Mix Challenge

viklundorama - The first word that comes to my mind within the first few seconds of your piece is "avant-garde". As it builds and the drums come in, it starts to feel a bit more conventional, but then with the unpredictable lead and variable tempo towards the end it feels more experimental again.

Overall the piece has a cool, mysterious vibe, and it suits the theme well.

On a technical note, I think the fade out -- over 20 seconds -- could be shorter. Is there something happening there? I see faint audio on the spectrogram but I'm don't have the bravery to crank my speakers up to hear it.


Strange - OMG dude, just take my first place vote lol. You had me from the opening "Is it AI?" hook -- the mix of your voice and the effected background vocals hits just right.

I like how you took a simple progression and made it catchy. The pads are lush, and the keyboard parts and drums drive the song well without feeling repetitive.

If I had to find a point to criticize, it's that the lyrics in the Em/Dm part are fairly awkward. But I'm not sure that it matters? In a way, I think it emphasizes the silliness -- in a good way! Your vocal delivery is great, too. Even though the vocal melody in the Em/Dm part is simple, it works because of the synth countermelodies in the background.

You lead with the hook and then managed to maintain my interest until the end -- bravo, sir!


Rick Finsta - This track has an excellent vibe! To my ear, it sounds like a deep cut from a 00s alt-rock album (the band I have in mind is Thursday). It wouldn't be the single, but it'd be great mood material to give the listener a break between intense tracks or to segue into a different vibe. Your vocal performance and the way you mixed it with the rest of the track are key to making it all work. You nailed it -- well done.


Jorgeelalto - This is really catchy minimalist house. As someone who tends to overcomplicate my compositions, I appreciate the purity of your sound. Like when the pad comes in around 0:25 it feels just right. And then the arp comes in 10 seconds later, and everything just keeps flowing. Momentum is maintained through every moment until the end. Even during the brief moment of silence, I still feel like I'm being carried forward into the next part.

The percussion suffers from technical limitations, as you explained, but I only really notice in the intro. Once the melodic parts begin the percussion sits really nicely in the mix. Well done!


JMmusic - Wwwwwubbbbbbbz! The horror vibes around 1:30 (and again at 2:40) really caught my ear -- it creates an interesting contrast with the rest of the track that I really like. I'm not particularly familiar with this genre, so I'm struggling to offer useful feedback, but I do think the track is well put together overall.


Marc Fey - You say you're not very experienced with electronic music but you could've fooled me! Your track has an excellent sense of atmosphere and the melodies are mysterious but still inviting. I really like the chorus part, too. The chord progression around 1:06 brings to mind an anthemic song (that I can't quite remember the name of, unfortunately), but then you subvert my expectations by cho0sing darker chords than I anticipated. It's a nice effect.

If I really need to make a criticism, it's that the last third feels a little redundant. I think you could've ended the track at 2:20 and the experience would be about the same. That's not necessarily a bad thing -- if I was listening casually I might appreciate the extra minute, in fact. But when I'm listening closely, I feel like something is missing.

You could change this by modifying the ending -- maybe same melody with different bass or chords? Or another strategy would be to fit a bridge in there somewhere before the ending. If you let the listener leave the familiar place for a little bit, when they return there and the journey ends they'll feel a pleasant sense of finality.


EsteveCorbera - The intro is great -- I love the ascending progression. Overall, the composition is solid with unexpected twists and interesting leads, but I think the sound design is a bit too claustrophobic. (I'm also guilty of using too many sounds at once, so I understand!) My suggestion would be to cut away layers strategically -- remove elements temporarily, so that when they return they feel fresh again.

For instance, there's lots of different percussion throughout the track, but I didn't notice any sections with no percussion. If you found one or two places to completely cut out the drums, it would help the music breathe.

I do like the sound overall, though, and the vocal samples really contribute to the electronic vibe.


The Exponent - It's a cool minimalist track with nice flow between parts. The transition between halves at 1:50 in particular is really smooth. The way the lead fades out suddenly at 1:58 caught me off guard, but I think it works in the context of what follows. I also like the pad chords around 2:52 that recontextualize the familiar parts from before. It's a strong way to close it out.


