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Submitting multiple tracks that develop the same themes is a cool idea, we get to hear how the melodies you came up with works in different contexts. I like both of the tracks a lot, and the overall electronic scifi vibe works really well. This is a small detail but I also appreciate the battle theme sounds loopable!

There is a strong focus on melody here, 

Melody Clarity 4/5

I think the melody work overall is very clear, but the very first melody on the first track (at around 0:41) feels a bit hard to grasp. I wish I had more time to analyze it properly to put this into words, but the phrases are pretty long and kind of trail off instead of having a clear arc. It works a bit better in the battle theme but the same problem does kind of persist. I still kind of like it though?

But then the second melody, which is also the main melody in the battle theme, is super good!

Melody Impact 4/5

The melodies, especially the second melody, are memorable and pack emotion. I think these could as well be important themes in an actual video game.

Composition 5/5

I like how you split this in two, and both tracks do their job well. The second track has some more intricate work regarding harmony and arrangement but it all works. There is some work you could do in terms of production, like beef up the drums and low end in the second track, but I won't dock points for that as it's not a relevant category this time around.

Listenability 5/5

Absolutely pleasant listens, both tracks! Would not mind playing a game with a soundtrack like this.

Correlation to Theme 3/5

I can kind of see the first track being a "weapon forging" theme, but I wouldn't necessarily think that without your description. The second track, being a battle theme, has little to do with the theme of the jam imo. However, you did really focus on the melody here which is also an important theme, maybe even more so than the weapon and painting related ideas.

Good work! Definitely soundtrack material, and both tracks sounded consistent and have personality. It's easy to imagine a full soundtrack with this kind of style. Also small thing, the vocal drone in the first track was super cool!

I love this track. You really went for a memorable melody and it works. The track is also a complete whole, with multiple parts, proper buildup and a lot of emotional weight. This is one of the best tracks I've heard so far in the jam!

I'm not sure if I hear a strong correlation to the theme, but you nailed the "melody" aspect of this jam.

Melody Clarity 4/5

It's a clear melody that maybe doesn't breathe quite enough. Sometimes it's good to take a breather and put a rest in your phrases!

Impact 5/5

The melody here is strong, emotional and really goes somewhere which I think is really important. A full story is told through music here.

Composition 5/5

The track is pretty much complete, good flow from intro to the main track, and beautiful high point at the 1:12 mark. I hear nothing wrong with the harmony etc. either

Listenability 5/5

Really loved listening to this!

Correlation to Theme 3/5

Huge props for going for a strong melody, but I have to admit I'm not sure what the overall theme hear is in relation to a weapon.

One of the clear favorites for me. Great job!

I really like the simplicity of the bass here, gives a lot of room for the melody. Overall the mood is really nice and dark.

The piece as a whole could use work in terms of form, the intro feels a bit detached from the rest of the piece, and the piece ends pretty suddenly with just a twelve bar melody.

Melody Clarity 4/5

I think the melody is impossible to miss, it's the centerpiece of the entire work. It does lack movement and surprises a bit which gives it more of a background vibe though.

Melody Impact 3/5

The track is memorable and has a really nice dark and tragic feel, but the melody is hindered by the lack of real surprises and ups-and-downs. It never really goes off to give the listener this sense of tension and resolution.

Composition 3/5

I think the melody works in a technical sense, and your use of harmony is good. As I said I really like the static bass as well! The form could use some work to make the track sound more like a complete piece that tells a story. It could have some more contrast like a sort of a B-section and the ending could have more setup and resolution.

Listenability 3/5

As it is now, it feels fine to listen to a few times but on repeats the shortness makes the track wear a bit thin.

Correlation to theme 3/5

There's some thematic material here like the anvil-esque bells at the start, but I'm not sure if the melody itself feels like a weapon theme. Still, it could work in the right context!

