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SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC019 March 2019 - Winners announced
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Mister Fox
- Site Admin
- Posts: 3383
- Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2017 16:15 CEST
- Location: Berlin, Germany
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UprightJoe
Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC019 March 2019 - Voting until 01-04-2019 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST
SWC019
Sorry I’m slow on the feedback - I had some travel and then came back to absolute craziness at work and school…
ANTHEMIC - NDE
This reads epic right from the beginning.
I like the placement of the spoken part at the beginning but I’m not sure what it has to do with the theme.
The big reverberant hits are perfect
I think the shift to a four on the floor kick at 2:00 takes this out of epic territory and into EDM. There are plenty of parts in there that still would work but it’s hard to view this as epic music past 2:00.
Overall production quality is very high. I don’t really hear anything obvious that needs fixed.
mountaine - “Who Knew…?”
The soundscape at the beginning is pretty cool. I particularly like it once the synth starts sneaking in.
I like the big reverberant hits - definitely matches the theme.
The synth sounds are really great.
I like the way it develops and builds
It’s a very nice piece of music - I suppose my only critique is that there’s not much of a melody. If feels like a bed of sound waiting for something to be placed on top of it.
TrojakEW - “Restart”
Spot on to the theme
Nice development
Those vocals sound awesome. I’m going to have to check out Ethera EVI 2
I really like the nature soundscape at the end - you’re the second person I’ve listened to so far who has had chirping birds. I’ll have to read back through the notes and see if anybody mentioned the thinking regarding this type of soundscape.
Really solid track all around
DoctorBob - “Phone Freakin”
Definitely reads epic - fits the theme well
The soundscape goes on a bit long for me - mainly because the bass comes in and gets my musical brain going and then drops back out I think.
Harp comes in a bit suddenly but works
There are two things I hear once the percussion comes in:
- From a composition standpoint it seems like it should be huge but in my headphones, the percussion sounds small. I’m not sure if it’s the samples that were used or if maybe you’ve over-compressed some things.
- There is a lot going on. I think I would personally shove some of the busier parts down in the mix and pull forward some of the simple melodies like the string parts. It’s hard to know what to listen to sometimes but all the parts are working together musically I think.
J I L L I A M - “A sad quiet Age”
I like the skipping piano part in the beginning but I think I’d like to hear it unswung. I think a straighter rhythm would work better here
The piece is fitting the theme very well to me.
I think the volume may have gotten away from you a bit. It sounds like it’s clipping in places
I like the jet airplane sounding effects a lot. I might push them down further in the mix a bit but they’re cool.
I think it was a good entry - just a few technical issues
The Exponent - “Desolation”
Definitely fits the theme well - great entrance.
I like the contrast of the big reverberant hits against the dry arpeggiating synth
The breakdown section with the phone call is cool as is the bit that follows
Not much to say - excellent piece
Clueless - “Dark Days”
Overall, I like the soundscape in the beginning.
The distortion on the synth is cool but maybe something with a warmer character might work better
I think it fits the theme
It’s very atmospheric and suspenseful
I think more of a melody could have been developed
The sound effects at the end are a nice touch
toadhjo - “Apocalypse Makes Perfect”
Cool introduction. You did a great job of creating an environment I picture somebody practicing piano with the TV on in the background while somebody is showering
Third one so far with birds chirping
In the busiest part of the song, it feels like the dynamics aren’t 100% dialed in as well as they could be. It feels like it might be a tad over-compressed or something.
Nice piece of music - I enjoyed it
Dr Dendrite - “Symphonic Protestant”
The repeating big horn blasts in the beginning fit the theme well
I really like whatever that bell sound is that is panning around
I think you’ve captured the theme well overall
I could maybe use some percussion of some sort
I like the sounds and how the piece develops
I could stand to hear a stronger melody
That huge chord that goes on forever is wow - I felt like I was on an acid trip for a minute there
erictracks - “maybe it’s a good thing”
Cool tune - It doesn’t fit the theme very well to me but I really enjoy this
I like the syncopation and unexpected stops in the drum part
The chords are great
Lots of little unexpected surprise changes
Los_ady - “Lost your head”
Sounds well produced and grabs your attention quickly
I’m not sure about the four on the floor kick drum - as soon as you do that, it reads dance music to me and not epic
Lots of cool stuff is going on in here but it misses the theme for me
MarkS - “Strange Things”
I like the spoken parts and sound effects
I like the synths
I like the dropouts in the synth parts
The drums are confusing me a bit (though I like the vibraslap)
This one has tons of components that I like but it didn’t come together for me as a whole
Sorry I’m slow on the feedback - I had some travel and then came back to absolute craziness at work and school…
ANTHEMIC - NDE
This reads epic right from the beginning.
I like the placement of the spoken part at the beginning but I’m not sure what it has to do with the theme.
The big reverberant hits are perfect
I think the shift to a four on the floor kick at 2:00 takes this out of epic territory and into EDM. There are plenty of parts in there that still would work but it’s hard to view this as epic music past 2:00.
Overall production quality is very high. I don’t really hear anything obvious that needs fixed.
mountaine - “Who Knew…?”
The soundscape at the beginning is pretty cool. I particularly like it once the synth starts sneaking in.
I like the big reverberant hits - definitely matches the theme.
The synth sounds are really great.
I like the way it develops and builds
It’s a very nice piece of music - I suppose my only critique is that there’s not much of a melody. If feels like a bed of sound waiting for something to be placed on top of it.
TrojakEW - “Restart”
Spot on to the theme
Nice development
Those vocals sound awesome. I’m going to have to check out Ethera EVI 2
I really like the nature soundscape at the end - you’re the second person I’ve listened to so far who has had chirping birds. I’ll have to read back through the notes and see if anybody mentioned the thinking regarding this type of soundscape.
