SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC066 February 2023 - Winners announced

[Mister Fox]

A friendly reminder:
We're in the final 24 hours to submit your production.

So far we have 9 entries. Would love to see more than 15 this month.



Since a lot of entries are still in WIP stage, please get your production ready and submitted (through the forum) today.

And to make it easier for me to create the collection post, please update your initial post with the appropriate links (final version), or explicitly mark your entry as "final entry". Thank you.

[canese]

Hello everybody, I'm coming back to complete 10 at least.

I just finished this track in two days. It has infinite ways it can be better, but as an exercise to deal with my false perfectionism, here it is:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7rmae5dfi61qj ... e.wav?dl=0

Beat made in FL studio 21
Vocals are from looperman
All are samples from the internet layered with some synths (mainly Saurus).
The strings and piano are from FL Studio plugins.

I hope I didn't rust and I look forward to hearing your songs.

[JeroenZuiderwijk]

FINAL ENTRY!

And here it is...finaly. Been taking me a long time to finish this song. The music I had ready in a couple of days but the lyrics.....pffff, that was a different matter. Anyway. I wrote lyrics about not having inspiration for writing lyrics....so I turned it into something positive I guess. I wrote it partly in dutch. the song is called "empty paper" (leeg papier). If i find the time i also include a translation. The mix is not perfect but i'm already glad i uploaded the song (just) before the deadline. Beatmaking I like to do in Renoise and mixing in Reaper. I used stock and freeware samples in Renoise and freeware softsynths for the melody.

I think this swc is a succes. It makes me step out of my comfort zone. And gives me a deadline to actually finish something. So thank you for organizing!

Enjoy!

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ahp8xH6KRIfbgTe9GJy ... 6?e=Tq2MHB

Lyrics:
I've been inside, i've been down for a week
to many lines but none that were sick
words don't come like a rainfall, my mind is going blanc now, flow is abscent now...I'm tripping
I'll be writing untill dawn till I'm spitting

de waarheid zal ik zeggen dus ik zet t licht maar aan
als t binnenkomt komt t binnen en maak ik mij te verstaan
mentaal ben ik dronken maar ik moet er toch doorheen
breek de deur door breek m open smelt mn hart t is niet van steen

.... al die teksten krijg ze echt niet uit mijn kop
vloeien moeten woorden maar op de flow staat nog een stop
kan niet denken wil wel schreeuwen zit te staren leeg papier

I've been inside, i've been down for a week
to many lines but none that were sick
words don't come like a rainfall, my mind is going blanc now, flow is abscent now...I'm tripping
I'll be writing untill dawn till I'm spitting

Zou dus eigenlijk moeten slapen maar t houd met uit mijn slaap
keer op keer pak ik mn pen, weer schrijven maakt me moe t maakt me kwaad
De beat gaat vrolijk verder heb t nu toch echt gehad
doe t licht uit, ga wel liggen, zien wel morgen weer, ben t zat.

[Mister Fox]

It is the 25th February 2023, 00:10 UTC+1/CET - this month's Songwriting Competition has official ended

Apologies for closing this one out so late.


STATISTICS:

• If I didn't miscount, we have 10 submissions this month (3 entries less than last month, and also 5 more than February 2022)
• We have 0 submissions after the deadline (as of 25-FEB-2023 00:10 UTC+1/CET)
• We have 0 submissions that has been disqualified (production released outside of the game's timeframe)
• We have 0 submission that has been withdrawn (but counts as entry within the deadline)
• The "staff balancing vote" add-on rule does not apply
• "Sole Winners Podium" rule (equal or less than eight participants results in a single winner) does not apply (3-position Winners Podium)

How do we go from there?

Over the course of the next (hopefully) 24-48 hours (usually up to 6-12 hours maximum after the game has ended), I'll gather all links into one post and hot-link to that from the first post of the thread. Please, no more changes to your entries, but please do check your links that these entries are downloadable. We then perform with the final feedback and "public vote" system.


We have 10 participants. We are adapting the overhauled vote mechanic, as talked about in the following news blog:

Songwriting Competition - game mechanic changes: Voting Process (October 2022 Update)
(Info: I am aware that the Rule Book has not been properly updated yet. Time constraints, apologies for the inconvenience)


Summarized:

!

Bonus Info

Participants can (and must) vote for their Top 5 entries. You're furthermore asked to please reflect on your experience this month (2-3 paragraphs max), what you have learned, what you would like to do different in the future, etc. (personal growth) You are also asked to give feedback to at least five (number: 5) entries that either stood out to you and you would like to provide some additional final thoughts, or where you could provide constructive feedback for possible improvements. To add to the learning experience of our community, it is recommended that these entries are outside of your personal "top entry" voting. Have the chance to get additional bonus points if you decide to invest the time to provide more constructive feedback than the requested minimum. It must be more than just "nice production, please keep up the good work" however. This is to boost more interaction and can balance out your overall points on the score sheet. (get 1 point if you give constructive feedback to 2-3 more people, get 2 points if you give helpful feedback for everyone) The "Voting Process" mechanic is mandatory for all participants, and the only criteria to drop out of the game by not partaking. The overall "Bonus Point" mechanic still applies. Please update your posts with proper production documentation, most notably regarding whom you have collaborated with (as in: proper credits -- not doing so will result in a 2pt deduction on the score sheet at the end of the game). You got until the voting period has ended. Please cast your vote (not the feedback) in collective form through the "spoiler text" bbcode (button on the WYSIWYG editor that features the orange triangle with an exclamation mark in it). Please use the forum username of the participant to make it easier during the score collection to address what vote belongs to whom.

