1. Arelem - Hugeland
It has an epic cinematic trailer feel, perfect for fantasy movie. It builds up gradually towards the end, adding more layers and melodic parts. I wish there could be more diverse arrangement (breakdowns, alternative sections). The mix is good, but it gets a little harsh in upper mids when more layers are engaged. The drums are quite hard hitting, may be too much. There is an audible distortion/clipping on some of them.
It does bring feeling of a journey. Works well when you try to imagine a scenes of fantasy adventure movie like "Lord of the Rings". It could also work for a videogames aswell.
2. GMoneh - The Cabana Song
The overall feel of this track is quite organic. There is some rhythmic inconsistency between parts, but it works for that campfire jam feel. It seems that guitars are actually played and recorded live, which is a good thing. Great percussion. The voices and horns works for creating interest in the arrangement, but it still feels like a 1:30 long track. The guitar parts are quite similar to each othere with some minor variations. Production quality is very good, no complaints.
This track certainly could be a part of some relaxing music playlist on YouTube. It really does bring the feeling of campfire party, somenthing that we could only dream about in these disturbing times. It has a very warm atmosphere and "human" touch. Somehow it forces you to believe that images in your head are quite real. After first playthrough I thought I heard people talking and walking in the background, but I know it isn't there. It truly works as a musical trip.
3. EsteveCorbera - Passejada De Capvespre Per Palou
This track has a very soothing atmosphere. Good work with string section and choir layers, but other parts feels like AI generated. There is no defined melody or an arpeggio pattern. It's sort of improvisation, but very artifical. The chimes adds to an atmosphere, but they could be more in the background, blended into reverb. The arrangement needs a bit of dynamics, different sections, breakdowns. The lo-fi element is't expressed that much, as the instruments sounds pretty clean with just a static noise added in the background. There still could be a soft, warm bass part.
This entry does bring dreams of a warm, calm summer. The main concept or a composition is there. There is need to bring more expression and defined melodic patterns to instrumental parts.
4. mobiledrummer - Rediscovery
The expression in this piano piece is quite high. Different velocity, tempo variations, voicings. The overall feel is kinda chaotic. There is no defined harmonic structure or a memorable melodic theme. It shifts unexpectedly between different scenes and emotions. Sometimes the key modulations works really good, sometimes they are odd and distracting. It's actually quite easy to get lost in this piece.
It's quite hard to draw images when the composition flows so unexpectedly. I like experiments in music, but there could be more refined ideas.
5. (Bonus) bedlamward - Lost At Sea
Production wise it's quite far from being finished in this state. The vocals sounds like they recorded on webcam mic. The harmonies sounds very artifical. The arrangement has no clear definition where is the chorus section. The lyrics are too upfront. I'm not a songwriter, nor a vocalist, but I think that song needs to have some sense of intrigue that holds the listeners interest. I like when people trying to express their ideas, as I'm not brave enogh to do it myself, but those ideas needs to be refined and polished.
► Show Spoiler
The winners podium consists of:
