whoa! who'd you meet?
Reviews for "Into the Old Way"
LucidShadowDreamer responds:
Dunno, some weird guys :/
Amazingly worked-out motifs and flow.
Love it!
LucidShadowDreamer responds:
Thank you! Your song is insanely catchy gaaah! Good luck :D
Soooo good! Everything connects together really well, great stuff!
LucidShadowDreamer responds:
Thanks! I'm glad you caught on to how I tried to make everything link together in a natural way :D
I like the somewhat contained, furtive sound at the beginning and the generous use of sustain. The piece has a great sense of wonder about it, and 1:01 feels like a grand arrival point - a moment of discovery. I think you overuse the rolls a bit at around the 1-minute mark, but the cutesy melody that follows at 1:14 helps bring back a more humble and innocent tone to the piece. The chords at the transition at 1:54 are a bit bizarre, but I also understand that the section that follows is something of an inflection point for the piece. From 2:00 to 2:20 or so, the piece sounds very still, and 2:15 feels like an apex of nostalgia but also longing, as if the protagonist is reading a letter from a deceased loved one. The descending scale at 2:22 is a very good transition. Once the low, richer tones seep back into the piece, it’s all the more effective at captivating my attention because of the high-pitched melodic swells of the section before. I also like how the section at 2:26 has some of the same melodic motifs, with some added decoration. It’s as if the protagonist is able to carry on after the death of his mother, but keeps her memory alive by employing the lessons she taught him every day. I also like the mysterious, pensive theme that starts at around 3:23. The key change at 3:41 sounds pretty jarring, and the ending of this piece comes on pretty suddenly. Still, this piece has a deeply satisfying arrangement, a remarkable amount of cohesion, and some super fun transitions/compositional details. Strong work again, Ale! Keep it up. ^_^
Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9.5/10
LucidShadowDreamer responds:
Nice catch with 1:01! It definitely sounds like you describe; something really sinking in. I can also see your point about 1:54. The transition comes right after a unique part of the piece, which makes it feel a bit different from the rest of the piece. That is where I feel that there is some kind of change that makes the feeling of determination stronger. But before that determination blooms fully, I bring back the intro a bit at 1:54, which might be why the change back feels sudden. I also agree with your analysis and pointers with the time marks in general; that's more of less how I intended the structure to feel. As for 3:41, I agree the key change is a bit unexpected, but that's partially why I like it. I feel that the reason it works, is because it specifically brings the piece back to the original key.
"It’s as if the protagonist is able to carry on after the death of his mother, but keeps her memory alive by employing the lessons she taught him every day."
=> As per usual, I really like hearing your story-like interpretations of music, since they're always so specific, and allow me to hear the piece again, perhaps a little bit through someone else's eyes (ears?).
I definitely took a more melodic and clearly structured approach to this track than some of my more experimental tracks. I still feel like I challenged myself quite a bit with this one. I'm very glad to see that you enjoyed it!
As always, thanks for your hard work with the reviews, good luck with the rest of the competition, and thank you for listening!
This is so freaking pretty. Reminds me a bit of Joe Hisaishi
LucidShadowDreamer responds:
Thank you! Nice catch, as that was a somewhat intentional nod!! :D