Really solid track all around
DoctorBob - “Phone Freakin”
Definitely reads epic - fits the theme well
The soundscape goes on a bit long for me - mainly because the bass comes in and gets my musical brain going and then drops back out I think.
Harp comes in a bit suddenly but works
There are two things I hear once the percussion comes in:
- From a composition standpoint it seems like it should be huge but in my headphones, the percussion sounds small. I’m not sure if it’s the samples that were used or if maybe you’ve over-compressed some things.
- There is a lot going on. I think I would personally shove some of the busier parts down in the mix and pull forward some of the simple melodies like the string parts. It’s hard to know what to listen to sometimes but all the parts are working together musically I think.
J I L L I A M - “A sad quiet Age”
I like the skipping piano part in the beginning but I think I’d like to hear it unswung. I think a straighter rhythm would work better here
The piece is fitting the theme very well to me.
I think the volume may have gotten away from you a bit. It sounds like it’s clipping in places
I like the jet airplane sounding effects a lot. I might push them down further in the mix a bit but they’re cool.
I think it was a good entry - just a few technical issues
The Exponent - “Desolation”
Definitely fits the theme well - great entrance.
I like the contrast of the big reverberant hits against the dry arpeggiating synth
The breakdown section with the phone call is cool as is the bit that follows
Not much to say - excellent piece
Clueless - “Dark Days”
Overall, I like the soundscape in the beginning.
The distortion on the synth is cool but maybe something with a warmer character might work better
I think it fits the theme
It’s very atmospheric and suspenseful
I think more of a melody could have been developed
The sound effects at the end are a nice touch
toadhjo - “Apocalypse Makes Perfect”
Cool introduction. You did a great job of creating an environment I picture somebody practicing piano with the TV on in the background while somebody is showering
Third one so far with birds chirping
In the busiest part of the song, it feels like the dynamics aren’t 100% dialed in as well as they could be. It feels like it might be a tad over-compressed or something.
Nice piece of music - I enjoyed it
Dr Dendrite - “Symphonic Protestant”
The repeating big horn blasts in the beginning fit the theme well
I really like whatever that bell sound is that is panning around
I think you’ve captured the theme well overall
I could maybe use some percussion of some sort
I like the sounds and how the piece develops
I could stand to hear a stronger melody
That huge chord that goes on forever is wow - I felt like I was on an acid trip for a minute there
erictracks - “maybe it’s a good thing”
Cool tune - It doesn’t fit the theme very well to me but I really enjoy this
I like the syncopation and unexpected stops in the drum part
The chords are great
Lots of little unexpected surprise changes
Los_ady - “Lost your head”
Sounds well produced and grabs your attention quickly
I’m not sure about the four on the floor kick drum - as soon as you do that, it reads dance music to me and not epic
Lots of cool stuff is going on in here but it misses the theme for me
MarkS - “Strange Things”
I like the spoken parts and sound effects
I like the synths
I like the dropouts in the synth parts
The drums are confusing me a bit (though I like the vibraslap)
This one has tons of components that I like but it didn’t come together for me as a whole
► Show Spoiler
Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC019 March 2019 - Voting until 01-04-2019 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST
Im not joking, this has been rough
Anthemic - Anthemic_Nde
This starts very sad and quite moody, although there are glimmers of brightness in the high notes and strings which start to elevate it beyond. Then, wait for it, the start of the beat, well that was a surprise, took an upbeat twist, I almost got up and started dancing
I'm still not sure whether this was aimed at this blackout scenario, I liked it none the less.
The Ted Mountainé Orchestra - Who Knew?
Really like the doom start with all the elements of a day surrounding the intro. Strings offer a warm texture, then the slam, it starts to build, but it doesn't seem to go beyond, for some reason I was expecting a hi intensity beat to elevate the whole piece to the next level, overall mix is good but just wanted more grrrrr.
TrojakEW - Restart
Moody intro, beat and vocal is good, drop has a hi intensity, strings offer a subtleness to it, all adding to a super outlook, epic is defined here!! Really liked the whole piece, all elements hold their ground and its very sweetly mixed.
J.I.L.L.I.A.M - A Sad Quiet Age
There's some power in this, with its driving nature forcing its way ahead with the sounds used, like the swell bass and pads and the off kilter piano painting a dark and moody space, the beat is an icing on a cool cake
The Exponent - Desolation
An interesting intro for sure, really like music box introduced after the drop and its got elements of something impending, that said, its just feels like a series of buildups which don't really lead anywhere. I really liked lots of the components, just not the overall piece.
Upright Joe - A Call Unanswered
Bubbling start with the delayed piano open this up nicely, strings and drums offer a dark space, guitar, especially the way its plucked give a nice contrast. The track begins to create an epic feel with the instrumentation adding to the overall disjointed feel(good).
toadhjo- Apocalypse Makes Perfect
Nice intro, has a naive feel to it, then the white noise breaks the mood and it starts to have a darker edge to it slowly getting more intense to the break of the storm, then the naivety is gone. Nicely assembled piece which could have built upon its middle section a bit more, enjoyed none the less.
Dr. Dendrite - Symphonic Protestant
Yes, this has a cool intro, dark and brooding, I like the bells and the horns that create a form of struggle/cry for freedom. Then it went into a dark expansive form which slowly darkened to a whisper, nice
Los Rospjierdolonos - Lost Your Head
Starts out like a radio freedom, then a moody(good) beat that takes it forward, organ and the electric harpsichord are a nice touch, lost me a bit around the 1.18 area, then the little acid brought me back round, then I was lost again. I really like so many elements in this I'm just a touch unsure of its structure.
