Mix Challenge

I have updated my track in my original post (page 3, I think) and also added a Dropbox link. Cheers!

mike

But did you finish your production within the deadline, is what I'm asking. Because if you didn't, that wouldn't be fair to all other participants and goes against established rules. (in fact, SoundCloud only shows me "released 3 hours ago - that would be after the deadline).


As info for everyone:
Thread update happening within the next 2 hours.

I thought I did......I was going by what I thought was a countdown clock on this page, but it looks like it's just a clock

Oh well.......still had fun doing it!

Let us kick off the VOTING PROCESS, which will end on Sunday, 01-NOV-2020 23:59 UTC+1/CET latest


There is a GLOBAL COUNTDOWN to check for deadlines.
Just follow this link: Global Countdown (on homepage)



Here is the collection of productions from all participants (in hope that I didn't forget anyone). As usual, if you click on the small upwards-arrow right beside the quoted name, you can jump to the original post and read up on the documentation for this production.


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Doc Jon wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 16, 2020 00:28 CEST

"Welcome Home"

TrojakEW wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 18, 2020 14:42 CEST

"Bloodlust"

becsei_gyorgy wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 18, 2020 21:13 CEST

"#every90seconds"



INFORMATION: Please check out the bonus video by becsei_gyorgy, which you can find in his original post.

TheNeverScene wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 18, 2020 22:03 CEST

"Eyes Wide Shut"



WAV: https://www.dropbox.com/s/unuz3uh3g2z8t ... t.wav?dl=0

gruskada wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 21, 2020 00:39 CEST

"Daemon"

GMoneh wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 22, 2020 06:36 CEST

"The Fall of Odin"

EsteveCorbera wrote: ↑

Thu Oct 22, 2020 13:45 CEST

"BSOTerror07"




MP3: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bmPGX1 ... sp=sharing

Slickster716 wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 23, 2020 22:44 CEST

"The Neighbors"

WAV: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-PCcie ... sp=sharing

Shea wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 02:49 CEST

"Truth U cant Xcape"

WAV: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ynefcz07v53h8 ... e.wav?dl=0

Olli H wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 19:24 CEST

"New Friends

WAV: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bBjV3f ... sp=sharing

Square wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 19:39 CEST

"He's Like Us"

WAV: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bk7sAp ... sp=sharing

YuriyKolosov wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 24, 2020 22:26 CEST

"Salvation"

WAV: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Io74wp ... sp=sharing

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BONUS ENTRIES (submitted after the deadline - feel free to give feedback, but you sadly can not vote for these entries)

EdThorne wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 04, 2020 15:20 CEST

"The World Falls Out of the Sky"

Spotify
Homepage of songwriter (also linked to Spotify)

INFORMATION: Track was released 25th September 2020 already (outside of this competition) and can not be downloaded.

CamitoHatsune01 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 15:16 CEST

"Mephiles the Dark"

Bandcamp: https://camitoh.bandcamp.com/track/mephiles-the-dark

INFORMATION: Track was released 29th July 2020 already (outside of this competition) and can not be downloaded.

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Please consult the last post of how your vote could look like (which links to more sources). And to make it simple for me for counting the votes - please use the forum usernames in your listing. Thank you!

SWC038 participants giving feedback to each other (to every participant) is mandatory, else you will be disqualified. Please also keep the bonus point game mechanic in mind.


Good luck to all participants!

TheNeverScene wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 25, 2020 05:17 CET

I thought I did......I was going by what I thought was a countdown clock on this page, but it looks like it's just a clock

The listed countries and times at the top of the forum, is a world clock. "Berlin / DE" is the timezone each deadlines are set up for.

The "Global Countdown" has it's dedicated page on the homepage. The "Landing Page" of the homepage only lists the main deadline and when the next game starts, not each corresponding "Round 2"

TheNeverScene wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 25, 2020 05:20 CET

Oh well.......still had fun doing it!

I'm overlooking it this time around, since you've already released your production on 18th October. But for the future... all edits and forum post updates must be handled within the deadline. Else, and in fairness to everyone, I'm withdrawing 10 points on the score sheet (November and following).

