DarkSim

Wow, that pulsing intro note instantly takes me back to booting up HL1 (and 2) and seeing the man with the Valve in his eye. The atmosphere here is absolutely dripping in flavour, and I can't make out that speech over the crackly PA system, but I can imagine it's welcoming us to City 17: A Safe City! Guitar is chunky, bass has huge presence without being overpowering, and drums are mixed cleanly. Great job on picking out the identifiable riffs and elements from the sources and fleshing them out into a track that is unmistakably Half-Life. One small nitpick I have is that there's some unwanted distortion artifacts (clipping) at 2:47-2:48, just before the solo. It's clipping elsewhere according to Audacity, but that was the only place I could clearly hear it. Nice work on this one both of you - thanks for submitting! Hope to hear more in future. YES

I love the idea of remixing this source into a Western style. It fits really well! I like your approach to the storytelling as well - having 3 sections for the walk/trot/gallop is an interesting way to spin it. That intro kinda reminds me of the Borderlands 2 intro, a song 'Short Change Hero' by The Heavy. However... The major drawback of using such a sparse approach to the first section is that your 'lone cowboy' has to grab (and keep) all our attention with his guitar, and the samples just aren't close to cutting it as it stands. Added to that, it's a minute and a half before any accompaniment comes in, so that guitar has to be flawless. I'd suggest getting either better samples, or ideally a collaborator if you were thinking about reworking this one. Chimpazilla makes a good point that you could use other atmospheric sounds to fill out the space and leave the guitar less exposed. You can still achieve the feeling of loneliness with other instruments/effects, if handled well. Have a listen to the full version of Short Change Hero - the intro is at a slower tempo (same as your track) and evokes a lonely hero walking into a town on a stormy night. Once the other instruments do come in, the atmosphere really starts getting going. The whistling probably adds the most drama, but the other samples again are lacking in quality/attention to detail. The snare sounds particularly exposed, and the choir sounds very unnatural with that portamento effect at the beginning of the notes. For the 'gallop' section, the brass needs a major upgrade, as does the percussion, but there are some moments of drama in the arrangement which I enjoyed. Overall mastering is very quiet, although the instrumentation would need a significant upgrade before any remastering work, if this were to get a pass from me. Some great ideas, but execution isn't there yet. Keep at it! NO

This is a lovely arrangement with real feeling and flow to it. I like how the main arp is present throughout the mix, but with the shifts in backing and accompaniment, the character seems to change. Given that there are 2 distinct sections to the piece, I'd like a more dramatic bridge between the two. The transition at 1:51-1:55 was lacking in impact, and the drumkit in the second section seems like it's the wrong choice. It sounds a bit too splashy for the drama and intensity that's being striven for. Something a little tighter, with more punch and low-mid presence might suit the piece better. The vocals are great, though, and really well handled. Definitely adds that cinematic touch and emotion that this piece brings. The previous critiques are mostly nitpicks, but there's one major thing that holds this back for me, and that's the clipping. From the submission guidelines: 1. Submissions should be cleanly and clearly produced. Recordings should be reasonably free of distortion, hum, clicks, pops, or other unintentional audio artifacts. Now, I can live with one or two instances of clipping, but I counted well over 10 seconds' worth of distortion caused by clipping at 2:38-2:42, 3:01-3:04, 3:40, 3:42-3:45. It was really noticeable on first listen, and looking at it in Audacity it's not pretty either: Looks like the other judges have mentioned it already, but it's those transition effects that are the culprits. Fix the clipping on those and we're all gravy. NO (resubmit) Edit 12/09/22: I'm good with the new mixdown. Fixes the clipping, and my other suggestions were only nitpicks. Percussion could be cleaner, although I think the extra attention to the backing effects has brought the drums out a bit better. Vocals still sound superb, both lead and the whispery backing ones. YES

