Libre Music Challenge #20: Vitalium

[bsg75]

Feedback time

A-Lin - Kermeas
I like the mix between party hardstyle and calmness.
The rise in energy around 0:36 got me. Releaseing the tension at around 1:48 got me too.
The composition is - as always - decent.
I am not sure about the outro. I like that it is again fast and energetic, but it feels too short and fading out to quickly.

Arkforest - Silence at the Gallows (instrumental)
Energy You got me already with the first beats!
Only critisism: a longer and calmer break. Sound and mix are on a professional level.

John the Bard - Nosedive
Nice groove. The main theme is catchy.
The percussion is a litte too prominent (too much sidechained?). I missing some background ambiant/fx elements.
Like a long, long downer from 0:33 to 0:44. The crunchy bass beginning at 0:44 feels a bit mushy on my head phones.

MyloFy - Tubby
The groove comes with the bass. Well, this has @Sahaatyvaa vibes starting at 1:30
Solid production and tasty sound design. For my taste the background ambiant elements could bit a little louder at times.

Nyx Eles - Nan Two
I like the fast notes at the beginning of the phrase after the intro. The transition between the calm and the chiptune section is a bit rough for my taste, like the tape stop is not strong enough (or should be followed by some silence). Great tempo decelleration around 0:54!
The percussion in the more mellow section could have been more distinct to the chiptune part, where the percussion fits the genre much better.
The break around 2:36 is tastely dark, but I am not 100% convinced. Like again the transition to next part could have been a little more elaborate.

PowerUser64 - Jungle Slide
Nice, friendly vibes with bubbly, wet sounds.
The percussion (I can't really hear if it is the open hat or the snare) feels a little to "chorus"y.
I am missing a little deeper bass. The finale could have been a little louder and brighter for my taste.

Spotlight Kyd - The Hunt for Vitalium
Great musically rich vibe. I don't even try to get the odd meter.
Okay I tried: Mostly 3/4, sometimes 5/4?.
Outro chord is a classic
What a pitty, that Vitalium was not stable for you. This has so much potential.

[SpotlightKid]

Here's my feedback...

All in all, I think this was a very solid round of quality submissions. All tracks had something going for them and I enjoyed them all.

A-Lin - Kermeas

Sound design:

• Great juxtaposition / separation of sounds: Trance lead vs Soft Plucks vs Meaty Bass
• Snare is very much just noise, could use some work.

Composition:

• Nice half-time part.
• Transitions between parts (e.g. when bass & drums come in) should have more build-up / pay-off, like risers and falls, skipped beats etc.

Atmosphere:

• Though the genre (Hardstyle?) is not my cup-of-tea, I enjoyed this. It follows conventions without being to cheesy or childish.

Mix & Mastering

• Very well done. I think it sounds very professional.

Originality / Artistic expression:

• No real surprises here, but within its genre, it's good.

Arkforest - Silence at the Gallows (Instrumental)

Sound design:

• Drums and bass are sick.
• Lead has character. Makes me think of a bird call.
• All the sounds are well done, but sometimes there are too many of them or they are too dense, I think.

Composition:

• Whole track is basically an ostinato, I guess it's more about the feel than the composition.
• The part from 1:54, where the pads come in, imho the chords should have been emphasized more by occasionally make the bass follow the root note. That would have helped to make this section into a bigger climax, imho.

Mix & Mastering

• Good use of ping-pong delays.
• I'm not a fan of loudness maximized tracks, but her it helps the atmosphere and the sense of urgency.
• After the second or third listen, fatigue sets.

Atmosphere:

• This track surely makes you feel something. Not sure, what is. Anxiety, apprehension, desolution?

Originality / Artistic expression:

• Original in its compositional minimalism.
• A few more things that jumped out from the somewhat monotonous flow, would have elevated it to something bigger, I think.

