SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC038 October 2020 - Winners announced

Olli H · #51

gruskada wrote: ↑
Tue Oct 27, 2020 02:14 CET
OlliH - New Friends
Ok - this one actually scared me with your heavy piano out of nowhere, so points for that. It helped that I didn't see it coming at all, as Google Drive doesn't show the waveforms. Great piano sound and playing. The note placement is haphazard, but also sounds very intentional. Masterful beginning, by the way, carrying the really nice theme from one instrument to another. The tremolo kind of foreshadows things, too, which is cool. I like how your bring the tremolo back in the middle of the song as well. My only criticism is I'd like to see the intro theme brought back in some way, even if it ends up all twisted. If you have attempted to do this, it was too subtle for me to notice.

Thanks, I think you managed to hear very well what I was after.
I spent some time with editing, so every note was intentional. Even those parts that may sound playing mistakes.
Thanks for the outro idea. It would have been a good idea to bring back intro theme with twisted attitude: ”the family (or what is rest of it) moving back to town.”

TrojakEW · #52

gruskada wrote: ↑
Tue Oct 27, 2020 02:14 CET
It sounds like somebody is taking a pee at the end.

This is best reply so far. Hope not to have such urine problems like this.

Shea · #53

It was great hearing all the different takes on this months theme.

Doc Jon - Welcome Home
Nice intro and build, good tension holder. Sounds like pulled right from a movie (kinda slow in middle with no visuals). The choir was a nice touch but needed better mixing to really hit home with chills... I wanted more intensity build. The end scream doesn't quite fit to me... just a mixing thing, the scream itself works and is freaky, it just needs to sit better.

TrojakEW - Bloodlust
Cool intro, nice creepy sounds and sweet beat. Sounds pretty epic but the mix lacks in the low end. I would love to hear with a cleaner mix. Production-wise, great job.

Becsei Gyorgy - #every90seconds
I liked the intro maybe too peaceful tho for theme of month. Nice traditional spooky sounds going. I like the composition, it did lose me a little as it progressed. This song sounds quite suspenseful but lacking spooky/scary.

TheNeverScene - Eyes Wide Shut
Sweet intro! I like the pitch bend a lot. I see an 80's horror here. I liked the sound choices but wanted a better blend, just a mixing thing. Nice consistent hold of tension. Nice production but its tiring to listen to by the end, again, a mixing thing.

Gruskada - Daemon
Really good intro. Nice whispers etc. I dig the guitars but wanted to feel more of the mid-low grunge. Nice guitar licks but felt they made the production less spooky. Interesting transition that loses me a little after. The kill kill kill cult sounds little cheesy. Nice song with too much 'guitarmanship' I think it would have been better to not shred so much and just try to sound more spooky with the guitar. Nice playing tho.

GMoneh - The Fall of Odin
I like this from a soundtrack point of view but it missed the call.
I'm not very scared

. Nice production but away from the theme of "what scares us"... not spooky. Sounds like a fun movie to watch.

EsteveCorbera - BSOTerror07
Interesting production. Needs a better mix to appreciate. Nice intro, really holds tension. Horns don't sound quite right to me but I can hear what you are going for. The transition threw me - I guess there is a rescue at the end. A little long but that fits with soundtrack I think - I could see this in the background of a movie with a nice ending.

Slickster716 - The Neighbors
Nice 80's suspense. Not quite spooky for me. I appreciate the solid mix!

I liked this production and can see it in a movie but not a horror or scary scary.

Olli H - New Friends
Started sounding kind of like a ballet, kind of sleepy. Then it starts to turn sinister. More sparse of a production than others but has a decent spook level. I liked the story through the piano - sounds like an old scary movie

Square - He's Like Us
I like the start a lot. It gets confusing with the uplifting piano. And then we go through a few more changes... too much. Needs more of a consistency to it.

YuriyKolosov - Salvation
Lots of nice tense cinematic sounds. Good use of space. Intense while not being distracting. Right when I think its not that scary that beat comes back and there is definitely something scary about it, and with those horns beside it

.

