The 2004 Elemental Music Compo
Competition Results
Wind Category
First Place: Khamsin by skyscape/Libris, with a score of 43.33!
Second Place: 4D Adagio by DDspeed, with a score of 42.66!
Third Place: Spring Day by obScene, with a score of 41.66!
TIED AT Fourth Place: My time, my cry by Virgill, with a score of 40.33!
TIED AT Fourth Place: When the birds meet the blue sky by Debi, with a score of 40.33!
Sixth Place: Who Has Seen the Wind by Slog, featuring Lisa, with a score of 40.00!
Seventh Place: Nimbus by Kruser, with a score of 39.00!
Eighth Place: Ffynidwydden by Alterfish Gravity, with a score of 30.00!
[EMC Home] [Earth Results] [Wind Results] [Fire Results] [Water Results]
Khamsin - First Place / Winner
by skyscape/Libris
Download (1363 downloads)
Score: 43.33Artist's Comments: Khamsin is the word for an Egyptian dust storm, this track was made with an ominous atmosphere to illustrate impending doom and destruction. Think powerlines and communications towers being ripped down by huge winds and the sky darkened by dust. Thanks to Eys for the dodgy vocals, we were meant to re-do them but ran out of time :P
Comments by Christofori
Relevance to Theme and Category
Well, the first half doesn't make me think of a desert storm in Egypt; but more of a cold, windy night in the mountains somewhere, where everything's frozen. The second half, starting with the vocals, does remind me more of something in Egypt (and it's accentuated with the later change in the drums as well). Either scenario definately seems to fit well with the wind element. 20 of 20 points.
Musicality
Nice tune! Another fade-out ending though; this one could have been better with something more solid and concrete. However, the vocals (while indeed, somewhat dodgy!) fit the tune well; there's an element of mystery present, I like it. The effects are well chosen and aren't even cheesy or cliche. 8 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
Very imaginative track, though it could use a bit more variation. It's still great, though, and everything seems to fit well. 8 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
Technically, the tune is pretty solid. The samples all sound pretty good, and it's got good use of effects, and really just enough panning to make it sound really atmospheric. I almost wish the vocals could be a full chorus of voices the second time through to make it sound a lot more rich. Nice balance, and good drum work, especially near the end. 8 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 20+8+8+8 = 44 points
Comments by AladdinSane
Relevance to Theme and Category
It sounds like a very ominous wind storm, dark & tricky .... Circling / Dancing all around in the air - pending doom .... 20 of 20 points.
Musicality
The music is excellent - it tells the story you described. I too wish you would have had time to re-do the vocals though, or leave them out. 8 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
Very Original & Very Creative - I don't know if you have the story in mind to make the music or if the music told the story - but it worked either way. 9 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
Should have lost the vocals on this one. It really detracted from the rest of the song which was assembled with some very good talent. 7 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 20+8+9+7 = 44 points
Comments by Annonymous
Relevance to Theme
19 of 20 points.
Musicality
8 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
7 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
8 of 10 points.
Comments
This totally belongs in the wind category, for obvious reasons. Nice flow, good composition, as always. Lovin' those beats!!
Overall Score: 19+8+7+8 = 42 points
Final Average: (44+44+42)/3 = 43.33 of 50 Possible Points
4D Adagio - Second Place
by DDspeed
Download (1380 downloads)
Score: 42.66Artist's Comments: well as the general feel and somewhat the sound of this song reminded me of wind. I also asked some other people and all said it fits the atmosphere, representing the elemental almost ideally although the track doesn't use any special effects except "SpacePets" effect sampled by me from Korg worksation.
The track came out very good IMO, has a lot of good, massive sound just like it was intended to be. That's why I decided to make it a part of my project named 4D which is meant to be an electronic version of classical symphonic concert theory. This will be the second part, as it is slow and in concerts usually the first and last parts are slower than the middle one. However, to make this track suitable for this project I will have to enlarge it and add more elements of classical forms. That's why this version is named "compo version."
Hope somebody will like this small piece of music. After the compo ends and the track is released you can comment it on http://www.ctgmusic.com/ddspeed
Comments by Christofori
Relevance to Theme and Category
I do get the sense of a softly sweeping wind, or a nice, cool breeze, with this tune. It doesn't really capture anything other than the more pleasant aspects of wind, which is okay; but I also would have liked to hear more development in spots. There are moments that almost remind me of water from time to time... Very nice though! 15 of 20 points.