Hey, thanks. That's more than fair.

Looks like I'm first. I want to apologize if my words a bit too much but it is not easy to choose correct words to describe what I have in mind. It is not mean to be disrespectful. It is just my observation as listener. Critics is needed and you may use any words necessary to "describe" my work.

One suggestion for people making track in genre that they are not used to do. Do not push yourself and do not try making something forceful. Rather adapt you preferred style to create something close to the genre and theme. Some of you already adapt to this idea while some people struggle a lot in this round.

Again I included some basic statistics for all tracks to compare.
---------------------------------------
DocJon - Welcome Home
Track have good mood and it fits the theme. Composition is good but that staccato strings are bit repetitive after a while. That break in middle helps a bit. Changing dynamics instead of reusing same pattern whole time should fix it. Going from pp to fff in in different parts for whole track will also add more tension. That silence at the final part when riser ends is weird and abrupt.

Mix is not bad but there are few problems here and there. Most problematic I think is strings and choir part at the end. Looks like you make it sound better then it was in first version but there are still too much frequencies overlap there. As I said before strings sound quite synthetic and I do not like that ping pong panning for them. Maybe you have few instances with different panning that create this effect but looks like pan automation.

Statistics:
Max momentary loudness -8,9 LUFS
Max short-term loudness -9,9 LUFS
Integrated loudness -14,6 LUFS
Loudness range 12,5 LU
True peak L -0.30dB
True peak R -0.29dB
DC offset L 0% (-114.1dB)
DC offset R 0% (-124.1dB)
---------------------------------------
becsei_gyorgy - every90seconds
First, the track start too sudden, small fade in on that drone a boom piano arp. Second part with that break and drop doesn't add anything to mood. Was waiting bigger change. Now it only introduce solo cello and the rest is almost same as in intro with few additional sound effects. The length for both parts are almost same. It will be better if you introduced some dissonances in that piano in second part and add more power after that drop. Next part is better, that choir with that Theremin is very nice combination for spooky atmosphere. After 2:05 it is "boring" - sorry for this. The same stuff over and over. Even percussion pattern is same whole time. Even that music box doesn't change that feeling it sound more like another layer of sound.

Mix is good, with nice stage.

Statistics:
Max momentary loudness -8,4 LUFS
Max short-term loudness -10,6 LUFS
Integrated loudness -14,2 LUFS
Loudness range 4,5 LU
True peak L -1.24dB
True peak R -1.06dB
DC offset L +0.003% (-91.0dB)
DC offset R +0.003% (-91.1dB)
---------------------------------------
TheNeverScene - Eyes Wide Shut
As I said I found track good and interesting. It will be shame if it was disqualified. I like the composition. It is kind of blend between 80's soundtrack and metal, especially that last part that I can hear heavy rhythm guitar even there is none . Change in last part is good, better then it was. Pitch banding that drone was good idea and together with that weird melody in beginning add chaos to the mood (in good way for me). It really make you feel that dread.

Now want I would like to be changed are level of few instruments for example the piano should be louder. It is very nice passage also together with that synth plucky sound. Mix sounds balanced there is some stage but it feels very flat with no depth. End part is better in this matter.

Statistics:
Max momentary loudness -9,4 LUFS
Max short-term loudness -11,1 LUFS
Integrated loudness -14,2 LUFS
Loudness range 7,0 LU
True peak L -1.48dB
True peak R -1.48dB
DC offset L +0.001% (-105.6dB)
DC offset R +0.000% (-106.9dB)
---------------------------------------
gruskada - Daemon
Great composition. Combination of piano with that solo lead is cool. Change at 1:50 is good and the part after with organ is even better. So there is only one thing regarding composition that is making it worse and it is drum patterns. Mostly the same pattern with same dynamics break the evolution and progression of track.

Mix is not bad. There is also good stage. I'm back at drums again. One element stick too much and that is hihat. It is really dominant and maybe also the reason of pattern sounds repetitive.

