AIM 2023 Judge Review
When I first heard this piece, my initial impressions were that this was depicting a city floating high above the clouds. The repeating, even-rhythm bassline feels like a slow motor running and the synths overall had this airiness to them that gave an elevated perspective that also made it sound futuristic. It was quite surprising to hear these elements being used to portray what appears to be a downtown city and a coming thunderstorm - not a bad thing, just unexpected for me.
I admit that it took a long time of constant listening for me to come around on this entry. I thought it moved too slowly and the composition felt like it was building up to something than it led on. Thankfully, this compo provides that luxury of time to do so. Eventually, that repeating bassline and the synth line doing the D F# D G pattern got to me and I found myself appreciating the layers and the texture as a whole.
Originally, I thought the piece would build up to some headbanging rock intro and although that didn't happen, I like the way the electric guitar is used to pad out the lower drones towards the end. It was also an interesting choice holding off on changing up the chord progression until the end, where it resolves to the major key before transitioning back to the two chord pattern. Personally I found it to be satisfying, as if the thunder has finally run its course and exits, allowing just the rain to remain.
Overall, I like this entry's atmosphere and sound design quite a bit. The repetition of the two-chord progression works well to set the cityscape scene and in the end, I think the synths do complement the pixel art style of the art inspiration effectively. It really captures the emotional core of experiencing the gradual arrival and leaving of a heavy rainfall with rolling thunder.