June Contest: Gossip

[D.H. Miltz]

Submissions thread is locked, voting thread is up.

Next month:

This month you are asked to submit an entry that one might listen to while watching fireworks, or an entry that might make one think of fireworks.

haha, this is the most bizarre theme so far

Credit for this one goes to kryptonaut.

[RuediRena]

It is review time, you all.

Barnadine - (IDWT) Marry You
Nice song and very touching lyrics.

beanpole - Shotgun Wedding
A delicious song which nearly ended second best. The shaky intonation of the vocals prevented us to give 9 points.

ClaRago - Wedding Bells
A quite nicely crafted track, but despite of the title we didn't buy it for a wedding song.

D.H. Miltz - Ceremonial Wedding Music of East Miltzistan
Well - a lot of the ceremony seems to consist of people throwing money into the big pot in the middle. And then those other strange rituals ... We strongly suggest to marry in Western Miltzistan next time.

Doc Jon - The Wedding Warning
Funny, funny and funny. Great musicality and execution. Love your acting. This track stands out from all the rest.

forw - Secret Wedding in White
A nice little ditty which failed to stir our emotions. Sorry.

jackoo - Married Violins
Authentic classical style with a certain lack of ideas how to vary the theme as one of those composers of old times would have done.

kryptonaut - Radiant Beauty
Wedding music without a doubt. But it smells a bit like it is going to be some boring party afterwards.

Laguna Rising - A Light Through The Clouds
This was way too strange for our innocent little minds to connect it to the wedding theme. Sorry.

Mister Natural - The Simple Beginning (2 of Us)
Some interesting melodies and vocal lines. All in all too strange for this theme.

nickp2000 - A Wedding Song
Rocking and a mysterious fantasy story. Good.

Patrick9 - The Wedding Song (Come Write Me Down)
Another nice tune which would have ended up on top of the list, hadn't it been for the warbling and annoying synth sound throughout.

Shangsean - The Blood That Binds
Nice 'genre piece'. We didn't like the aisle part.

VicDiesel - Long Last
Like the riff, like the sax. The most pop or jazz of the wedding dances here.May you be happy for the rest of your life.

[kryptonaut]

Some brief comments:

Barnadine - MarryYou
Great lyrics, love those rhymes!

beanpole - Shotgun Wedding
Nice story telling, I like how the sound gradually builds.

ClaRago - Wedding Bells
Elements of wedding sounds, interestingly abstracted and metamorphosed.

dhmiltz - Ceremonial Wedding Music of East Miltzistan
Tribal wedding ritual, very mysterious.

docjon - The Wedding Warning
Strains of Tim Burton, and Fagin's 'Reviewing the Situation'. Simply brilliant!

forw - Secret wedding in white
Chilled flute and chimes, mellow and beautiful, with plucked strings substituting for bell chimes - neat idea!

jackoo - MarriedViolins
A lively classical dancey number. Great instrumentation, could have developed the tune a bit more perhaps?

LagunaRising - A Light Thro The Clouds
I do like the various elements in here, sometimes they gel, sometimes they jar (but in a nice way). Not really getting the wedding vibe though?

Mister Natural - The Simple Beginning
Nicely made, I like the occasional vocal doubling.

nikp2000 - A Wedding Song
I do like those chord in the last 20s or so!

Patrick9 - The Wedding Song
Synth folk, an unusual genre!

RuediRena - Waltzing the Bride
Fantasy waltz. Some of the instruments seem a little bit unconvincing though.

shangsean - the blood that binds
Dramatic gothic feel, with some nice sinister sounds. I doubt this will be a happy marriage!

VicDiesel - Long Last
Cheesy easy listening, nicely done. Why so short?

[D.H. Miltz]

Thanks for the comments, RuediRena, forw, and kryptonaut.

[Doc Jon]

LagunaRising - A Light Thro The Clouds
Seemed disjointed at first but actually came together nicely with repeated listening, didn't convey much in the way of a wedding feel though

ClaRago - Wedding Bells
Bells not too convincing at start but nice track once it got going

jackoo - Married Violins
Well executed and sounded convincing, fitted the theme well

Mister Natural - The Simple Beginning
This one was a real grower, didn't like it at first but then just got better and better with each listen. Reminded me of Talk Talk during their strange phase which is no bad thing

forw - Secret Wedding in White
Nice choice of sounds and well put together, on theme (as long as you are getting married in Japan)

Patrick9 - The Wedding Song (Come Write Me Down)
I did like the song and very original idea, was not so keen on the accompanying sounds (and some more unconvincing bells)

nickp2000 - A Wedding Song
If there's such a thing as wedding rock, this is it!

Barnadine - (I Don't Want To) Marry You
Great track, lovely song, great tune and great lyrics, well put together and the ukulele was the crowning glory

Shangsean - The Blood That Binds
Nice selection of sounds and decent enough track but no wedding vibe for me I'm afraid

Beanpole - Shotgun Wedding
Good song and a well constructed track, don't know if it was intentional or not but the excessive background hiss reminded me of my old cassette 4 track!