Erictracks - maybeitsagoodthing
Cool start, guitar had a pinkish Floyd mood, then it gets super funked
There's light here, creativity must be the overall champion is what this is saying to me, the ARP elements take it forward again, you seem to be a very positive person, this just left a smile on my face, many thanks for this
MarkS - Strange Things
Love the start!!!!
Beat kicks in, almost like hitting your head against an impenetrable barrier, the piano darkens the mood with the acid bass adding to the feeling of discontent. Would have like to have had another element other than the strings to bring the piece fully together.
Doctor Bob Phone freakin
Cool start, luv the little incidental sounds, the harp opens the track up in a very cool way with the beat and then the slightly disjointed brass and the arps offering a different texture, the choral vox is a nice touch, there is positivity here, got a few pops around the 4min mark almost like sudden cuts to something, overall though it had a very warm and generous feeling to it.
Leonard Bowman Post
I really enjoy this, the horns and the delayed sounds and the hi pitched noise from left to right is a touch of genius. Takes on a darker glitchy edge and gives me images of electricity running through circuit board, the beat is interesting but never really fully develops, organ seems a touch off to me, doesn't quite sit well, you seem to have lost focus after that (you're not Swedish are you, sorry joke about MEP's and voting) interesting start which doesn't end the way it should have after the beginning had offered so much. promise
I'm still in many minds about the rankings 
I was going to leave it till last minute, I'm even wondering whether timed posts would be a better idea
Anyways, thanks to mister fox for the opportunity and everyone for the feedback, not sure how helpful mine will be
Anthemic - Anthemic_Nde
This starts very sad and quite moody, although there are glimmers of brightness in the high notes and strings which start to elevate it beyond. Then, wait for it, the start of the beat, well that was a surprise, took an upbeat twist, I almost got up and started dancing
I'm still not sure whether this was aimed at this blackout scenario, I liked it none the less.
The Ted Mountainé Orchestra - Who Knew?
Really like the doom start with all the elements of a day surrounding the intro. Strings offer a warm texture, then the slam, it starts to build, but it doesn't seem to go beyond, for some reason I was expecting a hi intensity beat to elevate the whole piece to the next level, overall mix is good but just wanted more grrrrr.
TrojakEW - Restart
Moody intro, beat and vocal is good, drop has a hi intensity, strings offer a subtleness to it, all adding to a super outlook, epic is defined here!! Really liked the whole piece, all elements hold their ground and its very sweetly mixed.
J.I.L.L.I.A.M - A Sad Quiet Age
There's some power in this, with its driving nature forcing its way ahead with the sounds used, like the swell bass and pads and the off kilter piano painting a dark and moody space, the beat is an icing on a cool cake
The Exponent - Desolation
An interesting intro for sure, really like music box introduced after the drop and its got elements of something impending, that said, its just feels like a series of buildups which don't really lead anywhere. I really liked lots of the components, just not the overall piece.
Upright Joe - A Call Unanswered
Bubbling start with the delayed piano open this up nicely, strings and drums offer a dark space, guitar, especially the way its plucked give a nice contrast. The track begins to create an epic feel with the instrumentation adding to the overall disjointed feel(good).
toadhjo- Apocalypse Makes Perfect
Nice intro, has a naive feel to it, then the white noise breaks the mood and it starts to have a darker edge to it slowly getting more intense to the break of the storm, then the naivety is gone. Nicely assembled piece which could have built upon its middle section a bit more, enjoyed none the less.
Dr. Dendrite - Symphonic Protestant
Yes, this has a cool intro, dark and brooding, I like the bells and the horns that create a form of struggle/cry for freedom. Then it went into a dark expansive form which slowly darkened to a whisper, nice
Los Rospjierdolonos - Lost Your Head
Starts out like a radio freedom, then a moody(good) beat that takes it forward, organ and the electric harpsichord are a nice touch, lost me a bit around the 1.18 area, then the little acid brought me back round, then I was lost again. I really like so many elements in this I'm just a touch unsure of its structure.
Erictracks - maybeitsagoodthing
Cool start, guitar had a pinkish Floyd mood, then it gets super funked
There's light here, creativity must be the overall champion is what this is saying to me, the ARP elements take it forward again, you seem to be a very positive person, this just left a smile on my face, many thanks for this
MarkS - Strange Things
Love the start!!!!
Beat kicks in, almost like hitting your head against an impenetrable barrier, the piano darkens the mood with the acid bass adding to the feeling of discontent. Would have like to have had another element other than the strings to bring the piece fully together.
Doctor Bob Phone freakin
Cool start, luv the little incidental sounds, the harp opens the track up in a very cool way with the beat and then the slightly disjointed brass and the arps offering a different texture, the choral vox is a nice touch, there is positivity here, got a few pops around the 4min mark almost like sudden cuts to something, overall though it had a very warm and generous feeling to it.
Leonard Bowman Post
I really enjoy this, the horns and the delayed sounds and the hi pitched noise from left to right is a touch of genius. Takes on a darker glitchy edge and gives me images of electricity running through circuit board, the beat is interesting but never really fully develops, organ seems a touch off to me, doesn't quite sit well, you seem to have lost focus after that (you're not Swedish are you, sorry joke about MEP's and voting) interesting start which doesn't end the way it should have after the beginning had offered so much. promise
► Show Spoiler
I was going to leave it till last minute, I'm even wondering whether timed posts would be a better idea
Anyways, thanks to mister fox for the opportunity and everyone for the feedback, not sure how helpful mine will be
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mountaine
Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC019 March 2019 - Voting until 01-04-2019 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST
Haha, I had to make a comment on that - because it was 100% what I intended!Clueless wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2019 21:21 CESTThe Ted Mountainé Orchestra - Who Knew?
