SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC072 August 2023 - Winners announced

[Mister Fox]

A friendly reminder:
We're in the final 24 hours to submit your feedback and cast your vote.


Please check post #027 regarding the feedback and voting mechanic. Please don't let yourself be put at a disadvantage by not participating (fully). The Songwriting Competition lives from the given feedback towards each other.

Outside feedback is welcome, of course.

[Arelem]

Hello All,

For my song this go around, I experimented a bit with layering my vocals. A lot of times, I just double a single take, but I did a more monotone version underneath the main vocal. I actually really liked the effect this gave my vocal and it helped hide how bad of a performer I am =).

Feedback

► Show Spoiler

A future in noise – Mixed well, vocals sound good, guitars are great. I think it gets a little cluttered during the chorus when the organ and strings are both present with everything else. Other than that, really nice track.

Doc Jon – The elements themselves sound good, but the song feels pretty dated. Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t in a good, timeless sort of way. The message is good but combined with the feel of the song, it makes me think of a 90s infomercial.

Havol – Everything sounds really good. There are a few spots where the guitar strumming is a little offbeat but it’s not too bad. The guitar solo loses some stream at the 3:50 mark for me with the arp playing; it sounded a bit amateur/robotic IMO. Aside from those few minor issues, it’s a really solid song.

KukoBass – Nice atmosphere here. For me, the water sample is a little loud in the mix. I would have it pushed back a little more once the song gets going. Everything else sounds okay, but the slower tempo and lack of a clear melody made it a little boring. It would work well as a backing track to something though.

Crosshatched – The piano sounds nice but it’s pretty dark and pushed pretty far back. It’s a little hard to really hear what’s being played. The vocals are obviously the main focus here, and they sound a little peculiar. I’m not sure the singing style fits this arrangement too well.

Koekepan – The atmosphere is nice and fits the prompt well. Good sound selection. This is obviously a more ambient track which isn’t really my sort of thing, but it was done well. I like the bass section swells that come in. The nature of the track made it a little difficult for me to really engage because there wasn’t a melody to get into. Maybe some sort of repeating melody that could come and go in the style of a verse/chorus could help engage and add a little more variation.

VCA-089 – A good-sounding retro rock/pop song. Nice work with the guitars, I was a little surprised that they were done with MusicLab and not actually played. I don’t really have any negatives, but for me, this sort of track falls a little flat in that it is retro, but doesn’t really add anything new.

The Exponent – Big epic orchestral track. Could definitely be the soundtrack to a movie or video game. The song had a nice progression as more elements were added. I also like the call back at the end. No real notes for me on this one, well done.

Satyatunes – The shrill radar ping sound was really piercing for me. Maybe EQ out some of the high-end there. I liked how you incorporated what sounds like Doppler pings; they fit the feel of the song well. As a backing track, this could work, but there isn’t a whole lot going on. That being said, apart from the previous mentions, everything sounded good and was mixed well.

EsteveCorbera – Nice big pad, I feel like it could maybe be wider though. Your choice of instrument for the lead is a little underwhelming IMO. I feel like just a standard piano might work really well here, or maybe layered on top instead of replacing it. Pretty slow track but relaxing, and fits the theme well.

Vote

► Show Spoiler

1st Havol
2nd The Exponent
3rd A Future in Noise
4th VCA-089
5th KukoBass

[satyatunes]

Things I have learnt this month.:
- Never keep working on your track until the last moment Set a deadline and stick to it.
- Need to spend more time on mixing
- Mixing Orchestral sounds is hard
- BRSO Articulate - Those who use FL Studio might have heard / used this plugin. A great little plugin that helps automating the expression, dynamics, etc. for orchestral (and other) plugins.
- Dreamtonics Synthesizer V - Doc Jon used this for vocal. I was really surprised. Never heard of it before. I had a quick look at it. They have a free version so may be time to try it next.

My process:
I listened to all multiple times with critical ear so that I can gather some constructive feedback.
When it comes to voting, it is based on how much I enjoyed listening to the track.

FEEDBACK:

► Show Spoiler

Arelem - Turbulence
Reverb used on some sounds could have been better. Some felt far away which in my opinion should have been opposite. The vocal/harmony in the chorus sounded a bit weird to me. The Piano in the background could have been bit prominent. Did you try different Strings sounds? Beat and bass is solid. Superb lyrics. Overall, the mix is bit muddy otherwise a good track.

