The Vodoú Queen

Feedback time! Sorry I wont press the button so fast next time lol.
Wassup Thunder - What Fire Taught the Sea
Everyone's titles are so cool! I think as with Vodou, I have to say I wished the guitar here was backed off jusst a bit. The main lead guitar that is. Honestly, this mix though is uhh, fire lol. I am really enjoying the energy you got going on here. These drums too are really doing it for me. Maybe I want a bit more from the samples but dude you are working them. 
OOOOOOHHH the drums right before the last section where you kinda break it down right before the guitar kicks back in?! Now that was sick. This last section works well enough for me but maybe I wish there was somne more energy? Hmm, no, I think what I'm looking for is maybe its a bit too dry for me in the mix. Like there isn't enough air to the overall sound. Honestly though, I have a problem keeping my tracks from being too wet sounding so this could be personal preference ya know? Still, I think the mix sometimes sounds too robotic and straightforward and could use some life somewhere. Unfortunately how to do that is uhh, beyond me! 
Still, this was such a fun listen and you put a lot into the different instruments and their place within the enemble. What a pleasure to hear.
 
TheVideoGamer - Bonds of Kick and Hi-Hat
Off the cuff, this mix is too loud for my tastes. Like its really loud even for an electronic song. But once I put it down, I'm finding a lot I enjoy. Firstly, I love that rhythm with the low synth. I think its just really interesating to take this song and switch the genre up but still keeping the original DNA somehow. Its not something I'm too great at and I could learn a thing or two from this. 
I will say this song sounds like one of the older OC Remixes I've heard but I can't quite put my finger on which one. I suppose thats a good thing but it also maybe takes away from some of the uniqueness? Going to the outro, I'm wondering if you could have taken the opportunity to bring something new into right before fading out. One problem with the song I think is the amount of repitition? Sometimes it just felt like it all blended together. Still, that rhythm had me moving throughout so its hard fro me to be too negative haha. 
Another thing I really wanted more of was this polyrhythm feel. I really suck at rhythmic sections and such but there were parts where it felt like it was touching polyrhyhtm and others where it felt full on poly. But everytime it would hit that sweet spot, the beat would seem to even out? I'm wondering what I'm hearing there. Anyway, good job!
 
TheVodouQueen - Seafoam and Brimstone, Upon the SHores of Tallon IV
First of all, what a gorgeous name haha. Thats some real artistry. So we start here with these lovely sea and waves samples. I adore this type of stuff so I'm digging it. 
Oooh some interesting work with the panning and the different instruments. I think the percussion is just a tad harsh sounding? It could be the time of night that I'm listening to this. I'll see in the morning if its the same.
I am wondering about these samples for the strings you got. They sound really close to the original to my ear. Moreover, they work very well.
Okay, more samples with the thunder. Super dig it. I wonder which samples you used? The choir coming in after is a nice touch. Still a bit harsh for me I think. 

I think going through this song you had some really lovely ideas with the effects and the approach to atmosphere. I think though, personally I was a bit underwhelemed with the melodic and harmonic aspects of this song. Partially it is the VSTs being used maybe but I think there was a consistent harshness to them or rather, a lack of subtlety when I wanted it. I think I would have really enjoyed this more if this was laid back and the song explored more of the melodic and harmonic aspects than the effects since this was meat and potatoes. That being said, I'm a sucker for the effects so I would adore to see this expanded upon one day if you ever choose to. Good job!

Souperion - Dream of Flowing Fire
Once again, everyone had lovely titles. Even the bonus! As you said in the description, you kept it really simple. Some interesting choices with the melody. going for the dotted quarters and dotted eighths instead of the more straight forward original. It gives it a nice little pulse that I'm enjoying. What a pretty koto and yangqin though! If I had any cash I'd be interested in getting a VST with some. Unfrotunately a lot of stuff with those instruments seem to be a bit more than I'm willing to pay for. Anyway, you use them well here. I think my only wish is if there was some more exploration here, but I think you just wanted to keep it really chill here and laid back and let the original arrangement work for you. Not a bad decision imo!

