SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC077 January 2024 - Winners announced

[JeroenZuiderwijk]

Hi everybody.

The community scramble is much fun. To hear what everybody came up with using the same samples. For me a great learning experience to use 'Vital' with samples as imput to create sounds that don't sound anything like the sample that triggered it. Very cool.

My feedback you find here:

► Show Spoiler

Crispy (1)
The flow is great. Dubstep-like beats and bass. It all fits together nice. I personaly do miss some melody but other then that….great track!

API_ZZ (5)
The sounds are very good. The soundscape vibe mixed with the melody and tension build-up makes it interesting to listen to. It has something classical with a modern vibe. Songwise I would have liked some structure but the combination of sounds are nice enough to keep it interesting. Good one.

Megasaltsweet (3)
The introduction of the song starts nice. But it takes a bit too long before I have a felling the song really starts. The drum build up could be a bit shorter. With this kick you could try and play this in the club I enjoyed listening to his track, I think it sounds professional.

VCA-089
Lots of risers / tension builders and creative rythmic use of the samples. At 1.40m the ’80 s synth comes in. That feels a bit chaotic for my taste, could bet he sound of the synth. I think there is lots of energy in this track. At 3.00 it feels like everything comes together nicely.

Esteve Corbera (4)
Big and epic. The drums in combination with the chords and the ‘bridge’ at 1.47 makes this a great compositon. The transition to 2.15 could be a bit more smooth. But only because the flow of the rest of the track is so nice. I also like the ending.

Scotfitz
I like the rythm. But the needs more to keep me interested. It feels like it is nog comming loose…like the song is waiting on something. and I was surprised when the song was over and I was still waiting for something to start.

1ktone (2)
This sounds cool. Random sounds but with structure. Reminds me of the Gorillaz with that vocal. Without the vocal this would be just random chaos now this sounds like it is meant to sound like this. Very creative…

Mellow Brown
The elements are all there and cool but but at 2.48 this song really starts to shine. That could be something like a chorus of the song. But the song would be more interesting if this vibe didn’t appear only at the end of the song. The part before that misses some structure. It has all the elements but only when they come together there is a chemistry in my opinion. .
--------------------------
A future in noise
I hear what you are aiming at. The beginning is there but the cheap old casio sound is maybe not the best sound to build a track around. Maybe try another sound and see where that leads to….create a simple beat and bassline and see if that takes this idea a bit further.

and my personal top 5:

1 Crispy
2 1ktone
3 Megasaltsweet
4 Esteve Corbera
5 Api_ZZ

[Mellow Browne]

This month I learned the importance of saturation/distortion for drum sounds and bass to make them cut through the mix and to have a certain punch. I think I will be more creative the next time for composing and writing music, there were some good examples this month of breaking the song structure „rules“.

I struggled a bit with the feedback because it was hard to judge anything because the genre was free to select. I tried my best, and please don’t take it personal, this is only my opinion and has nothing to do with the quality of your music.

Crispy
I like the vibe and the overall concept of this track, the sounds you used and processed fit well together. Many little details to discover and the automation is just crazy here, I really like it. Even though the „musicality“ is rather simple it was entertaining and you could also give it slight oriental touch.
The mix is good for the most part, I just find the kick a little bit weak and small compared to the rest, it’s buried in the sound stage too much, would love to hear more thump down there. I think it could be improved with gain staging, just rebalancing all faders a bit. I like that the synth bass has so much reverb.
I think this is some creative work you’ve done here. Good job!

APi_ZZ
This entry has many different parts and the mood changes constantly, I enjoy this. This entry covers different emotions and tells a story. Very creative. The sounds are rather simple but still effective.
The mix is good for most elements, only this wide zapping sound at the beginning has some phase issues, it’s not audible in mono.

1ktone
I describe it as wild and crazy, but in a good way. Very experimental, minimalistic and entertaining. I like the different parts and this 12 bars structure and that it has vocals with cool fx, although I cannot understand them. Still, they give it that extra touch. The only thing I would change is the break in the middle, I think it’s a little bit too long.

msgsaltsweet
If I remember correct this was a „techno tune“ but I got to be honest I forgot the main idea. This entry is over 10:00 min long, which is a pity, I’m sure it would be possible to shorten it by a good amount. 10:00 + min is definitely too long.


Esteve corbera
This entry slowly builds up and sounds like music for a video game to me at 01:00. I think up to 01:30 it works but after that the track gets very busy and so many sounds happen at the same time. This piano playing over the sustained pad chords is a bit too much for my taste and I struggle to follow the idea. A little variation with the pulsating one note bass and the hard hitting kick and this track would have a little more moments to „breathe“.