A Future in Noise - Get a Grip
The mixing needs to be top notch for tracks with so many sounds elements. This track suffers from the same problem. There is overlap in the frequency spectrum because of which some sounds are lost. I love the lyrics, composition and structure. The solo Guitar after 2:50 mark and the string in the background is great. Solo Guitar could have been a bit prominent. Overall a good track.

Doc Jon - Hey Kid
All sounds are crystal clear and in its appropriate place in the mix. The voice selection for the chorus is very appropriate. Good lyrics and message. Very good use of Dreamtonics Synthesizer V. Mixing is excellent. Enjoyed it.

Havol - Make Love Not War
Beautiful Piano at the beginning. A bit monotonous until 3:00 mark. Small variations could have worked beautifully. It changes everything when Electric Guitar comes in in a good way. Good mixing too. Nice track.

KukoBass - Clouds Over Herrenhausen
Started with a very nice ambience, dark strings. The drums are powerful but not shining enough in the mix. Kind of subdued. Guitar solo is good but not fluid and sounds less humanized. Some variation to the background elements would have been better.

Crosshatched - Pulverized
Since it's only voice and Piano, I would have kept the low end of the Piano. Excellent lyrics. Beautiful voice. But why only voice and piano? It could have some strings and other underlying elements.

Koekepan - Skygaze
The drone at 1:32ish mark is good. Nice Ambient track. Honestly, I got bored, may be it's too long and there is not much happening. Sounds selections are good for an Ambient track. I was watching a YouTube tutorials on Ambient music and the guy kept introducing small sound elements and his statement while doing so was "you don't want your listener to get bored". I think the same statement applies here.

VCA-089 - Dark Omen
Very good flow, structure and sounds. Can't believe all the Guitars are virtual :-). Mixing is really good. Enjoyed the most.

The Exponent - Fragments of Hope
Is that a Xiao from Jade Ethnic Free at the beginning? Nice use of Claire solo. The change around 2:30ish is great. Takes the track to another level. Mixing is solid. Flow and structure is good. Which Piano library is that? Nice.

EsteveCorbera - LaTempestaJaSAllunya
Lead solo is good but some variations would have given the track another dimension. A bridge / gap in between would have been better as well.

VOTING:

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The Exponent - Fragments of Hope
VCA-089 - Dark Omen
Doc Jon - Hey Kid
KukoBass - Clouds Over Herrenhausen
Arelem - Turbulence

All the best to all participants.

[EsteveCorbera]

Good afternoon,

I like challenges like this month's, with an image and a lot of freedom to create.
The result of many of you has been creating a good soundtrack.
As for me, I had very little time because I had been without touching a computer for the whole month. To disconnect the mind. I decided to take advantage of an improvisation to work on it a little more.

As always very good level. Good job everyone.

I will give you some brief comments.

Arelem__Turbulence
A theme of your style. Powerful topic, as always.
good mix Good work with the voices, especially in the chorus, good effects but affect the intelligibility of the lyrics.
Maybe you need to go through the levels.

A Future In Noise_Get_a_Grip
Your style is also noticeable, like the previous colleague. It's okay to recognize each other's style.
I like the voices of the choir. you work well
I can't comment on the lyrics because my level of English doesn't allow me to.
The mix is also excellent.

Doc Jon__HeyKid
More electronic sound.
The work of the 'artificial voices' is incredible. I've never used these types of tools, so they seem like magic to me.
As always, excellent work. good mix Good instrumentation. Everything is very good. I wouldn't know what to improve.

Havol__MakeLoveNotWar
At the beginning you use a resource similar to my theme, with the sound effects, which evoke the music.
good ballad Fairly simple theme but well worked at the level of the instruments. Good guitars.
Maybe it gets a little heavy and repetitive, but that's a matter of taste.

KukoBass__CloudsOverHerrenhausen
The theme is slow to start as you use the same resource as me to start the theme with the sound effects.
I really like the very cinematic percussion. The guitar sounds pretty good too, but maybe I could add a bit more reverb to it.
The melody could be a little more developed.
Good work and correct mix.