JeroenZuiderwijk - Your track has improved a lot since I listened to the demo version! It's more open and inviting -- the energy level feels much higher. I really like how you use transition effects. The bass drop at 0:35, the rising drumroll at 0:40, the cool stereo pan at 2:22 -- those all help keep my ears and brain engaged. Also, the guitars remind me of Mega Man X, which is always a good thing.

1) Strange
2) Jorgeelalto
3) Rick Finsta
4) The Exponent
5) Marc Fey

For one, I notice I feel less self-conscious about sharing my music when I don't have my own vocals in it. I do hope to contribute more songs with vocals in the future, so that's something I should work on. If I enter next month it will probably be an instrumental, due to time constraints, but starting in July I should have more time to develop material with lyrics and singing.

As for my track this month, I'm happy with how it turned out. I've been making lots of music recently and some of it turns out kind of meh, but this is one of the good ones. So, thanks again to Mister Fox and all of you other participants for creating this framework that helps me make music I'm satisfied with.

@JMmusic
Lots and lots of sound on F with a little nursery rhyme-like melody. Lots of confusing sound. Could be the backdrop to a psychedelic horror trip through a run-down big city in search of his childhood or something?

@Marc Fey
sad arpeggios in F minor with nice, deep drums and a few effects. Harmonious song structure. A bit meditative.

@Jorgeelalto
Classical VI-I-IV-V cadenza with techno groove in Bb. Nice sound interjections that always change slightly. Unfortunately the sound lacks depth for me, there could be more. Overall a cool, chilled sound.

@JeroenZuiderwijk
It sounds to me like a fairground organ with rhythmic sophistication, the guitar guides you well through the rhythmic jungles. The constant sound makes it hard to follow the structure and it gets a bit boring after a while if you're not dancing along drunk and waving your legs the whole time.

@EsteveCorbera
Cool voices, the beginning creates tension. However, the harmonic tension doesn't dissipate, it's just repeated with more and more sounds. That's probably the cycle. I hope that doesn't become the future. It's a very harmonically simple cycle that doesn't mean much to me.

@Rick Finsta
I love grinders. I didn't realize how they could send you into such experimental realms. I like the unusual and mysterious, so you've reached me. I don't know if the less than 2 minutes are enough. Somehow I'm still missing something in this unexplained story.

@viklundorama
I was really in minimalism fever for the first two minutes. The slow changes, which take place at different speeds in the different sounds and layers, quickly put you in the right trance. Unfortunately, the drum groove with the repetition didn't really grab me anymore and rather triggered a boring pop feeling.

@toadhjo
Oh God, panpipes! was my first thought. But the melodic line made me curious. Harmonically, you went a little further than I did with my AI idea, but the ostinato bass also gives your composition this beautiful floating character and shows us "home" despite all the harmonic escapades. The repetitive blues lick in the chorus (B section) is a little too little for the great harmonies and the somewhat trickier melody in the verse (A section) for me personally. The guitar sound isn't wrong, but for me it doesn't fit the creative basic idea of the song.

@The Exponent
Cool 80s groove, reminds me of Miami Vice :-). The police sirens also fit in. The melody remains quite simple and nothing happens harmonically until 2:57. It's good that after about 3 minutes there's an upward lift. It's not quite enough for the whole song. But certainly cool sounds and a good mix.

1. Rick Finsta
2. toadhjo
3. the exponent
4. jorgeelalto
5. viklundorama

I don't know much about electronic music, even though I grew up with Wendy Carlos, Jean-Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk etc. and have known how a synthesizer works since my music lessons in 1980. But by the time I heard my first Tekkno songs, I was no longer particularly interested in the genre. And yet I still try to get closer to “electronic” music from time to time. And once again I realize that it just doesn't touch me that much. By the way, I also find computer games boring, what can I do... But who am I to judge your work and performance in an area I have no idea about.