Man, I used to listen to this kind of stuff all the time. Call me an old fart, but that compression is just way OTT for me now (probably the plugin you used to get the sound as well, hah). That said, it is a staple of the genre, and so ignoring the insane loudness of the track, there's a lot to like. Cool synth choices, some nice effects sprinkled into the offbeats, and a nice break at 1:18. Even the break is super loud though, and as ever, the dynamics suffer when compressing the sound like this, so the breaks don't provide the level of respite one would expect. I'm glad this remix wasn't any longer, because at my normal listening volume it was starting to get uncomfortable. The lack of a significant difference in the final chorus is disappointing, but that's partly due to backing yourself into a corner with how loud and busy the track is already. I guess anything else would be too much. Lessening the intensity of the first chorus might be the way to go, but I understand that's not what this remix is about, so I respect the decision to keep the energy levels high for a short duration. The popping Larry pointed out sounds like the sidechain is working really hard at the start of the bars to stop any sound coming through, and the master compression is trying to amp up the tiny amount of sound that is leaking in at that point, resulting in a pop. Might be worth checking to see if that is the cause (another reason not to bump the compressor gain too high), but it wasn't a dealbreaker for me. It's a YES based on the genre, but my ears wish the whole thing was less compressed. YES Ninja edit for title suggestion... "Earache"?

What a fantastic idea for a track! The intro is really atmospheric and drew me in immediately. I've no complaints on the style or the arrangement, but once things get busy with the drums and low strings, that sub bass is impossible to ignore. I can hear the bass entering at 1:18, and then it leaves again at 1:51. For those 33 seconds, it's entirely imbalanced in the mix (also 2:13-2:30, 3:54-4:24). The energy of the sub-bass is causing any compressors you have on the master to max out, which in turn is causing the frequency imbalance. The melody in this section should be the most prominent thing, but all I can hear is a rumble and a faint flute in the distance, as if someone's playing it on the other side of a busy road as trucks rumble past. It's possibly due to your mixing setup - perhaps your headphones don't reach those sub frequencies so you can't hear it - but I'd suggest playing this mix on as many systems as you can, so that you can hear the imbalance for yourself. Not being able to hear this sub frequency noise may also cause you to crank up your compressors to try and make the rest sound louder, but that only exacerbates the problem. Chimpazilla has some great suggestions for how to sort some of this out. You should definitely be rolling off the low end using a low-cut filter on any instruments you don't need there. Also, use EQ visualisers to make sure nothing is getting through, just in case there's some sub frequencies you can't hear on your setup. I also agree on the brass attack being too long, which dampens the impact of the melody, particularly in the climax at the end. Unfortunately I'm falling on the NO side for this one, but I really hope to hear this cleaned up and with some more bombast in the brass next time around. It's a cracking source tune, and a brilliant reimagining of it that you've created, however the production is holding it back for now. NO (resubmit)

Definitely a fitting genre for battle music! The energy is super high, definitely feels light in the bass, but there's a lot going on, so perhaps more bass would make it too busy. Chimpazilla's right on the money with the punk feel, particularly with the guitar tones. It's got that young, raw timbre to it that punk has - but also some flute and synth, so who knows what specific sub-genre this one falls into! I like the acoustic breaks, and the flute is handled really well, although there's definitely some strange timing in that section. I think the snare being so close to the beat in that particular swing pattern makes it sound slightly odd, but when things tighten up again afterwards, it gets back on track. Listening back to that flute section, I'd say it's an interesting compositional decision, and although it might sound odd on the first couple of listens, it's not a big enough deal that I'd say it warrants fixing. I enjoyed the use of that simple saw synth as a complement to the lead guitar. There's some attention paid to the pitchbends and vibrato, to stop the synth sounding too static, and the interplay between the synth and the guitar after the solo was really nice. Arrangement wise I liked it a lot - source usage was easily apparent, and the structure didn't feel repetitive at all. Energetic synth-flute-punk-metal? It's a yes from me! YES

Very cool idea to take an energetic battle theme and chill it right out. Great job on that! It does feel unfinished though, both from an arrangement and production perspective. The clipping sound is a big issue that needs addressing - have you added some sort of distortion or bitcrushing to the piano/sax? Or is it just clipping I'm hearing? Either way, Lofi stuff should have a nice, warm, vinyl-like crackle to it. Try experimenting with some other production methods to achieve that warmth, and avoid pushing the levels of your instruments too hard in the process. Lofi mixes should also sound clean and intentional, too - here's a great example of a benchmark track I like to use when listening to Lofi: Notice how the background crackle doesn't detract from the clarity of the instrumentation. Arrangement-wise, I'm not sold on that intro at all. The first 10 seconds could be cut, or certainly reworked to sound less dry. The café ambiance that comes in halfway through seems like an odd place to introduce such an effect. You could definitely use that in the intro to set the scene, and call back to it in the middle and end as a break and outro. Definitely a lot of good ideas here, keep working on the execution! NO

