Usa

Hmm, I don't hear anything really bad in this. SoundCloud's quality limits it a bit and garbles the high end, but in a proper WAV format this should sounds alright.

It's funny that you chose this one as an example of a typical town theme, especially since it contains some elements like synthesized drum beats that usually are not found in town themes in JRPGs. Especially the beginning part gives me more of a "Save Screen" vibe than a town. Later on, the peaceful melody and selection of harmonies and melodic lines clearly is more "peaceful town", but still I think for example Kakariko Village from Zelda: A Link to the Past is a better example of stereotypical "town themes".
 
I think the main aspect of JRPG town themes is that there is no sense of threat audible in the music. The songs are usually downtempo, have some beautiful melodies played on serene, soothing instruments. They often have some kind of strings/pads for the chords to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere, and the chords are predominantly major ones. When there are too many minor chords in there it mutates more into a love/sadness theme, so the major chords play a major role here (no pun intended
 
Instrumentation is also a very important aspect, as town themes usually have little to no percussion in them. If anything, it's some light stuff like shakers or tambourines. There are of course examples like Secret of Mana's town theme, but that one also has a very happy vibe to it because of its jumpy melody and cute instrumentation. Generally the instruments are non-threatening in nature. Harsh sounds like electric guitars, heavy drums or deep basses/brass are usually left out to create a more natural, soft mood that doesn't feel too dramatic.
 
The song structure is also usually more predictable, so the player gets the feeling they know the place and there will be no surprises, and they can feel right at home without fearing any threatening dangers or battles.
 
I think those are the main ingredients to create a typical JRPG town theme that fits into all those classic games.

It's funny that you chose this one as an example of a typical town theme, especially since it contains some elements like synthesized drum beats that usually are not found in town themes in JRPGs. Especially the beginning part gives me more of a "Save Screen" vibe than a town. Later on, the peaceful melody and selection of harmonies and melodic lines clearly is more "peaceful town", but still I think for example Kakariko Village from Zelda: A Link to the Past is a better example of stereotypical "town themes".
 
I think the main aspect of JRPG town themes is that there is no sense of threat audible in the music. The songs are usually downtempo, have some beautiful melodies played on serene, soothing instruments. They often have some kind of strings/pads for the chords to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere, and the chords are predominantly major ones. When there are too many minor chords in there it mutates more into a love/sadness theme, so the major chords play a major role here (no pun intended
 
Instrumentation is also a very important aspect, as town themes usually have little to no percussion in them. If anything, it's some light stuff like shakers or tambourines. There are of course examples like Secret of Mana's town theme, but that one also has a very happy vibe to it because of its jumpy melody and cute instrumentation. Generally the instruments are non-threatening in nature. Harsh sounds like electric guitars, heavy drums or deep basses/brass are usually left out to create a more natural, soft mood that doesn't feel too dramatic.
 
The song structure is also usually more predictable, so the player gets the feeling they know the place and there will be no surprises, and they can feel right at home without fearing any threatening dangers or battles.
 
I think those are the main ingredients to create a typical JRPG town theme that fits into all those classic games.

It's funny that you chose this one as an example of a typical town theme, especially since it contains some elements like synthesized drum beats that usually are not found in town themes in JRPGs. Especially the beginning part gives me more of a "Save Screen" vibe than a town. Later on, the peaceful melody and selection of harmonies and melodic lines clearly is more "peaceful town", but still I think for example Kakariko Village from Zelda: A Link to the Past is a better example of stereotypical "town themes".
 
I think the main aspect of JRPG town themes is that there is no sense of threat audible in the music. The songs are usually downtempo, have some beautiful melodies played on serene, soothing instruments. They often have some kind of strings/pads for the chords to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere, and the chords are predominantly major ones. When there are too many minor chords in there it mutates more into a love/sadness theme, so the major chords play a major role here (no pun intended
 
Instrumentation is also a very important aspect, as town themes usually have little to no percussion in them. If anything, it's some light stuff like shakers or tambourines. There are of course examples like Secret of Mana's town theme, but that one also has a very happy vibe to it because of its jumpy melody and cute instrumentation. Generally the instruments are non-threatening in nature. Harsh sounds like electric guitars, heavy drums or deep basses/brass are usually left out to create a more natural, soft mood that doesn't feel too dramatic.
 
The song structure is also usually more predictable, so the player gets the feeling they know the place and there will be no surprises, and they can feel right at home without fearing any threatening dangers or battles.
 
I think those are the main ingredients to create a typical JRPG town theme that fits into all those classic games.

Thanks for taking your time to give feedback on all our tracks! I can give you a bit feedback about the feedback, as there are some things many people seemed to complain about with my track, especially the volume. I did this on purpose because most of the tracks in these compose are metal/dubstep/techno, and I didn't want my track to be like 10dB quieter. I's still not really loud with an average of -13dB, but of course since this is a long very dynamic track this is relative as some parts are pretty loud already. In addition, I also forgot the -0.1 dB when mastering, so the WAV got clipped during the MP3 encode. It was fine as WAV, but the encode caused several thousand clippings which also add to the perceived loudness. Something to consider when I do my next round mix.
 
And for all the automation, I really didn't have enough time this round, so I threw this together rather quickly, I only had like 2-3 days in total. But yeah, I guess for that it was decent. I also only halfway optimized the reverb for this piece because I ran out of time. Not to defend my sloppy work, just saying I know i's sloppy and can be better when I have more time to invest Glad you enjoyed it as it is though! Thanks for your appreciation and the nice reviews for all of us!

You mean caffeine, right?

Apparently Rainy Turtloid has done so much cocaine he thinks the entire world is out to get him.

Great round (last week), many high scores in my list here's my reviews, and again, sorry for the late voting/reviewing:
 
KingTiger - Es-cop-ay:   The transition from the heavy reverb sfx to the very clear vocals is not perfectly smooth. On the other hand: very clear vocals! I hear the Crescent Grizzly bits here and the piano chords mimick the Gauntlet theme. Some words feel a bit unnaturally streched, but otherwise: well done man! The part at 0:55 with the double vocals works very well and gives a nice change in dynamics. At 2:25, things are getting a bit repetitive. The birdge at 2:45 is a good change in dynamics and is well executed, a bit short though. Nice work man!   Creating such a song in a week; kudos! Crescent Grizzly is sparse, but it's there and it's blended together with Sigma Palace.   8/10   Cam3 - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Maverick:   Cool mood; militaristic with a touch of funk. Snare sample isn't that good though. Gauntlet source is very clear. Transition to an adapted version of Neon Tiger works very well. Transition part at 1:45 is very well done, I love the high disonnant piano at the end. In the part afterwards, the Sigma Palace chord progression is very recognizable. Awww.. it's already over? Too bad man, it felt a bit cut short.    Awesome stuff, great adaptations and nice vibe (especially a transition from genres). Too bad it feels cut-off (or too short at least)   7.5/10    Eino Keskitalo feat. Jorito & Tuberz McGee - Subtle Haystack Tibulation:   Intro feels like the boss introduction theme, since it completely falls silent (which isn't a good or bad thing, just reminded me of it ). Guitars are a bit buried. Combination of instruments is interesting but doesn't always work imo. Middle-section is nice, with the weird rythm. But I have a real trouble of recognizing the sources. I hear Frost Walrus in the middle section, but I couldn't indentify the Sigma Palace theme. Part at the 3-minute mark is cool, but feels disconnected due to the completely different sound.   Nice mix, nothing too extraordinary though imo. Can't hear much of the gauntlet source, guitars are a bit buried and not every instrument works well in the soudscape. Ending feels a bit disconnected.   7/10    Garpocalypse - Straight Outta RAGE:   Good intro of setting the vibe and the groove. Altered Flame Stag theme kicks in, creative writing! Oh I like the choirs in the background at 1;20 and I like the female vocal samples. The part at the 3-minute mark is a good change of pace; percussion is nice as well. The transition at the 4-minute mark also works well. The mix doesn't drag on due to the different dynamics despite it's lenght, well done! I've tried to hear the Sigma Palace theme, but I couldn't hear it unfortunatly.   Great vibe, excellent creative writing on the Flame Stag theme and nice dynamics keep the mix interesting. Couldn't make out the Gauntlet theme, sadly.   8/10   WillRock feat. Jason Covenant & Ghetto Lee Lewis:   Also a very militaristic feel. Guitars fit nicely with the heavy reverb. Nice dramatic adaptation of the Guantlet theme with the choirs and organ. Don't like the sound of that brass too much; although a fine adaptation of the Maverick theme. I like the choir part more (with the same-ish adaptation). Birdge at 2:30 is nice, but doesn't change the dynamics too much. 3:09 part is a good change of dynamics, nice Maverick source usage. Still don't like the brass sound though. Accompanying instruments are very good otherwise though. Wailing guitars for more dramatic effect: check. Harp and piano (and later choir) section? Really? Really cliche, but works well   Good feel, creative writing and good blending of themes. I thinks the dynamics should've been changed a little sooner, but the following parts are really well executed   8.5/10    Amphibious - Chiral:   Piano intro plays the Sigma Theme chords (well one note of them anyway). Shit got electronic at 0:35. Not too fond of the synths used, since their delay causes every note to be hit just after the beats. Lead synth enters at 1:10; don't hear much of the Maverick or Gauntlet theme here. Transition back to the "intro" works fine. "Fade in"-transition works well as well. Nothing much happening from 2:39 though; the change in dynamics in the part at 2:45 feel a bit too sparse for me, especially for an ending.   