunderous clash of sounds including
distorted guitars and bagpipes (I think), so watch your volume! This song
is quite experimental, using distorted samples, but it really doesn't move
me. The patterns are all very similar to one another; the song has a good
start, but seems a little undeveloped. I would like to hear it remixed!
After the initial riff, the tune settles down for a couple of bars with
some Japanese flute sounds (I'm not sure if that's the proper term for
it--it's that Enigma flute), which go a bit crazy along with the
bagpipes...then it kicks in again after you've just settled in to the
floaty bit.
If you would rather hear songs that attempt to expand what is termed music
than another Top 40 sounding song, then this could very well be for you.
Although the song doesn't move me much, I loved the samples and the unique
textures created by the unusual instrument layering.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Skullsaw ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
On first listen, I thought to myself "What the #@*% is this %$@*?" What it
is is a couple of samples from some Japanese noise band, somewhat
industrial in tone yet with an Asian flavor.
Whether intentional or not, the piece opens with silence and then...WHAM!
Cymbals, toms, Asian wind instruments and strings blast in out of nowhere.
There are only four patterns here, the basic body of the piece and
interludes. It's either a full blast sonic attack or a contemplative
break. That's it.
I'm a bit stumped on how to score this one because I suspect the samples,
meaning the entire piece of music, is lifted from someone other than Kita
but there's no way I can be sure. The sound is in your face and loud. As
a composition, I can't give a score because I don't think Kita wrote this.
That being said, I like this for the module it is.
-----================================================================-----
"'Tis My Millenium"
by Anders Akerheden
(16ch XM, 03:44)
(an_clrip.zip [942K/1378K])
[Funk]
"Based on the super funky Acid Jazz album Millenium by Cloud Nine, I
tracked this piece. It is highly influenced by this very album.. However,
it is not a cover."
[Anders Akerheden]
Samples -----------------.
Originality -------------. |
Technical ---------. | |
Composition -----. | | |
Overall -. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
====================
Rebriffer 100+ 95 85 100 90
Kazmeyer 84= 80 82 70 80
Shrift 75+ 75 70 83 78
Walrus26 72+ 50 50 80 85
MING 58+ 40 50 70 75
Nemesis 50+ 40 30 60 70
/----------------------------------------------------\
)------------------------========[ MING ]========-------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
What a waste of bandwith.
I mean, it's not like this song sucks or anything. It's just too large to
make up for the result. Huge 16 bit samples, long sequences and loads of
different sounds, and still it's thin, edgy and somewhat noisy in the
output. It starts with a poorly looped but quite nice drumloop, soon
joined by a disordered assault of acid jazz sounds, and a vocal that
rhythmically belongs somewhere else. Not that the composition or idea is
bad, not at all, but the composer fails totally to make it flow. I know
the style itself sometimes has a tendency to be a little...well,
uncomfortable rhyhmically, but never to this ridiculous an extent. Big
chunks of sound come rushing out of nowhere when they really should have
been chopped up and pasted across the whole place. And with a bass so fat
it's almost unhealthy that has the bad habit of clicking in the most
inappropriate moments, I can't be anything but annoyed. The rest of the
song is dominated by this bass, and a jazzy guitar sequence. Here and
there the voice comes in, and we have occasional breaks and some little
solo outbursts on different instruments, and after a while, and with no
real warning or logic, the song ends, giving me an impression, easily
referred in one word:
Blunt.
The tune is...blunt. Both in terms of composition and tracking. The
samples are each quite fantastic and the 16 bits do, in fact, give the song
a clarity often only experienced in studio work. But you can drag a bunch
of tone-deaf morons into a studio, and it will still sound clean.
Anders Akerheden is not a tone-deaf moron, in fact he is quite a good
composer. But with this song, something went wrong, and he probably didn't
notice it. It's both dynamically and musically overloaded. He tries to
put so much impact behind things that he doesn't seem to care that he puts
it where it really doesn't belong. Getting punched in the belly can be an
interesting experience...once. Here, the composer delivers deep basspunch
after deep basspunch in a neverending stream that muffles the other, more
delicate sounds. And the chaotic rhythm and song construction is like an
exaggeration of normal acid fusion-jazz, where the most annoying bits are
taken out and enlarged. Just too bloody much funk, too little music.
