AIM 2023 Judge Review

The minimal soundscape is what works well for me here. I like the sound design a lot; the piano and synth strings are a great melodic choice and the ambient wind sounds have a spaciness to them that work given the concept. I also really like the super-low sub sound heard at the beginning of the track like at around 0:09. It was a great way to get the idea of a vast and desolate setting across in a subtly haunting manner. The piano melody captures the loneliness quite effectively.

I notice that the track is relatively quiet and I have to turn my volume up for this one to hear it compared to other AIM entries. I think this track could have been mastered to be a bit louder. The piano also feels too forward in the mix and I think production-wise, that doesn't really fit in with the loneliness and emptiness you seem to be going for with the rest of the accompaniment. I think it could have definitely been a lot softer, a little more part of the background layers to create a more distant atmosphere.

Unfortunately, I don't think this entry has that strong of a connection to the art. While it does capture the isolation and the vast expanse in its composition, I was hoping to hear something more specific to this art. I think it doesn't help that this entry had two inspirations, which goes to show that it had to sacrifice some of its relevancy to this art in exchange for a bit of the other. This track seems more like a general space track and I'm not sure why this inspiration was picked over any other outer space artwork. It might seem a little conventional, but the chunkier pixel art definitely screams chiptune for this particular art inspiration.

Overall, I think you get some of the emotions associated with the art in the music, and I like the use of the piano as the emotional vehicle. I'm just looking for some more nuance in drawing inspiration from the art, especially when it comes to scenic pieces that take place in outer space. There's certainly a darkness and sadness that kind of complements the colour palette, but it still does feel too general to be specifically related to the art.

(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)

the vibe of the intro is perfect; just the right amount of space between everything to really give that sense of deep isolation in greyscale. conversely, the more fleshed-out piano part that follows is a little too busy in comparison. it could perhaps be led up to and prepared for, but i think much more time in "contemplative open space" would be necessary, along with more of a gradual build into that part (perhaps using some of the cool textural sounds you have on display in the latter portion of the song). one thing that i also think would REALLY help it feel organic would be for it to not be at a straight tempo, and when multiple notes hit at the same time, for them to be spaced out a bit; being both at tempo and quantized to the grid makes the part feel very robotic when it ought to breathe like a human. if it were me, i would put a lot more space between most of those chord changes in the process (this is doubly useful to counteract the heavy bleeding of the huge reverb), and really emphasize the flow of the melodic lines, giving them direction, crescendo and decrescendo, tension and release. if you happen to have the ability to liveplay it either via recording or midi, that'd be the best option, but it can be carefully sequenced too

Bro wasn't satisfied and submitted a 2nd entry for AIM lmao
Solid one, but I much prefer "Facing the Storm" ^^

Solid as usual, I'd say. You definitely got the feeling of the pic down IMO, though I do have a suggestion for the future (not necessarily a criticism, just a tip): for space-themed songs, using a whole-tone scale might be worth looking into; it's a decently common choice for space-themed songs, if memory serves.