Unofficial VGMC'21 Interim Review
(months late is better than never!)
======================

My first thought is that this piece does a good job conveying the mood through it's composition. I can definitely see it fitting as the background music during a battle.

One of my biggest complaints is that your instruments sound a bit bland. I'd like it if you added a bit more processing or subtle layering to make them more sparkly and to make the texture feel more alive. The sound of the instrument after processing doesn't necessarily have to be realistic, it just has to sound interesting! I also notice there are a few moments where you have a single sustained note right at the front of the mix. When you do this, it puts a large focus on the timbre of that instrument (& how it's accompaniment supports it), so it pays to spend a bit of extra time making sure those notes sound good. 0:59 is one of my favourite moments because it creates a very cool sounding texture.

Mixing orchestras is extremely hard, though I can tell you did a really good job already! I'm not qualified to give detailed advice about this, but I'm pretty sure the section starting at 0:24 has some clashing in the mid-low end that eq may be able to fix.

I'd also love to see you have focus on dynamics more at times, to make the piece feel extra dramatic. In your intro for example, you could have a slower attack & even change the order at which your instruments are introduced or automate an eq, to create a more varied and impactful swell.

As for my tinier nitpicks:

2:04 is also quite loud without any warning. I'd love it if you gave a more clear indication to the listener that the song was approaching a peak of intensity. The cymbals from 2:16 onwards follow a pattern after the first one, which makes those a bit more predictable & easy to follow. However, the contrast in loudness continues to be a bit distracting. I feel similarly about the cymbals around 0:32.

1:51 has some harsh clashing. It almost fits given the moment, but I think I might remove the first note of the melody from the synth, and put a focus on texture rather than harmony for this moment. (though the bass + mid end complements the cymbal here quite well)

In the end, the piece sounds of professional quality, fits its purpose, and has a few interesting surprises mixed in. Don't get the wrong idea from all this criticism, your piece was really good!

Love the chord progressions in this especially around 1:18-1:48, I think they really highlight the emotions of the fight well. Overall this track is mixed really well and feels tense and climatic. Nice work!

this is amazing for your first orchestral composition. The music captures exactly what it was meant to do. The breakdown has that sad feeling to it and then the music comes right back with the fight theme very well produced and arranged. Great job!!