SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC028 December 2019 - Winners announced

[Thelace43]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-ZU0WN ... p=drivesdk

I hope I'm not too late.. Gotta run to the store, I'll be back to add some thoughts. Thanks!

Some starry day we'll fall away
Once traveled through all the ages
It's all we took: a hardcover book
No title that needs display
Just pictures on the pages

Some sunny night we'll see no light
Swept under the ocean foam sound
And never see how far we bleed
Like skeletons dropping bones
Not knowing where to go now

There will come a time in that book we bind
Where the pages end on a fire sign

And the record sent as a golden friend
It will find it's way to a molten end

Can we take it slowly while the wind ain't blowy?
If I die before you, you're the one and only

Will I see you wonder why you're sinking under?
When the lightning strikes me, will you hear the thunder?

Some people say we're in a play
What happened to all the stages?
It's all we took, no need to look;
There's nothing they wrote to say
Just pictures on the pages
----------------

Thoughts: I mentioned in a previous post that I wrote a loose verse of this about 4 years ago, but it has been on the shelf until this challenge inspired me to pick it up again, and turn it towards the topic at hand.

After finishing it, I figured out an artsy-fartsy way to put it:
Act1: Contemplating the end
Act2: Realizing the end
Act3: Accepting the end

I don't appreciate songs being explained too much, and I like to leave them in the dark, but since I wrote this as a challenge, here is what I made of it:

The song tells a story, as much as a song can without sounding like one. It is sprinkled with metaphors and imagery, but the underlying concepts are: there is nothing to go on after civilazion has collapsed, because nothing was left behind, and/or there was no way to figure anything out because after only a few generations, illiteracy became inevitable. Eventually, it becomes only two people, (as far as they know) whether they be lovers, friends, or parent and child. There is speculation on the cause of the end, but no mater what, nature always has the ruling hand; "*WHEN* the lightning strikes me, will you hear the thunder?" (Or will I be the last one?)

The "record sent as a golden friend" is a reference to the Voyager spacecraft that was sent with a golden plaque, that attempted to explain our existence to any intelligent life that may come across it, and includes a recording of the sounds of earth, including nature and music. Sadly, it is quite possibly a message in a bottle that is extremely unlikely to ever be found, and will find it's demise in the pull of a star or black hole many many millions of years from now.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record

It's kinda sad : )

[Thelace43]

Hmm.. I think I'm too late. I had midnight in my mind, but I'm in Florida, US. I wanted to add some bass, but didn't have a chance. All is well!

EDIT: oh I see, looks like I made it after all. I don't think I will be able to get a bass guitar in there, but I feel like the piano's bass line makes it work just fine.

[Mister Fox]

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

[A Future in Noise]

If I collaborate with somebody else - if somebody else than me do the vocals, for example - is it required that that person is a member of this forum?

[donkey tugger]

Ere we go, woe,autoritarian populism, and ecological collapse, accompanied by lots of 12 string action...

http://www.bennyleeds7.myfreeola.uk/swc ... mpires.mp3

The seeds of destruction;

Lindo Zodiac 12 string acoustic guitar
Gear4Music 12 string acoustic guitar
Epiphone 6 string acoustic guitar
Addictive Drums Boutique Mallets
GForce Minimonsta
Kotankt factory strings
Tambourine drone from Sampletank 2
FL Studio Flex strings
Shaker loop from Musicradar
The crooning

The whinging bizzle;

And the green it turns to red
And brown and fades to dust
And the end, it will come
All colours they will rust

Days fade like empires
Floating to the ground

And the rain, it will fall
Over and over again
And the hail, hits you now
Hits you hard
Blistering your skin
All things must end
All things begin
And Again
And again

Days fall like empires
Floating to the ground
Floating to the ground

Days fall like empires
Months burn like wild fires
Days fall like empires
False kings are crowned
Days fall like empires

And the green it turns to brown

[Mister Fox]

If I collaborate with somebody else - if somebody else than me do the vocals, for example - is it required that that person is a member of this forum?

Of course not. You are the main songwriter, it is your production. No problem.

[A Future in Noise]

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Q5FaW ... tsj_TVxVfC

Singer and composer (music, lyrics): myself Second singer/Backing vocals: Anastasia Hellqvist

Real instrument: Guitar Cort AD 810 Software: ZynAddSubFx, NI Kontakt Player Jazz Organ and Rock Guitar, Dumsamples from GSCW imported to Shortcircuit softsampler. Reverb: My old internal soundcard E-MU 0404 PCI.

