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Yo Mice, I didn't get to listen to this one during the judging period and I'm super sad I couldn't rate it because I'm loving every second. Genuinely think this album is incredible - well done, glad to see how well you did!

that sounds like a great thing william, I'm excited to listen once more ideas come together and complete your narrative arc in mind!

ahhh thanks Xurai! I had a couple ideas for more but they didn't come out quite right and so wanted to keep the whole ost clean without having a like less well made one comparatively. Thank you!

Yo thanks a lot Woolstone for the lovely comments!

Yo Carrot this is a really great entry, everything feels well composed and orchestrated. I especially like how balanced the percussion elements are and how they come through well. Great string arrangements too, especially in that final track. Great stuff!

These were really chill Jaifos, I think you hit what you were aiming for with themes of dealing with depression and self improvement. Nice pads in the second one especially too. Think you've done super well for your first time not going down an action route!

These are sooo chill Grunt. Great vibes. Honestly tracks that are easy to listen to feel great because you know they'd work really well in a game, like I can just imagine these playing in the background while I'm trying to my puzzle or minigame activity, and each track still develops really well within that. Nice submission!

I think u should definitely feel proud of this submission brickfire, i really enjoyed listening. I especially loved your choice of high synths and the control of the mod/vibrato/pitch bend in certain places. I aleays love when drtails like that feel in-place and well executed. Your storytelling was also really great across the tracks. Well done!

Well william, that was truly quite special to listen to. Everyone has provided such good detailed analysis already in the comments but I'd say a couple of things stood out for me. 

Your command of the orchestra and the production of orchestral vsts in on show throughout every piece and it's a joy to listen to. The compositions ebb and flow so well and everything feels entirely coherent in sound even across the tracks when using different instrumentation.

For me I would say I found each piece, because it was so well developed throughout their 4-5 min runtimes and had such a cinematic nature, that althought there is a clear development in each piece, I didn't quite feel/hear/experience the storytelling/narrative arc across the entire OST. Another way to put it is that in each piece I could visualise actions, developments, and a story of that character as they progress in that level/scene, but I couldn't visualise the entire story across all the pieces. This may of course just be on first listen and I would likely change my mind if listened to again, but I thought it worth saying. Regardless, it doesn't stop me rating this incredibly highly as it deserves, given all the incredible work that is on display and has been highlighted by other comments. A great submission!

yo pixcele, this was such a nice ost to listen to. Your take on ambience felt super well put together with the evolution across each track. It also didnt feel like it was too long because of how much they moved naturally. The rhythms used in the second piece I really loved. Great work!

Yo Rizzi, these were so great to listen to! I love the riviera style you've gone for and you've nailed it. It's great to explore your culture through your music too, it's cool to see that come through in your music. Really well done!

Yo Bernard I really enjoyed listening to this soundtrack! I think you nailed both vibes you were going for - detective and visual novel, it definitely felt like I could be reading some character text over it which is exactly what you want. Well done!

Thanks so much Rizzi, I appreciate the kind comments!

Thanks for the great comments Lyoshi!

haha thanks Eetu! I'm really glad you said that about Kila's Arrived because I based the idea for that track off of the intro of an 80s sitcom called Who's The Boss which was very nostalgic for me growing up, so I'm glad that feeling came through for ya!

Yo thanks Gianluca that's great to hear! I'm glad the emotional depth came through on Why Must We Grow Up, I was hoping that would fill something the others didn't quite hit. Appreciate it!

Gianluca I wasn't ready for that intro goodness me. I was instantly feeling like I was watching Porco Rosso with that production and quality. Really incredible to see, and I love your interpretation and story that you've developed. I also got a lot of interesting sound influences like in track 2 it made me think of like Professor Layton with the accordian/oboe. Enjoyed listening to this so much and made me feel nostalgic with my love of studio ghibli! Awesome submission!

Yo Fox, a really vibey couple of tracks here! Always love your rhythmic and percussion production/mixing on your tracks - the only thing that stood out quite harshly to me was the kick in track 1 as maybe too loud? But That Other Night is just out of this world, I loved listening to this, purely sat back and vibed to the emotion of those pads/sounds with the pushing and pulling of the drums making you kind of close your eyes and sway your head to the beat. For the short time you had you've expressed so much creativity it's great!

Yo NOVA, your stylistic choices as ever are just kinda sick. Really interesting direction to go in genre wise as well, especially with being able to maintain such a good groove, clean mix and complex sound design across all the tracks it really makes this OST feel unique and strong. also that vst piano in track 2 is such pokemon dpp lake theme it's great haha, and yeah cowboy bebop would love that 4th track. Really getting me tempted to pick up that fire brass trio too, it is indeed fire. Great take on the theme and super well executed in your own style, awesome!

Yo Eetu, firstly I thought the blog keeping track of progress was a really cool idea! interesting to see your thoughts day by day and what you did. On the music - I actually found Unwelcome to be one of my favs haha it's a really cool departure from the rest in terms of texture. Overall I really enjoyed the arrangements and compositions you've put together, especially the 4th and final tracks in that regards. Also keep singing boss, always great to hear vocals - I'm still yet to beatbox or sing on any tracks for jams but you're encouraging me to get on that. I'd recommend when you add vocals to a tracks, just some simple backing vocals can be huge, like even oos which follow the strings or chords generally or just low level melody harmonies can make a big difference! Well done though dude!

cool tracks here lyoshi! they both felt pretty chill and relaxing which feels just right for the vibe you were goin for with the nostalgic going back home feel. I felt the drums were lacking a bit of oomph in the first track but the second track overall felt super nice!

