(disclaimer: AIM judge review here! these are just my opinions and thoughts, you can take from them whatever you like! music is subjective and all that. <3)

oooh my goodness, what a vibe this tune is! the EP chords with the woozy, super slow vibrato are to me the star of the show; i like that extra tuning detail you took with your melody too. i think it fits great. this is wonderful music to zone out to, in the best way. the overall atmosphere rocks.

the ambiguity of pitch matches in a specific way with the "broad strokes" of the artwork you chose, which i think is interesting; maybe you could take that to another level by finding a way to emphasize that the strokes become more detailed as the focus draws towards the girl's face. bitcrushing comes to mind as an option, as well as doing some loose unquantizing of the rhythms in some places.

there is room for additional development in the song, as well as more detail work to make things really shine with polish. you build up into your core loop quite nicely, but it doesn't really expand any further than that. i realize to an extent that this style is about leaning into comfy, entrancing loops, but you could introduce variation and perhaps even a second, related section of music without losing that atmosphere i think. writing a contrasting progression, adding some ear-catching extra effects to stuff like volume gates or gradual bitcrushes or filters, changing up the drum rhythm with more or less intensity throughout different parts of the song... all these are territory you could explore! as for detail work, what stands out to me is the drum programming; some variations in the velocities of the drums, especially on weak beats, would help it feel organic, along with subtle additions like quiet "ghost notes", rolls, or even quick stutters/retriggers for texture.

AIM 2023 Judge Review

I like how jazzy and chill it feels, I think the drums pumping also complement the instrumentation well.

The bells and crystal arps were also pretty good additions to add some a lot more emotion to the song (though to be honest, there's a lot of little thingies here and there that really contribute to the whole aesthetic / vibe.

I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did, but I'm left wanting more. There should have been a cool little outro to finish the song, but it's still fine as it is.

Loved it !

AIM 2023 Judge Review

There's something very touching about this piece. The chord progression and instruments, paired with the bird sounds, provide a sense of brightness along with a hint of innocence and I believe that reflects the lighting and the subject of the image quite well. I love the textures brought in from the synths - it's very much a vibe sort of piece but every layer being added brings just the right amount of flow.

My only main issue is with the sound of the kick. It could also be the mixing too, but the way it sits just doesn't feel right compared to the warmth and comfort from the other instruments. Personally, I think the kick could have been a bit lower and softer - it just felt too high and loud to the point where it detracted from this otherwise lovely atmosphere that the other instruments and composition are creating. Even the cymbals are kind of loud when they're introduced, but they do seem to be more balanced once the kick comes in (though I wonder if that's just because the kick is so much louder).

On subsequent listens, I also believe this piece could have been developed a little more, especially given that it only just hits the 3 minute mark (2:48 if the tail end is taken off). I still do think the general structure works effectively, but given that it's a piece that relies a bit more on the atmosphere and just being in the moment, I felt like that melody introduced toward the end could have carried on into another idea or section instead of just winding down after the 2:27 mark.

Overall, I think you did a wonderful job with the composition and instrument choice that complements the innocence and brightness of the art, but also feels a tad poignant under the chipper dreaminess. I'm particularly in love with the high chiptune arps that are introduced at 1:24.

+ The melodies and ambient parts were very pleasant to listen to. I love how the melody progressed throughout the piece. The intro sequence was beautiful, if not a little cliched. I love that you return to the birds to close out the song.
- The sound of the percussion absolutely takes me out of it. The overly effected kick’s sound is especially egregious. Maybe try to make the drums sound less like MIDI and more natural.