SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC043 March 2021 - Winners announced

[canese]

OMG! My song it's like 20 db less than the others I suck at mastering


Feedbacks:
Blang - Spring 2053:
Nice organic ambience. I feel like floating in a cloud while dreaming. It's a great combianation of organic instruments with the right amount of delay and reverb and the synth pad right in the middle. It tells a story and guides you all along. Definetely calmed my self and put me in a nice mood.

Clueless - Cold Spring:

Creative and intimate. Very minimalistic and sparse but doesn't get boring. Nice choice of reverbs and delays help maintain the space very big and embrassing. It's akward at times, and gets you thinking, it would be amazing for a film soundtrack, or in an art gallery backing some abstract paintings.

EsteveCorbera -Spring Bloom

Heals my soul. Very light and soft. Like a song before going to bed. Pads are awesome, but piano and plucky synths are very dry and distracting. Maybe more reverb/chorus will help them be more in coherenc with the ambience and not so in your face.

Shea_Bloom

Nice organic feel with the steel drums, the delay effects and the kick give the song a more modern feel. THe more upbeat and faster of this month. I like the mix, we can hear everything in the right place with the right amount of effects.
It gets repetitive, I was hopping a harmony change, 8 minutes with the same harmonic information was too much, but that's because I'm listening activly, in this genre you can have the same chord over an over and it's fine.

TrojakEW "Nature Awakening"

Very calm indeed. I love the asian vibe, it puts me in like a monk monastery in philippines. Good choice of sounds and the voices are amazing!

A Future in noise - Spring Gettin:

Instrument don't blend too much togheter. It has too much information for an ambience track, too many melodies and different instruments at the same time. Quite the opposite of what I was expecting from an ambience track. Sorry-

AskAndy - Day Bloom:

Great sound design. I love the retro synths. This song puts you in a trance and takes you high into a trip of sounds. Mix lacks a bit of wide overall and some incoming one shots sounds are too dry and loud. Also I'm lacking information in the highmids, there were the ear is more sensitive, almost all information is in the low end or low mids.

becsei_gyorgy - Melting Point:

I like the retro/JMJ vibe. Very well done. It's in the more electronic/trance ambience not so in the calm/meditation side like the others. I hear too much high end information in the mix that sometimes I hear noises that aren't pleasent. The piano, pads and sub are okay in the mix.

SoundBeing - Alien Communication:

Weird but interesting. I don't think it fits in the monthly theme but it has creative value in its own. I like it. MIx is alittle bit bussy in the low end and gets muddy/beefy.

VCA-089 - Back to Life:

Niceee harmony. I don't get the bird sound, it doesn't go very well with the ambience of the piano and pads. 2nd part it's crazy! It's very audacious and innovative with high energy from the begining.

Votes:

► Show Spoiler

1st Blang - Spring 2053
2nd Cluless - Cold Spring
3rd Becsei_gyorgy - Melting Point
4th TrojakEW - Nature Awakening
5th EsteveCorbera -Spring Bloom
6th VCA-089 - Back to life
7th Shea - Bloom
8th Ask Andy - Day Bloom
9th SoundBeing - Alien Communication
10th A Future in noise - Spring Gettin

[AskAndy]

TrojakEW -Nature Awakenig I enjoyed this mix . Hit both Genre and theme well. Had a very Japanese Garden feel. Excellent mix.

A Future Noise- Spring Gettin' Grown Up Really goomix . Although the liquid sound was a little too much , felt uneasy a little gross. a tad . really liltte. I get where you you wanted to take me. Theme But the piece seemed more neo classical than ambient. genre

becceri gyorgy -Melting Point mix could be wider. kept thinking someone was frying bacon, a little sizzle going on . Doomy ,Lost feeling most of the time. more of an Icy waterscape than a spring moment. Genre yes, Theme maybe.

SoundBeing -Alien Communication Low end seemed too thick , distorted unpleasantly. Doomy and Lost feeling. lacked culmination. Have the genre. but a miss on the theme. technically not bad at all.

VCA-098 -Back To Life Genre/Theme spot on. Alot of birds in that forest. thought I heard some funky phasing in placers . Had more sizzle than i care for in an ambient piece. Felt like two separate pieces. Generally peaceful .

Blang -Spring 2053 Genre yes, 1:27 cool intro to the bird call. 2:30 also cool FX. 3:30 high end got a little too much to relax to. Theme, maybe. my first thoughts after the first ten seconds ," Space,..the final frontier.. these are the voyages.." nostalgic.

Clueless -Cold Spring I like it . quite. seemed to get lost at times . Got the genre but I question the theme. Weird fuzz FX at :39 . a sizzle up top kept me from drifting away.

EsteveCorbera -Spring Bloom Genre/ Theme yes/yes. but At times seemed to drift out of genre, less trancy. I liked the piece in general,piano seemed too close. 2:57 the Pad came in and I thought it was Christmas .

canese -Morning Decay YES/YES very relaxing . the space between the notes were delicious.

