OceansAndrew

Typical halc mix. Yes

The bass sound does seem like it's lacking some low end beef, but it's very well programmed, especially for how prominent it is. Overall the track felt strong, but I do think the slap bass should be doubled with a sub bass or something to give it some more power; it sounds like overall the track is missing low frequencies. Arrangement is fun, and just the sounds need to be touched up. Yes (Conditional on Bass)

I'd say this is an improvement overall, but where is the bass for most of this? Either it tacets for most of the track, or it's super quiet, but mostly the former. It definitely is progressive, but the lacking of a bass foundation makes it sound like a few songs on top of each other, instead of mixed meters. Comparing it to something like Meshuggah ( ) that has a similar compositional style, they have a super beefy bottom end that gives it direction and a core. I do think the production and arrangement is a step in the right direction, but it needs some bass. No, please resubmit

Agree on the sparseness of the track, and general sameness of the different sections. The beats stay consistent throughout and doesn't differentiate between sections, and this is a solid foundation, but it needs more stuff filling out. Some backing gated synths, or other potential ideas for adding texture and richness to the sound would go a long way, as would some stereo delay on the piano. The oboe coming in helped the overall soundscape a bit, but still wasn't enough, this needs more varied beats and some deeper soundscapes. The humanization was pretty good overall, so nice work on hitting that goal. Overall this has potential but needs a bit more work; if you'd like to hit me up, via PM, I can get some additional crits for you before you resub! No, please resubmit

THe intro is really nice, and there is a lot of coolness included here, but once the song is going full on, though, it starts to feel repetitive and lacking in power. The drums especially feel a little wimpy, and the bass is very hard to hear at all, and im not even sure that there is a bass instrument. There is some acoustic guitar that plays in a semi-low register, but it definitely doesn't feel like bass to me. I'd boost the drums, add some bass, and try to trim the arrangement down slightly. There is promise here, it just needs some additional love. No

EMUNATOR Give him a big hand, and then please feel free to include him in any further judge bashing!

very exciting intro, I love the modern bass sound mixed in with the choir and orchestra. Some of the transitions are really weak though, and abrupt, and a lot of instruments feel like there is too much reverb on them. Some of the drums specifically; I can tell you are interested in having a huge sound, but it's just a little too much with the pattern. Halfway through and the bass drop is starting to feel overdone as well. It's awesome the first few times, but when it's every 8 measures, it loses it's charm. :/ The themes are well presented, but they don't feel expanded as much as simply lined up and connected with bass drops. The themes are really nice, and a lot of the track is working; but between the simplistic and sometimes jarring transitions, over-reverbed instruments, and lack of expansion, I think that this needs more work before it's ready. The ending was classy, and I enjoyed a lot of this, but please polish it up a bit more. No, please resubmit

The intro was really nice, and the song built up pretty well. The earlier string attacks had too strong of velocities, and sounded a little comical and unnatural, but the samples are good enough. Adjust the velocities down a little, and that'll be good. I feel that throughout the guitar leads are a touch too quiet, as is the bass. I think that is where some of the missing power could be added in. I do agree with Larry that the drums aren't really sounding super powerful; i think some EQ would get them to sound less hollow. The combination of themes is pretty good, and overall the performances are solid, the intro, outro, and solo specifically were impressive. Overall this definitely has the foundation of a song that would make it, it just needs a little more polish. I'd love to hear a resub. No, please resubmit

The sequencing is sounding pretty smashed, and though I understand that you are going for a powerful sound, there needs to be more variation. I do like the alterations done to the melody, but more often than not, it's just single bass notes and a single melody line, with no harmony or counter melody. Also somewhat strange is the strings intro and then solo piano. The concept of this is really interesting, but the execution needs to be more polished. No

filthy troooooollll~~~~~ I liked the track just fine earlier, and if the other judges prefer this version, then cool. Yes

The opening chimes and hats were super rigid and not a great first impression, but once the percussion and synths came in full force, I was a lot more impressed. There is some super nice counter melody work that is both subtle and effective, and really emphasizes the strength of the original melody. Once this gets going full steam, it's straight up fantastic! Solid production and balance, pretty good soundscape, instruments that I feel are gelling well, it's all there. There are some nice original verse sections that add something new and break up the action a little, but don't feel so dominant that the source is secondary. The main issue is how rigid the opening is. The vote would be a lot easier for me if it was smoother to open. Minor issues are the repetitiveness of the beats and the general lack of transitions, but enough is happening melodically that it doesn't detract too much. Overall I think this is over the bar, but there are a few minor details you'll want to address in additional subs. Yes

The bass sample was a little underwhelming, and I think the TalesWeaver source is pretty bland, but I guess because of that, it hides really easily under the Chrono Trigger Melody, making the track new and unique sounding. The violin playing was very nice; expressive and refined, and the piano held it up well, though some parts were a bit mechanical, especially when more exposed. I found the bass to be a bit on the cheap-sounding side, but it was well programmed and the part it played was interesting. The opening synth sounds a little too detuned, but it's brief, and then fades to a pleasant drone, so no harm, really. Percussion is interesting but background for the most part. The beat is a bit repetitive, but it's just texture in the end. Basically this is a subdued but intelligent arrangement that is carried by an excellent violin performance, and some creative source combinations. The dynamics are solid, and though there are few areas that could overall see improvement, it's a good take on a classic theme, marrying it to a more obscure one. I think it's good enough for the front page. Yes