Lyrics (Swedish):

I råa kalla natten
ett anrop eller ej?
en tanke ville hitta hem

Det tarvas en förklaring
men finns det några svar?
hur skapar vi en rättvis värld?

Jag tror han var försupen
i skuggan av något dåd
kryckor och en ryggsäck
på väg mot ett tåg
- hans sjunde våg

I någon sjunde himmel
vad kan det finnas där?
en lugn vrå för en prövad själ?

Det tarvas en förklaring
men finns det några svar
hur skapar vi en rättvis värld?

Den kanske var förlupen
den kulan som halvt tog kål
på en optimistisk
ung man utan mål
- hans enda mål

It’s impossible to translate lyrics, so this is a Google translation, except for a few words (I had to remove the word cabbage, for example).

In the raw cold night
a call or not?
a thought wanted to find home

An explanation is required
but are there are any answers?
how do we create a fair world?

I think he was intoxicated
in the shadow of some deed
crutches and a backpack on the way to a train
- his seventh wave

In some seventh heaven
what can be there?
a quiet corner for a tested soul?

An explanation is required
but are there are any answers?
how do we create a fair world?

Maybe it was a stray bullet
that almost crushed
an optimistic young man without a goal
- his only goal

[Mister Fox]

Since I'm not quit certain if there is a time difference between Sweden and Germany I post my entry now, three minutes before eleven (or twelve?).

If any of you is unsure whether or not you're still within in the deadlines, we do have a Global Countdown for that purpose. Also, the World Clock at the index of the forum.

https://mix-challenge.com/pages/challen ... ntdown.php

[A Future in Noise]

If any of you is unsure whether or not you're still withing in the deadlines, we do have a Global Countdown for that purpose. Also, the World Clock at the index of the forum.

https://mix-challenge.com/pages/challen ... ntdown.php

That's good!

[Mister Fox]

It is the 25th December 2019, 2:45am GMT+1/CET - this month's Songwriting Competition has official ended

Very happy holidays to everyone. It is great to see some old cats back in the game - although the participation is still fairly low.

We had 6 participants overall, which is 0 entries more/less compared to last month (6 entries), 0 more/less compared to last year (6 entries).
The "staff balancing vote" add-on rule does not apply
"Sole Winners Podium" rule (equal or less than seven participants results in a single winner) does apply. (1-position Winners Podium)

There were no productions submitted after the deadline.
No (number: 0) entry has been disqualified
No (number: 0) entry has been redacted



How do we go from there?

Over the course of the next (hopefully) 24-48 hours, I'll gather all links into one post and hot-link to that from the first post of the thread. So please, check your links again. Mistakes and hiccups do happen on the internet. We then perform with the "public vote" system.


We have 6 participants. That means that each participant can vote for 5 tracks, the staff will notcast a balance vote.

Keep in mind of the overhaul of the Rules and Guidelines. As long as we're not exceeding 20 participants, let's give feedback to all participants and(!) cast your vote for all of them.

The Top 20 list (or in this case, your top 5) can look something like this:

01 (10 pts) - Mr Moon
02 (9 pts) - Mr Sun
03 (8 pts) - Mrs Venus
04 (7 pts) - Mr Mars and his companions
05 (6 pts) - Mr Hale-Bopp
06 (5 pts) - The Rings of Saturn
07 (4 pts) - ...

How your voting could look like, please take a look at these posts (sans the technical information):
viewtopic.php?p=2311#p2311
viewtopic.php?p=2478#p2478
viewtopic.php?p=2819#p2819
viewtopic.php?p=3522#p3522

It is also recommended to cast your vote in collective form through the "Spoiler" tag:

Code: Select all

[spoil]01 participant
02 participant
03 participant[/spoil]

Please use the forum username of the participant to make it easier during the score collection to address what vote belongs to whom.



Please also take note of the Rules and Guidelines (on giving feedback (mandatory for all participants, failing to do so results in a disqualification). Also, you can score an extra point for your given feedback, if you're giving hints how one could improve their production (new game mechanic, please check the rule book)

Feedback from non-participants is highly encouraged (voting not needed!). The same goes for entries after the deadline, or those that do sadly not count for the current running game. Musicians and Engineers are always after constructive criticism. This is what this forum is about.



Have some general feedback? Please voice your feedback/opinion/concerns here:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=97

Please also join the poll on future Songwriting Competitions:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=300



Please have an eye on this thread!