1) My Top Five Votes (most points to least points):
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1) Strange
2) Mark Fey
3) Arelem
4) toadhjo
5) A Future in Noise
2) Mark Fey
3) Arelem
4) toadhjo
5) A Future in Noise
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I am going to cover all participants in my feedback, however as I am not very immersed in electronic music or its production, some of my feedback for those genres may not really make sense to enthusiasts or creators that operate in that space.
Aralem "Fast Life"
I get nerd core rap / MC Chris vibes from this production. I really like it. Lyrical work is solid and you have a really good feel for using syllable accent patterns to push/pull and keep rhyme schemes sounding interesting. Personally, I could go for some variation in the vocal effects and I think the chorus could use something to stand out lyrically like a "hype man" backup or a vocal melody of some type, maybe?
Strange "Was wenn die Menscheit nicht merkt was sie macht"
This song would sound right at home from an opener on a Flogging Molly tour. I love the acoustic intro and then the sudden hit. My ear wants a counterpoint to the descending chorus melody motif; maybe some "oh oh ohs" or the same lyrics in an ascending melody line in background vocals? Lastly, I feel like there is a little swing to the intro that is lost when the full band comes in - my ear wants a little swing to this song to give the audience a little more bounce or sway to dance to. I would do this using the bass guitar - maybe even an oompah style VI / I line with a swing? This is certainly the choice of the writer/arranger so I hope I am not out of line saying this.
Mark Fey "Breathless"
I love the melody motif. This has a very "gearing up for the big cataclysm" feel to it and for me this is something I would expect to hear in a video game or movie. I almost expect "Refused" to start screaming over it ala Cyberpunk 2077. Motif variations moving through the song do a great job keeping it interesting and building anticipation. I think this is the sort of thing that Music Supervisors would love to see submitted for gritty action/drama type projects. Seriously cool composition.
Esteve Corbera "Homentage a TD"
I am a sucker for the time feel change when the percussion comes in. I love music with interesting rhythmic sensibilities. I like how the melody almost feels a bit rushed against the ethereal background. I do want a bit more variation in the melody motif as the song progresses.
JeroenZuiderwijk "ik voel me gehaast"
As I said earlier, I love the truncated measures (switch to 2/4 before chorus). Lyrics feel properly rushed, almost Busta Rhymes style. From a production perspective, I'd say the synth pads are a bit abrasive sounding, and I'd like to hear the vocal a little more upfront or present in the mix. Cool song, I like the combination of styles.
juhu "Time's Up!"
This is where I step well outside my experience so I may be speaking out of turn here. While the dissonant chord choices and syncopated placement drive a good degree of tension, there is no resolution or other development for too long. When I get to 1:30 my ears really want the chords to collapse into a more coherent progression and a melody to come in, like I've been waiting for a chorus or something. By the time the melody is finally introduced it feels almost jarring (instead of developed.) and the production doesn't play up the melody with stronger and more focused instrumentation. I really like the percussion work on this piece, and this may be a genre where my feedback doesn't make sense so I hope it is constructive.
toadhjo "Time (Flowing Over Me)"
This is a really vibey, cool song. From a composition standpoint, I'd say try to avoid simile where possible, as it really pulls a listener out of an otherwise beautiful landscape that you've created in their mind. I absolutely love the omission of the last word of the chorus (which is presumably "end" but we can't know!).
From a production standpoint, I think the vocals are buried but this is one of those "a half dB can make a huge difference" situations depending on your signal chain and such. At 1:38 I think you've done a great job of building this anticipation but instead of feeling "big" or "cathartic" the chorus feels "busy" or "crowded." I think your choice of harmonies are part of this but introduction of a big stereo synth pad (I mean, of course I would say big distorted guitars but I don't think that fits this piece LOL) would also help. Just mind the stereo sound stage or it will get even busier.
To follow up specifically on the bass guitar, I would say that in this song it feels too on/off or disjointed. I love the little accent runs and such but I think this song would be served by simply playing the root note more often to really play up the pulse (like you do around 50sec). You can then start playing with sidechain compression to get the kick and bass really pumping with each other and get an even stronger throbbing pulse feel. My mind goes to Big Audio Dynamite or other British dance pop from the 80s and 90s.
A Future in Noise "The Ivory Tower"
I love the breathing intro and the crazy authentic 80s pop vibe. The arrangement feels more authentic than a lot of the "alternative rock" type music produced here in the US today that is trying to do 80s throwback but just sounds cheap and derivative. This feels like an earnest homage. That said, to that end I think the lead guitar needs to be more present and "searing" and the synth brass could stand to be swapped for a saxophone. I would also love to hear the classic "bomb toms" in the drums around the 2min mark when you come out of the bridge. I wouldn't say no to a reverse gated reverb on the snare, either! Cool song and very well performed.
Aralem "Fast Life"
I get nerd core rap / MC Chris vibes from this production. I really like it. Lyrical work is solid and you have a really good feel for using syllable accent patterns to push/pull and keep rhyme schemes sounding interesting. Personally, I could go for some variation in the vocal effects and I think the chorus could use something to stand out lyrically like a "hype man" backup or a vocal melody of some type, maybe?
