(Ambient/Electronic) R8 test

[Fidel1993]

Just a simple project, not many elements, some samples, synths and that sort of things.

I'm very proud of it, I think that at last I'm getting my own signature sound, and I think it is well composed, simple, at this moment I think this is the best composition I've made.

Some feedback would be nice, I want to hear what you guys think about this, it is not finished yet, but this is the main idea I want to keep and develop.

[Audiotic]

I like the lead theme that's playing in the beginning. Nice warm sound.

Unfortunately the structure is not really grabbing my attention. After you start the drums at 0:40 and 20 seconds later there is a break with the piano/pad melody. Which Sounds nice on it's own but doesn't carry the track anywhere. After that there's no real build up anymore and all the energy that's anticipated is gone.

I like the athmosphere, but you should invest some more time structuring it imho...

[Fidel1993]

I like the lead theme that's playing in the beginning. Nice warm sound.

Unfortunately the structure is not really grabbing my attention. After you start the drums at 0:40 and 20 seconds later there is a break with the piano/pad melody. Which Sounds nice on it's own but doesn't carry the track anywhere. After that there's no real build up anymore and all the energy that's anticipated is gone.

I like the athmosphere, but you should invest some more time structuring it imho...

Maybe you're right.

Unfortunately for me, I don't know enough about musical structure, I just do what I think that sounds good or what I think that would sound good.

Any tips on that?

Thank you for you opinion by the way, I'll do my best to improve!

[Benedict]

This is a WAV file and at 30MB way too big to offer online. Use a streaming service like Soundcloud (sure the mp3 process will shave a few things off but if your mix can't stand that then there is something very wrong).

Ok file over and starting. I will be direct as is my way. All of this is offered in the spirit of helping and I am happy to dialog and even help directly.

Yes the first melodic pattern offers some mystery. That is good, it makes me wonder what is next. I don't like those drums as I think they are far too dominant for the subtle vibe you seem to want to make. The sudden melodic piano section promises that here is the melodic heart of the piece but it evaporates about as fast as it comes. Great to tease a melody you are going to develop later but if you don't... Sadly that means that by now the piece is redundant and I have lost interest. Bummer.

Now you have some interesting sparks of ideas in here that could definitely lead to some interesting (and possibly very cool) places but as you have acknowledged, you don't know how to work em. I could tell you to go study music theory for 20 years and that it would help you but that would be dumb. The trick is to start by using what yu do have and this is a basic sense of what is interesting - something to say. That is THE MOST IMPORTANT thing in any of the arts.

Second most important thing is to learn to develop your idea from a brief kernel into a flowing work of art. Don't hate on the word art as it merely means communication - you telling me something in a way that is more subtle than "The cat sat on the mat". That sentence is great as it is very direct but it also lacks any sense of description of who the cat is, why he sits on the mat, if this is good or bad, etc.

This article gives a walk-through of me making a simple piece and I think it could help you a lot
https://benedictroffmarsh.com/2017/02/0 ... to-a-song/