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Title: SPRING AGAIN REMIX@
Filename: spr_ag_r.xm
Posted Wed 28th Jul 1999
Rated 8 / 10
I know that I've said some not-so-nice things about the various Spring Again remixes out there, but this one is very good. The change to a swing beat was a change for the better, in my opinion. The addition of atmospheric vocals also helped a great deal (gave the piece more of a point). Some of the melodies were a bit awkward (especially the piano melody around 1:50) and some of the samples seemed out of place, but overall the piece is really well done. Nice job on this remix - its a recommended download. Even though the musicalities of the piece were really well done, the technique still was not done to its fullest potential. Some of the added-in drum fills (although good job for including some fills) lacked the swing beat present throughout the piece, which sounded really awkward. Again, some samples seemed out of place and disconnected from the rest of the piece. The vocals, though, really added to the piece and were well done. Again, congrats.

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Title: SPRING AGAIN
Filename: springag.xm
Posted Mon 26th Jul 1999
Rated 7 / 10
Even though this was the original Spring Again that provoked so many remixes, I would definately recommend downloading some of the remixes instead. The drum track included with this piece doesn't seem to suit it as well as the remixes, and the piece in general was done better on later remixes. However, there is a lot more backup atmospheric strings, adding to the fullness of the piece. If you absolutely loved the remixes, then by all means download this piece. If you weren't a fan of the remixes, then the original isn't any better. Not much worth mentioning here, for most of the technique is run-of-the-mill. The backup was done well, and some of the melody was also very well done. However, the drum track was uninspiring, and the piece really doesn't have much of an end (so do the remixes, but its more evident and stands out like a sore thumb in the original). Average tracking technique. Like many of Carillion's pieces, however, excellent sample quality is prominently displayed.

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Title: SpringAgain GSM-Mix
Filename: springgs.xm
Posted Mon 26th Jul 1999
Rated 7 / 10
First, I must start off with an editorial: I don't think this song was good enough to justify the number of remixes it has. However, people must have liked it in order to create all these remixes. If you liked the original Spring Again, then you'll probably like this piece as well. Take the same melody and basic structure, use different instruments, and lay down a different drum track, and you basically have this remix. This is not to say that the song sucks. No, the melody is enticing, to a point. Where that point is probably depends a lot on the listener. Give it a download. At only 213K, it can't hurt much. The basic concept for the song is solid: A good backup line, a good melody, a drum track to build upon, an auxilliary melody, etc. However, it just doesn't have much character to it. If anything, this is an example of solid amateur tracking technique. If a drum fill or two were added, and maybe if some neat effects on the melody line were added also, then this piece would be really wonderful. As it stands, the technique is average at best. Nice sample quality, however.

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Title: little spiders
Filename: myth_lsd.it
Posted Mon 26th Jul 1999
Rated 7 / 10
This is a nice little piece that I recommend for download if you're a fan of rock MODs. The tune is a great instrumental rock tune, that would be excellent if recorded on real instruments. However, it is not, so that's beside the point. There are many different "sections" in the piece that add varience, so that the listener is not bored to death. If you like rock MODs, then download this one. Its a very nice piece. The main reason that I marked technique down a bit was that the song doesn't seem to fit as well as a MOD as it would via other methods. However, that probably wasn't possible for the composer, so I'll try to ignore that. Better, more realistic samples would help, however. The drum track, I have to say, was really well done. There were a couple of fills that were outstanding. The melody and harmony were well thought-out and implemented, as were the background synths. Another good example of good tracking technique...

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Title: Distant
Filename: m_distan.xm
Posted Mon 26th Jul 1999
Rated 8 / 10
This is a very atmospheric piece. The dialogue samples are very professional (though they seem to be ripped from a movie), and the music is very energetic and enthralling. Although this piece has a pseudo-dance drum beat like any other song in existance today, it works really well with this piece. I would recommend this piece to most anyone, no matter what their tastes are. The technique is extremely good in this piece. The only real problem I might have is that the audio samples seem to be thrown in, not having much connection to the mood of the music. However, that is a minor complaint at most. The drum track is done well, the music is just dissonent enough to give the piece a lot of flavor, and overall a nice job was done.