Really like the doom start with all the elements of a day surrounding the intro. Strings offer a warm texture, then the slam, it starts to build, but it doesn't seem to go beyond, for some reason I was expecting a hi intensity beat to elevate the whole piece to the next level, overall mix is good but just wanted more grrrrr.
I meant to tease the listener by threatening to "elevate it to the next level," but the blackout will always shut it down! That's actually why it takes so long for the music to get going - and why it's so short, as well. The music is supposed to represent the beauty/ harmony /freedom /democracy/ goodness/ whatever that the blackout is trying to shut down. It was kind of a conundrum, how to keep the musical development to a frustrating minimum, and still create some listenable "music"
!Thanks for the feedback, and good luck with the final score!
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Dr Dendrite
Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC019 March 2019 - Voting until 01-04-2019 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST
Greetings,
First off
1: thank you Mister Fox for the opportunities here on Mix-challenge and for the work you put in. I have to ask; why do you do this? What do you gain?
2: A great bunch of tracks, not a lot of room between 2nd and 13th.
3: I have something to admit… I read the spoilers.
I must address the elephant in the room, the voting system seems flawed. It’s influenced by influence meaning outside of the tracks there is another factor at work; another game being played.
I am not exempt of this game and can add as well as the next person (sometimes better depending on who I’m standing next to). I see a tight race for 3rd has developed, which caused me to go in and reevaluate my original scores to see if I really felt the way I did about the tracks and their hierarchy. The score caused me to hear things differently in a way that was advantageous to the situation. This is an ill.
Having been part of different competitions in the past (haven’t tried the OSC yet) I search for a place that is equitable, not based on popularity of the contestant nor based on favor but rather is based on the music and nothing else; I felt maybe mix-challenge may be that place. But the voting/entry system lends itself to more of the same.
In an effort to be the change that I seek, I leave my scores as they were, before I read the spoilers or had seen what others thought. It may cost me but I care less about the prize and more about the sport.
First off
1: thank you Mister Fox for the opportunities here on Mix-challenge and for the work you put in. I have to ask; why do you do this? What do you gain?
2: A great bunch of tracks, not a lot of room between 2nd and 13th.
3: I have something to admit… I read the spoilers.
I must address the elephant in the room, the voting system seems flawed. It’s influenced by influence meaning outside of the tracks there is another factor at work; another game being played.
I am not exempt of this game and can add as well as the next person (sometimes better depending on who I’m standing next to). I see a tight race for 3rd has developed, which caused me to go in and reevaluate my original scores to see if I really felt the way I did about the tracks and their hierarchy. The score caused me to hear things differently in a way that was advantageous to the situation. This is an ill.
Having been part of different competitions in the past (haven’t tried the OSC yet) I search for a place that is equitable, not based on popularity of the contestant nor based on favor but rather is based on the music and nothing else; I felt maybe mix-challenge may be that place. But the voting/entry system lends itself to more of the same.
In an effort to be the change that I seek, I leave my scores as they were, before I read the spoilers or had seen what others thought. It may cost me but I care less about the prize and more about the sport.
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Dr Dendrite
Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC019 March 2019 - Voting until 01-04-2019 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST
JILLIAM_A Sad Quiet World
Really digin the bass/piano interaction. 1:12 nice breakdown to the bass element, drums at 2:03 are very passionate- love it, 3:13 here’s that mean sound again- sounds cool.
I feel like it represents the theme well. So good job on that.
All in all a very good track, a mixed vibe – playful piano maybe even mischievous- mean bass.
ANTHEMIC_NDE
Tommy Lee Jones?… points right there. Definity an epic intro. Like the violin understatement and the bell sound, The pad under the snaps was nice at about 1:52, double time bass at 3:00 is interesting -very bouncy through here- good dynamics, 4:17 pad under the plucks… I’m seeing a pattern in your preferences.
Good work.
Clueless_DarkDays
Strange intro, grabbed me right away, great sound design, metallic and dark, sounds mechanized and tribal, like the drum solo at 2:10, the complete silence followed by the slow bass roll was a nice change, 3:00 spooky eerie feeling here, 3:39 personal highlight of this track for me really like the timbre of that droning depressor.
High marks for following the theme and for your sound design (or preset choice, which ever)
Los_Rospjierdolonos_Lost_your_head
Whoa… Mr. boombastic, the ride cybal to the bass at :45 was a nice break, syncopation of the knock sound- cool, is that a dulcimer?- gives good contrast to the beat, radio static- nice touch.
Mountaine_Who Knew
Insta points for the foley, this follow like a movie- I like that, 1:11 great sound byte!, 1:27 the melody/Rhythm combo is great- very appealing, 1:35 Im getting an 80’s movie vibe, 2:07 nice suspenseful feeling here followed by a release- my personal highlight of the track. Nice bass. That kick kind of shut the door on the whole track.
The track had a definite two parts to it. The theme was followed as was best represented at about :40. Very entertaining and creative track.
The Exponent_Desolation
Nice full spectra, movie trailer type impact- very good, fell off a cliff at 1:13, cut off of the Hello was the best use of a sample inn this round, very good melody change up at 1:29- warbly and all- very good and the highlight for me, 2:16 choir burst into the scene- sweet, 2:53 the piano reappears- I didn’t realize it was still there- awesome, 3:00 urgent feeling towards the end- nice build up and release at 3:34. The impact kind of shut the door on the track
I thought you did a skillful job on the arrangement, especially considering the VSCO 2 CE. The sound bytes placements were masterful.
The theme was adhered to very closely.