It is hard to vote because some didn't fit theme and some mixes sound bad. Those that didn't fit theme got lower than those that didn't have decent mix or production. The least scary got last, sorry, your production and mix were good but seemed like you ignored or didn't see the theme. This is only my second SWC but both have people not fitting the genre/theme... some don't even seem to attempt it

I suggest doing some research on each theme. Get in there

and find what makes that genre tick.

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EsteveCorbera · #54

I'm sorry I can't make very technical contributions, but I'm new to this world of music and most things aren't even detected.
I want to thank you for the comments you have made so far. They will help me to have more knowledge about how to make music and to value aspects that, for me, at the moment, are not detected.

Sorry if my comments contain spelling or grammar errors, I translated my comments with Google Translate.

DocJon - Welcome Home
From my point of view the sound is impeccable. FXs give you the tone of terror needed for this type of composition. But from my point of view I miss a more orchestral sound. Violins and final percussion (from 1:58) would be better if they were samplers of real instruments. The voices of the final part are very good.

TrojakEW - Bloodlust
The sound with the FX is great. There is a moment when you feel the beast by your side!
The final percussion is very powerful and is very worked out. It has a rightly threatening tone.
I can't find any glue.

becsei - gyorgy - every90seconds
All horror themes have FX, that’s cool. The initial cello is fine. The boy's voice is scary. I like the bells to set the rhythm. The sound of the Theremin gives it a very appropriate Z-series film tone. Instead the percussion below reminds me too much of the one abused by Zimmer and company. The ‘old’ sound of Theremin and this ‘modern’ percussion are perhaps too contrasting. But the overall tone is fine.

TheNeverScene - Eyes Wide Shut
I really liked that kind of sound in the Carpenter movies. How lucky you are to be able to have ‘real’ synthesizers not just software. I really like the introduction of the instruments that you do little by little. 80s style percussion. Bravo.
From my point of view, what I like least is the final voices saying the title of the song, maybe they break the tone of your theme until then.

gruskada - Daemon
The first guitar that sounds heavy, I like less than the second one you use for the melody. The organ sets the tone for the horror. Maybe you abuse the sound effects, I think your music was already threatening enough without having to resort to so many FX. But it must be acknowledged that the show is scary, congratulations to your son.

Gmoneh - TheFallOfOdin
Oh, what adventures that make you imagine your music. But I find it a big hit. For me, this kind of music has to have a ‘real’ orchestra. The sound sounds too keyboard and unreal, especially the wind part. It’s a shame because the composition is great. The middle part of the topic (approx. 1:00 - 2:55) is too long, they are waiting for something to happen and it takes a long time to come. This part should have led to a more powerful part. Although the final piano is very beautiful. I must also say that the subject makes little fear.

Slickster716 - TheNeighbors
Eii, theme type the 80s !! Mola. Long live the emulated instruments of Arturia. He also remembers Carpenter's films. I don't understand much, but from my point of view I would broaden the stereo panorama of some of the sounds of the synthesizers, you have them too focused, opening them up a bit would have made a more lively composition. You're one of the few people who hasn't filled your topic with FX, that's fine too.

Shea - TruthUcantXcape
The sound of the organ gives it a vintage tone, but contrasts with the over-modern FX. And I think you abused it too. The first part is too long, until the melody even starts to get long. But the final upward melody scares you. Not wondering if the instrumentation or composition is a bit reminiscent of Elfman? Go ahead, it's okay !!

OlliH - NewFriends
Your theme is one of the most classical, with the opening strings and the piano afterwards. Aside from a few added FXs, the rest of the atmosphere is very good with the instruments.
Listening to the story you have told minute by minute along with the music is good, because you are understanding every change in the music. And looking at the list of instruments you use, it doesn’t have to be very long to do a good job. Congratulations!

Square - Hes Like Us
From my point of view, you make too many style changes in the composition. You start with a more classical with the piano, then you play with video game type sound and then openly synthware. Maybe it’s a little chaotic. But it gives an original and fresh tone to your composition that makes it fun to listen to.