Welcome to the Voting Stage!
There are 5 entries this round. There is 1 Bonus entry(s) this round There IS a voter bonus this round! Souperion has a vote worth 2x.  When Voting, if possible, avoid granting 1:1 covers top spot.  MnP requires a bit of remixage after all.   Don't vote for Bonus entries please.  Do let me know if you have problems voting, and we can sort something out. Try and not make any comments about each entrant until after voting has concluded. Thanks! Participants may not vote for themselves.   Vote ends 16th July 1PM.  
Vote here: https://compo.thasauce.net/rounds/view/MnP125

Vote in. This round was a real pleasure.

Voted!

Don't worry guys, I'm going to give feedback lol. I accidentally pressed the vote button before I could add the feedback. I got it in a notepad on my desktop and I'll be posting it here in a few hours once I return home! 

That also works lol.

All you really need to do is complete the audio file name. It appears to be incomplete. So in this case it's missing the 9, the bracket and the .mp3.
I tried it, and it worked. Ideally you shouldn't have to do this, but it works. I'd recommend it. 

Here's my feedback... Sorry, again, for the delay...
----
1) 'Cave Explorer' - MarcusG
Pros:
* Really like the thumping beat and percussion.
* The slightly dragging piano worked very well with the bass and beat. It felt like someone was adding a smooth layer of chocolate on some rocky road ice cream filled with peanuts and almonds--funky, crunchy, and delicious to hear.
* For a composition piece that you whipped up last minute before work, you did quite a bit of work, and it all meshed together nicely. Well done and big props.
 
Critique:
* Wish there was some added percussion to the synth bass and the echoey sustain / pad behind the melody as part of the harmony line. Perhaps like some added shakers or a tamb or two--something ultimately light that won't take away from the soft beat, but would add a bit more layering to the song...
* Unsure if it'd work, but perhaps another kind of piano (or other string instrument) working the melody along with your dragged piano in the second half of the song? Might've been an interesting addition. Don't want too many instruments, but having another one that dragged slightly behind the piano to give the song a reverb effect could've been worked in.
* Otherwise, for what it is and how long you worked on it, it's fantastic. Keep up the good work.
 
2) 'Coral Calamity' - Souperion
Pros:
* I like the spooky vibe with the shrieking stringwork and creepy organ. Didn't think 'Coral Caves' could have that kind of genre bend to it, but it's nice and very original.
* Like some others have mentioned, it sounded very much like a remix of the song made for a boss fight (e.g. similar to how DK 64 and Conker's Bad Fur Day did it, where the level music tended to also be the boss music, remixed and twisted, [in hindsight, many Rareware games did that back in the SNES & N64 days...].) I enjoyed the shift @ 2:30 to the lighter tones as well.
* To go along with that, your play on the dark and light-sides of the song, and incorporating different sounds and instruments between the two, especially around @ 3:20 where they started flowing in and out and meshing together, really, really worked. Was a lot of good interplay within the composition. Great stuff.
 
Critique:
* The heavy metal drum beats worked for me in the song, however the guitar at the beginning didn't (between 0:00 and 0:20 or so). It sounded too messy. Unsure of whether its the EQ or any possible add- ons to the sound (like a fuzz amp, etc) that caused it, but the dirty chord riffs just was a bit too haphazard. It sounded better with the surrounding melody and harmony and drumworks later on, but standing out on its own unsupported was weird for me, sorry.
* Besides the slightly "sloppy" start, as you put it, the song is pretty tight-knit and well-meshed as it goes on. Just wished the guitar in the beginning had a better, cleaner sound quality.
* This was a very close round for me in who I picked as well, to be honest. Your creativity for this was great. ❤️
 
3) 'Reef Meditation with Monkeys' - Wassup Thunder
Pros:
* The little percs and blips from the very beginning seemed so playful, so cute, and so you. Loved 'em, and put a neat spin on the source!
* For a composition that isn't your usual either Rock or Eurobeat vibe, it's very well done, smooth, and relaxing to listen to. The conga drum rolls and clavs / castanets were a nice touch as well.
* Real fine jungle beat that I'm sure the monkeys and cavemen out there would love. I especially loved the bit from 2:50 onwards. I almost didn't notice the vocal choir in there either, but on subsequent listen-throughs I picked up on it, and it was a treat as well. Fitted very well with the rest of the soundscape.
 