What a joy! Everything about this had me smiling, from the title, through the saccharine intro, the psytrance middle section, and out the other side again. No problems with the intro synth - it reminds me of Benny Benassi's 'Satisfaction'. Proper twisted saws there. The compression is almost comically high, although definitely intentional, and just serves to highlight what an absolutely in-your-face track this is. It's a bold move, as pushing the limits so hard means your sound design and production has nowhere to hide, but fortunately everything is on point here. The drop at 2:26 is pure filth. The beat switch at 3:17 is madness. It's hard to pick a favourite part of this - there are so many cherries on the top of this ReMix, you'll be chasing them around for many listens to come. YES

This is a real tough one for me, because I love it for 2 minutes, and then the repetitiveness starts nagging at me, and I want something more. Genre-wise, I'm reminded of mid-90s electronica such as Chemical Brothers or Propellerheads. Those bands have plenty of similar-length tracks, however even with the longer tracks, the progression is clearer and the variation more engaging than simply adding and subtracting elements that have been heard before. To be clear, I have absolutely no problems with anything production wise - it's the arrangement that pulls this one down in my book. I dived a little deeper with some timestamping and colour-coding on repeated segments(!): I made it 83 seconds of repeated material - although not exactly verbatim, as there were some subtle backing/fill differences. That said, the differences were not unique to that particular section, so I treated it as a repeat. That works out to about 23% of the track. I took a 7-minute long track from the Propellerheads to compare the repetition there. Spybreak! was famously used in the Matrix's 'Lobby' scene. I clocked 2:15 of repeated material, or roughly one third of the track, in the original. The Propellerheads also released a short version which trimmed almost 3 minutes off, and honestly you don't miss it. 23% repetition is pretty borderline for my taste, however it does feel like a lot more is repeated, because a lot of the same segments are used in different permutations. I really liked the vocal chopping around 4:04-4:17, as it brought something new to the table. The final minute or so was a bit anticlimactic, as nothing new was added. I'd say take a leaf out of the Propellerheads' book on this one. Either trim a couple of minutes out of it, or rework it to add some more unique parts. I'm a huge fan of this genre, and I really do appreciate the fantastic work you've done here already. I'd love to hear this one back again with a tighter focus, and an arrangement that leaves me wanting to hit the repeat button! NO (resubmit)

Those vocals caught me off guard! They could definitely be manipulated better, and that intake of breath at 1:38 is an odd way to introduce them. Although the execution wasn't great, it does add an extra point of interest to the piece, and puts me in mind of a track like Alone in Kyoto by Air. I'm pretty sure the processing on them is intentional, and I think expanding on that vocal idea and mixing them better could have been something extra special here. Perhaps something to experiment with in future. Aside from that, it's a very pleasant journey through the themes. They sound like one cohesive piece together, although I'm finding myself agreeing with proph that I'd like some more obvious dynamics to it. I see it's taken from a larger piece though, so perhaps that explains it. The sustain on the final note almost outstays its welcome, which I think I noticed in one of your previous submissions - obviously a stylistic choice there! Nothing too flashy on show here, but an enjoyable journey nonetheless. YES

