Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
IndexatioN, Underwater flight 10,10,7,5 (32/40)

I remember listening to this initially back when you first uploaded it. Given that you went liquid DNB, I can respect your feelings that this sound matched the energy of the imagery somehow. I kind of disagree with it but am feeling truthfully torn because I love liquid DNB. I have a bias to check.

The intro showed a serious sensitivity to background noises and sfx. Given that the illustration is underwater, I'm curious why you didn't take advantage of samples to place us undeniably underwater. The blips from a submarine, the white noise and churning of a powerful current, the percussion of small crustaceans as they dig into the sand on the ocean floor. Underwater eruptions could have been signaled with organic and gravely orchestral bass tones. You wrote a very powerful liquid DNB track with strong musical elements but I feel like the work could have been slightly more relevant to the art. I felt compelled to take off points there because we're really left to our interpretations that the music matches the energy of the illustration. I'm just not agreeing with it.

Back onto conceptual sounds, dolphins create unique calls and even name each other. A squelchy sine wave synth could have conveyed those organic tones and gifted more life to this track. I love trying to use sinewaves to create birdsong and whale noises. With your strengths, I felt you could have better conveyed the scene. It's a wonderful illustration, and the musicality is inspiring. I hope you understand my criticisms because you have what it takes to become a top-tier DNB talent. I hope that you understand that I loved the work but can't let a bias for a genre or style be the deciding factor.

I hope this review doesn't come across too aggressively, I really loved what I was listening to. I'm wishing you a good day IndexatioN, and good luck with all your future musical endeavors!

Even the melody is as flowy as the waters depicted in the art. Good Job on portraying what the artist wanted to show in its drawing <3

There are two main types of sections to this piece, and both of these sections work so effectively to portray the facets of being in this underwater setting portrayed by the art. I was impressed with how well these two dynamically different sections flowed into one another and that they weren't too loud or too soft to the point where I had to keep adjusting my volume.

The viola sound at the beginning felt like every note it was hitting had this bowing sound to it, like there was a slight attack on all the notes and it felt like it could have been more humanized. At the very least, having some legato on certain notes (especially the faster ones) would have allowed the actual pitches to come through more audibly and give the piece a more flowing, immersive feeling the same way the piano and the ambience sounds at the beginning suggest. It was more noticeable at the beginning, when the viola had its own solo, but its entry later on as the piece developed didn't feel as noticeable. The piano also seemed a bit buried under the D&B parts sometimes, but it does have its own prominent sections so it wasn't as bothersome.

Overall, this entry really felt like a downward journey underwater and I think that was a great interpretation of the art. The D&B sections really felt like I was being pulled downward and thrust into a new depth within this underwater world.

Damn, welp...you got me when that beat dropped @ 00:50. <3

Love the liquid synths and orchestra. Between it and your art inspiration, it makes me feel like we're going on a trip to see Atlantis itself. xxx Very colorful with a wide soundscape. Very well done rises and falls, and the breakbeat is paired incredibly with the bass and strings. I think in some spots, the strings get drowned (no pun intended) by the drum n' bass, and could've been pulled more to the front to shine, and the song kinda ends abruptly (to my tastes), but that's me asking for further polish on an already Turtle Waxed-(poetic) piece of prime music material. I don't have much more to say other than it was a real treat and privilege to hear this song.

Good luck in AIM 2022! :) Have a good one.

Be my savior before I drown. I really enjoyed the composition of this song among the current submissions for AIM. I didn't necessarily make the connection of swimming, or descending in the ocean. I got more of a falling from the sky through the clouds while half conscious kind of vibe, but I liked the music non the less. It's a strong contender, and it's 1 of the 4 I'm rooting for.