Score: 8

"I will admit, at first I was bored..."

submission: Three Shears for Scissors

date: August 4, 2008

But for myself, and probably MANY other future reviewers to see this flash, the ending was simply perfectly timed and well intended, and really made my day to say the least. I only wish the execution beforehand hadn't hurt my score on this submission, but allow me to assure you that your clever usage of an infamous scene did not go unappreciated. Well done!

Score: 9

"Well executed!"

submission: The Last Maple Story

date: August 3, 2008

I must say, I found it quite hilarious, as well as very impressive, viewing all the different art forms you managed to incorporate your now-familiar characters into, as it was a change of pace that definitely brought a new light to this series as a whole.

Perhaps the only thing I would suggest as an improvement would be the fact that some of the lines are a little... soft-spoken, if you will, although that may be just my personal observation. What remains beyond that, however, is simply fascinating.

I certainly hope this ISN'T the last of its kind, because as far as I'm concerned, it's not hard for both Maplestory players and those not experienced in the world of Maple to find something to enjoy about this submission. Bravo!

Score: 10

"So simple, yet so classic."

submission: FF6 Opera-Pella Fun

date: July 30, 2008

This flash will always hold a place in my heart, because not only do I see my friend and I doing this EXACT SAME THING in college, the sound effects towards the latter part of the submission are just hilarious.

There honestly needs to be an MP3 or other downloadable version of this, because I fully imagine listening to it during car rides to wherever.

Well done, my good sir. Even though I've never played the game, you've succeeded in making me feel as though I've known it all my life.

Score: 6

"Good points here, competition for attention there."

submission: National Treasure Remix

date: August 3, 2008

Although I can undoubtedly see the influence and resemblance of this submission to the rather suspenseful scenes that can come to be in the National Treasure movies, it stands to observation that there are a few occurrences where the "suspense" here is overridden by an underlying clash between the different synths you have mixed together to create this; in a simpler explanation, what seems fluent at first begins to degrade into an amalgamation of tunes that ALL try to vie for the center spotlight. To some, this is the pinnacle of music creation; to many others, it's just a bunch of jumbled noise.

On the positive side, do allow me to note the section beginning at :40 in the song, as I found this added instrument/synth to actually be a great placement of a particular beat for the atmosphere you were trying to create. It was easily one of the more enjoyable sections of the song for me, if not because it seemed for a second that the very tempo that had been distancing itself through the clash of sounds now receded into the background to serve the role it was meant to do in the first place - support.

Nonetheless, I do see some possible scenes where this might possibly be used, should one ever consider it for a film in the future concerning treasure and our nation, although most of it is limited to computer hacking/ mainframe busting purposes. Unfortunately, I can't seem to place my finger on any one specific benefit this song provides that could outweigh the needed improvements, nor do I even know what improvements to make (to which I apologize, since normally I have a general idea what can be done). If nothing else, try messing around with synth volume and seeing if some pieces sound better when certain instruments are a softer (or louder) volume.

Keep on creating, my friend! Potential need not only exist in the greatest of songs, and I trust you'll manage to decipher what I'm saying well enough - just like the folks of National Treasure! ;D

Score: 7

"Great Composition, Moderate Execution"

submission: Brass City

date: July 17, 2008

I find this a particularly interesting submission to review, mainly because I find myself pushed to both ends of the spectrum by the listening experience I obtain from hearing it; at some points, I am actually very aware of the "feel" behind the music, more than happy to tap along physically; at other points, however, I get a repetitive feeling that begins to whittle away at the emotion that has been built up from my previous statement.

The beginning of the song is definitely enegerized in terms of the musical "current" flowing through it, but your first set of notes (what I like to refer to as the metallic "bow wah wahs"), although enticing at first, quickly become the center of attention despite the addition of subsequent accompaniments. Perhaps something that would have aided in immersing the listener would be to have had this first sound fade away at a certain point in the beginning, such as the :30 mark in my case, so that the listener can be engulfed in the new array of sounds. Other than that, much of this section was fine in its presentation, setting aside any volume concerns that can be fixed anyway with a lowering of the volume bar.

One thing I DID like about this submission was your inclusion of the new sound around the 2:02 mark, one that very richly captured the Industrial atmosphere of the song. This was definitely the most fitting part of the submission, and as such left the song on a good note. Keep in mind sections like this for future submissions similar in sound, for those are good-sounding pieces to include for a refreshing section of music.

In comparison to other songs such as Dreamland (Club Mix), this could be considered an improvement, most certainly in the department of using multiple layers of tones successfully. Still, there were some parts lacking in the "meshing" together of notes into a single entity, suggesting that work could still be done to refine this piece. Keep working at it, and I'm more than certain you'll figure out what I mean, if not through sudden discovery then by trial and error. Practice makes perfect!

Score: 5

"Definitely an.... interesting sound!"

submission: Its Under It All

date: July 15, 2008

I'm not quite sure where to begin with this review, as there are some varying aspects that I want to touch on that are rather different from one another; whether this clash is something to be admired or noted negatively is a fact that will be viewed differently between listeners, but nevertheless it's important to elaborate on what I can.

One of the first concerns I held about this song was the tempo that you were going for. I found myself, unfortunately, confused as to whether you were going for a 3-count or 4-count beat, based on your opening sequence. Harder still is the point that I was unable to determine which of these two it was even by the end of the song. Perhaps that is my fault, but it would have helped this submission to clarify that through the music a little better.

The voice, however, was a wonderful accompaniment, one that I praise highly for its inclusion in this submission. The voice was soft, melodic, and very fitting for the atmospheric context you were going for. Clear, crisp, and quality is all I can say to define this portion, and I would not mind seeing something like it again in future submissions.

The second point that hurt you, however, was the overall simplicity of the instruments used. I understand that emphasis wanted to be given to the singing voice in this piece, but the composition itself was lacking in any real depth. It sounds harsh, but there wasn't a lot of "umph" to the background tune.

All that said, this piece showed some promise, albeit a slightly less-than-stellar performance. Some key points were done well, others not so much, but the submission still holds that unique edge that's important to keep intact. A decent attempt, but one that could be improved.