August Contest: Gossip

[bzur]

bzur - picnicking
Humorous, great orchestral sounds, very enjoyable piece of light, fresh, joyful ballet, full of life. There is a smile and a wink floating around all around. I very much like the idea and the realisation.

Thanks a lot

[bzur]

This month you are asked to submit an entry about or suggestive of autumn.

Great theme.

Ditto!

[davidstiles]

David Stiles - Fractured Childhood Memories
The piano and the other orchestral instruments sound gorgeous (although a little more panning work would have improved the already very enjoyable listening experience), the music evolves nicely, with a lot of different ideas coming one after the other like in a stream of consciousness. I presume it is willfully that we get that feeling of something lacking a certain amount of "fullness", in a slightly destructured fashion: fractured memories?

Thanks for the comment, Wopelka! Yes, I was definitely going for something that lacked fullness and seemed tenuous, so I'm glad that came across.

[Nickel Smith]

Thank you Wopelka for your very creative critique. I hadn't thought of Brel, but I'll have to reacquaint myself with some of his music.

[D.H. Miltz]

Oh, and I just noticed how far behind I've fallen with the Hall of Fame. I'll get caught up tomorrow.

I tried. Got a message that the post contains too many characters. Checking with Ben [KVR] to see if the limit can be raised before I start a second post in the Hall of Fame thread (I'll do it if I have to, but I'd rather not). I do have everything ready to go, though.

[Laguna Rising]

2nd (and last) batch :

Beanpole - Jenny & Jack
Congratulations for your 100th consecutive entry (I must check my own streak...)
You choosed a positive-vibe song. A nice ballad with your distinctive voice and clean guitar.
Well done.

DavidStiles - Fractured Childhood Memories
Very nicely built composition. The long piano intro sets the tone for many variations around the slow/melancholic feel of uncertainty. Good arrangements / sounds and I like the way the transitions are made.

NickelSmith - Saint Tropez
Having a good time. Vacations on the French Riviera, happy feel. The b/w picture is a good memory of those happy times, so many years ago. I like the feel and the melody; good choice of sounds (to take us back in time).

Barnadine - Dead Eyed Baby Doll (under umbrella-la)
I love the way the e-piano is used here. Very creative. All the instruments are wisely arranged like a NYPD Traffic Enforcement Agent through the changes of mood
The expressive vocals (class A+) are the driving element.

DHMiltz – Taken by the Tide
Disturbing atmosphere. You were able to build a sonic picture of a thriller movie scene, in vivid colors.
A weird evolving soundscape. Effective.

MrNatural – The Dolls in Love
Very smart construction. The intro define the mood / atmosphere that will support the entering of drums and the evolution with the free flowing & groovy buildup, Nice echoed guitar

Yeager - Fifties Revisited
Considering the intention of a 2-chord tune the result is more than good. The changes keeps interesting without betraying the original retro feel.

Bzur - picnicking!
This is without doubt a great composition. Congratulations for the idea and the way it was developed. I don’t agree 100% on the intensive use of orchestral sounds. It could be more daring and experimental with the addition of synth sounds, but that’s a personal choice, of course.

Hellfog – Creepy Things
Horror movie it is. It moves us on the dark side…
…and it works. The atmosphere is so dense you can almost touch it.
Creepy indeed. Perfect production for this target sound.

[D.H. Miltz]

Thanks, Laguna Rising.

Also, Hall of Fame is now updated.

[Mister Natural]

thank you Wolpelka and Laguna for your comments

[Hellfog]

Thanks Laguna and Wopelka for the comments.

[Laguna Rising]

Very hard to compile my top 10 this month.
Tried again this morning without results

I'll try again later....

[D.H. Miltz]

Mister Natural - The Dolls in Love
I really like the synth sounds. And I love the moment when the drums and bass come in.

Nat Davis AKA Key88 - seaside
Drunken robots at a seaside carnival. Possibly wrestling. Cool sounds.

ClaRago - Die Gouvernante
Interesting. I like it, I like it, then when it's just the piano and drums I'm not sure, then here come the voices and I'm back to liking it.

Barnadine - DEAD-EYED BABY DOLL! (under umbrella)
A bit goofy, a bit spooky, quite fun. Needs a stop-motion animated video, maybe.

beanpole - Jenny & Jack
I think I should raise a lighter in the air for this one, maybe sway from side to side. Nice guitar sound. Like the little lead bits too. And, like Wopelka, I'm fond of the break. A solid 100th entry.

bzur - picnicking!
This is really fun. Enjoyable on its own, even more so when I went back to read the story with what's happening when. I could picture everything, and the music seemed just right. Well done.

davidstiles – Fractured Childhood Memories
Melancholy, with maybe hints of danger here and there. Lovely.

EntropyAudio – Playing Games
Nice soundtrack material, good sounds used well.

hellfog – Creepy Things
The very high notes at the beginning were slightly uncomfortable for me, but I think that's hypersensitivity on my ear's part. From around 1:20 I like this a lot. Those sort of string, sort of voice, sort of horses being tortured sounds are crazy.

Laguna Rising – Mother Love
"This is about small children playing outside, having good time with their mother." -- I can picture that. I think they're in a back yard, and the mother has just hung some clothes and sheets on the line. My favorite part of this is whatever the percussion is that comes in around 1:16.

mvrasseli – at your side
Very pretty piano. For just a few seconds the synth sounds out of place, but I think it's just because I wasn't expecting it. After those first few seconds (and another listen when I know it is coming) it works fine.

Nickel Smith - Saint Tropez
Soundtrack for a film—very light drama or comedy—from the sixties or seventies. Frolicking Europeans, seaside scenes, a Bardot cameo.

Shangsean – Remembering the End
I could listen to this all day.

Wopelka - Dolls Waiting
I picture a cafe or a bar, after hours. The band gets to talking about people who are no longer around, the piano player starts playing...

Yeager - Fifties Revisited
I like the guitars. Not sure about the initial drums (they sound too modern, or hit too hard maybe?), but I like the congas.

[D.H. Miltz]

Thanks for the comments, Mister Natural, Nickel Smith, and davidstiles.

@davidstiles: Nah, for these dolls all versions are valid (in one universe or another). And I'm glad to hear it about the high frequency sound.

[Barnadine]

Cheers to all the reviewers. Good stuff. Don't have time to reciprocate this month, I'm afraid, but will try harder next time.

Congrats on the century, Mr Pole!

[Mister Natural]

thanks for the nice comments fellas - it means a lot to me (and I'm sure it does to you as well)

Sean - it may be that leaving comments is outside your comfort zone but it's very instructive to other musicians to get critique. I contribute a piece of music here not to "WIN" or to possibly acquire new software, but to explore a theme that I probably wouldn't have consided and to be inspired by your (all contributors) ideas

peace