(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)

i love the slow buildup of the ambience into groove during the first minute; it all feels very Metroid which is honestly one of the first things i thought about when i saw the artwork you chose as inspiration. the vocal over the top of the heartbeat rhythm and all the other sfx are super atmospheric. great horror soundtracking, it's uneasy and murky and there's still underlying beats to discover through the murk. some of the parts feel like they wander around the same sort of space when they could have more of a direction, like both the different guitar-ish sounds (one prior to the vocal clip and the distorted one later on) and the high synth plucks, which also feel like they're played weirdly straight amidst a sea of cool ambient textures. i wonder if just a bit more focus would make the parts more recognizable, but i do also think it's cool that it's sorta wandering, ambiguous, nebulous... in a way it contributes to the mood too, so make of that thought what you will. : )

AIM 2023 Judge Review

There's a lot of interesting elements at play here - a bit of softer ambience combined with some rhythmic and melodic elements. What stands out to me about this entry is that it's able to flow through the ambience and its grooves in a cohesive manner while still maintaining an unsettling feeling throughout. I love how the intro sound effect at 0:17 sounds like an engine whirring and then 12 seconds later, at 0:29, turns into this intriguing catchy loop. I don't know if these instruments are the same or similar sounding, but I think keeping to sounds that double both as sound effects and melodic instruments was a great choice.

The only sound that feels out of place in the mix is that high-pitched bell at 1:21. Every other instrument sounds so down low and hushed, so to hear something much higher and confident made it sharply stick out in a way that didn't feel like it fit in with the environment of the composition. I like the idea of introducing some highs; I just couldn't really get into the execution of it in this entry.

Aside from that, there's an unsettling atmosphere throughout the track that also manages to be engaging and I think that has largely to do with the shifts from melodic grooves to rhythmic ambience and playing around with the layers and tempo. It doesn't feel in-your-face horrific, which really does feel inspired by the art. I like the use of the discernible voices and sound effects, particularly that scream and the biting sound at 2:08 are the most disturbing parts that still fit in with the rest of the sounds at play here. Overall, I think you've created one of the most captivatingly quiet horror entries I've heard this AIM.