Fugue for Brass Quintet and Drum Kit in A minor

[mek42]

How does this sound? I'm happy to hear comments about both the production and the composition. This is my first attempt at fugue.

https://clyp.it/i11azole

Notation editor: MuseScore
DAW: Reaper
Audio Plugins: ReaEQ; ReaVerb (Devil's Punchbowl impulse file)
Instruments: SSD5 (free version); Sonivox Orchestral Companion Brass

[Jorgen]

Entertaining, good composition and arrangement, nothing to say about the horns. The drumkit is a fresh idea (contrast), but too repetitive imo.

[Stinger]

Actually, I like the brass, and I'm glad you referenced the location.

Honestly, I would like this creation much better without the drums at all. An all-brass orchestration always sounds like Christmas to me, especially in a fugue or similar type style. Without the drums, I could hear this song playing in a snowy city park on Christmas eve, maybe in London or Berlin or some such place.

[Judders]

Yeah, the drum part is too repetitive. Why not compose the drums with contrapuntal parts as well? That would make it more interesting.

The fact that the drums are a lot brighter than the brass also takes the attention away from it.

[tspring]

The drums were so distracting to me that on first listen I missed that the composition might be enjoyable without them. In this composition I can imagine that percussion could be used for accents, but a constant drum beat just doesn't seem to fit. Perhaps less will be more.

T

[XITE-1/4LIVE]

Great Brass arrangement.
The drums were distracting me too much, especially the crash.

No reason to re record material though.
I would add an Expander to even out the Brass tracks.
Bring down the drums, then a nice leveler on the Peaks.

Strings and Cymbals ALWAYS find a way to the top of the mix.

Did you perform all of the parts?
It doesn't sound like an Ensemble recording.

Kick up that Brass.