DragonAvenger

I think this is going to come straight down to quality of arrangement VS. weaker production, namely in the humanization of the instruments. I'm surprised the others didn't mention the drums among the other instruments, which come across a bit flimsy overall. I agree with the others that adding some work there would do a ton of good for the track overall, though I do feel like this gets by on the super strong arrangement as-is. The energy is way on point, and the arrangement is strong and uplifting. I enjoyed the triple-entendre to the title, and the mix arrangement backs it up well. This vote could end up being close, but good luck! YES

I do feel like there are too many melodies in the center section, and it feels a very medley there. I wish that that had been singled out to only a couple themes instead of so many. It ends up feeling cluttered and unfocused, which is enhanced by some of the mixing issues. Ryan sounds good here as always, though I agree that he isn't mixed super well into the track and stands out a bit too much. I do like the energy of the track overall, and I think cleaning out some of the fluff melodies would really help the track feel much more cohesive and would strengthen the arrangement immensely. I can see this going either way, good luck! NO (resubmit)

This is really coming down to whether the repetition and static overall arrangement is too much. I think it just clears the bar for me, because the soundscape is pretty interesting in overall design, and I found myself enjoying the arrangement throughout. I can honestly see this going either way, and I'm not opposed to switching my vote if it means getting feedback to the artist sooner than later. That being said, I think in the future there can be more variation overall to provide more sonic and arrangement variety. Hope to hear more from Jacoby soon! YES (borderline)

Creative use of synths to really make this track bounce and pop. I enjoyed listening through, and while I did feel like it got a little busy at times, I found it to not be too much of an issue on headphones. Melodies remain clear and forefront, which is always a good thing. Nice work, good sir! YES

I was a little worried when the others mentioned the medley sort of feel, but listening myself I agree with the others that the progression is natural between them. I enjoyed the percussion work as well, nice variation of fills and they kept things interesting. I agree that the end vocal clip doesn't really add anything to the track and wasn't really doing it for me. I would prefer to have it removed if we could ask the artist, but in the end it wouldn't be a dealbreaker to posting for me. Nice work with these two sources to put together a cohesive track! YES

What a sweet arrangement! I'd love to hear this performed live! This is a super tough decision based on what everyone's said here; the arrangement is so great it almost makes up for the mechanical instrumentation, but at the same time the production is dragging the song down overall. In the end for me I think another pass at humanizing the parts would really make a difference here and the track would sound all the better for it. I'm curious what the other judges are going to say, and I wish you luck! NO (resubmit, please!)

Pretty much in agreement with the gentlemen above. I will nitpick that I wasn't feeling the transition into the 1:14 section as much, but I didn't find it to be a dealbreaker here in the slightest. Great orchestration, and overall a really quirky and fun track! YES

Yeah, going to agree with Larry here. The first half is pretty much a direct cover, and the second half gets more interpretive, but that first half definitely needs more in regards to arrangement. I will nitpick a little on the instruments that adding a little more humanization (velocities on attacks, some vibrato on the longer held notes) will add more life to the playing as well. Wouldn't be a dealbreaker on its own, but something to consider. Definitely on the right track here! NO (resubmit)

Didn't hear the first version, but the volume here is fine now :). I agree with Larry that the lead at 1:09 feels pretty generic and the long held notes feel static. I think even adding a little vibrato might make a pretty solid difference there. The interpretation is quite nice, and there are a lot of nice sound choices that really work well with the soundscape you're going for. After reading Larry's vote I do hear the percussion issue, though I think it's more of a borderline issue for me than a dealbreaker. I'm going to file it under "something to think about next time" for now, though I might switch my vote later if it means getting feedback to you quicker. Nice work and the revision! YES (borderline)

Gonna third MW here, it's a strange source, but you did a neat job of making it sound a lot more creepy. It actually reminds me of the final boss music of Majora's Mask with the repetitive percussion, but that's just because of slightly similar sounds. I do agree that the strings are a little mechanical, but I think it fits the sound design fine and really doesn't detract from the mix. Pretty neat interpretation here, nice work. YES EDIT 6/6 Listened to this again, and I think I'm going to have to agree that the connection isn't there as much as I originally thought. I do feel the bells to mimic the original enough that I could count that, but that being the only connection isn't quite enough on it's own. Sorry to have to switch on you! NO

Yeah, gotta say that the combination of the two sources works way better than I would have expected, great job on that. Overall the track is a pretty creative take on both the sources, and I love that the mood was changed to be way more chill overall. Definitely agree that the sine wave ends up being a little too low in the mix when it's the lead, but it feels like a small nitpick overall. Also a small nitpick, but on headphones the hit of the ride cymbal comes through a little clicky, and at times it almost sounds like clipping. Might be just me though. Definitely a great take on two sources I wouldn't have expected much out of, nice work! YES

So, I've heard this one a lot. It's super upbeat, as per Andrew's style. The one section that kinda gets me is 1:39, because it feels a little out of place. However, it also creates a pretty neat contrast to the section before it, and it leads well into the next section. Not much for me to say here, since I've given crits that were addressed during the creation process. Nice work! Love you, Aibou <3

I agree with some of the crits that MW brought up here, there are definitely sections that feel a bit too busy, and it's hard to focus on what is going on with so many things trying to vie for attention. I think some volume changes or possibly some frequency drops (hopefully a judge with more knowledge there can help) would help clarify things. At 1:01 there is a synth (maybe flute?) that has some strong swells coming in with the melody. The attack sounds pretty exaggerated and fakey, and I'd love to hear that toned down. The strings at 1:26 are a bit fake, as MW mentioned, as well. I felt like the ending of the track runs a little long. The wind down starts at around 3:30ish and seems to continue for almost a minute. I think this can be shortened a little, but that might also be personal opinion. I think this mostly needs some balance adjustments, and a little bit of production tweaks, but otherwise I would like to see it front page! NO (resubmit)