Critique:
* I wasn't a real big fan of the "chicka-chicka" shaker sound in the background from 0:00 - 1:00. It stood out to me way more than it probably should have as a background piece. It might've been me, but my ears trained to it almost immediately, instead of focusing in on those sweet foreground and midground instruments.
* The bass @ 1:00 seemed a little flat to me, and odd. Maybe it was the type of bass sound used, like a weird arpy / synthy sound, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly. Perhaps it just stood out a lot compared to the rest of the soundscape. Unsure what I'd replace it with insofar as other synths or arps... Maybe something that sounded more like an upright bass rather than a synth bass. Hmm...
* Otherwise, great stuff. That flute, piano and pad(s) were, mmmah *kiss*.
 
--BONUS--
+ 'Ape on the Dancefloor' - TheVideoGamer
Pros:
* Ah, another one of your excellent pieces of craftsmanship in the art of Breakbeat and/or Rave tracks. ❤️ You never cease to amaze, (and I'm not being sarcastic with that, genuinely, it's always lovely to hear your work).
* This round surely showed a dichotomy between "simplistic" compositions versus "complex" compositions, like yours, and either one is some real good shit. The additional complexities added to the rather oversimplified source was done with some expertise and care. I liked basically every add-on.
* The beat was on-par, my man. Keep doing you.
 
Critique:
* I think the only downsides I had with this remix was the arp used for the main melody of the tune (I think it's some kind of arp anyways). It was a bit too shrill, and kind of swamped the rest of the piece. Not a whole lot, but enough to have caught my attention more than once even after a few listen-overs.
* Had a smiliar issue with the bassline (starting @ 1:35). Just the way it hit me (maybe it was my headphones???) Felt "SHARP", and stabby, atop of shrill. Sharp and stabby is mostly fine, but the volume could've been dialed like a few decibels, in real small notches...like 0.-- etc kind of notches. It's no biggie, just again one of those things that kept with me as I listened. Also, didn't like the wobbly pad @ 1:57 - 2:15, at all...sorry.
* Great variety, great changes, great song. Keep up the good work and the creativity.

Unsure how mine broke though.
...Guess this PRC especially is super cursed for me. ?

https://www.bandlab.com/vodouqueenxiii/redial-9c12e152
That's a direct link to the song on my Bandlab account, even though it's slightly updated and remastered.
Same song basically though. Just was fixing some niggles from the version I submitted to PRC.

hello guys
the link to the music of the @The Vodoú Queen is broken
http://compo.thasauce.net/rounds/view/PRC429
if it is not possible to fix someone could send me the music link?

I hadn't forgotten, lol...
----
1) 'Benny Rikashi and the Puffoons' – Souperion
Pros:
This is a beautiful remix of the source. Everything melts and melds right in. Well-coordinated and organic. Love it.
I'm not usually one into Bluegrass / Country, but I liked this a lot. Especially the creative addition @ 1:44, that kind of turned the song into a pirate jig, a la Pirates of the Caribbean. Really cool.
There's so much variety here! Also, loved the ending.
Critique:
Disappointed there's no dueling banjos. Also, half-expected a hurdy-gurdy or accordion to come outta nowhere in some parts. The song really didn't need it, but it was just a weird expectation on my part, especially when it began to build up to the end.
I'd honestly be a nick-picky SOB if I sat here trying to find “issues” to critique on here. In reality, I can't really think of any, and on first listen-through, I was very satisfied with the finished product.
Excellent job! Never thought I'd actually super enjoy a Country song for once. xD
 
