SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC045 May 2021 - Winners announced

[Mister Fox]

Hello and welcome to the Songwriting Competition 45 - May 2021


This is the introduction post, where we directly link to the challenge corresponding files (theme, submission information, sponsors) and start of the voting process. There will be no Round 2.

Read more about this month's competition further down below.




Please take note of the following

• Please consult the official "Rules and Guidelines" for the Songwriting Competition regarding principles of the game, it's engaging game mechanics (allowed editing/resubmission of your entry until the deadline has been reached) and upload/submission guidelines.
• IMPORTANT: please use the following naming convention for your productions (artist name = forum username):
  • SWC000_ArtistName_TrackName.wav and/or .mp3
• IMPORTANT: if you only submit your production through Soundcloud, name your files properly prior to uploading and make the production downloadable. 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)

This post will be updated with the corresponding links as we progress, and of course the suitable thread headlines. So please watch this spot:


Submission Period: General Information and Sponsors
Cheat Sheet: A couple of examples / audio demos for this month's challenge (usually not available if genre is "Free to Select")
Voting: Summarized entries and start of voting process
Results of the Songwriting Competition: Results of the Songwriting Competition

[Mister Fox]

CURRENT CHALLENGE - GENERAL INFORMATION

Time Frame: Saturday, 01st May 2021 to Monday, 24th May 2021 (24 days)

Challenge submission will end on 24-05-2021, 23:59 UTC+2/CEST (Germany) - until further notice.

Want to find out if you're still within the deadline, please consult the following options:
The Global Countdown on it's dedicated page or the countdown on the home page. You can also consult the World Clock at the top of the forum or alternatively the following tool - in this case please select "Berlin (Germany)" as location 1, and your location as location 2: Time and Date - World Clock Meeting Planner. We do post reminders via our Twitter account and Facebook page.



SONGWRITING THEME: Plug in, connect, make music
GENRE: Electronic music (general)



Image Source: Pexels, photo by TStudio, released under Creative Commons CC0


A few word about this month's theme:

The second quarter of the year is usually the time where big music events and trade shows kick off. Most notably the "Musikmesse" and "Prolight + Sound" in April, the Synthesizer Trade Show/Exhibition "Superbooth" in late April/early May, and the AES Show Spring Convention in June.

Our ongoing global pandemic drastically changed that playground. Most events moved to "online only" for the foreseeable future. However, who says we can't celebrate making music regardless?
.



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

This month, the rules are simple. You can create a production in any sub-genre of "Electronic Music". Doesn't matter if it's Techno, Trance, Electronica, Chiptunes, Synthwave, Drum and Bass, Electro-Industrial, etc. As long as you make music, and have a great time while doing so.


What I'd like to see/hear this month:
Mix and match genres, drag out an old synthesizer you considered "non usable" and maybe try to breath new life into it. Use a minimal setup, or go all out on what you have at your disposal. While "Electronic Music" is a very broad term, and mixing genres is a thing, please have a focus on more "electronic instruments". Doesn't mean that you can't drag out your E-Guitar and go to town, or use an acoustic drum set in a breakdown, or some chopped up choir vocals for added effect.

The sky is the limit - and you set that threshold yourself.


I'm looking forward to many entries. Have fun!

Songwriting Rule Summary / Add-On Rules:

• 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)
• IMPORTANT: if you use non-licensed material (as in: non royalty free material from sample CDs, etc), give full credit to the source material
• do not go higher than -14LUFS ILk/-1dBTP in terms of perceived loudness (mastering). Music doesn't have to be squashed to bits in order to be impactful
• for newcomers: no 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
• ADD-ON RULES:
  • <no add-on rules specified>

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

Please take note of the official rules - they can be found at the following thread:
Songwriting Competition - Official Rules and Guidelines

Please address any OT question in the official Gossip thread:
Songwriting Competition - Gossip and Discussion

If you like what the Mix Challenge (community) has been doing in recent months:
Please consider supporting us

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


SPONSORS (Prizes):

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



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



Tone2 is kind enough to donate a license of Saurus2 to the winner (until further notice)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Tone2: https://tone2.com



kv331 audio is kind enough give away a bundle of either SynthMaster 1+2 Bundle, or a freely selectable set of 3 SynthMaster Expansions
License 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 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 give away either a license of Lunaris, a license of Bioscape, or any two sound sets of winner's choice (exception: Bundles and Nano Electronics)
License will turn into NFR
More info on Luftrum: http://www.luftrum.com



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





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

If you want to sponsor content (please have a focus on instruments, samples and sound sets), please get in touch with the Mix Challenge staff.

Please spread the word of the challenge on social media.
For example with our dedicated Twitter Account or Facebook Page

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

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

[Mister Fox]

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

Articles and Info Pages:

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

Additional Articles on Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_music
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_e ... sic_genres




Music examples (selection, Youtube):

This months, there is no "example content" due to the fact that "Electronic music" is such a broad term. Please check in with either the Musicmap or Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music for possible audio examples.
.