This is a strong piece that could benefit from making it more "full", with more parts, instruments and longer runtime. For the purposes of this jam, I think this has a really clear melody so you did well in terms of the assignment!

I've tried to give detailed breakdowns on my ratings on the other tracks, but here it feels a bit redundant since it's really difficult to rate this since the criteria are based around melody. And as some people already pointed out, this track doesn't really have a discernable melody, and I also don't hear a correlation to the jam theme. So I kind of feel like I have no choice but rate those categories pretty low.

However... I think the track is really cool! If this was any other jam, like ambient, texture, production etc. I think I would rate this very high. Use of vocals in this way is very interesting to me, and I appreciate you gave a breakdown of your production workflow.

So yes, this was very enjoyable, just kind of a miss in terms of the jam theme. Good work!

I think this is a great piece that draws from classical tradition in a beautiful way. I like the instrumentation, the oboe (I think) is a good way to introduce the piece in a more mysterious way, and then the horns take over for added impact. I also like the story bit you wrote!

 Melody Clarity 5/5

I think the melody stands out quite clearly.

Melody Impact 3/5

I do like the melody quite a lot, but it never really cashes in an emotional payoff. Maybe it's just because this is a sketch, but the melody doesn't really arrive at a conclusion so to speak? It's interesting, but doesn't reach a high point in my opinion.

Composition 3/5

I think in terms of melody and harmony this is very well composed. The track as a whole is a bit short and feels more like a piece of a bigger work. So the thing I'm missing here is a greater sense of structure and development.

Listenability 4/5

I enjoyed this! Not 100% what I would listen to at my free time, it's more of an anxious piece, but I think that's part of the lore. In a tense scene this would feel right at home.

Correlation to Theme 4/5

I think I get the theme here but it really needs the context of your description for the track. It fits the scene you described well imo!

This track is short but sweet, I think it's one of the more interesting (in a good way!) pieces I've listened to so far. Good job! 

I've tried to give all submission I rate a full breakdown of how many stars I gave in which category, but I hope you don't mind if I skip that here, since I'm just going to give you five stars across the board.

I might be a bit biased since I grew up playing Final Fantasy 4-6, and Nobuo Uematsu is close to being my favorite VGM composer, but I really love the style here and I think you really nailed the aesthetic. I might have to ask in the discord what you use for the NES sounds, I've used some tracker software like Furnace myself but find the tracker workflow a bit alien. At least I can see you did this in Reaper so no trackers needed for a sound like this!

The melodies are memorable and impactful across the board here, and the overall composition and arrangement is simply pro level imo. Listenability is also a no-brainer, this could be in a NES game and I wouldn't bat an eye.

My main instrument is bass, and one cool thing about Uematsu's music in old FF games is that the basslines absolutely slap. I don't really know why, but he composed super intricate bass work for tracks like FFVI Decisive Battle and FFV Clash at the Big Bridge. There is some of that here, the distinct basslines stand out to me and could be fun to learn!

You also deserve extra credit for the visuals and the story. Great stuff! Don't really know what else to say, wouldn't be surprised if this is the top rated entry this time around. 

EDIT: Well this is awkward, I skimmed your description and missed you posted your Kontakt library there. 

Excellent track that sounds like it could be from an actual soundtrack. I love the inclusion of the vocal elements here, they make the track sound heroic and give the latter half of the track some great buildup. I also like how it quiets down at the end and kind of revisits the intro. 

The melody itself get's a bit lost in the overall mass of the song. At first, I thought that the melody was just a top line of the harmony if that makes sense, since it's mostly long notes that change with the chord. But when the piano and the choir come in it's revealed more clearly.

Melody Clarity 4/5

The melody is perfectly clear, but at the same time never takes the center stage to stand out from the overall mass. I actually don't even think it sounds bad at all like this, but if I have to rate this category strictly on "clarity" this is a fact that made it less clear.

