SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC072 August 2023 - Winners announced

[Mister Fox]

Hello and welcome to the Songwriting Competition 072 - August 2023



BEFORE WE GET STARTED:

• Please consult the official and very simple "Rules and Guidelines" (TL;DR version) for the Songwriting Competition regarding principles of the game, it's engaging game mechanics (allowed editing/re-submission of your entry until the deadline has been reached) and upload/submission guidelines.
• The general idea of this game is to "...just make music", to also challenge yourself by stepping a bit out of your comfort zone, and take a dip at realms you've never worked in before. Instrumentals are just as welcome as productions with vocals.
• The Genre and "Premise" of this months challenge can be found in in post #002
• Filename Template (Important): SWC072__ArtistName__TrackName.wav or .mp3
  • example: SWC072__MisterFox__ColorOfTheSky.wav
  • example: SWC072__Mister_Fox__Color_of_the_sky.wav

Read more about this month's competition further down below. And if you got any question, please also reach out on Discord.



.
SONGWRITING COMPETITION THREAD INDEX

Post #001 -- Introduction post and index for the various stages of the Songwriting Competition. Will be updated as we progress
Post #002 -- Submission Period: General Information, Source Material, Sponsors
Post #003 -- Cheat Sheet: A couple of examples / audio demos for this month's challenge (limited if genre is "free to select")
Post #027 -- Voting: Summarized entries and start of voting process
Post #052 -- Results: Results of the Songwriting Competition

[Mister Fox]

CURRENT CHALLENGE - GENERAL INFORMATION

Time Frame: Monday, 01st August 2023 to Thursday, 24th August 2023 (24 days)

Challenge submission will end on 24-AUG-2023, 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (Germany) - until further notice.

Want to find out if you're still within the deadline, please either consult the Global Countdown (dedicated page), or the countdown on the landing site. There will also be short reminders on Social Media and on Discord. Does the game time frame feel too long? Why not set a personal shorter one of 5-7 days absolute max to push yourself to focus on the essentials, then use the rest of the time to ask for feedback and possible refinements.



SONGWRITING THEME: "Upheaval" (Picture Theme)
GENRE: free to select



Image Source: Tobias Hämmer (via Pixabay), released under Creative Commons CC0



A few word about this month's theme:

We're having a "Picture Theme" this month.

There will be no extensive brief with twists and turns. Please have a look, get inspired by the image, the theme and maybe some additional keywords (e.g.: clouds, changes and uncertainty, from calm to cataclysm, clearing sky, sense of adventure, etc).

Let your mind wander for a bit. Then start writing.


A short explanation of the concept of this month's game:

The general idea is to draw inspiration from the picture. However do not solely fixate on that particular photo and it's details alone. Rather focus on the "overarching concept". The picture and provided key words can have many different meanings. How you interpret it, is up to you.
.



Your task for this Songwriting Competition:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This month, you can create a production in any music genre you feel like.

You set your own parameters and limitations, e.g. style and genre, melodic questions and counter arguments. As long as you don't exceed 10 minutes of runtime, neither have endless padded out repetition. Please keep us listeners engaged. And as usual - vocals are optional. Don't feel pressured to provide any.


Just make music!
And I hope you'll have fun this month.

Songwriting Rule Summary / Add-On Rules:

► Show Spoiler

• create a production fitting to the given theme, genre and general premise
• you can use any tool that is at your disposal (samples, virtual instruments and/or real instruments), exceptions apply regarding vocal sample usage)
• IMPORTANT: if you use non-licensed material (as in: non royalty free material from sample CDs, etc), give full credit to the source material
• for newcomers: no finished productions that have already been released outside of the time frame of the current Songwriting Competition (Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, etc), no cover versions or remixes, no ripped acapella's -- please only showcase your own new and original content
• do not go higher than -14,0 LUFS ILk/-1,00 dBTP in terms of perceived loudness (mastering). Music doesn't have to be squashed to bits in order to be impactful
• name your files properly prior to uploading and make the production downloadable. If you opt to present your entry through SoundCloud, the forum can also convert your links into a Soundcloud player through the [soundcloud] BBCode from the text editor (orange square with a white cloud in it)
• ADD-ON RULES:
  • Filename Template: SWC072__ArtistName__TrackName.wav or .mp3
  • <no (additional) add-on rules specified>