RuediRena - Waltzing the Bride
Gave me the impression of a bizarre wedding between mechanical toys in a stop motion animation, nice in a weird way

kryptonaut - Radiant Beauty
Unashamedly on theme and probably the most traditional wedding piece of all the tracks, usual high quality composition and production

VicDiesel - Long Last
Definitely on theme, really very nice ndeed, but much too short?? It would have placed even higher on my list with another minute or so in length, and it was just crying out for some crooning vocals!

D.H.Miltz - Ceremonial Wedding Music of East Miltzistan
I definitely needed your title to give it some sense of wedding music, strange but original

[D.H. Miltz]

Thanks, Doc Jon.

[VicDiesel]

VicDiesel - Long Last
Cheesy easy listening, nicely done. Why so short?

The wife was calling.....

Victor.

[Mister Natural]

thanks guys for the kind words above . . . & the votes

[jackoo]

Thank you Doc for your vote!

Some reviews: (personal thoughts - don't take them too personal please!)

Doc Jon - The Wedding Warning
At first I though the theme is to do a song in favor in marriage. But nevertheless this is the best submission Super funny, really great vocals, extreemely expressive, nice instrumentation too. Great idea and acting. This is one to keep!


Kryptonaut - Radient Beauty
Best fit for the theme IMHO. I like the beginning more. It somehow looses focus afterwards, but still enjoyable.

VicDiesel - Long Last
It's a little bit too short. But I like the mood this gives me. Wedding is over, drinking is on! It's a nice aftertaste after the wedding.


Bernadine - (IDWT) Marry you
Very nice arragement and really great vocals. But I would have given you more points if 00:10--00:35 wouldn't sound to me as a Christmas song instead of a wedding song.


RuediRena - Waltzing the Bride
This fits well the theme, I like the mellodies. I would have liked it to be longer. It very fairytale like. Makes me think of a wedding in a story for children. The acoustic instruments sound a little isolated and too dry to me.

Shangsean - The Blood that Binds
I like the melodies at the beginning. It fits the theme for a certain ritual that could mean the bonding of two species. Nice percussion.


forw - Secret Wedding in White
This sounds like a ritual alien marriage in Star Trek TNG. Marriage of Lwaxana Troi.


beanpole - Shutgun Wedding
Somehow away from the wedding theme. I liked the instrumental arrangement and the guitars. Nice mellodies too.


Patrick9 - The Wedding Song
Interesting listen. I like the melodies but also a little bit off as a wedding song. Somehow I also had the impression you are struggling a bit with the vocals.


ClaRago - Wedding Bells
This starts out more like a wedding nightmare, then returns to a normal wedding dream. Very abstract, and deviating from the wedding theme in the second half.


nikp2000 - A Wedding Song
I'm sorry, but I couldn't relate this to a wedding song. I also had the impression you were struggling with the vocals.


Mister Natural - The Simple Beginning
Very abstract piece. Very difficult for me to relate it to a wedding. Sorry


D.H. Miltz - Ceremonial Wedding Music of East Miltzistan
Interesting collection of noises and percussion sounds, but I couldn't relate it in any way to the theme. Sorry


Laguna Rising - A light through the clouds
This is also very abstract for my personal taste. I could find any relation to the theme. Sorry

[forw]

forw - Secret Wedding in White
This sounds like a ritual alien marriage in Star Trek TNG. Marriage of Lwaxana Troi.

[D.H. Miltz]

Thanks for the reviews, jackoo.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

in the order they appeared in 'finder'


shangsean - the blood that binds

really like the concept of this….can really see a bride and groom marching slowly to towards the alter to this theme…maybe a bit too foreboding, but then some would advise marriage come with a warning

barnadine - marry you

couldn’t stop smiling all the way through this…like the idea..great lyrics…love the humour and the quirkiness of the whole thing…..



beanpole - shotgun wedding

enjoyed this, despite the vocal tuning issues…good lyrics

d h miltz - ceremonial wedding

like last month, i find myself right inside the space that these sounds occupy…great use of the sonic field

i could imagine this being used as any kind of, so i guess that includes weddings…good job

doc jon - the wedding warning

love it, man !! quite obvious why..great job


forw - secret wedding in white

what a pretty little ditty this is….made better by it’s imperfections

jackoo - married violins

this would make a great first dance at a regal wedding ceremony from ye olden times , full of all that pomp and stuff (y’know where all the men are in a line doing all the dandy shit in front of their partners)…..either that or the next theme to antiques roadshow

this is very evocative and really bursts out of the confines of the theme

great job…

kryptonaut - radiant beauty

sounds just as the title would suggest…..beautiful arrangement…smiled at the ‘simpson-esque’ first choral chord

though it would be unlikely that a whole orchestra be at the ceremony, i’d love to hear a full orchestral arrangement built around this