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Title: Spring again (Vfah)
Filename: m_spring.xm
Posted Sat 10th Jul 1999
Rated 6 / 10
Definately not like your ordinary piece. However, I did not think that the piece worked as a piece of music as well as some of his other pieces, for a few reasons: Some of the sound samples seem thrown in, the drum track never varied the piece any, etc. However, the melody is absolutely wonderful. Simple, like a Kraftwerk piece, but wonderful nonetheless (in fact, the whole piece sounds like Kraftwerk). Nothing too special about the technique used in this piece, but nothing too bad, save the repetative and bland drum track. I did find the bass sample seemingly out of tune, however (it could just me my ear). Nothing really exciting happens in this piece, as well, so expect a repetativeness like Kraftwerk or Komputer. If those two names excite you, then download this piece.

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Title: Change
Filename: m_change.xm
Posted Sat 10th Jul 1999
Rated 8 / 10
This song, when put into the category of Experimental Dance, is a very good piece. However, when taken as a pop-music piece, I don't think it functions as well as some other pieces (what I mean to say is: if you're looking for a standard dance piece, look elsewhere). I really like the non-standard melodies and harmonies, coupled with the very nice voice-over that was used (the voice is simply amazing). However, there are some nice pop elements in the piece. If you want something just a bit different than any dance song you've ever heard, this is a tune to grab. The technique used in this piece is simply wonderful. The sample quality is excellent, and the samples work well with eachother. This artist has effectively used some standard tracking techniques to bring out a wonderful cross between experimental and pop. Congrats, Marki, on a job well done here.

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Title: Don't be afraid
Filename: m_dobafr.xm
Posted Sat 10th Jul 1999
Rated 7 / 10
Not exactly like any dance song you've ever heard, but pretty close. The only difference seems to be the non-standard section in the middle where the artist extends the piece past the reaches of repetative dance. However, this is offset by some sections where the lack of variety is detremental to the quality of the piece (around 1:00 specifically). If you want a dance piece, look elsewhere. If you want a DJ MoonRaver piece, then be sure to download this one. I have seen better technique in many other pieces by DJ MoonRaver. The only thing that brings this piece up to the Good/Amateur level is the very pleasing piano arpeggio used for the background in some places. Drum track, however, leaves MUCH to be desired (there is pretty much nothing besides a basic kick-snare pattern).

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Title: Trancestor - part I
Filename: m_tranc1.xm
Posted Wed 30th Jun 1999
Rated 6 / 10
This is your run-of-the-mill dance track commonly heard on one of the millions of dance compilations. Some of the sections of this track are REALLY nice, but there are a couple of REALLY dead places (I usually think of a dance track as having a continuous beat, but this has a long, dead section in the middle of it. If you really like dance, then it wouldn't hurt to download this. But there's nothing here that you haven't heard already. This piece is done (as opposed to well done...). Nothing special in here, but rather certain things are done well. None of the samples get annoying (with the possible exception of the synth bass), and the drum track is usable, albeit static. In fact, this whole track is about average, like many dance songs I have heard over the years.

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Title: Where are you?
Filename: m_wharyo.xm
Posted Wed 30th Jun 1999
Rated 6 / 10
This song has a LOT of promise: The melody is well-thought out, the harmony complements the melody nicely, and there is some development in the piece over time. However, even though there is just one sample in this piece, it still sounds tracked. This might be the quality of the sample, but it also might be that some samples are cutting off other samples, making it seem a bit tracked in some places. The song is very nice. This piece could be so much more if tracking technique was shown. One thing sums up my complaints: inefficient use of resources. The song has 16 tracks, yet only 8 of them are ever used at one time. Either cut out the unnecessary tracks or make the song "fuller" by adding lower notes, but as it stands right now, this is a waste of channels. The track does sound thin, which really is detremental to the overall quality of the song. Better luck next time.

