september theme ... REVIEWS

[You™]

... or like four girls lying side by side. Your pics are close to pornography ...

If so, then those are definitely fake!


I have a soft spot for this because it sounds a bit like the music I used to make in a band back in the 80s. Actually we weren't quite this good, but we did have the plodding bass and drums down and I could do those one hand mono leads. I dig the Heavenly choir interlude.



The call of the universe sounds a tad like incidental music from Myst to me. It get's very majestic in there (Ra's Boat ) but it's also a bit rickety with all that delay. Then near the end (Infinite Universal Room ) it sounds like a Mark Ayres-era Dr. Who soundtrack. I'm afraid the metaphysics are lost on me, but then again, what isn't lost on me.



Kvrers: I know you are very fond of the theatrical symphonic flair in your music but it seems so rooted in prog style rock that I'm surprised it isn't one of your influences...
Seph: No no, your first line is, "Hi great song"
Kvrers: but...
Seph: Start over. Say, "Hi, great song"
Kvrers: Well it's not a bad song, the instrumentation needs more clarity and sharpness in the mix and maybe the guitars are a little out of time and slightly out of tune...
Seph: You're supposed to say that later! Start at the top!
Kvrers: I want top say it the way I want to say it.
Seph: But it's my song and my script!
Kvrers: But it's my review.
Seph: (let's just stop here)
Kvrers: Do I really have to say "faq U2?" How should I pronounce that?
Seph: Grr... Just go on to the next review already.



Naive? I think more like bizarre surf blues. Like many other songs this month, I think it's funny to think of it just as a tribute to a guy named Bob rather than Dr. Moog. I also strongly think it could only be improved with appropriate drums and percussion. The lyrics are so perplexingly simple and the music so earnest, I think this may be the work of a musical genius slumming on the internet.



Your music is consistently well-made and appealing, I have high expectations so I was a little disappointed that this was somewhat formulaic, but it still sounds good and I appreciate the craftsmanship. It might be my age or enculturation that checks my appreciation of the *Eurobeat* sound. I like it enough on first impression but it usually wears thin after a while. Regardless, I'm giving you good marks so far.



This piece really appeals to me but I can't imagine it being much longer because I think it may already be stretching the material to its limit. At first I thought it should have more overall cohesion, but now I like the fragmentary nature of the composition. Good samples (your DVD sounds somewhat intriguing) although I think you could get away with less repetition and a bit less effect on the dialog. But the synth patches are beautiful (especially that string pad near the end) and very theme-appropriate.



I wish the bass varied a bit more because I don't love the riff and it's so integral to the rest of the piece. The resonant synth loop has a nice FSOL quality which is a positive boon, but I find the total effect of this too repetitive, too clockwork - not enough somatic order. Maybe more 'traditional' instruments would help.

[Wopelka]

Georg, you'd be so kind to review my actual entry.

(i instantanely recognized my Dear Bob track BTW. It's striking how well the music change is peceived on the picture).

[You™]

Wopelka, you'll find your proper review amongst this batch:



Cool song. Great samples - they complete the personality of the music. Personally I think the sounds feel more like PCM synthesis than classic analog that Moog oscillators and filters are known for, but that's beside the point. I like this tune a lot.



This is a great bit of sound design but I gotta tell you, there's an effect that ships with Pluggo called Feedback Network that sounds a whole lot like this and requires no input! There's something to be said for effects that need no input. I don't know how to critique this other than say I enjoyed it, but I would have a tough time explaining why to the uninitiated.



Emerson, founder of the Transcendental Club, played and mastered the Moog synthesizer like a normal instrument?

Oh, you mean that other Emerson! Well he sure has more questionable fashion choices in his career than old Waldo! I'm not crazy about the mix or some of the patches in this - too clean and sterile, more like presets than instruments, but you've got good musical ideas. Keith wouldn't solo like this either, he'd paraphrase some Russian composer like Mussorgsky or Rimsky-Korsakov and would play for at least 3 more minutes. The lead synth has a lot of interesting moments and the guitar while not quite convincing sounds pretty good.




Besides the drums, this is mostly well-mixed and eclectic, full of excellent performances. I found the drums at times a little too upfront. The music has so many great proggy hooks that easily outshine the cheesy parts, my overall impression is it's really terrific. I hope we get to hear more from you in the future.




Nice background loop and great production - sometimes the bass gets a little overpowering, but it doesn't take too much attention attention from the dialog or get stale during the span of the piece. It's a strange concept particularly funny with the vocoder and lusty she-moan samples, though some of the humor as well as the connection too Moog missed me. But it's good fun and I'm glad you entered it.