Musicality
This tune's got some excellent moments. It's got times when you think it's going to take you in one direction, yet it moves in a completely different direction than one would expect (much like wind, indeed!). There are some slight balance/volume issues, mostly with the fades; they don't always seem to line up as well as they could. That's getting a bit nit-picky though :) 9 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
The piano riff, from the beginning throughout most of the rest of the song, is somewhat overused in many similar pieces of music. The rest of the material in this tune, though, is well thought, and works extremely well. Once it's all said and done, I feel it's quite a fresh tune; 8 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
The tune has some great moments. Overall, the strings sound rich and refreshing; the balance is great. There's not really much to be said against this tune on technical grounds. 9 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 15+9+8+9 = 41 points
Comments by AladdinSane
Relevance to Theme and Category
It sounds more of wind & water than just wind to me - actually, the flowing repetitiveness really invisions water ..... Of course, wind & water currents are pretty similar - you just can't see the wind. This just makes me "see" water. The ending has a very "windy" feel to it though. 16 of 20 points.
Musicality
The music was good overall - the repetitiveness got a little old after a while, but it was still good. I love the sounds in the beginning. 8 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
The basic background of the music really sounded like old soap opera music, but the additions sparked some originality and creativity to the song. 6 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
It was very well composed. Nothing was overwhelming and everything seemed to fit very well together. My only thought is that the drum line might have been a little too strong/loud compared to the rest. 9 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 16+8+6+9 = 39 points
Comments by Annonymous
Relevance to Theme
20 of 20 points.
Musicality
10 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
9 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
9 of 10 points.
Comments
Fabulous entry!! Love the piano chords!! GOOD JOB! Fits perfect in this category.
Overall Score: 20+10+9+9 = 48 points
Final Average: (41+39+48)/3 = 42.66 of 50 Possible Points
Spring Day - Third Place
by obScene
Download (1678 downloads)
Score: 41.66Artist's Comments: Originally I wanted to do an epic water track, but I was having trouble getting inspiration though I had ideas. Then one morning I awoke (actually the day before spring officially began) to a beautiful warm, breezy spring morning. This inspired me to do "Spring Day," not an epic, but a light and fun atmospheric dance track. I won't say the track is necessarily about 'wind,' but more about 'air,' the sky and the smell of fresh air. Still I wanted to bring in the wind, but wanted to stay away from cliche things like wind sound effects... so I try to represent the wind musically.
The first time you will hear the wind is at about 2:05 - the wind will emerge as the piano is reversed and pushed around in a shapeless melody. Like the wind it's invsible, but you will hear and feel the effects. :) As for the rest I hope you will find it light, energetic and moving, like the air itself.
Comments by Christofori
Relevance to Theme and Category
Woah. I wasn't expecting this one! This is definately an interesting interpretation on wind; I really get the feeling of what the artist described in the song comments. It could, at times, represent something like a dancing flame; but just as soon as that image enters my mind, the wind blows it back out :) 16 of 20 points.
Musicality
Great work! The tune is very nicely put together, and it works extremely well. It's easilly one of my favorites from this competition. I love the blend, and it's a tune that could really fit into several genres... or perhaps make it's own. Nicely done! 10 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
Very good! It's got mellow sections, and yet never seems to let you stop tapping your foot. I can't really say I've not heard something like this before, but in this combination... Well, everything definately works with this tune. 9 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
Great job! Wonderful samples, good overall balance, and great effects. I understand wanting to avoid the "wind sound" cliche, but in this tune, some very modest wind/breeze/etc. samples, if well placed, would really fit nicely. Nice stereo work; nothing that's out of place in any way. 9 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 16+10+9+9 = 44 Points
Comments by AladdinSane
Relevance to Theme and Category
I definitely get a "Spring Day" kinda feeling :) The song is light and bouncy and fast as I preceive wind. There is just a little hint of Water & Fire as I have been judging them. 19 of 20 points.
Musicality
The music sound is of very professional quality. Composed with excellent taste. Definitely a good techno dance track (as intended). The monotony of the repetitive back beats are definitely covered by the complexity and entertainment of the piano and other foreground musics. 10 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
Excellent job portraying wind on a spring day! The only down side is originality, but with techno dance music, it all sounds similar. I'll have to drop a couple of points on the originality. But it was an excellent job of portraying wind without wind sound effects. 8 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
This song was assembled very well, very professional sounding. Most of my comments on this scoring came out in Musicality & Creativity. The back beats and foreground music compliment each other very well and it was nice to not have the cliche wind noises. 10 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 19+10+8+10 = 47 points
Comments by Annonymous
Relevance to Theme
10 of 20 points.
Musicality
8 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
8 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
8 of 10 points.
Comments
Very simple entry, not much to it, doesn't belong in this category. Enjoyed the piano chords though!