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Title: I will make u dance
Filename: m_iwmud.xm
Posted Wed 30th Jun 1999
Rated 4 / 10
There's really not much here. The first 1 minute is not that appealing to me (that's my opinion, however). The next minute, however, has some potential. It contains a nice phrase that is modified and extended with pleasing results. The ending of the piece (and the last section, as well) leaves much to be desired. The last section in in a major key (which is an interesting/odd contrast to the rest of the song in a minor key), and it simply fades out to the end from there. Not much worth mentioning. The drum track is a basic dance track with the same fill every other pattern. Certain sections of the song are left blank, and although it may be intentional, spoils the good bits of the piece. However, I do like the fact that the composer uses key modulations. However, they are haphazard in their placement, and have little to do with one another.

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Title: "Mysticism" - Necros/PM
Filename: MYSTIC.S3M
Posted Wed 30th Jun 1999
Rated 9 / 10
I absolutely LOVE the theme to this piece - it resembles a high arpeggio on some fantasy instrument... what a great sound. I only wish I could reproduce it (I digress). The song is wonderful, with quite a few really good sections. If it means anything to anyone, this is definately going on my playlist (which only contains about 20 song at the moment) for quite awhile. Just a couple of odd sections that sound a bit "off", but it might be my ear that's fooling me. Yet another small track with few channels (250K/10 to be exact). I'm extremely impressed when this is achieved, because it really shows a great tracker. What's the challenge of getting a full bodied sound with 32/64 channels, when it can be done in only 10? The drums are not amazing, but add to the track nonetheless, while the background ambience is nothing special but niceley done anyways. A very nice job all around.

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Title: // mystique part two //
Filename: myst2.s3m
Posted Wed 30th Jun 1999
Rated 9 / 10
Was this tracked? It would be very hard to tell if compared to an MP3 file, or even a song off of a popular CD. To sum this song up: Professionally done. The music is well done (well layed-out, I might add), it is pleasing to the ear, it never gets boring due to the variety thrown in, and it all stays within reality (compared with some tracks that go off on extreme tangents). I must say, there are only minor complaints: The ending was a bit ho-hum, and there were a couple of sections which I felt didn't fit well with other sections (the second complaint is merely my own opinion, however). Basically, I didn't give this track a 10 because I don't give ANY track a 10, unless it is PERFECT in every regard. This is one of the closest attempts I have heard to a 10. File size is very nice (400K compressed), there are only 12 channels in the track, and it has a rich, full-bodied sound. So, how does he do it? Well, I know for a fact that I'm going to check out Timelord's techniques, to see if I might learn something useful. Pretty much everything in this track is excellent: drums, lead, background synths/bass, and ambient sounds. Thus, the only thing I can do is to recommend everyone download this track.

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Title: [ mystique / part one ]
Filename: mystique.s3m
Posted Mon 31st May 1999
Rated 9 / 10
This song is a highly recommended download for almost anyone. The first of three songs, Timelord has done an excellent with this song. The music fits together very smoothly, the samples all work with eachother and do not sound out of place, and the song just plain sounds great. The one complaint that kept it from recieving a perfect score: the development did not stand out from the rest of the song. Had it been more of a contrast, the song would have more variety, and would be even better. However, that complaint is minor to what is good within this song. The technique that Timelord uses is very professional indeed. One part that stands out from all the rest has to be the excellent use of drums to emphasize the transition between the first, mellow section and the second, rock section. The song is well put together, for the right balence between melody, harmony, rhythm, and background has been firmly established. This song could easily have gone on longer without ruining it. I highly recommend this song both for its music and its technique.

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Title: Myrieh
Filename: myrieh.xm
Posted Thu 20th May 1999
Rated 8 / 10
This is a very nice piece. If you like a piece that has a mixture of both light, ambient sections and hard dance sections, then this piece might suit you perfectly. However, I found that even though it sounded very well produced overall, it lacked that extra something that makes a piece really good. The melody just didn't do it for me. This is most likely just opinion, but I have heard much more appealing melodies. Don't get me wrong, however. The tune is excellent. This is a professional sounding piece. The vocal sample is very professionally done, background sounds are very professionally included, and although the drum track is not astounding, it is not annoying as so many others are. This piece is an excellent study in good tracking technique. It is obvious that this composer has a lot of experience with MODs and music in general.