Melody Impact 3/5

I think the track as a whole is very impactful, but as I already said the melody doesn't carry impact really. It's not the most memorable since there isn't much movement, contrast and stuff to really grab on to, and it stays pretty similar throughout the long track. Is it a bad melody? Absolutely not! But if you took just the melody and played it on a piano without the orchestration, the melody alone wouldn't sound that impactful.

Composition 5/5

The track is very well made start to finish. Good development, contrast from part to part, new elements are introduced and the taken away and I feel like the intesity really peaks at the 75% mark. You also clearly know your stuff with orchestral instruments and arrangement!

Listenability 5/5

This wouldn't be out of place as music for a released game or a show.

Correlation to Theme 5/5

Out of all the tracks I've listened to so far, this is the one that sounds like a legendary theme the most. It's grand and has this classic fantasy feel with the orchestra and the choir. For every submission, I've asked myself "if I heard this out of context would this feel like atheme for a legendary weapon?" and this track clears that test easily.

Overall this is a fantastic track, maybe less focused on the melody but that only matters for this jam. By the way, the Bandcamp stream only let me listen to this three times for free, that is maybe not ideal for the duration of the jam? I know you have a download available but it's a bit of a hassle after I already listened to it a couple times on stream. Not reflected on my rating of course, just saying it might be better to only monetize it after the rating period! EDIT: just saw you have a youtube link as well. Anyway, it's bit confusing with different links in different places!

Really nice, mellow track. I appreciate the focus on the main melody, which is important for this jams assignment. This also speaks to me as a fan of modern fantasy synth music, which is often repetitive and uses lo-fi sounds to create a certain aesthetic.

The track is maybe a bit too relaxed for something weapon themed though, and could have more of a development. Now it's less of a memorable theme melody, and more video game background music, not that there is anything wrong with that!

Melody Clarity 5/5

The melody is very clear, nothing feels confusing or hard to follow.

Melody Impact 3/5

I think the melody is memorable enough, but maybe lacks in impact. This is something that relates to the rest of the arrangement as well, but there isn't much of an emotional payoff here, or a climax or a high point.

Composition 2/5

The form is well thought out here, you have an intro and then a couple of different melodic sections. I just think they should be much more contrasting, the melody itself kind of goes off at the 50 second mark, but the rest of the track doesn't follow. Not sure if this makes sense, but now the track feels like a chord loop with some horn improv on top, instead of a deliberate composition with a sense of development and forward momentum.

Listenability 3/5

I think it's a pleasant listen, but can get repetitive after a while.

Correlation to Theme 3/5

I can hear what you were going for, but I think the track lacks the intensity to portray either a weapon or a weapon maker. If the Blacksmith is on a mission, I think the track should convey their struggles and resolve a bit better through more tension and power.

Overall a solid track, I could see this work in a fantasy game. For portraying a blacksmith in particular, I think it needs more weight, and I think adding more overall contrast and movement could work with making it less of a background piece and more of a leading theme.

I've been surprised by the amount of submissions where the melody itself is clearly not the focus, despite this being the melody jam. That problem is not present here: your melody is proudly front and center, and the melody is good. I still have dozens of submissions to go through at the time of writing, but so far this is tied for my favorite one.

Melody Clarity 5/5

This isn't up to debate at all imo. The melody is very clear, easy to follow, easy to hum or sing (which is always a compliment when it comes to melodies). I wouldn't be surprised if even after I've rated all of the submissions this was still the best melody I'll hear in this jam.

Melody Impact 4/5

It's memorable, well written and carries emotional weight. The only reason not to give full marks here is that the same melody repeats a lot. The entire near four minute track is just the same great melodic idea arranged in different ways, which starts reducing it's impact for me.

Composition 4/5

All of the individual parts are very well made, and the flow from part to part is very clear. There are ups and downs, a sense of growth, and a story being told and that's almost all I could ask for. Only thing I would think of adding is a clearer alternate section, a more contrasting melody with a different mood to break up the repeats of the main melody. I guess there already are two distinct melodic ideas here, but I'm maybe thinking about something more drastic that really takes the track to a new direction?

