Ngadm 2011: Round 2

[Echo]

Welcome to the official NG Audio Deathmatch 2011 thread for the Second Round of the competition! Yes, that's right! It's finally here! Haven't heard about the NGADM? Go here), to get all the information you need about this massive contest.

So here we are after a minor delay due to technical problems (big thanks to Kirbyfemur, Spikrodd, jpbear, dj-Jo and Computer112 for helping). Unfortunately, dj-Jo couldn't make it so I took his place and finished 5 reviews myself. The quality of submissions this round was higher than we could have ever expected. Despite having some people drop out (See the Round 1 Thread), and thus having to resort to other measures to make up our new 16 contestants, I can personally say that this round was a success.

Before I start posting the results for each judge, I would like to remind you all of some points:

1) Please wait until I have posted all the results before posting anything yourselves, so as to avoid unnecessary confusion. I'll be using alts due to post limit and I will give the go ahead once I have finished posting the results, so you guys can start firing away :P

2) Remember that you have 2 weeks from this point to submit your new submissions for Round 2 in this thread. DO NOT post in any other thread. Just use this one. The Full Revised schedule can be found below ;)

3) PMs will be sent to everyone linking to this thread. If you have already seen this thread, please disregard anything in the PMs which speaks about this thread.

4) Please remember that each judge is free to have their own opinion. If you disagree with any of the points mentioned in a judge's review; DO NOT start an argument in this thread. Please discuss it via PMs.

5) Read the RULES again. You never know. You might have missed something.

Also, due to the delay, the schedule has been revised and can be found below:

Round 1
Starts = 01/08/2011
Ends = 15/08/2011

Round 1 Judging
Starts = 15/08/2011
Ends = 22/08/2011

Round 2
Starts = 22/08/2011
Ends = 05/09/2011

Round 2 Judging
Starts = 05/09/2011
Ends = 09/09/2011

Bonus Round
Starts = 09/09/2011
Ends = 23/09/2011

Bonus Round Judging
Starts = 23/09/2011
Ends = 26/09/2011

Round 3
Starts = 26/09/2011
Ends = 10/10/2011

Round 3 Judging
Starts = 10/10/2011
Ends = 13/10/2011

Round 4
Starts = 13/10/2011
Ends = 27/10/2011

Round 4 Judging
Starts = 27/10/2011
Ends = 29/10/2011

Round 5
Starts = 29/10/2011
Ends = 12/11/2011

Round 5 Judging
Starts = 12/11/2011
Ends = 13/11/2011

Announcement of Winners (Doomsday)
13/11/2011

So anyway I think that's it, let the posting of the Results commence!

[Echo]

RESULTS - SUPERSTEPH54

dj-Nate - TransformR

• 
  {dj-N} TransformR by dj-Nate

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.31 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Dubstep

  Popularity

  513 Views

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SUMMARY: OMGWTFBBQ

REVIEW: Well done man. This really sounds brilliant. Professional, enjoyable and I don't have much to complain about!

What I was impressed by the most would undoubtedly be all the effects and sounds you've incorporated. The effects make me think of transformers transforming into whatever they transform into (you may have to read that part more than once). The sounds are just beyond awesome. There's some cool choir-like pad, a piano, some remarkably good drum samples and DAMN, that bass has so much filtering and effects on it that it's as if it has a life of its own. Transitions are great too, like the one at 1:16 which actually introduced the piano quite nicely.

For my complaints, I think this can get a little monotonous to listen to, and this may be due to the fact that you could've done with a few more background elements. I'm only hearing drums, a few occasional pad notes and an effect here and there in the background, and hence the song feels empty sometimes, and monotonous since most of what there is to listen to during the bass parts are just drums and the bass. It doesn't make me want to listen to the song a second time. Secondly, I think the sidechaining was a little too much, which is the only issue I have with your otherwise amazing mixing.

It's a really neat submission. I love your effects, your sounds, transitions, and pretty much everything except the lack of background elements and slightly excessive sidechaining.

SCORE: 9/10
--------------------

Rig - NGADM 1 Preview

• 
  Rig - NGADM 1 Preview by Rig

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.16 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Dubstep

  Popularity

  460 Views

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SUMMARY: 37 seconds of awesome.

REVIEW: Well, since your opponent didn't make it, I don't suppose you have much of a reason to turn this from any more than a preview, but it definitely has potential!

I won't lie - I enjoyed the intro the most. It's really enjoyable and if you incorporated more of the 8-bit in the rest of the song then I certainly would've welcomed it. When the song went in a totally different direction with that awesome drop, I was surprised. Man, that bass is NASTY. In a good way :D.

I don't really have much to complain about since this is so short and doesn't even have a proper intro and outro, but if I had to mention anything, it's that I think the part when the bass comes in should definitely have some melodic element added to it at some point (perhaps more 8-bit). Right now it's just some cool effects and rhythms, but it doesn't really have anything memorable. I'm sure you would've fixed that had you continued the track, however.

So, overall, it sounds great and has a lot of potential to be continued. If I were your opponent I'd be terrified, but you get a low score because there isn't really much to listen to...

SCORE: 6.5/10
--------------------

xKore - Last Words

• 
  xKore - Last Words (NG Cut) by xKore

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.38 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Dubstep

  Popularity

  1,184 Views

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SUMMARY: A few flaws here and there in an otherwise amazing song.

REVIEW: Awesome. I just can't fathom how you can effortlessly make such professional-sounding songs!

First things first, I LOVE the rhythm. Right after the drop, the drums started playing such a catchy rhythm, complimented very nicely with a well-mixed Dubstep bass and some really neat side-chaining. The tom drum fill was a nice touch, and definitely made for a great transition at 0:24. Moreover, the effects are just phenomenal, and the EQing and mastering leave nothing to be desired. Just more reasons why I think this is such a professional-like song.

I do have a few tiny issues with the song though. Firstly, the effect at the beginning that fades in is too loud for the mellow intro that follows it. Secondly, I think the drum beat at 1:10 should've been changed to a softer beat with a few small changes to the rhythm. It helps to vary the drums more and I think the drums almost ruin the atmosphere in that part. Thirdly, the piano solo at the end sounds a bit premature and it could've been introduced a bit more smoothly. Lastly, the song is too short. Perhaps that's why the piano solo feels like it prematurely came out of nowhere, but in any case the whole track simply feels as if there's more to it.

In conclusion, pretty sweet track, but it feels too short. I won't let it affect your score though because you were on a strict deadline...

SCORE: 9/10
--------------------

mjattie - Lucky You

• 
  <MWA> Lucky You (Ngadm) by mjattie

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.20 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Miscellaneous

  Popularity

  231 Views

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SUMMARY: Unique.

REVIEW: Wow, man, this submission is so unique. It really stands out from the other submissions this round.