Statistics:
Max momentary loudness -8,6 LUFS
Max short-term loudness -10,6 LUFS
Integrated loudness -14,0 LUFS
Loudness range 10,8 LU
True peak L -1.01dB
True peak R -1.01dB
DC offset L -0.113% (-58.9dB)
DC offset R -0.101% (-59.9dB)
---------------------------------------
GMoneh - The Fall Of Odin
Track and composition is not bad, but it is more like epic adventure. There is nothing scary and it really do not fit the theme. Interesting changes keep track interesting and I do like it. I like this style of music.

What I do not like here are sounds. I do not mean instruments choice but how they sound. As I said before percussions are worst part. Almost no dynamics and lack of round robins make it sounds very bad. I see you have take advantage of prerecorded seating of orchestra instruments that creates good stage mostly, but the sound of BBC Orchestra is kind of bad, almost general midi for me. Maybe it is your performance but it is really synthetic. Which of BBC you have used? Maybe it is only that free version. Another question will be why you have uploaded mp3 version to SC?

Statistics (mp3):
Max momentary loudness -8,7 LUFS
Max short-term loudness -10,3 LUFS
Integrated loudness -14,1 LUFS
Loudness range 10,6 LU
True peak L +0.30dB (23 samples clipped)
True peak R +0.27dB (12 samples clipped)
DC offset L -0.002% (-94.7dB)
DC offset R -0.003% (-90.1dB)
---------------------------------------
EsteveCorbera - BSOTerror07
Ahh yes Symphobia. I do not have Pandora but I do have other three and they are great for dystopian and atonal stuff. You should implement more of it on track. Problem is that sound of it is much higher quality and also different room then the rest creating big difference here. The sound of other instruments are muffled. The ambient sound are good with feels of dread but it have feeling it doesn't work together with other instruments especially that piano, that melody sounds bit like made using some automated composing system, kind of random. Also performance of piano is poor. No dynamics, same velocity. You have nice selections of sound but they do not want to work together. Best part is intro with Pandora. Then it becomes like almost random triggering of different sounds whole time. It sound there is no idea behind and you just trying to make some spooky atmosphere. Basic structure of composition is missing.

Statistics:
Max momentary loudness -8,7 LUFS
Max short-term loudness -11,8 LUFS
Integrated loudness -15,0 LUFS
Loudness range 5,5 LU
True peak L -0.56dB
True peak R -0.54dB
DC offset L -0.001% (-100.5dB)
DC offset R -0.001% (-99.7dB)
---------------------------------------
Slickster716 - The Neighbors
It sounds like you are trying to go for Stranger things type soundtrack or you get some inspiration there. Is it right? It works quite good. It have more relaxed mood but it works and it definitely fits the theme. I like that part with guitar starting at 0:50 the most but overall composition is good. You choose correct way using your usual music style. Maybe I'm mistaken but it sounds you are used to do synthwave tracks?

Mix is nice. It have that 80's feeling. Some parts have better stage then rest but it simply works.

Statistics:
Max momentary loudness -10,6 LUFS
Max short-term loudness -11,6 LUFS
Integrated loudness -14,0 LUFS
Loudness range 6,0 LU
True peak L -1.09dB
True peak R -1.10dB
DC offset L -0.003% (-89.4dB)
DC offset R 0% (-107.3dB)
---------------------------------------
Shea - Truth U cant Xcape
It start bit of weird and boring but as time progresses it is better and better. It is almost like whole track is one big riser. Very cool idea. When I played it for first time it was like meh at beginning but it keep changing and make it more interesting with last part very good. Definitely thumbs up for interesting approach.

Mix is not bad. Stage is nice. Some percussion instruments lack dynamics like the snare for example. I do like organic feel of sounds even they are synthesized. It add more tension so part that start at around 1:10 sounds bad for me with that snare. Same sound, same velocity and same dynamics really hurts the track. The same for some other percussive sounds but that snare stick out too much.

