My feedback:
► Show Spoiler
01. Arelem - Midnight Mirage
This song is made in the fashion of lo-fi hip hop but doesn't go nuts with it. It feels very balanced to me and can be used in almost any kind of video.
Chilled and soothing atmosphere, perfect for background listening
It has a lot of variations that keeps interest while preserving the initial mood
The decisions in arrangement are very throughout (it works as intended). It also loops seamlessly.
The drums are punchy but very midrange heavy. It needs to add a little bit more reverb. Too much contrast on a very "reverby" background.
The mix and layering of pads and textures are very good
02. KukoBass - Balearic Background
A latin themed song, perfect for handcrafting I think
It got a nice relaxing mood, the characterful southern vibes are preserved.
While I like the drums sometimes it feels like someone switching MIDI loops. There needs to be something to make them a little bit more organic with smoother transitions.
The lead trumpet melody sticks too much from the mix. It's too loud and drags too much attention for itself in some places.
The upright bass and kick drum takes the same place in the spectrum and gets muffled
The "Strum-GS" plugin may sound a little bit too synthetic but is fits for it's task (a background strums of a silent guitar with piezo pickup)
The overall production is very clean, like a decent acoustic recording in the studio
03. Doc Jon - Putting It All Together
This one sounds like a TV show soundtrack to me
A very fast song, it would be good for a tame-lapse video perhaps. Also I can imagine it in some tycoon game.
The main drum beat is very energetic, it could be a little bit upfront in the mix.
The foley percussion is a good idea of adding that "crafting" feel, but some of the metallic sounds are too harsh.
The arrangement has a decent amount of variations to keep the interest
The overall production is very good
04. LXM - Serenity
A "bread and butter" lo-fi beat
The general vibe and aesthetic of the genre are carefully implemented
It has some variations throughout the track. However, it could have a B section with a slightly different melody to make it sound more interesting over time.
Feels a little bit too short. It could work for a short video (Instagram or YT Short) or for a small section of a long one.
The production fits the genre standards very well.
05. JeroenZuiderwijk - Multiverse
This one feels to me more like an arcade/indie videogame soundtrack
The sound palette reminds me of a 90's PC/console games with general MIDI samples. The distorted guitar feels a little bit off in this context.
A very sparse arrangement, like there is a space in the mix reserved for (game) sound effects
The overall sound is very dry, sounds are floating around without a sense of space. I also think that this song needs a better mastering.
There is too much of that "machine gun" effect on the drums and synths. It could be a little bit distracting hearing those over time.
06. EsteveCorbera - Manualitats Amb Tranquilitat
A really nice ambient piece, very contrasting among other entries.
Great sound design. Lots of cool textures in this one.
It evolves very gently over time, bringing new parts and instruments.
A very dreamy atmosphere, it puts you somewhere out of this world.
It feels like I'm watching a coral reef diving documentary. It certainly sits well in the background, but it may not support the "crafting" feel.
No complaints on mixing and mastering in this one
07. FallenAngel - String Disco
This electronic piece has an early Kraftwerk feel (not sure it was intended)
It has a nice vibe to it and sits well in the background
A lot of nice melodies and variations throughout the song
While I like old-school synth sounds, some of them feel a little bit off (the autopanned bass sound) and may cause distraction
Some of the percussion sounds are too loud and some of the synths are too quiet. This song needs rebalancing and better mastering.
It may work for the video, but it needs to be polished in technical ways a little bit.
08. MellowBrowne - Do It Yourself
An 80's ballad themed song. It sounds reminiscent of some famous song to me, but I couldn't remember what it is.
Great groovy drums. Lots of catchy fills and breaks.
A very thought out instrumentation. It creates a basis for a good song.
I was expecting to hear a lead synth/lead guitar, or maybe even solo. The song feels empty, like a vocalist or guitarist didn't go to the gig.
On the other hand, it sits in the background very well. Someone could talk over it or improvise with their instruments.
The mixing is good, except that the tape fluttering effect is a bit too much to my taste
09. FixInTheMix - Warm Blanket
A kind of lo-fi music for that typical YouTube "Studi and chill" playlist
A lot of nice melodies here and there. Nice improvisations also. The organic playing makes it really stand out.
This song puts you in a warm melancholic mood. It's good to chill out to this song on a rainy autumn evening after work.
It may be too slow and too soothing for a crafting video
The mix is smooth and balanced to me. No overdose of crackles and saturation.
10. canese - Seeding Me
A very cinematic sound. It feels to me like a trailer music for an adventure movie.
The vibe is very dreamy in this tune, it takes you somewhere else. I'm not sure that it could support a crafting video.
The instruments have a mellotron-like quality to them. They have a lot of character.
The overall sound is very lo-fi, perhaps even too much. The midrange needs to be remixed to make instruments more definable.
The drums could be a bit louder and have more "punch"
This song also needs to be remastered
This song is made in the fashion of lo-fi hip hop but doesn't go nuts with it. It feels very balanced to me and can be used in almost any kind of video.