Mix is nice, vibe is good. Not much going on the the themes though. Not much going on at all actually, especially after the bridge.   6.5/10    Anorax - Beached Whale in Miami:   Intro is nice, not too fond of the vocal samples. Oh wow, brass... works well. Choirs come in for the Sigma Palaca. Things feel a bit empty at the 1-minute mark when the Bubble Cr... eh.. Tidal Makkoeen part sets in. And it's over.   Yeah, this one isn't finished by far. However, the setting of the mood was good; this could really become something awesome   4/10   Usa - Requiem for a Reploid:   Brass and strings open for a calm, but grand and ominous feeling. Oh, the choirs and harp are a nice addition. Damn, really dramatic openening (which is good)! Sigma Palace theme kicks in at 0:50. Oh the Maverick theme in the pizzicato strings is a nice, but the 1:09 - 1:13 doesn't work that well; perhaps you should've rewritten that. THings beomce a bit more hopeful at 1:17. Part at 1:35 is nice, reminds me a bit of Secret of Mana/SD3. This gets more and more soothing and bright. Playful even at 2:20; gets a bit Danny Elfman here. More Shield Sheldon, which works better in this vibe. Brass hits at 3:01 are a bit thin. Transition to 3:08 is very nice, excellent building up, but I feel the volume should be a bit higher here (especiallyy in contrast with the previous part). Gets more and more intense, but I'm missing an great climax; the transition to the piano (which begins in a different chord) doesnt work too well. Ending is nice though.   Great song, excellent "story"/build-up/dynamics! I'm missing a bit of a climax, the second-to-last part could be more intense (choirs or volume), the last transition didn't work too well and there was not very much of the Gauntlet theme throughout   8/10   Cash - Victory at the Palace of Rejects:   Hmm... intro sounds a bit empty. Percussion sounds a bit weak, perhaps with a fuller drumkit (or one with mroe punch), this could be better. Background and bass synths are also a bit thin; or perhaps should last a bit longer. And the new synths at 0:42 are completely the opposite Part starting at 1:12 is better: soundscape is a fuller here, a bit more going on. Part at the 2-minute mark is dull; the song is going nowhere at this point imo. The variation at 2:13 is nice, but lacks the full changes in dynamic; a different beat or bassline (or perhaps feel) would be better. Mix drags a bit on around 2:50. Not too much variation afterwards. And I couldn't hear the Gauntlet theme very well   The mix feels a bit empty; mostly due to the drums and the thin bass and background synths. Didn;t make out Sigma Palace and the mix lacks dynamics; it drags on a bit around the 3-minute mark   5/10   Ivan Hakštok - Leap of Faith:   Epic intro! It's a bit strange that the intro has more power than the part afterwards though. Nice guitar playing. Drums could use some more crunch. Alternating guitar action is nice. Can't make out much of the Gauntlet theme though. Accoustic part is nice, transition to it works well although I hoping for some melodic changes here aswell. Timing of the guitar is loose at parts. Double guitar action is always awesome. Wow sudden ending   Sounds good, but lacks a bit of a punch. Couldn't hear the Gauntlet theme and the ending was too sudden.   7/10

Well, for these compos I usually think ahead of some directions I could go with the song I picked.  I had a couple of directions planned for this round.  Sometimes, when I hear the second source, I have an "a-ha!" moment and a new, better direction comes up in my mind.  Some other times though, all the plans you had are incompatible with the song for the week, and you can't think of anything good to do with it, so for those times I just accept it will suck and roll with it.
As for inspiration, it comes and goes for me.  I get periods where I can do several songs in a row and then I go for a month without doing anything new.  Listening to new music brings new ideas most of the time, regardless of the genre.  Sometimes I listen to a new latin jazz song and get inspiration to do a glitch hop track ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.  Go figure, inspiration is just weird.
Of course, you can just be talented and put out great music without even being inspired, alas, I just hack stuff together so I gotta take advantage of inspiration when it strikes.

Okay, so I can finally stop hitting F5 every 30 seconds until later tonight.

Well, "Caffeine Shoveling Hunter Turtloids" also sounds like a nice team name!

I just realized I messed up the filename badly.  It should be 
Rock Hard Mandrills - Ghetto Lee Lewis feat. Jason Covenant & Willrock  - Caffeine Shoveling Hunter Turtloids - (Rainy Turtloid in X-Hunter Stage 1).wav