JeroenZuiderwijk
I first thought this would be some hard core or deep stuff, but then it became high energy music, what a cool turn. I like this style. The sounds work well together and it sounds like music for a video game, it reminds of „sonic the hedgehog“ or similar styles.
The mix is very busy and I can hear some slight distortion. I think you limited/clipped/distorted/ a bit too much somewhere, your Max Peak is at -4.5. I think your mix could benefit from some gain rebalancing and bass management.


VCA-089
This is really cool, I like the retro style and the different parts, this as a real adventure. The transitions are smooth and switch from one section to another very well. The only thing I have to complain about is the mix which sounds a bit dull with a rather small sound stage. I find the drums too wet compared to the rest and all other instruments (especially the lead in the 2nd section) stand out too much. Also, there is something metallic over the sound but I can’t tell what it is.

Scottfitz
A very atmospheric and relaxing entry. It reminds me of mountains and nature. This is something for meditation. But after 02:00 it gets a bit repetitive, no new elements coming in and it starts to sound like a loop. I think you could have made more out of it from a musical point. It sounds like there is something missing to make it come to life.
Something in your low end below 40 Hz is really heavy and rumbles a bit uncontrolled in the background, it took me a moment to realise that this was not my neighbour stomping with the feet. I can hear some sort of pumping effect and some distortion and I’m not sure if I like that. I think that low kick sound causes the compressor to pump too much.

Here is my top 5:

► Show Spoiler

1st VCA-089
2nd 1ktone
3rd Crispy
4th Api_zz
5th JeroenZuiderwijk

[EsteveCorbera]

Good night,

Guys, what good works you have achieved this time. This time many of us decided to do something quite experimental. There is also a very good treatment of sounds provided. In some cases it is surprising and all.

This also helped me to learn how to manipulate the sound a lot to get what I really wanted. In the case of Kick, I am quite satisfied, because I worked on it a lot and in the end I liked the way it turned out. Or modify sounds by forcing a pitch change.
I've also learned how to integrate multiple layers of beats, some made by hand and others using tools that provide you with beats.

Thanks.

I will give you some brief comments.


CRISPY - SUBJECT 77
Very original theme. With a great job at the sound level. Very well used all the sound effects you have incorporated. It's a very good experiment. For my taste, it would lack a more melodic part, which you could assimilate better. The sounds are quite aggressive, but I guess that was the intention. good mix

Api_ZZ - ScrambledSambles
It's also an interesting experiment. The first time I listened to it, it confused me a little. It seems to me a theme made of several parts stuck together. He did not find a clear meaning. But as you listen to it more times, I've been hooked. It would serve as a great soundtrack. From minute 2:30 I really like it. Well done indeed.

MSGsaltsweet - TomatoEP(v6)
A spectacular theme. Very well worked. Very long, really very long, but it doesn't get tiring at all. But as a comment on things to improve, I might say that some of the sections are a bit too long.
A great discovery. Also very good mix from my humble point of view. Magistrate

JeroenZuiderwijk - WhatsInAName
You also do a great job handling the samples provided.
The three sections of the middle part, despite being different, are very well integrated.
I like the melody that starts at minute 1:30.
Small criticism, but it may also be a matter of taste, the kick percussion is perhaps too reverberant. I would have made it a little drier.

VCA-089 - MEDS
Very good sound effects, very well done. I love the 70s type sound. I also like the structure, these 4 parts and not having chosen a more typical structure.
Nice synth solo. I like the transitions from one part to another.
I couldn't tell you what to improve or modify. I like it as it is.
Congratulations.
You and I think we agree on musical tastes.

Scottfitz - Nyamuragira
I closed my eyes and listened to your theme.
The sound is well worked. Something happens in the low frequencies, a pumping that doesn't quite tie in with the subject. The rest of the sound environment is fine.
The subject lacks something, it promises but in the end falls short. Some more variation is needed.

1Ktone - Information
The beginning of your topic looks like a dialogue between two computers from the beginning of time. Amazing theme, very original. The voices suit him very well, they remind me of Vangelis' 'See you later'.
In the end, maybe so much repetition gets a little tiring.
But it's a good experiment.

MellowBrowne - FromNothingToSomething
Very promising start. Start and stop, start and stop. Very original. Then you break with this beginning and take more conventional paths (which is not bad). Good rhythms and good work with the sounds. Right mix.

AfutureInNoise – Remains (WIP)
Wow, I had the feeling of baroque music, with synthesizers!! (Switched-On Bach ???). The sounds aren't quite right yet. The melodic idea and the chords are not bad, but the instruments need to be improved.

