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Silver Helix War

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Author Comments

What do you get when you mix dissonance, distance and innocence into one project?

This FULL song that is dedicated to the one and only, ZipZipper!

I was inspired by an online game (Path of Exile: Act 2 Church OST) to make this song, so I hope everyone else can agree with my genre choice.

This isn't the perfect quality... Therefore...

I took the liberty to upload my new track on a Youtube account I had laying around just for you guys: http://www.youtube.com/wa tch?v=CKohX62pfU0&feature =youtu.be

Enjoy! (If you want to give my song a chance. Listen to it on loop. For some strange reason the brain picks up a lot more depth this way. I believe it's called ''atonal''.)

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Hmm. I have various thoughts regarding this track, ranging from the lush, vivid visuals I have in my mind right now to the more technical aspects. Let me split into parts for you.

The intro is delicately crafted and goes well with the feelings of inner turmoil, struggle and motion. It is crafted in a way that no sounds prevail to each other, and the incoming subtle distortion adds more dynamics to the ensemble, while the mix still remains relatively quiet. I don't spot any cons here, since it sets the mood fairly well for the rest of the track. I'd also like to point out the layered percussion, very delicate contouring the sonic environment.

The second part after the first minute mark sets a new mood. The fast delayed arpeggios are my most favorite bit here, along with the introduction of a steady heartbeat-like kick line, creating a tense, dark and dense atmosphere. The distortion makes its return in a glorious fashion, although the lack of sidechaining is evident, as the kick overcompresses the mix creating an unpleasant "pulse" that will last until the finale. It's that kind of imperfection that doesn't seem to be unforgiving, but depending on who you talk to, either contributes or ruins the sonic experience. I think it's a tolerable option since overall, the piece in itself runs smoothly and the lack of prominent transitions doesn't seem to distract the listener from appreciating the dark, enveloping beauty of this shard of familiar reality.

From the third minute and onward, little ear candies pop up here and there adding a bit of variety to the ensemble, including the recurrent piano (I think it's piano or otherwise electronic sounds) notes and an important protagonist: the choir. Now here is where things start to get opinion-shattering. Personally, while it tries to set and confirm the overall mood of the segment it's featured into, it doesn't contribute in making it more interesting and it stays low buried in the distorted and overcompressed soundscape. I would have liked a different climax, where the choir - more twisted and dark - shines alone over very few percussive elements in the background layers of the song, setting an ominous and dreary feeling, perhaps even loneliness and desolating despair. In its current state, the choir is there, it's present... just not enough to set its own character.

Overall, it's the best "you" I've ever listened to in weeks. You're in great shape and there's always much to paint in the vast canvas you're seeking to fill with colorful thoughts and emotive patterns. I enjoyed the semi-Industrial surrealism, the research for another kind of experience, the experimental mindset.

Keep going
KKS

EnigmaticWolf responds:

Good. We agree on the introduction. I accept mixed verdicts, but I also enjoy it when one person sees a negative and the other sees a positive. It creates a balance between opinions where people don't feel inclined to choose only one side. Nowadays people are heavily influenced by other's opinions.

I personally enjoy that pulse and massive distortion. I wanted something that turned distortion into something that would surge into your head and fire up every dark corner of your imaginative realm. That's what I achieved, I think. I never did enjoy perfectly clear sound pieces. I always listen to music that is slightly dreamy/distorted. Besides I know a lot of professional songs that have way too much skipping and chopping, but people still seem to hang on.

I slightly agree. I do agree that there may be a potential error there, but it's not the distortion, really. It's the choir. This is the closing. The entire song is a parabolic chamber of madness. This means I went for a positive - climax - negative sequence. I imagined someone running from darkness, but since they can't run any faster, I wanted an intelligent, but very dark atmosphere for 3:00 on. I just wanted something very simple, atmospheric, dark and dainty. I didn't want, yet, another climax. It wasn't what I imagined, and I compose to my imagination. The piano was giving a false sense of safety. Then near the end the ''devouring'' part comes in, which is well pieced together by my choir use. Later accompanied by the constant pulses, roaring and darker drumline. When this part comes in, I can't help but feel like I'm in the depths of a heated battle between dark and light. It's an amazing piece through and through.

I am proud of this song. Certainly. Thank you for your long review! I enjoyed it. I will be brewing some more madness later. Stay tuned, brother.

Cheers.

Very dark ambient. Definitely felt the molecular level of a silver helix at 2:55. I like its softcore hardcore quality, reminds me of Silent Hill boss fights. The collective of your music reminds me of múm. A few iffy things...the beginning, which I loved, was not connected to the beginning that was actually connected to the rest of the song. If it was more so, I think that would have been more enjoyable. Also the looping quality was not present, it was a standalone song. Just a few minor things, but the use of the cavern atmosphere and especially the choirs really stood out for me. This would serve a great suspenseful purpose in the background of some horrific videogame event. I really do see something Silent Hill...running from a violently twitching flesh creature wearing a dirty angel costume. Its quickly gliding along the ground at you while you're darting through the hallways of a gigantic ruined chapel. You find a metal crosier on the ground and manage to beat the creature to death, but you turn around to find five more rushing to get you. Anyways, it's an honor to be dedicated too! Thanks for that and for making this neat darkness song!

EnigmaticWolf responds:

That's one of my musical strategies. When I compose dark music, I kill off the absolute beauty in exchange for a bloody chaotic musical purgatory. The beginning was intentional, in a way that I could explain by asking you to envision someone stepping into the graveyard next to the chapel before they enter it. As soon as they stepped into what appeared to be a beautiful place, their reality is met with certain doom.

I'm not sure, though. When I composed this song, I DIDN'T want any long-lasting beauty. I wanted a mix of darkness and light, but mostly darkness. The beginning was a very short introduction into a whirlpool of madness, I think.

Moreover, thank you for your review! I always enjoy your imagination and attitude. Cheers, brother. Until then.

If you haven't already, I've uploaded the best quality on a Youtube account. The atmosphere is not only greater, but it's accompanied by a picture that will give you an idea what was on my mind, and why the introduction isn't what you expected it to be. Extending the introduction would be like extending ''I'm A Barbie Girl''. It would be utterly annoying - period. Here is why, this is the song that inspired me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65rtecdTS3o (Listen to this. You would surely change your mind about the introduction, I am almost certain.) Now, I accept criticism, but I take criticism into consideration before I take the criticism. <3

Lastly, I made it a loop so people don't have to keep pressing the play button. I always do this.

Credits & Info

Artist

Listens
1,259
Faves:
4
Downloads
34
Score
Waiting for 3 more votes

Uploaded
Feb 8, 2013
4:28 PM EST
Genre
Video Game
File Info
Loop
10.8 MB
4 min 43 sec

Licensing Terms

Please contact me if you would like to use this in a project. We can discuss the details.