<unnamed> (ole-crimson.xm)

Posted by christofori on Wed 9th Jul 2003, rated 8 / 10.

This tune has several complex and strange moments to it. The artist (who, on his artist page, claims "Music for the Weird") goes through several phases in this tune; there are a few sections in 5/4 meter and some others which explore some great emotion. The structure of the tune is made up of several different sections, which all seem to fit together really well. This isn't a tune for those who like solid melodies, though; be warned! However, it is quite interesting; I can see a tune like this fitting in nicely in, say, a level/map for games like StarCraft. It's got the spacy/experimental aspect to it, all the while there seems to be a drive and determination to the piece. It's not traditional, and could definately be called weird; but the music and ideas are also fairly complex. The melodies seem to be lamenting someone or something, and are really effective. I don't usually like experimental stuff like this (it could easilly fit into the "Twentieth Century" genre of music), but this one is chillingly unique. Worth the download, if you like "weird music." :) Technically, the artist could be called a minimalist; it seems he uses exactly the effect he needs, and doesn't really go over the top, or overuse, anything. The tracking looks good, you can tell the artist knows what he's up to there; things are pretty explicit. The samples used all seem to fit pretty well, though I'm not so sure about the snare/cymbals used, especially near the end (starting in pattern 91) - something about the sound there just seems odd. The two volume envelopes used are effective. There also seems to be just about the correct amount of panning; though even more stereo work, here and there, would probably not hurt. Overall, this is a (yes, I'll say it again) weird but effective tune; there are a few spots where it gets a little crazy, but it's really quite cool.