Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
Remfy, Sunny Afternoon: 9,9,9,9

Another composer aims their scope at animated pixel art and gives me chiptune to listen to. It was a very smart choice for this contest. I've pointed out to a few people that this contest bridges a gap between skill levels in that a decent chiptune can nab fairly high scores while a high fidelity dubstep or DNB tune can fail because it just doesn't echo the art. You took a small experimental progressive chiptune risk with those full fidelity drums but they sounded really nice and programmed well. That last section was easily my favorite. It wasn't too intense of a climax but maybe more of the song could have used that full spectrum energy? The track doesn't seem to repeat itself much but for an almost four minute track two climaxes are better than one, imo. They can be different from one another but I felt like I waited an unnecessarily long time for that climactic pay off.

So almost everyone in the contest got the next criticism but don't worry about it too much. I only say it to help you all but writing a little bit more about the creative process can help the judges hear things they might not have noticed. If you had an idea for how the sounds echo back to the music, point it out. If you had something you were particularly proud of, point it out. If there's information you feel we need to take into account, point it out. The judges are your peers and if someone like me happens to be on the judge panel, your words can sway emotions. I was asked to judge for "emotion" and that's a fairly conceptual idea that can subjectively change from judge to judge. I love the Newgrounds community and taking the time to post some of your thoughts can help endear you to the community. I've witnessed so many artists grow up here. It can feel silly to share your ideas and it takes a little bravery but use every tool at your disposal to be an artist. Sometimes it can feel like no one is listening but for those that do, take that risk to communicate to them.

I'm having a hard time finding things to take points off of. This is a really great track that just works nicely with the image you chose. The critiques I levied at others have a harder time sticking here. This wouldn't necessarily benefit from atmospheric samples. Maybe some waves crashing at the end with some gulls or something similar might help transport us into the image? You totally took a "less is more" approach that many others could have benefit from. I'm not as impressed with your tune as I am with some of the other contestants but the score kind of reflects my unwillingness to toss you into the shark tank with the best composers. I don't know if I'm being unfair or not. I've highlighted some minor issues but overall this song was a strong contender. Hopefully this review is somewhat helpful in illuminating how hard it is to judge contests. Write a little more next time to make a statement that undeniably connects the art and the music and I'll have a much harder time justifying taking off points for such minor things. The author's comments is your chance to post a decisive manifesto.

The judges are your peers so don't be afraid to talk to us through that specific means. For all I know you could have already written this song before you found the image but a quick blurb about how you were inspired by the image makes it impossible for me to suggest that. I'm glad you took a second to shout-out the artist but there is so much more you could have said about your work and hopefully this review inspires you to share a piece of yourself with the community. Your music is lovely but we love to know that artists are being authentic. What tools did you use? Did you spend a lot of time on this or are you showing off your chops with something that was made in a day? You don't have to write anywhere near as much as I do but you can't hurt yourself by sharing a little more. It can often be somewhat therapeutic and often people may leave reviews addressing your feelings. I have one more song of yours to judge, but I do hope to hear more from you in the future. Be proud of your work and have a good one Remfy :3

The first section of this piece is really good. I love the warm bell tones and that little higher musical box melody paired with the repeating chiptune notes and chiptune percussion really set the scene. The choice of chords works as well, evoking that bright midday atmosphere.

I like that the repeating chiptune notes were an intuitive way to transition between the shift in tone from the A section to the B section (which I interpret to start at around the 1:10 mark). The second section's development, however, shifted from a bright to dark tone that felt like it turned into a different track entirely. I don't think the transitions were too sudden, and I like that there were some shifts from the cheery melody - to me, the elongated B section felt too far detached from the mood set by the first section and as a result, also felt detached from its connection to the art.

Like that buildup to the more intensive sections from 1:10 up until around the 1:40 mark could have worked as a way to build upon the musical scape. When that higher repeating loop started entering, it was really when the mood shifted entirely and building upon that made the piece feel like it had no satisfying resolution, which didn't seem to fit the art inspiration.

The first minute and a bit of this entry is fantastic and easily the highlight of the piece, but we spend so little time in it, which I think was a missed opportunity. If this piece had more of a satisfying resolution at the ending that built upon ideas from the A section, I think it would have really made this entry come together.