Good track, to me the clear winner this round without a doubt.
toadhjo_Apocalypse_Makes_Perfect
The opening pulled me in right away- very interesting and good use of depth, 1:22 another great use of sound byte- loved the warp at the end, definitely an ominous and anxious feel to the arrangement, the distorted guitar followed by the rolling thunder into the nature sound with the piano was flat out cool and was the highlight for me. I wont lie, it gave me a shiver.
I thought you followed the theme and the sound byte placements were a nice touch.
UprightJoe_A Call Unanswered
I like the ambient sounds in the intro, the percussive quality of the piano really stuck out- I like it, the pounding percussion at :41 was attention grabbing, the breakdown at :59 was cool- like those military type snares, 1:26 that melody is catchy, 1:44 nice change here, 2:20 created an anxious feeling, delay filling the space o the piano was nice.
I thought you followed the theme and you had a good melody.
DoctorBob-PhoneFreakin
Intro sounds like digital garbage- which I’m sure you were after, 1:03 harp was a nice contrast, epicness written all over this, great melody, rolls right into the 2:57 change… that was awesome and my personal highlight, 3:57 gives a serene sense of floating, that piano tucked back in the mix really gives some glue to this.
You definitely had the epic criteria on this track and I thought the arrangement was great
erictracks-maybeitsagoodthing
Interesting drums, I like the panning of the guitar, :38 nice move here, 1:02 I like the guitar sound, 1:08 the drum is well timed, very tasteful selection of sound, 1:52 yeah man… that’s the stuff, 2:33 we just entered prog territory… I’m in! 3:01 nice move again… personal highlight, 4:03 that synth was a nice touch.
I thought the track was excellent and had several great moments.
MarkS-Strange Things
The intro sample fit the scenario very well, minimal- kept me anticipating, 1:50 cool sweep, the brokenness at 1:54 struck me, 2:22 that rising tone is intresting, all around 3:00 sounds wonky- gives the feeling something’s off, 3:13 more confusion, 4:00 great sound byte, outro with the vibraslap…hmmm
Honestly, I’ve never heard anything like this… so points for that.
Good job on capturing the confusing broken nature of the EU 13 situation.
TrojakEW_Restart
Nice percussion, great dynamics, the cliché Booj At :34… now were in movie trailer mode, :53 vocal created a beauty scene. 1:10 flute sounds great followed by more vocal was powerful, 1:45 I like the subtly changes in the percussion sounds, 1:54 fade to Violins, the cello to birds at the end was a nice ending.
Since I see you being so free with critiques of others, please allow me to as well:
From the list of software used I expected great things as those pretty much play themselves and is hard not to produce something that sounds fantastic (8dio and Heavyocity put a lot of hard work in those).
But I found the melodies lacked creativity and some of the vocal parts were disjointed (1:20 and 2:29 for example).
You really depended on Clara’s vocal phrases almost entirely to carry this track but they clashed (sonically) with the cello at times (2:15 as one example). It did not speak “blackout” theme to me as was described in the thread intro: “Something that represents a more darker/brooding feeling”. It sounds like pretend Hollywood and It felt like an overreach into something wanabe grandiose.
I thought you made a good mix but missed the high mark you set for yourself.
==========================================================================
Really digin the bass/piano interaction. 1:12 nice breakdown to the bass element, drums at 2:03 are very passionate- love it, 3:13 here’s that mean sound again- sounds cool.
I feel like it represents the theme well. So good job on that.
All in all a very good track, a mixed vibe – playful piano maybe even mischievous- mean bass.
ANTHEMIC_NDE
Tommy Lee Jones?… points right there. Definity an epic intro. Like the violin understatement and the bell sound, The pad under the snaps was nice at about 1:52, double time bass at 3:00 is interesting -very bouncy through here- good dynamics, 4:17 pad under the plucks… I’m seeing a pattern in your preferences.
Good work.
Clueless_DarkDays
Strange intro, grabbed me right away, great sound design, metallic and dark, sounds mechanized and tribal, like the drum solo at 2:10, the complete silence followed by the slow bass roll was a nice change, 3:00 spooky eerie feeling here, 3:39 personal highlight of this track for me really like the timbre of that droning depressor.
High marks for following the theme and for your sound design (or preset choice, which ever)
Los_Rospjierdolonos_Lost_your_head
Whoa… Mr. boombastic, the ride cybal to the bass at :45 was a nice break, syncopation of the knock sound- cool, is that a dulcimer?- gives good contrast to the beat, radio static- nice touch.
Mountaine_Who Knew
Insta points for the foley, this follow like a movie- I like that, 1:11 great sound byte!, 1:27 the melody/Rhythm combo is great- very appealing, 1:35 Im getting an 80’s movie vibe, 2:07 nice suspenseful feeling here followed by a release- my personal highlight of the track. Nice bass. That kick kind of shut the door on the whole track.
The track had a definite two parts to it. The theme was followed as was best represented at about :40. Very entertaining and creative track.
The Exponent_Desolation
Nice full spectra, movie trailer type impact- very good, fell off a cliff at 1:13, cut off of the Hello was the best use of a sample inn this round, very good melody change up at 1:29- warbly and all- very good and the highlight for me, 2:16 choir burst into the scene- sweet, 2:53 the piano reappears- I didn’t realize it was still there- awesome, 3:00 urgent feeling towards the end- nice build up and release at 3:34. The impact kind of shut the door on the track
I thought you did a skillful job on the arrangement, especially considering the VSCO 2 CE. The sound bytes placements were masterful.
The theme was adhered to very closely.
Good track, to me the clear winner this round without a doubt.
toadhjo_Apocalypse_Makes_Perfect
The opening pulled me in right away- very interesting and good use of depth, 1:22 another great use of sound byte- loved the warp at the end, definitely an ominous and anxious feel to the arrangement, the distorted guitar followed by the rolling thunder into the nature sound with the piano was flat out cool and was the highlight for me. I wont lie, it gave me a shiver.
