Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
CryNN, Panorama Drone: 9,9,9,9 (36/40)
YOU WENT FULL AMBIANCE? Bravery, courage, strength... these are words I am using to describe your audacity. In a world over saturated with high fidelity EDM drums, sexy rock and roll bands, and hip-hop rappers with gold teeth you so bravely took a very different approach this time. I used to pick on ambient to a degree as being a genre that lacks a hook. My sonic arts teacher at Alfred University slapped that out of me a decade ago but that kind of thinking is a serious issue within the world of music. Often times a musicians worst enemy is another musician that just doesn't like your genre or groove. Expanding tastes and growing influences builds a better artist and lets us become empathetic towards one another. Never hate on others in the world of music, even if they're a tragic asshole. Ego plays a big part in our lives, it can be very easy to suddenly become full of yourself and lash out at others. I've fallen into that in the past, maybe everyone does? Never let the rush of being on stage or in front of an audience go to your head. Never boast or brag about signing tracks to labels or publishing albums. Always be a positive force in the world of music, be the role model I wasn't at your age.
With that commentary out of the way, onto the song itself. I can respect your pride in having not used any samples (atmospheric or otherwise) but they don't necessarily hurt dear. Another competitor managed to engineer a saw synth to sound distinctly like a racecar engine revving up. I love hearing what people can do with synthesis and I know you have chops. It's a relaxing image and equally relaxing track. I definitely like this song more than your other track "Dusk." It's a splash of wonderfully mixed sounds. I caught that evolving panning data. There's a car in the image and that might have been an excuse to use a sample of a car driving by, panned from one side to the other to illustrate movement? The clouds imply a little bit of wind and vapor. I can possibly relate the creative panning as an echo towards the swirling environmental elements I just mentioned: wind, clouds, and vapor. I wish you had said a little more about how the track reflects the art, you wrote a fair bit more for your other track. I'd have tossed you a perfect score for emotion had you realized that extra information could have helped you. I've been doing a lot of work for this contest trying to make the connections to the music that people presented. Many users failed to understand that music doesn't always speak for itself. Taking a few moments to say a little bit more about your work when you have the space for it can help toy with our emotions. I don't want to come across like a jerk that scores music unfairly so I take every aspect into account. Newgrounds is first and foremost a community of peers that are all doing their own little thing because they love doing it. I respect my peers deeply, even if it doesn't always come off that way. It's not fair that I can say so much about a person's song and many couldn't be bothered to write just a little. One person in particular wrote nothing and for a contest that primarily revolves around "inspiration" you can only help your case by bravely saying "THIS WORK OF ART INSPIRED ME DEEPLY." You could point out that the panning data was meant to reflect environmental visuals. Some instruments and techniques can reflect things like shooting stars or moving cars. Instead, many users left it up to us to make those conclusions and honestly it takes an idiot like me to make those kinds of conceptual connections. Don't risk it, say it. Make a manifesto that your best peers will acknowledge and compliment. Newgrounds has become a world wide community and you shouldn't miss an opportunity to communicate with it when you can. Some of us can read.
It can feel silly sometimes to write an essay, especially when people hit you with "tldr" but you're not writing your thoughts for those people. Write your thoughts and feelings for the people willing to read it, show pride in your work. My video professor at Alfred University always pushed us to blog and publish books as a means to have a voice as an artist. Personally, I don't like feeling like a webpage that people use to download music for free. I use the author's comments section to tax listeners with the fact that I'm a human with feelings. I don't like feeling used, so I use my voice to stand out where my music cannot. I use my writing to vent frustrations and voice concerns. You're not hurting yourself by saying a little more about your music and your ambitions. I'm a little torn on this track, it's still very good so I'm still giving you a solid score but do chew on what I've mentioned in this review. Never miss an opportunity to endear yourself to your listeners. They might not always want to know you more but you have the power to choose whether they do or they don't.
I got to keep plowing forwards with these reviews but I wish you the best. Regardless of outcome, I'm happy to hear this track and hope you have a wonderful day Cry <3
CryNN 