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Title: myonnytyspolska
Filename: MYPOLSKA.MOD
Posted Thu 20th May 1999
Rated 9 / 10
Yes, this is a polka tune. Maybe it's because I'm also a fiddler, but this song is put together in the style of an old-time polka/fiddling song PERFECTLY. You probably don't like polka, but download it anyway to hear an "alternative" MOD. All the great things I can say about this MOD will probably fall on deaf ears, because no one in their right mind would trust someone raving about a polka piece. Put it this way: Why isn't this song a 10? It's too short (only about a minute long). What can I say. The samples are low-quality, but that just adds to the old-time feel. It's only a MOD, but one only needs 4 channels for this type of song anyway. This song especially stands out for one reason: I have never in my life heard a more realistic set of violin samples used so effectively. I don't know whether they were created especially for this song or not, but they are pretty much perfect. Nice echoed melody, nice backup accordian, nice and simple bass line. Who says you need a fancy ambient background track in order to make a good piece?

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Title: open space (kfmf)
Filename: k_ospace.xm
Posted Wed 19th May 1999
Rated 7 / 10
This is what Maelcum is capable of. A good, solid tune with lots of musical taste. This song is not the best thing since sliced bread, but it is very well written and provides that extra little "oomph" that keeps it in your head after you're through listening to it. If you like good electronica (with a bit of trance), then download this song. Everything seems to work in this song: the drum track fits well with the song, the samples are high quality and used effectively, and the song itself is laid out with obvious preplanning. This is a good, solid example of tracking in one of its finest forms. Maelcum / KFMF scores again!

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Title: alek's pants
Filename: k_pants.xm
Posted Wed 19th May 1999
Rated 5 / 10
This song has very little to offer in terms of musicality, period. Maelcum has produced numerous other pieces that far exceed the quality of this one. Do yourself a favor and download one of his other songs, because when he's hot, his songs sound great. In this song, the "noises" are repetative, bland, and unattractive. The beat offers nothing original, and only adds to the painfulness of the song. Only if you are a Maelcum addict might this song appeal to you, and even then consider yourself forewarned. This song also lacks technicality in many respects. It seems as if there was almost no effort to make this song appealing. No effects can be heard, no changes in dynamics, the drum track does not provide build-up into different sections of the song, etc. Even considering that this is in the house style, I feel it fails miserably at whatever it was trying to accomplish. If you want to learn something, then download this track and see what makes a house tyne really bad.

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Title: hypnocrite
Filename: k_hypno.xm
Posted Mon 17th May 1999
Rated 7 / 10
I don't feel that this piece has much musical appeal to the average pop-music listener. The melody is hard to discover within the piece, and as a result, is not something that will stick in your head. However, if you love experimental electronic music such as Aphex Twin or, to some extent, The Orb, you might be inclined to download this piece. If you are remotely intrigued by this description, then do download the piece. But be forewarned: this is not your average radio-play song. There is quite a bit of skill in this piece. But this is expected from Maelcum or any other members of KFMF for that matter. The drum track is EXCELLENT, and provides the piece with an excellent foundation. The melodies intertwine well, and the piece goes down very smoothly. However, tech is usually only appreciated by other composers, so this piece is a definate download for any aspiring composer.

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Title: chiba city lights 96
Filename: K_CHIBA2.S3M
Posted Thu 24th Dec 1998
Rated 7 / 10
I could hear this song at a low-key underground rave sometime in the future. It is very decent, and I could boogie down to it. I absolutely love the clarinet-like intro that opens the piece, and the 16th-note swing that is in the piece is a relief. One complaint: At 5:10 and beyond, one of the ambient sounds is very off-key (not in the instrument's tuning, but the notes that are played), and ruins the piece for me for awhile. If you've heard the original Chiba City Lights by Basehead (I have not) and you liked it, then you should probably download this piece. This is straight house. The only thing that is a bit different in this piece from other pieces of the same genre is the addition of the 16th-note swing (and it is quite nice, I may add). As per many house pieces, this song is long (10+ minutes). The artist keeps enough variety in the piece to make it interesting, and also keeps it from becoming monotonous (quite a good thing, in my opinion). The reason that I gave it such low individual ratings for tech (and music) was because nothing in this piece is really special when examined closely. However, when listened to purely for enjoyment, the song serves its purpose. Nice job.