Crosshatched__Pulverized
I like the improvisation of the piano, which accompanies the voice. Good job with the piano.
The voice is risky. Maybe the tone should be adjusted. I agree with my colleagues, the voice has too much prominence and the piano too little.

Koekepan_Skygaze
I personally like this style of music. It already predisposes me to good listening.
I like the sounds, how they come in, the atmosphere you create.
There are moments that seem to have changed or evolved, but no, the subject remains there. This is the only flaw I can find. But I love it!!

VCA-089__DarkOmen
Dude, your topic is immediately catchy. Are they from the 80s-90s??
I imagine a great soundtrack for an action movie. Guitars, vintage synths, wow!!
Good mix, good structure, all very well.
Very surprising ending!!

The Exponent__Fragments_of_Hope
Amazing ethnic sound. Very original in this challenge. Good cinematic atmosphere.
Very good orchestra.
Good mix and very exciting.
Few problems I find.

satyatunes__Mysterious_Cloud
Another very cinematic theme. Good effects and good orchestral sound.
It's a shame that it takes too long for the main part to arrive and that it ends so quickly.
Maybe I would have made the effects part shorter and developed the music part more.
Nice work too.


(translated with google)

This month is very difficult to choose. All the subjects are very good.

► Show Spoiler

01 Koekepan
02 VCA-089
03 The Exponent
04 KukoBass
05 satyatunes

[VCA-089]

The summer is ending and vacations are also coming to an end. I hope you enjoyed making music in this season as I did.

For this month's competition I just threw all the sounds I used to work with and tuned them to taste. The whole composition almost naturally bloomed out of small musical ideas. I kept adding layers and details until it become "full" to me. Sometimes this approach to making music works, sometimes not...

My feedback:

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01. Arelem - Turbulence

I'm not aware of rap subgenre namings, but I think this is what they call "cloud-rap".
The beat is very "punchy" with the typical drum set for a rap song.
The vocals are heavily processed and there is not much dynamics in the voice, just monotonous rapping.
The stereo effect on vocals in the chorus is a good idea, but thle lyrics are blurred too much.
In terms of arrangement and instrumentation there is not much going on. Also, the song is a bit too short.
The overall mix is harsh in terms of frequencies. The high mids (2 to 5k) could be tamed a little bit.
The track is very loudly mastered, a standard for this genre of music I think.

02. A Future In Noise - Get a Grip

This song has a lot of 70's rock influences.
I think the lyrics in this song really fit the month's theme.
The lead vocal could be a bit louder in the mix. The harmonies/background vocals are great.
I really like the electric piano and orchestral sounds. The electric guitar tone is not convincing though.
The drums feel weak and get lost in the mix quite drastically.
To me the whole mix needs to be rebalanced in terms of frequencies and levels.
Also, this song needs to be better mastered.

03. Doc Jon - Hey Kid

A very modern sounding pop song with a lot of hip-hop influences.
The verse vocals have a nice rhythm and dynamics.
The chorus vocals (synthetic) are very mellow and a bit too repetitive.
The lyrics feel to me like an implicit advertising of social networks for teenagers.
The 808 electronic beat is very typical for this kind of music.
The overall instrumentation is good. Simple but effective musical parts.
This song is nicely mixed and mastered.

04. Havol - Make Love Not War

It feels to me like a pop-ballad song influenced by 70's and 80's rock music.
The vibe in this song is kinda "dreaming of a better time when the storm comes to an end".
The intro is a bit too long. It's getting noticeable that the gunfight sample looped.
The main chord progression is very typical for this kind of music with small variations.
The first half of the song feels like a backing track. There could be some melodic parts to keep the interest.
The rhythm guitar could have accents (power chords or open strings) during the first half rather than plain 8th notes.
In the second half the rhythm part is too loud so it outshines the solo.
The solo part has a 70's vibe to it, like a "Hotel California" type of solo over a pop-song chord progression.
The mix feels a little bit muddy to me (too much low mid frequencies).

