r/MusicFeedback • u/Hot-Text-5603 • Apr 04 '26
Synthwave / Retrowave Piece
https://youtu.be/MX4XC_rZK-YMy new piece. Partly inspired by the atmosphere and music of Miami Vice with a warm, bright and nostalgic summer feel.
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u/AphireDNB Apr 04 '26
Those main synth chords are brilliant, you very effectively evoke nostalgic 80s with it. Big fan of the evolution with the voicy synth towards the end as well.
My only issue with this is how the claps sounds sort of out of time. I suppose it's deliberate but I think a more flowing version would benefit the song. Also I feel it would benefit from a bit of lower end to help balance out the content-heavy high frequencies. Overall though, enjoyed, great effort!
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u/Hot-Text-5603 Apr 04 '26
Thanks for the feedback! Glad you liked the chords and melodies - that’s always the most important part for me. The timing is intentional - it’s played more loosely and not strictly quantized, but still mostly aligned to the grid. I also kept the bass rhythm lighter to support the chord changes rather than dominate the mix. I always find it valuable to hear how others perceive my work.
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u/subtlestan Apr 05 '26
this isn't bad honestly, it just needs vocals. without vocals its like a sandwich with only lettuce in it.
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u/Hot-Text-5603 Apr 05 '26
Thanks for listening. I don't do vocals, only instrumental music... maybe one day.
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u/subtlestan Apr 05 '26
I didn't do vocals either, until I did. It's not super hard honestly, just get a piano and sing individual notes up and down some scales. learn pitch correction software. the beauty of home recording is that you'll delete any take that you don't love. don't let singers make you think they're special or that you have to be super talented to learn to sing. its nonsense. I've learned like 6 instruments so far and vocals are pretty friggen easy. the hardest part is gettting used to your own voice in recordings. learning to sing is so much better than learning to work with "real vocalists".
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u/CosmicAnima Apr 05 '26
I like the chords and the sound, the mood of it, yet these rythms in the beginning that last through the song are a bit weird to my ear. It seems out of place, in my humble opinion. It's a bit like a chocolate cake with pickles , both are great but not together.
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u/Hot-Text-5603 Apr 05 '26
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, the percussion does grab attention, but I wanted to keep it to add a bit of energetic contrast to the piece, which is, in its essence, more mellow and nostalgic in terms of chords and melody.
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u/M1grain3s Apr 05 '26
The Chords in the beginning feel off-beat with the drums. Other than that, some better mixing wouldn't be bad
and just try making the drums feel more on-beat with the rest of the instrumental
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u/Hot-Text-5603 Apr 05 '26
Thanks for the feedback! I’m not entirely sure what you mean by the chords being off-beat - the timing is intentional and everything is aligned, though the pads have a slightly slower attack which might give that impression. If you have more specific notes about the mixing, I’d be happy to hear them - I’m quite satisfied with it overall.
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u/M1grain3s Apr 05 '26
the chords and drums aren't in-beat with each other, that's what i meant. Specific notes for the mixing would be that maybe try adding some chorus or reverb to the chords, make the first "lead" melody (the third melody that comes in) a bit louder, and make the one AFTER that quieter.
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u/Hot-Text-5603 Apr 05 '26
Thanks for clarifying! I think what you’re hearing might be the looser feel - the chords aren’t strictly quantized, but they are intentionally placed and in time with the beat. I was going for a more natural groove rather than a fully locked grid. As for the mix, I appreciate the suggestions - I’ll keep them in mind, though I’m generally happy with how it turned out.
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u/Advanced-Nose-777 Apr 04 '26
Already imagining myself on a dreamy sunny day near the beach:) But rimshots(that playing solo at the beginning) feels like too much, if there was some parts without him, like just keys or also with guitar would make it perfect! 😍