YuriyKolosov - Salvation
The terrifying threat is noticeable in your music. The initial atmospheric effects give way to a more percussive part. At that moment you feel the danger. The distortion with Fabfilter Saturn is fine. The thing is powerful and modern, now that it is fashionable to distort and saturate everything. Good job!!

Thank you all for your comments!!
Moltes gràcies

By the way, Mister Fox, I like these contests. I think it's great that we all have to comment on the other compositions. This allows us to learn from the experience of others. I didn’t know you until now, but now I’ll follow you monthly to see where I can compete. When the situation allows, I will make a contribution.
Thank you so much

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Doc Jon · #55

I listened to all of the tracks in a darkened room for maximum effect and my scores were mainly weighted towards those tracks which created a creepy atmosphere or made me feel genuinely disturbed

TrojakEW – Bloodlust
Yes, this is scary from the outset, very atmospheric and fits right in with the theme
I could imagine a movie playing out behind this track, the middle section was genuinely creepy and led nicely into the ‘second movement’ which built nicely on what had come before and continued to build to a fitting climax
I liked the choice of percussion which sounded authentically ‘soundtrack’ and the overall mix and production was very good

Becsei Gyorgy – Every 90 Seconds
Lovely soundtrack, very well arranged piece, particularly the first section which was highly effective as a psychological horror soundtrack. I though the snippets of speech worked well in the context. The second section was less effective to my mind as it didn’t quite keep the horror or Halloween feel but I did like the toy chimes motif. Nice mix and production

The Never Scene – Eyes Wide Shut
Atmospheric and suitably eerie. This sounds like an 80’s horror film theme, like something by John Carpenter. The arrangement builds nicely and I can imagine this accompanying a horror film very easily. The distorted voices in the closing section were creepy

Gruskada - Daemon
Atmospheric sounds – tick. Footsteps – tick. Creepy vocal sounds – tick. Doom laden percussion – tick. There’s a lot to like going on in this track.
Perhaps the only thing which I thought didn’t fit entirely perfectly was the guitar. The organs at 2.30 were great and I liked the recurring theme of the chimes in the background. Theremin was used effectively in the second half!
Well recorded and produced

GMoneh – The Fall Of Odin
Impressive track, some great sounds and epic feel, but I felt not really in keeping with the horror theme. Lovely piano in the second section
This would work well with a fantasy or adventure film but did not make me feel scared or evoke any sense of fear
A nice track but I’m afraid not really fitting with the theme for me

Esteve Corbera – BSO Terror 07
Some very creepy sounds used here and overall great foreboding atmosphere which did make me feel genuinely uneasy. Beautifully scary piano coming in at 1.20 with those string scrapes adding to the tension and atmosphere, nicely atonal which helped to raise the fear level. I think it lost its way a little after 2.40 with the meandering piano line and the second half was less effective but the first half was truly excellent, well done

Slickster716 – The Neighbours
Another 80s style track which is no bad thing
A really well arranged and mixed track. The opening section was very good with a strong theme and repeated motif but I didn’t really get any horror feel until after the 1.00 mark when the second section came in. I loved your choice of sounds throughout this track, many familiar 80s synth sounds hidden within the arrangement! Overall a nice John Carpenter style soundtrack, great arrangement and mix

Shea – Truth U can’t Xcape
Nice creaky door! Blended well into the electronic section at 0.40 with some nice panning effects and genuinely unsettling sounds. The section from 1.10 onwards was good apart from the percussion which sounded a little too artificial. Nice creepy organ from 1.50
The breakdown and altered vocal at 2.40 was brilliant, made me laugh and panic at the same time and made me realise that this is actually an urban horror track with urban feel and made me see the track in a completely new light, very clever. The ending section was suitable chaotic and disturbing, and the background voices and laughs highly effective.
Great mix too. Very well done

OlliH – New Friends
A good choice of sounds, nice strings and toy chimes, the piano strike at 1.10 with creepy voices was particularly effective, and the disjointed piano section from 1.30 worked really well
An unusual but effective arrangement, quite a jaunty tune which still managed to sound creepy! I would have liked some other sounds to accompany the piano from 2.00 onwards, but then the sudden change at 2.45 provides all of that and more
Genuinely disturbing piece – congratulations!