For a full set of rules, please consult the Official Rules and Guidelines (most notably Rule Book - post #6). If you got any questions regarding the game mechanics or similar, please either utilize the SWC - Gossip and Discussion thread, or reach out through Discord.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


LICENSE SPONSORS (Bonus Prizes):

A huge thank you goes to our very generous License Sponsors for this month's game. Those being (in alphabetical order):

Cherry Audio, Ghostwave Audio, Hollow Sun, Hornet Plugins, IK Multimedia, JRR Sounds, kv331 audio, Luftrum, Musiclab, Rekkerd Sounds, satyatunes - Sound / Graphic Design, and Tone2.


A detailed list of offerings can be found in the following information block.

► Show Spoiler

Available Bonus Prizes for Songwriting Challenge participants:

Note: All licenses are NFR (Not-For-Resale), except where noted.
Changes to available prices on short notice may be possible and will be announced separately.


RECURRING LICENSE SPONSORSHIP:


Cherry Audio is kind enough to give away one license of Voltage Modular Ignite, plus either a license of "Year One Collection" or "Year Two Collection"
Licenses will turn into NFR
More info on Cherry Audio: https://cherryaudio.com



IK Multimedia is kind enough to give away one license of MODO BASS 2 to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on IK Multimedia: https://www.ikmultimedia.com



Musiclab is kind enough to donate any 1 guitar of your choice to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Musiclab: https://www.musiclab.com



Tone2 is kind enough to donate a license of Saurus4 to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Tone2: https://tone2.com



kv331 audio is kind enough to either give away a SynthMaster 1+2 Bundle, or a freely selectable set of 3 SynthMaster Expansions
Licenses will not turn into NFR, you need to have a kv311 audio user account in order to pick up Expansions
More info on kv331 audio: https://www.kv331audio.com



JRR Sounds is kind enough to give away any-1 sound sets or sample set of winner's choice (exception: Bundles)
More info on JRR Sounds: https://www.jrrshop.com/jrr-sounds



Luftrum is kind enough to give away either a license of Lunaris 2, a license of Bioscape, or any two sound sets of winner's choice
License will turn into NFR
More info on Luftrum: https://www.luftrum.com/



Rekkerd Sounds is kind enough to give away 1 sound set of winners choice (exception: Krezie EDM and Neurofunk Vol. 1)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Rekkerd Sounds: https://sounds.rekkerd.org/



Ghostwave Audio (Vincent Bastiat) is kind enough to donate any 2 sound sets to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Ghostwave Audio: https://ghostwaveaudio.com



Hollow Sun is kind to donate one license of "Music Laboratory Machines - The Suite I" to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Hollow Sun: http://www.hollowsun.com



Hornet Plugins is kind enough to give away one license from the depicted tools (see image) to the winner
License will turn into NFR
More info on Hornet Plugins: https://www.hornetplugins.com



Sound / Graphic Designer, and honorary Mix Challenge staff satYatunes is donating one commercial product of winner's choice (until further notice)
More info on satYatune's page: https://satyatunes.com/



THANKS FOR THE DONATIONS!
And also a thank you to all former contributors as well.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good luck to all participants.
And most importantly, have fun!

[Mister Fox]

AUDIO EXAMPLES:
---------------------

Articles and Info Pages:

A great starting point is the "Addendum"/Supplementary thread for the Songwriting Competition
Songwriting Competition - Addendum: Music Maps and BPM Charts

Since the genre this month is "free to select", there are no clear pointers




Music examples (selection for inspiration, 00 videos):

No music examples available this month. But I can always recommend to enter random genre search words either into Youtube, Spotify or whatever music streaming services you prefer using.
.