(translated with google, sorry for the imperfections that the translation may contain)

Thanks.

► Show Spoiler

01 VCA-089
02 msgsaltsweet
03 JeroenZuiderwijk
04 scottfitz
05 APi_ZZ

[1ktone]

Hi everyone,

What an interesting round of creations. It is a pleasure to listen to all the tracks.

My discovery this round is not necessarily about being reminded about how much I love samplers. I really do love samplers and sampling. There is a magic in the process that always gives me a sense of something wonderful at the other end.

The real discovery is that I realised that I can create something without feeling the need to feel accepted for what I am doing. Historically the creation process for me has been such a process of mental contortions that putting material out for public consumption has always been challenging to me. To such a degree that it’s only been in the last couple of years that I have been putting anything out at all. I believe I might have finally passed that threshold during this round of the competition.


feedback:

Last month was the first time that I had participated in this forum’s songwriting competition. It was an insightful and valuable experience. I found the feedback I received to be really useful. This month I have taken the approach to my feedback that if I was presented with the piece as a producer what would I do (if anything) to add to the piece. I think this approach is valuable and can be helpful. I hope that that what I have written is helpful in some way.


Crispy “Subject 77”
Great start to the competition round. Has a nice funky feel. Great sound effects. If I had to find that extra improvement it would be to create a break away from the theme hook either maybe around 2:20 or 2:40 just a little bit of surprise without the hook and then come back in. Length of that would depend on the feel, but I think it would give the theme a little more impact.

API_ZZ. “Scrambled Sambles”
The start was great - loved the use of Albert (of course I would). The panning and general effect of the samples worked well. There is a lot going on here. If I was tasked with the job of tweaking it I would maybe look for a little more cohesiveness with the arrangement. It almost feels like an amalgamation of 6 different tracks. I got a little lost in the direction. But, maybe that was the point.

JeroenZulderwijk “What’s In A Name”
Nice percussion sounds. Good melody. I would look at how the synths are sitting together. I was losing the impact of the melody at times inside the pads. Overall it was nice and direct and to the point.

VCA-089 “MEDS”
This is a very well developed track. It sounds good, has a good dimension in the mix and takes one on a bit of a journey into another space and time. The only thing I wished for is that the end wasn’t so abrupt. Seemed like it was cut off rather than finishing in a nice way. As far as composition goes it sounds complete.

EsteveCorbera “Ritmes Experimentals”
At first this took me into 80’s synth land and then it gave me the feeling of being further back in the land of Willy Wonker machines. I think in general the parts are there. If I was placing my hands on this I would maybe give the break with the piano part a little more contrast and definition somehow and merge the kick in a little to get more of a cohesive machine sound going with all the parts.

scottfitz “Nyamuragira”
The intro is promising. The idea of space is there. It promises a journey and then stops before we really get going. My idea would be to work the kick sound and bottom end a little more as I think that kick sound might be just a little too upfront or too woofy or something and then work the atmospherics in more. There are some really good parts in there that just need a little massaging. I can see the landscape emerging and I was ready to go trecking. The snare type sound was spot on.

Mellow Browne “From Nothing To Something”
Nice bottom end. It was a stand out in this round for that. Nice track really. I don’t think there is much I can add to this. Has a nice feel and feels complete. I was wondering what would happen if one played with the bass at the stop section - just how it comes back in. Maybe high pass filtered on the first note or two back in (it could be an interesting effect just to wake up the listener at that point - something unexpected)

msgsaltsweet “Tomato EP”
I wish you could have made a radio edit for the comp. From memory I thought that this was a cool track. There were some great bits of sound work in here and I believe you could have created something we could have voted for.

A Future in Noise “Remains”
I know this was withdrawn from the competition. It is a nice piece in it’s own right. Quite the contrast to where the rest of the entries went to and I think that is a good thing.


Votes:

► Show Spoiler

1. Mellow Browne “From Nothing To Something”
2. VCA-089 “MEDS”
3. Crispy “Subject 77”
4. EsteveCorbera “Ritmes Experimentals”
5. API_ZZ “Scrambled Sambles”

[Mister Fox]

Unfortunately, the entry by @msgsaltsweet somehow vanished from SoundCloud.

Thankfully I made a backup, uploaded a "Mirror" file in FLAC format and provided that link in post #033. Due to this, I can give each participant the same fair chances regarding receiving feedback.


Please remember:
participating in the voting / feedback process is mandatory. Bar minimum, 5 entries that stood out to you (can be different from your top 5 votes). This is the only criteria for a possible disqualification. Please don't just abandon the game.

There are still over 36 hours left on the clock.
So far there has been feedback by 5 entrants.

