Hope's Memory, wobwobrob
Composition/Structure:8 Production:10 Emotion/Atmosphere:10 Art Relevance:10
Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from that wave shape. Loved those bass tones, they got a little muddy around 00:53 but that's where I'd have expected a crescendo. That spot would have been brighter with a cymbal swell into a vibraslap (I have a vibraslap fetish and literally no one takes advantage of that). I guess you used up your one cymbal swell at 1:44... never mind, 2:11. I pitch bend my swells to create something new out of them every so often, one cymbal suddenly becomes an army of cymbals with pitch automations.
You didn't say much about your work but I paid attention to that "isolated and alone... weight-of-tragedy" feeling. I suppose you don't want to over encumber the mix with too many harmonies or sounds but some more cymbal diversity could have helped along the orchestration. Some rattling percussion might of portrayed dry emptiness? I've developed a love affair with güiros, again you could vibraslap a rattle snake into the imagery. Chimes are great when you want to create some atmosphere and don't want to use one of your cymbal swells. The fidelity of your mix sounds pro but some more aux percussion would have helped the composition a little...
I'm focusing on the things I'd have done differently but you did a lot of great things with this piece. I'm only 11 songs into judging but this is so far my favorite. I really feel like the image and the song work perfectly together.
Since I say it to everyone, you could have spent a little more time talking about the art but this is one of the rare pieces that kind of speaks for itself (most don't). I gave your catalogue a quick check to see if you regurgitate one style over and over but you have a nice field of diversity and breadth. Your catalogue adds authenticity to the idea that you didn't just pick a random image. I wish more artists would explore outside their comfort zones to pad up their sounds, thank you for having a diverse catalogue.
I took one point off composition/structure because that intro kind of comes out of nowhere and another for just lack of percussive diversity. That intro is your space to "Foley" up a soundscape, "John Cage" some wind noises. Missed opportunity, you clearly have the skills for it! Sample a waterphone. Mood instrument, $300 on it's own without the recording apparatus and necessary skills... or just... cop a sample like a true 80's hip-hop enthusiast. I'm a relatively chaotic judge in that I encourage sampling but other competitors will sample stuff and we will have zero evidence they did it. I like to level the playing field a little. Pros in the music world sample all the time, why can't we? All the modding Newgrounds does around samples is to avoid getting slapped by copyright holders. I saw the other judges getting antsy because a song used a bunch of Microsoft sounds, meanwhile all these other subs with bird noises and running water sounds... how many people do you think have decent field recorders? How many people pay out the ass to have sample folders provided to them? I'm very lax on sampling because of all that, just thought I'd mention it. Sample a vibraslap TODAY :p
Great track wob, good luck!
wobwobrob 