As I said, the fact that it's unique is what makes it shine. It's not only duoe to the rarely used time signature (which, by the way, you incorporated extremely well with the melody), but it's also due to the fact that you've got a mix of both classical and electronic elements (which worked together better than I thought they would). And I'm very impressed with your melody. The blend of piano and strings was wonderful, and the strings melody was very relaxing. The flute sound a little out of place, but not that it effects my listening experience.

Now, I don't really like the structure much. Even though the electronic elements sounded good together with the classical elements, I feel as though the way they were blended together was a bit random. For example, you've got a whole 1 minute and a half of classical, then electronic elements come in out of nowhere, then they exit for some reason after just a brief moment, and come in again later on, with a new synth too. I'm not saying that they don't sound good with the classical elements, but they just feel awkwardly incorporated in the track. Also, the drum samples at times feel a little flat.

This is a really nice, relaxing submission, despite a few flaws. Just work on that structure, and giving the drum sounds a bit more life to them.

SCORE: 8.5/10
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BudGPStudios - Peaceful Assimilation

• 
  NGADM_PeacefulAssimilation by BudGPStudios

  Click to listen.

  Score

  3.84 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Classical

  Popularity

  80 Views

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SUMMARY: Bland and empty, but tells a nice story.

REVIEW: Unfortunately I wasn't particularly impressed with this submission. It's not really something I'd go back and listen to again.

OK, regarding the things I liked about the submission, I'll start with the fact that this tells a good story. I can tell, just by listening to the submission, that while you were making it you envisioned a particular scene or theme to go with it. I can feel the victory and the heroism conveyed by this track. You maintain a steady pace and atmosphere throughout, but still leave room for dynamic changes, which is great. Not only that, but the transitions from one section to another were wonderfully smooth.

Now, what I didn't like starts from the fact that this submission, despite having such dynamic variety, sounds bland. At times it really lacked depth (the parts where the brass came in were AWESOME but other than that the song did sound pretty empty, especially during the staccato string sections), and the intricacy I look for in a piece like this just isn't there. The percussion was dry and rough, and the chord progression pretty much stayed the same for the whole 5 minutes that this song plays for. The instrumentation was simple, and I would've loved more use of the orchestra.

So, all in all, it's an OK submission. I love how you told the story with your music, and the dynamic variety/transitions were spot on, but this has a little more work to go before I can enjoy it to its fullest potential.

SCORE: 7/10
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Results continue in next post...

[Echo]

RESULTS - SUPERSTEPH54 Continued...

InvisibleObserver - To Those Who Listen

• 
  To Those Who Listen by InvisibleObserver

  Click to listen.

  Score

  3.47 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Miscellaneous

  Popularity

  146 Views

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SUMMARY: Very cleverly written.

REVIEW: I'm impressed. It's unique, catchy and one hell of an enjoyable submission.

I really like how in the space of 2 weeks you not only manage to make an enjoyable song, but a unique one filled to the brim with all sorts of cool effects, sounds that don't exactly have anything to do with each other, and all sorts of different sections and rhythms. I'm actually surprised you managed to fit that much content into one track, and even after 2:21 of music which would otherwise feel like a short submission, I felt like I heard a whole 5 minute song. The choirs were cleverly and creatively incorporated, and all of the rhythms and melodies are incredibly original but catchy.

Two things could use some work in this submission. Firstly, when you switched from compound to simple time almost halfway into the track, I feel as though the transition was a bit half-assed and could've been smoother. Secondly, the ending could use some work. It felt as if you were running out of time and felt that you had to end it whether it was the right time to end it or not. That probably was the case considering you only have 2 weeks, but a more satisfying ending would've certainly been welcomed.

All in all, a hell of a fun submission to listen to. It has its own uniqueness and style to it which makes it appealing and enjoyable. Love it.

SCORE: 9/10
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Decibel - Acknowledgements

• 
  [dB] Acknowledgements by Decibel

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.14 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  House

  Popularity

  310 Views

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SUMMARY: To be honest I preferred the other version :P.

REVIEW: Pretty good track overall. I like the effects, the composition and the sounds, but it could use some work.

Alright, first off, the sheer fact that you made some of those great sounds with 3xOsc is a big surprise for me. Impressive work with the synths, man. All the effects like the filter automations on the drums, the delay, the pitch bending, etc... are all really creative and make for a really nice track. Transitions are good too, and I LOVE that little quirky melody you did with the square synth. As I said, it's all really creative and leaves me with a good aftertaste once I've finished hearing the song.

Unfortunately, this song isn't without its disadvantages. Firstly, one of the reasons why I prefer the old version is that the strings you used in the intro sound tinny, weak and totally don't fit with the atmosphere. I'm even hearing a little discordancy in the intro which ruined it a little. You could've even done without the piano to a certain extent too. Also, the bass was really cool but it stayed the same tone for pretty much the whole submission and got a little annoying. Lastly, what's in my opinion the biggest problem with this submission is that it really doesn't go anywhere. I'm hearing some cool buildups, and awesome transitions, but at the end of the submission when everything fades out, the song felt underdeveloped and was still bursting with potential at the end.

Overall, the song feels like it needs more work done to it, and some parts sound annoying/don't fit, but I still enjoyed it. Pretty fun listen!

SCORE: 7.5/10
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LogicalDefiance - Sunshine

• 
  - LD - Sunshine by LogicalDefiance

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.29 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Classical

  Popularity

  230 Views

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SUMMARY: Y U NO MAEK IT LONGER.

REVIEW: Man, orchestral is one of my favourite genres which is why when judging competitions I try and be unbiased and strict towards them, but I honestly didn't find much wrong with this, despite my efforts. It's really good.

I just love all aspects of it. The mastering/mixing is wonderful, the composition is great, and even though you composed this for a trailer, it still sounds awesome on its own. This sounds professional and detailed - I love the occasional choir and brass notes, they were a nice touch. Percussion doesn't leave much to be desired either. It provides a solid rhythmic backbone to the submission, and makes it sound very cinematic.

I've got two complaints - a smaller one and a big one. The smaller one is that I think the staccato strings could've been a bit more mighty since they sound somewhat weak. Secondly, this is too short. I know you made it for a trailer so it has to be that length, but that doesn't negate the fact that this has potential to be turned into a longer track. The intro and the outro of the track are mostly orchestral ambiance, and when it actually starts the listener is only left with a brief moment of the actual track before it moves on to orchestral ambiance again, and ends. I wish it was longer, because if it was you could've easily got a 9.5 or 10 from me.

In general, this is a professional-sounding orchestral submission that leaves me begging for more.

SCORE: 9/10
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JohnnyFrizz - The Struggle

• 
  The Struggle (NGADM) by JohnnyFrizz

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.19 / 5.00

  Type

  Loop

  Genre

  Trance

  Popularity

  105 Views

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SUMMARY: SO... MUCH... POTENTIAL.

REVIEW: You've created a catchy Trance loop with a great beat, and if you can do that in 4 hours then... wow.