Please also check in with the following threads in the the Gear Talk sub-forum, if you're on the look-out for new tools:
Places to fuel your GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) (the starting point if you're in need of audio tools -- from free to affordable).


if you're new to/need help with songwriting - please check out the following tools:

► Show Spoiler

ScalerPlugin Pty Ltd - Scaler 2 (collaboration w/Plugin Boutique, currently the most comprehensive chord/harmony tool out there)
Xfer Records - Cthulhu
W.A. Production - InstaChord and InstaScale
CodeFN42 - Chordz (Transition is also recommended, if you want more experimental/generative MIDI, free, Windows only)
trackbout - Ripchord (free/open-source MIDI chord generator, think Xfer Records Cthulhu, but simplified)
Fabrizio Poce / J74 - Progressive ("Max4Life" is needed, Ableton Live bound)

Please note, that a lot of DAW also have Harmony Theory and/or Chord Generation tools built in. Please consult the manual of your go-to software for more information.

More tools of the trade

► Show Spoiler

Need a good starter kit of free instruments?

Instruments:
AKAI - MPC Beats (limited to 1 instance, 8 MIDI + 2 Audio tracks, but can be used as VSTi in any other DAW)
Apisonic Labs - Speedrum (a "spiritual successor" to One Small Clue POISE, Lite version available)
Big Fish Audio - Momentum (a free and powerful WAV/AIFF loop mangler)
IK Multimedia - MODO DRUM CS (one drum kit)
Rayzoon - Jamstix (an amazing drummer brain)
IK Multimedia - MODO BASS 2 CS (one e-bass)
Spitfire Audio - LABS
Spitfire Audio - BBC Symphonic Orchestra Discover
Pianobook - started by Spitfire Audio's co-founder Christian Henson, offers many free/affordable sample sets in various formats
Decent Samples - project started by David Hilowitz as alternative to NI Kontakt (Full), offers many free/affordable sample sets
Orchestral Tools - SINEfactory
Vienna Symphonic Library - the "HELLO Free Instruments" series (offering an Orchestra, Piano, Small Percussion and more)
Sound Props - "Jam Pack" series (offering guitar, bass and drum sample sets for free/small donation, needs Kontakt 6+ Full)
kv331 audio - Synthmaster Player (the free version comes with over 600 presets!)
Cherry Audio - Voltage Modular Nucleus ("entry level" to Modular Synthesis, usable as plugin or instrument)
DISTRHO - Cardinal (a proper open-source variant of VCV Rack, plugin variants available)
Surge Synth Team - Surge-XT (a free and open source hybrid synthesizer)
Matt Tytel - Vital (spectral warping wavetable synth, a free "basic" version is available)
VSTBuzz - Freebie Collection page, plenty of good material to find there (often Native Instrument Kontakt bound)
Sonic Charge - Cyclone (Yamaha TX16W/Typhoon sampler)
CWItech - TX16Wx Software Sampler (If you want a highly powerful Soundfont2 loader / sampler)

Please do remember, our kind License Provider Musiclab also offer 14 day trial versions of their virtual guitar range.


In need for presets for your synthesizers?
PresetShare - a free synth presets exchange platform (account signup needed)
Tom Wolfe's Synth Vault - the free Monthly Preset Club (account signup needed)


More recommendation for free/affordable tools can be found at the #audio-tech-deals section on our Discord server.

.
UPDATED: 01-AUG-2023 00:30 UTC+2, updated 00-AUG-2023 00:00 UTC+2

[The Exponent]

Great image, count me in!

[Mister Fox]

A friendly reminder:
Including today, 14 days left to submit your production.

So far, we have 0 entries.



If you want to access the extended game mechanics of the Songwriting Competition (asking for feedback during production), please try to release your first edits within the next 7 days to have enough time to get possible feedback (if needed/wanted) and continue to work on your song.

To those sitting on the fence - please don't feel scared off and think "the bar is set too high, I will never make it" - set yourself a shorter private deadline. Just make music, submit your entry, join the conversation. See where this goes.

By joining, you're already a winner. The rest is bonus.

[Arelem]

Hello All,

Since this challenge is image-based, I just had the image in mind and started writing. In addition to the lyrics which revolve around the image, there are also some thunder samples used that I am sure everyone will notice. However, what may be less noticeable is that there is a rainstorm sample pulsing in the background. It is not very loud in the mix because I wanted it to be 'felt' more than heard.