Judging from the underlying quality in the music, spoiled by the dynamic
and rhythmic mishaps, he has greater potentional than this shows. The
millenium ain't over yet, so I guess you'll have plenty of time to make it
yours. Eventually.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Nemesis ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Upon listening to this one, I couldnt help but notice that the main guitar
riff in here is a single 16 bit sample about 340kb in size. This riff is
played quite a few times across the whole song, which is really a shame,
since I'm sure the sample could be split up into little bits and
manipulated into a pretty interesting tune. What I would call the main
melody in the tune is carried by a vocal sample, apparently sung by the
composer himself.
Now, to give you an idea of what this song is like, that same vocal sample
is repeated whenever the composer feels a need for a melody, which happens
to be quite often. It's not a bad little melody, but it would serve better
as a smaller part of something larger. The drums, to me, were the best
aspect of this song, and though one of the samples was a rather large loop,
not unlike the guitar riff, they did all fit together pretty nicely, and
there were a lot of interesting, complicated rhythms in there. The bass is
alright, but sounds a little dull. The bass instrument itself was
apparently too quiet, so the composer plays it across 3 channels
simultaneously to make it a bit louder. Not to be nitpicky, but it's
always a better idea to normalize the sample, or just lower the volume of
everything else instead of just playing it in more channels. Playing the
same sample two or more times simultaneously always causes flanging on a
GUS, and I'm not sure exactly why, but I think it has something to do with
the GUS' timer not being quite perfect, or just the way players tend to
handle samples.
This tune does have its moments, although not too many of them. The ending
was a major downer for me, since the old volume fluctuation tracking method
is used on the organ, and I'm not a big fan of that. (You know, where you
increase the volume to like 64 (or whatever volume you happen to be using)
in one frame, and then drop it to 00 in the next, and then back up to 64,
and so on and so on, so you've got this strange stuttering effect. See
Ambient Power by Vogue for an example of this, and see Introspection by
Necros for an example of the 'right' way to do it.)
So, I suppose, this tune isn't all that bad, but for an acid jazz piece,
it's certainly lacking in the composition and technical areas. A few of
the samples are large loops, but most of them are 16 bit and sampled well.
So no, this isn't a failure, but it certainly could use some more work.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Shrift ]========------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
I really like this song as a compositional whole, and I think the
transitions carry the song through very well and with some class. The bass
line is pretty funky, and the jazz organ that comes in halfway through is
pretty 60's, but as a whole, I'd say this is more jazzy than anything else.
The author's voice samples give this song a very dreamy feel, almost loungy
or trancey, but the rhythm section, in particular, is quite definitely
jazz. This song is playful and uses some inventive and subtle samples.
The quality of the samples in this song is quite good, and they are used
very effectively--several of them are 16-bit, which in itself, is still a
rarity.
I think the voice samples, and combination of (to me) distinctly different
thematic styles (funk, jazz, 60's, lounge/trance) give this song a very
strong sense of originality, and this is complemented by the formal
cohesion of the song as a whole. I really like the transitions, and the
ideas between them are formulated with enough variety and repetition to sit
this song amongst contemporary composers, even if the style doesn't quite
give it the same audience.
This song is completed and intentional, start to finish, and to say it is
also consistent, and well delivered gives this a thumbs up, even if it
isn't the sort of thing I'd normally listen to (the voice samples and the
dreamy electronic synth background don't do for me what the jazzed-up
rhythm of the song does, though the whole thing feels relaxed and
enjoyable). Even if I wouldn't listen to it under normal circumstances, it
is still very well composed and original.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Billed as an 'acid jazz' track, this one is obviously a sly dig by Boris.
:) As those regular readers of these reviews will already know, I tend to
go overboard for the more improv/jazz/or just plain weird mods. This one
should be right up my musical creek then....
How is it that the Scandinavians almost have a stranglehold of the more
interesting mods? Whoever comes up with an answer to this puzzle of modern
times will be more anally retentive than yours truly. :)
Mmmmm, you may be thinking, he's trying to avoid something nasty here, he
hasn't mentioned the track once yet....
