I realize that this is a monologue and not a conversation so feedback can appear a bit crude or harsh to some. And because I like to go straight to the point without sugar coating it. There are no hard feelings and these are merely my opinions and ideas that I had while listening to these tracks. You are the best, for looking for areas to improve.
Dasein - Night Piece
Great beginning of the piece. It really calls for a complete crescendo, maybe some tremolo with violins. I would definitely add some brass and cello in that part. Feel like it has potential to be a strong/moving opening. As I was listening and imagining the vastness at 0:20 felt jolted out, as there was no cadence and piano started playing. I would imagine that a simple yet elegant transition here is needed.
Piano becomes monotone after few note repetitions, I would suggest finding a delicate solution if you feel that the same note needs to be repeated; 0:50-0:53 cadence is very nice, although I would make a modulation, as it calls for a change afterwards. I would suggest analyzing early Mozart's sonatas, since they are easy to analyze and figure out the patterns. In my opinion they have very organic movements and would fit here nicely and benefit you greatly in your journey.
Main movements consist of the same material with different arrangement. It appeared to be an interesting choice, since you have more material that could replace one of them or be at least a separate one. For example at 2:57-3:03.
There was no percussion, I don't know if it was a conscious decision, maybe the piece could benefit some.
I think you have a really nice foundation for a piece that could be really good, utilizing clever and simple composition techniques. But they have to fit nicely, which could be the hard part.
JeroenZuiderwijk - A Journey
Don't even know where to begin. As I listened to the track, I was thinking "ah, this sounds like me when I started". Then read the description and it all made sense. Props for making it with Sunvox
. I'm sure I couldn't make anything half decent with it.
The thing that stood out most was the hats, as they were playing almost constantly. I see this DAW as a great opportunity to restrict oneself and get creative within that space, play around in it. I think there are regions where it could be played around with more.
Ike H-mope - Stars
I'm not sure if it's the season, but it sounded more like a Christmas Carol than a "Space" themed song to me. It would be pretty good Christmas Carol though.
Not a fan of a sudden stop at 1:59. If I wasn't looking at the waveform in dropbox, I would think it had finished there.
Although female vocal and Cello fit together nicely, I think that adding a male vocal as in "question and answer" method would make this piece even greater. As I was listening to this song I kept hearing it in imagination.
Elcubano - The Comet
Really nice track. Mix could be worked on to elevate the experience even more. Immediately came to mind that lead guitar or drums could use some saturation/distortion automation that would symbolize a comet slowly passing by.
1:14-2:00 felt like a lot is happening without actually anything happening. Which in one hand creates trans like state that fits the theme, in the other, calls for monotony. For me it leans more to the monotonic side. I would look for a simple solution, like removing certain notes and adding just a few where they weren't in the pattern so to create an illusion that something is happening. I think anything simple like that would work here.
EsteveCorbera - L'ExploracioDelCosmos
I really saw the vision here. Beginning of the track is great. Only thing I found is that it's too harsh for me until 0:52. I would like to hear low passed sounds slowly opening.
Until 2:15 everything is great. I was sitting with closed eyes and imagination just took off.
2:18 there is a low end thump, which I thought was needed, because it was becoming monotonic. But the material had to change with it, giving it another breath. Chord change, modulation, almost anything would work here harmonically speaking. Because after that I just couldn't go back to that space where imagination took me. Slowly building up the arrangement is very fitting for this piece and listeners attention could be maintained with some adjustments.
Like in Ike H-mope's track, I felt that it was definitely the end of the piece at 5:45. This time I had my eyes closed and couldn't see the waveform. I thought that it was a perfect place to end.
Paramnesia - Space
Great song. In first 5 seconds I thought this going to be metal or something like rock. It is strange, since only solo guitar is playing and it could be many genres, but I felt like something STRONG is going to happen. Whatever you did, you nailed that part.
Mix is very poky, has a lot of rogue transients. I find it distasteful when they appear particularly in vocals. Up until chorus at 0:54 mix is very good apart of my comment, but in chorus part everything just drowned. Fixing that would elevate it incredibly.
Final chorus seemed either too short or lacked more energy. Maybe both.
becsei_gyorgy - Timeless Space
Felt like this is more of a ballad than a song from 80's that you recreated instruments from nicely. I don't think that a ballad and that style of instruments go hand in hand, at least not in this case. Restructuring the parts and, of course, lyrics, this song could turn around for me.
Vocals are de-essed to the ground and sounds too autotuned in chorus parts.
Other than that, pretty good job. Instruments are stellar.
PonySho - Space
Oh the intro. So good. Absolutely amazing song.
But the chorus melody. I could guarantee that I've heard it before. I'm 99.9% sure of it. I would be very cautious, knowing that my song could be taken as plagiarism.
There are not too many instruments to make a "bad mix", but main vocals don't sit quite right for me, because they have distinct room sound to it and quirky thing going on with eq in higher range. Probably by removing that short delay, vocals would fit better.
Although song is really really good, I wouldn't pass it as "Space" themed.
BenjiRage - Overworld
Another good song with melody that I feel I've heard before.
Chorus is just stellar
,but verse lyrics seemed cringe.
Overall production seems like what I would expect of this style and in some regards feels above average of what I would hear.
Mix sounds good, but a bit shallow in stereo field. High frequencies don't sit quite right for me. They are neither harsh nor drowned out, but seem so at the same time. This is probably because hat goes the same way through kick and snare, making this monotonic high frequency line throughout.
Changing these things, I see it playing in a radio or being on a playlist with songs that cost way more to produce. Definitely would vibe to it.
Koekepan - As The Air Runs Out
As ambient as ambient could be. Space theme just pops out of it. There is not much to say about this one. Those 9 minutes just flew by. But I wouldn't make it longer either, I think it's just the right length.
When pluck hits high notes it is too piercing for this track I feel. I get drowned in that ambient and with every hit I come back. As a listener I would like to stay there longer, let my imagination linger.
Vanilla Puff - Purple World
I feel like I didn't live up to my standards with this one. Although the aim was to create a piece that invites listeners imagination to explore space, it seems that I've only created the invitational part. Somewhere there needs to be a change in cadence, melody or something else, as of now it sounds monotonic/ "copy pasta", lacking some adventure. And that adventure should lead nicely to the bridge, which is not really bridge right now nor are good transitions.
Entirely skipped mixing/mastering part and that is reflected. Saw synths sound clipped. And they are
. Have no clue what to do with toms. I keep seeing this velvety sound, but can't dial it in. These are the only things that bug me right now, after reading feedback, I hope to expand this list.
Overall I'm pleased with esthetic aspect of the piece, could be a decent track. I realized that I don't manage my time very well and push myself to do better, but end up blocking myself in the process. Maybe more relaxed/playful attitude needs to be implemented to achieve better outcome without feeling that I need to achieve it.
ThomC - Out of Space
other than:
1:40 a bit abrupt transition, felt like a rest was not in the right spot. There are some crackle afterwards. Foot pedal can be heard only on the right side, especially low frequencies. Sounded a bit weird because of it.
How do we go from there?