05. KukoBass - Clouds Over Herrenhausen

This is like an opening to a budget movie, a small orchestra playing with a hired guitarist.
The sounds in the intro are too quiet compared to the rest of the song.
The bass notes could have more sustain to make them gradually decay from one to another.
It is a bit strange that the whole arrangement is sidechained to the bass drum with an audible "pumping effect".
The flowing water effect could fade out during the main section of the song (and reappear in the outro).
The lead guitar melody seems very familiar, but it may just be playing pentatonic scale.
The song itself feels a bit too long, like two times looped.
The production could be improved in terms of loudness of the different sections.

06. Crosshatched - Pulverized

This song may fit into an indie movie or something similar.
It has a haunting, melancholic atmosphere with a very little sense of resolution.
The vocals do feel like a live performance, a very little processed.
Sometimes I feel like vocals are out of tune, or maybe it is the piano playing dissonant notes.
There could be more dynamics and variations in the voice. The main section is repeated too much and pauses felt like eternity.
I was expecting this song to develop into a full piano performance somewhere in the middle.

07. JanKoekepan - Skygaze

A slowly evolving ambient piece, perhaps even too much.
I can see it was made entirely with HW synths (some of those I would like to have myself). This could be a great live performance video.
There is an element or mystery and uncertainty that is getting a bit resolved closer to the end.
The song sits perfectly in the background. It has a very dreamy and soothing feel after all.
Great synth tones. I feel like the bass drones are associated with thunder and heavy dark clouds.
The song is too quiet. It needs a better mastering I think.

08. The Exponent - Fragments of Hope

A perfect trailer music for a hollywood movie or a game.
In the first part it feels like "calm before the storm" and then the hail falls down the Earth.
It has an atmosphere of mystery and adventure. Perhaps it would fit into a fantasy setting.
Great combination of acoustic and electronic sounds.
Sometimes I hear the clipping on the percussion sounds. The levels could be readjusted.
The overall production is very good.

09. satyatunes - Mysterious Cloud

This piece has a great cinematic feel, a perfect disaster movie opening.
There is an atmosphere of tension and mystery in this track for sure.
The radio speech exaggerates the tensious feeling. Something is going to happen.
The ringing sound could be better fit rhythmically when it appears for the first time.
Sadly, it loses all its energy towards the end. The outro section is a bit too long and there is very little going on there.
The production is pretty acceptable from what I can hear.

10. EsteveCorbera - La Tempesta Ja SA llunya

A peaceful, relaxed ambient piece. Not sure about the "upheaval" theme.
It has a very gentle and soothing atmosphere, like watching a thunderstorm from a safe distance.
I found it good for background listening. Probably a perfect candidate for "rain and thunder sounds for sleeping" YT playlist.
The lead synth melody could develop over time. Switching octaves, modulating to a different key/mode, rhythmic variations etc.
The mix and mastering is good.

Voting:

► Show Spoiler

1. The Exponent - Fragments of Hope
2. Doc Jon - Hey Kid
3. JanKoekepan - Skygaze
4. A Future In Noise - Get a Grip
5. satyatunes - Mysterious Cloud

[The Exponent]

Hey Guys,

It was a very intriguing theme this round and the way people composed with the theme or made adjustments to fit their composition to the theme, was very interesting. Kudos to everyone making an effort and submitting their tunes! As always, everyone has a different lens in how they compose music or how they assess others' work so there's often nothing objectively wrong in that. There is no right or wrong in art!

Personal Reflection/Lessons learnt:

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So, I have fairly decent production skills now(courtesy of the OSC and SWC) and I am fairly comfortable with the production and arrangement aspect of music, atleast by hobbyist standards. However, it has always been my weakness when it comes to more complex movements mostly because I am not musically trained and lack the necessary knowledge. Melodies, rhythms I do fairly intuitively, but harmony not so much. Most of what I make is from intuition and what feels and sounds good to me, drawing inspiration from the music I like listening to. So I often end up making compositionally simple music and try to compensate that with the production aspect.
That's always been the case for my music.

This round made me realize that I should probably focus less on making stuff sound good/well-produced and make it sound 'well-composed'. I probably did not succeed, so I have decided to start learning composition in a more structured and intentional way. Since this is just my hobby, we shall see how this goes!

Subjective/Objective Feedback!

