Coolio

AIM 2023 Judge Review

You've got a nice sound design that works to capture the atmosphere of the cave and the night sky. Even though this piece's title seems to imply that it is about a home, the composition feels more like longing for home, probably because of its use of a mode instead of using a scale that would conventionally in Western music be considered more home-like (i.e. ionian). The piano and those muted higher bell-like synths play off each other well and I like hearing their moments of counterpoint throughout the track.

There are a couple of issues that come to mind. I would have loved to hear phrasing in the piano, particularly when it comes to the playing of the chords. They feel like they're played too accented sometimes and I think it doesn't gel with the otherwise quieter-sounding composition. The higher bells feeling softer and muted make the atmosphere of this track seem more enclosed whereas the art shows the perspective of the night sky from inside a cave. I would have liked to hear those bells brought out more as I think it would get the idea of this setting being more out in the open.

Overall, this entry definitely has a very loopy and sleepy sort of vibe, but I think that works well with the art inspiration. I especially love the way those faster rhythms give off the sense of the notes ricocheting off the cave walls, which was a great idea to draw inspiration from the art and reflect that in the music.

(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)

this could benefit greatly from more melodic direction first and foremost; the piano leads are mostly arpeggiated and feel like they wander around in random directions and odd rhythms. it's an interesting sound in a way if you were aiming for something unnatural but the piece would have a great deal more emotion and coherence if you focused on clearer shapes: more close stepwise motion (i.e. note-to-note in your key or scale), leaping further away at times to add excitement, clearer rhythms and reusing those rhythms so the listener catches that "oh, this is like the bar before, but the notes are different!" think about the overall trajectory of the phrase; have it go generally up for a while, then back down, then maybe back up, and listen for places where you could leave space. and i mean this in as "broad strokes" of a way as possible. having a clear, singular high point towards the end of the melodic phrase is another useful tip for pacing.

with all that said, i think you chose a good instrumentation to represent your chosen artwork. all the reverberant pluck sounds and the piano convey a wistful, somewhat ethereal mood that leans into the "fluorescent cave + sky" style. i think with more focus in the composition you could use those tools to make something more emotionally resonant, more expansive, and captivating!

This is a very chill track! I like it a lot :)

I really liked this. At times I thought it was a bit repetitive at first, but after a second listen you pick up on the little nuances that build throughout the song. It's simple, and conveys a tone that can be peaceful or grandeur depending on the situation or setting. The rhythm is nice and with those changes throughout, although minor, keeps you in the song without just droning off. Well done!