[VCA-089]

Another community scramble exercise of creating something from barely nothing. To me it was a great time to practice composition, bringing ideas from my head the right way. The strict sound set forces you to think rather than frantically switching presets on your synth plugins to find the right sound. The only right sound is that you create yourself.

I was hoping to see more entries this round. I know that this challenge is quite specific, but I remember a much more diverse pallet of sounds last year. Still we have some interesting sounding entries...

My feedback:

► Show Spoiler

1. CRISPY - SUBJECT 77 B

An example of old school hip-hop with a lot of abstract sound effects.
There are a lot of great sound design elements in this track. They do feel a bit like a rando mess at times, but still they fit together pretty well.
The main beat is very catchy and groovy. However, it's getting pretty repetitive after a while.
The main idea of the track is good, but there isn't enough development. The track feels too long and basically repeats itself twice.
The production and mix is very good.

2. APi_ZZ - ScrambledSambles

This entry feels pretty rough to me. Like someone just shared the very first hours of their experimentations.
Most of the sounds are very dry. They don't really fit together, like they are from different worlds. Some of the sounds even don't fit the main tempo which is a bit distracting.
The track feels very random and lacks direction.

3. MSGsaltsweet - TomatoEP(v6)

Perhaps this is the longest submission I've ever listened to. A good concept of a minimal techno EP. There are some good catchy moments in this one. Very interesting set of sounds and the original quality of the samples is barely noticeable. It still feels like a collection of drafts though. It lacks the feeling of direction. There are sections where you feel growing tension and intrigue, but then it just blends to another one with a completely different mood. The "EP" ends abruptly on the quite interesting tune. The production and mix is still quite good.

4. JeroenZuiderwijk - ???

This track has a gritty synthetic aesthetic. Great bass tones. Almost feels like a sound from a retro gaming console.
The "tank" sample was put to good use in this track. However, the birds that present in the sample don't really fit into it.
The melodic ideas are a bit rudimentary to me, like simple AI generated patterns.
The track is pretty short and ends a little abruptly. Feels like an unfinished draft overall.
The production and mix is pretty good.

5. EsteveCorbera - Ritmes Experimentals

The atmosphere in this song feels to me like a fantasy indie game soundtrack.
It has a feeling of tension and intrigue, like we are moving somewhere or something is going to happen.
The song is very energetic, almost like a marching beat. The main drum is a little bit too dry to my taste.
The second half is a bit weird to me. It feels like the piano and synth are playing in different keys.
It also loses the feeling of direction towards the end, chaotically repeating the same parts.
In terms of mixing, the drums and other percussion elements are very dry compared to pads and choirs in the background. Same could be said about the piano and synth leads.

6. scottfitz - Nyamuragira

This song is a good foundation for a horror movie soundtrack.
I really like the gritty atmospheric sounds. Combined with the drums it creates a very industrial feeling.
There are a lot of small sounds here and there in the first part. The second one is quite empty though.
It is getting too repetitive towards the end and there is a lack of a main theme/melody.
Overall it feels like an unfinished draft. Still, I really like the quality and aesthetic in this one.

7. 1ktone - Information

I feel the strong idea behind this song, quite relevant tho the time we are living in.
The minimalist industrial sound palette is very cool. They fit together really well.
The vocals are quite goofy, but they fit the song's aesthetic.
It's getting a bit repetitive after the second verse. This is the place where things could get a little bit more crazy and the new sounds could've been introduced.
The production and mix is pretty good.

8. MellowBrowne - From Nothing To Something

Chilled but quite engaging hip-hop tune, very modern sounding.
The sounds in the intro made me feel like we are boarding on the train, taking a subway ride after work I think.
Great bass tones. It may be a good idea to check out the subwoofer if I had one.
The main beat is very strong. A lot of small parts here and there. The synthetic hi hats are a bit off the tempo though.
A lot of great melodic parts and creative use of some of the samples. There is still a place for a more defined main theme/melody or a solo.
I found that static sound like a blowing wind or a held note which appears in the main part a little bit distracting. It doesn't quite fit into the musical context.
In terms of production and mix this entry is very balanced.

9. A Future In Noise - Remains (BONUS)

Sounds to me like a classical composition for organ played on the synth. Could be an opening tune for a progressive rock album.

Voting:

► Show Spoiler

1. MellowBrowne - From Nothing To Something
2. CRISPY - SUBJECT 77 B
3. 1ktone - Information
4. EsteveCorbera - Ritmes Experimentals
5. JeroenZuiderwijk - ???

[Mister Fox]

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


Please check post #032 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.