Square – He’s Like Us
Very nice choice of sounds in the opening section, small build at 1.00 in s Stranger Things style, then full on from 1.10. I think I would have preferred orchestral sounds in this section in place of the synth, but then the synth sounds did work very well in the section from 1.50 onwards with some nice touches in the background. Nice piano at the end. Good arrangement and mix

Yuiy Kolosov - Salvation
Great intro with some nicely distorted sounds creating a sense of fear and unease. The section from 1.00 was very good and was perhaps the most evocative section in the competition this month. The pounding beat worked well with the distorted drone to create real sense of impending doom, a technique done so well in the Terminator soundtracks and you have expanded on that approach by adding some horror type atmospheric background sounds which added to the sense of fear and unease
Nice arrangement and well mixed, really well done

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GMoneh · #56

This month theme being a "soundtrack" introduced a little bit of a hurdle. Unlike writing a piece of music that must stand by itself, a soundtrack is supposed to be a support for a visual story. But, to me, the tracks of a soundtrack still have to stand up musically, they cannot be so full of sound effects and noises that stop being music and become ambience. Too many tracks in this month fell into this trap, in my opinion, forgoing the actual songwriting part for just scary sounds and little structure. This is an issue not unique with our little contest here, by the way. Among soundtracks of actual movies which have been released as musical works, there are some that I adore and can listen to over and over without getting tired. There are others that, if you are listening to them as music, they just do not function.
So, my main criteria for assigning rankings was: do I enjoy this piece as a standalone musical work? Is this something that I will go and listen to again just for the enjoyment?
Here are some notes about the tracks that I penned down while listening to them.
Regardless of what is written here, congratulations to all the participants. Everyone here is very talented, and I'm very jealous of all of you.

Slickster716
The Neighbors
Nice groove! Not sure about the scare factor, but I like the composition and the sound selection. It has structure, it tells a story.

Doc Jon
Welcome Home
Nice instrumentation. High tension at the start. Sound effects contribute positively to the desired ambience of the track. Interesting entrance of the choral parts around the 2:20 mark. The scream at the end is a bit over the top, but the track holds its own as a whole.

gruskada
Daemon
Well constructed track, with sound effects to support the scary movie theme. Again I hear a theremin in there somewhere, must be a theme. Liked it overall.

TrojakEW
Bloodlust
I like the slow buildup at the start. To me, the second part of the track (after 2:00) lost a bit of interest. I see that as the "action" part of the movie, perhaps? But the percussion turns repetitive after a while.

becsei_gyorgy
Every 90 Seconds
I seem to hear a theremin in there that adds a "incognite" quality to the whole track. Quality production, although a bit repetitive at the end.

Shea
Truth U cant Xcape
I'm ambivalent about this one. There's nothing wrong with it, but it didn't catch my full liking either. The groove feels to square, a bit robotic. Although I imagine that in a soundtrack, that's ok, if that's what the story asks for. Some of the harmonies don't work for me either. I see in your description that you purposefully went for dissonance, and that's probably where my comment comes from. So it was intended, it just didn't work for me.

TheNeverScene
Eyes Wide Shut
More like a collection of soundscapes at the beginning… I could not discern a real melody line until the 1:20 mark approximately. I dig it more after the change around 2:30, when the rock instrumentation comes in.

EsteveCorbera
BSOTerror07
Too much ambience and soundscapes before 2:41 to be able to discern an actual musical direction. By then, it's a bit late to catch my attention, even with the best of hooks, which is not the case here.

Square
He's Like Us
To me, up to the 1:50 mark where the track changes, it doesn't work as a standalone piece. But this part is too short, and then it goes back to the controlled chaos of the beginning.

YuriyKolosov
Salvation
Too many sound effects for it to be enjoyable standalone. It's a problem that plagued several of the tracks this month, so this one is not alone in that.