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⚠	Moderation Message from Mister Fox
	For transparency: The staff (Mister Fox) will not give feedback to all entries and/or cast a vote this month.

Feedback from non-participants and/or collaborators is highly encouraged (voting not needed!). The same goes for entries after the deadline, or those that sadly do not count for the current running game (even if you've exceeded the deadline, why not post your entry regardless?). Musicians and Engineers are always after constructive criticism. This is what this forum is about.





Have some general feedback? Please provide that here:
Songwriting Competition - General Gossip Thread, or on Discord.



Please have an eye on this thread!

[Mister Fox]

Let us kick off the VOTING PROCESS, which will end on Friday, 03-MAR-2023 23:59 UTC+1/CET latest


There is a GLOBAL COUNTDOWN to check for deadlines.
Just follow this link: Global Countdown (on homepage)



Here is the collection of productions from all participants (in hope that I didn't forget anyone). As usual, if you click on the small upwards-arrow right beside the quoted name, you can jump to the original post and read up on the documentation for this production.


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"First Wrld Problems"



STAFF INFO: File can not be downloaded currently (status: 25-FEB-2023)

"W$W"

WAV: Google Drive playback and download

"Trapped In My Head"

WAV: Google Drive playback and download

STAFF INFO: The Soundcloud entry is apparently outdated, while the WAV file was declared the most recent version.

"Hater"

"Was"

WAV: Google Drive playback and download

"TrapHouse"

Google Drive playback and download

"LaRutinaDiaria"

Google Drive playback and download

"Captive"

WAV: Download from Google Drive

"Cannot do worse"

WAV: Download from Dropbox

"leegpapier"

WAV: Download from OneDrive

STAFF INFO: Original Post can be found here, post with additional documentation is here

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WITHDRAWN (not participating - feel free to give feedback, but you sadly can not vote for these entries)


<no withdrawn entries>
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BONUS ENTRIES (submitted after the deadline - feel free to give feedback, but you sadly can not vote for these entries)


<no bonus entries>
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GAME MECHANIC SUMMARY:

► Show Spoiler

We are trying something new!

Please consult this news blog post regarding an overhaul to the voting mechanic. To make it simple for me for counting the votes - please use the forum usernames in your listing. Thank you!

Please also consult the previous post that features a summary for this month's mechanic (see "Bonus Info" in the red colored box, valid for February 2023).
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This month's SWC participants giving feedback to each other is mandatory, it is the only criteria to drop out of the game by not partaking. If you have collaborated with somebody, then only the one doing the main entry needs to give feedback and vote. Bonus feedback is always welcome. However, please be open minded, objective and constructive.


INFORMATION: If you have submitted your entry in multiple file formats, the statistic sheet (posted alongside the results) will focus on the uncompressed material first (WAV), then FLAC, then MP3. The higher the quality (e.g. lossless format), the less possible loss on bonus points for "Loudness Specs" due to offsets introduced by a used CODEC.

Good luck to all participants!




If you have an idea for a future Songwriting Competition, please post about this in the theme/genre request page or on Discord.


Post updated: 25-FEB-2023 04:00 UTC+1/CET

[denny7794]

I'm new to this forum and this game.
I can't fully understand how technically it is necessary to vote.
Should I just choose my personal top 5?
Should I put them in descending order or give some amount of points to each?
And where should I put this result?
And where should I write feedback, just in a new post in this forum?

[JeroenZuiderwijk]

I'm new to this forum and this game.
I can't fully understand how technically it is necessary to vote.
Should I just choose my personal top 5?
Should I put them in descending order or give some amount of points to each?
And where should I put this result?
And where should I write feedback, just in a new post in this forum?

Hi Denny, you can check out the voting mechanics as mentioned in the post above (Mr Fox)...see spoiler and link in the spoiler. For me voting is not to see who's best...it's all personal taste and it is hard to judge a work of art but....by voting you know that your music gets the attention it deserves and sometimes you get good comments on how to improve things.

[The Exponent]

Should I just choose my personal top 5?

Yes, you need to choose your personal top 5 favorite tracks.

Should I put them in descending order or give some amount of points to each?

Yes, the top 5 in your opinion in descending order like 1st, 2nd and so on.

And where should I put this result?
And where should I write feedback, just in a new post in this forum?

