Stormy Evening

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Stormy Evening

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Author Comments

I had a great recording of some birds returning to the trees after a thunder storm and I figured I'd try doing something to go with it musically.

Features harp, viola and cello samples of my own creation plus some live bass recorder.

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TaintedLogic

2015-07-12 22:33:42

Ooo...I love the tranquil and mysterious mood at the beginning. Sounds just like an impending thunderstorm indeed. It progresses rather slowly (but that's probably fitting for an ambient track). I love all the little string swells, like at 1:46 (and several other places). It has emotion, and a rather paralyzing mood. The progression is rather good. This is beautiful! I'm going to complain about one tiny detail: the note at 2:06 cuts off painfully suddenly. I would suggest both a) smoothing it out with some reverb and b) adding a volume automation to transition more cleanly into the next dynamic (because I'm not sure a subito piano quite fits in with such a flowing ambient track as this). Still, the instrumentation is marvelous, the mixing and mastering is top-notch, and the atmosphere is quite superior indeed. You've earned a fave and a DL. Congrats, and keep up the good work. ;)

samulis responds:

Thanks, TL!

I'm not sure I can adjust that quick cut off... those were actually sampled swells because I was being lazy, haha.

JayWEccent

2015-07-10 14:17:26

Really calm. Peaceful:)

samulis responds:

Thanks, Jay! That's the idea. :)

sleepFacingWest

2015-07-09 18:28:06

This is great! really nice harmonic motion. The atmosphere you work with is perfect. The composition seems to really ebb and flow with the field recording. The mix seems a little distant to my ears. Was that a puposeful choice? I can see it working with that wistful feeling, but I would think about some light compression and maybe eq the highs up a bit? That's SUPER nitpicky though. You really did a perfect job with this one.

Also, if those are your own samples, good job! SUPER clean recording and they didn't sound robotic. I'm incredibly impressed.

samulis responds:

Hey dude! Thanks for the review.

Just me puttering around C minor with some divisi stuff. Always fun. Yeah, I did intend to make it a bit distant sounding, to fit the more ambient sound. I didn't do much mixing to it at all, haha, aside from the field recordings.

Mattashi

2015-07-09 04:06:14

Very Beautiful work Samulis, really love the atmosphere you've created.
the instruments you chose go well with the storm.
I'm a sucker for Storm ambiences as well. Those raindrops falling along with that rumbling thunder, nature sure can sound beautiful :)

samulis responds:

It just so happens this storm also knocked out our power for two days, haha. Lucky I chose to record with field recorder and not plug-in interface! XD

LucidShadowDreamer

2015-07-08 23:10:51

I may be biased as I love ambient music, but I think this is an amazing track. The nature sounds, like the rain, thunder and the birds along with the strings, harp and other intruments work perfectly together. It helps that the mixing is splendid, and that you used volume dynamics well.
Sounds like background music that could fit in a dark game or a movie.
Great job!
Easy favorite ;)

samulis responds:

Hey LSD! Thanks for the speedy review, haha. For some reason I'm a sucker for thunderstorm-based ambiences... nothing else seems to fit the mood right for me. :)