Olli H
New Friends
The tritone gives the track a definite eerie feeling. But there are too many interruptions to be enjoyed as a standalone piece. Yes, I know, it's supposed to be a soundtrack, and as such, it is subject to whatever breaks in the visual part of the story are there. The problem with not having the visual part is that this one doesn't seem to work without it.

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YuriyKolosov · #57

reviewing process turned out to be quite a job. It probably took me more time than finishing my own track

I avoided reading any other reviews and entry comments just to be as unbiased as possible.

Anyways, here it is:

becsei_gyorgy - every90seconds

0:00 - 1:35: really liked it. Involving composition, nicely balanced instruments, sounds a bit old fashioned, but those sound effect work very well creating interesting contrast and reminding us that we're in 2020.

1:35 — 2:07: I'm not a fan of those orchestral sounds because they sound a bit artificial, and the choir and the “UFO” lead sound cliché in my opinion. I'd also like drums to sound more powerful.

2:07 - end I liked it. But I'd make it shorter and add a tad more variety, because it gets a bit boring.

Overall, nice composition and use of effects. Good job!

DocJon_Welcome Home

The thing I didn't like were the orchestral sounds. They sound kind of “MIDIish”. They make the whole thing sound a bit “funny”. Like the whole track sets serious, dark mood, but those parts make it sound more like Adam's Family soundtrack. And the choirs sound a bit outdated to me.
Loved the ambient sounds and the flute-like sound is great too. I also liked that your track wasn't over complicated and was easy to follow. And overall it was pleasant to listen to.

EsteveCorbera_BSOTerror07

What I liked:
Very cool sounds in the first half: love the brass – sounds huge and badass, like the minimalism and abstractness, like the mood it creates. And overall the first half sounds very appealing to me. And it DOES sound scarry.

What I didn't like:
There are some resonances that sound pretty harsh, especially in the very beginning.
The second part. I felt like it was kind of forced and unneeded. The piano sounds random and out of place, plus the sound of the piano itself is pretty muddy and not very pleasing to the ear.

GMoneh_TheFallOfOdin

I liked the theme, I liked some of the brass sounds. Overall the track sounded pleasing to me.

I didn't like the piano in the end, because it sounded a bit random and was hard to follow. A lot of the sounds sound “MIDI-ish” to me. I think the drums are rather weak and around 2:10 they sound like they were looped incorrectly.

The main problem I think is that your track doesn't follow the theme. It's more of a fantasy / adventure soundtrack. And I think the whole idea of the contest is to be forced to work in a set restrictions, so following the theme is mandatory. So unfortunately I can't give you high score. If it followed the theme it would be in my top 5.

gruskada_Daemon

Great intro! Really liked those riffs, and especially those slides (or what are they called?). The drums are a bit harsh sounding, but still pretty cool. Overall the intro sounds very stylish, reminded me of DOOM 2016 OST. I was expecting it to explode with more cool riffs, drums and some synths maybe, but then the solo comes in. And I found it rather disappointing. I think it only takes away from the drive of the track. Plus it sounds like it's off beat. Probably if it was easier to follow (a bit less complicated) and was not as prominent in the mix it would work nicely.
Also not at a fan of those choirs, organs and “ufo” sounds. I find them very cliché sounding. It could work if the whole track was more like a parody to the genre, but the intro and other elements clearly state the opposite.
3:15 – 4:00. Liked that part better. Especially up until the guitar solo becomes again a bit hard to follow. I liked that this time guitar has some reverb / delay on it which makes it blend way better into the track.

OlliH_NewFriends

I appreciate that you tried to express your idea through composition rather than sound design, but It sounded a bit empty to me. I think I get the story you were trying to tell but I think the presentation is not impactful enough. It would probably be better, had you used more sounds. It also sounds clipped at the end.

Shea_TruthUcantXcape

To me the track sounds more like music they use in haunted attractions in amusement parks. It's fine, but the phrase "You're gonna die" implies otherwise )
2:08 sounds off beat.
0:36 – 1:13 – I really liked that part. It has nice kick and effects, the synth also sounds cool. I was expecting something bigger to happen after that part, but it turned out a bit bland.