2) 'Beats Rikashi' – TheVideoGamer
Pros:
I'm kinda glad and taken aback that you went the truer path of 1:1 remix this time around, aside it being the MnP standard. Usually, you'd do something much more hardcore, whether or not your tune is in keeping with the MIDI completely or not. Major props there, going outside your usual mould.
Like Wassup's, I like the bombastic, cheery atmosphere in this piece. It's great to hear.
Love the percussion! I think it could've had some steel hanging drums in it somewhere, since you mentioned you were trying for a Caribbean / Jamaican party, or rather, marching band vibe. The swinging synths really provoked that feeling, but yeah, good stuff.
Critique:
Thought the bass was a bit too..."bassy"? The reverb and volume on it, I mean... Sorry—I know what you were trying to go for but it was overwhelming from the get-go.
The drums are extremely loud, too. I had my headphone volume down to < 20% and it was still kinda overmuch. Again, I get what you're going for, but balance is key I suppose.
Wasn't feeling the ending, apologies, but this composition is not bad at all for something not generally “in your wheelhouse.” I enjoyed it nonetheless. :3
 
--BONUS--
+ 'Fairwinds Festival' – Wassup Thunder
Pros:
Really love the happy-go-lucky, playful atmosphere you made with the song. Had a similar cadence and feel to the 'Millennial Fair' song from Chrono Trigger. It was a real joy to listen to.
The strings were a wonderful addition halfway through the song, and rounding it all up with the bells / chimes at the end was fabulous.
It was loud, but never felt “too” loud throughout. It felt just right for the mood you were trying to express and set. Excellent work with sound balancing, as far as I can hear.
Critique:
To be honest, there wasn't really much in the song I could hear or pick out that was specifically problematic. The instruments seemed fairly well-balanced between the lot, and nothing really swamped or stomped on any other track used in the composition.
I think my only major concern was the lack of a discernable fore, middle, and background between instruments. A lot of it was very “in-your-face” / foreground-related, with no midground and a bit of back (the drums and percussion.) Having a few of the lighter instruments maybe more in-between things might've helped, but I wouldn't want to take too much away from the loudness and bombasticness of the song, when it's supposed to be very uplifting and joyous.
Great work, though!

Here's my feedback... Sorry, again, for the delay...
----
1) 'Cave Explorer' - MarcusG
Pros:
* Really like the thumping beat and percussion.
* The slightly dragging piano worked very well with the bass and beat. It felt like someone was adding a smooth layer of chocolate on some rocky road ice cream filled with peanuts and almonds--funky, crunchy, and delicious to hear.
* For a composition piece that you whipped up last minute before work, you did quite a bit of work, and it all meshed together nicely. Well done and big props.
 
Critique:
* Wish there was some added percussion to the synth bass and the echoey sustain / pad behind the melody as part of the harmony line. Perhaps like some added shakers or a tamb or two--something ultimately light that won't take away from the soft beat, but would add a bit more layering to the song...
* Unsure if it'd work, but perhaps another kind of piano (or other string instrument) working the melody along with your dragged piano in the second half of the song? Might've been an interesting addition. Don't want too many instruments, but having another one that dragged slightly behind the piano to give the song a reverb effect could've been worked in.
* Otherwise, for what it is and how long you worked on it, it's fantastic. Keep up the good work.
 
2) 'Coral Calamity' - Souperion
Pros:
* I like the spooky vibe with the shrieking stringwork and creepy organ. Didn't think 'Coral Caves' could have that kind of genre bend to it, but it's nice and very original.
* Like some others have mentioned, it sounded very much like a remix of the song made for a boss fight (e.g. similar to how DK 64 and Conker's Bad Fur Day did it, where the level music tended to also be the boss music, remixed and twisted, [in hindsight, many Rareware games did that back in the SNES & N64 days...].) I enjoyed the shift @ 2:30 to the lighter tones as well.
* To go along with that, your play on the dark and light-sides of the song, and incorporating different sounds and instruments between the two, especially around @ 3:20 where they started flowing in and out and meshing together, really, really worked. Was a lot of good interplay within the composition. Great stuff.
 
