Why someone so mystically talented accepts to be evaluated in a way so rational: my rate is "something dot six/two". Really? What is the prize of this competition... a car or something like that?

This is a NGADM Round 1 Review.

First, here is your score breakdown:
Production: 21/30
Composition: 22/30
Instrumentation: 10/15
Originality: 8/10
Interest/Emotion: 9/15

Total: 70/100 or 7/10 or 3.5 stars
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The Good:
- I really enjoyed the choices of chords you used.
- You had a pretty decent blend of organic and synthetic elements.
- Production was solid throughout.

The Not-So-Good:
- I would really like to have seen more variation in the piece... have a really chill section with maybe a choir and harp or something just to really contrast all the other stuff.
- The piece didn't really flow between parts and had all these sudden jolt-y leaps between parts and ideas.
- Some parts of the piece are just sort of "grooving" with no one really playing a melody out above everything else, as if this track was supposed to have lyrics on top but you forgot to add them. Having a strong, clear melody that is above everything else is important for creating the space and asserting the texture of the piece.
- I would have liked to hear other things than just the same EWQL SO staccato strings patch over and over again... why not have woodwinds? brass? pizzicato strings? legato strings? There are tons of different textures within an orchestra, so definitely consider experimenting with more ways to use and blend them together.
- The "climaxes" in the piece are all kinda the same sort of thing and none of them really "get there" for me. Consider having a more full climax that is really filled-out but not too crowded.

Keep compos(ed/ing)!
-Samulis

I listened to this song when it first came out and, admittedly, I didn't think much of it back then. However, I just listened to it again about a week ago and this song (along with Kainé Absolution by Nemesis Theory) has been stuck in my head ever since. There are a couple of parts with just violin that go a little too long (like at 1:55 and at 2:52), but other than that, I love how epic-ly chill and awesome this song is :)

I just love your music. I always have, I always will. I'm so happy to see more amazing tracks from you :)

This is an NGADM Round 1 Review.

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Let me start off by saying that DAMN that's a nice intro. The atmosphere, the smooth synths with the subtle bitcrushing, that awesome motif... it's all nailed, man. I loved hearing the intro and it set high expectations for the track. In the production department, I can gladly confirm that those expectations were sufficiently met. While I would've liked to hear some more interesting sound design for sure, what you've got here is mixed very tastefully. The staccato strings are bright, snappy and clear, the drums (snare in particular) are earcandy, and the pads offer a spectacular, warm sound to the piece, to the point where I would've personally given them even more love in the track if I were the one making this. So yeah, while I expected a little more in terms of out-of-the-norm sound design, if you get what I mean, you've got a super clean mix with lovely sounds.

When it comes to composition, however, the aforementioned expectations weren't quite reached I'm afraid. Don't get me wrong, SOME of your composition is great, really! The motif you introduce at the beginning which is played at various other points during the track was a spectacular idea and has decently interesting chord changes. That being said, most of the other melodic content is lacking and simply sounds uninspired to me (starting from 0:57). Not to mention, the instrumentation you use during the sections is very bland to listen to. I mean if you had an actual violin playing with more articulation than just staccato I might enjoy parts like 0:57 but as they are now I just long for them to finish. Some transitions, such as 0:57, are abrupt, and a lot of the buildups aren't very satisfying and end up sounding anticlimactic. Lastly, the track did overstay its welcome in my opinion. I wasn't as invested towards the end as I was during the first two thirds or so, even if you introduce a pretty nice high synth at the end. Great way to end the track though!

Despite everything negative I mentioned, it's a strong submission no doubt! Good job; hope to see you once again next year if we do another.

SCORE: 8.3/10