Playful Games In The Royal Gardens Of Kepler 452b

[davidstiles]

Hi everyone!

This is the second track in a little suite I've been working on (I previously posted the first track, which was called "Orbital Approach"). As always, any comments/critiques you might have would be very welcome!

https://soundcloud.com/davidstiles/play ... epler-452b

[Allomerus]

Well named David. It sounds very playful, joyous and innocent. Lovely melodies and harmonies.
Nice change to the "Spanish" section...
The end is very relaxing.
You might want to listen again to the timing of the piano at the 1 minute mark...
Well done!

[Frantz]

The composition is sophisticated and up to your usual high standards. Kepler 452b implies an alien world but this is old fashioned and very down to earth.

I think the 1 minute mark is OK but could work better with a different instrument balance. There are things happening on different beats within the bar. When notes on the downbeat are quieter than other beats, the effect is a little jarring.

Is this the "good" sample library? The strings are mic'ed closely and so you hear some bow scraping. The reverb is kind of boxy. Are you using a room setting instead of hall?

[Laguna Rising]

Very, very nice composition work, indeed.
Imaginative work.
The offbeat piano entrance is cool. Cool "flamenco" beats in the central section. Great pizzicato + woodwinds section.
I like the way you lighten it up, to prepare for finale
Wisely arranged: just fine

Cheers

[VariKusBrainZ]

Somehow the beginning reminds me of Aphex Twin Boy Girl

[rp314]

The ostinato at the beginning reminded me a bit of Chopin's Berceuse.

Good work as usual.

[davidstiles]

Thanks for your kind comments, Allomerus, Frantz, Laguna Rising, VariKusBrainZ and rp314! I'm glad you all enjoyed it.

@Allomerus and Frantz - I see what you mean about the problems at the 1 minute mark. I will have to tinker with the mix (and perhaps the places in which notes are emphasized) to make that flow a bit better.

@Frantz - Good point about the title suggesting alien but the music seeming down to earth. I guess I was kind of trying to suggest that we might find some whiffs of the familiar out there alongside all the strangeness. Oh, and yes, you are absolutely right that I'm using a "room" setting rather than a "hall" setting here. The reason for that is that I found the hall setting made my pizzicato strings sound far too wet, but maybe I'd be better off putting them into a different reverb or something.

@Allomerus and Laguna Rising - I'm glad you particularly noticed the Spanish influence in that one section!

@VariKusBrainZ - I had never listened to that Aphex Twin song before, but I just checked it out, and I see what you mean.

@rp314 - The Chopin comparison is very flattering indeed - thank you.

[aaron aardvark]

davidstiles,
Thank you for the reviews! Now your music: I was expecting death metal after your comments on my tune! Your music is the polar opposite of death metal (not that death metal is my thing, I usually prefer metal that is more than 25 years old & has melodic singing). Now that I'm over that surprise, I think your music is nicely done. Nice audio quality & song composition. I think it would work best as background music to a movie. Quality tune.

[seismic1]

As noted in the SC tags, this is a fun piece of music. It manages to move through various changes without getting lost or becoming confusing. If there was anything odd with the timing of the section at 1 minute, I felt it was the violins that sounded a little odd. The piano sounded right to me. Very enjoyable music.

Is it possible that Dewey perfected a hyperdrive system, and is now tending his plants and fish on KOI 7016.01?

Good work

[davidstiles]

Thanks for listening and commenting, Aaron Aardvark and seismic1!

@aaron - your comment made me smile. I can see how you would have expected death metal. I guess the explanation is that I like both music that melts my face as well as music that melts my heart.

@seismic1 - I agree that it is the violins that primarily need to be reexamined at the 1 min mark. I'm going to keep tinkering with that until I get it right. And I like the idea of Dewey on KOI 7016.01. That should really be the title of a piece of music. Maybe one of your future tracks?

[Jace-BeOS]

This is a very diverse and beautiful piece of music. It's not my preferred style (I prefer edgier stuff), but I also couldn't ever put together a piece of music like this and I greatly respect and admire the composition ability you're showcasing here. Are you doing soundtrack work or just interested in classical orchestration?

I have to agree with the comments about the off beat notes but I am not sure which instrument is the most distracting with regard to that. It might grow on me with repeat listening, though, as I expect my own expectations of how tightly aligned notes should be is affecting my perception (I'm definitely into electronic music more than loose jazz or extremely complex orchestral).

If I was shopping for a composer for a pleasant film with pastoral elements, you'd be on the list

[davidstiles]

Thanks, Jace-BeOS! I'm glad you liked it, and I appreciate the kind words. I don't do soundtrack work, I'm just a guy with an interest in classical orchestration. It's not that I wouldn't write soundtracks if someone was to offer me a job, though. So, I guess, if you ever happen to be shopping for some pastoral-type stuff, let me know!

[seismic1]

... And I like the idea of Dewey on KOI 7016.01. That should really be the title of a piece of music. Maybe one of your future tracks?

That might not be a bad idea

[markkuja]

Enjoyable instrumental music ... Interesting coposition and arrangement.. I liked the orchestration and sounds

[layzer]

some beautiful string passeges here. i liked the changing melodies and moods. some interesting percussion
sounds were used too...(castanets) enjoyed it