[APi_ZZ]

My personal learning experience is:
Eventually be a bit more experimental with creating sounds and using FX (besides reverb ...).
Maybe upcoming challenges inspire me to do so ...

Comments:

► Show Spoiler

SWC077__1ktone__Information
Very experimental and (as far as I dare to judge) a clean and precise production. But I just seldomly can't dig stuff like this for repeated listens, sorry ...

SWC077__aFutureInNoise__Remains__WIP.wav
Cleanly produced study, reminds me of ancient Wendy Carlos sounds; don't know what keeps Future from declaring this final.

SWC077__CRISPY__SUBJECT 77.mp3
Another very experimental track, again (as far as I can judge) a clean and precise production with lots of ear candy effects. And again: But I just can't dig stuff like this for more than once, sorry ...

SWC077__EsteveCorbera__Ritmes_Experimentals.wav
As the title suggests: Rhythms ... not so extremely experimental as the title might imply, but well integrated into some ambient, even partly cinematic sound study.

SWC077__JeroenZuiderwijk__WhatsInAName.wav
One of the more accessible track (for my weird taste ...) with effective ear candy generously spread all over it. Nice.

SWC077__MellowBrowne__FromNothingToSomething.wav
Yet another very experimental track, again (as far as I can judge) clean and precise production with tons of effects. And again: But I just don't dig stuff like this for more than once, sorry ...

SWC077__MSGsaltsweet__TomatoEP(v6).wav
A perfect club ready track for some exhausting dancin' & things, heavy on rhythm and related effects. I see 'em strobe lights. But. Too long -- uh. Too loud [at least (v6)]. Too sad ...

SWC077__scottfitz__Nyamuragira.wav
Ambient? Cinematic? Experimental? I suspect parts of all that, providing a dark, slightly mysterious evironment ... well capturing my attention.

SWC077__VCA-089__MEDS.mp3
Mysterious, (under)watery at the intro, then developing to pop/rock track with elements from New Wave and IDM. In the latter part retreating into the mysterious, watery scenery again. Cinematic.

My ranking:

► Show Spoiler

01 @VCA-089
02 @EsteveCorbera
03 @scottfitz
04 @msgsaltsweet
05 @JeroenZuiderwijk

[crispy]

1- VCA-089
2- Mellow Browne
3- 1ktone
4- scottfitz
5- JeroenZuiderwijk

to be honest, to me, personally, only vca-089 and mellow browne ones stand out, the other ones are in not a particular order, to me they just have not an interesting arrangement or any real direction and mixes are pretty flat too, they remind me the firdt time I was trying to make music so my feedback to all the other tracks is to focus more on the very basic structure of composition like chords melody rythm and generally to try giving the track a direction and a structure like a main theme/drop/chorus intro outro break ecc...

vca-089 is n1 to me cuz it just demonstraded the most skills imo. very good and articulated melodies and rhytms, good variation, good structure.
The only thing I don't particulary like it's the mix, to me is kinda flat, also the overall combination of instruments/drums choice and mix result in a sound kinda old style, retro like old bands my dad used to listen to, I would prefer a more modern sound both in terms of sounds choice and mix style but good job anyway.

on mellow brwne one I can say it's a just a good track, it doesn't exell in anything but at least it has some kind of direction and there are the basics of a song structure.
my advice on the track is try to make melodies, chords, drums more catchy, like chose a main chord progression, than from that make the bass rift and the main melody than play with variation in a more entertaining way, anyway good job.

If I can say a thing it's pretty time consuming doing reviews like this for 5 tracks, especially when there are google drive wav files to open ecc..it's a real pain, at least if everybody used soundcloud would be much easier to do.

[Mister Fox]

It's the 02nd February 2024, 01:00 (UTC+1/CET) - the Voting Period has officially ended.

Sadly, not all participants have submitted final feedback, we would therefore have 1 disqualification.

I will send out another newsletter/message to those particular participants (@msgsaltsweet), give you until the end of Friday, 02-FEB-2024 as per the rule book on the voting process ("overtime mechanic"). If there is a feedback and a vote by the participant in question, only -5 points will be deducted from the scoresheet. Else, sadly a disqualification.

Once I have this feedback as well, I will post the results within 2-3 days and take "late feedback" into consideration.
(this is not an automated process)


The only disqualification criteria is by "not participating" with feedback at the end of the game.
Time constraints can happen -- but I do not consider entries to be "withdrawn" at this point. You unfortunately just didn't have the time.

Everyone else, please no more changes to your vote. Thank you.

Please don't just gather feedback, and don't give anything back. This is not what the Songwriting Competition is about. To those that kept their feedback brief, please consider at least adding just "a tad more".


Please have an eye on this thread