- JeroenZuiderwijk : a nice track with no real downtime, very rhythmic! I'd have thought of it as an arcade video game music where the hero relentlessly pursues his quest (due too to the chosen sounds). The guitars in the background add depth, it's well done (a bit robotic though). I like the panning effect at 2:22! I found it hard to distinguish a real structure on the first listen, and it took me several times. It finally works well but perhaps I find the last part useless. I personally would have lowered the bass drop by an octave at 0:35 but that's a detail! Good job over all!

- Strange : Honestly, I had a really hard time getting into this song. I even thought you had the wrong theme until 1:00, when I couldn't see any electronic music in the song! Finally, after several listens, I managed to get a better grasp of it, and the layers of synths are most welcome. Your vocal gimmick is good, but it's double-edged and could quickly become annoying. The mix is excellent as usual, bravo for that! Perhaps I just made the voice a bit louder on the singing parts.

- EsteveCorbera : I like this track, I find the lyrics a real plus (thanks for the link, it's an interesting site and may give me some ideas!). I immediately got into this song, I immediately understood that it was going to tell me a story. I might compare it to Jean Michel Jarre tracks, one of the few I've listened to in electronic music (I hope it's a compliment!) but there are surely other influences too. I guess there are many synth layers, it works well here. Congratulations for the structure track ;-) and for the rest!

- Rick Finsta : I love the background vocals. It's really a shame the song isn't more varied (which probably explains its short duration) because the initial idea is really interesting. I would have expected at least a break and then the initial theme with a different arrangement. I like the experimental side but too underdeveloped. The mix is top notch, the sounds choice is great. A nice experiment.

- viklundorama : interesting idea. I personally would have developed the same theme throughout the piece with a few additional variations. I find that the drums doesn't add much and doesn't quite stick to the spirit of the initial idea. However, I do like the bass drum change of rhythm from 3:10, it's a nice touch. The arrangement lacks polish, as does the mix (the sound is distorted from the start of the track), but you said yourself that it was in progress. Anyway thanks for sharing this.

- JMmusic : strange impression on first listen, I definitely don't have the ear for this kind of music. I guess the mix is well done, I can hear all the synth sounds, the drums too, the stereo image is wide enough. But I find the whole track too loud (I didn't analyze) and not musical enough for my taste.

- toadhjo : what a great mix, really everything is in place, there's never a dull moment in this track. The 80's touch at 2:20 is really pleasantly surprising! The guitars parts are a real plus. Perhaps the drums are a bit undermixed but it's the only thing I could slightly criticize. Really nice track!

- The Exponent : a great track with two really different parts, but they go very well together, the transition between them is perfect. It sounds very professional, the mix is really great, the bass drum is so powerful! I slighty prefer the second half of the track (these synths!), but both are really great. I must confess that I never listen to this kind of music, but for me it's the one that best represents what I expected to find in this kind of challenge!

- Jorgeelalto : thanks for the tips on how to make the drum sounds, interesting to know. The downside is that I find the sounds a little too synthetic, but maybe it's due to this genre. I like the bassynth and the synth layers! I guess there was more sound synthesis and mixing involved than actual composition for your track, but it works well (the break is welcome at 1:00). A great electronic track!

1. The Exponent
2. toadhjo
3. EsteveCorbera
4. Jorgeelalto
5. Strange

It was very challenging for me this month as electronic music is not what I listen most of the time.
I understood with all your tracks that electronic music is a very large genre, with very different sub genres.
Above all, I learned that you can't improvise a music genre, and neither can you improvise a plugin (especially within 3 weeks for a challenge!). But it's a good way to take the first step and find out more!

EsteveCorbera

Starts off with a nice intro, good analog bass sound. I quite like the vocals and lyrics, perhaps a little more delay and reverb would make the vocals standout even more. It's a nice trance track, has a good progression and the sounds fit as well. Perhaps, could be even better with some more variations/movement across the sections - maybe the core arp sound could change or you could add more filter movements. Fits the theme and overall I think you did quite well.