Overall Score: 10+8+8+8 = 34 points
Final Average: (44+47+34)/3 = 41.66 of 50 Possible Points
My Time, My Cry - Fourth Place
by Jochen "Virgill" Feldkötter
Download (1356 downloads)
Score: 40.33Artist's Comments: A slight breeze; vocal fragments rushing through the air. Wind blows my time, wind blows my cry.
Comments by Christofori
Relevance to Theme and Category
This tune really gives me more of a mechanical-type of mental image than anything; but, it's also got a bit of that "angry wind" feel to it. There are many moments where the idea of wind seems to communicate well; but in a way I also see bits of earth and fire in this tune, too. It's hard to pin this down to a category... In a way, I suppose I can see myself in a wind machine, watching and hearing all these technological fragments fly past and around me... It's not a BIG stretch! :) 14 of 20 points.
Musicality
Wonderful work! Great balance, great tone, wonderful effects. This tune really works well as it is. 10 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
Very nice work! It's not exactly like anything I've heard before (well, it of course has several components familiar to me)... It's a great blend, nicely done! 10 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
Very well made. Love the effects; they really fit the mood of this piece. The samples all sound great; a bit low-tech in some spots, but I really believe this is intentional, and for this kind of tune, low-tech works well. In contrast, there are some really great moments; I love the vocalized stuff. Very nice stereo work; it's hard to do this kind of thing without it becomming a distraction. There's a great amount of dynamic contrast, and the tune does a great job in keeping the listener interested throughout. 10 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 14+10+10+10 = 44 points
Comments by AladdinSane
Relevance to Theme and Category
I don't get a lot of wind, but I feel Wind & Water in there. It doesn't fit either solely - 10 of 20 points.
Musicality
The music was pretty good. The repetitiveness wore a little thin on me somewhere in there and I caught myself losing interest. 7 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
It seemed to be pretty creative and original. I got some sort of James Bond on a mission feel from it. There are a lot of little background/foreground sounds that hid the familiar, more prominent sounds. 8 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
I liked the vocals; they were very well placed and included into the composition in a manner that really complimented the music. Nothing was under or overwhelming - it was mixed very well. 9 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 10+7+8+9 = 34 points
Comments by Annonymous
Relevance to Theme
17 of 20 points.
Musicality
9 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
8 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
9 of 10 points.
Comments
Technically, this is a great entry, I can't find the relevance to the wind category so much, but I think this is probably the only category it would fit in. Nice job though!
Overall Score: 17+9+8+9 = 43 points
Final Average: (44+34+43)/3 = 40.33 of 50 Possible Points
When the Birds Meet the Blue Sky - Fourth Place
by Debi
Download (1328 downloads)
Score: 40.33Artist's Comments: Open your eyes, look to the sky
it's full of birds calling for freedom
listen to whispering voices of mind
word by word, side by side
Leave all the feelings far behind
close the door, lift me up
your soul is ready now to fly
get ready for the journey
when the birds meet the blue skyComments by Christofori
Relevance to Theme and Category
This tune does give the overall feeling of flying, though I get more of an image of a fresh Spring day than anything. The tune's filled with a sense of wonder and hope, and has a great atmosphere; it lends itself well to the Wind element. 18 of 20 points.
Musicality
This one's got some great moments. The overall sound is well balanced, and the ideas all work well together. There could be some variation in the chord progression (more than there is, even), but overall this tune is quite listenable. 9 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
The tune's very creative, though it could use more variation; and it's quite original. The lyrics are tastefully done and fit the spirit of the tune well. 9 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
The technical quality of the tune is pretty good! The samples all sound great, though the vocals aren't always easy to understand -- though we know what's being said from the artist's comments. The balance is good, and everything seems to work quite well together. 9 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 18+9+9+9 = 45 points
Comments by AladdinSane
Relevance to Theme and Category
I'm thinking - It doesn't scream wind but I don't know where I would put it. Hard decision. The birds part definitely influences the wind decision as well as the poem. But the music, in relation to the elements, could fit nowhere or in the fire / water categories as I've been judging them. 15 of 20 points.
Musicality
Wow! - I love it ... I enjoy the orientalish sounding intro. I didn't care for the bit of piano somewhere in the middle though. It really distracted me from the "inside" of the song. The vocals, poem reading/whispering, really compliments the song. The birds weren't even overwhelming. 9 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
Excellent. That's all I have to say. 10 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
Composed very professionally. The mix of music, vocals and bird effects was near perfect. Everything compliments everything very well. My only down side was the piano parts. I thought it was not very well placed for the "theme" of the song. But, it was nicely composed. 9 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 15+9+10+9 = 43 points
Comments by Annonymous
Relevance to Theme
10 of 20 points.
