Reviews for (AIM) Ryzmik - "Aztec Reaper"

[Dethaners]

Oh my goodness, I am absolutely speechless! I am in absolute love with this music! <3

The instruments that were used. The dark, intense and menacing tone of it all, as if Maya were actually stalking or pursuing someone. everything about this music just reflects Maya and her character as a whole all too well! Truly an appropriate theme, in my opinion. A job truly well done! :D And also, Probably one of the best Aztec-themed music i have listened to, so far!

Thank you so much for this! it was a challenge for you, for sure, but it was a challenge very well done. And i give you all the applause for the amount of effort you put in to this wonderful piece. It was truly an honor to get to inspire another artist with my work. And i wish for you all the fun and luck in the AIM contest!

Hope to hear more of your work in the future! :D

Ryzmik responds:

Wow thank you for the kind words! Honestly I was afraid that this theme couldn't fit very well to your character from your point of view, and because it took me all the month to finish it too... but I'm glad that you liked it! This gives me hopes for achieving a nice position in the contest :D

[KeineKreativitaet]

This is actually so sick. I love everything about this. I just saw it today, and made a little jungle/swamp-themed Wave Challenge.

[MindChamber]

amazing work, really atmospheric and brooding!

Ryzmik responds:

Thank you veteran!

[HAFRI]

sounds like very old school dubstep

[Random-storykeeper]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

I am not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to production, but I feel like the production in this track might be the best I've heard in AIM this year. Something about the way the sounds are placed and mixed hits just right and I can see why this was a huge challenge given how many wildly different sounds coalesce. Every part sounds so clear and even the harsher sounds don't hurt my ears.

There's been a lot of great D&B tracks combined with other interesting sounds or genres in past AIMs, and I think this entry continues this trend perfectly. I love how the composition captures an intensity, but there's also some lightness in the upper winds that help to bring the character in the art to life. I can picture the character as being extremely menacing and swift and they can leap away in a moment's notice when approached.

Overall, I like the balance of simplicity in the melodic elements paired with the complexity of the texture and sound design and that comes through very clearly for me. This track is worth replaying a lot just to hear a lot of what goes on in those musical layers. It not only manages to reflect, but also elevate the art it's inspired by.

Ryzmik responds:

Thank you so much for taking your time to analyze the song!

I spent literally days trying to get the best out of the mix without sounding wobbly from all the shakers and percs playing at the chorus, so I'm surprised that I managed it well somehow :o

About the inspiration, my intention was to give a sneaky and tense feel at the start, then as it goes on I tried to imagine how Maya (the character) takes action, pursuing or fighting its enemies with her weapons or something, so I thought fast paced percussive rhythm mixing aztec instruments with synths was my best option to visualize all that and make it interesting.

I really appreciate judges who gives an explanation to the concursants instead of a score.