Statistics:
Max momentary loudness -10,3 LUFS
Max short-term loudness -11,9 LUFS
Integrated loudness -15,9 LUFS
Loudness range 17,6 LU
True peak L -0.08dB
True peak R -0.06dB
DC offset L +0% (-114.8dB)
DC offset R +0% (-116.8dB)
---------------------------------------
OlliH - New Friends
Track fits the theme. Idea behind composition is good. Transition from intro to main mid section is nice. Main "piano" part is interesting but also boring without image or additional instruments. At first it was like cool but then starting 1:24 up to 2:46 becomes boring. I understand the idea as I said but this way how it is presented it does not take my attention. Making more like part with those tremolo string you have here make it more interesting but not enough. Last part is the best and I wish more scenes/parts like this were in track.

Violin, viola and bass and also piano in intro is glued too much together with reverb breaking the stage and positioning. Simply it have more room like for ensemble and not for solo. Room is too big. Some sounds in last part are too loud and over compressed creating a sausage here. This also cause some sound distortion in this part that is most audible on last piano hit. Sounds like hard clipping . Instead of sounding loud it is distorted.

Statistics:
Max momentary loudness -4,3 LUFS
Max short-term loudness -5,8 LUFS
Integrated loudness -14,4 LUFS
Loudness range 18,2 LU
True peak L -1.36dB (24 samples clipped)
True peak R -1.36dB (37 samples clipped)
DC offset L +0.002% (-93.9dB)
DC offset R +0.006% (-84.3dB)
---------------------------------------
Square - Hes Like Us
This is bit odd track. It tries to be anything and everything. It is kind of mix of different styles but non of them lead. What I mean is that I cannot decide what mood track have. It creates bit of mess. Intro drone is nice but 30 sec drone only is too much. Piano added leather is nice and interesting and it should be introduced sooner. Later that blend of piano with drone and that plucky synth arp is .. well it is not working together. Piano have it's mood, drone also have it's own mood and that plucky synth also play something else. Different atmospheres melted together resulting chaos. Next part starting at 1:09 is even chaotic. Saw synth with organic percussion and that synth snare without dynamics are really bad combination. Snare here is almost like metronome. Transition to next part is again weird. Again very different mood and atmosphere in next part and again next transition back to piano again do not fit. It is almost like crossfading between different tracks. Composition do not have clear structure and that synth sound make the track sound like edm track but at the same tie it is not edm.

Statistics:
Max momentary loudness -7,9 LUFS
Max short-term loudness -9,4 LUFS
Integrated loudness -13,1 LUFS
Loudness range 13,3 LU
True peak L -0.24dB
True peak R -0.18dB
DC offset L +0.005% (-85.7dB)
DC offset R +0.005% (-85.4dB)
---------------------------------------
YuriyKolosov - Salvation
Interesting idea but with some problems. Structure is here but it is empty. Something is missing . It is more like background elements without instrument that will drive whole track forward. No lead just bramms, percussions and few effects. I will say the the main melody or theme that define song is missing. More like basic concept for track.

Mix sound bit flat. Stage is poor and no depth. Too much distortion on most sounds. No power because lack of low frequencies. It is sounds muddy.

Statistics:
Max momentary loudness -7,9 LUFS
Max short-term loudness -8,9 LUFS
Integrated loudness -15,0 LUFS
Loudness range 10,5 LU
True peak L -1.19dB
True peak R -0.86dB
DC offset L +0.003% (-90.4dB)
DC offset R +0.003% (-88.0dB)
---------------------------------------

Again the part I hate the most and that is voting. It was not easy but one most do it. There is always some personal preference in voting but this time I choose something I'm not listening to. 2nd and 3rd place was also hard. To tell the truth I swapped first three position few time.

Lots of really good submissions this month. I really wish everyone would have added the description of their story behind the song, though. I really wanted to judge the contest in part by listening to the song first, and trying to guess the story, then seeing how closely it matched.

Doc Jon - Welcome Home
There's a lot to like here - a clear, simple story being told, good use of sound effects, amazing choirs, and it's well put together overall, with a memorable theme that's carried throughout. I get the story from the song, as well, so big points for that. For me, it's a little more mystical than scary, though it does have its moments. It kind of has a Harry Potter vibe at the end.