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Title: incantation
Filename: k_incan.xm
Posted Thu 24th Dec 1998
Rated 5 / 10
This piece does not do much for me. The melody is not catchy, there are places in the song where there is not much happening, and it ends too abruptly. The song has some possibilities, but overall it adds up to be a very generic techno tune. I guess if you are a fan Maelcum, then you probably should download this song. However, there are other pieces of his that are better than this one. My advice is to go find them instead. Nothing really spectacular here. All of the channels contain basic techno items. IE: No real melodies, most patterns are just different combinations of different channels, and no real chord progression. This is repetative techno at its purest, but not its best. If you want to know how to track a techno tune, then you might want to download this module. It is nothing spectacular, but it will show you the basics.

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Title: Escape From Earth
Filename: efe.s3m
Posted Thu 24th Dec 1998
Rated 8 / 10
Not another remix. Oh, wait, this one's actually good. In fact, it's great. Daedalus did a great job remixing the theme to Escape from New York. The beginning sets a tone of mystery and suspense, and the song takes off from there as it speeds up around 2:10. The entire song itself is put together great, usually as a result of good planning beforehand. I enjoyed this song very much, and I'm sure others will too. The only reason that I gave it an amateur music rating was that it is a remix, so a lot of the work of coming up with an original idea was already done. However, this remix is done well and adds a lot to the original song. Great technique all around. The drum track, although not spectacular, adds to the entire song, while the different sections of the song all portrayed different moods. I only have a few complaints. First, it seemed that the transitions between the slow and the fast sections were a bit too "forced". Second, it might be nice to have the melody occupy more than one channel, so that it doesn't sound so "choppy". However, neither of these things subtract from the rest of the song. This is a highly recommended download for most anyone.

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Title: Emerald Visions - Leviathan
Filename: K_emerld.s3m
Posted Tue 22nd Dec 1998
Rated 7 / 10
Leviathan, to me, is the king of soft rock. Don't be scared away by that label, because his songs are pure masterpieces. This piece seems to have more mainstream rock influences, but it is definately soft rock at the heart. I can't really complain about this song, except to say that is sounds like more of a regular track on a CD rather than a hit single like some of his other songs. If you've liked Leviathan's work in the past, then grab this song. If you haven't heard Leviathan before, then you might want to download one of his other songs in order to hear him at his best. I rarely give out the professional tech rating, because I always feel that at least some changes are in order with any piece. However, Leviathan has his tracking style down to a science, and it shows. All of his pieces are professional sounding, and extend to the limits of modules. The only thing better would be to have live artists record his songs in a recording studio. One complaint - the lead guitar sample sounds a bit synthetic. However, if you listen carefully, vibrato, distortion, and small flanges can be heard. Some very nice effort was put into this piece.

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Title: [sm] -undefinity-97-
Filename: k_sm_u97.it
Posted Tue 22nd Dec 1998
Rated 7 / 10
There are some nice parts in this song. Overall, however, it is pretty average as a dance-type tune (I'm unsure of the exact classification). The transition at 3:20 was a bit rough, the drum track was very bland, and the intro to the piece could have been miked for more than it actually was, but overall it was nice. I would call this BT without any ambient nature sounds and more beat. Standard dance music is pretty popular with trackers, so there is a lot of this kind of music floating around the internet. This piece is right smack in the middle in terms of musical quality. Pretty average technique here, suitable for an average tracker. As I said before, the drum track should be an intrinsic part of a song, and it certainly is very passive here. Most of the background ambient tones were nicely done, which helped the piece a lot. The key changes were also nice, for they added to the overall variety of the song. However, key changes sometimes sound odd if chord progressions are not included as well. Just something to think about. Other than that, there was nothing that really affected me one way or another.