Musicality
7 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
8 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
8 of 10 points.
Comments
Would have been better in the earth category, but nicely done! Nice guitar samples!!
Overall Score: 10+7+8+8 = 33 points
Final Average: (45+43+33)/3 = 40.33 of 50 Possible Points
Who Has Seen the Wind - Sixth Place
by Slog, featuring Lisa
Download (1339 downloads)
Score: 40.00Artist's Comments: The song is ment to compete in the wind element. I think this song sounds like wind because the lyrics in it are mainly about wind and, the effects are windy. ;)
Comments by Christofori
Relevance to Theme and Category
This tune seems to fit mostly in the wind element, but it also would fit fairly well in the fire element; I'm somewhat undecided, except for the fact of the wind-ish sounding effects.. :) 12 of 20 points.
Musicality
Musically, this song works well as it is. The vocals are a nice touch, but are pretty hard to understand. Overall, it's got some great moments, but also seems to be comprised of stuff I've heard before. 7 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
Somewhat creative, but (again) parts of it remind me of other stuff out there today. 6 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
Technically, the tune is pretty solid. It's got some good effects, and nice (well chosen) samples for this kind of tune. The wide stereo seperation in the hi-hats is a bit distracting, but not overly so. The tune does sound good, and it has been well made, though. 7 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 12+7+6+7 = 32 points
Comments by AladdinSane
Relevance to Theme and Category
Definitely windy - of course the wind sound effects really bring that one home, huh? The music is light and airy & quick though - so it does have a good wind quality. 18 of 20 points.
Musicality
The music was going very good. But the vocals are a bit too much. The vocals are just a bit out of range with respect to the music. I think if you toned them down a little and it was more of a whisper than a strain it would really compliment the music. 7 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
With respect to others, creativity isn't throwing wind effects to fit the wind category. Otherwise, I've not really heard anything recently that was quite like it. 7 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
It is very well composed. Nothing seems to under or overwhelm the piece. Oh, here come the vocals! The vocals almost hurt. They overwhelm the song way too much and really distract from the music. 7 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 18+7+7+7 = 39 points
Comments by Annonymous
Relevance to Theme
20 of 20 points.
Musicality
10 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
9 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
10 of 10 points.
Comments
This entry fits great in this category, good job Slog!!
Overall Score: 20+10+9+10 = 49 points
Final Average: (32+39+49)/3 = 40.00 of 50 Possible Points
Nimbus - Seventh Place
by Kruser
Download (1666 downloads)
Score: 39.00Artist's Comments: When I first discovered about the elemental music competition (cheers for hosting it, Christofori :))) ), I thought that one of the elements featured would be air, but I guess wind is close enough. The title is an attempt to depict something airy, and Nimbus is a type of a cloud, and a cloud is just a part of the atmosphere with a slighty higher density. I read once that there is no real "technical" definition of a cloud. Its boundaries cannot really be measured or defined by any means, other than visual, when seen from afar. Thus, everyone perceives clouds differently: one cloud can seem like an arrow to one person, like a fish to another and so on.
This song is an attempt to perceive a feeling of "cloudiness" and airness. The cloud in question, Nimbus, floats above the earth, seeing it from afar. It is being shone upon by the sun above it, enjoying the occasional wind ride. He looks down upon us with his own eyes and sees humans, animals, trees, buildings, rocks, rivers, lakes, seas... All forming distinct patterns which may mean something to him, and something else to the cloud next to him. He enjoys the view ever so briefly, until the atmosphere circumstances change or Earth's rotation leads him away from his present place.
The music is a combination of sounds. The sound is all about how the sound waves vibrate the air molecules into our ears. The music is all about how we perceive the sounds and what "patterns" they form in our minds.
Comments by Christofori
Relevance to Theme and Category
The description really helps, as do the wind-like effects. Overall, the tune itself doesn't really give me the same idea, though; I get an image of kids playing outside in a nice summer breeze, or even perhaps taking off in a plane... both very much wind-related, though I also feel some earth-like elements are present in the tune as well. 15 of 20 points.