Shea Bloom i ll give you genre and theme . nicely produce , good mix . but there is beat going on that drove some tension , just enough that i always felt that I was listening to something rather than being lifted away


All this being said, Everybody did great. My comment on the overall lacking of the high mids in our mixes, (we all have something to learn) I was very aware of this for my piece, it was practically intended. I think Ambient creations should soothe , exist just below the conscience as we walk thru the airport, slow the heart. The dentists' drill wont get you there but but the pulse and drive of an oscillating fan can put you in the zone. you know , the sound of children playing,.. far away.lol

► Show Spoiler

01 TrojakEW Narure Awakening
02 canese Morning Decay
03 Blang Spring 2053
04 EsteveCorbera Spring Bloom
05 Clueless Cold Spring
06 becceri gyrogy Melting Point
07 VCA-098 Back To Life
08 A Future Noise Spring Gettin' Grown Up
09Shea Bloom
10 SoundBeing Alien Communication

[TrojakEW]

Thanks for comments so far.

Because of comments I have reviewed my mix and would like anyone to do me a favor and compare it with my previous one if it is better. It should be because I tried to tame some peaks and some resonation in some areas. Especially the first part of track was really bad sounding for me with a lot of resonance. I feel that my ears are not working as good as before but even with broken ears I feel the first version have kind of boxy feels in first part.

So any comments regarding difference and if it is better or not are welcome.

This is private soundcloud link that will not show directly in forum. I have enabled download on it for wav format. Loudness is almost the same. This is not replacement for my entry just want to know your opinion.
https://soundcloud.com/trojakew/naturea ... a4g7DbUWgH

[EsteveCorbera]

Hello,
Here I leave you with my reviews and my score. You have to forgive me if I make untechnical or inaccurate comments, because I’m still learning from them.
Thank you so much for the comments you have made to me so far. I always learn from them.
Translated with Google Translate

TrojakEW - NatureAwakening
Interesting topic. You create very interesting sound spaces by combining music and the sound effects of nature. The initial delays already take you to the world of Ambient music. I also really like the stereo space you create, it's much better to use your panorama. Not like I do on my subject, as you have shown me in your review, thank you very much. Voices also help to evoke a landscape of nature.
Second Version Comment: I prefer the first version. I've been comparing and the second has more space, the more distance, but I prefer the first because I find it closer. It's a matter of taste. But I am very new in this field to be able to assess according to what technical aspects.

AfutureInNoise - SpringGettinGrownUp
Well worked sound with variety of instruments that sound great and with various effects. Very correct mix from my novice point of view. But at the level of the construction of the subject, I find the union of this sub-theme wrong. Melodically we go from side to side. I don’t think they stick to each other. They do not help to create the atmosphere of an ambient music theme. Maybe it would have been more worthwhile to focus on a single melody and develop it on its own.

AskAndy 2 Day Bloom
Long theme with repetitive sounds that create atmosphere. I really like it. I find the placement of the sounds in space quite successful. And I find the effects you are putting on some better than others, which may be distracting.
As one of the classmates said, maybe the constant percussion sound gets a little heavy. But in general it has a well-worked look.

becsei gyorgy - Melting Point
As always, I really like your sound design (I say that because I already feel sorry for it in other previous contests). I have to learn from you. But on the subject, I may find it uneven and too tense, I imagine driving through a dark place and someone following me. Don't relax. The abrupt change towards the 4:15 minute baffles me.

SoundBeing - Alien Communication
As I told my previous partner, your theme is I find it more tense than what I imagine as Ambient music. But I must say that I do find the title very appropriate. This communication you have with the Aliens is well described in your music. Strange sounds of normal instruments, a bit distorted or molded, what a hit for a tension / horror movie! From minute 3:30 I feel the Aliens near me.

VCA-089 - Back To Life
Good reverberated piano, which gives it an elongated sound and very suitable for this type of music. Curious sleep effects, some of nature and others that look like crisp chairs or windows. Instead, I like the more vintage style around the 3rd minute, because I'm passionate about the sounds of the synths of the 80's. I only find one problem, they are two different themes combined in one.

Blang - Spring 2053
I like the calm style of the piece. Very suitable for this month's theme. The soundtrack is also very accomplished with these long reverberations. But I don't know if it's because of my ears or the team I listen to, sometimes I get too distorted. I am overwhelmed by vinyl-type clicks, but this is already a matter of personal taste.

Clueless - Cold Spring
Theme appropriate to the theme of the month, but pulling towards a darker part. As in the previous companion, for my taste you use saturations too much, I guess you were looking for more sonic richness but they could be a little more subtle. I also have leftover vinyl clicks. And maybe in general it turns out to be too cold.

canese - morning decay
Very quiet topic. So cool. It goes up slowly. Tope Ambient !! Very suitable.
Sound space is also achieved. I like the end of the theme that is slowly disappearing.

