MadTracker - "escape from reality" by Mickeh

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escape from reality

by Mickeh

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Ogg Vorbis version

Inge

Originality:	5/10	Technical:	3/10
Theme:	7/10	Quality:	4/10
Arrangement:	4/10	Global:	5/10

Genre: game music
The intro is pretty boring. Gets somewhat better around the first minute due to atmospheric main melody. Nevertheless too flat to be convincing. Maybe it's the genre, but it all (bassdrum, snare, bassline, main synth & backup string) sounds too simple and flat for my perception. Why aren't there hardly any hihats or whatsoever audible? This makes the song sound muddier and duller than necessary. Song gets some more speed at the third minute due to a tempo change. Overall more of an oldschool module than a genuinly convincing entry.

QBical

Originality:	5/10	Technical:	4/10
Theme:	5/10	Quality:	3/10
Arrangement:	8/10	Global:	5/10

There are some realy great uses of tracking demonstrated here, especialy the 'filter' effect in the beginning great work on that!

But the whole track seems a bit dated, the samples are realy low quality, there are no madtracker features used and no vst's, all these things could have done a lot to make the track even better then it is now!

try it!

Sunbuster

Originality:	4/10	Technical:	4/10
Theme:	5/10	Quality:	3/10
Arrangement:	3/10	Global:	4/10

A positive energy, with a slight touch of melancholy thrown in. Sounds a bit twisted, but that's how I view this track. I can't help but feel like I've heard this before though. The melodies played seem to be of the kind that are used quite often. We basically have one instrument in the spotlight and it shows in the way the rest of the instruments are treated. It feels a bit as if they're just there because you need something in the back. I must sayt the bassline had it's moments though and on occasion did a great job at backing up everything else.
At 3:00 about the track takes a turn to become even more upbeat. It also adds a slightly more powerfull dance kick. To be honest, I'd rather have heard this track end at 3:00, rather than add that extra one minute of danced up stuff. I somewhat understand the end though, since the beginning played at the same pace also. The ending thus ties it all up to some extent. Somehow the transition at the beginning felt more natural though, so it didn't bother me that much.

Cut the upbeat beginning, cut the upbeat end, leave the middle and work with it and you'd have something very nice.

TNK / ATK project

Originality:	7/10	Technical:	5/10
Theme:	8/10	Quality:	7/10
Arrangement:	8/10	Global:	8/10

Originality: 7/10 <-- within it's genre.
Theme: 8/10
Arrangement: 8/10 <-- within chip music
Technical: 5/10
Quality: 7/10
Global: 8/10

Let's escape from reality on the melodies of some chip dance music. Too bad this one does not have a powerful enough dance beat, as this entry could have become really great. The melodic talent of this composer is obvious, composing one of the most beautiful & catchiest melodies in this compo. Melody (theme) is definitely the very big plus point of this entry.

The arrangement, while being great for chip music, are however way beyond today's great tracker's standards, and some basic MT technics do not seem to be understood (like NNAs). Too bad for this composer, this is not a FT2 compo... I think that this composer has a lot of potential, especially within dance music, if only he would choose more efficient sounds.

My hints to this composer are therefore obvious : Keep your melodist talent, but it's now time to learn some extra sound engeneering stuff. Because you have it all to become a big name in the scene.

A talent to keep an eye on.

Also something that I'll probably copy-paste 3 billion times within this reviewing process : NAME YOUR TRACKS ! This would give your audiance and us judges a better view of how your track is built, will help newbies to learn how to use MT and to beat you in next year's compo :)

bigandymac

Originality:	2/10	Technical:	3/10
Theme:	6/10	Quality:	5/10
Arrangement:	2/10	Global:	4/10

good points:
there is good seperation between instruments, the bass, melody, lead and percussion can all be heard clearly throughout.
the melodies in the composition are pleasant, well put together and change enough throughout the track to maintain interest. efr starts off with an almost trancey sound, but quickly progresses into a chiptune.
some classic chip style effects are used.

not so good points:
each pattern individually sounds good, but in progression sound convoluted, jumping from one melody to the next with no apparent reason.
the percussion doesnt vary much throughout the track.
the use of only one sample for melody makes the track sound very simple and it lacks depth. using only 1 sample causes a very "busy" sound where it is difficult to define which melody is at the front of the track.
no built in madtracker effects, vsts or vstis have been used.

summary

the melodies are nice there is a lot of variation in them (but a lack of progression), and there are some nice chiptune touches thrown in, but in a compo where vsts, the built in effects, a lot more tracks (and so more samples) can all be used it is very basic which is why it achieved a low score.