Trap beat intro, leading into some saw plucks at 0:35, sets the scene nicely. Percussion balance sounds slightly right-biased, and the fast rolls could do with being cleaner. The lead at 0:52 is sublime. Sounds like 2 oscillators running a saw and a narrow pulse at the same time, with some layering, reverb, and delicious delay. Great sound design on that. I love the boldness to go for such a dominant lead, although it does overpower some of the percussion. After the lead melody line, there’s some really nice automation work on the following plucked synth. You’re pushing the resonance until it distorts, then reining it back in, which is a cool trick. I’ll have to try that myself! 1:43-2:00 it’s a break with the trap beat and a new bell pluck, 2:00-2:17 more bell pluck and layered bass, leading into a break which reprises the plucked synth and pattern from the intro. I like that you cut out the trap beat here, as it was starting to get noticeably repetitive. When it comes back in at 2:52, it’s a shame there isn’t more variation, and then 3:25-4:17 is essentially copy-pasted from earlier. I can see why this has split the vote. The atmosphere and sound design is very good, but what lets it down is the arrangement. You’ve got a fantastic lead sound, with some really nice pitchbending, but the entire section has been copy-pasted, so even the pitchbends are the same (and listening to the source, they are evident there too - second time around, try adding something more original to the lead line). The trap percussion could be mixed better, but I’m willing to overlook some minor flaws there. The repetition though is harder to look past. If you’re going to copy and paste sections, there has to be a point of difference to hold the listener’s interest. You had me rapt for 2 minutes, but then by the end, I felt like it was starting to drag on. I’m so torn on my own vote here, because there is a lot that I love about this track. The repetition though is ultimately a dealbreaker for me. I’d like to hear more variation in the second half of the piece. I really hope you revisit this one and put more of your own stamp on it - it’s almost there! NO (resubmit)

Lovely warm, fuzzy synths. A little generic, but definitely vaporwavey. Brass-style lead in particular isn’t too interesting from a sound design perspective, however the overall soundscape is cohesive. The snare at 2:07 has too much reverb, so it softens the punch. Some of the toms seem to be too wet on the reverb as well, but it's not a dealbreaker. Really like the ABA arrangement going from 6/8 to 4/4 across A sections. I was thinking that the melody was too fast for the style you were going for, but then in the final section it’s repeated in 4/4, which gives it a much slower, laid-back feel. I can see why this might not stand up to more commercial examples of the genre, particularly from a sound design and production perspective, however I think what’s here is delightfully creative, and cohesive enough to get a pass from me. YES

What a difference another pass can make! I have a lot of respect for artists who wait for a long time and receive a NO (resub) vote, but then take the comments on board, learn from the experience, and come back stronger. Pretty much every criticism I had the first time round has been addressed, and there are some superb flourishes that have been added. The percussion is much more alive now, and there's a cool triplet section at 1:25 that wasn't in the original. Production is clean and cohesive, if a little quiet, but it's simply a joy to listen to. Awesome job, both of you! I'm not sold on the intro, as it feels a little out of place with the rest of the track, but it gives me great pleasure to say YES

Great energy in this one. My favourite part is the solo from 1:35-1:58, but the underlying mixing problems are holding this one back. So much is crammed into the mids that it's very difficult to pick out individual elements. 1:59-2:22 is better, as there are less instruments fighting for space - maybe pare back some of the backing so that the rest of the track is a bit more like this section, or use some of the tricks proph has suggested to give each component its own place in the mix. Arrangement wise, there's not a great deal of original material relative to the length of the track, but what there is (particularly 1:35-1:58) is excellent. More of that please! Really good effort for a first attempt. If you do decide to revisit this, don't be afraid to cut out some elements, or be quite drastic with EQ. Listen with a critical ear to existing music in the same genre, compare it to yours, and tweak your mix until it sounds as close as you can get it. There's a lot of potential here, but for now it's a NO

I gave this one listen and it instantly evoked images and fragments of my own dreams and occasional inception-like dreams-within-dreams. I absolutely adore the execution of this. It's incredibly abstract, but the way the melody hangs like a thread through the middle of the piece, guiding us on the journey, is superb. The first deep vocal chop at 0:49 is like that moment when you're falling asleep and suddenly lose balance, even though you're lying down. Or that moment in Fight Club where Tyler Durden is splicing a couple of frames of explicit material into children's movies, making you think "did I just hear that? Was that a dream?" It's followed up with a rapid crescendo, like a deep breath after being startled. The heavy reverb sounds delicious, helping us float off, and then the chops start coming in, shifting the entire soundscape in an instant. It's a clever technique very reminiscent of dreams, in that you can instantly be somewhere else from moment to moment. The chops do get a bit 'poppy' round 1:51, although I appreciate that's both a stylistic choice, and par for the course when slicing samples so aggressively. I'd also say that the clean vocal at 2:43 sounded a bit out of place, although in my mind I was picturing someone finding an old camcorder in a run-down house, and playing the video. Very fitting of a Resident Evil/survival horror trope. Definitely not for everyone, but for those who connect with it, it's a fantastic piece of work. YES