Musicality
This tune works well as it is; there are some distractions, though, mostly dynamically (some of the leads are too loud in comparison with the rest of the track). I don't know that I'm REALLY fond of some of the voicings, but it's still a neat tune nonetheless. 6 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
This is a neat tune, but it's somewhat plain in a way. There's a good amount of variation, though. I feel that there's something missing that would make it stand out even more, but can't quite put my finger on it. 6 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
Technically, this tune works as it is, though there are some volume issues (as mentioned). Also, the vibrato seems to be a bit much in places. I think the song would be better if more natural sounding samples were used; though it'd change the character of the tune, too.. There could also be more extensive use of panning to create more atmosphere. 4 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 15+6+6+4 = 31 points
Comments by AladdinSane
Relevance to Theme and Category
Ok, if you take the clouds to be a relation to the wind then this gets it pretty well. The "wind" sounds definitely give it away to the wind category - the song is bouncy enough and I see a floating feather bouncing all around from a lite, happy wind. 20 of 20 points.
Musicality
The music was very simple with a few complexities. It had a very good sound and portrayed many good images. 8 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
I can't say that I've heard much of anything quite like this. The music produced the pictures in my mind pretty much as it was intended to do. 9 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
The music was composed and performed very well. The wind sounds were really just a little too much at some times and distracted from the rest of the piece, but that is what dictated the wind category. 8 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 20+8+9+8 = 45 points
Comments by Annonymous
Relevance to Theme
19 of 20 points.
Musicality
7 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
8 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
7 of 10 points.
Comments
Suitable for this theme, great composition, good job Kruser!
Overall Score: 19+7+8+7 = 41 points
Final Average: (31+45+41)/3 = 39.00 of 50 Possible Points
Ffynidwydden - Eighth Place
by Alterfish Gravity
Download (1649 downloads)
Score: 30.00Artist's Comments: First when I started to make this track, it first sounded more like "Earth," but when the track became longer, it started to have a certain wind-atmosphere. I think it belongs more to the wind-category because of its in my opinion calm and beautiful pads. It doesn't sound so much like wind blowing for example in a city, but I think the track makes wind sound more like a strong and beautiful element, that goes on and travels up high, above mountains, forests and all other nature, of course.
Comments by Christofori
Relevance to Theme and Category
This tune did at first strike me as more of an Earth tune than wind; but, just as the artist has commented, it does seem to progress more towards wind as the tune goes along. I think it's mainly the slow, structured chords that make me think of Earth; and even the overall sound, I suppose. I do love the mystery that's implied by this tune; somewhat like wind and/or Earth. I do, also, feel that it could be a water tune; it would fit as a soundtrack for a scene of an underwater exploration... There could be so much more in the tune that would make me feel better about it being a wind tune. While I do believe it's quite well written, it's going to take the biggest hit because I can't really say it's a wind tune... It's this collection of slightly confusing feelings I feel when listening to this tune that makes me give 8 of 20 points here.
Musicality
Musically, the tune isn't really that exciting; although, as mentioned, I love the chords. Unexpected twists and turns really add to the overall atmosphere. I do feel that with some well chosen effects (or ambient noises) this tune would better fit it's intended category. Really, while it's not really overly spectacular, it is a solid tune with a lot of thought applied to it's creation; 7 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
I feel the tune is very original; it's hard to make a fluid piece like this work. It could, however, be a bit more creative; the effects mentioned above would definately add more atmosphere to the tune. 7 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
This tune, while not highly technical, is definately well done. Nothing really sticks out; the balance is wonderful, and the samples seem to be well chosen for this kind of piece. While it won't impress you with lots of quickly changing beats and a supersonic lead, it will present a wonderful experience and atmosphere; this is a tune that would be well suited for meditation. 9 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 8+7+7+9 = 31 points
Comments by AladdinSane
Relevance to Theme and Category
I'm gonna have to go with your original thought of earth for this song. It's very slow and powerful as I invision earth to be. If there was a "Space" category I would probably put it there (and there is no wind in space either). 0 of 20 points.
Musicality
So far - it doesn't strike me as a very "musical" piece. It does sound nice and soothing and maybe it's simplicity is an important part of it as music. It seems dark and unforgiving ....... 7 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
It sounds like a few other things mostly when trying to portray fear, cold & weightlessness of space. I've heard it before. 5 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
Unfortunately it's simplicity doesn't allow too much in technical review. But, again, that could be part of it. (Sorry - it really does sound nice though). 7 of 10 points.
Overall Score: 0+7+5+7 = 19 points
Comments by Annonymous
Relevance to Theme
18 of 20 points.
Musicality
8 of 10 points.
Technical Quality
7 of 10 points.
Originality and Creativity
7 of 10 points.
Comments
I think this entry is suitable in this category, it's slow and soothing like the wind, yet undefined and free, just like how this track flows... nice job.
Overall Score: 18+8+7+7 = 40 points
Final Average: (31+19+40)/3 = 30.00 of 50 Possible Points
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