The intro actually got me pretty pumped up, but when the song finally hit the energy slowly drained away. There were a few good dramatic moments, but It felt like the song was always building to something that never arrived, and a few sections where it was light bass and a single melodic line. I think a lot of details like glissandos, a more powerful percussion section, and additional counter-melodies would make this more exciting. Having more pronounced dynamics overall would be good too; Things ebb and flow a bit based on instrument layers, but it never feels really bombastic, or conversely, really intimate. The mixture of the themes is pretty good, The samples are pretty nice, and the foundation is certainly built, but I think it needs more extremes. No, please resubmit

I do think the opening notes are a little heavy-handed, but the strings that come in after are very nuanced and expressive. Arrangementwise, some of the stiffness is coming from the piece being so blocky, but it works in an ominous and oppressive way. Great setting of mood. Overall it's an improvement, though whether or not the other judges agree remains to be seen; I do think some woodwind runs would help it feel a little more flowing, but I do think it is good enough to pass. The combination of light arrangement touches and a dramatic and dark sound work well in concert, and the samples are well used, with a lot of intelligent and interesting articulations. Yes

beautiful violin, sorry time are so tough that you need to try to sell it. I wish you luck, bro.

This is a good start, as Deia mentioned, but it needs further refinement in some balance and sequencing areas. The leads are piercing, and overall the high end is super hyped. That needs to come down a bit to give the bass a chance. It sounds completely dominated by the treble right now. This is the biggest issue, right now. The sequencing could also stand to be more humanized, especially the piano. The drums and synths overall are working, but a lot of things sound very rigid and pounded on; there is no nuance. The arrangement is good, if not a little on the long side, but overall I think this has potential. I'd love to hear a more polished version of this, please. No, please resubmit

There is some pretty nice sound expansion going on here, with a wide and open feel, and a good buildup. The production is pretty clear and has a good ambiance, and I think the sounds chosen really work well together. As for arrangement, there isn't a ton of new stuff going on besides different instrumentation; even the solo at the end is the same. The structure is also pretty much a copy, except for the somewhat extended intro. Overall I really like this, but it feels more like a sonic upgrade rather than a reinterpretation. If you would be interested in adding some additional melodic or harmonic content, This could easily get onto OCR, but even as-is, it's a great piece of music that just is too similar to the original for the site. I definitely enjoyed this. No

Cover your rib! You're eating it! Bring me the fries! Stop loving them! Seeming so gross! Dripping grease that's killing my heart! Mcribtor!!!

ReMix of the year? ReMix of the year.

Nice and charming arrangement. I do think the string passing tone at :31 and a few other spots is a little overused. Generally that sortof chromatic color is used a little more sparingly. I think the first 2 should be removed, and then from 1:14 on it could be added. Gives the song a minor sense of development when you don't hear it the first time through, but it is added later, and gives the arrangement more of a sense of direction. Production is decent overall, though the panning choices of melody completely on the left and chords on the right is really distracting and unbalanced on headphones. Some parts feel pretty sparse to me as well, and really what could be done to fix things across the board would be some slow quarter note clean or acoustic guitar arpeggios on the left side. It'd balance things better, and give more sonic interest in the sparse sections. Performances were solid, and and the samples sounded decent, though some of the string ensemble attacks were a little bit stiff. Overall I really enjoy this track, but think a tiny bit of detailed polish would push it over. Fixing the L/R balance, and smoothing the string articulation is the most important aspect. No, please resubmit

is that the rock!?!

99 dungeons but a soundscape isn't one of them; I love the synthy bass. Overall there is some good expansion besides the obvious sound upgrade, Though I feel the second half could use just a little bit more juice. Not like a full glass, but maybe a half glass, just to really kick up breakfast. The mid-song breakdown was effective, but felt like it was treading water for too long. It needed some melodic interest besides some gradually building, but harmonically shallow ideas. The swagger is there, but a lot of it feels like autopilot because most of the arpeggios just reinforce the chords rather than say anything. Having some suspensions in there would really help to make it more interesting, or a solo or something. I think this is really, really close, and based on other votes from judges, it may pass as-is, but I think that it really needs more excitement in the second half. I am not especially happy to no-resub it, but i think in the long term it'll be a better song because of it. No, please resubmit

I do appreciate that the track itself can be heard now, and the intro is nice and mysterious, but the synths and drums tend to feel really subdued and flattened, and lacking energy. Some aspects are fine, like the piano, but a lot of the track feels like it's just not getting there. The arrangement I really enjoy, and production-wise this is a massive step up from the original submission, but it needs further refinement. If you are inclined to give it another go, feel free to PM me, and I can help you out a bit further, as i'd love for this to be on the site. No, please resubmit

More like McGross.