JeroenZuiderwijk

I like the choice of synth sounds, the riffs are very nice. The guitar also adds that a nice layer to the piece. Sounds very anime and also has a video game-like vibe in the best way possible. It's like a chase/fight sequence. I can also picture this in a game level. I like the variations across the sections, moves quite well. Personally it doesn't fully fit the theme of how I envisioned it, but overall I did enjoy it quite a lot!

JMmusic

Very cool old-school dubstep track. Most of the sounds are well done - the intro is nice, the basses are cool, the drums also fit well. The sounds and bass layering does become very chaotic from around ~2:50, lots of clashing sounds and the mix loses the focus it initially had. The piece fits the theme of this challenge quite well overall.

Jorgeelalto

I really like the fact that you did a sort of One Synth Challenge this round. The bass and melodic sounds are quite nice and well done, however the percussion could be slightly better. The arrangement is quite nice, holds interest really well. It fits the theme very well and overall I really enjoyed this groovy song!

Marc Fey

I like the dark and moody vibe of this song. Nice progression, melodies, very nice groove and overall sound design is quite well done. Fits the theme well, flows very smoothly, holds interest. This is a soundtrack worthy track, I think you did a fantastic job!

Rick Finsta

Very Lorn-esque vibe, I like it! I think those vocals add a lot of character to this piece. It's a tad short, but I think it could work well in the context of a movie scene. Fits the theme well, I would love to hear a B section for this and then this would be perfect!

Strange

Very cool electro-pop. The hook is really catchy and the lyrics are really funny, well done! It's a proper song with interesting lyrics and a nice arrangement. Quite hard to really judge in the context of the theme (which is very broad) since I see this round more as a sound design focused challenge. But you did really well with the synths, sound selection/design is very fitting and I can't really find any major flaws. I quite like it!

toadhjo

The flute-like lead at the start is really nice! Very open and wide mix, I quite like the sound design. The guitar adds a nice layer to the sound overall. The arrangement is also quite nice, with nice variations in the rhythms, groove, harmony and sonic elements. Fantastic, really well done!

viklundorama

A tense start, very cinematic arp progression. I do hear some clipping in the panning squelching sounds though. The sound design and arrangement are minimalistic but quite interesting. I can picture this in an indie videogame, in sort of a platformer. I think this fits the theme well, good job!

1. Jorgeelalto
2. toadhjo
3. Strange
4. Marc Fey
5. EsteveCorbera

I spent about a day to make this song, so I'm happy with the outcome. Since I only make music for the One Synth Challenge over at KVR nowadays, it was quite refreshing(and fast) to be able to use all the plugins, samples and do audio manipulation. I'm quite satisfied with the sound design and achieved the kind of sounds/mix I was aiming for. Perhaps, I could try to make it more harmonically exciting the next time.

01 Marc Fey - Universe
02 toadhjo – Binary Transcendence
03 Rick Finsta – Grind Away
04 The Exponent - Obscura
05 Viklundorama - Glass panes

i realize that what I find cool music is not the same for other people. I like weird songs with lots of energy. And that energy can come in many ways. It could even be a quiet slow song with an intense buildup, or a classical song or whatever. I personaly like to write music with a bit more heavyness in it. Writing music is a form of art and when I am writing music I like to search for extreme contrast. Heavy bass and guitars or drums paired with some weird small piano sound or overdriven sound that just feels fun to use. Lots of times I overdo it big time. But if I wouldn't I would not have so much fun writing the music. So it is a balance between writing something for good fun or writing something that others could appreciatie. If those two meet in the middel that would be great, but for that I also have a lot to learn. I think this month there where a couple of songs that inspires me to try and learn to make music that is not only fun to make but also gives other people a smile.
Anyway, thank you all for the valuable feedback!

Strange:
I like this track, it might be AI but it is truly a song. And a catchy one. I think it sounds Original, all the elements for a great (pop) song are there. Build up, verse, strong chorus, just enough variation to keep things interesting. One of my favorites this month composition wise. The weird harmony in the chorus is not the easiest to listen to I must confess but the over the top approach fits the song.