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Arelem - Turbulence
Cool start with rain sounds and the distant guitars (lots of reverb). Lyrics are quite good and fantastic flow with the rapping. Kudos! But the vocals sound quite boxy sound, perhaps this was an intentional artistic choice. The drums and 808s sound good but the other sounds lack clarity and a certain 'crispiness' to them. That's probably because of a lot of reverb, the mix is sounding a bit muddy. The chorus has a nice tone to it with those vocal harmonies, however you could change the pitch or harmonize it differently maybe. Also, it could do with a bit more energy, grit and aggression since you're talking about turbulence here in the chorus (perhaps something like what NF does). The fadeout towards the end seems like an odd way to end this kind of a song, could have ended with the piano over the rain/storm sounds maybe. Overall it's a cool song and the lyrics do speak of an upheaval so it fits well.


A Future in Noise - Get a Grip
I really like your vocals, they have a delicate and passionate feeling to them. The lyrics are also well written, very nice song writing! Your instrumentation is really and harmonies are quite nice. Adding vocal harmonies was a nice touch. Perhaps the guitar solo could have been louder and a bit of balancing the volumes/EQ could improve the separation in the instruments to give them more presence. The final chorus could maybe be a bit louder before the outro. Overall O really enjoyed your composition, this is a very calming song about upheaval. Good job!


Doc Jon - Hey Kid
I think this is the only happy sounding song in this round! I quite liked your vocals, sung and mixed well. The message and intent in the lyrics are lovely, I liked how you utilized the theme of 'upheaval' in your context. The Synth V programming for the chorus is also done quite well. I'm wondering if you could have added your own vocals to it during the final chorus and maybe the ad libs could be a sung with more energy? I can't fault you on the mix, sound design and singing, but the style of the song does sound a bit clichéd and dated. That said, this song makes you feel quite happy and has a feel-good vibe to it, nice job!


Havol - Make Love Not War
Very nice start with the gun sounds and sounds from a war! The chord progression is quite nice as well. The palm mutes on the guitar could have a bit more crunch I feel. Really nice break before the B section! The soloing is nice but could be a bit tighter, there are some minor timing issues with the 3-note phrases towards the end. It's a nice song, but it could sound even cooler with a theme associated with it. Overall a really nice job!


KukoBass - Clouds Over Herrenhausen
Intriguing start! The rain and thunder sounds fit really but there's this water droplet/bubbling sound in there which I find distracting. Lovely marching drums. The small melodic phrases and licks are also nice. I was expecting the energy to ramp-up more in the B section, but it stays relatively the same. With a bit more instrumentation/layering this could sound even more epic! I think this is a really nice effort and you did a nice job.


Crosshatched - Pulverized
It's an interesting piece. I liked the melodic lines and harmonies in this one. With a bit more low-end and reverb to the piano, and the bit of plate reverb on your vocals, this could sound quite ethereal. There are a few issues with the intonation and timing, but I think that rawness and dissonance works in the context of your composition.


Koekepan - Skygaze
Nice tense start with that bass pulse and the arp. The intro is a tad too long, however it really sounds lovely when the deep bass is introduced around 1:30, fantastic sound. The lead has a very shrill sound when the filter is fully open. I understand that you improvised this piece, probably why the lead melodies sound like noodling around. As a piece it's a bit too long and , but is quite characteristic of the ambient 'space music' genre I guess. I feel this could sound amazing as an underscore to a sci-fi/mystery drama maybe. I really like that this has a minimalistic yet mysterious and foreboding quality to it!


VCA-089 - Dark Omen
Really nice intro and the song overall has a very dark and ominous vibe to it which is interesting and fitting to this round. The quite like the A section, it evolves well. The break is nice, also like the key change in the B section. Was expecting more variation there, maybe like a guitar solo, or double-time drums. The guitar programming is overall nice, but the phrasing gets a bit stale after a while since it's the same pattern of notes like 1234 <rest> 1234 over and over again. Metal/rock guitar parts typically have different grouping of notes and rhythms. Interesting outro with the song crossfading into a mad cacophony with those bells, nature sounds, screeches. It's a well produced song you know, however, melodically or rhythmically it was not very exciting for me probably because it lacks a catchy groove/riff/motif/theme. Maybe it's just me, or probably this is your style of composing because I have seen similarities in your previous tracks for OSC and SWC. Perhaps, you could consider composing with more intention and purpose. Overall, you're a terrific producer and as always your sound design and mix is super well done!