Slickster716_TheNeighbors

A very nice track, easy to follow, has just enough variation, has a melody, the mix is nice. A couple of nitpicks: I think that acoustic guitar in the breakdown is not the most appropriate instrument, snares sound too distorted to me, and the ending could be more smooth.
And I'm a synthwave fan myself so I really like you work.
With that said, I don't think it follows the theme. It doesn't make me feel scared or even depressed, it has more of a relaxed / nostalgic / bitter sweet feel to it. And I think following the theme is key in this contest, so I can't rate it high. If it followed the theme it would be my number one pick for sure. Keep it up!

Square_Hes Like Us

The intro was cool.
0:52 – 1:10 is brilliant, like the kind of dark / sci-fi mood it creates. Instantly reminded me of the episode of Black Mirror called “Metalhead”. I wish you just followed this theme and didn't try to do too much. The drums that follow don't sound appealing to me. They are very repetitive, and seem not quantized properly. The spike of loudness it also a bit too much for me. I'm also not a fan of these sort of mood swings in the track. I understand you tried to tell a story, but I wish they would blend together more smoothly and not be so much different from each other.

TheNeverScene_Eyes Wide Shut

Liked the intro, sounds rich and involving, but I think that piano part was unneeded. The track sounds like a dark synthwave from the 80s and that piano just doesn't belong there in my opinion. Plus it doesn't sit in the mix that well and creates some muddiness.
1:40 - liked that drop. The drums nicely follow the 80s theme, the bass sounds fat, and the synth line and the effects work well together.
2:58 - I didn't like the change of drums, I'd rather you stuck with those 80s drums.

I think the drums also need a little more top end.

Overall I liked the track.

TrojakEW_Bloodlust

Liked the drums and overall sound selection / sound design / production quality. But it's a bit harsh sounding throughout the whole track. I also love that you kept things simple.
1:24 – crickets in the breakdown are too prominent. I also think the breakdown is too long and could use some more elements, just to spice it up a bit.
I also find the track lacking some sort of a “quirk”, something that makes it stand out.
Overall liked it, it has that pro sound to it. Wouldn't be surprised to hear it in a real movie.

► Show Spoiler

becsei_gyorgy · #58

I’m glad the songs are quite diverse in genre, although that also makes scoring harder.
I think almost everyone solved the task well.
I liked the songs that, in addition to the FXs, also told a story.

DocJon - Welcome Home
It is quite as if it were a film clip taken from a movie

Nice effects, good time shifts - good rhythm.
The composition is fine, but I would choose different sounds for strings and choir.
Good job overall.

TrojakEW - Bloodlust
Creates a very good atmosphere at the beginning, interesting sounds and good stereo stage.
After the interesting start, around 1:00, the high tones begin to dominate, often particularly hurtfully (e.g. 1:18-1:24)
It doesn't even give a scary effect, it's more confusing, but unfortunately not in a "horror movie" sense.
The second part is better, the rhythm, the percussive elements are good overall, but the 'deep booms' are sorely lacking. Drums are too sharp and harsh, there is no middle here either, and the low end also completely lost.
It's unfortunate because the composition is quite interesting.

TheNeverScene - Eyes Wide Shut
Very nice synth sounds

Nice drone.
I like the composition less. Very long introduction, the drone is nice but goes through the song, there is little variety in the deep parts.
But i liked the last part of the song much. Begins with nice arpeggio (it is a pity that it has not been further developed), good effects.
Overall it's interesting song, there are very good parts in it.

gruskada - Daemon
The song starts well, the atmosphere is good. Good whispers, nice panning.
The guitar doesn't really fit after 1:00. Maybe with a lot of distortion, eq and using pitch bend, it might fit into a spooky atmosphere, but so now it looks more like a rock song. Lost the magic you built well in the beginning.
The middle part between 1:50-2:25 and the last part are very good.
Nice sounds, i liked very much.