Attempting to remix sparse, atmospheric sources is always a challenge, because there's no room to hide. When there are only 2 or 3 sounds working together at once, it's very easy to expose flaws. For the most part, I enjoyed the instrumentation and effects, however a couple of instruments really stood out like sore thumbs. The piano and clarinet both could use more TLC in getting them to sit right in the mix - and as proph mentioned, the attack difference between the clarinet and bassoon doesn't do the layering any favours. I'm not against ambient/minimal remixes such as this, but I have to say I found the arrangement very uninspiring. Ideas from the source are introduced in the same order, and although there are some hints of expansion, nothing really piqued my interest or excited me. This remix seems to lack a philosophy - that is to say, it's neither fully atmospheric and immersive, nor does it have sufficient arrangement expression to add intrigue and replayability. NO

So much potential in this one, but you've gotta bring that guitarist in from the other room! The first minute and 20 seconds of this sound great, but I think you've possibly fallen into a trap with your reverb. The airy, ethereal atmosphere in the beginning is all well and good, but once things pick up after the build at 1:25, there needs to be more focus on the core instruments. It's a good idea to use similar reverb on instruments to give them a cohesion, however you've got to recognise when to dial back the wetness knob. The vocal pad sounds too prominent (particularly around 2:40), the drums too splashy with no bass in the kick, and that poor guitarist is jamming away in the other room. The drum fill at 1:25 also didn't sound very natural and broke the flow at that point, rather than seamlessly introducing itself. The transition at 2:22 needs more attention to mixing balance as well. Emunator has provided some excellent feedback on how to remedy these issues - his style makes great use of atmosphere and space, so I would suggest giving some of his stuff a listen, and taking that advice on board. The bulk of the work I would say is done, it just boils down to some mixing adjustments, and if you want to revisit some of the drum samples and fills, that wouldn't go amiss either. Hope to hear this one again! NO (resubmit)

On first listen, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this track starts at 1:25, with that beautiful piano rendition of the melody from "A Broken World". That was the point at which I really sat up and took notice. However, on repeat listens, there’s a lot of detail and, I would say, confidence in this arrangement. I definitely hear the Ghibli/Hisaishi influence here. To attempt a “soundtrack” style orchestral ReMix using pieces from many FF7 sources shows great depth of knowledge of the game, and a strong emotional connection, which shines through the piece. I’m sure fans of the series will love this immediately, although for a listener who has never played FF7, I would say that it took me a few listens to appreciate everything you were trying to do here. It definitely requires more concentration to listen to than most of the music I listen to regularly, but that’s no bad thing. There are moments of magic, such as 1:25, and the orchestration is beautifully done. Not my usual cup of tea, but definitely worthy of the front page. YES

Your previous remixes had the synthwave sound palette nailed down, and this is no exception. The simple-yet-sumptuous lead synth comes in with the melody at 0:16, displaying some nice pitchbends and subtle vibrato on sustained notes. The backing is solid, with plucky arps, a warm fuzzy bass, and my favourite part is that faux-flute appearing at 0:08 and elsewhere throughout the track. Delicious reverb and delay on that. Percussion is solid, although I found the tambourine had too much reverb for my taste, as it felt like it was sitting too far behind the mix. It’s panned hard left as well, which adds to the spacial disparity with the rest of the mix. There’s a production error in there at 1:16 which is a shame, because I really like how you've tried to create a transition using a sidechain on long-feedback reverb. Unfortunately, something from the hit at 1:11 is reverberating too much and causing a bitcrushing artefact in the mix. It’s making a crunching sound which is quiet, although noticeable. The transition out of the half-tempo section was handled well, and I enjoyed how the solo resolved just before kicking back into the main groove. It finishes with an unremarkable ending, but nonetheless a hugely enjoyable track. Homage to the original, followed by personal expansion, ending with a recap of the source. To any aspiring ReMixers out there: take notes. Arrangement-wise, this is a great blueprint for OCReMix, and I always love hearing Neon X take on a source in his signature style. YES

