Sample Pack Contest VI - Scoring Template Your name/pseudonym: _ Elliot Miller SCORES: 90-> OMPorsche, the spitting image of perfection! 80-> This will be on my future playlist. 70-> Enjoyable. It was my pleasure to listen, but I had a slight quandary. 60-> I appreciated it musically, but would have liked to revise it. 1999 or 2012: 75/100 A Song for My Cat: 79/100 Akira Yamaoka vs Ken Ishii: 90/100 Alleyway in Chinatown: __/100 Aqua Aura Pura: 82/100 Aya Hirano's Megaton Punch: 79/100 Bad Tekno: 75/100 Candy Rock Jam: 86/100 Cloudtrip: 78/100 Corruption of the Tune: 81/100 Cyberdemon Boogie: 74/100 DanielDellaCocco: 74/100 Deep Throat Tengoku: 79/100 Doctor Mars: 79/100 Everybody Wants Overcalculated Scientist Orgasms: 93/100 Extra Antler Velvet: 78/100 Gateway to Happiness: 70/100 Go Go Power!: 68/100 Green Grass: 87/100 How to Open a Can of SPC: 81/100 I sneak up and hitcha in the crotch: 85/100 King of the Crypt: 69/100 Legend of Sample Pack Compo: 73/100 Martian Lab at Midnight: 75/100 Medium Zero: 79/100 Mr. Huffletuff's Kitty Cat Cosmic Escapades: 82/100 No Bananas for Deborah: __/100 Nobody Wants Overcalculated Scientist Orgasms: 84/100 Omnious Abbey: 77/100 Our Heliocentric Garden: 83/100 PRUNEAU: 85/100 Riding the Duckdragon: 78/100 Seven Proxies: 79/100 Slick Venus: 86/100 Spaz Premium: 84/100 Tarot Pharoah: 78/100 Ten-Chan Looks Like Joey Wheeler: 83/100 Tertiary Jump: 83/100 The Incredible Cat Mincer: 80/100 Tidal Chamber: 79/100 Trop Glop Flop: 81/100 TV Surfer: 82/100 U.B. Funky: 77/100 Untitled: 80/100 Way Out - No Way: 81/100 We Hate the 1998 Wave: 75/100 Welcome to SPC 6: 74/100 WHAT THE @#$%!!: 78/100 Whippin' Good: 76/100 WorldJ: 65/100 Zen You Reach Ze State of Completeness: 72/100 ________ COMMENTS: 1999 or 2012 Comments: The chord changes up and down were a little bit cliché, but there were some nice texture changes, and a long build-up that helped the piece stay fresh and gave it direction. This was a pretty strong tune, I thought. Occasionally, there wasn't any direction, and the tune. Nice panning work! ________ A Song for My Cat Comments: I thought it was cool. The explosion of sound, and the transition to it blows me away. It's very good! While there were some great ideas, done well, it felt a bit incomplete. Maybe if the melody was more clear (in case of the cats) or easier to follow (in the case of the synth). ________ Akira Yamaoka vs Ken Ishii Comments: Woah. Tecktonik time!! I'm not very good at getting an effective and full mix (or texture), but I think you've really got it down here. It was barely tonal. Sweet! All attention on the rhythm and effects. Some may say it's a little repetitive, but it didn't bother me. Ending was good. ________ Alleyway in Chinatown Comments: My first entry. Meh. Second is better. ________ Aqua Aura Pura Comments: ________ Aya Hirano's Megaton Punch Comments: The beginning was so fun! I think I would have liked if the bass was a little less intrusive. Any section that had a cat in it was my favorite. Otherwise, the rich variety in textures and colors kept me interested all throughout. 1:58, I started to wonder where it was all going, but it was corrected with a buildup. Saved! \(^o^)/ The ending was sudden, but super effective. ________ Bad Tekno Comments: ________ Candy Rock Jam Comments: The mixing is, once again, refined! Good texture, although even that can get a little repetitive at times. ________ Cloudtrip Comments: Liked it. Although I felt that the arpeggios could be quieter and the melody could be louder at times. At 2:01, you changed both the duration of chord changes and tonal center at the same time (sorry if it's not clear). I thought it was very effective, and gave a lot of direction to the section. Although, the split thirds got to me a little bit. ________ Corruption of the Tune Comments: This was pure ear-candy. The notes suggested a tonal center, although I couldn't pinpoint one off the top of my head. It was really fun to guess what was coming next. Sometimes it was repetitive, in a creepy way. The ending didn't seem to finish it off that well, IMO. ________ Cyberdemon Boogie Comments: Pretty cool, but a bit repetitive. The first motif, the one that uses mel_chords, is as catchy as fish aren't. (super catchy) ________ DanielDellaCocco Comments: It was a pretty fun piece. I enjoyed listening to it. It had very slight buildup. The melody never seemed to land somewhere conclusively, which made it seem like it was wandering a bit. That being said, I thought that the melody's lack of conclusiveness was pretty enjoyable. It kept up tension! Maybe if I had recognized a theme that the melody line was based on, it would have been just right. ________ Deep Throat Tengoku Comments: :29 gave me chills. That lemonwater sound really pushes my buttons. I think the sounds were very well matched in this entry. There didn't seem to be much of a climax, though. ________ Doctor Mars Comments: The intro really caught my attention. I don't know why. I enjoyed listening to the rest. I don't know why, again. Nostalgic value? ________ Everybody Wants Overcalculated Scientist Orgasms Comments: The registers of the