EsteveCorbera
The spoken word vocal makes for a great intro. It reminds me of an 'trance' CD I bought late '90's. It also reminds me of a 'Vangelis track'...guess the synth sounds are responsible for that. Hyptnotizing rythmic synths make this track interesting enough but I feel it is a bit long with too little variation. The build up at around 1.39 suggest something more...but the riff keeps going on.

Rick Finsta:
Cool track. Soundscape(ish) gives it a mysterious feel. The vocal with the weird effect holds the different parts together and reminds the listener it is actualy a 'song'. The bass sounds great! I think it would also sound great with some pulsing rythm / sidechain on the bass to get some groove going in the song....because I am missing that a bit.

Viklundorama:
Intro sounds promising. The 'drone' in the background (like a frog with some heavy effects) sounds cool. The piano notes don't really work in this context I think. It is to 'sweet' sounding I guess in an otherwise dark buildup...but that is just my interpretation. At around 1.45 minutes I am loosing my interest a bit....needs some change. The drum comes in a little too late for that…..would have put that around 1.30 already...I think the buildup is too long. The drums lack some energy I think. The synthchords don't sound really special and for me personally don't add much to the song. Maybe if you made the piano notes and the synthchords a bit less plain with some heavy modulation effects or something else creatives this song would feel more cohesive.

JMmusic:
I like the sounds, I like the dark energy and the dubstep vibe. but I think there is too much of the same thing during the track. I gets tyering to listen to after a while. I think some variation in the sounds would give this track a boost. Especialy when you then let the dubstep sounds come crashing in again….would give a great climax. I think you've tried to bring in some variation. Like the 'flute' sound at 1.39 minute but in the context of the song it feels a bit out of place. A proper break or bridge could help. Maybe there is already a bridge or a break...but I don't recognise it in the structure.

Toadhjo:
very relaxing intro. The bass sound is full and warm. Seems to speed up...is that so? When the guitar and drums come in the feel of the song totally change. There are lots of layers but I think I hear in those layers some dissonants that are a bit distracting. The '80 s synth sound are not my personal favorite but I like the structure of the song. There is a lot happening and you tried to keep it interesting.

The Exponent:
Very cool track. I think my favorite this month. The sounds, the mix, the melodies and the beat it all fits nice together. There is build-up, room to breathe, variation. I think I hear some well judged side-chaining on the kick. Very smooth and professional sounding. I feel I can learn something from this.

Marc Fey:
Dreamy vibe. It takes the listener on a journey. Lots of repetition but without getting boring. I am still learning how to do that in my songs. I don't like the distant snare sound very much. I think it can work but it looses impact the way it sounds (too muddy sounding). One of my favorite tracks this month.

Jorgeealto:
The phaserlike effect on the snare at first i didn't like much. It made the sound weak in my opinion. But then the bass came in and I understoond the vibe you where trying to create. It is a bit of a minimalistic style and I think you succeeded. It is a cool composition. After the build up at 1.40 minutes I did notice that I was missing a bit more bass heavy kick. So that after the drop you really can feel the energy. but other then that. Cool song!

1 the Exponent
2 Marc Fey
3 Strange
4 Rick Finsta
5 Jorgeealto

JeroenZuiderwijk
I was instantly transformed back to playing Mega Man at a friend's house growing up (we did not have a SEGA game console, or any gaming console, in our house so these are oddly strong memories for me). I love the chaotic boss battle of an old side scroller feel of this song, and I think the title is quite apt! The motif is established well, and then varied to keep things interesting. When the B Section (Chorus?) hits it is very exciting. I really like the departure in the C section but my preference would have been to only have this in once as a bridge, simply because it is not quite as impactful the second time it happens. The arrangement is rhythmically complex and quite dense but you can hear any individual element by barely shifting your focus to it. This is how I aspire to mix, well done.

Strange
Very catchy, and it moves with a nice bounce due to the dynamics and the stereo image. I think the point here is that the words may or may not have been written by AI? I think it would have been very funny to have a bridge section where you dictate (spoken or arrhythmically) a prompt to an LLM generator and then have an obviously computerized voice perform the response. Well put together, though I get a feeling it stands apart from other entries in its composition. I am not sure if I would hear this and think "electronic music" but again, I have limited knowledge here.

