folks, you impressed me yet again. it’s trite to say at this point, but the level of skill just keeps getting higher. it’s really cool to see new people participate and hear progression through these challenges. if anyone doesn’t know yet, drop into this thread to share production tips, sources, etc.
after a couple of listens, here’s my feedback:
- crisp drums, an industrial feel, short and sweet, this has a nice quick flow and build. good work!
- those vibes really work well as the intro and main theme. bass and acapella fit perfectly. nice changeup with the piano, too. that horn breakdown opens up the middle of the song.
- classic flow; bass heavy mix, but it’s not too muddy. man, this one really bumps, too. very nice.
- nice interplay between the percussion and drums, bells anchor the track, the backwards masked or string stabs are a nice touch. you kept it simple, and it works. kudos!
- lazy beats, languid acapella; mix feels okay here. there’s a nice variation without trying to do too much.
- drums snap here — simple, direct, punchy. this has such a classic sound. so many people used bells in this challenge. they work really well in this track, too.
- another short and sweet one. it faked me out — i totally expected it to lurch into a double time house style remix. those pitched up vocal samples are fun. would like to hear this one developed a bit or with vocals on top.
- this one’s all business. i dig the frenetic energy moving this forward into filter sweeps. we don’t often hear faster tempo beats in these challenges. good job!
- symphonic boom bap! subterranean bass glues this together, but it feels a little tubby. i dig the percussion. it flows well, vocals are a good fit, nice variation and song structure.
- mix makes this feel like you’re listening to someone playing a song on a phone in the next room while someone raps over it, but it kinda works here. mix aside, i like this. it’s an interesting track.
- piano bass! i’m a fan. dig the mellow vibes in this one, too. solid track.
- track does justice to the acapella, for sure. (more bells!) i wonder if this was done on a DT. another solid track.
- PE meets marching band! love the gated drums and stereo effects here. mix is interesting — sounds like some neat compression and such to give each element space.
top 3:
first: 6
second: 2
third: 4
mentions: 9, 12 were strong contenders for my top 3