Folks, *this* is an ACE, killer-diller, 101% TOP tune...if you like your
mods with a *very* professional veneer. No rough bits on this dude, not to
be tolerated maaaann. Instead, what you get is the kind of track that
NetRadio should have been made for. Most of the samples used are
absolutely stunning--moreso since all samples are made by the composer--and
their use is nothing short of brilliant. Acid jazz and a million more good
things.
Must be obvious to you now that I love this track so much, we are almost in
elope mode. Weeellll, almost. :) Make no mistake, this is a track of the
very highest quality, it really doesn't get much better than this. The
only real problem is that it may be a tad too 'bland' for the average mod
listener. For those fortunate folk with a clearer sense of taste, download
this RIGHT NOW! A certified gem. Okay, so how about some of this kind of
material from our transatlantic cousins?
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Kazmeyer ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
"You got me high now get me higher," sings a light male voice. Works
perfectly with the groove that is quickly established by the solid rhythm
of the drums and funky bass line. A nice pad laid over the top and a funky
lead synth sound make for a great sound! For the verse(?) sections, a
great sample of an organ with the Leslie speakers full-on! Also, the vocal
sample is used judiciously--adding just the right touch to the song (not
like some--me included--who often just let the vocal sample go on, and on,
and on...).
Solid rhythm and nice use of drum loops. Not just one loop over and
over...but workin' it a bit! Technically solid: Anders uses fadeouts and
-ins, the tempo speeds up and down, different sized patterns are utilized,
different effects on the samples; a lot of forethought went into this tune.
'Tis My Millenium also has a nice variety of sections where the energy goes
up and down.
The composer self-labels this track as being acid jazz--not exactly what
*I* would call acid jazz, though. But hey, we all have different
interpretations of what music fits into what categories.... Overall, it
has more of a jazz/R&B sound to it.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Walrus26 ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
'Tis My Millenium is a funk-jazz chart that provides a good funk 'feel,'
and leaves you with a riff that you'll keep singing in your head, or out
loud, for hours. Maybe days. I don't know yet. Not many funk modules (or
any kind, for that matter) around can claim a melody that you can remember
five minutes after it's heard. However, the potential of the module, as a
whole, was not fully explored. Aside from the vocal melody, none of the
instruments offer any kind of melodic contour. The guitar, organ, and bass
provide a good rhythmic background, but don't support the melody in a
contrapuntal way. The rhythmic energy is broken up by unnerving pauses,
primarily during the first part the module. There are places where the
song just stops for no apparent reason. And in a final spurt of
arrhythmia, the module comes to a crashing halt with a cymbal. Overall,
'Tis My Millenium is a module that shows signs of excellence, but just
doesn't go that extra mile.
-----================================================================-----
"Summer 97"
by D.T.
(4ch S3M, 02:53)
(summer97.zip [163K/236K])
[Demo/Easy-Listening]
(Old style/Chord-Mellow/Flute)
Samples -----------------.
Originality -------------. |
Technical ---------. | |
Composition -----. | | |
Overall -. | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
====================
WolfSong 65+ 74 67 69 61
Mansooj 62+ 70 -- 66 45
Novus 60+ 75 -- 85 40
TheKid 60+ 70 70 60 60
Nemesis 60+ 50 75 60 55
Rebriffer 55+ 45 55 50 40
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Nemesis ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
With a soft chord or two and a little bongo roll, this tune starts off:
not a bad intro, but marred by an obvious loop point in the chord samples.
It progresses neatly into what is best described as light rock, with an
easy-going drum track, pulsating chords (yes, the ones with the bad loop
points), a panflute for the lead, and a bass line that would be quite
alright, if it weren't for the fact that it is nearly a halfstep out of
tune! Also, it didnt seem like the bass ever moved with the chords,
clashing a bit sometimes, which was a little annoying as well. The flute
melody is alright, but a bit repetitive: A song of this genre is really
screaming for a chorus of some sort. I mean, all I heard was verse after
verse after verse after verse. When working with the more contemporary
musical styles, it's important to follow your standard ABA musical
progression. What this means, is that you have an 'A' part, or 'verse,'
which is like a bit of playing around with some melodies, and maybe a bit
of phrasing, and then you move into your 'B' part, which is your 'chorus.'