Please also check in with the following thread in the the Gear Talk sub-forum, if you're on the look-out for new tools:
Free Tools, Samples and deals (collection thread)

Also recommended to check out the following tools, if you're new to songwriting:
Plugin Boutique - Scaler 2 (highly recommended tool!)
CodeFN42 - Chordz (Transition is also recommended, if you want more experimental/generative MIDI, Free, Windows only)
W.A. Production - InstaChord and InstaScale
Fabrizio Poce / J74 - Progressive (Progressive Standalone might not be available anymore, else the "Max4Life" version)


Interested in Modular Synthesis?
MuTools - MUX Modular (for creative sound design purposes)
VCV Rack (open source, standalone modular synthesizer)
Cherry Audio - Voltage Modular (Nucleus can be picked up for free)

Interested in a Drum Machine?
AKAI Professional - MPC Beats (freeware, feature limited AKAI MPC)
Image Line - Groove Machine (Korg Electribe SX inspired drum machine)
Waldorf - Attack (v2, don't let the "old look" fool you, this is still a powerful machine! "Edition 2 LE" is usually really fair priced!)

Need a synthesizer?
Matt Tytel / Vital Audio - Vital (powerful free synth, also check out HELM)
GitHub Surge Synthesizer - Surge (open source project, which has been recently updated)
Full Bucket Music - various KORG-"inspired" synthesizers

What about "bread and butter" sounds from a Rompler?
KV311 Audio - SynthMaster Player (the "player" is technically a "Rompler" to get a taste of how SynthMaster sounds)
Air Music Tech - Xpand!2 (often on sale, currently at JRR Shop
Digital Sound Factory - E-MU Proteus Rack (remember Emulator X or Prodeus VX? This company is keeping the E-MU / Ensoniq legacy alive...)
JRR Sounds - E-MU Sound Packs


If you need more drum samples, maybe check out the following two sources:
Bedroom Producers Blog - various kits
KB's Drumsamples - a drum machine sample archive



UPDATED: 29-APR-2021 01:00 UTC+2 (sourcing content: a couple of hours), updated 11-MAY-2021 16:55 UTC+2

[A Future in Noise]

When I hear "electronica", I think of a radio hit by Adam Tensta from 2007. That's Electronica for me. On the other hand, if electronic music is a broad spectrum, could disco from the seventies be included?

[Mister Fox]

This is exactly why I asked participants to utilize the Songwriting Competition - Addendum: Music Maps and BPM Charts, at bar minimum check out the outstanding Musicmap project by Kwinten Crauwels (yes, I post these for a reason).

1970s "Disco" is not electronic, it's technically "Rhythm & Blues" (R&B) with heavy rock influences (and instrumentation). It did however spark "Hi-NRG / Eurodisco" (pop music with a focus on synthesizers and drum machines), which in turn is also connects to "Chicago House & Garage House" (the derivation of Disco in "Electronic Music"). dditional connections lead to to "French House" and "Nu Disco & Funktronica" (think Daft Punk, Mr Oizo, Basement Jaxx).


Yes, the Musicmap page can be a bit confusing at the beginning, sometimes even too many pages overlapping. But... push the button at the top left (reset), then you can zoom in a little. Check the bottom of the Musicmap page, there should now be a horizontal overview of the main genres (Electronic Music for example spans Rap, Breakbeat, Drum & Bass, Techno, House, Trance, Downtempo and Industrial).

Now check for example the "Ambient" column (second from right), click on "Synth / Electonica" (as you mentioned), and then see where this all links to. Straight lines means "primary origin", dashed lines mean "secondary origin".


After that, it's just down to taking some inspiration from the provided audio demos (you can also utilize "Ishkur's Guide" at this point), and create something on your own. With a focus on "electronic instruments" (see brief/premise) that is.



I hope that answers your question.

[AskAndy]

can we create a new electro music genre?

[Mister Fox]

A lot these days is a derivation of electronic music. Try it, convince us of your "new genre".


I'm doing the reminder a little bit early, but if you want to get feedback and continue on your production before the deadline has been reached, you should consider posting soon. As of this moment, a little more than 8 days left.

[SoundBeing]

can we create a new electro music genre?

I'm with you.

[Mister Fox]

Then get to it, everyone...

I'd still love to hear "traditional genre entries" through. But I'll let myself surprise.
A bit more than 7 days left for this endeavor.

[SoundBeing]

This was indeed fun. I cross pollinated through some electronic genres with great joy. It was incredible to dip into https://music.ishkur.com/. I loved that and will revisit that continually from now on.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mehuwh0hvwo1o ... r.wav?dl=0

Instruments used:
Yamaha PortaSound PSS-470
Xpand!2
Arturia MiniLab
Bass Guitar with and without Wah pedal
Electric Guitar w/ Ebow & Wah pedal
Vocal - Grunt
8-bit sound samples from freesound.org
- zagi2
- rocotilos
- tibre
My own catalog of sound samples for additional samples

I wanted the track to start very small and video game like and then grow and contort with additional sound samples and melodic leads.

Notable details: The drum fills were created by sampling my PortaSound’s “FILL IN” and then cutting them up and reworking them. The 8-bit samples are “Drum & Bass” and “Game Over” as well as an “Atari Drums” for that big explosive kick pulse. The last lead instrument was the electric guitar performed live with an Ebow into a Wah pedal. The distortion is overdriving the SSL mic pre +4K all the way to max.


Mixed in ProTools Ultimate

Q1-Q10
CLA-2a
RDeEsser
SchepsOC
KramerTape
TapeHead
BF-76
C1gate
OneKnbPhtr
RBass
PSA-1
RensancAxx
GTR STomp 2
-Tone
-Vibrolo

ModDelay
LX480Essnt
RVerb
H-Delay
Phasemisteress
Metaflange
Fuzz-Wah

SSL Comp
bx_solo
KramerTape
Abbey Roads Mastering Suite
You Lean Loudness Meter