I hope this doesn't sound too harsh, but this isn't my favorite piece from you. It's almost a sped-up reworked version of "Sunday" from the June competition. It's a little too pretty for it's own good with an apparent emphasis on style over substance. The vocoder, while tuneful, obscures the lyric in a saccharine candy coating that doesn't appeal to me. Your composition and production skills are so strong. See if you can relate to your audience by exploring emotions other than bliss.




Wow you got such a full spectrum of sound and used about 7 kHz bandwidth less that the rest of us! There's a load of great sounds and effects in here. I kinda wish there was a speedier counter-rhythm to punch out the 16 and 32 notes every now and then, but everything works well. I mentioned FSOL in an earlier review, but I hear a touch of maybe "Lifeforms" in here as well. That's cool.



Finally I caught up with your second entry - and what a difference in songs, this is much more ... well, if not reverent, oddly beatific. There's an astringent high-end to this piece - white noise from one of the patches - and sometimes the hummed melody drifts around some (as Donkey Tugger would say) "passing notes," but both characteristics may enhance the personal nature of the song. It doesn't sound like it was composed to be added to a performer's repertoire, but to fulfill a private avocation. Now who's it a homage to? Hmmm... It's Sleek Month, isn't it!

[kovacs]

I *hope* to find time to review all tracks this month but at least here's a start.

The Starving Time - In Memoriam Doctoris Roberti
Nice intro. I like the industrial sound you bring in after it. Good swelling sounds, and nice development of structure. The guitar is a bit bland and maybe even weak. The rhythm could do with some changes here and there. Then it ends...nothing really happens in this piece.

knockman - The Moog KookBook
Love the intro. Extremely well done. I think your singing is trying to be too funny, though, without really succeeding. But it is in tune and well sung (it gets better after a while as it grows on me). Nice and funny ending. Overall a really good piece, this. Can I turn that knob?

barnadine - Flown
Excellent singing. Naked and honest. Haunting backing synth. A good example of how to keep things simple yet create a lasting impression. Would definitely have made my top 10. I like the almost churchy choirboy-like singing against the soft sounds of technology. Very nice.

Benedict - Time Returns All Legends To Glory
Hm...this gets a bit too naked for me. I don't get any associations or feelings that this is heading anywhere. It does evolve slightly over time and the tempo change at 01:40 is welcome. It should perhaps have come sooner or lasted longer. Kudos for using very basic sounds, though. Definitely not overcooked, but maybe a bit raw.

Mark JX8P - The Great Modular In The Sky
A bit slow moving for me in the beginning - it sounds like the music is dragging itself along. At 00:57 I am expecting it to take off but it hangs on for another 10 secs THEN it starts to build, which is cool - but you could easily have done this sooner. Then it changes again, and it's like you have 2 or three different songs within these 2 and a half minutes. I like the last bit the best, it wants to go somewhere but is too restrained somehow.

scamme - Now you can rest
Cool rhythms. A bit lacking in the bass department, perhaps. This track has potential but it never really develops and is too short!

Silent Mind - KvR Bullshit
This is interesting from the get-go and stays interesting throughout. Maybe not overly innovative but a good dance track with a nice mix of rhythm and filters. It may be a bit too pulsating in places. Nice touch with the French spoken words. Nice ending, too. It sounds longer than it is. Well done.

[Marc JX8P]

Here we go again... not three, not two but ONE MORE REVIEW!

Chameleon (Herbie Hancock) - Markleford Friedman:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I really like the 'live' feel of this track - in a way it's a bit weird to hear those electronic sounds like they emanate from some weird acoustic contraption. Nice playing!

[emdot_ambient]

Oh, you mean that other Emerson! Well he sure has more questionable fashion choices in his career than old Waldo!

And here's the good doctor himself, in 2000, along with Tonto's Expanding Head Band (Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil from left to right). And then there's some other git on the far right. I think he's fairly inconsequential

Nuff said.

[You™]

Oh, you mean that other Emerson! Well he sure has more questionable fashion choices in his career than old Waldo!

And here's the good doctor himself, in 2000, along with Tonto's Expanding Head Band (Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil from left to right). And then there's some other git on the far right. I think he's fairly inconsequential

Nuff said.

Yes, that's exactly what I meant! At least he didn't wear a cape like little Ricky!

[Wopelka]

Finally I caught up with your second entry - and what a difference in songs, this is much more ... well, if not reverent, oddly beatific. There's an astringent high-end to this piece - white noise from one of the patches - and sometimes the hummed melody drifts around some (as Donkey Tugger would say) "passing notes," but both characteristics may enhance the personal nature of the song. It doesn't sound like it was composed to be added to a performer's repertoire, but to fulfill a private avocation. Now who's it a homage to? Hmmm... It's Sleek Month, isn't it!

thanks - it's always a pleasure to read your full-of-finesse reviews.