What a great couple of source tunes! Thanks for bringing them to my attention! They do work well together, and the direction you've chosen to take them is perfect as well - transitioning to an EDM take is a great way to keep the energy levels high. At times, I was reminded of the Diddy Kong Racing soundtrack, so good job getting the feel right for the genre. For the most part, I liked your sound design and synth choices, however the left-panned background bell sound at the beginning has too much detune on it for my taste. It's playing 3 notes, and the first of those (e.g. 0:00, 0:04, 0:08, 0:12 etc.) seems to clash with the other instruments. I also have a big issue with the drums, the main offender being the almost inaudible snare. There's a very thin clap sound, with not much else to it. I think I can hear some filter automation on it during the build at 1:45, but it's too quiet to hear easily. The hi-hats are also super thin, which might not be a problem if the snare had more body to it. I like the looseness to the swing of them, and you might want to consider adding some open hat hits to spice up the groove in places as well. The kick hits hard, and I'm not hearing much sidechaining (if any), so I'd suggest experimenting with some sidechaining - certainly on the low frequencies. You could probably dial back the kick a few dB with the addition of a sidechain, and free up some more headroom. Finally, you've got a fadeout ending! Not necessarily a problem, but BOTH sources have nice, resolved endings, and I was disappointed to hear a fadeout at the end of this ReMix - especially as it's just under 3 minutes long. I reckon you could do better with that, and give this track a proper finale! As it stands though, it's a really fun and enjoyable ReMix. I'd love to hear this one given some improvements and sent back. NO (resubmit)

I'm gonna pop the judging criteria in here to help me break this one down: Changing the structure of the source. Implementing multiple sources into the structure. Altering the overall atmosphere or "tone" of the track. Changing the genre of the source. Adapting the melodies and/or textures over different harmonies. Altering the themes, melodies, or textures of the source. Changing the rhythms. Altering the beat pattern. Changing the tempo(s). Utilize different meter(s). Adding new material. I can't see much of an argument for any of these being significantly fulfilled for this one. Structure - both are quite ponderous, relying more on texture and atmosphere. If you're going to lean on this, though, sound design better be top notch, which it's not. There's a full minute of white noise at the end of the track that doesn't add to the 'nature' feel at all! I think it's supposed to be a waterfall, but quite what it's supposed to add here I'm not sure. It's got no high-end, so it sounds like a waterfall that's downstream, and out of sight. N/A Atmosphere and tone is the same Genre, same Like MW notes, the melody has been altered, albeit subtractively Some different textures in percussion and, but nothing significant Not significantly, and as proph notes, that drum sound goes 'bu-bum, bu-bum, bum' for ages without changing up N/A Same tempo Same meter Not a great deal of added material, and specifically the waterfall sound is a huge miss for me NO

Well, this is certainly the most intense ‘menu music’ I’ve ever heard! Pretty hard drum ’n’ bass here, with emphasis on the bass. I’m glad the other judges already covered the timestamping, because this is a very out-of-the-box arrangement that’s almost unrecognisable from the source. This remix really goes hard for the most part, with punchy kick and snares, gnarly bass, and some of the most distorted leads to cut through it all. Where it stood out to me, however, was the section from 2:34. The vocal pads lead into a more mellow snare sound, with some gorgeous bells panned around the space. Props to the sound design for managing to somehow blend all that with a heavily distorted lead at 2:57. This lead allows the piece to segue back into heavier territory with what I call the ‘cheese grater’ synth at 3:20. Listen to that swirling, snarling bass as well - another highlight. One pretty big nitpick I had with this was the percussion sequencing. For drum ’n’ bass, I’d expect a little more attention to the drums. The same kick and snare pattern can be heard for the entire first 1:30, with the odd drop out, and after the break section in the middle, although the snare sound is switched up, the pattern between the kick and snare remains the same. The hi-hats also have a very repetitive pattern that’s used throughout the track. Fills could be improved at key transitions such as 1:31, and a little more sample variety wouldn’t go amiss either. Despite the fairly straightforward drum programming, it's a pass from me. Great middle section and sumptuous bass give the ears a good tickling. YES