TrojakEW - Bloodlust
This has a modern soundtrack feeling to it, especially with the percussion. I like it. The howling/screaming seems a little off - not convincing enough, really, but it's almost there. It sounds like somebody is taking a pee at the end. Not sure if that's what you intended (it could work). Wow, the percussion is good, but I feel like there's too much slow building tension, without enough of a payoff.


becsei_gyorgy - #every90seconds
I appreciate the serious theme. Sometimes the scariest stories are real. Nice subtle use of the theremin at the beginning, and good use throughout. I like the song overall as well. A bit too epic at points for the competition, though. Bonus points for the video.


TheNeverScene - Eyes Wide Shut
Props for wrangling hardware synths. Good use of them as well. I especially like the backwards sounds at the end. Lots of good dissonance here as well. The Text2Speech is really creepy - nice. Good job overall, but I wish you supplied the story, as was requested by Mr. Fox:

"please also write down a short three to five sentence story what the inspiration for your production was, or what your music is actually trying to convey"


GMoneh - The Fall of Odin
Too epic and not on theme. Interesting song, though.


EsteveCorbera - BSOTerror07
Nice scary buildup in the intro. Really well-done. Great tone on the scary piano, too, but this is where it starts to fall apart. First, it seems like you are hitting random notes, then a pattern starts to emerge, but not really. And instead of planned dissonance, it feels to me like you are just playing the wrong notes.


Slickster716 - The Neighbors
Great 80's sounding drums with nice panning and interest. Good theme as well. I love Kavinsky, so this is right up my alley. It's actually so good on that level, that I could easily mistake it for a Kavinsky song. Your song is probably my favorite as a song, but to me it's not scary enough. And assuming you're familiar with Kavinsky (he's popular, but I assume a lot of people still haven't heard of him), you should try more to find your own voice.


Shea - Truth U cant Xcape
I like how this breaks into a dubstep/DNB-style song, but the door creaking at that point, or whatever it is, is way too much for my tastes. I do like the overall vibe of the song, especially the last part. It kind of reminds me of the first part of Metallica's "For Whom The Bell Tolls", but more twisted :-) Again, I'd love to know the story here, and I can't really figure it out, though I'm kind of picturing a fun house gone wrong.


OlliH - New Friends
Ok - this one actually scared me with your heavy piano out of nowhere, so points for that. It helped that I didn't see it coming at all, as Google Drive doesn't show the waveforms. Great piano sound and playing. The note placement is haphazard, but also sounds very intentional. Masterful beginning, by the way, carrying the really nice theme from one instrument to another. The tremolo kind of foreshadows things, too, which is cool. I like how your bring the tremolo back in the middle of the song as well. My only criticism is I'd like to see the intro theme brought back in some way, even if it ends up all twisted. If you have attempted to do this, it was too subtle for me to notice.


Square - He's Like Us
Interesting song. I especially like the robotic sounds starting around 2:09. It feels a bit like a mishmash of a bunch of songs, though it does have a cinematic feel to it. Also not scary enough for me.


YuriyKolosov - Salvation
The space sounds are great - I immediately got that without having to read the story. Really nice job with the percussion as well - very cinematic. It's interesting and ominous, but not really too scary. It sounds more like a dark action cue to me (and a very good one at that).

Here's my quick comments. I listened every track couple of times.
In my voting I took into account following things
- does it fit to the horror genre (wrong genre, low points)
- use of melody lines to create horror (important to me)
- created ambience
- overall production

I do know that the horror sound can be created without melody lines, but still I decided to give more weight to it.

======

YuriyKolosov_Salvation
Great. I can feel how the monster is awakening.
Horror for the Serum-generation.
Absolutely handsome reverb tails.
But musically it feels a bit too stripped. As if it's variations of one simple (but great) idea.