SatyaTunes - Mysterious Cloud
Very nice cinematic start! Lovely sound design and layering overall! However, I find the ringing sound to be a bit loud and shrill compared to the other sounds, it sticks out too much and has a certain very annoying high-frequency. I love how the track evolves, the chord progression/harmony keep it very tense and mysterious. Really nice job!


EsteveCorbera - LaTempestaJaSAllunya
I don't have much feedback on this as ambient tracks are quite hard to critique as they are meant to be minimalistic and well... ambient. Mix sounds good and the stereo field is quite nice. For me, it lacks the feeling of an upheaval or maybe it was the calm before the storm? Overall a nice ambient piece!

Ranking (was very hard to determine the order this time):

► Show Spoiler

1. SatyaTunes
2. A Future in Noise
3. VCA-089
4. Arelem
5. Koekepan

Reponses to some questions/feedback:

• @satyatunes The piano is just the LABS piano with a high shelf and low cut. It's a really nice piano!
• @Crosshatched There's actually a fade, bit I wanted it to swell and end abruptly. The last bit of the piano notes swelling was basically the last piano chord rendered and reversed. Maybe the outro could have been a bit longer, but oh well.
• @VCA-089 I did clip the drums a bit manually to make them sound distorted. Trailer hits typically have a bit of distortion. But I agree, they could have been a little quieter.

[KukoBass]

Hello everybody,

I'm having a hard time voting this month because the songs are difficult to compare to each other. Having listened to the songs on repeat for the last days, I discovered a lot of nuances I like but have difficulties to describe. And I'm still not sure about my ranking while I type this, but a ranking has to be made before the end of the deadline.

My experience this month:
The photo inspired me to try something cinematic, but I had trouble keeping it that way. In hindsight, I think I should have stuck with my initial idea.

I began with the rain sample, the deep brass and the deep strings and added the stringy chords on top of that. Somehow the pure cinematic approach did not keep the song interesting enough for me, so I started to set up a classical song structure (ABAB) and a more songlike instrumentation (e-piano, electric guitar, acoustic bass guitar). I thought about adding a C-Part and a more melodic string movement, but I felt the song was long enough as it is.

In terms of production, I feel stuck. I'm afraid I won't make much progress unless I start training my ears to hear what seems so obvious for the others but not for me.

My feedback:
As always, my comments are to be taken with a grain of salt, as they come from a hobby musician's perspective.

► Show Spoiler

A Future in Noise - Get a Grip
The harmonics and the instrumentation remind me of the 60ies, especially songs of the Beatles. Nice and pleasant music despite the ironically serious lyrics. I like the call and response between e-piano and background guitars.
The choir is great. How did you produce that? Did you just record yourself multiple times or did you use effects on the choir voices?
The trumpets / brass fit in nicely, I'm glad you kept them. I love the guitar solo. The solo guitar could be a bit louder and more in the foreground.

Arelem - Turbulence
What a cool song! The vocal effects are great, especially when the vocals widen to the sides in the chorus. I like the strings in the background, they compliment the vocals and the piano well.
Is the sub-bass in key? It sounds a little off to me.
The rain sample is indeed more felt than heard during the song, you managed to use it in a very subtle, unobtrusive way.
The song could maybe use a third part or an instrumental solo, but it would be an addition, not a necessity.

Crosshatched - Pulverized
As the song consists only of piano and voice: I have the impression that piano and voice coexist rather than compliment each other in this song. The piano part sometimes sounds a little random rhythmically and harmonically, sometimes even dissonant to the voice (e.g. at 0:59).
If you only use piano and voice, you might want to use a lower octave with the left hand on piano to give the song a fuller sound.

Doc John - Hey Kid
I'm amazed what is possible to do in Synth V. That said, the first part of the verse rapping does not work for me. It gets better with the second part of the verse, where there are more syllables in the lyrics. Maybe the first part might sound better sung?
The guitar riffs and flute sound in the background of the verse are great, they give the song a light-hearted note.
The fadeout at the ending starts a little sudden; I would start it earlier but slower.
I especially like the bass riffs, not too much, not too little, just right.
Out of curiosity: What preset of Lounge Lizard did you use?