The very end was lovely though!

Listenability 5/5

This category is cleared without any problems.

Correlation to Theme 5/5

I think the Weapon of Legend being the bow and the arrow is a fantastic idea. I like how you used the word "rain" in the title and how it can relate to arrows. I can't really think of a reason to not give five stars here.

I think this track, especially in the context of this jam, is fantastic! It really sounds like a theme from a fantasy story. I don't think I have any further notes, great work!

First of all, I really hope you can forgive me for having some pretty strong thoughts about this track. I'm trying to stay as honest as I can, as I don't think giving every submission a short "cool track :-)" review helps anyone.

This track has real potential, I loved some of your sound choices and the oppressive feel. The "dragon roar" sound was genuinely impactful.

The big problem with the track is simply a lack of focus, both in terms of melody and in overall execution. There is something off with the timing as other people have said, some parts feel like a bit of a mess. I also can't really pick out a clear melody from the track? Like there are melodic elements there, but I can't really differentiate if they're meant to be a main theme or a background element.

Melody Clarity 2/5

I can hear the melodic elements, but they don't form a cohesive theme in my opinion. The track often doesn't really breathe with either the constant eighth notes or the very long notes and phrases, and it feels hard to discern the "main" melody.

Melody Impact 3/5

The track is impactful though! It's a very dramatic piece that does stick with the listener, at least for me. The emotional impact of the melody itself isn't really strong though, it's more of an impact of the track as a whole. This could sound amazing in a scene with a dragon and a burning city.

Composition 3/5

I just can't ignore the messy elements here. Some sections (the ones with the eighth note horn motif, parts 2 & 3 I guess?) sound confusing with multiple parts playing together without really meshing well. The work as a whole also doesn't feel as consistent as it could, I feel like it linearily moves from A to B to C and so on, instead of developing a central idea. Not necessarily the wrong way to execute a track like this, but I think it could benefit from more consistent development.

It still does tell a complete story, and there is real thought put into the structure of the track.

Listenability 2/5

I feel like I have no choice but to be a bit harsh here, but the middle part is simply too disjointed to have a proper listening experience. Fixing the timing issues and blending the parts better would help a ton here, now I feel like the horns and the percussion don't line up. Some of the individual sections on their own sound fine though.

Correlation to Theme 4/5

I think this both fits the jam, and the idea of Dragonfire really well! The atmosphere of the track is spot on.

I think this is a track that with some work could be an amazing track that really fits the idea of Dragonfire, but as it stands the technical execution and consistency really hold it back. I would work on nailing the timing and making the track a cohesive whole by focusing on less individual parts, and instead developing it's strongest ones more.

Really cool to see the whole process though, I'll try to watch the whole thing properly when I have time! It's great that the extension gave you time submit this.

Really well made track. I like that someone went for a style like this in this jam, as the theme and the painting are easy to interpret as fantasy. You did super well with the drums considering it's your first time in this style! The biggest strength of the track in my opinion is the form, the parts flow super well and have pleasant ups and downs in terms of dynamics and intensity.

Melody Clarity 4/5

The melody can be heard clearly, it sticks out well from the texture and has it's place. I think at some parts it sounds less like the melody though, and more like a part of the overall texture.

Melody Impact 2/5

However, I don't think it's necessarily memorable in a way I think a video game theme should be. After a couple of listens, I don't think I could hum you the melody by ear, not because it's not clear but because there isn't much to grab on to if that makes sense. I feel like the melody is not in focus in this track, the meat is in the texture, structure and atmosphere.

Composition 5/5

The track as a whole is very well made. Shifts between parts are impactful, the track is dynamic and the story comes through. You clearly know your stuff.

Listenability 5/5

Not sure if this makes sense, but this is a real track that sounds like a real track and can be listened to as a real track. I would listen to this even outside of the jam!