Critique:
* The heavy metal drum beats worked for me in the song, however the guitar at the beginning didn't (between 0:00 and 0:20 or so). It sounded too messy. Unsure of whether its the EQ or any possible add- ons to the sound (like a fuzz amp, etc) that caused it, but the dirty chord riffs just was a bit too haphazard. It sounded better with the surrounding melody and harmony and drumworks later on, but standing out on its own unsupported was weird for me, sorry.
* Besides the slightly "sloppy" start, as you put it, the song is pretty tight-knit and well-meshed as it goes on. Just wished the guitar in the beginning had a better, cleaner sound quality.
* This was a very close round for me in who I picked as well, to be honest. Your creativity for this was great. ❤️
 
3) 'Reef Meditation with Monkeys' - Wassup Thunder
Pros:
* The little percs and blips from the very beginning seemed so playful, so cute, and so you. Loved 'em, and put a neat spin on the source!
* For a composition that isn't your usual either Rock or Eurobeat vibe, it's very well done, smooth, and relaxing to listen to. The conga drum rolls and clavs / castanets were a nice touch as well.
* Real fine jungle beat that I'm sure the monkeys and cavemen out there would love. I especially loved the bit from 2:50 onwards. I almost didn't notice the vocal choir in there either, but on subsequent listen-throughs I picked up on it, and it was a treat as well. Fitted very well with the rest of the soundscape.
 
Critique:
* I wasn't a real big fan of the "chicka-chicka" shaker sound in the background from 0:00 - 1:00. It stood out to me way more than it probably should have as a background piece. It might've been me, but my ears trained to it almost immediately, instead of focusing in on those sweet foreground and midground instruments.
* The bass @ 1:00 seemed a little flat to me, and odd. Maybe it was the type of bass sound used, like a weird arpy / synthy sound, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly. Perhaps it just stood out a lot compared to the rest of the soundscape. Unsure what I'd replace it with insofar as other synths or arps... Maybe something that sounded more like an upright bass rather than a synth bass. Hmm...
* Otherwise, great stuff. That flute, piano and pad(s) were, mmmah *kiss*.
 
--BONUS--
+ 'Ape on the Dancefloor' - TheVideoGamer
Pros:
* Ah, another one of your excellent pieces of craftsmanship in the art of Breakbeat and/or Rave tracks. ❤️ You never cease to amaze, (and I'm not being sarcastic with that, genuinely, it's always lovely to hear your work).
* This round surely showed a dichotomy between "simplistic" compositions versus "complex" compositions, like yours, and either one is some real good shit. The additional complexities added to the rather oversimplified source was done with some expertise and care. I liked basically every add-on.
* The beat was on-par, my man. Keep doing you.
 
Critique:
* I think the only downsides I had with this remix was the arp used for the main melody of the tune (I think it's some kind of arp anyways). It was a bit too shrill, and kind of swamped the rest of the piece. Not a whole lot, but enough to have caught my attention more than once even after a few listen-overs.
* Had a smiliar issue with the bassline (starting @ 1:35). Just the way it hit me (maybe it was my headphones???) Felt "SHARP", and stabby, atop of shrill. Sharp and stabby is mostly fine, but the volume could've been dialed like a few decibels, in real small notches...like 0.-- etc kind of notches. It's no biggie, just again one of those things that kept with me as I listened. Also, didn't like the wobbly pad @ 1:57 - 2:15, at all...sorry.
* Great variety, great changes, great song. Keep up the good work and the creativity.