Chilled and soothing atmosphere, perfect for background listening
It has a lot of variations that keeps interest while preserving the initial mood
The decisions in arrangement are very throughout (it works as intended). It also loops seamlessly.
The drums are punchy but very midrange heavy. It needs to add a little bit more reverb. Too much contrast on a very "reverby" background.
The mix and layering of pads and textures are very good
02. KukoBass - Balearic Background
A latin themed song, perfect for handcrafting I think
It got a nice relaxing mood, the characterful southern vibes are preserved.
While I like the drums sometimes it feels like someone switching MIDI loops. There needs to be something to make them a little bit more organic with smoother transitions.
The lead trumpet melody sticks too much from the mix. It's too loud and drags too much attention for itself in some places.
The upright bass and kick drum takes the same place in the spectrum and gets muffled
The "Strum-GS" plugin may sound a little bit too synthetic but is fits for it's task (a background strums of a silent guitar with piezo pickup)
The overall production is very clean, like a decent acoustic recording in the studio
03. Doc Jon - Putting It All Together
This one sounds like a TV show soundtrack to me
A very fast song, it would be good for a tame-lapse video perhaps. Also I can imagine it in some tycoon game.
The main drum beat is very energetic, it could be a little bit upfront in the mix.
The foley percussion is a good idea of adding that "crafting" feel, but some of the metallic sounds are too harsh.
The arrangement has a decent amount of variations to keep the interest
The overall production is very good
04. LXM - Serenity
A "bread and butter" lo-fi beat
The general vibe and aesthetic of the genre are carefully implemented
It has some variations throughout the track. However, it could have a B section with a slightly different melody to make it sound more interesting over time.
Feels a little bit too short. It could work for a short video (Instagram or YT Short) or for a small section of a long one.
The production fits the genre standards very well.
05. JeroenZuiderwijk - Multiverse
This one feels to me more like an arcade/indie videogame soundtrack
The sound palette reminds me of a 90's PC/console games with general MIDI samples. The distorted guitar feels a little bit off in this context.
A very sparse arrangement, like there is a space in the mix reserved for (game) sound effects
The overall sound is very dry, sounds are floating around without a sense of space. I also think that this song needs a better mastering.
There is too much of that "machine gun" effect on the drums and synths. It could be a little bit distracting hearing those over time.
06. EsteveCorbera - Manualitats Amb Tranquilitat
A really nice ambient piece, very contrasting among other entries.
Great sound design. Lots of cool textures in this one.
It evolves very gently over time, bringing new parts and instruments.
A very dreamy atmosphere, it puts you somewhere out of this world.
It feels like I'm watching a coral reef diving documentary. It certainly sits well in the background, but it may not support the "crafting" feel.
No complaints on mixing and mastering in this one
07. FallenAngel - String Disco
This electronic piece has an early Kraftwerk feel (not sure it was intended)
It has a nice vibe to it and sits well in the background
A lot of nice melodies and variations throughout the song
While I like old-school synth sounds, some of them feel a little bit off (the autopanned bass sound) and may cause distraction
Some of the percussion sounds are too loud and some of the synths are too quiet. This song needs rebalancing and better mastering.
It may work for the video, but it needs to be polished in technical ways a little bit.
08. MellowBrowne - Do It Yourself
An 80's ballad themed song. It sounds reminiscent of some famous song to me, but I couldn't remember what it is.
Great groovy drums. Lots of catchy fills and breaks.
A very thought out instrumentation. It creates a basis for a good song.
I was expecting to hear a lead synth/lead guitar, or maybe even solo. The song feels empty, like a vocalist or guitarist didn't go to the gig.
On the other hand, it sits in the background very well. Someone could talk over it or improvise with their instruments.
The mixing is good, except that the tape fluttering effect is a bit too much to my taste
09. FixInTheMix - Warm Blanket
A kind of lo-fi music for that typical YouTube "Studi and chill" playlist
A lot of nice melodies here and there. Nice improvisations also. The organic playing makes it really stand out.
This song puts you in a warm melancholic mood. It's good to chill out to this song on a rainy autumn evening after work.
It may be too slow and too soothing for a crafting video
The mix is smooth and balanced to me. No overdose of crackles and saturation.
10. canese - Seeding Me
A very cinematic sound. It feels to me like a trailer music for an adventure movie.
The vibe is very dreamy in this tune, it takes you somewhere else. I'm not sure that it could support a crafting video.
The instruments have a mellotron-like quality to them. They have a lot of character.
The overall sound is very lo-fi, perhaps even too much. The midrange needs to be remixed to make instruments more definable.
The drums could be a bit louder and have more "punch"
This song also needs to be remastered
► Show Spoiler
1 - Arelem - Midnight Mirage
2 - Doc Jon - Putting It All Together
3 - KukoBass - Balearic Background
4 - MellowBrowne - Do It Yourself
5 - EsteveCorbera - Manualitats Amb Tranquilitat
2 - Doc Jon - Putting It All Together
3 - KukoBass - Balearic Background
4 - MellowBrowne - Do It Yourself
5 - EsteveCorbera - Manualitats Amb Tranquilitat
The winners podium consists of:
An explanation on the bonus points and penalty points:
