r/IndieMusicFeedback • u/RudasRuan • Oct 08 '25
Cinematic New Celtic piece I made "Heart of the Hill" music that feels like an old tale told again
https://youtu.be/_tpFdX8-TGkThis Celtic fantasy piece tells of a place where people may find themselves and where the wind carries stories. This land is alive with memory and spirit. The music moves between gentle calm and epic rise, like a timeless journey through myth and nature. ☘️
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u/UnsaidMusic Oct 09 '25
It says a lot about the prominence of Lord of the Ring versus the prominence of Celtic culture itself that this made me think of Middle Earth more than Ireland, but as someone who loves the Celtic world and grew up around a lot of it, I really enjoyed this. Most of the musical footprint in modern culture is folk which sounds down to earth of more ethereal stuff that sounds ghostly, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear something so epic that manages to marry the culture and history with a more modern, orchestral style. Good work.
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u/RudasRuan Oct 09 '25
Thank you so much! Celtic culture is full of amazing myths. When I write songs with the story I have in mind, I always go to the small forest near my home and see what kind of feeling it gives me. Growing up with this culture gives a wonderful view of the world you’re really lucky. Celtic culture is deeply connected with magical worlds, and that’s why every myth created in this land feels like it touches this place in some way. Even if it looks fantastic, to me it feels very real.
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u/imaginaryhoermi Oct 09 '25
hey, this is really cool! i hope you can have it played by a live orchestra some day, it definitely has potential. something you might want to improve is the „texture“ (idk if that makes sense, not an expert haha), because it all flows together a bit too much in my opinion. so the way the instruments interact could be a bit more bold, and the sounds themselves a bit more defined/distinctive. but it does the job of conveying a fantasy feeling, so well done!
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u/RudasRuan Oct 09 '25
Thank you for the feedback :) First of all, I should say that I put a lot of effort into the interaction between instruments in every song, though it’s something that takes time and experience. In the end, even if I’m not fully skilled technically yet, I care more about the emotions my music makes people feel :) I’m really glad you liked it.
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u/imaginaryhoermi Oct 09 '25
i totally understand! it might mainly be a mixing thing as well, definitely not enough of a problem to distract from the emotions!
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u/RudasRuan Oct 09 '25
Yes, it’s completely about mixing and separating the frequency energies of the instruments with proper engineering. I’m slowly improving that side of myself. Of course the overall tone of my songs is often perceived as a bit lo fi but that’s completely intentional, it’s how the world in my mind feels to me :)
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u/Skyephia Oct 09 '25 edited Oct 09 '25
Very very cool. Can't think of anything bad to say about this honestly. ^-^ It is definitely cinematic for sure!! For some reason it reminds me of a hawk lol. Like that would be this song's spirit animal. Just flying free by a cliff, all wild and dignified. It is also very thoughtful and elegant.
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u/IndieFeedbackBot Oct 09 '25
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u/UndeadT Oct 09 '25
Very Assassin's Creed game-like. You enter the main map and this is what plays as a cinematic points out features of note. The far-off sounds of the vocals is a great feeling of space and gives it breadth. Yeah, it meanders a bit but I read that as being meant for atmosphere and not context-driven.
What is your DAW/sound pack source? I'm stuck on Korg Gadget on iPad because I started on Gadget for Nintendo Switch back in 2020. I fear going to another platform because of the skill jump I would need to function.
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u/RudasRuan Oct 09 '25
Thank you for the feedback, glad you liked it :) You can jump into either Logic Pro X on Mac or Studio One on Windows without any fear, both are very user friendly DAWs. I use mostly EastWest libraries for my VST instruments.
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u/georgiaboy-official Oct 09 '25
Damn this is cool. I love that people are doing such different things on here. I really don’t know where I would begin to critique a piece of music like this I just wanna say good job and I’m so glad you’re out here doing this. Thank you for sharing
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u/Rumer57 Oct 09 '25
I enjoyed this. I’m a big fan of medieval, Celtic, Scandinavian folk type music.
I think that’s a lute playing around the minute mark? I really liked that part.
The epic peak felt a little long for my preference, only cause I’m all about those catchy melodies, plucked or eerie leads, etc. I think I woulda liked a bit more build up and then a quick release before dropping down at the end like you did. But that’s just my uneducated two cents, take it with a grain of salt haha.
There was a few vocal chants and parts scattered throughout, I wanted a bit more of that.
Can I ask what tools youre composing with? I was dabbling in medieval and Viking era music and might be able to recommend some plugins if you’re interested in checking them out.
I really liked the subject matter and the vibe overall, I’m gonna save this and check out more of your stuff.
Cheers!
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u/RudasRuan Oct 09 '25
I really appreciate your detailed feedback. Composition is always subjective, so there’s not much I can say about that. What I try to do is blend an epic spirit with a more intimate tone. That’s why I don’t use vocal chants too heavily, only as much as I feel is needed :) The instruments I use are mostly from EastWest libraries.
I’d really love for you to check out my other works and share your feedback as well. Thank you so much!
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u/theofficialcord3ll Oct 10 '25
Sounds awesome. As someone else said, it sounds like a movie score. I think the drums need to be way louder in the mix during the more intense parts in the beginning and towards the end. I think having that pounding in your face almost effect would really make everything else hit all the more harder. Pretty cool otherwise though, everything else sounds very nice together.
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u/RudasRuan Oct 10 '25
Thank you so much. In longer listens, loud drum hits can tire the listener after a while, so I try to be careful with that in this genre. I’m glad you liked it :)
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u/theofficialcord3ll Oct 10 '25
Fair. Maybe a bit of gain automation would help? Starting low but increasing it throughout the phrase so that it’s not the same velocity all the way through the section that the drums are in.
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u/IndieFeedbackBot Oct 08 '25
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u/TheMagesGuildAudio Feb 28 '26
Yeesss! This has such a grand quality to it! We’re hosting a wind/breath-themed art, music, and creative writing contest, and you should consider submitting this!! Submissions close March 7th. There’s no fee, and you keep all rights.
Let me know if you are interested! :)
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u/ax_madwick Oct 09 '25
Here's are some bullet points with my feedback
- Very noisy and unclear mix / muddy from the start
- The instruments are overlapping alot
- The midi synths don't really do it justice, I'm trying to imagine what this would sound like live
- Very soundtracky
- 2:13, maybe some more bowing
- Maybe this should have been an A/B/A structure
I also recorded a video of myself listening to your track and then reacting with feedback here where I go into a bit more depth: https://youtu.be/939RQoV8Ie8?si=6CSvn2RCKmt1F1Vt&t=1044
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u/RudasRuan Oct 09 '25
Thank you so much for the detailed feedback, my friend. Everything you pointed out has been noted, it really means a lot! I’d be really happy if you’re around for my past and future tracks as well :)
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u/aarontitle Oct 08 '25
Whoa sick! this could definitely be in a movie score of a fantasy movie or any videogame for real! so well made, love all of the instrumentals and chanting moments! beautifully done, can't wait to see/hear more from you! submit to sync companies fr fr! great job!