EsteveCorbera
To my ear this is an instant dance club hit. I love the melody motif. I would have liked to hear either a key change or maybe a doubletime/halftime change somewhere to give it a little more variation over its length.

viklundorama
I apologize, this is clearly outside my taste and experience so I hope my criticisms do not come off as harsh. I had difficulty finishing this song and actually stopped listening the first time and had to come back for a second listen later. The melody changes (arpeggiation) don't seem to line up with the measures in a way that would bring a natural pulse to the song; in fact they almost seem exactly designed to stop a pulse from forming. It doesn't really go anywhere for two minutes, and I actually fast forwarded the first time just to see if there would be percussion at all. Once the drums came in it was no longer cathartic, it seemed overdue. The rhythm changes later on don't make rhythmic sense to me - again, they seem to preclude a natural pulse or flow to the piece. It may be that this is written in a style where these elements are endemic that I just don't know about.

JMMusic
Okay dubstep is a huge guilty pleasure of mine but most of what I know would be considered mainstream (Bass Nectar, Skrillex, Diplo, etc.) so I hope my feedback makes sense. Firstly, I think that there are just too many ideas here. I wanted some kind of melodic motif or something that I could latch onto but this has an almost improvisational feel in that there is not enough repetition for me and I'm waiting for the "head" to come back (I'm originally a jazz player). I really like the drop around 2:10 and feel like sticking a sample here of the song name or something would be good musically and from a marketability standpoint. Play around with the lyric for a bit, then go back to the main motif for the end section or something (turn it into a traditional bridge section, in a sense). I loved the abrupt ending. I think if you simplified it (pulled one or two ideas from this and developed them) you really have something because I love the sonic palette. The only other thing is I want more space in a few sections, and I never thought I'd say this, but maybe fewer wubs here and there.

toadhjo
I think there is a really good song in here somewhere, but as I said to JMMusic, there are too many ideas here and no motif for my ear to latch onto. From a mixing perspective, the percussion is too quiet for my taste, and there is an interplay between the bass elements and the percussion that seem like they are fighting over the pulse of the song. I would love to hear a few elements pulled from this and developed to see what a simpler version would sound like. I loved the drop around 3:20 but would have liked this to be teased out a bit longer for a more impactful hit at the end. Sonically it is very interesting I like the palette you used.

The Exponent
This one is masterfully done. This is exactly what I mean when I say I want simplicity and repeated motifs. I love the drop and I absolutely could not sit still while listening to this song. Bravissimo!

Mark Fey
I like the melody and development thereof, but I could use some more delineation between sections. The triplet feel on the kick drum (one and two) with the initial kick rhythm still present for the last half of each measure) is an interesting element but to me it pulls me out of the trance or sway that I get at the start of the song. The last part section had this obvious change and was very exciting! Again, this sounds ready to go on a soundtrack and I mean that in a good way. Seriously, find yourself representation or make friends with some music supervisors.

Jorgeealto
Again, simple repeating melody with development that I like. I want that synth string/horn swell to be teasing me so the second or third time it comes around it EXPLODES. So while I like how you drop everything out and go to a new section, I think you could do something very impactful here if you played around with it more. Another one that had me moving around in my chair.

This was very difficult for me, as I had trouble deciding an order for these votes after my number one. So take your position on this list lightly!
1) The Exponent
2) EsteveCorbera
3) Strange
4) JMMusic
5) Mark Fey

I enjoyed this challenge as it forced me out of my comfort zone. However, it did mean I had to divert attention from the songwriting aspects to the production aspects, which is my least favorite part of making music. Having to engage my technical brain pulls me away from my creative side and it took several sessions to balance these needs and complete this. I wanted to further explore this idea and write meaningful lyrics (instead of having them as ethereal melody only) and another section, but when I got to the point where I had something arranged that seemed coherent, I felt like it was time to "quit while I am ahead."