• You just create a new post in this thread, give the songs your feedback with areas of improvement, what you enjoyed/liked and how you think they can do better.
• Also share your own reflection on your own entry and what you learnt, sharing your experience.
• A good example/reference is this post from the previous round https://mix-challenge.com/forum/viewtop ... 192#p14192

[Mister Fox]

I'm new to this forum and this game.
I can't fully understand how technically it is necessary to vote.

It is part of the game mechanic (necessary for the "Score Sheet"/Winner's Podium). Not only does this ease you into interacting, it also helps you learn how to give and receive criticism. Basically it is trading final words of encouragement, where to maybe improve on things mix wise, etc.

As fellow forum members already explained, yes, you do everything in this very thread.

To get an idea how things could look, please have a look at the SWC065 Song Collection post and follow-up. You decide yourself if you only want to do the "bare essentials", or try to get additional bonus points by giving feedback to everyone.

[canese]

Hi, great to participate again in this challenge. It's a rich experience for improvements and also listening with attention to new songs.
Personally, I was getting very distracted from music composition and even if I'm always trying to participate, sometimes I don't get to finish a track and sometimes I just don't like the music I make.
This time I said: done it's better than good. I make music for the sake of making music, and if you are the only ones that hear it, I don't care. Music itself it's something temporary, it plays and then it ends. I just don't see how we want music to be infinite, something that stays on time permanently. I just want to live creatively and explore the sounds and elements that go well in a song.
Something that had helped me with my frustration with creating music has been this book called: Big Magic. In it, the author talks about the creative life and how one should approach fears. A must-read for us.

feedback :

► Show Spoiler

Arelem "First Wrld Problems":

Great tune. I love the irony in it. The lyrics and rap are awesome, I got lonely island vibes. The beat is Good, I think it could be a little bit more punchy and it has a Deep base pedal note in the chorus that bothers me, maybe a little more dynamics and a Melody would’ve helped the chorus stand up.

denny7794 "W$W"

Very naughty and corky, it has something of value, it’s unique. I think, mix-wise it can improve. Bass and kick are not very punchy in the low end and I feel every element it’s on its own song but they are not blending in the mix. Maybe Little compression and a parallel and short reverb ( 7-15ms predelay) Will make the beat sound more together.

KukoBass Trapped In My Head

I can’t find a genre to fit this. The sound and timbre choose it’s very odd. I like mostly everything except for the strings. At the end when the strings disappear, it sounds a like liquid drum and bass tune and there I find it interesting. With a melodic rap, it would be an awesome track.

The Exponent Haters

Excellent. This song bangs. I like the beat and strings. IMO, the bells are just too childish, they don’t fit quite well in the aggressiveness of the rest of the song. Maybe, staying with brass timbres, like in the buildup and chorus would be a nice replacement for the bells. The build-up is just amazing when the chorus hits it’s just incredible.

Ronson79 "Was"

Good vibes, I like german rapping even if don’t get anything. The snare timbre takes me away from the vibe, it’s too dry and the same every time. Maybe blending with other simples every two or four hits or playing with automation (loudness, attack, reverb, etc). Maybe a breakdown or a build-up (like the one in the exponent song) would help carry the energy on until the end.

Mellow Browne "TrapHouse"

Nice beat. Drum samples are very good altogether. Especially the kick, it has interesting parts and when it comes, you bounce your head immediately. I would pick something more organic for the background synth. The arpeggios are interesting but I hear too much resonance in the uppermid frequencies that distract me a lot Maybe adding more effects would help, but I’ll try it with a more "plucky" sound that has less decay and sustain time, something more rhythmic.


EsteveCorbera_ LaRutinaDiaria.

Has an interesting vibe. Drum samples maybe can be improved in timbre and dynamics, they sound like every other sample template. I think the vibe it’s not very gangster but it has a happy vibe I dig. In the end, it gets very interesting with those plucks, but the drums are staying the same, maybe changing the drum patterns to make it follow the energy of the song.

Treyt Captive.


Woah, dude, you have talent. If this is your time rapping, you have Flow and bar spitting in your DNA. The rapping style reminded me a lot of epic rap battles of history, very artistic and theatrical. The beat is well-rounded, it has interesting parts and nice melodies and timbres. The only thing I hear that I would try to change is: It sounds very squashed, very compressed, and crying for dynamics. But I can’t say more, it’s just awesome.

JeroenZuiderwijk "leegpapier"
Chaotic but very artistic. Delays are just killing me, I’m just hoping for a breakdown and a part where everything just rounds itself but it’s never coming. Just more and more chaos, lol. That’s why I don’t get why it ends like that, like fading away. I thought the intention was to stay in that kind of high energy and chaos but in the end, I got the opposite.

Top 5 :

► Show Spoiler

1-Treyt - "Captive"
2-The Exponent - "Haters"
3-Ronson79 - "Was"
4-Arelem- "First Wrld Problems":
5-Mellow Browne - "TrapHouse"