GMoneh - TheFallOfOdin
I can evaluate the composition. Quite good. The ostinato in the middle is too repetitive, but you could help with it.
However, the sounds are quite bad. Percussive elements are the worst. In general (strings, drums, brass) there is no dynamics, and they play in very different spaces due to the reverb settings.
The good news is that all of this can be fixed and improved, and based on the composition, a very good work can be brought out of it.
But looking at the current competition is unfortunately not a little scary either.

EsteveCorbera - BSOTerror07
Very good elements, good sounds, scary too. I liked very much the part between 0:30-1:18.
After that unfortunately there are only piano and effects, I missed the story, the melody a bit.
The melody of the piano seems quite casual, random.
Nice sounds, atmosphere but the second part lacks composition.

Slickster716 - TheNeighbors
Great 80's style sounds. I love it.
Good mix, nice composition.
Maybe I would have put 1-2 effects into the middle break to make it a little scarier.
(And don't like the sudden end.)
Overall great.

Shea - TruthUcantXcape
Good FX's.
I like the composition, the effects are good, but the instrument selection could be better.
i feel a little thin sometimes the sound.
I like the tension as the song gradually evolves. The last part also great.
Good song, nice, tasteful composition.

OlliH - NewFriends
Classic intro, I like very much.
Nice work. Good piano sounds, nice tremolo.
As good as the composition is at the beginning, it falls back later.
The deep, sudden piano sounds are good, the child voice is also OK but the composition does not reassemble into a single whole.
Overall good, scary song.

Square - Hes Like Us
Interesting song and didn’t let it get bored for sure, so much of everything happened in it.
If I break it down into parts, each part separately is quite interesting with a lot of good elements.
But together it gives a rather strange mix. A wide variety of completely different percussive elements, sometimes striking 8-bit sounds.
A bit scary, good separate parts, but the composition is a bit strange.

YuriyKolosov - Salvation
Nice intro, good synth sounds. It is a pity that the good intro melody does not continue.
Good "trailerish" effects but the song unfortunately it does not develop better, it is also a bit short.
I can imagine it as a trailer for a movie, nice effects, nice hits.

► Show Spoiler

Slickster716 · #59

Hi Everyone

it is great to get a good diverse set of ideas from both the submissions and the feedback - and I think that is what we are seeing.
I have given my feedback and ranking primarily on the personal thoughts i had on the song during playback regarding the composition and the mix. Please don't take offense from any of my critiques, I am not a professional by any means. Yet it is a job we all must do and i think it helps provide the context for my voting.

TheNeverScene “Eyes Wide Shut”

From 1:45 to about 3:10 was my favorite section of music out of all songs in the contest. I thought perfectly captured the essence and mood of Synthwave. From 3:10 until the end was also excellent, but there was something preferred about the simplicity of the arrangement before the vocals started. I found the mix to be very well done. The beginning of the song was too slow building for my taste, but I think it is just that I enjoyed the second half of your song so much that I just wanted to hear that become the whole thing.

Doc Jon “Welcome Home”

Mood, tension, and atmosphere were all well established during this piece. Sound FX adds instead of distracts from the arrangement (except opening door is a little cliché.) I think I personally would have preferred if the part played by the strings was left out. It does fit the theme actually – but it does have sort of an elementary vibe, or sort of reminds me of a cartoon Halloween soundtrack. I really thought the arrangement and soundscape created was excellent and I think would have held well on it’s own if the string track was muted.

Gruskada “Daemon”

The footsteps were slightly cliché but not too bad. The first half of the piece was absolutely great. For me this is the opposite of “Eyes Wide Shut” – For that song I liked the second half more, for your song I liked the first half quite a bit more than the ending. I found the frequency balance of the harmonic/melodic instruments and percussive elements to be good. As the song transitioned towards the middle and second half, I didn’t enjoy quite as much. The placement of the hi-hat in the mix was starting to bother me quite a bit – at one point I thought the hi-hat was going to take a solo (J/k). But the creative elements of your song in the first half were so strong that I ended up ranking yours quite highly.