I'm no big fan of Trance, but I won't lie that I have a soft spot for those progressive electronic songs that build up into an awesome atmospheric climax, and this feels like one of them. Man, after the 1 minute mark I really started enjoying the submission. It just instantly made me feel like I'm zipping around some futuristic metropolis under a starry night sky. The synths are nice too, and I love the intro's progression. Composition is nice too, and one thing I'd like to give a particular mention to would be the introduction of the synth at about 0:32. That transition was awesome.

After a full listen, however, this song still feels like a work of a few hours. The structure is generic - it just progressively builds up to a climax by introducing element after element to the song, and then slowly takes out elements from the song until we're left with just the synths' filters automating to fade them out and then the song loops. This has a incredibly amount of potential and I wish you hadn't forgotten about the NGADM because I would've loved to hear more of this. Also, in the random complaints department; I would've preferred it if the notes of the synth at 0:32 were longer and faded out, and I think that the synth itself didn't have that much of an interesting sound either. It could've been more prominent in the mix too.

All in all, this is short, and has potential to be a lot greater. On the other hand, I love what you have now and I think you have a lot of room to continue it, if you ever do.

SCORE: 7.5/10
--------------------

Results continue in next post...

[Echo]

RESULTS - SUPERSTEPH54 Continued...

SolusLunes - Morning Genesis

• 
  Solus- Morning Genesis by SolusLunes

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.27 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Classical

  Popularity

  200 Views

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SUMMARY: Beautiful melody.

REVIEW: You can rarely go wrong with melodic orchestral, and here it is, done really well. Nice work.

Well, you probably know by now that the melody is what impressed me the most. The composition was very good; definitely the highlight of the track. I love how you progressed the melody and carried it with different instruments throughout the track. Regarding instrumentation, the samples are good quality, and you used the instruments well. I like the glockenspiel thing you used, because it fit wonderfully with the strings. The percussion was simple but effective.

Now for my largest complaint, which is the fact that I think this song is lacking in the bass department. A double bass/cello playing in the background would really give this a nicer atmosphere, because right now it feels empty and lacking in power. If you don't want to add some more depth to the whole track, then at least add it towards the end of the track, at about 1:09. Also, the song is definitely too short. It works pretty well for being just 1 minute and a half long, but I would've definitely liked to see more sections in this song. I won't reduce the score that much because of this, since a 2-week deadline is a limited deadline, but it is a bit of a let-down, to tell you the truth.

Melodically, this song shines, and other aspects such as cool instrumentation and fitting percussion just add to it, but it does need a bit more work in my honest opinion.

SCORE: 8/10
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Brokendeck - The Guardians

• 
  AOMK - The Guardians by brokendeck

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.23 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Classical

  Popularity

  188 Views

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SUMMARY: Incredibly cinematic.

REVIEW: Like I said to LogicalDefiance, orchestral is by far one of my favourite genres, and again I have a very hard time trying to be unbiased. I just enjoyed this piece so much.

The atmosphere is fantastic. You've got an incredibly good amount of depth, which makes for a very warm and cinematic-sounding submission. Your sparse but extremely effective use of percussion added a lot to the submission, and the instruments themselves are so well-chosen and sound sublime. Compositionally, I really can't expect it to get any better. The melody is just amazing, and it flows *brilliantly*. This honestly sounds like it came straight out of a movie, and I'm thoroughly impressed by it.

My only complaint is personal preference. If I were you I would've incorporated more woodwinds in the song, especially to answer to the main theme in certain parts of the song, but it sounds great as it is and this minor issue certaintly isn't enough to put your score down.

I'm trying hard not to give out 10's, especially for songs which go under my favourite genre, to avoid bias, but despite my efforts I can't find anything that this song is lacking in (except length. I want MORE). Keep up the amazing work.

SCORE: 10/10
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Quarl - Black Widow

• 
  Black Widow by Quarl

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.00 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Industrial

  Popularity

  253 Views

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SUMMARY: Awesome.

REVIEW: Wow. This song is all over the place! I can tell you had fun making this, haha.

What really got me would be all of the different effects and sounds that you used. You just put so much detail into every second of the track and give it its own unique atmosphere and feel. This song certainly reminds me of a dangerous, poisonous spider, thanks to the dissonant piano you used. And the effect you incorporated were all so cool. I especially liked the effect you did with the piano which can be first heard at around 1:58. It gives me something to remember the song by. I also like both the intro and outro. They were incredibly effective, especially the outro, which was literally bursting with tension.

Now, this may just be because I know little about this genre, but to be honest this song is quite tiring to listen to. You've used sounds that are very rough on the ears and after one listen I feel reluctant to hear it again right after. No doubt is this intentional, and hey, some of the rough sounds add a lot to the atmosphere, but I just can't see myself listening to this casually and more than once. It's also a tad bit too loud, but that's not too much of a problem.

All in all, this song is really cool. The sounds are quite rough and all in all I can't see it offering a casual listening experience, not to mention the fact that this song has quite a chaotic structure, but the effects are intense and I think you built a superb atmosphere. Awesome work.

SCORE: 9.5/10
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Sprittles - Saving The Sunset

• 
  Saving The Sunset by Sprittles

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.40 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Classical

  Popularity

  146 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: Instrument quality really is a shame.

REVIEW: This is quite an enjoyable submission. It's just a shame that you don't have access to better instruments.

Now, to begin with, I see exactly what you mean with today's orchestral themes not having that much of a definable theme to them, and I appreciate the melodies you used in this song. They sure are catchy, and they change around a lot while still keeping a consistent atmosphere, which is a big plus. I also like how this song has two different moods and you give each one similar importance, and I liked how you started with the 'riding' theme, moved on to the 'danger' theme and then back to the 'riding theme', making this song feel like it's depicting a journey. By the end of it I was very satisfied and enjoyed it throughout.

Unfortunately, the instrument quality certainly takes away from the listening experience. Some of the instruments, especially the strings, sound very artificial and even a bit rough too (particularly during the high notes). Also, there are a few transitions which I think could use some work, namely the introduction of the strings at 0:13 and the change to the second theme at 1:20. Finally, as much as I like the melody at 0:53, at 1:02 it sort of cuts off really strangely. It sounds a bit weird and I don't know if it was intentional or not...

In all, I liked the submission. It's enjoyable, has a good, consistent atmosphere and the different moods are great. Just work on some transitions and the instrument quality/humanising, mostly, because at times the song can sound very artificial. Keep it up.

SCORE: 8/10
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SBB - Then Everything Fell

• 
  ==(Then Everything Fell)== by SBB

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.17 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  General Rock

  Popularity

  304 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: And there I was thinking everything was going to keep floating upwards.

REVIEW: Great stuff, man. The instant I began hearing this I knew I was going to like it, and after a handful of playthroughs I still wasn't bored of it.