The chorus is where you stick in a dramatic chord change, which if you're
too lazy to figure out something inventive, can be done with the same chord
progression in 5ths or 3rds above the original. By doing this, you'll make
your song a lot more fun to listen to, and a lot more like the song you're
trying to create here.
Anyways, continuing on, the song does this verse, verse, verse, verse thing
for awhile, and then we finally have a major change: a conclusion of some
sort, where the drums and bass drop out, with everything slowing down a
bit. This is, IMHO, the best part of the song, and the composer does a
nice job of fitting everything into 4 channels. In fact, if it weren't for
this nice ending, the song wouldn't really be recommendable at all, but as
is, it's alright. Oh, and the samples, before I forget: This could have
been a sample set from a random Purple Motion song, as I recognize them all
as being from his music. (Well, he ripped a lot of them in the first place
from god knows where, but it doesn't make much of a difference--most
everyone knows what I'm talking about when I say "samples from Purple
Motion.") Unlike many people who take their samples from PM, though, this
guy has the sense not to take those damned siner synth leads. :) I think
his sample rating went up at least 5 points for that. :P So, all in all,
it's not a bad song, but then again, it isn't exactly groundbreaking.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ Rebriffer ]========----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
A Russian mod! Yep, you read that right--a mod coming from Russia. I've
seen mod composers from literally every other ex-Soviet state, but real
Russian trackers are very thin on the ground (except now I'll probably be
flamed by the other 2 million or so I fail to acknowledge).
Geographical considerations aside, is it a *good* Russian mod?
Weeeeelll, depends on your definition of good. It's a standard 4 channel
S3M file (which, in this day and age, of multichannel trackers is a bit
self-defeating) but for a 4 channel jobbie, it does okay. However, using
ScreamTracker these days seems more than a little pointless. When IT can
do everything that ST3 can do, and a million other things besides, it seems
to be a real shame to stick with this increasingly antiquated format.
Yes, yes, I know you don't want to hear my standard diatribe against 4
channel MODs all over again--so I won't inflict it on you. Suffice to say
that the track would have been greatly aided by using Impulse Tracker.
However, as far as the 4 channel format goes, this can hold it's head up in
some exalted company. Musically, it's about as standard a mod track as you
are ever likely to come across, this side of the Urals--and that must be
another strike against it. There is a marked preponderance of this kind of
track floating around, so speaking simply in downloading terms, I don't
think it'll hang around anyone's hard drive for long enough to gather any
dust.
The samples, too, are very noisy (the synth sounds especially). This may
have more to do with the inelegant 4 channel method of panning absolute
right/left but my money is on the side of bad samples. One last thing (and
this is probably the most important advice I can offer the composer):
do not let your tracks end like this one! An abrupt end usually means that
the composer ran out of ideas. The most important areas of any mod tracks
are the beginnings and endings, and that is where most composers put in the
utmost effort. Even a halfway decent fade would have done the trick better
than the gut wrenching, falling off the end of the song feeling you get
from mods of this type.
All in all, then, an okay 4 channel mod but not one I could recommend for
any extended listening--it's just not interesting enough....
/----------------------------------------------------\
)----------------------========[ WolfSong ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Once upon a time a programmer said, "Let there be .MODs." And it was so.
And composers and fans of music alike saw that it was good and said it was
good and it was good. The world became filled with a new style of music
and many people danced happily. Sometime later, some programmers said,
"Let there be .XMs, .S3Ms and .ITs." This wasn't just good, it was awesome!
Now artists had up to 64 channels to work with instead of only 4. Many
different styles of music evolved and many more people danced happily
because there was such a wide variety.
A problem comes up when an artist who prefers to use .MOD format wants to
make a song in a style that was brought out by the advent of 32 or 64
channel trackers. No matter how good the song might be, compositionwise,
it's going to sound a bit empty. And though it might be a song that would
have really been impressive a few years ago, people are used to hearing
songs with wide sounds and many instruments. It would be like trying to
impress a movie fan with stop motion effects after seeing the Jurassic Park
flicks. No matter how much work is put into it, it's just not going to
hold as much wieght as it once did. Blame it on technology.