I thought you followed the theme and the sound byte placements were a nice touch.
UprightJoe_A Call Unanswered
I like the ambient sounds in the intro, the percussive quality of the piano really stuck out- I like it, the pounding percussion at :41 was attention grabbing, the breakdown at :59 was cool- like those military type snares, 1:26 that melody is catchy, 1:44 nice change here, 2:20 created an anxious feeling, delay filling the space o the piano was nice.
I thought you followed the theme and you had a good melody.
DoctorBob-PhoneFreakin
Intro sounds like digital garbage- which I’m sure you were after, 1:03 harp was a nice contrast, epicness written all over this, great melody, rolls right into the 2:57 change… that was awesome and my personal highlight, 3:57 gives a serene sense of floating, that piano tucked back in the mix really gives some glue to this.
You definitely had the epic criteria on this track and I thought the arrangement was great
erictracks-maybeitsagoodthing
Interesting drums, I like the panning of the guitar, :38 nice move here, 1:02 I like the guitar sound, 1:08 the drum is well timed, very tasteful selection of sound, 1:52 yeah man… that’s the stuff, 2:33 we just entered prog territory… I’m in! 3:01 nice move again… personal highlight, 4:03 that synth was a nice touch.
I thought the track was excellent and had several great moments.
MarkS-Strange Things
The intro sample fit the scenario very well, minimal- kept me anticipating, 1:50 cool sweep, the brokenness at 1:54 struck me, 2:22 that rising tone is intresting, all around 3:00 sounds wonky- gives the feeling something’s off, 3:13 more confusion, 4:00 great sound byte, outro with the vibraslap…hmmm
Honestly, I’ve never heard anything like this… so points for that.
Good job on capturing the confusing broken nature of the EU 13 situation.
TrojakEW_Restart
Nice percussion, great dynamics, the cliché Booj At :34… now were in movie trailer mode, :53 vocal created a beauty scene. 1:10 flute sounds great followed by more vocal was powerful, 1:45 I like the subtly changes in the percussion sounds, 1:54 fade to Violins, the cello to birds at the end was a nice ending.
Since I see you being so free with critiques of others, please allow me to as well:
From the list of software used I expected great things as those pretty much play themselves and is hard not to produce something that sounds fantastic (8dio and Heavyocity put a lot of hard work in those).
But I found the melodies lacked creativity and some of the vocal parts were disjointed (1:20 and 2:29 for example).
You really depended on Clara’s vocal phrases almost entirely to carry this track but they clashed (sonically) with the cello at times (2:15 as one example). It did not speak “blackout” theme to me as was described in the thread intro: “Something that represents a more darker/brooding feeling”. It sounds like pretend Hollywood and It felt like an overreach into something wanabe grandiose.
I thought you made a good mix but missed the high mark you set for yourself.
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► Show Spoiler
Last edited by Dr Dendrite on Mon Apr 01, 2019 22:07 CEST, edited 1 time in total.
Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC019 March 2019 - Voting until 01-04-2019 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST
Aghhh, ruddy Noramountaine wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2019 21:35 CESTHaha, I had to make a comment on that - because it was 100% what I intended!Clueless wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2019 21:21 CESTThe Ted Mountainé Orchestra - Who Knew?
Really like the doom start with all the elements of a day surrounding the intro. Strings offer a warm texture, then the slam, it starts to build, but it doesn't seem to go beyond, for some reason I was expecting a hi intensity beat to elevate the whole piece to the next level, overall mix is good but just wanted more grrrrr.
I meant to tease the listener by threatening to "elevate it to the next level," but the blackout will always shut it down! That's actually why it takes so long for the music to get going - and why it's so short, as well. The music is supposed to represent the beauty/ harmony /freedom /democracy/ goodness/ whatever that the blackout is trying to shut down. It was kind of a conundrum, how to keep the musical development to a frustrating minimum, and still create some listenable "music"
Thanks for the feedback, and good luck with the final score!
I'm now wondering whether I should read more the ideas behind the pieces, I guess I'm learning lessons in this
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The Exponent
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Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC019 March 2019 - Voting until 01-04-2019 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST
Since interpretation of themes/genres is clearly very subjective, please take my comments with a grain of salt. Here's my feedback for what it's worth:
Dr. Dendrite
So up until the intro, I really loved it. Then the transition with the (really loud) strings at around 0:50 threw me off a bit. From here on it gets into the atmospheric and ambient territory, which is quite cool. The track sounds quite emotive and epic, but to me it felt more like something you'd like to play/associate with an "Interstellar' voyage, rather than a communication blackout. I like the movement you create with the track. The production is decent, although I'd have liked some quieter parts and some more dynamics in the track.
Doctor Bob
I think you have the coolest intro among all the other tracks here. But the transition at around 1:02 seems very abrupt to me (there's this audible click which is quite distracting). The track is epic! Period. It sounds like the soundtrack to the next Hollywood blockbuster fantasy movie. It's a very pretty song. But, I don't hear a blackout amidst those pretty vocals and beautiful melodies/arpeggios. I don't get that brooding feeling immediately after a blackout. Or maybe the blackout is supposed to be a good thing? In which case this would make better sense, but even so, it does not totally fit with the theme. But an excellent track in itself, something that I can totally listen to on repeat. Well done!
MarkS
An interesting start with that message being played out. But the moment that kick started playing, I kind of lost the blackout feeling totally. That kick is a total misfit IMHO. The track does have nice elements in the other sounds, but unfortunately I get no feeling of either epicness or a blackout from it. The mix is quite sparse and minimalistic. It does lack high-mids and highs. The thing is that with minimalist tracks, you have the freedom to play with the spatial placement of sounds and FX, but sadly the track is quite mono. It's a good effort and I'm sure you'll come back stronger.