The bassline has a wonderful hook and the song's atmosphere is very well-made. I also love how this song has a mixture of laid-back, almost ambient sections and then the upbeat chorus. There's just so much variety that this feels like a fresh listen every time it's heard, and the way you mixed different instruments together was remarkable. I'm hearing all sorts of different styles of guitars, including a classical guitar with what sounds like some sort of Spanish influence which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The drums also provide a nice solid rhythm in the background, but I can't help but think that at times they seam a little bland and tinny. Also, I don't particularly like the transitions to the chorus, particularly the one at 1:49 which sounds pretty peculiar. The fact that it's so sudden is probably intentional, but no matter how many times I go back to it, I still don't like it. By the way Lastly, I'm a little doubtful of your choice of adding a Wah-Wah guitar. It fits alright, but I think a different guitar sound would fit a bit more (something like the guitar at 0:08 in this song, for instance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxuUpTQ9m QI)

However, it's all very cleverly written and a blast to listen to. Astounding work overall!

SCORE: 9/10
--------------------

Results continue in next post...

[Raven-Guard]

RESULTS - SUPERSTEPH54 Continued...

Cross666 - Harlock

• 
  Chains VIP (NG Edit) - Harlock by Cross666

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.03 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Drum N Bass

  Popularity

  110 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: Not much to it.

REVIEW: It's an enjoyable little Drum'n'Bass tune, and while I do think it has its problems, I enjoyed it.

A lot of the sounds that you used here are to my liking. I love the drum samples, and that little echoing beep that plays on every third beat of every other bar was a nice touch. The main synth got rather tiring to listen to but it had somewhat of a unique sound. The synth you used during the vocals part was great and fit wonderfully with the vocals. The vocals themselves were well-sung too and while I can't make out some of the words (I suck at making out lyrics), they were a welcome addition. You may want to make the last words a little easier to understand though because the kick drowned them out entirely :P.

My main issue with this track is that it's forgettable. Perhaps it might be because this is just 2 minutes cut out from a track whose full length is 6 minutes and a half, but as it sounds right now, by the time it's finished there isn't really anything that makes me remember it. Perhaps it's because it's repetitive - you use the same beat with just a few subtle changes for the whole track, and the melody is repeated quite a lot too. Moreover, it's quite a simple melody and it's nothing particularly memorable. Pretty much the only thing that allowed me to remember this is the use of vocals, and they only lasted for a brief moment anyway. And as for the random complaints, firstly the intro and outro are nothing spectacular, but that's probably because this is an NG cut so I'll be lenient there. Secondly, the transition to the vocals could've been smoother, but on the other hand I loved the transition at 1:16-ish.

All in all, it's enjoyable but not memorable. Try and work a little more on your variety, but still, this song was great while it lasted. Nice work.

SCORE: 8/10
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midimachine - f4p;f4c

• 
  NGADM r1: f4p;f4c by midimachine

  Click to listen.

  Score

  3.91 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Drum N Bass

  Popularity

  95 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: Love the effects.

REVIEW: I'm not going to lie, I didn't exactly enjoy the song. I'm just not into this kind of stuff, although I'm not going to lie that the song is still very well made.

So, as the summary hints, I think the effects are great. You've got plenty of different glitch effects in the drum beat that comes after the long vocal part. From about 2:16 onwards the effects were really intense and they must've taken you a while. The song has a definable melody which is heard most clearly around the vocal part, during the second half of the fast Breakcore part that comes afterwards and during the end. It works really well and gives me something to remember the song by.

As for my complaints, I feel that the intro has nothing to do with the rest of the song. The intro actually sounds random at first, and has a pretty ear-piercing effect at the beginning. Then, it almost has Drum'n'Bass elements in it before turning into Breakcore. And, to make things worse, the intro and the faster Breakcore part are separated by an unnecessarily long break with vocals that I can't even understand. Also, the effect at the end hurts my ears too. D:

Overall, you put plenty of effort in the effects, but the song sounds random, especially during the first half, and the middle part is a bit too long and uninteresting with vocals that are barely understandable. That being said, well done!

SCORE: 8/10
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AMP - Speechless

• 
  [AMP] Speechless NGADM by AMP

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.12 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  House

  Popularity

  120 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: For being an idiot who can't plan...

REVIEW:...You sure made a good song. Impressive work!

Compositionally, the song is alright. Not particularly special, but the chord progression is still pretty fun to listen to, as is the arp. What liked me more are the sounds though. You mixed them together wonderfully. The arp sounded great, and I really like the 8-bit like synth that began fading in at 1:15. The sweeps you used throughout the songs were great, and I like all of the transitions, especially the one at 1:33. The mixing/mastering on the whole is great. Volume levels are spot on, and every sound can be heard clearly. The intro had a cool effect as well, and the rhythms are catchy and likeable. All of this fine-tuning makes for an awesome final production.

Unfortunately, I can tell without reading your Author's Comments (or the song's title) that this song was initially made with the intention of adding another element over it (in this case, vocals). There really isn't much of a definable melody, and the song sounds like it desperately needs a synth or vocals in the foreground playing a melody. I bet if you added vocals to this submission, it would improve tenfold. Additionally, after hearing the outro the song feels unfinished. It ended with me thinking "oh, that's it?".

Don't get me wrong, I like the submission, but it just feels like it's missing something. No definable melody; it desperately needs those vocals. However, I'll be lenient about it, because this is an awesome submission even without the vocals.

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

F-777 - Life

• 
  F-777 - "Life" by F-777

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.40 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Dance

  Popularity

  4,069 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: Absolutely superb.

REVIEW: I enjoyed this submission quite a lot. It's really well made and awesome mixing and synths are just icing to the cake!

You know, what really impressed me would be the production, which is nothing short of spectacular. Everything is mixed so well, and all the sounds fit very snugly in the mix. I think the sidechaining may be a bit much, but other than that all of the effects and sounds were awesome. I particularly liked the bass. Then, when the song takes a new direction at 2:14 and becomes Ambient, I started enjoying the song a whole lot more. I particularly like how you introduced the drums after the Ambient part. Quite creative. Speaking of that, the transitions were all nice, and while none particularly stood out, they were all smooth and kept the song flowing wonderfully.

What I didn't like about this track, however, would be how you kept repeating that small tune for the whole track (can be heard right when the song starts). Not only did it get repetitive, but it made me begin wishing that the main tune would change a little. For a whole four minutes and a half just focusing on one small tune it can get pretty old.

However, other than that little quirk, this song is a blast to listen to, and all those hours spent making music without even knowing that it sounds good because you can't even play it in your DAW (I know how it feels...)... they were worth it. Keep up the great work!

SCORE: 9/10
--------------------

Results continue in next post...

[Raven-Guard]

RESULTS - SUPERSTEPH54 Continued...