instruments was controlled so well! Oh, man. This piece is swallowing me. Aaaaaugh! I feel so cold when it's done. You got mixing skills, buddy :] I want this to win... ________ Extra Antler Velvet Comments: I really like the breath you put in at 0:12. I don't mind the distortion/clipping. Although, I didn't like the last 6 or so seconds. Too bad, it was really great! ________ Gateway to Happiness Comments: This piece was alright. The tune was consistent and flowed easily from one section to the next (except for 5:38 and 5:47). On the same vein, it was a bit too consistent. It didn't grab my attention very well. Maybe try adding a really high instrument or be free with the tempo (speeding it up and slowing it down to make it sound more like waves). ________ Go Go Power! Comments: There were some good ideas in here, although they didn't flow together very well. For example, I liked 0:56 a lot and thought it had potential, but it kept jumping to different textures and repeating itself. I think it has a lot of potential, but it's not grabbing me yet. ________ Green Grass Comments: LOVE THIS! The style is so consistent, the form is clear, it's harmonically intentional, the samples are used masterfully and mixed well, registers covered... I really wish the end were more satisfying. Dare I guess Maxo? Maybe not. It would be around 90 if not for the ending. ________ How to Open a Can of SPC Comments: A tense piece, until about 0:35, where it feels like I'm being briefed on the mission. Yessir, will open that can for you, sir. ________ I sneak up and hitcha in the crotch Comments: This song sounded so violent to me. The main voice in 0:25 reminded me of rending flesh. eww... Laughing. This music would only accompany the title in a game like Warioware, where it would be absolutely and unrefutably perfect! hahaha I enjoyed it so much more with that title. And thank you for the irregular meter. Lunar, perchance? It's a nice piece of work, in any case, but it doesn't thrill me, so it's still in the 80's. ________ King of the Crypt Comments: It was ok. The 3 short, high notes that kept repeating drew my attention, not because they were loud or intrusive, but because I liked them so much. Besides that, this piece was pretty repetitive. ________ Legend of Sample Pack Compo Comments: Sounds were manipulated well to create a consistent effect (except at 1:05). The music swallowed me a bit... This piece reminded me of many games: Legend of Zelda, Chrono Trigger... I think that it would have been more compelling with a gradual buildup at some point. Some sections seemed unnecessary/redundant. They were still catchy, though. The acceleration at the end REALLY caught my attention, because of the redundancy. I guess that's the good side to the repetition. ________ Martian Lab at Midnight Comments: Grungy and groovy. Sudden harmonic changes that I didn't expect. The high voices were somewhat funny. The music kept my attention on the melodic line for most of the time. Good job! ________ Medium Zero Comments: I enjoyed the percussion. The bass was also well managed as far as mixing goes. There were a few notes that I would have changed, minor issues. Haha! I love how it sounds like a rocker at 1:50. Despite its strengths, the piece didn't resonate with me very well. ________ Mr. Huffletuff's Kitty Cat Cosmic Escapades Comments: I heard the first two notes and had to pause it. I was eager to hear it. You managed sounds really well. I wouldn't listen to it for the melody, but it is really nice otherwise. The ending made me laugh. It was overdone, but seeing as your title is overdone, this might not be such a big deal. It didn't appeal to me, although I will admit that it was a well prepared ending. ________ No Bananas for Deborah Comments: Mine. Based on a girl who said she doesn't like bananas. I, on the other hand, LOVE BANANAS!! Analysis? hmm... catchy. Most of the transitions were well let into (except 0:57). Haha. I caught that Chrono Trigger reference. That return to the bananas section, though. Sounds like a different key, but it's NOT. Awwwh. I like that return. That's the climax, and it is pretty well led into. However, there isn't much buildup/release action besides that. ________ Nobody Wants Overcalculated Scientist Orgasms Comments: 0:35 I really liked it. This piece has strength in its buildups and falls. This really really REALLY pulled the piece forward. Having a good buildup/release of tension. The raw samples sporadically placed added to my enjoyment. I liked it a bunch, but not as much as it's counterpart. It didn't seem disjunct, but it's not very memorable. As soon as the beginning is over, I've forgotten it. This may be my mind working in a different way, but it would still be nice if there was something that stood out that was consistent ('stood out' is the key. Nothing important stood out). This sounds totally like Maxo. ________ Omnious Abbey Comments: The high note could've been a little quieter. Them high notes... ooh. The dissonance at 1:00 was really nice. Slightly repetitive, but groovy B] heh. The return of the bell scared me. ________ Our Heliocentric Garden Comments: mmm... the