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Title: a new kind of hell
Filename: k_hell.xm
Posted Tue 22nd Dec 1998
Rated 5 / 10
When this song started, it sent chills down my spine. The opening vocal sample was excellent, and combined with the title of the track, I thought that this would be another good song from Maelcum. However, as the song progressed, I realized that this song is not good at all. The samples all seem to be out of tune, so that they almost hurt the ears. Some of the flanging techno samples are annoying and repetative, the drum track leaves much to be desired, and this does not at all signify "A new kind of hell." I'm suprised at the lack of quality in this piece. Just a tad bit of touchup work on the samples would have made them so much better. Getting better samples would have made the piece infinitely better. Plus, there really isn't anything new and innovative in this piece (although not all songs can be new and innovative). Maelcum can do much better, so save yourself the trouble and download some of his better pieces.

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Title: hot like fire rmx
Filename: k_hot.xm
Posted Tue 22nd Dec 1998
Rated 8 / 10
If you are very into the musical style of Meat Beat Manifesto or other semi-experimental electronica artists, then you will probably like Hot Like Fire remix. It has a nice laid-back beat, the vocal samples are nicely done and intermix with the rest of the piece, and nothing really stands out as being done poorly. I especially like the fact that neither the bass nor the drums infringe on the main point of the song, but yet they add to the song so much. The piece does not get boring, for it is always changing. At the same time, it doesn't stray too far from its main theme, so the listener does not get lost. Personally, I am not very much into this type of music, but I did not let it detract from the overall rating I gave the song. The samples used in this piece are nice and clean, and they all fit into the song well. Whoever Maelcum is using for the vocals is very talented, and a lot of work seemed to go into editing them to make them sound clean. The layout of the piece is a bit incoherent, but that's normal for this style of music. Very nicely done in terms of technique.

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Title: The Blue Hippo
Filename: K_HIPPO.S3M
Posted Sun 13th Dec 1998
Rated 7 / 10
This song is pretty standard for a dance tune, for there is nothing really special about it. Then again, it has some pretty neat sections. I found my foot tapping to the beat a few times. It is very dynamic, so it doesn't get boring. On the flip side, it never strays too far from the original theme, so you don't get lost in a plethora of changes. Most people will probably enjoy this tune, even if it isn't one of the best. Nothing special at work here as well. I can't comment on the tracking style since I do not possess an S3M tracker, but it sounds as if a lot of time was put into song effects (pseudo-flange using high and low ambient notes, etc.). I always listen for the drum track, for I believe that it determines a piece's success. The drum track on this piece was quite well done, and didn't hold the piece back. Nicely done.

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Title: tripaphonic
Filename: k_tphoni.xm
Posted Sun 13th Dec 1998
Rated 8 / 10
If you like Meat Beat Manifesto, you'll like this track. If I were to hear this song on a CD, I would swear it was a MBM song. From the odd vocal samples to the low bass part, this song matches MBMs style almost perfectly. However, I was never a fan of MBM (not to say I hated them, I just find their tracks a bit too experimental). But, if you love MBM, then you have to download this song. If you don't like MBM, then you won't like this track. It's that simple. Quite a work this piece is. The tracking technique used in this song is very good. I am quite amazed at how everything was put together. All of the samples were neatly done, they were utilized in the song well, and it was an overall good effort. In fact, I can't complain about much, since I don't want to extend into areas that I'm unfamiliar with (I stick to composing mainly mainstream songs).

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Title: Twice The Fun
Filename: k_twice.it
Posted Sun 13th Dec 1998
Rated 7 / 10
Here is a perfect example of a great song ruined by the limitations of MOD music. If this song were to be played by a rock band, I'm sure it would be a success. However, the lead guitar sound is just a bit computerized, which ruins some of the effect. This is pretty much standard Rock stuff underneath the samples, however, so if you're looking for a good rock MOD, this is a great download. Don't expect a live rock band sound, however. This is an example of excellent tracking technique. Even though I believe that better lead samples could have been found, the song is neatly laid out, all of the parts interlace well (with a dynamic drum track - something that is rarely seen), and nice audience effects are included. I only wish the samples were more life-like, so I could enjoy it to its fullest potential.