Aliaspharow - Downpour

• 
  ~Beta~ Downpour (2nd Edit) by aliaspharow

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.23 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Ambient

  Popularity

  2,803 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: ...Wow

REVIEW: This is absolutely brilliant. The lush piano, relaxing drums, subtle pads and effects, all jam-packed into one hell of a long song. Really impressive.

I'm finding this very hard to give constructive criticism too. I find it amazing that you managed to make such a long song in the 2-week deadline. The mixing and mastering is great. Everything sounds so bright and well-mixed. I also LOVE your use of reverb, especially on the drums. You used it just enough to stop the mix from getting muddy but still give it an underlying echoing tone. Even though the song may sound a bit generic at times, I like how you added your own creativity to it (I especially like your use of congas/bongos). The composition is fairly simple, but remarkably fitting. You know what you're doing.

My only problem with this track is... yep, you guessed it, too repetitive. It's crazy hard to write a Trance track this long without it getting repetitive and still maintaining a solid structure, and while this sounds awesome to keep on looping as background music, when I'm actually listening to it to find criticism, I can't help but notice the patterns that have been played loads of times consecutively and the beat playing the same thing for long stretches. It's a problem that's hard to avoid when writing songs like this, but trying to vary more will help a lot.

In conclusion, I'm very impressed. The song flows brilliantly, and the mixing/mastering is done to perfection. Astounding work!

SCORE: 9.5/10
--------------------

Birdinator99 - Cosmic Flucuation

• 
  Cosmic Fluctuation (NGADM '11) by Birdinator99

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.37 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Miscellaneous

  Popularity

  98 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: Quirky and fun.

REVIEW: Haha this is one hell of a cool song. You're really creative with your music.

The first thing that I instantly noticed would be how perfect this works as background music. I see this fitting *perfectly* in a Flash game involving space. I'm now going to make it a mental note to recommend this song to a Flash artist who's asking for music for his space-themed game. The way the sounds are scattered in certain parts of the song make the song feel light and remind me of asteroids and space junk scattered around in the depths of space. The synths are quirky, and all in all this track is bursting with creativity. For example, at 2:36 you've got a melody and a quirky synth answering the melody, all with sweep/cymbal-like effects in the background. Then you've got a really cool synth solo coming in right after (how I love that little ascending phrase at 3:15).

After hearing this song, two main issues cropped up. Firstly, this feels random. There's little structure and while this works perfectly for background music and fits with the whole space theme, there's such little structure that it almost feels as if you composed each new section of the song while forgetting what the section before it sounds like. The only things that seem to tie this track together are the little bleepy melody thing at 0:47 and the consistent atmosphere. I think I would've welcomed a more solid structure. Secondly, the mixing is nothing too special. The drums sound rather dry, and there's little high and low end, making this track do a pretty pathetic job of captivating the listener. Again, this makes it good background music, but as a listener I can't help but think this is lacking in those areas.

It's a great track which'll fit right at home as background music. As I said, it's very creatively written and I enjoyed it!

SCORE: 8.5/10
--------------------

FairSquare - When The Time Is Right

• 
  FS: When The Time Is Right by FairSquare

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.23 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Miscellaneous

  Popularity

  121 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: Certainly feels unfinished, but gawd it sure is fun to listen to!

REVIEW: This is definitely one of the quirkier submissions. Too bad it's so short... Also, this is your seventh song with the word 'time' in the title. Just sayin' :P.

What I liked the most about this submission would be how catchy, bouncy and fun to listen to it is. It's got a good intro which quickly builds up into a fast-paced but light-hearted atmosphere. All the synths sound superb with each other which is a big plus. From 0:31 onwards I began enjoying the song a great deal. The percussion fits the light-hearted mood by playing a simple rhythm, and the background instruments are all wonderful.

You know what my main problem with the track is, though. It's too short. Not only is it short, but the melodies are undeveloped and the whole thing sounds unfinished and somewhat rushed. For the brief moment that it plays, it's a blast to listen to, but when it ends it makes me wish there was more to it. It's got such a nice sound, and it's very catchy and memorable, but it's a massive shame that you didn't continue it.

So, overall what you've got is a nice little tune, that might be right at home in a Flash game, but it feels too undeveloped and short.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

SessileNomad - Pleasantly Surprised

• 
  Pleasantly Surprised /SN/ by SessileNomad

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.40 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Miscellaneous

  Popularity

  86 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: The song does fit with its title.

REVIEW: Really nice work. Like your opponent, you also make a short song, but this feels more developed and the idea behind it is very, very good!

Like I said, I love the idea. Xarnor describes it very well in his review - Dubstep and Trance tag-team. I'll admit it; I smiled when I heard the vocal sample "I know a lot of you are going to be shocked by this" and the Dubstep part came in. At first, I thought "Oh no, there goes the cool atmosphere, ruined by a bland Dubstep wobble bass" but then the Ambient/Trance part came in and the Dubstep and Trance parts began answering each other. A very creative idea, and the cool composition/production just adds to the already awesome mix of two electronic genres. Additionally, the drums were fitting and I liked how you synchronised them with the melody at times.

Now, while I did say it feels more developed than your opponent's song, it still feels underdeveloped. The song ended out of nowhere. After the vocal sample it felt like the song just started, but alas, the song was already two thirds from finishing, and then the random crash cymbal came in and the whole song ended just like that. It's unfortunate because I would've certainly wanted to see the idea developed more - perhaps having parts where the Dubstep and Trance play together, and maybe even throwing another genre into the mix. My point is, it's a good idea, but its full potential certainly isn't realised.

It was fun while it lasted. Too bad it ended so soon - I hope you end up continuing this in the near future!

SCORE: 7.5/10
--------------------

Results continue in next post...

[Raven-Guard]

RESULTS - SUPERSTEPH54 Continued...

ProudAardvark - Kayle, the Judicator

• 
  NP - Kayle, the Judicator by ProudAardvark

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.39 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Classical

  Popularity

  109 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: Good atmosphere and buildup throughout.

REVIEW: I think you've surely beaten that personal challenge you made to create an interesting orchestral build. Well done.

The thing that particularly stood out over here would without a doubt be the buildup. You start off very quietly and with a tension-filled atmosphere and some subtle touches here and there like soft staccato strings and the occasional harp pluck. Slowly, you introduce newer elements, and at 1:37 the song really starts. I love the melody, and when the song reaches its highest point at 2:09, it sounds wonderful. Building down went smoothly too, and you loop this seamlessly as well. I like your use of many different orchestral instruments and percussion. I'm hearing both legato and staccato strings, a harp, a triangle, both legato and staccato brass, choirs, cymbals, the lot. I even like that percussion sound at 1:51. It was a fantastic subtle touch which allowed a smooth transition to the next part.