Shea - Bloom
Total ambient theme. Sounds of nature, calm evolution, ethereal sounds, sound effects ... But I agree with what the first companion said, the mix does not highlight any instrument but they all sound too much at once. Maybe I find the percussion that stings at the bottom too strong, it distracts me from the atmosphere.

► Show Spoiler

10pts TrojakEW - NatureAwakening
9pts VCA-089 - Back To Life
8pts canese - morning decay
7pts becsei gyorgy - Melting Point
6pts AskAndy 2 Day Bloom
5pts Shea - Bloom
4pts SoundBeing - Alien Communication
3pts Blang - Spring 2053
2pts Clueless - Cold Spring
1pts AfutureInNoise - SpringGettinGrownUp

[Clueless]

I’m never good at giving feedback or making a decision on scores
This month is no exception

AskAndy
Starts like a new day, the bell chimes and guitar are nice, like how bubbly it feels, takes on a darker feel, almost like a rolling mist, would of liked some sort of softening of the structure, maybe a little acoustic guitar solo before it went back into the mists

VCA-89

Birds & water, together with the piano opens the track up nicely, you can feel the movement in the trees with the slight wobble, that’s a nice touch. The arps add to the overall feel, giving the ambience a sense of liveliness

AFutureInNoise

Gives a sense of seasonal change at the beginning, naively opens the mood
After that it appears to change, has an almost festival feel, which isn’t exactly ambience
Expanding the beginning would possibly been a better option

Becsei Gyorgy

Starts at quite a pace, almost a rush
Strings are nice, although the whole events seems to be speeding along and is only slowed slightly by the piano
I edited it & played @ 25 percent slower and it felt a lot more absorbing

Blang

Opens well, like the guitar and the incidental sounds, the guitar creates a wide expanse & makes for a nice vista, very overworldly
Would have liked to hear a little motif in there to help the piece gel together

Canese

Warm pad start is nice, piano opens it up and give an additional strength
I like how the whole piece builds and adds a smile

EsteveCorbera

Opens well, expansive, gives a nice impression . Has a sweet feel, piano feels a bit too dry and loud, confuses a touch. Most sounds seem a bit too prominent, just a touch of softening would help

Shea

I like the opening, has a very nice feel
I’m very unsure of the use of the beat, adds too much of a pace to the track
The end is lovely, but I would have liked that earlier in the piece as it fits the mood

Soundbeing

Starts of fairly dark, the wobbly plucks are quite bright, it’s spring on another planet
The little guitar @2.48!comes and goes quickly and is overwhelmed by a number of different elements, feels very random

TrojakEW

Opens nicely, very gladial , would have liked a little softening on some of the elements, it’s quite heavy in places
There seems to be some side cuts @ 1.46 which are a bit distracting when the chants begin and there seems to be too many prominent sounds & not quite enough ambience

► Show Spoiler

10 Canese
9 Blang
8 VCA-89
7 AskAndy
6 TrojakEW
5 Becsei Gyorgy
4 EsteveCorbera
3 Shea
2 Soundbeing
1 AFutureInNoise

[TrojakEW]

There seems to be some side cuts @ 1.46

Thanks for comments but I do not understand what does this one means?

[Clueless]

There seems to be some side cuts @ 1.46

Thanks for comments but I do not understand what does this one means?

The stereo image cuts out
Seems like a cut on the right hand side, on my speakers anyway @ 1minute 46 sec on your track
It threw me when I heard it

Hope this is clearer @ also that I am not just hearing things

[TrojakEW]

The stereo image cuts out
Seems like a cut on the right hand side, on my speakers anyway @ 1minute 46 sec on your track

I have checked it and to be shure I also playback soundcloud stream version but there is no problem with stereo there. I do not not hear and even see problems there when looking on the wave itself.

[Clueless]

The stereo image cuts out
Seems like a cut on the right hand side, on my speakers anyway @ 1minute 46 sec on your track

I have checked it and to be shure I also playback soundcloud stream version but there is no problem with stereo there. I do not not hear and even see problems there when looking on the wave itself.

Sorry, I’m not very good at explaining
What I hear is I believe a vocal, which is in the left speaker, but not the right
It’s not the complete selection of sound missing, it’s just an element of the track
Hope this is clearer
TBH I wish I’d just stayed stum ( definition of stum = To remain silent; to not say anything )

[TrojakEW]

Sorry, I’m not very good at explaining
What I hear is I believe a vocal, which is in the left speaker, but not the right
It’s not the complete selection of sound missing, it’s just an element of the track
Hope this is clearer
TBH I wish I’d just stayed stum ( definition of stum = To remain silent; to not say anything )

There is nothing you have to be sorry about. Every comment counts and every observation anyone have can help us improve. Only that I was trying to be you and hear what you are hearing but .... I'm not able to do so.

Again thanks for comments.