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TrojakEW_Bloodlust
Superb ambience sound.
Great use of instruments to create ambience sound effects.
Especially I like the use of drums/percussion. In most of this month's submissions the drum part diminishes the horror feeling, but with this one it adds to it.
I wish you had added more melodycal soundtrack elements to this. For me it doesn't create a full soundtrack.

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TheNeverScene_Eyes Wide Shut
The beginning is just spot on for a horror movie. Great work there.
I like those sliding notes.
Later there are some nice piano and synth melody lines. But somehow the song gets buried under that wonderful low end synth. Maybe with purpose. It begins to dominate the song too much. It turns this more into ambience track, although there's every element to be bigger composition.
I would have wanted to hear more musical elements. Now it's quite heavily ambience track.

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Square_Hes Like Us.
Opening atmosphere well done.
Piano part feels a bit unfinished. As if you are about to find a great theme, but it escapes.
In the middle of song, the tail of the snare and synth are probably too similar.
Interesting suffocated synth sound in the end part.
But overall: this doesn't feel so much like a horror track to me. Or it doesn't dive deep enough into fragile mind.

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Slickster716_TheNeighbors.
Very enjoyable and coherent track from start to finish.
I like it. Very well done. Very catchy melody lines. Bonus points for them.
But there' one problem: it doesn't feel like horror to me. Maybe it's more like an action family film from 80's. Something like "Ghost Busters". If the theme had been something else than horror, I would have given you full points.

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Shea_TruthUcantXcape
This is a coherent package. Very well done. I like those Bond-like chord progressions.
Bonus points for great melody lines. They surely carry and contain heavily scary elements.
Very nice theme in the end part.
But is it horror? Yes and no, I don't know. Maybe it could be perfect to some cartoon horror movie. "Pink Panther goes horror".

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gruskada_Daemon
I love that music box melody line that creates the basis of the whole thing.
Nice use of guitar sounds. Clearly different from other submissions.
Plenty on nice melody lines, and all the time upon that music box. Cool.
But for some reason it lacks a bit on the horror side. Musically it would be perfectly to some movie about juvenile street violence. So there surely is well done danger, but maybe you could dial in a bit more pure horror.
Maybe for same reasons those demon-sounds feel like later added elements. As if you had noticed that musically the end result wasn't horror enough, and you needed to add some horror elements to otherwise ready composition.
That said: I love this one. I'm waiting the movie to come out.

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GMoneh_TheFallOfOdin.
I think you have great compositional skills. Plenty of nice melody lines and skillfully created harmonies. So, greatly composed theme. But the problem is: it doesn't feel horror to me at all. I'm sure, if in future competition you manage to match the genre better, you will be among winners in my list. This one feels like some sort of historical action movie or western movie.
Drums are in too small space compared to the rest of the music. I don't mind drums being near, but it could use bigger room ambiance.
Overall, maybe the theme starts to repeat too much the riff created by the cello and drums.

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EsteveCorbera_BSOTerror07.
The beginning of your track is a real thing. Superb atmosphere for a horror movie. Absolutely great first minute. Those attacking synths have some attitude.
Also the start of piano lines works greatly for me.
When the electric bass comes in, my focus begins to disappear. I don't know what happens, but the greatness disappears. After that music feels like improvisational preliminary ideas. Not as ready composition.
So absolutely great beginning, but the song don't manage to carry into the end.

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DocJon_Welcome Home.
A great musical theme and it's coherent all through your song. Nice subtle melody elements that enhance the scariness. Actually I liked every moment and detail, every part as such sounds great to me. But for a soundtrack I was expecting to hear more variations and different emotional levels. Now it starts to feel a bit as a description of one prolonged feeling, or a small part of one episode. But still: very well done.

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becsei_gyorgy_every90seconds
Love that opening part. Sad, ominous and beautiful at the same time. Just what I expect from the opening of a horror movie. Those rapid piano notes are just perfect.
But for some reason the second part don't match the expectations you created with your great opening. It feels more like sword fighting action film, not horror movie. Had it been music for some historical documentary film, I would have given you full points immediately.
Overall, you have created a great musical theme, not just ambience effects.