JTB - Nosedive

Sound design:

• Intro sounds seem FM-ish. Further into the track I would have high-passed them a bit, they are very thick.
• Drums are very well done. I dig the metallic sounds like the crash and the finger-cymbal-like sounds.
• Great bass sound in the drum-n-bass part.

Composition:

• The chord progression is a bit too bland and repetetive for my taste.
• A key change or a variation of some of the chords sometimes would have helped maybe.
• The track somehow just ends suddenly.

Mix & Mastering:

• Distortion of the mix from 0:45 sounds like an error to me, though, apparently, it was intended.
• Drums in the middle drum-n-bass part are too overpowering, imho. After you noticed that high-pitched snare, it's hard concentrate on anything else
• What's that noise in the background of the transition at 01:48? Sounds out of place?
• All in all, it doesn't sound bad, but there's too much rumbling in the lows.

Atmosphere:

• Doesn't speak to me. Not sure why. Sorry.

Originality / Artistic expression:

• Too much emphasis on sounds and not enough on structure and composition.

MyLoFy - Tubby

Sound design:

• Snare and Hi-hats excellent
• Lots of gimmick sounds. Cool!

Composition:

• Again basically just one compositional idea for the whole track.
• Was waiting for a key shift that never came.

Mix & Mastering:

• Seems a bit mid-heavy to me.
• Some sounds seem to from "under a lid".
• The pads and SFX take up too much space in the mix. Should concentrate on the essentials: drums, bass and stabs.

Atmosphere:

• This seems more about painting a canvas than going on a journey. Might work as background music for some kind of exploration game.

Originality / Artistic expression:

• The mix between dub-reagge and spacy-synthy stuff is interesting, but only works to some degree.

5. PowerUser64 - Jungle Slide

Sound design:

• I like the contrast between the spongy bass and the soft keys vs the percussive plucks and claves.
• The hi-hat sounds like it is going through a flanger. This becomes a bit annoying after rather soon.

Composition:

• Not much to observe here, it's more of a vamp, than a progression.
• Ending underdeveloped.

Mix & Mastering:

• Nice stereo placement & movemment of the different pluck, percussive and SFX sounds.
• Not much happening in the low end.

Atmosphere:

• This has a very playful feeling to it. Probably to the many spring-y, boing-y and click-ety sounds.
• A bit like watching teeming micro-bacterial life through a microscope.

Originality / Artistic expression:

• Again this is more about evoking a feeling than going through some musical development.
• Being a bit more adventurerous with harmony would have been nice.

Spotlight Kyd - The Hunt for Vitalium

No review. See my previous post for some productin notes.

nyx eles - Nan Two

Sound design:

• Many bread and butter sounds, but used well and effectively.
• Great sonic diversity, from simple saw pads and pulsewave leads to that massive bass and hollow lead near the end.

Composition:

• Finally some emphasis on compositional aspects: interweaving melodies, variation of parts, playing with tempo. Great!

Mix & Mastering:

• Minimal processing apparently but sounds very clean. A nice repose for the ears.

Atmosphere:

• An adventurous mix-up of styles and feelings evoked. Fun to listen to.

Originality / Artistic expression:

• I like that this track doesn't seem to care too much about evenness of style or following a tried-and-true plan.

sg75 - Resilent Vortex Circuitry

Sound design:

• Good variation of sounds which fit well together
• Very "synthetic", machine-like sounding (as opposed to "organic").

Composition:

• See Atmosphere and Originality

Mix & Mastering:

• Very clean mix. Every sound is clearly discernible.
• Nice variation between dry and roomy sounds.

Atmosphere:

• Brooding, menacing
• Lacking a bit of exitement / suprises, though.

Originality / Artistic expression:

• The attention to detail is great, more attention to the overall form would be beneficial.
• Leaves the impression of being a bit of a technical showcase.