Details:

► Show Spoiler

DAW is FL Studio
The piano is Kontakt Grandeur with Fruitty Concolver, EQ and distortion on it.
The bell arp was done with Sytrus and has Rift Lite, Reeverb 2, and Fruitty EQ 2.
The guitar was done with Wedge Force, and uses FL's Hardcore for distortion, compression, EQ, reverb, and chorus. A custom 'drowned' patch is automated in and out for the different parts of the song.
The bass is 2 different instances of Sytrus.
TrackSpacer was used on the melodic elements to help the vocals stand out.
The vocals are processed initially with NewTone and then ran through Auto-Tune, Little Alter Boy, a custom patch for loudness normalization, bx_console SSL 9000 J, Nectar 3, and either Neoverb or SpacedOut through the different sections.

Lyrics:

► Show Spoiler

(Verse 1)
Dark clouds gather, the storm's about to hit
Turbulence in my mind, like a violent fit
Merging peace and violence, a deadly fusion
swirling with chaos, causing mass confusion
Raging like a tempest, about to hit hard
In this twisted reality, burned and chard
Lightning strikes, illuminating the night
and through these melodies, I ignite the fight

(Chorus)
Storm clouds roll, thunder cracks the sky
In this realm, chaos amplifies
Embracing the darkness, I'm breaking the mold
Unleashing my fury, watch the story unfold
Through the turbulence, I find my peace
A symphony of mayhem, that just won't cease
I'm the eye of the storm, calm yet fierce
behind my wall of energy, nothing can pierce

(Verse 2)
I ride the waves of distortion, pushing boundaries
In this maelstrom of sound, there's no apologies
The beats pound like thunder, shaking the ground
I'm the king of this chaos, forever renowned
As the storm subsides, I leave my mark
like a legacy, burning bright in the dark
Turbulence and rage, a symphony untamed
and when the storm settles, I'll forever be named

(Chorus)

[A Future in Noise]

.
Get a Grip

Image: (I'm not "competing" with the original image (dark clouds), but this is just one example of the kind of upheaval my lyrics is about.)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M7MGKh ... sp=sharing

Music - my submission:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QBrKMW ... sp=sharing

Specs:

► Show Spoiler

DAW: REAPER

Acoustic Guitar: Cort AD 810

Electric guitar: Brand: BurnOut (origin unknown)

Instrument plugins: ModoBass, ZynAddSubFx, the Shortcircuit soft sampler filled with free drumsamples from the Internet (first and foremost a brush kit from Soniccouture), Velvet e-piano, trumpet-samples downloaded from Versilian studios / GitHub (here I used the old Independence free as sampler), one cello from SampleTank 2 and one from Karoryfer: Big cat cello.

FX: Reverberate LE, IR reverb files from Samplicity (/Bricasti M7), NadIR + IR files from Kalthallen IRs, the HyBrit amp sim from LePou, ReaEQ, TR5 EQ-81 (IK Multimedia), Independence Free Delay, Limiter and Chorus.

Lyrics:

► Show Spoiler

Get a Grip:

Struck by the morning sun
the struggle only has begun
self-defeating actions are quite common
these days

Struck by the morning light
a whistle blower enters night
there is no eternal obligation
– no way!

Try to get a grip on better future
if you can
when reason takes hold of man
despite of all the superstition
this old disease coming up from beneath

I will ignore this fight
(as) no solution is in sight
why on earth participate and give up
my life

Try to get a grip on better future
if you can
when reason takes hold of man
despite of all the superstition
this old disease coming up from beneath

Try to get a grip on better future
if you can
when reason takes hold of man
I think about this new commitment
that is to fire and wicked beliefs

The explanation is rather plain:
socioeconomic factors
it cannot be too many times repeated
this phrase
works like a charm

[gtr solo]

Try to get a grip on better future
if you can
when reason takes hold of man
despite of all the superstition
this old disease coming up from beneath

Try to get a grip on better future
if you can
when reason takes hold of man
the fairy tales that do surround us
when will they cease – hurry up if you please

[Arelem]

.
Work in progress: Get a Grip

I'm not sure whether the trumpets / brass should be kept (3:15) or if they should be deleted or replaced by anything else?