Strange "Was wenn die Menscheit nicht merkt was sie macht"
This song would sound right at home from an opener on a Flogging Molly tour. I love the acoustic intro and then the sudden hit. My ear wants a counterpoint to the descending chorus melody motif; maybe some "oh oh ohs" or the same lyrics in an ascending melody line in background vocals? Lastly, I feel like there is a little swing to the intro that is lost when the full band comes in - my ear wants a little swing to this song to give the audience a little more bounce or sway to dance to. I would do this using the bass guitar - maybe even an oompah style VI / I line with a swing? This is certainly the choice of the writer/arranger so I hope I am not out of line saying this.
Mark Fey "Breathless"
I love the melody motif. This has a very "gearing up for the big cataclysm" feel to it and for me this is something I would expect to hear in a video game or movie. I almost expect "Refused" to start screaming over it ala Cyberpunk 2077. Motif variations moving through the song do a great job keeping it interesting and building anticipation. I think this is the sort of thing that Music Supervisors would love to see submitted for gritty action/drama type projects. Seriously cool composition.
Esteve Corbera "Homentage a TD"
I am a sucker for the time feel change when the percussion comes in. I love music with interesting rhythmic sensibilities. I like how the melody almost feels a bit rushed against the ethereal background. I do want a bit more variation in the melody motif as the song progresses.
JeroenZuiderwijk "ik voel me gehaast"
As I said earlier, I love the truncated measures (switch to 2/4 before chorus). Lyrics feel properly rushed, almost Busta Rhymes style. From a production perspective, I'd say the synth pads are a bit abrasive sounding, and I'd like to hear the vocal a little more upfront or present in the mix. Cool song, I like the combination of styles.
juhu "Time's Up!"
This is where I step well outside my experience so I may be speaking out of turn here. While the dissonant chord choices and syncopated placement drive a good degree of tension, there is no resolution or other development for too long. When I get to 1:30 my ears really want the chords to collapse into a more coherent progression and a melody to come in, like I've been waiting for a chorus or something. By the time the melody is finally introduced it feels almost jarring (instead of developed.) and the production doesn't play up the melody with stronger and more focused instrumentation. I really like the percussion work on this piece, and this may be a genre where my feedback doesn't make sense so I hope it is constructive.
toadhjo "Time (Flowing Over Me)"
This is a really vibey, cool song. From a composition standpoint, I'd say try to avoid simile where possible, as it really pulls a listener out of an otherwise beautiful landscape that you've created in their mind. I absolutely love the omission of the last word of the chorus (which is presumably "end" but we can't know!).
From a production standpoint, I think the vocals are buried but this is one of those "a half dB can make a huge difference" situations depending on your signal chain and such. At 1:38 I think you've done a great job of building this anticipation but instead of feeling "big" or "cathartic" the chorus feels "busy" or "crowded." I think your choice of harmonies are part of this but introduction of a big stereo synth pad (I mean, of course I would say big distorted guitars but I don't think that fits this piece LOL) would also help. Just mind the stereo sound stage or it will get even busier.
To follow up specifically on the bass guitar, I would say that in this song it feels too on/off or disjointed. I love the little accent runs and such but I think this song would be served by simply playing the root note more often to really play up the pulse (like you do around 50sec). You can then start playing with sidechain compression to get the kick and bass really pumping with each other and get an even stronger throbbing pulse feel. My mind goes to Big Audio Dynamite or other British dance pop from the 80s and 90s.
A Future in Noise "The Ivory Tower"
I love the breathing intro and the crazy authentic 80s pop vibe. The arrangement feels more authentic than a lot of the "alternative rock" type music produced here in the US today that is trying to do 80s throwback but just sounds cheap and derivative. This feels like an earnest homage. That said, to that end I think the lead guitar needs to be more present and "searing" and the synth brass could stand to be swapped for a saxophone. I would also love to hear the classic "bomb toms" in the drums around the 2min mark when you come out of the bridge. I wouldn't say no to a reverse gated reverb on the snare, either! Cool song and very well performed.
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When I sit down to write a song, the easiest part is always the chord progressions, guitar riffs, and the overall format (A/B/A/C or whatever) and to write melody is usually simple as I just start humming or singing nonsense words over the song and it usually takes very little time to shape up. However, the lyrics are always my Achille's heel. This contest forced me to make lyrical decisions on a pace that is unusually fast for me, and I think it is something I need to take back and apply to my process every time.
Some of the entries were pretty far outside the types of music I listen to and honestly I think I need to branch out a bit more just to get a feel for what is out there. You never know when the synthesis of ideas can create something greater and I'm doing myself a disservice by not exploring more.
Some of the entries were pretty far outside the types of music I listen to and honestly I think I need to branch out a bit more just to get a feel for what is out there. You never know when the synthesis of ideas can create something greater and I'm doing myself a disservice by not exploring more.
haha