Incredible, Michael. Your sense of composition is really inspiring - the melody is sad, but the strings and sevenths behind it truly make the movement one of despair. You and your friend Jeremy are both very talented! Well done.
Reviews for "Memories of a Forgotten Land"
MichaelJ responds:
Wow, thank you headphoamz, we really appreciate it. :)
This is an NGADM Round 2 review.
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Wait, what. After your Round 1 track, you give us this? I did not expect it! Your Round 1 track wasn't bad by any means, but this track is in such a different tone... your Round 1 submission was set on building an atmosphere and this one's all about expression. Impressively, just like you succeeded with your goal in Round 1 by building such a great atmosphere, you've certainly succeeded in expressing such powerful emotion in this track. The first section is very melancholic, and the second section (from 1:09 onwards) feels more hopeful. Of course, credit must go to Jeremy for such a beautiful violin performance. In short, the expression in this track is just wonderful.
That, of course, can't quite be achieved with bad composition, and thankfully, you have incredible composition. Lovely melodies on the violin. Who composed them? Michael or Jeremy? Your progression is superb, and when the violin's melody hit high notes in a beautiful melodic ascension, I died. Highly suitable chords, by the way. 1:09's little chordal passage is actually one of my favourite parts of this piece, even if it's a pretty small section that doesn't last long before the solo violin takes the spotlight again. The production is nearly pristine, by the way. Everything sounds warm and clear, and there's a lot of dynamics.
I say the production is nearly pristine because I felt like, as JacobCadmus correctly pointed out, sometimes the sampled instruments don't quite match up to the violin in terms of expression. This is expected, of course, because when you introduce a human element in music, it always ends up being more expressive, but still, sometimes the instrumentation in the background just sounds flat. The main culprit is one of the instruments you have in the background which I can't quite make out - it sounds like a soft French horn playing in its higher register, or it might just be a woodwind instrument. It first comes in at 1:21 and plays quite consistently throughout the whole piece - it just feels dynamically flat and occasionally, at points like 1:42, its precise frequency can penetrate a bit too much in a mix full of deep, warm strings and sound ugly. Also, I would've liked more than just the violin carrying the foreground melody. Rarely is the melody given to any other instrument, and even though I'm partial to a great violin performance, which Jeremy certainly delivered, variety in the foreground instrumentation is still important.
This is a wonderful track. Far more developed than your Round 1 track and full of beautiful composition and a touching violin performance to top it all off. Great work to both of you.
Score: 8.8/10
MichaelJ responds:
Wow, Step. Awesome review. Thank you!
I had violin samples in the first half of the piece when I sent it to Jeremy, and he recorded himself on the real fiddle. I then removed the samples and inserted the recording. However, everything past 1:33 is 100% Jeremy.
You're right, my instrument samples can't compete with the real thing! After adding the violin recordings, I think my ear turned off all of the other instruments. I then rushed to get this published. I'll watch out for stuff like that next time.
Also, I am so jealous of your ability to write solid reviews. Thanks again.
Hi.
The Good:
-Dat violin. I've always loved realistic violins.
-The realism in the harp is good as well.
-Depicts the mood quite well.
The Not-So-Good:
-Where's the main theme? It seems that this is meant to go along with a story or animation... wtihout the story or animation for it to be the background to.
Overall: Score of 8.5/10. Man, I'm trying to not get nitpicky in these reviews, but aside from that one general problem the only thing I could do is get nitpicky. If you're forcing me to get nitpicky though, then at that point your piece is 9/10 quality and up. I think you can do it. Go for it!
MichaelJ responds:
I'm not sure what you mean by "where's the main theme?"
The story is for you to interpret as you listen. Try closing your eyes! :)
Thanks for the review!
NGADM Review:
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That violin is just godly. In fact, overall, most of the instruments in this piece are just fantastic. You've got great instrumentation, and you know what to do with it. Melodic content is pretty great, as are harmonies and orchestration.
However, the piece lacks a certain recognizable and memorable theme that sticks in the mind and makes it re-playable. Despite it being quite emotional while your listening to it, it's not a feeling that sticks once it's over, as would be the case with a truly effective piece.
Overall, great piece, and lots of potential. I love what you did, but I still feel like it's missing that one small something that would truly make it fantastic.
Score: 7.8/10
MichaelJ responds:
I suppose it isn't catchy, if that is what you mean. I didn't want it to be repetitive, just expressive.
HIM 1.5 Stars
MichaelJ responds:
Umm... Then why did you add this piece to your favorite audio?
I'd love an explanation of your rating.