Correlation to Theme 3/5

The track doesn't exactly scream "weapon" to me, but with your description I think it makes sense. Theme is so heavily based on personal interpretation it's always difficult to rate, I feel like your description makes a lot of sense and fits your end product, but at the same time I don't fully hear the correlation to the jam itself.

Overall this track is great, one of those tracks I'd listen to on my free time. Unique interpretation of the assignment too, even if I feel the melody could have more presence. Great work!

I think this track is excellent. The use of sounds, the texture, the ending are all stellar. I love the vocal sounds and the swells you've used, and the saturated deterioration at the end sounds soooo good.

I think the melody kind of takes a backseat, it's definitely there especially towards the end, but there is kind of this positive problem where the rest of the track is so well done it almost overshadows the melody itself.

Melody Clarity 4/5

The melody is quite discernable in my opinion. It's stays in my head after listening, which is a good thing! 

Melody Impact 3/5

I feel like it's more of a part of the overall texture of the track, and doesn't stick out as a strong theme if that makes sense. The track itself is very impactful but the melody doesn't necessarily carry the impact. The ending is extremely good though! I can't stress that enough.

Composition 5/5

Overall the track is put together super well. The elements come together flawlessly, and the track has a real sense of development. I especially like the use of vocals/choir and distortion here.

Listenability 5/5

Very close to being my favorite track to listen to so far.

Correlation to Theme 3/5

This one is difficult. I get what you were going for, not sure if it lands in terms of the overall theme of this jam. So, I guess it correlates very well to your own personal theme, but maybe not to the jam itself if that makes sense?

One of my favorites so far, you did an amazing job with this! I almost feel like I want give this a higher score, but I'm trying my best to stay as honest as I can with the ratings. I hope my excitement for this track came through anyway.

Interesting track! Very well executed atmosphere. The percussion sound unique but very good imo! In terms of the jam itself, here are my thoughts:

Melody Clarity 3/5

It actually took me multiple listens to really catch a clear melody? The track is very ambient, and the melody gets lost in the wash so to speak. But it is definitely there.

Melody Impact 2/5

I think the ambient nature of the track hampers the impact somewhat. The melody doesn't cut through that clearly, it's kind of just a part of the track instead of the main character. I think that's as good of an approach as any for a track, but maybe not for this jam in particular.

Composition 4/5

The track in it's entirety is well done. I love the percussion, and think the track develops nicely and tells a good story.

Listenability 5/5

I listened to this one many times! A very pleasant experience.

Correlation to Theme 3/5

I've given this same criticism to other tracks already and I start to feel like a broken record haha, but I feel like out of context this track does not feel related to either the painting, or the theme of a weapon? With your description however this really falls into place, this fits the birth of a galaxy well.

Good job on this one! My favorite thing was the texture and sounds used. There could have been more focus on the melody, but on it's own I still think this was a joy to listen to!

I like the idea of splitting this into three tracks that convey different themes about your story. I also overall like the tracks a lot, I can always appreciate good ambient music.

The elephant in the room is that I'm not sure if these are the most fitting tracks for the melody jam in particular? In fact, I struggle to find any clear melodic theme here.

Some of my scores might seem harsh, but please understand I actually genuinely like your work, I just have to rate this based on the categories given.

Melody Clarity 2/5

I feel like the tracks had moments of clarity. The vocal parts in The Forge has a discernable melody, and The World had some melodic hooks. Overall though, I don't think your submission really had a melodic throughline? The World sounds like piano improv, which is great! But isn't necessarily what I think of when looking for a strong theme for a scene.

Melody Impact 1/5

I don't think these tracks showcased an impactful, memorable melody. These things might of course be subjective and there are no right answers, but to me, these tracks do not provide a melodic theme for a scene or for a video game etc. This might be a difference we have in how we interpreted the assignment this time, I feel like going for an ambient collection of tracks was not the choice for a melody jam.

