Story Of A Hippopotamus by Sascha Ende

Hit or Miss? Arti’s Review

Right, let's have a listen to this piece. First impression is… it's a gently unfolding piano-led track, quite introspective in feel. The piano itself sounds warm, recorded nicely, and it's playing a simple but effective melodic theme. Harmonically, it's staying fairly consonant, leaning into a melancholic but not overly dramatic space. The addition of strings later on is a nice touch, adding a layer of texture without becoming too busy. Production-wise, it's clean and clear, perhaps a touch dry in the mix overall, but that could work in its favour depending on the visual context. It definitely has a cinematic quality, though in a subtle, understated way, more suited to reflective scenes or perhaps a poignant moment in a documentary rather than a big action sequence. For library music, it's certainly usable. It sits comfortably in that 'emotional underscore' bracket. To push it further, I might experiment with adding a touch more reverb or perhaps some subtle delay to the piano to give it a bit more space and depth. Also, exploring a slightly wider stereo image could enhance the overall immersive feel. The arrangement is quite linear, which is fine, but for longer projects, variations or perhaps a slightly more dynamic structure could be beneficial. Think about building to a slightly more intense section and then pulling back again. Compared to industry standard production music, it’s sitting at a solid professional level. It’s not groundbreaking in terms of originality, but it’s well-executed and emotionally resonant. It definitely has potential for sync, particularly in film, documentaries, or even podcasts looking for introspective background music. With a little bit more sonic polish and arrangement variation, this could really shine. It’s got a good foundation to build upon and definitely evokes a specific mood effectively.