TrojakEW
A very strong start to the track, the tension and suspense is straight out of an infiltration scene in a blockbuster movie. Really professional sounding. I like how 'The Booj' signifies the blackout and then the waves give the sense of despair thereafter. The selection of instruments and the percussion programming is very well done. The vocals seem a bit out of place to me personally. I would imagine this vocal to play over loss of life or even destruction, not over a "communication blackout". There surely is that epic feeling, but I don't get the sense of chaos or tension immediately after the blackout. I do understand that you're trying to convey that a communication blackout is a positive thing. But even so, the situation should improve/evolve over time. Yours stays gloomy and then somehow, the sounds of nature signify the positive aspect of a blackout? I don't hear that positivity in your track overall I'm afraid. But an excellent mix otherwise, my ears/headphones can hear nothing bad about your mix.
toadhjo
Very cool intro, love how you've almost captured a scene. I really like the sound design overall. Very ominous and epic sounding. However, the explosive sound you used is more suited to a nuclear fallout, more than a communication blackout. Also, the change of the mood after the explosion is quite abrupt. As in, you wouldn't normally immediately be in a happy state after a blackout, it always takes some time and that evolution is lacking. Overall I quite like it. As some have already said, this could work really well as a score to an indie movie. Well done!
Upright Joe
Lovely glitchy start to the track. I like your riffs and melodies. For some reason, your mix was slightly right channel panned to my ears (maybe the violins/violas). There seems to be some imbalance, but it could just be me. I like the use of dobro. The strings and percussion do bring in that epic feeling. I do get a sense of urgency and the feeling of a blackout about to happen, and you've done it well. But as others have pointed out, they do sound artificial due to lack of articulation and some "glue" at many places. A very nice track otherwise.
Erictracks
So right off the bat, this track neither sounds like epic music, nor do I find it related to a blackout in anyway. Had it been in a competition without a theme or a genre, I'd have ranked you very high up. Your track has a clean mix and I like the selection of sounds, the arrangement and the composition a lot. But as I said, it's not in alignment with the theme or the genre for this month.
Clueless
I think this is the darkest sounding track here. Very interesting sound design and good ambient feel. It has that desolate feeling immediately after a massive fallout or a blackout. However as some have pointed out, it's quite mono and it does lack development and evolution. Much like your track last month, this track too sounds very experimental. The abrupt cut in middle of the track is very poorly handled, you could certainly have made the transition smoother and flow better IMHO. I like the second half of the track much better, the soundscape is much more organic and has some interesting fx. But again, it lacks general evolution and doesn't take the story forward effectively.
JILLIAM
This track would totally work in a post blackout scene/setting. The mix is a bit too hot, resulting in a bit of clipping here and there. But it sorta works in your favour. Gives it that distorted and crackling feel to it. I really like your drums, the groove programming is very well done. The sounds and the melodies are really nice, I like how it induces mixed feelings in me when I hear the track. It's goes back and forth between happiness and sadness. The howling/whooshing noises are good, but they feel kind of annoying after a while since their volume/dynamics are always the same. While the track is not epic on its own, it kind of works for me in a weird way, even with its own flaws. Well done!
Los_ady
This track is quite enjoyable, I like the melodies and the groove. Some really nice sounds in there. However, this doesn't sound either epic or related to a blackout. But an enjoyable track on its own.
ANTHEMIC
Your start is lovely, totally gets the whole epic blackout feel going. But then it enters this 4-on-the-floor section and goes in a tangent to the theme/genre. The production is very well done, no doubt about that. As with Erictracks, I would have rated you very high had there been no theme/genre guidance for this competition. You have very good production aesthetics and you've done a very fine job with this, other than the theme/genre interpretation, IMHO.
montaine
What can I say, the perfect soundtrack to a blackout related movie. I love the soundscape you create, I can totally imagine the scene in my mind and it's very well executed. The transitions are well done and I love the creativity you've shown with the sounds (that you recorded yourself). Even though this track doesn't feel epic in the traditional/common way, it does evoke strong emotions, enough to be epic for me. A very fine job overall.
My Scores:
Dr. Dendrite
So up until the intro, I really loved it. Then the transition with the (really loud) strings at around 0:50 threw me off a bit. From here on it gets into the atmospheric and ambient territory, which is quite cool. The track sounds quite emotive and epic, but to me it felt more like something you'd like to play/associate with an "Interstellar' voyage, rather than a communication blackout. I like the movement you create with the track. The production is decent, although I'd have liked some quieter parts and some more dynamics in the track.
Doctor Bob
I think you have the coolest intro among all the other tracks here. But the transition at around 1:02 seems very abrupt to me (there's this audible click which is quite distracting). The track is epic! Period. It sounds like the soundtrack to the next Hollywood blockbuster fantasy movie. It's a very pretty song. But, I don't hear a blackout amidst those pretty vocals and beautiful melodies/arpeggios. I don't get that brooding feeling immediately after a blackout. Or maybe the blackout is supposed to be a good thing? In which case this would make better sense, but even so, it does not totally fit with the theme. But an excellent track in itself, something that I can totally listen to on repeat. Well done!
MarkS
An interesting start with that message being played out. But the moment that kick started playing, I kind of lost the blackout feeling totally. That kick is a total misfit IMHO. The track does have nice elements in the other sounds, but unfortunately I get no feeling of either epicness or a blackout from it. The mix is quite sparse and minimalistic. It does lack high-mids and highs. The thing is that with minimalist tracks, you have the freedom to play with the spatial placement of sounds and FX, but sadly the track is quite mono. It's a good effort and I'm sure you'll come back stronger.