Composition 4/5

I like that you split the submission in three, and I think all parts bring something to the table. Rating more ambient tunes in terms of composition is always tough, but I feel like you know what you're doing with music like this.

Listenability 4/5

I quite like music like this! The World was my favorite part here.

Correlation to Theme 3/5

I feel like of the three tracks, the first one has the strongest connection to the themes and the goal of this jam. From the other two tracks, I didn't quite hear the connection to a theme of "the weapon", but I think they work really well as worldbuilding pieces.

I think you submitted a really good work, that simply misses the mark in terms of this jams assignment and goals. Out of the context of this jam, I really love this!

I love the vibe! I don't think the vocals are bad at all, you used your voice very well for the needs of the track. Overall, I think the track is maybe a bit long without a clear hook. I'll try to break down my thoughts:

Melody Clarity 4/5

I have no problem picking out the melody here, the vocals don't necessarily cut through but it fits the vibe of the track. At least I think I understand what kind of a feel you were going for here.

Melody Impact 3/5

The melody is good, but for a five minute track I feel like it never really hits as hard as it could. It's kind of missing a hook, that one impactful part that really sticks with you.

Composition 3/5

This relates to the earlier point. The track is quite long, but doesn't necessarily justify it's length. The feel of the track stays very similar throughout, it could benefit from some contrast or a surprise?

Listenability 4/5

I have no problem listening to music like this! As I said, I like the vibe and would listen to this kind of music anyway.

Correlation to Theme 2/5

Just listening to the track out of context, I do not hear the correlation to either the painting or the overall theme of a legendary weapon. With the lyrics and your description it's a bit better though, but I still don't fully hear it.

I think you have a lot of skill for music like this! The main thing I'm missing is more.. dynamics? I guess. Some variety in the track, where it's sometimes more full, sometimes empty, sometimes quiet, sometimes loud. More clarity between different sections. You already had some ideas like that with the track rising in intensity towards the end, that was well done!

Keep up the good work! Hope you release your EP one day.

Thank you! I agree with you completely, the cymbal is literally a stock sample from Ableton. I fully focused on writing a melody, and threw together the actual track just as a demonstration of the melody.

I have to admit that I was under the impression that production was not supposed to be taken into account, at least not in the composition category? I would have put a lot more effort into the demo if the jam page didn't say that haha.

I still agree that your point is completely fair! Sometimes the sounds we use can impact the composition itself. Thank you for the detailed comment!

This is a great submission. I'd give this high marks in terms of theme and overall composition, but maybe feel like the melody itself takes too much of a backseat for this jam in particular.

Melody Clarity 4/5

The melody is indeed clear and stands out well, but gets a bit lost in the length of the overall track.

Melody Impact 3/5

However, the melody does not feel like it has an important enough role for this jam. I feel like the track overall focuses on a lot of other things like texture, storytelling and atmosphere but the melody itself does not shine through.

Composition 4/5

The only reason I wouldn't give you five stars here is that the composition doesn't necessarily bring the melody forward, but overall it's very well done. It's developed beautifully over nearly five minutes and tells a clear story.

Listenability 4/5

I quite like the texture of the track as a whole, and nothing sticks out in a bad way. It's a pleasant listen. Not sure if it 100% feels like video game music to me, but I like the track too much to really let that bother me.

Correlation to Theme 5/5

This fits both the painting and the story you provided perfectly, nothing to criticize here.

I really liked this! Overall it's an extremely well executed track.

Thank you for the detailed breakdown! Fantasy isn't my speciality but wouldn't mind some day working on a game like Lunacid.

Multiple people have mentioned the brass jumpscare and I can't believe I didn't catch that. I guess it's easy to lose perspective with stuff like this when you listen to your project over and over again and get used to it. Thank you!

Thanks for the comment! I am a string player and I often forget that a real brass player would need time to breathe haha. The rests might help with the melody in other ways too. Thank you!