May Contest: Gossip

[Deaf Steever]

Echo Voodoo Surrender
Great atmospheric tune. I like the punctuated bass and some of those slightly discordant high notes. Beautiful and eerie at the same time. Perfect for a moody late night drive down a dark highway.

Farlukar Vabidate
Love those melodies floating around at about the 1:50 mark. Also, that percussion is hypnotic!

offthewall The Start of the End
Beautiful guitar. Very pretty. (I'm partial to acoustic guitar work!) Conjures up images of the English countryside very nicely!

beanpole Fashionista
I love it! Great beat and bass. Love the melodies, too.

oddbod Who said I'm Dead?
Fantastically catchy. I love it! Kinda Adam Ant-y (which, to me, is awesome!).

Sepheritoh Those Taken By the Moon
Great atmosphere. Almost makes me think of a modern, updated version of something from the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" album (one of my faves!).

Jerru Call to Glory
Beautiful stuff. Lots of feeling in those notes.

Bluedad Sun Salutations
Radiohead meets Zeppelin meets Crosby, Stills, and Nash! I like it!

iiiDaNiii In This Way
Awesome! Kept me interested from start to finish. Excellent work. I *almost* got off the couch to dance - and I NEVER dance! Nice ending, too.

GMoneh Waiting For Spring
Simply beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. Almost brings tears to my eyes. Wish I could make a big orchestral production like this, but all I know is guitar, which is kinda limiting. hehe Anyway, you are hands down my pick for #1 this month. Awesome work!!

Sorry, folks! I would have commented on more tunes, but I left it too late and now I've run out of time!! I'll try to pace myself better next month. Cheers!

[Scoops]

It's the 24 hour notice,

Yes! in a short 24 hours from now, we will know who won th May contest!

If you haven't voted yet, please be sure to do so, as I will be locking the voting thread when I get out of bed tomorrow morning.

BTW....any ideas for next Month?
Some possibilities

Where has Markleford Gone?
Midi Madness 2
Solstice
Urban Dictionary

Stay tuned

-Scps

[oddbod]

Where has Markleford Gone?

Who?...would be what most newcomers would ask

Urban Dictionary

not sure this topic had the entrants rolling in last time

[GMoneh]

GMoneh - Waiting for Spring
Very pretty. Strings are slightly stilted, maybe.

Thanks for your comments. In the interest of taking in all criticism (it's the only way to improve), could I ask what you mean by the strings being "stilted"? English is not my primary language, and though I searched it in the dictionary, it wasn't quite clear to me what you meant.

201105_GMoneh_WaitingForSpring.mp3 -> Very soundtrack-y. Nicely paced, I like the way this developes and flows. Good work.

Thanks so much for your comments.

GMoneh -- Waiting for Spring
Cool performance and a neat melody line and harmonies, particularly in the B sections. The whole mix seems a little dull (lacking some of the sparkle of the higher frequencies) but maybe that's intentional.

Thank you. Yea, I'm still trying to figure out this mixing thing... I might have gone too EQ crazy on the high range, but I didn't want the violin overtones to mask the piano, which after all is supposed to be the main voice. So yea, I guess you could say it was intentional

GMoneh WaitingForSpring
Pleasant enough, but needed more variation, especially in the left hand. Also, the strings are almost hiding most of the time.

I actually agree with you about the variation on the left hand. Unfortunately, that's all my skills as a pianist allowed me to do there, but I agree that my next efforts need to improve on that regard. Thanks for your comment.

GMoneh Waiting For Spring
Simply beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. Almost brings tears to my eyes.

Wow, you made my day with those comments . Thank you very much. Nothing fulfills a composer more than getting that kind of reaction of at least one person who listens to your work.

GMoneh Waiting For Spring
Wish I could make a big orchestral production like this, but all I know is guitar, which is kinda limiting. hehe Anyway, you are hands down my pick for #1 this month. Awesome work!!

He he... envy is a funny thing. I actually wish I could play the guitar like you and produce a cool soulful blues piece like your entry this month.

Anyway, thanks to all the people above who bothered to comment on my track, to all who bothered to listen and to vote.

[Max el Belga]

Some ideas for next month :

A lullaby in 7/8, for dolphins with seasickness problems ?

An elevator march at 185 bpm ?

Making such a wonderful blues like deafsteever&echovoodoo did (or do the impossible ).

CU,

Max... .. .

[Laguna Rising]

Well, after all, given a 3 files choice, I believe a Midi-Madness thing is satisfactory for all the entrants, don't you think ?

Cheers

[folderol]

Well, after all, given a 3 files choice, I believe a Midi-Madness thing is satisfactory for all the entrants, don't you think ?

Cheers

Um... I counted 4 actually, and I'd rather plump for the one you missed - Solstice. A chance for mysticism, getting close to nature and all that.

MIDI madness is too easy really and almost another free-for-all, although I wouldn't turn my nose up at the chance of course.

[thomekk]

Midi Madness could work out - maybe with some special tasks (use at least 80 Midi Notes but not more than 120 per song , use only certain instruments or ...)

[Scoops]

Well,

Just as you thought, I already have a theme, just looking for some fresh ideas

It will be technical in nature. We haven't done one of these for a while, and I believe I've found something that will be quite simple, for all to do

I'll be doing a Midi Madness again soon. I'm working on some special prizes.

Scps

[D.H. Miltz]

GMoneh, I think I just meant stiff. Sloppy word choice on my part, sorry.

[adj]

Well, after all, given a 3 files choice, I believe a Midi-Madness thing is satisfactory for all the entrants, don't you think ?

Cheers

What does it mean "Midi Madness"? Does it mean you can only use midi instruments or something?




Please don't beat up on me -- I be very igorant about that stuff!

Some ideas for next month :

A lullaby in 7/8, for dolphins with seasickness problems ?

An elevator march at 185 bpm ?

[Echo Voodoo]

What does it mean "Midi Madness"? Does it mean you can only use midi instruments or something?

Back in April 2007, Midi Madness was the theme. You can read the submission thread here for full details.

tl;dr - Scoops provides some MIDI files, you have to use one in your entry.

Edited to add: looks like Scoops is still hosting the original MIDI files from that contest, too.

[adj]

Now I remember!

Thanks EV.

[rockstar_not]

A note of thanks to the contest entrants this month:

Rather than doing a song by song review, I want to take a moment to thank some of the May entrants for the following:

For a recollection of the nights when I would have to turn off my racing brain and go to sleep listening to Sade and Sweetback; a hearty thank you to Mary Mary. I thoroughly enjoyed the groove. Now if only Sade Adu would add a breathy croon here and there in your track, I would have goosebumps lasting a good while. 3 minutes was not enough.

For reminding me that the 80's DID have some cool guitar flavorings and chords and what not; tip of the hat to adj. I heard The Call, Big Country, Simple Minds, Crowded House, and a bunch more in your tune. Pleasant memories. Choice chord progressions and truthful lyrics.

For rendering a Salvador Dali painting into words without resorting to psychedelic effects; I bow to D. H. Miltz. Some of the most visually evocative lyrics I've ever seen or heard with KVR tunes packed into one song. "Ants strip mining the carpet" = ace

No discredit to any of the other entrants, but these 3 songs truly moved me on a different plane than the rest.

-Scott

[D.H. Miltz]

Thank you very much, rockstar_not.

P.S. - Your vote list only goes to nine.