TrojakEW
A very strong start to the track, the tension and suspense is straight out of an infiltration scene in a blockbuster movie. Really professional sounding. I like how 'The Booj' signifies the blackout and then the waves give the sense of despair thereafter. The selection of instruments and the percussion programming is very well done. The vocals seem a bit out of place to me personally. I would imagine this vocal to play over loss of life or even destruction, not over a "communication blackout". There surely is that epic feeling, but I don't get the sense of chaos or tension immediately after the blackout. I do understand that you're trying to convey that a communication blackout is a positive thing. But even so, the situation should improve/evolve over time. Yours stays gloomy and then somehow, the sounds of nature signify the positive aspect of a blackout? I don't hear that positivity in your track overall I'm afraid. But an excellent mix otherwise, my ears/headphones can hear nothing bad about your mix.
toadhjo
Very cool intro, love how you've almost captured a scene. I really like the sound design overall. Very ominous and epic sounding. However, the explosive sound you used is more suited to a nuclear fallout, more than a communication blackout. Also, the change of the mood after the explosion is quite abrupt. As in, you wouldn't normally immediately be in a happy state after a blackout, it always takes some time and that evolution is lacking. Overall I quite like it. As some have already said, this could work really well as a score to an indie movie. Well done!
Upright Joe
Lovely glitchy start to the track. I like your riffs and melodies. For some reason, your mix was slightly right channel panned to my ears (maybe the violins/violas). There seems to be some imbalance, but it could just be me. I like the use of dobro. The strings and percussion do bring in that epic feeling. I do get a sense of urgency and the feeling of a blackout about to happen, and you've done it well. But as others have pointed out, they do sound artificial due to lack of articulation and some "glue" at many places. A very nice track otherwise.
Erictracks
So right off the bat, this track neither sounds like epic music, nor do I find it related to a blackout in anyway. Had it been in a competition without a theme or a genre, I'd have ranked you very high up. Your track has a clean mix and I like the selection of sounds, the arrangement and the composition a lot. But as I said, it's not in alignment with the theme or the genre for this month.
Clueless
I think this is the darkest sounding track here. Very interesting sound design and good ambient feel. It has that desolate feeling immediately after a massive fallout or a blackout. However as some have pointed out, it's quite mono and it does lack development and evolution. Much like your track last month, this track too sounds very experimental. The abrupt cut in middle of the track is very poorly handled, you could certainly have made the transition smoother and flow better IMHO. I like the second half of the track much better, the soundscape is much more organic and has some interesting fx. But again, it lacks general evolution and doesn't take the story forward effectively.
JILLIAM
This track would totally work in a post blackout scene/setting. The mix is a bit too hot, resulting in a bit of clipping here and there. But it sorta works in your favour. Gives it that distorted and crackling feel to it. I really like your drums, the groove programming is very well done. The sounds and the melodies are really nice, I like how it induces mixed feelings in me when I hear the track. It's goes back and forth between happiness and sadness. The howling/whooshing noises are good, but they feel kind of annoying after a while since their volume/dynamics are always the same. While the track is not epic on its own, it kind of works for me in a weird way, even with its own flaws. Well done!
Los_ady
This track is quite enjoyable, I like the melodies and the groove. Some really nice sounds in there. However, this doesn't sound either epic or related to a blackout. But an enjoyable track on its own.
ANTHEMIC
Your start is lovely, totally gets the whole epic blackout feel going. But then it enters this 4-on-the-floor section and goes in a tangent to the theme/genre. The production is very well done, no doubt about that. As with Erictracks, I would have rated you very high had there been no theme/genre guidance for this competition. You have very good production aesthetics and you've done a very fine job with this, other than the theme/genre interpretation, IMHO.
montaine
What can I say, the perfect soundtrack to a blackout related movie. I love the soundscape you create, I can totally imagine the scene in my mind and it's very well executed. The transitions are well done and I love the creativity you've shown with the sounds (that you recorded yourself). Even though this track doesn't feel epic in the traditional/common way, it does evoke strong emotions, enough to be epic for me. A very fine job overall.
My Scores:
► Show Spoiler
Last edited by The Exponent on Mon Apr 01, 2019 22:51 CEST, edited 3 times in total.
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The Exponent
- Posts: 98
- Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2019 14:46 CET
Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC019 March 2019 - Voting until 01-04-2019 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST
So, like last round, you've again left me quite CluelessClueless wrote: ↑Mon Apr 01, 2019 21:21 CESTThe Exponent - Desolation
An interesting intro for sure, really like music box introduced after the drop and its got elements of something impending, that said, its just feels like a series of buildups which don't really lead anywhere. I really liked lots of the components, just not the overall piece.
Na, I don't think there's any need for that. You personify your username fairly well
BTW, thanks for the feedback and good luck with the final score!
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Mister Fox
- Site Admin
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Re: SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC019 March 2019 - Voting until 01-04-2019 11:59pm GMT+2/CEST
I've just updated my Excel/Calc score sheet, and only ANTHEMIC seems to be missing from the votes. There is still 1,5 hours left for feedback and the final top 12.
The topic "voting/feedback" has been addressed several times at this point, most notably here:
viewtopic.php?p=4146#p4146
As for "why do you do this? What do you gain?": I don't have an answer to that. I guess I just wanted to keep an idea alive.
See you folks in a couple of hours
The topic "voting/feedback" has been addressed several times at this point, most notably here:
viewtopic.php?p=4146#p4146
As for "why do you do this? What do you gain?": I don't have an answer to that. I guess I just wanted to keep an idea alive.
See you folks in a couple of hours