Sounds good to me. I especially like the little differences in the dubbed guitars near the start of the song.

[A Future in Noise]

Thanks, @Arelem

Here's some short feedback:

A lot of words and phrases that point towards violence, chaos and some kind of threat and perhaps upheaval. But we only get to know that the “I-person” ignites a fight, and that he feels peaceful in turbulence and chaos. You can definitely do it this way – more feelings than storytelling. But maybe I had wanted to know, a little bit more in detail, what is going on on a more concrete level. (But I suggest you keep it they way you want it, maybe it can be interesting to you, anyway, what my first impression was.)

Good idea to let the singer (you I guess) be EQ:d in a different way in the choruses, and perhaps you also used a different technique? Very wide sound indeed.

The overall impression is good. Well balanced mix.

I'll never be able to understand, though, the rapidly repeated drum sounds – fully quantized and with no round robins. But I know this belongs to / is a part of the genre. It's not the first time I hear this kind of percussion. And from a rhythmical point of view you did a good job.

Note: High frequency noise at 1:01-1:02 – I don't think you did that deliberately?

[Doc Jon]

Nice photo, dark and ominous.
My first thought was "There's a storm coming" but then I noticed the patch of light appearing at the bottom right giving an optimistic feeling of change for the better and I immediately wanted to reflect that in my track.
I was inspired by the work of those amazing individuals who work with troubled kids, particularly angry teenagers, who understand that everyone deserves a second chance and sometimes a little self esteem is all that is needed to create change.



Lyrics

► Show Spoiler

Hey Kid

Lost in this maze, I’m trapped in despair
No hope, no prospects, life just ain’t fair
Anger fuels my thoughts, there’s darkness in my soul
I’m feeling so abandoned, think I'm losing control

I just can’t see how this life is gonna make me
When all around everybody seems to hate me
I try to tell you but no one seems to understand
It’s such a struggle like I’m walking through quicksand.
I just can’t cope with this constant upheaval
Sometimes I think that my mind is pure evil
I’m on the edge, think this world is gonna drop me
I wanna stop so won’t someone try to stop me?

Chorus
Hey kid, you’re not alone
Hey kid, pick up your phone
Hey kid, there’s someone here for you
Hey kid, just take it day by day
Hey kid, we’ll help you find your way
Hey kid

No dreams to chase, no light to see
I’m just a young man drowning in his own misery
I see no future, and I’m done running
I'm screaming on the inside, think there’s a storm coming

Don’t understand why you want to be a friend to me
It makes more sense to consider me your enemy
My life is empty so I stumble on with no hope
It’s such a struggle like I’m walking on a tightrope
I just can’t cope with this constant upheaval
Sometimes I think that my mind is pure evil
I’m on the edge, think this world is gonna drop me
I wanna stop so won’t someone try to stop me?

Chorus

What’s this? A helping hand
It reaches out to me, and now I understand
I leave the shadows and I see the faintest glow
I feel the hope that faded such a long long time ago
They help me drop the chains, they help me lift the weight
I let go of anger, I let go of hate
As I feel the love, I ask ‘Do I deserve it?’
I guess deep down I always thought I wasn’t worth it

Chorus

Host
Cubase 12 Pro

VSTs
Drums - iZotope BreakTweaker
Bass - IK Modobass 2
Guitars - couple of loops from Loopmasters Hip Hop and Soul Guitars
Synths - Korg Polysix
Electric Piano - Lounge Lizard 4
Flute/Bells - Halion Sonic
Vocals - Dreamtonics Synthesizer V

Fx
Very little processing of individual tracks, some saturation here and there with FabFilter Saturn 2 and delay with Timeless 3
Cubase guitar amp sims on the bass and guitars
iZotope Nectar 3 on the vocals
2x ValhallaVintageVerb on sends providing ambience and main reverbs
iZotope Ozone 10 and Steinberg Magneto 2 on the master with IK TrackS metering keeping an eye on things