This is definitely a pretty chill, yet danceable track! Love the overall feel, though I do think the soundscape sounds a tad bit empty at times. I think a little more on the low end would have rounded this out and made it feel more full. Greg mentions the lead sounding like it's singing, and I definitely want to second that, which is a pretty neat touch. Also really like all the background arpeggios and blips, they really add a lot of character here. My nitpick is that the track overall feels a bit blocky in the backing parts, and in the lead at times. When the lead is playing smoothly it makes for a nice contrast, but when they're both blocky it really emphasizes that texture. Not sure if that fully makes sense, but hopefully you get what I'm trying to say . Regardless, it's a small detail that I don't find to be a dealbreaker here. Nice work! YES

Wow, this is epic. Great take on the original, which I can definitely hear (thank you very much for the specific time stamps between the mix and the original, BTW!). The mixing felt great overall with great balance between all the parts. The soundscape sounds full without being overcrowded, and the flow of the mix is also very good. I have no bad things to say here! YES

I specifically thought that the transition between Mystic Forest and Treant Forest was really smooth and creative. Not sure if I like the speed-up after that, but it does add a layer of interest that you don't normally hear. The production overall is very nice, and Rebecca really knows how to work the lighter instruments to add a lot of humanization in them. I agree with the others that the birds are a bit too loud and definitely should be brought down a bit. Not sure if it's worth a Conditional vote, but it might be worth asking if it can be adjusted if it's to be posted. The arrangement has some good personalization throughout, though I do feel that at times its still pretty close to a cover. I do think that Rebecca's arrangements have been more personalized of late and fit much better with the standards than some of the first submissions (not that the medley's before were bad, just not for OCR arrangement standards). Overall I think this gets the job done. YES

Pretty much agreeing with the NO votes here: the saw synth is pretty vanilla, and being close to the source melody isn't helping the situation. Adding some changes in the melody and playing around with the lead will help set it apart more and overall will feel way more interpretive. The bass is a pretty awesome sound, but I agree that it is a tad low (apparently a little too far from the first sub!) and could be brought up just a bit. Lastly I'm going to agree that the soundscape feels a bit empty at times, and the rhythm guitars do seem like the issue there. All that being said, the solos and a lot of the drumwork really is pretty unique and fun, and I enjoyed what you did to the arrangement in general to make it your own. I think you can (and should!) take some more creative liberties like you've got here in future works. Look forward to hearing from you again! NO (resubmit)

I can see some of the issues mentioned by the other judges, but I think the creativity of this and the majority of it being pretty great make up for the faults. Love the interchanging sounds throughout, really adds a lot of variety and makes the mix really pretty fun! I'm trusting Gario that the 4 on the floor is pretty good for the genre, and I think in the long run it doesn't detract enough to make it a NO. I think a lot of people will dig this. YES

Nothing really to add here, the mood is pretty cool, and while this isn't my thing, it's a fun adaption of the original. My nitpick is there are a couple of times where the soundscape feels too empty. Some light pads might have helped fill out those sections, but it doesn't end up being a dealbreaker for me. Creative for sure! YES

Bad internet connection ate my vote so I'll sum it up quickly. Agreeing with the guys that the orchestral stuff is a bit mechanical, but I agree it's not a deal breaker, and I'm hearing improvements from your previous mixes in that regard. Definitely keep working on improving those orchestra chops further, but nice work! YES

Yeah, for me this comes down to the transition at 3:11, it feels pretty awkward with the jarring chord lagging into a fairly different mood and feel. That being said I think that one transition isn't enough to bring down a good, simple, and fun arrangement of these tracks. I will also now that I agree a bit with Gario about the rubato yardage being a little too much at times, but overall i didn't find it to be a deadbeat here. Good luck on the rest of the vote! YES

Gonna have to agree here, the track is lovely and the production is on point, but the track gets really repetitive. I would have loved some more dramatic changes, especially regarding the background bells. Altering the part throughout the track would have made a difference in my ears getting tired after (almost) 4 minutes. There are a couple times that they drop out, which definitely helps. Otherwise, having a small original section here also could have done a lot to break up the repetitions here. Lovely take on the theme, and I super appreciate you thinking of us with your arrangement album! Hope you submit more in the future, we'd love to hear it! NO (resub would be loved, but not expected)

*real vote* Some really nice use of details, like fading and velocities which add a ton of flavor (1:08ish being the first example that comes to mind). Definitely an in-your-face type of arrangement, was half expecting some sort of sick rhyming flow to come in eventually. I do like that the motifs were stretched out rather than jumping back and forth through them. Curious how Larry would timestamp it, but I have no issues. Nitpick for me is that the kick feels a little...hollow? In no way a dealbreaker, but I felt at times it didn't totally fit the soundscape. Might even chalk up to personal preference. Ending is also a touch abrupt. Something slightly more definitive, maybe accenting the last chord could have helped. No big deal in the long run, as well. YES

Sum noob NO

Agreed with pretty much everyone above. The sidechaining is definitely strong, and while I wouldn't mind having it toned down, I don't think it brings it below the bar overall. Hope to hear more from you in the future, the arrangement here is really nice, and the instrumentation is well-chosen. YES (borderline)