[MyLoFy]

hey there, thanks for all the feedback!
Here is mine:

A-lin
Nice to see that someone else is exploring genres out of their usual zone. Very well executed, with extra a-lin flavor.
The breakdowns are so very spacey/airy, love it. The tempo change is totally unexpected, but the melody still works. On a sidenote I would like the kicks to have more body, but that doesn't hurt the general quality of the track.

Arkforest
I love the kick and the general atmosphere. Solid sound design. It is repetitive, but complies with the genre. Unfortunately dynamics are squeezed to death, can't listen logner than 1 min on normal volume, just too tiresome for my ears.

JTB
Again, I can see content below 50Hz on my analyzers, can't hear it unfortunately, so it sounds very thin on my 8s. Some saturation on the sub would make it translate on other systems. The comp is very sparse imo. Then the distortion: Artistic choice, though risky to go that far, imo it works, others perhaps might find it too much. Excellent drum work.

P64
Good to have something uplifting and positive. Some percussive elements become a bit exhausting after a while, esp the open hat. I'd like to hear a sub as a foundation. The glitchy elements are very cool.

SpotlightKid
The mix sounds like a bad vinyl. I mean that in a good way. The guitars and brass are excellent. I just noticed that you used the same tutorials I used for my brass in the surgeXT LMC (Eric Bowman). How great are those, right? Then, I just love uneven time signatures, you had me there.

nyx eles
Tempo and style changes, that's not easy to pull off, but you did it. The sound design probably only touches the surface of the synth's capabilities. But I like the composition, very entertaining.

sg75
Congrats on designing all those sounds! Clearly you had fun and discovered another skill of yours. It's a thrilling track, has a good speed and great tension. The open ending is terrific.

[Arkforest]

Alright, here are my words.

A-Lin - Kermeas

I like the hardstyle kick. I also like the melody and harmony. I also like the shimmery pad and the bell synths. I think the switch of meter partway through makes it more interesting. Unfortunately, I don't feel that combining the acoustic-sounding kick with the hardstyle kick makes the hardstyle kick feel hard enough for my tastes. I think this is the most pleasantly melodic sounding of the entries.

Arkforest - Silence at the Gallows (Instrumental)

In retrospect I could have mixed the track better to achieve a louder master. I think the composition could have been more interesting than it already is. I guess I just considered it an exercise in making tech trance. At least it doesn't have the unexpected hardstyle kick that was in my previous LMC submission.

JTB - Nosedive

I really like this one. It's the kind of neuro I like. The reesey basses with their mysterious ways and the hard drums that make me feel like I'm getting aurally assaulted, I like it. I do think the kick could have more high end snap and that the snare in the second part can be a little more like the snare in the first part. Overall, this goes hard, and I like it because it goes hard.

MyLoFy - Tubby

I think this one is really good. There's a wide diversity of sounds and musical ideas packed into what I think is reggae. The drums here are so far the most realistic sounding among the bunch. There's even what sounds like vocoded vocals in it, which I think makes the sound design of this entry the best. I think the only thing I don't like about it is the fact that it's EDM style reggae.

PowerUser64 - Jungle Slide

I think this one does have a rather joyful, somewhat childlike feel to it. I am aware that it was made with Bespoke, and I think that is more impressive than sequencing it in a DAW. Though it's not really so much music that I like.

Spotlight Kyd - The Hunt for Vitalium

This one has the strongest theme behind it. Regrettably it is too short, but I think this one has the most realistic sound design behind it. I can make out brass instruments, a semi hollow guitar, a glock, a realistic drum kit (emphasis on kit), a string section, etc. The parts are even written to simulate the real instruments more accurately too.

nyx eles - Nan Two

This one gives me goosebumps similar to Starlight Express by Andrew Lloyd Webber while also sounding like Supertux music. It has the mysterious atmosphere, the abrupt style changes, and the general unpredictability of the form. It's scarier than my own submission in a creepy kind of way and I like it. That ending seems to come out from nowhere too, like an unexpected boss mode. I do think the synths can have some more modification from their base form, however.

sg75 - Resilent (sic) Vortex Circuitry

I also like this one. It goes hard and has the kind of complexity in it I like and it has a dark atmosphere. One thing that really sticks out is the modulated reverb on some plucks. I like the industrial sound of this one. The last part is also interesting, as it feels like you're being chased slowly after the end of the track. I'd say this one also has a creepy sort of atmosphere behind it, which I like.