However, having said all that I think the intro and buildup are too long for this song. The way I see it you bit off a little more than you could chew by making the intro take up over half of the whole track. The intro is also very quiet and while it definitely has a nice atmosphere, it's hard to make out anything melodic or rhythmic. Either you make the buildup shorter, or make the song longer by adding more sections. Also, I'll have to agree with descara about the song having a tinny quality to it. The cymbal at 1:38 stands out too much, the violin at 1:04 sounds quite tinny among the deeper bass instruments, and when the song starts getting busy at 1:37 it feels like it's lacking depth and the brass sounds too loud and drowns out the bassier instruments. Some EQing would definitely help here because all of what I mentioned give this song that tinny quality.

As you can see I've got two main problems - the intro that's too quiet and out of proportion to the rest of the track and the overall tinny quality. However, the well-executed buildup, full use of the orchestra, excellent composition and great atmosphere land you a lot of points. Great work!

SCORE: 8.5/10
--------------------

Cleverhill - Evil meets good

• 
  Evil meets good by Cleverhill

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.32 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Classical

  Popularity

  101 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: Pretty uninteresting I'm afraid.

REVIEW: It's well composed, and enjoyable, but my main problem with it is that it's pretty generic and uninteresting.

What I liked about this would start from the instrumentation. Everything sounded quite high quality, especially the brass. I wouldn't have used so much brass in the song myself, but that's personal preference I suppose. I also like the flow and progression of the melody. I can hear the 'evil' and 'good' theme very clearly, and you progressed from one to the other wonderfully. I love how at 0:41 you let the brass play a little longer as you make the transition to 'good', and then at 0:51 you introduce a new melody remarkably smoothly and the good/heroic atmosphere hits the listener instantly. The choirs towards the end are also introduced rather well.

Now for the problems. To be blunt, this song is generic. The French Horns play a generic melody, and the overall atmosphere of the song is quite a typical one that I'd expect to hear in a film soundtrack. Towards the end the song began getting quite predictable, and when the song ends, it feels like I didn't hear anything new or interesting. It's well-made, but not original. Also, the brass staccato is a tad too loud, I think, and the ending is pretty weird as if it came out of nowhere. Totally unexpected major chord too :P.

But anyway, generic or not, this is well-composed and I enjoyed it!

SCORE: 7.5/10
--------------------

SineRider - Like You

• 
  SR - Like You by SineRider

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.27 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Ambient

  Popularity

  115 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: Certainly too repetitive, but excellent nonetheless.

REVIEW: I'm impressed. Calming, soothing, and the sounds are amazing.

Alright, first things first. The instruments you incorporated in this track are superb. Everything sounds so smooth and soothing. Not only that, but the sounds you used are unlike anything I've ever heard before. All of these great instruments create a captivating atmosphere that, after around 3 minutes, had me completely enveloped and detached from reality. You keep everything relatively simple a lot of the time, with the only easily audible sounds being pads, the organ-like synth playing the constant pattern, and the bass thing that first comes in at 0:59. Still, thanks to all of the pads, effects and mixing, you give this such a massive amount of depth and fullness, making it have the aforementioned captivating atmosphere which I like so much.

You've probably guessed what my issue with the song is. Yep, too repetitive. The same pattern played for almost the whole song with just a few very subtle changes that were few and far between. This predictability distracts me. I'm hearing some variety and changes happening often in the background, but the same pattern constantly playing for the whole song just made it get too repetitive, I'm afraid.

That's pretty much the only complaint I have with this song. Other than that, the atmosphere is incredibly enveloping and the sounds are sublime. Love it.

SCORE: 9/10
--------------------

Tzunami - Beyond the Clouds

• 
  Tzu - Beyond the Clouds by Tzunami

  Click to listen.

  Score

  3.99 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Drum N Bass

  Popularity

  131 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: Good, but sounds somewhat amateur at times.

REVIEW: I have to admit that it's a pretty refreshing change from your typical Drum'n'Bass.

The sounds you used are nice. I like the chimes and even more so the square-ish synth in the background which first comes in at 1:28. The choir pads also sounded nice and I like the sound effects you threw in here and there. I can also feel the airy atmosphere of this song. The beat's rhythm was likeable and you varied the beat well, something which I'm quite glad you did because I'm tired of hearing Drum'n'Bass songs which repeat the same drums over and over again. In fact, all of the rhythms in this song sound great.

That being said, this song can sound disinteresting at times. The drums sound amateur - very dry, the snare's too loud and rough, and they seem to be 'in the way' too much. I also feel that the intro and outro should have more work put into them. While I like the fact that the intro is progressive, it sounds too simple and bland. The outro is just a fade out too. Again, this sounds a little amateur considering that what isn't the intro our outro sounds great, and I think the intro and outro are pretty important in a track because they're respectively the first and last impression of the song. I think they need some work.

Other than a few things sounding somewhat amateur, this song is a refreshing listen because it takes Drum'n'Bass in a slightly more original direction. Well done!

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

Results continue in next post...

[Raven-Guard]

RESULTS - SUPERSTEPH54 Continued...

Acid-Paradox - Monster

• 
  Acid Paradox - Monster by Acid-Paradox

  Click to listen.

  Score

  4.47 / 5.00

  Type

  Song

  Genre

  Dubstep

  Popularity

  13,431 Views

• Loading...

SUMMARY: Absolutely superb.

REVIEW: Now I'm no fan of Dubstep, at all, but I'm trying to be unbiased and this is certainly one of the better Dubstep submissions I've heard, or as you would say, THIS IS ONE SEXY TRACK. :3

The vocals are a big plus. Not often do you get to hear well-made vocals like this on Newgrounds. You're a great singer and you've put a lot of effects on your voice to make it sound even better. The parts which didn't have vocals were basically face-melting Dubstep, which was also very well-made. The mastering is done to perfection, or at least in my musically incompetent ear... I also like the effects you did throughout the track. Maybe the monster scream was a bit much but hey, at least it fits with the theme xP. Intro was great and the song looped almost perfectly (I say almost because from the outro to the intro there's a bit of an abrupt transition). There isn't really a proper ending to this submission but I suppose that was intentional because you wanted it to loop.

My largest complaint would be that this song is pretty much constant loud beats and crazy effects, which can make one have a bit of a headache, really. The only part which was a bit softer would be near to the end, and even then it was short-lived. I think it would be AWESOME if you had a tension-filled atmospheric part in the middle which leads to a climax, instead of the same beat and the same loud bass wobbles repeating themselves for the whole song.

But really, I'm just nitpicking here. Really good stuff!

SCORE: 9.5/10
--------------------

Next - Morph94

[ng1razor]

RESULTS - MORPH94

dj-Nate - TransformR
SUMMARY: Song comes together very nicely, although...

REVIEW: Normally, I'm not a fan of dubstep. But, dj-Nate won me over. The seamless transition from the intro to the crunchy dubstep was good. It also makes a good loop. It took me a while to realize that I was listening to it over and over again. The reasons this song doesn't get a 10 are simple- the peaking needs to be fixed a bit. It's all a little bit too loud. Also, the random voice clip included in the song was not appreciated.