stunning…love it

laguna rising - a light through the clouds

there are moments when this ‘sits’ and i like it, but then it just gets up and runs away again…overall, didn’t really get it, sorry

mister natural - the simple beginning

as with laguna’s entry, certain parts of this worked for me..but not all of it….felt no wedding in it at all…sorry….enjoyed the beats though

patrick9 - the wedding song

i actually like the juxtaposition of the voice, style and quirky synth sounds used….helps to bring the focus on the vocal to the foreground

i’ve not been around here long, but it’s great to finally hear your voice clearly, and within a well-mixed presentation…good job

ruedirena - walzing the bride

pleasant ditty, this one….short and sweet….not much more to say..good job

clarago - wedding bells

was a bit unsure as it started, but i really like the sense of movement once it drops….good use of different bells, percussive elements and psychedelia…the spell kinda breaks towards the end as the rhythm starts to clash, but overall i can dig it

nikp2000 - a wedding song

haha, another short-y….the overall sound of this kinda lets it down for me….sounds like it was recorded in a dustbin …could be the perfect little song if the vocals and mix were cleaned up

vic diesel - long last

hmmm, don’t really get this…i mean, i get..but….i don’t get it..

pretty much a straight cover, albeit just a brief hint of one

[D.H. Miltz]

Thanks, el-bo.

[Barnadine]

Nice variety this month.

Laguna Rising - As always, interesting harmonies, and there's a nicely drawn contrast between the clouds and sun. Not a huge fan of the sounds you use here though. In particular, I don't really care for how that synth doubles the piano when the sun shines in. One of those times where I prefer the composition to the sound of the composition.

ClaRago - As with Laguna's piece, I like the idea, but sonically it's a mixed bag for me. Some sounds rub me the wrong way. e.g. the echoed synth entering at 0:25. Others I love: the big reverberated sounds in the second half are excellent, and the final 10 seconds or so are lovely.

jackoo - Enjoyed this a lot. Sprightly and full-sounding. The main violins have a pleasant rasp and bite, which I prefer to the Hollywood soupiness of most string sample libraries. Well arranged, though some variation would have been welcome in the second half - resting the violins would have let things breathe a little more, and would have given them a chance for an impressive return.

Mister Natural - There's a pensive David Sylvian feeling to this. Takes a while to reveal itself, and feels a bit rough in parts, but it gets under the skin. I admire the long-form, patient architecture here; the way it starts off fractured and gradually coalesces is a great way to tackle the theme.

forw - I was pleased enough with the understated opening, but that simple dulcimer melts the heart - it brings the pieces together beautifully. Flowers into a really lovely second half, flute playing hide and seek with the dulcimer.

Patrick9 - Great warm singing, nice choice of song, and I like the slightly seasick, hesitant Moogs. Could have done without the bells though, and the recording artifacts throughout were distracting.

nikp2000 - Good singing, nice to hear you out front. Nicely built and tightly structured, but while I'm generally in the 'quick song's a good song' camp, you kind of left us hanging after that opening verse, dammit. I like the harmonic slide out of the chorus.

shangsean - I wasn't especially keen on the opening string sound, but from the whispered section onwards I was fully on board. The excellent boom-crack drums in the final section made me think of Peter Gabriel's 'Passion' soundtrack. Nicely paced track, some good harmonic shifts, and I like the metallic distortion creeping in towards the end.

beanpole - Nice one. Your voice works well in a sparser setting. I like the gradual build in the guitar line, and the key change into the chorus is a great idea (but spoiled a bit because one of those backing vocals takes a while to get the memo).

RuediRena - An odd one, this. The main theme was a bit Bavarian beerhall for me, and the main instrumentation didn't really bring me around. But I was really charmed by the little internal details: the cheeky mellotron-like organ and extravagant harp glissandi. They gave the piece the wink it needed.

kryptonaut - Lovely composition, and you get some great sounds out of that Alchemy choir. A traditional approach but no less beautiful for it.

VicDiesel - Perhaps the most straight-down-the-line entry; I was thinking 'wedding band' from the opening bars. I like the subtle brushes of probably-not-harmonica. Too short to leave a strong impression though. I guess the newlyweds were keen to get off on their honeymoon. (Congratulations.)

D.H. Miltz - Original and evocative. Excellent stuff. Has a real taste and flavour and gets the imagination working. Plausible as ceremony music too. Love the (ocarina?). I think I may have passed through Miltzistan at some point; I've managed to pick up albums that sound something like this (though not as cleanly recorded).

Doc Jon - Great take on the G&S-style patter song. Witty arrangement; enjoyed the Chopin tweaking and the have-your-satirical-cake-and-eat-it switch to the major. The Miroslav strings are (to my taste) a bit bland for their nimble up-front role here, and the G&S resemblance had me hoping for some truly convoluted/groan-worthy rhymes, but that's just nitpicking. Grand stuff.

[ClaRago]

RuediRena, Kryptonaut, Doc Jon, Jackoo, el-bo & Barnadine : a great thank you for your reviews.