Sometimes a ReMix has a title which bears little or no resemblance to the music itself, but ‘Hypervigilance’ perfectly describes this piece. The slow pace and sparse instrumentation helps the listener focus on each individual sound at different points. Combined with excellent sound design, you have these moments of tension which are punctuated by new stimuli that draw your attention, as if scanning a horizon for new threats. It’s a very well thought-out creative process here, and the execution matches the ambition. The idea of near and far is subtle, but feeds into the overall theme of the track. Those very hard-hitting and erratic kicks to open up felt like a soldier’s heart skipping beats as they prepare to embark on a high-risk mission. Use of filters, distortion, and bitcrushing are evident throughout, but perhaps my favourite is the guitar that comes in at 2:05. It’s got such a grittiness to it, and the timbre fits the piece perfectly. The lead at 3:25 is also excellent, adding more higher frequencies and reverb to give it its own distinct character. If I were to find one nitpick with this, it’d be the kick sound at the beginning. I know what you were going for by compressing the impact sounds, however I think the transient on this particular sample could be shaped better to provide a more interesting overall sound. I’m also in agreement with proph and MW about the beginning and end being too long, but as a package I found it very cinematic and surprisingly visual - probably due to the amount of ‘filling in’ my brain was doing whilst listening. Certainly a cerebral experience, able to evoke paranoia and those feelings of mortal terror you so explicitly tried to conjure. Job done! YES

Synthwave is my jam, so it's always nice to hear a ReMix done in this style. Great job on converting the source tune from 3/4 to 4/4, it gives it a whole different character, and the high tempo injects a lot of urgency into the piece. A couple of points to consider in this one - firstly, the bass. You mention that you took extra care with the sound design on this, and I can hear the subtle chorusing that you mentioned, however I felt there was a little more you could have done to help it stand out. A subtle sidechain with a 1/4 note bounce works wonders on these 1/16th arpeggiated basslines. Also, I'm not sure if you're already notching out the dominant kick frequency, but it looks like your kick has a peak at around 47Hz and your bass gets in and amongst it quite often. Adding a small reduction in your bass EQ at 47Hz will help mitigate some of the muddiness that is creeping in there. Also while we're on it, I'd say to tune your kick sample up or down a semitone. It's sitting at F# right now, and it may sound nicer at F or G. Tuning drum samples is definitely worth experimenting with! The synth at 1:51 sounds too exposed on its own, and it's also not the most interesting synth you could have chosen there. The real guitar towards the end was a nice addition, although it sounded to me like the high-cut was taking away too much of the instrument's character. I did like how it slowly faded into the bass though. Overall it was an enjoyable listen, although not without points for improvement. It's a yes from me, but hopefully there's a few things you can take on board for next time. Thanks! YES

Two things Germany does well are sausage and heavy industry. “Mellow” Sonic serves us a hefty helping of both here, and I’m loving it. Right off the bat, the soundscape is HUGE. It’s packed with detail, and instantly sets the scene, transporting us to some kind of deep space mining colony. It’s crunchy, it’s robotic, it’s metallic, it’s vast, and all these elements combine to create a wonderfully rough texture that pulses with energy. Whilst I do love the texture and intensity of the first minute and a half, however, you’ve got to know when to give the listener a break. A real break, that is, and drop out that sub bass rumble that’s sitting at 37Hz for almost the entire first 3 minutes. I’m all for some heavy sub, especially in a mix like this that embraces the chaos, but at 1:55 the dynamics would really improve by dropping the bass out. Not only that, but the real climax of the track at 2:34 would be markedly improved by bringing back the bass energy at this point. The larger break at 3:15 is more than welcome, although we do get some more bass rumbling in there after just a few seconds of respite. The synth arps are really well designed and varied - there’s an almost atonal, metallic one, a digital-sounding one, an acid one, and a nice spacey sine-wave one. Tons of detail in the design and implementation, it’s just a shame that my overall impression was that my ears hurt! This is honestly super close for me, but at times the bass is outright rumbling (see 1:55, 3:22), and it does become unpleasant over such a long track. That’s not to take anything away from what is otherwise a very impressive offering, and I’d love to see the bass reined in and this resubmitted. NO (resubmit)