Esteve Corbera - La Tempesta Ja S Allunya
This piece captures nicely the atmosphere after a storm has passed. You can still hear thunder far away, but the sun is already breaking through the clouds. I like it a lot.
The arps in the background could be a little louder.
I'm unsure if the main synthesizer sound is a good choice for the song: On one hand it reminds me of Jean-Michel Jarre and other "classical" synthesizer artists; on the other hand I think a more "natural", less "muted" instrument could have fitted well into the song (guitar, brass, string).

Havol - Make Love Not War
Good song, but it sounds a little repetitive. It sounds a little like everything is repeated exactly 2 times, then another 2 times with a little variation before the next part begins. The parts I like the best are the parts where the rhythm changes a little, like around 2:29 - 2:46 and the epic sounding guitar solo. Which Neural DSP plugins / settings did you use?
The mix and the overall sound are very well balanced in my opinion.

Koekepan - Skygaze
A very cool song that reminds me of Jean-Michel Jarre, early Pink Floyd or the music on "Space Night" (a german TV show with ambient background music and pictures of the earth from space). It feels like it is slowly evolving, though there are not many additions in instrumentation over time. I have to admit that my mind starts to drift away from the song after about 5 minutes listening, but it is a pleasant experience. The beat reminds me of a heartbeat and calms me down.

satyatunes - Mysterious Cloud
A very cinematic soundscape. I like the voices in the background, the evolving synth sounds, the sound effects, only the bell-ringing (from ca. 0:45 on) is a little too annoying. The choir compliments the synth sounds very well. I like your use of the stereo field, some sounds with their fixed place in space, some sounds moving along with the music.
You nailed what I intentionally had in mind: A very cinematic piece.

The Exponent - Fragments of Hope
The first part is the calm before the storm: Though all sounds beautiful and calm, a certain tension is already in the air. The drums and the flute sound and the choir sound almost a little medieval.
The second part is very dynamic and sounds epic.
The mix sounds well-balanced to me, I would not know what to improve.

VCA-089 - Dark Omen
The dark and dynamic song reminds me more of a club night than clouds over an open field, but it would work well on an open air festival. When the guitar part around 0:46 starts, the song gets Darkwave-vibes.
The part I like the most are the epic sounding guitars and the various drum parts. You are a true master of virtual guitar.
The ending seems a little long to me, though I like that the song is echoed behind the swooshes.

My ranking from 1-5:
As said before, it was very difficult to get a ranking. At last, I preferred the cinematic pieces over the "classic" songs.

► Show Spoiler

1. satyatunes - Mysterious Cloud
2. Koekepan - Skygaze
3. The Exponent - Fragments of Hope
4. Esteve Corbera - La Tempesta Ja S Allunya
5. A Future in Noise - Get a Grip

[Mister Fox]

It's the 01st September 2023, 22:45 (UTC+2/CEST) still - and it looks like, everyone has already posted their feedback and cast a vote. That means, the Voting Period has officially ended.

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[A Future in Noise]

The choir is great. How did you produce that?

It's me who sings two voices. (Or should I use the word 'parts'? I'm pretty sure 'Stimmen' is the correct word in German.) Then I used Elastique to raise both voices/Stimmen an octave (ie: I sang the first two parts one more time, before raising an octave, to create a more natural variation). A lot of EQ, panning, and then chorus-FX. Normally, no one is fooled by a man's voice raised 12 semitones – no one's gonna think it's a woman singing. But I've created a choir this way before, and it apparently seems to work.

[KukoBass]

It's me who sings two voices. (Or should I use the word 'parts'? I'm pretty sure 'Stimmen' is the correct word in German.) Then I used Elastique to raise both voices/Stimmen an octave (ie: I sang the first two parts one more time, before raising an octave, to create a more natural variation). A lot of EQ, panning, and then chours-FX. Normally, no one is fooled by a man's voice raised 12 semitones – no one's gonna think it's a woman singing. But I've created a choir this way before, and it apparently seems to work.

It works really well in my opinion; it sounds like there are many more voices than there really are.
I'll try this technique for sure. Thank you for your answer!