beginning was tasty ('till 0:25). At that point, I think the drums came in a little too heavy. Not too thick, but too heavy. The bass drum, especially, sounds a little out of place. I can guess who. haha ________ PRUNEAU Comments: ooh. Beginning sounds like venetian snares! w00t. HAHA. Got SO funky. I have to laugh. The bell made me laugh too. This whole piece distilled the image of a fat kid with gas in an upper-echelon hygienic laboratory. Very awkward, and very funny. ________ Riding the Duckdragon Comments: You used musical textures really well, although I think you would have done it even better if you had a dryer snare sound. The harmonies were straightforward for the most part... I enjoyed listening to this. ________ Seven Proxies Comments: The constant click in the background is super effective. The whole piece seemed just a little quiet... until 1:32, when the sudden crescendo was super effective. The buildup into 2:10 was good and long. It's repetitive, but not annoying. I liked this tune, but thought that the quietness of it was... strange. ________ Slick Venus Comments: The percussion is captivating. The harmonies progress slowly, so there is a lot of room for the melody. And you used that to your advantage. You have a strong melodic line. It sounds a lot like a tune on Megaman 8 I used to listen to a lot. Kudos! ________ Spaz Premium Comments: Right about 1:17, I was completely hooked. The alien kid was hilarious! The only problem with this piece occurs when you're not paying attention: doesn't feel good. ________ Tarot Pharoah Comments: The ending growl "woaow" was really cool. Dunno how you got that! It was a pretty strong piece and the hits were sweet. But there wasn't much buildup - It didn't feel much like the music was leading somewhere. Besides that, it was a pretty cool piece. ________ Ten-Chan Looks Like Joey Wheeler Comments: The multiple rhythms and fast changing textures were a VERY YES! I must say, I fall for rhythmic diversion. 1:15 was neat-o. ________ Tertiary Jump Comments: Strong beginning. I was tapping my foot from the 0:01. I continued tapping all through - especially 0:36 and the following modulation! One gripe is that you lose a lot of steam at 1:01, when you lose the tonality. It was a little bit of a let down. At least you built it back up, so I was still happy. 2:01 was TENSO. ________ The Incredible Cat Mincer Comments: Woah. At first it didn't sound promising, but then I was pleasantly surprised, then the notes weren't right on beat... wow. This was intense... and dark. I thought it was a really cool effect. Achieved the title well. ________ Tidal Chamber Comments: You used the beginning sample well. Despite being so slow and calm, I was feeling quick beats. mmm... the modulation at 1:49 was well placed. ________ Trop Glop Flop Comments: This completely and consistently evaded my expectations! Sweet. Nice build-ups. ________ TV Surfer Comments: Witty and smooth. A little bit long. The bass reminded me of Street Fighter Alpha 3. ________ U.B. Funky Comments: At 1:56, it was a little sudden, and the piece was a little bit long to have the same bass. It was a pretty funky tune, though B] "Yo, Cecil! Want a ride in mah funky airship?" (Cid, FF IV) ________ Untitled Comments: That hi-hat at 0:39... I wanted to add a single swung hit in there. I wanted to so bad! And the tune is even swung! There is plenty of variety here, and for the most part, the changes go smoothly. I really liked everything after 2:23. ________ Way Out - No Way Comments: The beginning is captivating. 0:20 is a bit sudden. 0:28 the change is great. The title fits the music perfectly. The fifths draw circles in my mind. Although, it seems like there isn't much material in this piece. ________ We Hate the 1998 Wave Comments: Feels dark. 0:54 was great. 1:31 those voices are very nice (especially when used with the percussion earlier on). Sounds like Contra, just messier. hehe. ________ Welcome to SPC 6 Comments: The intro was a little predictable, which is good when it's done excellently. I definitely liked it the more it went along. 1:50. That strummed instrument in the background was TENSO, and really creepy!! ________ WHAT THE @#$%!! Comments: Haha. The title suggest that something undesirable happened, like I stepped in a turd. With this in mind, the music seems to better communicate a heart attack, and then a funeral. This made the whole tune really funny. OMWhatsis!! I stepped in a turd! AAUAUAUGH! ________ Whippin' Good Comments: This was a funny piece in itself. A bit repetitive, though. 1:03 was a welcome change. 1:31 was unexpected, but unrepeated. This piece had good ideas, but it was a bit too long. ________ WorldJ Comments: hehe. I can hear what all the rhythms and harmonies implied. Everything being out of whack by 200% had a strange charm, but I thought it probably would have sounded better quantized anyways. ________ Zen You Reach Ze State of Completeness Comments: Witty title, but you don't get points for that. :] I think that there could have been more work with build-ups, because of it's length and repetition. It's catchy, like some LoZ theme. ________