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Title: Journey Skyward - Leviathan
Filename: K_JOURN.S3M
Posted Fri 4th Dec 1998
Rated 7 / 10
I always look forward to hearing Leviathan's tracks. They are always very professionally done, and always sound very good (and relaxing, after listening to piece after piece of hard techno). This piece didn't hit on me as well as some of his others, however. I think it was because the melody wasn't very catchy. However, any lover of Leviathan (as I am) should download this piece, because every piece of his is above average quality. What can I say. Leviathan always tracks very professionally. I don't have many complaints here, except that it starts off a bit abruptly. The saxaphone lead sounded a bit synthetic, but I'm not sure whether that was intended or not. These complaints are minor, however. Great job as usual.

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Title: Locutus - Of Borg
Filename: k_locut.it
Posted Fri 4th Dec 1998
Rated 4 / 10
The song opens wonderfully. The voice quotes from Star Trek are wondefully done, and truely entice you. However, it is a real letdown when the actual music starts, only to find that it is quite cheezy. Sound effects from the show were well used, but the music was something you'd hear out of an 8-bit video game. If you are a Star Trek fan, this is worthwhile to download, but don't look here for any worthwhile music if you are not. The song and its samples are clean, the chord progressions are well done, the track has a nice flow to it... So what's wrong with it? As I said above, it is cheezy, but that doesn't prevent it from having a good technique rating. Wonderful technique, but the song fails miserably because of the computerized sounds. I know techno and Star Trek both beg for computerized sounds, but it didn't work. I'd recommend trying to create a fuller sound by using more ambient sounds and instruments.

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Title: more than meets the mind
Filename: k_mind.s3m
Posted Wed 25th Nov 1998
Rated 5 / 10
The opening background tones were very well done. However, the piece falls short once the actual tune starts up. This tune neither makes me want to dance, nor does invoke a state of trance, but it is still trancy dance. However, I will say that it does have a lot of possibilities as a tune. As it stands now, however, this piece falls short. The drum track is my main concern. The main drum loop is very unoriginal, for it is simply straight dance style (boom chuck). The intros into other patterns are also unoriginal, and are sometimes very annoying when they are done too fast. Some of the samples were very good, and they were used well. They did not make up for what this piece lacked, however.

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Title: The Next Phase
Filename: k_phase.it
Posted Wed 25th Nov 1998
Rated 5 / 10
This song does not catch my attention. The beginning sounds very odd, and the background beeps that start out the tune get annoying after awhile. However, the piece is laid out nicely, even though it is done the same as most other pieces of this nature. The whole time, it sounds like this piece could have been a 4-channel chip MOD, and a fair one at best. The violin sample sounded very computerized, especially since it sounds as if only one track was used, making the notes sound cut off. Better samples, with more life to them, could have been used to make the track better. More time could have been spent on mixing up the drum track a bit, which always adds life to a piece. It seems that this track was just thrown together.

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Title: My place in my space [KFMF]
Filename: K_place.s3m
Posted Wed 25th Nov 1998
Rated 4 / 10
What can I say but if you love repatitive techno, then you might enjoy this piece. I, however, get bored and annoyed by repetative techno. How much skill does it take to put together this kind of music? Not much, which is why so many people start out tracking this type of music. However, I know that the members of KFMF (Mental Floss being one) are not novice trackers. However, you would think they might be by listening to this piece. "Hold on to your hats because you're going to love this" - I think not. Even though the music sounds very bland and repetative, I could tell that some time was put into this piece. However, what's the point of spending a lot of time on a piece that is not enjoyable? Thus, even though there were some good parts (such as the introduction of a semi-new groove at 3:10), the techniques used on the whole were not good.

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Title: Merciful Lie
Filename: k_mercy.s3m
Posted Wed 25th Nov 1998
Rated 8 / 10
This music sounds very professional indeed. I could swear I was listening to the radio, this song sounds so professional. The samples all blend in well, the voice samples are wonderful, and the saxaphone is done well. However, it is not something I would listen to over and over again. For some reason, the song just does not hit me. I raised the overall rating a lot because of the quality of this piece, but in my opinion the song itself is not too catchy. However, this is definately the kind of song where everyone will have their own opinion. Download it and see for yourself. Amazing! The quality of samples that are contained in this song are simply amazing. The techniques used for tracking the song are wonderful. Every blooming tracker should download this song as a study of technique. The saxaphone is wonderfully put together, as is the piano and the drum track. Well done indeed. If only the song itself was as amazing as the techniques used.