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

Rig - NGADM 1 Preview
SUMMARY: Like the intro, not a big fan of the rest.

REVIEW: And considering it's such a short song, that says a lot. I like the 8-Bit sound he has at the begining, but I just can't get behind the dubstep. They don't go together. At all. It starts off promising, then takes a bad turn.

SCORE: 5/10
--------------------

xKore - Last Words
SUMMARY: Epic.

REVIEW: There is honestly nothing I can offer in the way of improvement. It's a great song. The flow is perfect, the tune is easy to get behind, and it honestly sounds professionally made. I guess my only gripe is it ended too fast.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

mjattie - Lucky You
SUMMARY: Beautiful.

REVIEW: I'm not sure I can say more than that. It's perfect. Very, very, well done. I wasn't expecting to hear something so... original. It's different in a good way. The electronic that comes in halfway through the song really throws you. It's great.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

BudGPStudios - Peaceful Assimilation
SUMMARY: Good all around.

REVIEW: The begining starts off too soft for my tastes. It wouldn't be as much of a problem if the intro weren't so long. However, once it fully gets into the swing of things, it saves itself. Very well composed, neatly organized, I don't mind it one bit.

SCORE: 9/10
--------------------

InvisibleObserver - To Those Who Listen
SUMMARY: Ambition with autotune

REVIEW: The choir voice makes it. Every part of the song is brilliant. The simplistic dark beat, coupled with the foreboding choir of autotuned angels makes for an excellent sounding song.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

Decibel - Acknowledgements
SUMMARY: A decent try, but falls flat

REVIEW: Some parts of this song just don't mix. It's disharmonious. The intro doesn't hook you into the song, and the outro leaves much to be desired. The song just ends suddenly, with no real finish.

SCORE: 6/10
--------------------

LogicalDefiance - Sunshine
SUMMARY: Catastropic battle music

REVIEW: Not many songs put an image into my head. But this... this one did. I imagined an amazing fantasy battle. It's a good song, but 1. it's too short and 2. it struggles in the begining.

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

JohnnyFrizz - The Struggle
SUMMARY: What a sick beat!

REVIEW: considering this was done in four hours, I'm impressed. It's a good loop, too. It seamlessly repeats, something that a lot of looped songs have trouble with.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

SolusLunes - Morning Genesis
SUMMARY: Too generic.

REVIEW: This song tries too hard in attempting to make you like it. Don't get me wrong, it has a great melody, it's just a little... pious for me. As I said in my summary, it's also a bit generic. It sounds like the mediocre background music from a bad Tales of____ game.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

Brokendeck - The Guardians
SUMMARY: So... epic...

REVIEW: I had to listen to this one twice, because I think it's one of the best classical pieces I've heard on Newgrounds to date. It has a specific mood, and does a good job of making you feel the same way. To have a song affect the listener in such a way merits the makings of a good musician.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

Quarl - Black Widow
SUMMARY: The PAIN! My poor ears.

REVIEW: Ouch. Just... ouch. To call this a song would be an insult to all music notes everywhere. There is nothing pleasant I have to say about it. It's HORRIBLE. It sounds like an angry cat in heat attempting to shred a chalkboard.

SCORE: 4/10
--------------------

Sprittles - Saving The Sunset
SUMMARY: Starts off great, then fizzles.

REVIEW: The first minute or so sounds great. But after that, the entire song sounds... fake. I'm all for MIDI productions, but not when they're so obvious. Not to mention the other instruments that come in after that first minute take a completely different turn... for the worse.

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

SBB - Then Everything Fell
SUMMARY: I didn't know the Beatles were in town

REVIEW: Because it sounds almost exactly like an interlude they would have on one of the more serious albums. It's not a bad song, but I think it's a bit too repetive. A cool beat replayed over and over again becomes dull.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

Cross666 - Harlock
SUMMARY: Different in a good way

REVIEW: I wasn't actually expecting vocals in this track. Guess I should read author comments more. I love the main hook, and once the vocals do come in, it made a good song better. I gotta say, this track is pretty Unique.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

midimachine - f4p;f4c
SUMMARY: Just... no.

REVIEW: The first half of the song in no way matches the random interlude that comes after it. And I'm not a fan of vocals I can't understand. Plus, the odd car tire-sounding... thing that comes in the second half hurt my ears.

SCORE: 6/10
--------------------

AMP - Speechless
SUMMARY: Groovy

REVIEW: I enjoyed this one. It has a 70's disco kind of feel, but with a modern take. The beat was simple, not too repetitive, just all around a good song. However, I can only say one thing about it- it seemed to cut off a bit too suddenly.

SCORE: 9/10
--------------------

F-777 - Life
SUMMARY: Dance all night

REVIEW: I love the progression in this song. It always leaves you guessing, and has a great beat you can dance to. It's flawless, really. Very professionally done.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

Aliaspharow - Downpour
SUMMARY: Nice little ambient track.

REVIEW: I won't be afraid to admit that as far as electronic music goes, I'm a stickler for ambient. Especially when it is done well. This is done well. It's relaxing, peaceful, and almost feels like a dream coming to life.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

Birdinator99 - Cosmic Flucuation
SUMMARY: Spacey, but dull

REVIEW: I love the theremin-sounding instrument the artist uses about halfway through the song. But besides that, it all seems... generic. Plus, it starts off too slow, and the intro lasts too long.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

FairSquare - When The Time Is Right
SUMMARY: Very clean, very catchy

REVIEW: What else can I say? It's a great production. Has a nice, relaxing beat, not to mention a nice hook or two in there. Plus, the ending is perfect. Sudden in a good way.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

SessileNomad - Pleasantly Surprised
SUMMARY: Great except for one thing

REVIEW: I loved the song until the random dubstep came in. That made me shave off my score a little. I just don't think the mix goes together very well.

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

Results continue in next post...

[ng1razor]

RESULTS - MORPH94 Continued...

ProudAardvark - Kayle, the Judicator
SUMMARY: Too quiet.

REVIEW: The intro is too quiet and too long. Once the song actually builds up and starts the main melody, I like it, but that isn't long enough to make me want to listen to the horrible intro.

SCORE: 6/10
--------------------

Cleverhill - Evil meets good
SUMMARY: Very professional.

REVIEW: This sounds professionally done. And, what a fitting title. I can imagine the epic battle that would ensue were this playing in the background. It's a very clean-sounding track, and the begining is perfectly dark. Only thing? Too short.

SCORE: 9/10
--------------------

SineRider - Like You
SUMMARY: A calm, relaxing lullaby.

REVIEW: I could actually imagine falling asleep to this. It's peaceful. Very, very well done. I honestly can't think of anything I would change in the song.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

Tzunami - Beyond the Clouds
SUMMARY: Mysterious and airy.

