Good one

So I love the deep sound here on this one and as the title says LOSS it fits so well with the sound and deep sound at that, also have some good quality on this one, anyways great tune here

~X~

Hi there.

Other reviewers have hit upon some good points mainly, about production, but for me, fundamentally it didn't really hit the tone of loss or grief. Of course music is subjective and what hits one person in the gut might not another, but hopefully I can offer you a useful critique none-the-less

It started off nicely with that cello introduction gently leading you into the piece, but I felt after that it lost its way. It goes through some stoic progressions, and I certainly get a defiant vibe from the whole piece, but it feels far too often like it rambles without really saying anything. Other reviewers have described the track as 'cinematic' and I'd agree insofar as that I could see this working as the sketch of a track at the end of a Hollywood movie, and that the chord progressions are prototypical modern day action/drama, but I don't feel like the music ever latches onto me, tugs on my heartstrings or pulls me into a narrative, and ultimately that's really what cinematic music is about.

To make the broad heroic statements more effective, I think you needed some gentler stuff to contrast them, and the broader statements could've been more full. Once the introduction is completed, the music goes on in the same key, the same defiant tone, the same volume level, and broadly the same instrumentation. It's almost like the music is a constant climax, and that can be wearying to listen to. Some variation in tone and instrumentation would've helped.

For example, the contrabass is ever-present in the track and I think that makes it a lot less effective and a lot more tiring to listen to. Having even a small section where you drop the bass frequencies can really help. After-all, how can it make much impact if it's just sitting there the whole time? Think of the music that sends chills down your spine, often it's the moments where there's a change that give you that moment, that don't let you get too comfortable, that tug on your heart. For example at 3:11, the track is *crying* out for a change of pace, or instrumentation or tone and it continues in the same vain, essentially restating what was said in the previous couple of phrases. Sometimes you have a to be a bit analytical with your music, as you would an essay and ask 'does this really need to be said? Am I making a relevant point here?'.

As cliché as it may sound, I really think a dash of woodwinds could've brought out some of the emotions you describe in the author comments. There is no also no real clear melody in this piece, and while that's certainly not a requirement for a composition to be good, it can definitely help when you're going for melancholia. It can also help anchor your composition and stop you getting aimless, and simply writing 'stuff' because you have that reference point to return to, and manipulate.

Production-wise, others have written plenty and you said yourself you're only getting started with the software. Needless to say you want your strings to sound less cluttered, and flow together nicer, you could try increasing the attack a bit, a small does of EQ to bring out the better frequencies.

With as critical as I sound, it's not a bad piece of music and I hope my comments are taken in the spirit of self-improvement. Good luck with future work!

I love the emotion and instruments. It definitely encapsulates sadness/grief very well. It also feels very cinematic and climactic. It's pretty minimalistic throughout, but in its simplicity is also its beauty. That string sample is rather good as well. I like the variations in style you start using at 2:09 by introducing more staccato elements. These variations really highlight the contrasting high-point in emotion at around 2:45. Despite its incessant beauty, however, I feel like it was a bit long-winded for a stand-alone piece (without the accompanying movie, that is). The transition with the crash at 4:17 was nice, although the slight delay you had on the second crash threw me off a bit...it didn't seem completely natural that way IMO. I also would've perhaps liked to see you do something a bit riskier and grander (add some horn solo or something, perhaps), but as it is it's beautiful nevertheless. In the future, it'd be good to vary the chord progression a little more, although I might make an exception for this piece which utilizes its simplicity so well. Good job!

8.5/10

This is a NGAUC review. Points of interest and points of improvement will be brought up, and as such, the review will be stricter than usual.

Right off the bat, you start off with sinister low strings that remind me of the music used in films about WWII. The air is bleak, and atmospheric.

Your chords are STUNNING. And your mixing has improved by leaps and bounds since I last heard your work, I notice a wider sound than usual. When the violins come in, it is chilling, haunting, and almost brought tears to my eyes. Only downside is the repeating chord sequence, I suggest that it be varied a bit, as sections change. With that comes another down point, the melodies are equally repetitive.

New chords could pave the way for new melodies, and even theming (as in the case of sonatas and symphonies, for instance) -- where you could use fragments of what you originally started with.

The pounding contrabass is powerful and reminds me of the enemy's constant campaign, but in the midst of all the other strings, it cannot be heard. I suggest that you equalise your instruments a bit better -- frequencies tend to overlap, and the contrabass would sound at its most powerful at 100Hz or lower. In a piece like this, your basses are the foundation, and need to be heard clearly for solid grounding.

Your cymbal rolls sound natural, and you end very naturally, a bit of a dying away.

Overall, a powerful piece and a commendable effort in bringing an atmosphere, a memory, to listeners' ears. Bit of variation, bit of EQ, and you're on your way.

7.9/10.

This theme is what drives me to write via literature or in music.
I enjoyed the atmosphere that your strings were able to provide. Though, there needs to be more automation curves. For this piece, I get the sense that the strings should have a more of a slow attack/ legato sound. Perhaps some rubato. Nevertheless, I still think this is good and pleasing to my ears to listen to. The tempo is just right. The basses in the beginning could use some more non-chord tones that don't resolve as quickly especially for this kind of somber mood that you're going for. By the last minute of this piece, I can easily stop the analytical mode of thinking when listening and just allowing it to wash over me. I think perhaps I'm going to go back to this for inspiration.