Have you tried: https://freesound.org/ ?
It's where I get a lot of my SFX now for my songs, (like the phone sounds from the previous round's work.)
Dunno if it'd help. If not, this might do as well: https://www.myinstants.com/index/ca/
If nothing else, maybe find a siren sound on YouTube and convert it to a .mp3

Congrats, Marcus.
Well earned.
Gonna be honest on this one and say I don't agree fully with the tally up, because Gamer and I rushed it, but Marcus did very well for a song he also rushed up before work, so I'll call it even, lol.
See people next round. I may sit this one out, but I'll at least try to give constructive feedback where I can.
Also, thanks Bund for allowing my vote in and again, sorry for the lateness. It won't happen again, cause it's unfair to other people TBH... Sorry again.
And Marcus, again, super fab job. ❤️ Really did love what you composed despite on short notice and really want to get my feedback up ASAP to show that.

Have you tried: https://freesound.org/ ?
It's where I get a lot of my SFX now for my songs, (like the phone sounds from the previous round's work.)
Dunno if it'd help. If not, this might do as well: https://www.myinstants.com/index/ca/
If nothing else, maybe find a siren sound on YouTube and convert it to a .mp3

Congrats, Marcus.
Well earned.
Gonna be honest on this one and say I don't agree fully with the tally up, because Gamer and I rushed it, but Marcus did very well for a song he also rushed up before work, so I'll call it even, lol.
See people next round. I may sit this one out, but I'll at least try to give constructive feedback where I can.
Also, thanks Bund for allowing my vote in and again, sorry for the lateness. It won't happen again, cause it's unfair to other people TBH... Sorry again.
And Marcus, again, super fab job. ❤️ Really did love what you composed despite on short notice and really want to get my feedback up ASAP to show that.

That's fine, I guess.
Ten seconds really isn't ideal, no, lol, cause something is bound to get the short end of the stick, but it is what it is now. Real life happens. Don't worry about it.

Congrats, Marcus.
Well earned.
Gonna be honest on this one and say I don't agree fully with the tally up, because Gamer and I rushed it, but Marcus did very well for a song he also rushed up before work, so I'll call it even, lol.
See people next round. I may sit this one out, but I'll at least try to give constructive feedback where I can.
Also, thanks Bund for allowing my vote in and again, sorry for the lateness. It won't happen again, cause it's unfair to other people TBH... Sorry again.
And Marcus, again, super fab job. ❤️ Really did love what you composed despite on short notice and really want to get my feedback up ASAP to show that.

That's fine, I guess.
Ten seconds really isn't ideal, no, lol, cause something is bound to get the short end of the stick, but it is what it is now. Real life happens. Don't worry about it.

@everyone: Sorry I had no idea that the voting was today. I thought it was tomorrow. My bad, I'll try to post up my feedback tomorrow.
@TheVideoGamer I know you were in a rush but I'm very confused with your feedback for me. Maybe you'll elaborate further but my song is 90% Coral Caves...? Everything bar the pads and bassline was Coral Cave related. Pads and bassline were Redial, unless it felt more that way because of the phone SFX...?
Sorry, yeah I'm super confused as to how it seemed to have more Redial than the primary source.

@everyone: Sorry I had no idea that the voting was today. I thought it was tomorrow. My bad, I'll try to post up my feedback tomorrow.
@TheVideoGamer I know you were in a rush but I'm very confused with your feedback for me. Maybe you'll elaborate further but my song is 90% Coral Caves...? Everything bar the pads and bassline was Coral Cave related. Pads and bassline were Redial, unless it felt more that way because of the phone SFX...?
Sorry, yeah I'm super confused as to how it seemed to have more Redial than the primary source.

If the voting tally isn't too late, here's at least my votes:
1) Cave Explorer - MarcusG
2) Reef Meditation - Wassup Thunder 
3) Coral Calamity - Souperion

Oh man, this brings back some memories. Looking forward to working with this piece.

Wow that's some good ol' NES goodness. This should be fun.
Let's see what i can do.