[emdot_ambient]

Oh, you mean that other Emerson! Well he sure has more questionable fashion choices in his career than old Waldo!

And here's the good doctor himself, in 2000, along with Tonto's Expanding Head Band (Robert Margouleff and Malcolm Cecil from left to right). And then there's some other git on the far right. I think he's fairly inconsequential

Nuff said.

Yes, that's exactly what I meant! At least he didn't wear a cape like little Ricky!

I used to think that was SO cool. What can I say? I was a dumb teenager . . . but at least I never imitated him (he had lovely hair, too, didn't he? ).

[You™]

I used to think that was SO cool. What can I say? I was a dumb teenager . . . but at least I never imitated him (he had lovely hair, too, didn't he? ).

What say we start our own synth band and we'll all wear capes and be so fücking cool, all those wimpy bands with their matching suits will turn green with envy.

Or Nehru jackets. I've always wanted one. I already have a cape. Well actually it's a liner from an old overcoat, but in the dark it looks like a cape. Smoking jackets are cool but Combustible Edison and Squirrel Nut Zippers already did that.

[emdot_ambient]

I used to think that was SO cool. What can I say? I was a dumb teenager . . . but at least I never imitated him (he had lovely hair, too, didn't he? ).

What say we start our own synth band and we'll all wear capes and be so fücking cool, all those wimpy bands with their matching suits will turn green with envy.

Or Nehru jackets. I've always wanted one. I already have a cape. Well actually it's a liner from an old overcoat, but in the dark it looks like a cape. Smoking jackets are cool but Combustible Edison and Squirrel Nut Zippers already did that.

Hey, don't mock capes . . . Sun Ra wore one.

Well, okay, maybe they do look silly after all.

[liqih]

[police siren]

ok what's the point to have a clean Review thread?!

[AndreasE]

Oh, you mean that other Emerson! Well he sure has more questionable fashion choices in his career than old Waldo!

More than this: At the end of their (ELP) concerts Emerson often battered his keyboards with a knife. But nevertheless he was (is?) an excellent keyboard player (and composer/arranger) (emdot_ambient, do you read this? ) who got chosen by several magazines as best keyboard player over many years. I saw ELP in concert 10 years ago and they were still top notchers apart from Greg Lake´s (formerly excellent) voice.

I'm not crazy about the mix or some of the patches in this - too clean and sterile, more like presets than instruments, but you've got good musical ideas. Keith wouldn't solo like this either, he'd paraphrase some Russian composer like Mussorgsky or Rimsky-Korsakov and would play for at least 3 more minutes. The lead synth has a lot of interesting moments and the guitar while not quite convincing sounds pretty good.

Thanks much for the review, You. You´re right with Keith´s preference for russian composers, but my track was more inspired by "Lucky Man". And concerning the length: After I had submitted my tune I noticed the 4 min. length this month.

[AndreasE]

[police siren]

ok what's the point to have a clean Review thread?!

I´d prefer the old arrangement: Only one thread for REVIEWS and GOSSIP because it´s not always possible to separate between the two.

Btw., thanks for your comment on my track, liqih.

[Glassback]

The 5th Element:

Techbot - Age Of De Gross
Great track. Nice loose percussion, good sounds, nice structure - I'm definitely getting Chemicals here.

vurt - belugamoogfishsundae
Of course, I like the Gong-twiddlys in this and there's some great sounds in there. Not keen on the bassline though, a bit 'rigid' maybe and I reckon it'd be good if there was some vurtesque percussion in there. Could be longer if there was a percussive element.

Glooper and Remco - Hope Is a Bird With Feathers
Fantastic vocals, fantastic structure, production, song, everything. Other than I'm not sure the Moog relevance, I can't fault this at all. Set phasers to 'feelgood'.

Markleford Friedman - Chameleon
I'm not familiar with the original of this, so can't tell if it's a good cover or not. Enjoyed it though.

Slartibartfarst - Albinoni - Adagio in Gm
More of that 'switched on' stuff. Sounds authentic, my only gripe is your self-confessed use of a midifile. I'd have been really impressed if you'd actually recreated this yourself. Still, I drifted away nicely for a few minutes.

Mark Aldred - Gentlemen Don't Die
That lead sound sounds like that most emotive of instruments - the carpenters saw. Nice vibe here, quite a sad piece. It's the saw that does it.