The point is, this piece isn't bad. The composition is structured well and
it has a good rhythm and a relaxing feel. The instrument sounds go well
together and their quality is more than acceptable. It's a good piece of
music. However, it could have been better. Even though it's an S3M, the
composer has elected to use only 4 channels. Perhaps he was challenging
himself or he was asked by someone to make it under size restrictions.
Whatever the reason, the fact that it only uses four channels does leave it
sounding quite empty. If I were to compare it to the body of .MOD format
songs floating around out there, I'd say it definitely belongs in the upper
ranks, but compared to modules in general, it does leave something to be
desired.
This is a good song whose overall sound needs some work. A few more
channels added would have done it a world of good.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ TheKid ]========------------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
Very Cool; very Slick....
The introduction into this module is short but it does set up the main body
quite well in regards to the track's mood. This is a soft
rock/pop/top-40-sounding module. In fact, do I dare say that this sounds
like the music that I used to listen to in high school? You know, that
mellow 80's sound...eeek...am I that old? I do have some reservations as
to the quality of samples used, there are some short 'cut-outs' that can be
most detected in the introduction's long samples(loop) and pan. They are
noticeable, but only if you listen for them.
I was really impressed with the way the chording instrument and solo flute
instrument worked together. The other solo instrument was an attempt at an
electric piano...I have heard better piano samples. Don't get me wrong, a
true piano sample is extremely hard to get hold of, let alone create
yourself, so I won't be too harsh on that point. The total running length
of this module was a nice surprise, I enjoy short and simple songs. Why
run on if you don't have to? I know that this may be a negative factor to
some reviewers, but it's a big thumbs-up from me.
The bass and drum sequencing was a little unsettling. If you listen to the
latter stages of this module, and listen to the structure of the bass/drum
tracking, you'll see the effects of a 4-track module: too fast, and all in
one ear.
Okay, enough technical bashing. "How about the song as a whole?"
Yes, it is an acoustically pleasing collage of sounds, therefore it does
satisfy my primary quantitative classification...as MUSIC! In other words,
it was very nice to listen to. It's a good song.
/----------------------------------------------------\
)-----------------------========[ Mansooj ]========-----------------------(
\----------------------------------------------------/
First: 4-channels...why? Okay, I guess it doesn't really bear on anything
in the long run as there are still some excellent 4-channelers being
produced nowadays. However, I wonder what the point is for restricting
oneself with S3Ms.
That aside, the track is okay, but nothing extraordinary. A flute of the
type used in tunes attempting to convey a sense of tropicality a la a
light-hearted pirate tune. The rest of the instruments, mainly synths,
piano and percussives are adequate to the purpose, although there is some
painfully noticeable seaming with at least one of the synths.
There's a fair amount of internal variety to be had, though. Including a
piano part, lots of little brief-use sounds (thin tinkling chimes,
electro-water cascades, etc.) which help dress up the piece. It's a light
tune, with a somewhat happy-go-lucky nature, and is easy to listen to with
its playful flute-work. In this, it's a pleasant tune that, especially
given its size, is worth the download, although I don't imagine it'll be
considered a classic by many. It entertains and serves its purpose for the
duration...much longer? Hard to say.... D.T. does show familiarity with
the demo-ish style and apparently has the tricks in his mind--it's just a
matter of applying them to a format with a lot more depth, and taking far
more care in honing his sample loops (composers shouldn't underestimate the
annoying quality obvious loop seams have!). I strongly suspect D.T. can
come up with some quality stuff when/if he chooses to take the multichannel
format for all it's worth.
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I'm a little amazed that people still bother to write 4-voice songs today,
but I gave this one a chance and was impressed, overall.
D.T. does the best he can do with what he has. The song has a relaxing,
vaguely tropical sound, which is interesing coming from a tracker from
Moscow, Russia, and it works! The samples all sounded like they came from
an old .MOD file from back in the 80s, a few patterns were repeated a few
too many times, and of course 4 voices will limit any song, but those are
really my only serious complaints. It's not bad for his first song or for
a 4-voice tune, so I'm sure D.T. will get better with time. When he
finally learns the ropes and starts pushing the .S3M format to its limits,
I seriously hope he comes back and re-does this song, because better
samples and more voices could make this nice melody soar.
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