Keen

[nyxeles]

Here's some feedback! Just a collection of my thoughts as I was listening through.

A-Lin:
Great sounds! And the mix is impressive. Everything is super clear and punchy. I think the first 2 minutes of the song are amazing, but the slower last minute loses some of the energy and feels drawn out. I wouldn't have minded more repetition of the initial material.

Arkforest:
Dude, such a banger! I feel like compared to the other entries this one just feels a level above. Excellent production and composition! There are so many really cool sounds! Mix is very well balanced. Everything is very clear and it's loud, but very pleasingly so! The way you fade the kick out and bring it back in is so satisfying! Musically, the section ₂:00-3:00 is outstanding. The chords are really cool.
Even though you use mostly the same material throughout the song you manage to keep it interesting the whole way through. Tbh I don't think I have any criticism at all! Outstanding work.

JTB:
There's some very interesting material in here, but I feel like the song overall is missing an identity. It feels more like a demo. So in that sense it's not very memorable.
Mix is a bit cramped. It feels like I don't hear enough of the interesting lines and I hear too much of what I feel should be the "background" elements, like the rumbly lows.

Mylofy:
The intro feels drawn out. For the first minute the song feels uncertain on what it wants to be. Only at 1:30 it gains a shape. That's a long intro :D This is probably less of a concern on subsequent listens, but for the first listen it feels confused.
Then when the main song starts, it doesn't pack as much of a punch as the long intro makes us imagine. Sound design is on point as usual and there are so many really cool sounds going on all the time. But overall the main theme feels a bit lacking. The outro arp is glorious.

Poweruser:
I love the glitchiness! This is actually a very charming song. The arps are nice. I'd say overall the song feels a bit repetitive, and some alternative section could have added a lot more interest. But the glitchy second half of the song saves the day :D Sound-wise, it feels like everything is a bit too mellow. Surely it was the character you were going for, but even within that, some extra spiciness might have worked.

Spotlightkid:
Some super cool stuff going on here! The intro and transition into the beat is really satisfying.
Musical material is excellent. A shame that the song is so short! It feels more like an excerpt at this point. Mix-wise, I like how the guitar-like lead sits confidently in front of everything, but maybe the rest was a bit too quiet.

sg75:
Love the energy right from the start! As usual, you are the king of glitching and unconventionality, and I love it every time! I want to do more of this stuff myself but I'm not brave enough just yet. Thanks for leading the way :D
Overall the track feels a bit disconnected and chaotic. I'm sure that's the character you were going for, but as it is, it's hard to find a thread to follow while listening. Great sound design and very clear mix. The ending maybe felt a bit out of place.

[nyxeles]

The event concludes.
And the winner is... @Arkforest !

1. [31] Arkforest
2. [30] A-Lin
3. [30] sg75
4. [29] MyLoFy
5. [27] Spotlight Kyd
6. [26] nyx eles
7. [23] JTB
8. [20] PowerUser64

See the attached spreadsheet for a breakdown of all the votes. You can also get the spreadsheet from github.

Thanks to everyone for participating! And see you all in the next one :)

EDIT: forgot attachment

[bsg75]

Congrats @Arkforest
Thanks @nyxeles

[SpotlightKid]

Congratulations, well deserved, Arkforest!

Thanks for the organization and the leniency regarding the deadline, nyxeles!

[Arkforest]

Thanks! You all did really well too! I voted 4 for everyone personally (except @PowerUser64, sorry for the 3 bro ).