TrojakEW “Bloodlust”

I found your use of sound FX in the first half to be effective and not gimmicky. They actually did a nice job of adding high end information to the mix and creating a hi-fi frequency balance. Occasionally the sound fx were a little harsh but I felt it was mostly good. I became excited when the second half of the piece moved towards a more musical element, but I was a little disappointed that the piece did not end up developing more melodic and harmonic elements than it did. The drums and percussion are done very well however.

Yuriy Kolosov “Salvation”

No question your composition establishes the mood required for this theme. Right away I felt this was in line with the theme of the contest. The saturation/distortion on your sounds was done very well and I found that it added a lot to your song throughout. I also found your use of percussion and ambient effects to be done very well. Like most of the songs of this contest, there was a part that I really liked that I wished was repeated, but it was not. Almost like I am looking for something resembling a “hook” –for example, the parts in the intro played on the pad and the horns created a thematic element – I wanted that to be more featured or a more central part to the song – i think it would have been nice to return to that. I felt when the percussive elements turn off/on, it has a tendency to break the consistency of the compositional elements of your song.

Bescsei_Gyorgy “#every90seconds”

The first half of your song with the piano parts, strings and swell were great. I think that was the thematic element that could have made the song. I enjoyed some of the vocal effects, but the child ones not as much. I think I would have liked for the song to stay on the same theme, when it switched in the middle it seemed to lose some consistency. I was happy to hear the mix fill out but I think the choice of instrumentation became a little to eclectic. I think between the chanting, music box, synth and other elements, they are too different from one another and don’t really gel.

Olli H “New Friends”

Another song where I felt the beginning was the strongest part. The beginning string and keyboard parts were very well done musically, I can tell that you have a good ear or you are good at writing parts. Based on that and I was expecting it to build into a sophisticated and interesting piece. When it changed into creaking doors and random fx, I did not enjoy it at much. Now I realize that you are writing to a script with and you have written down what is happening at different times – that context is helpful. –, but I think when you switch to these theatrical or surprise elements, If there was some additional accompaniment and a more musical focus I would have liked it better.

EsteveCorvera “BSOTerror07”

Good mood established. I liked how the synth brass sounds created a sense of doom. The drums sound good, the Bass part played starting at 2:40 was a nice touch, and during my song I wanted to add a traditional bass part too, but I couldn’t get it work. The melody at the end sounds like riffing and is not very thematic or focused. I think if it was a thematic melody and closer to a hook – it would have added a lot. Some of the panning seemed to be not my cup of tea.

Gmoneh “The Fall of Odin”

I think you are on to something with your piano part at the end of the song. To me it sounds like a totally different pieces than the first few minutes. I would have liked to see that introduced earlier and be a central theme. I feel the rest of the song had some problem areas that need to be addressed – the theme is a little chaotic – the melody lines felt a little simple and started to take on a nursery rhyme feeling.

Shea “TruthUcantXcape”

Organ and door opening are gimmicky for my taste but could fit the theme. The low-end on this song was one of the best in the contest – good job on the low-end mix when the beat drops. The rest was not my cup of tea- I think the sound effects were distracting and should have been used more sparingly. At 2:45 when the mix is at it’s most dense, the drum mix sounds weak.

Square “Hes Like Us”

I can feel the moodiness set in the intro come through. I think you have some good ideas about what you want to do, but the composition and mix fall apart. There is an issue with many parts feeling out of time. If this was done for effect – so be it, but it is distracting when it happens over and over again. The feeling and mood became inconsistent throughout the song- I think if you had a more central idea you could have score much higher. The dynamic changes are pretty crazy between loud and soft – It would make it difficult for a listener to calibrate volume. The percussion/snare parts need work.

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#60

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Mix Challenge

SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC038 October 2020 - Winners announced

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Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC038 October 2020 - Voting until 01-NOV-2020 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC038 October 2020 - Voting until 01-NOV-2020 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC038 October 2020 - Voting until 01-NOV-2020 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC038 October 2020 - Voting until 01-NOV-2020 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC038 October 2020 - Voting until 01-NOV-2020 23:59 UTC+1/CET

Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC038 October 2020 - Voting until 01-NOV-2020 23:59 UTC+1/CET