About the review

Title: Gearbox
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Artist: Sjef van Leeuwen
Genre: Electronica: Progressive
Reviewed by: SkyMarshall Arts on April 06, 2008 (All reviews by SkyMarshall Arts)

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Sjef van Leeuwen gave SkyMarshall Arts neutral feedback for this review.

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Review

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1Overall Description
I absolutely LOVE the bassline. And when you bend it up a notch 90seconds in, Im all yours. Thumpy little bastard, with good drive. Solid through and through. But you end it when it is reaching the climax, so I cant help but feel its missing something vital. But, the score is for what you made here - and it is great.
 
2Creativity Description
Maybe the best progressive build-ups I have heard from a "amateur" in a long long while. It keeps going like a Duracell-rabbit on acid for 3minutes, promising a great interlude and a nice continuation after that. But it never comes. Where the hell is my interlude? Why do you stop when you got me going and asking for more? :) You should really sit down with this, and put all you got into making another 3 minutes in the same style. I think you have a winner between your hands if you do that.
 
3Artistic License Description
The samples are top notch. A lot of variation, and a great listen. The bassline stands out the most. As for the monotone slide-samples used and so forth, it just fills it all out perfectly. I dont know why, but this got me thinking of Prodigy's early work for some reason.
 
4Arrangement Description
Yes, the transitions are smooth. Yes, the samples are properly balanced. You set the standard with the bassline, and follow up the rythm perfectly with both percussion and the various synths - keeping it thumpy and interesting throughout the whole arrangement.
 
5Sound Quality Description
As good as it gets. The bassline, as stated before, is outstanding. Nothing sounds too noisy or cancel the other out. Perfectly balanced.
 
6Does it work as a piece of music Description
As I said before, this is NOT finished. You build up and up and up and promise good things, but in the end - you dont deliver. It works well on it's own, but I feel what I feel about this. Incomplete!
 
Comments
Apr 08 2008 11:40 am
by SkyMarshall Arts
Yeah ok, sorry! Guess I got a tad defensive there. Anyway, 3 minutes can be progressive, sure. I just feel this falls a little bit short. But as stated many times now, it is absolutely great other than that.



Apr 08 2008 1:59 am
by Space Walk
So everything 3 minutes or below 6 minutes can't be progressive. Don't jump on the defensive side here, I wrote my own opinions only. You have written yours in a form of review and I wrote mine as a comment. And it's good that you know the concept of progressive, you saved me lots of time explaining it to you.



Apr 07 2008 10:52 am
by SkyMarshall Arts replying to Space Walk
I am very much aware of what progressive is and is not, thank you. And this version of the song is NOT finished to me. Jesus christ, you got to agree by the way it ends after a little over 3minutes. My opinion, my review. Sjef van Leeuwen messaged me explaining that this is a radio edit meant as a teaser for air-time - and the original version is 6+ minutes long and does indeed feature and interlude and so forth. Just as I imagined the song would have as it progressed. So please, just because you think this is a "finished" version of the song, doesnt mean that I have to agree the slightest. Good it is nevertheless.



Apr 07 2008 6:40 am
by Space Walk
In "overall" "arrangement" and "sound quality" you give this a 5 out of 5... and mostly in overall it's a 5 out of 5, yet it doesn't work as a piece of music to you?! Are you familiar with the concept of progressive even?! Are there any peak or climax in progressive or is it based on layers after layers... This song here is the perfect example of progressive and it IS finished.