Really sounded like soundtrack music, trumpets were a bit off though. Those plucks at the beginning were pretty good.
Reviews for "First Flight"
Ylmir responds:
Thanks for your review !
Off in which way ? I listened to it again and don't see what exactly you are talking about. But maybe I'm just tired, I haven't slept much since I finished it. ^^
The brass from CineSymphony can sound a bit wrong though, when playing at full power, so maybe that's what you are hearing, but again, I didn't really notice it.
I think this is beautiful :)
I like every part!
Good luck ;)
I definitely think you have a chance of making it with this.
Splendid work :D
Ylmir responds:
Thanks a lot ! Let's hope for the best ! :p
Oh, and by the way, your last track with Demolecule seems to be great ! Yeah, "seems", because actually I can't even listen to it properly, I spent so much time working on my track, my ears still hurt when I put my headphones on xDD I downloaded it though and will listen to it ASAP in better conditions. ;)
(well, actually, one of the earpads of my headphones is completely torn apart since I finished The Traveller, and I still have to get a new pair. This doesn't help. ^^)
EDIT : I actually managed to get a "blister" (not sure it is the right word for that though) on the external ear. Yeah, I should really replace these headphones. xD
I liked the feeling of stillness and mystery at the beginning. I liked the instruments you used, and (as you've made clear in the description) this piece really tells a story. I admire your sense of harmony and progression, and the melodies are beautiful. Considering this piece is only 2 minutes long, I thought it could've progressed a bit faster during the first 45 seconds or so. Still, you develop this piece very well structurally, and it's very flowy and smooth. I love the almost medieval vibes instilled by the melody instrument at :47. I thought 1:20 was quite a timely reappearance of the piano from the intro. Despite the large degree of variation crammed into 2 minutes, you still managed to make it coherent enough. I will say that I thought the ending was a bit underwhelming, but perhaps that's a personal grievance more than anything. The mixing is pretty good - I can hear everything clearly. The texture is well-balanced and full. I love how you've managed to cram so many different moods - mystery, furtiveness, adventure, excitement, passion, fatigue, sheer thrill, etc. - into just 2 minutes. Overall, this is clearly fantastic work. Again, I think my favorite attribute of this piece is that it clearly tells a story to the reader. Excellent job, Ylmir! ;D
9.25/10
Ylmir responds:
Thanks a lot for your detailed review ! To be honest, the fact that the introduction is that long compared to the rest, and the ending a bit rushed of the track (although I did want it to end quietly and on a positive note) is most probably because of the lack of time I had. I restarted my project about 4 days before the deadline, and I actually spent two days getting the second section right. With so little time left, I almost had to sum up all the ideas I had for this track after the 1:34 mark, and a small part got completely wiped out from the project. Actually, I'm already happy I've been able to deliver something in time xD
There is something positive about it though. I usually tend to repeat myself a lot, and build around a single idea or two. But with the deadline approaching, "summing it up" really forced me to add a lot of variation, and maybe it contributed to get the piece much more lively, especially since the piece conveys a positive mood.
Thank you again for your analysis ! :)
NGAUC Review
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First off, my apologies for the extremely late review -- but, better late than never!
What worked well:
- Beautiful fantasy-based theme.
- Excellent use of instruments to accentuate the story.
- Excellent composition.
- Wonderful atmosphere.
- Highly imaginative!
What to consider for next time:
- The ideas in this track are crying because they need to be fleshed out more -- you've created something that needs a longer story. I think this could have easily been 4-5 minutes long! I understand what you mean though, time constraints can sometimes hinder the creative process.
- Some of the instruments are hidden in the track (choir, brass, etc.)! Don't be afraid to bring these sounds out in order to let them shine! The choir finally shines at the very end...it would have worked wonders in the body of the song. 0:46 - 1:20 in particular.
This is the kind of song that speaks to me, Ylmir. I can see this working in a number of RPG titles. Keep it up, I'll be keeping an eye out for your track!
Score: 9.6/10
Ylmir responds:
Hey ! No worries about the late review ! Actually, I'm a bit late to reply too. xD
Thanks a lot, it confirms what has been said before (the overall balance of instruments, the length, mainly), and really encourages me. It's been a long time I haven't composed something completely freely (apart from the deadline, of course), and I must say I really needed to.
To be honest, I surprised myself when I came up with my submissions for both the knock-out round and the finals. Trying to tell stories through music has actually been a long-time dream of mine (this is actually one of the reasons that pushed me into music-making), and this made me realize how far I went since I began music. I've seen I am now able to create what I always wanted to create, to suggest locations, events, atmospheres, only through sound. Sure, this is still not perfect, but this contest made me curious about what I could do with more time to work on music, without pressure, without having constraints.
Lately, I also changed my views on music, and decided to leave most of the teams I was working with : it was becoming more and more industrial, and I was gradually losing interest in it - little to no room for creative freedom, deadlines, a need for productivity... I realized it's not something I want. Music is a hobby for me, nothing less, nothing more, and I'm sure I'll be able to love composing as I used to, once I'll be back to this pace of "work". The NGAUC somehow helped me to realize that, to realize I needed a change of scenery, by showing me what I could do. I'm not aiming to be a professional composer anymore. I just want to be happy with what I create, regardless of the time it takes me to write a track or improve myself.
Well... I don't even know how I went writing all that stuff about me, it's not even the right place. I guess replying to reviews at 2 am is maybe not the best idea I had today. Anyway, I'm off to bed now. Oh, and thanks again for your review ! As you probably guessed it, since the NGAUC taught me what I was really looking for into music, I'm looking forward for any future contest on NG from now. :p
I like.