Yo Xurai I'm always excited to hear what you come up with and didn't disappoint here once again! cool cover art, cool idea, and cool OST! For me gazing up and moonlit fields felt by far the best two in terms of composition, instrumentation and production quality, they're such bangers. I would say though that the dynamic range in terms of simply volume on the ost is a bit wide, like in track 1 it gets super loud in the 2nd half and track 4 is just mega loud comparatively to the other tracks and stays loud the whole way. Though ik u said track 4 was rushed and you were working on an old laptop, so it's crazy impressive still what you've made here - awesome!

Immediately Simon I had such animal crossing vibes come into my head haha. I love this style of jazzy/contemporary what feels like a 5 piece soundtrack. The live instruments are super well played and everything feels like it has a natural groove. The second piece also feels really well composed. In fact the OST overall feels like the recent Echoes of Wisdom OST, you've done such a good job here and this deserves more attention.

It's a shame there wasn't more time for you because I honeslty would've loved to see more from you on this theme. If you are able to get more done on this then definitely let us know - I'll be looking out for it too on soundcloud! Really well done!

Yo Clear Spark this is a really nice entry! I like the sound design and instrumentation in both tracks a lot and think you've definitely hit the calm, reflective moods you were trying to achieve. For me,  I feel like a bit of dynamics and development could really elevate the pieces, but they're still solid! Well done!

what an awesome showcase of multiple talents of yours Einel! Interesting interpretation of the theme too I'm glad to see someone making a game ost of a pokemon snap sort of thing, haven't seen that before. And wow the music really works out super well for it. I can tell you paid special attention to the drums they're super tight and cleanly mixed, a rainy stroll felt really nice like listening to jamie cullum's more contemporary stuff which i love. Honestly if this is the new direction for you, i don't think anyone would have any qualms whatsoever, it's really superb!

ahh so nice squirrel thank u! I just love 80s vibes so was super glad i got to go that direction for one of these jams. Appreciate the lovely comments!

Hey thanks for the great comment clear spark! very happy u liked cass' mixtape, i tried to keep it simple so glad it worked out!

yooo thanks so much Einel! Really glad the 80s stuff resonated with you - i largely agree that I don't see the 80s as one sound but a lot of styles that kind of created a lot of modern music, that's how i find it very nostalgic. Also glad the ambient bits felt good too, was hoping they would help the storytelling.

Firstly wanted to say Jofes I appreciated the message you wrote, I agree it's great seeing so many composers and I enjoy constantly trying new styles/pushing myself and improving from doing these jams! Okay the music - you've done a fantastic job hitting the carinval type sound and it shows across your compositions and instrument choices. I think the final track encapsulates this the best. Also Waxing Fun, Waning Sun is a great song title haha

No worries Jon, always happy to share any production or mixing!

Also I found myself wanting to beatbox along with these tracks, which for me, is a sign of something really good when I get into trying to figure out ideas I'd have for the tracks. Another way to just say this is so great! 

Wow Jon that was kinda surreal to listen to. What an amazing OST that was. Maybe it's partly you hit the style I love but also I think you've really crafted, not just composed, a series of thematically coherent tracks. Listening to Ceaseless Searing is like I'm literally sitting on Deckard's balcony watching the flying cars drive through dystopian 2019 LA before I venture into a drive-by of Tokyo late-night. The only potential thing I'd say is that I was hoping that in Ceaseless Searing the snare and kick hit more with both punch and verb, and then same in the final track where I felt the drums were a bit dry. I'm nitpicking tbh this is just a sick OST. 

really cool interpretation of one summer night Jacob! I think you really achieved what you wanted to with the psychological introspection especially through the strong compositions of each piece. I think my fav piece was comforted by stars, that felt really meditative and on your theme.

Yo kale, this felt like a very unqiue and creative submission. I loved the storytelling and the rawness of the whole ost, especially the vocals which surprised me as I thought since the lyre was in there id love that the most! Cool submission

Haha thanks Jofes! Yeah the whole album wasn't necessarily supposed to be an 80s hit each time but I wanted the sort of nostalgic element that a lot of 80s music holds for music in both rock/pop/indie to come through. Glad that you liked Kila's Arrived as well I was worried for me that felt like the one that could use the most work, glad it was a good listen for ya!

Yo Kale thanks a lot! Was super focused on writing something that felt on theme with the nostalgic direction I took so I appreciate that a lot!

haha thanks magellan-am, that nostalgia was what i strived for so super happy that came through for you, even if you weren't born in the 80s ;)

Yo Slaw thanks so much for the comments! So glad you enjoyed the 80s vibe and the emotions came through for you, that was the part i focused on most was the emotional arcs of the evening, so it's great to hear that!

Also I forgot to ask, did you record the vocals live?

This feels quite different to other entries I've heard Ness which I'm rly happy about. The chord shift and vocals in undersea exploration really sent me, did not expect that movement it felt great to hear. The second piece was cool it sounded almost like an airship theme to me - which makes sense given the pirate vibe. I think though the two pieces don't necessarily seem to me like they fit together as a whole though. But it was still a great experience listening to each piece which felt unique!