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Title: Rhythm Seclusion
Filename: K_RHYTHM.S3M
Posted Sun 22nd Nov 1998
Rated 8 / 10
The first thing that I notice about this piece is that the melody is wonderful. It has melodic peaks and lulls (which provide contrast and heighten the piece), it is offset by great backup notes and chords, and it blends so smoothly with everything. Every once in awhile, however, the melody seems a bit computerized, probably due to the fact that the ends of some notes of the melody were cut off by new notes. Most of the techniques that are used in this piece are great. However, there are some places where it seems like using an extra channel so not to cut off notes might have been beneficial to the sound of this piece. The samples were very clean, they blended nicely, and I very much enjoyed the way the background piano sound was put together. This piece is nicely done.

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Title: Reaching for Greatness
Filename: k_reach.s3m
Posted Sun 22nd Nov 1998
Rated 8 / 10
The song starts off very nicely with some low grunge sounds, and proceeds from there. The piano sample was very nice, and blended with the rest of the music. The only complaint I have is the odd increase in speed from 1:30 to 2:20. Even though the song sounded very good before and after the increase in speed, the actual transition was a bit rough and awkward. This is compared to the switch at 3:30, which I felt was a bit better and less awkward. After the speed up, the tune changes into a very nice high-paced piece. The transitions were the only two things that I really have complaints in the tech section. However, transitions are extremely hard, especially when a change in speed is involved. The samples were clean and worked well together, and the piece had a nice flow, as if it were planned out beforehand before tracking it (I recommend that all budding trackers do this - it makes your piece flow much nicer). Very nice.

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Title: Spiral Dream - Leviathan
Filename: K_SPIRAL.S3M
Posted Sat 21st Nov 1998
Rated 9 / 10
This tune blows me away. Immediately as it started, I was hooked. A great dance piece (I only use that term because of the beat), this is one to download. The techno-style flange notes are nicely done, the vocal quote at 0:16 was nice (although I only heard it once - maybe I was too into the piece to notice), and the drum track, although simple, added to the piece. The only thing that I felt was odd was that the piano sample sounded a bit sharp compared to the rest of the piece. But this is a minor complaint compared to the musical quality of the pece. This piece packs a lot into 14 channels (I like composers who don't waste channels if they can get by with less). The samples were well done and were very clean. The chord progression was nice (especially the modulations into B-minor. Modulations are scarce nowadays...), the piano part was a nice change of pace midway through the piece, and overall this was very well done. The reason I gave Tech a lower rating than Music was because there was nothing really exceptional about what was done in this category (I reserve high ratings for pioneers).

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Title: Terraforma Colony
Filename: k_terraf.xm
Posted Sat 21st Nov 1998
Rated 5 / 10
This tune starts out with a wonderful background melody. However, the kick drum that kicks in is too loud. The electric bass seems to be out of tune, the ambient strings overpower much of the melody, and the drum track leaves much to be desired. The techno-style flange that can be heard is very annoying. The chord progression is quite unpleasing to the ear. Musically, this piece leaves much to be desired. The skill level of the composer in the tech catagory is better. This piece evidentally took some effort to produce. However, effort should have been added in order to tune the instruments better and equalize the samples so none are overpowering. The harmonic progression does not make sense (i7 to v7 to iv7? That was what I heard, at least) I find it amazing that this took 22 channels, when it probably could have been done in 12.

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Title: things part 2
Filename: k_thngz2.s3m
Posted Sat 21st Nov 1998
Rated 6 / 10
This piece lacks a beginning and an end. It just starts and stops, without any real intro or conclusion. The melody was quite nice, the background noises were well done, and the chord progression worked well. However, drum track was very repetative. I think it was in fact the exact same throughout the piece. A nice change of pace at 0:55, but overall more things could have been done with the piece. There is an odd lack of effort into some aspects of the piece, like the drum track, the beginning, and end of the piece. This severely detracted from the score. The techniques in this piece are all very good. The flanged techno sounds are really well used, and give the piece some "motion." The samples are all relatively clean. The technical aspects of this piece are very good. Nothing outstanding done in this regard, but well done all around.

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