REVIEW: It start off quietly, but quickly turns into this... amazing track. When it all comes together, it sounds great. Nothing really to distract me from the song. Well done.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

Acid-Paradox - Monster
SUMMARY: Great vocals, even better music

REVIEW: A great track. The vocals are perfectly fit with the rest of the song, not to mention the epic scream. Everything about it is awesome. I love it.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

Next - RobinDB's Results...

[ng1razor]

RESULTS - ROBINDB

dj-Nate - TransformR

REVIEW: The intro is interesting, but the first bass drop isn't rhythmic in any way. Just silence then heavy noise. The bass gets a bit repetitive past that point. When the piano comes back in, I have no complaints other than the bass goes so low that you can't hear it and it sounds like it's just cutting out. I have dual 8" amp'd subs in my room, if there's bass, I'm damn sure gunna find it. Now the vocal clip at 1:47 adds a nice change, but I have no idea what it's saying. All in all, it was an alright track, but not very original.

SCORE: 6/10
--------------------

Rig - NGADM 1 Preview

REVIEW: The intro is very fun. I like the retro 8-bit feel. But when the bass drops in, it doesn't feel at all connected to the original intro. I'm disappointed that it's only a preview, I was hoping to hear the two pieces joined together somehow. Without that connection, it just feels like a bait 'n' switch to hardcore dub. I will say however, that the bass in the dub breakdown is nice and nasty. Make the intro longer and finish the song, maybe I'd give it a higher score.

SCORE: 6/10
--------------------

xKore - Last Words

REVIEW: Powerful. Maybe a bit too much. It feels a bit over-bearing, but everything mixes well, so I can't really complain. I like the detail touches, like the tom drums and the vocal clip in the beginning. It never gets too repetitive, and there's enough going on in the background that every time you listen, you hear something new. The piano break at the end defeats my criticism about it being too heavy. All in all, a very well-balanced track.

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

mjattie - Lucky You

REVIEW: The intro is very peaceful. The piano melody is sweet, and I like the use of 7/8 time. When the more electronic section comes in, it becomes very much more alive, but then drops out too soon. I feel that it could have built up to something much more powerful. The drums have a very good rhythm for the 7/8 feel. In spite of its drawbacks in dynamic build, this is definitely something I could listen to for a while.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

BudGPStudios - Peaceful Assimilation

REVIEW: It doesn't really match its title. Not judging based on that, just saying. When the percussion comes in, well, it doesn't make much sense at all. The rhythm isn't easy to follow, and the mixing gets a little screwy with the pressured boost in dynamics. Besides that, the mixing doesn't sound at all professional. The snare drum is far too loud for a classical orchestra. The drums in general are too bright. After a while it becomes far too repetitive for me.

SCORE: 5/10
--------------------

InvisibleObserver - To Those Who Listen

REVIEW: I'm not sure if I like the idea of the change from a 3/4 time to 4/4 time. It throws you off rhythm and you have to catch back up with it. The drums are too heavy to me, and they sound distorted in a bad way. The choir bit that comes in is unexpected, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it. The constant use of the music box from the intro in the background is a nice touch. It's a weird song, but not all in a bad way.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

Decibel - Acknowledgements

REVIEW: Drums sound good, as well as the bass. But the string melody is too repetitive. The synth used for the strings in the melody isn't very well edited. String instruments are tricky because they always have a slow attack sound on every note. All other synths sound alright. Nothing too original standing out.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

LogicalDefiance - Sunshine

REVIEW: Very professional sound. Well mixed to sound like a realistic orchestra. Chord progressions are a bit predictable and repetitive. Not much variety to the song. I feel that it ends before it's really gone anywhere.

SCORE: 6/10
--------------------

JohnnyFrizz - The Struggle

REVIEW: Pretty catchy, but not very original. Synths work well together, mixing is well done. Not much I can say about this one, it's pretty straightforward. Good, but not creative.

SCORE: 6/10
--------------------

SolusLunes - Morning Genesis

REVIEW: The first thing that strikes me about this piece is that the intro sounds messy. The bass drum is terribly out of tune throughout the song, take the advantage of electronic music production to tune it. The glockenspiel is too loud to be realistic. There's not even individual panning for the separate instrument classes, it's extremely narrow. Not very professionally executed.

SCORE: 5/10
--------------------

Brokendeck - The Guardians

REVIEW: Good intro, strings sound very realistic, bass drum is very powerful. Warm, rich bass. The plucked instrument you used was just a bit too loud to me. Great composition. I would believe this was a live orchestra, except for the horns used at 1:26. They sound a little too synthy, and doesn't match the rest of the song.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

Quarl - Black Widow

REVIEW: The audio clip was good, but a bit too long to have any real impact. It felt a bit more like I was getting a biology lesson in the middle of everything. The rest of the song is well made, the high pitched synth with the pitch oscillation gets a little annoying. Good use of glitching in the drums, not too heavy and still rhythmic.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

Sprittles - Saving The Sunset

REVIEW: The rhythm feels... off. It seems like sometimes a beat will be missing. The switch from the first theme to the second is anything but graceful. The second theme itself is the same chord progression over and over. The melody is catchy, I'll give you that. The mixing of the instruments isn't very realistic, the strings don't fade in and out as other instruments come in very smoothly. It seems like suddenly the strings go from forte to piano.

SCORE: 6/10
--------------------

SBB - Then Everything Fell

REVIEW: I don't have much to say on this other than the parts between the two solos gets a little repetitive. The effects on the guitars sound good, sensibly used. Drums and bass sound good too. The only thing it's missing is a vocalist.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

Cross666 - Harlock

REVIEW: I didn't think much of this piece until the vocals came in. It sounded like a pretty typical DnB song, basic drums, simple bass line. But the more I listen to it the more I get the details, the heavy reverb woodblock sound. And the synth during the vocals sounds excellent, matches the vocals very well. I wish you had put more of that breakdown section into it, or at least put the two together somehow.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

midimachine - f4p;f4c

REVIEW: The intro wasn't very impressive, but after listening to the rest of the song, it makes more sense. The audio clip matches very well with the theme. The change in tempo was an interesting idea, and it works for this song. All the glitch sounds going on get a bit old at points. The ending is a refreshing change from simply fading out or ending on one note. All in all, a very good piece of work.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

AMP - Speechless

REVIEW: Having the vocals definitely would have made this better, but it's not bad at all. All the synths sound good, and the rhythm is nice. The breakdowns between the "verses" sound good too. Good variety throughout the song.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

Results continue in next post...

[ng1razor]

RESULTS - ROBINDB Continued...

F-777 - Life

REVIEW: Sounds good overall, but the main sections sound too generic. The lead line is catchy, and the beat is solid. The bass sounds nice and heavy. The breakdowns are well placed and well written. But there's nothing that really stands out about this song.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

Aliaspharow - Downpour

REVIEW: I got lost in this song. Being ambient, that's a good thing. The vocalist you had in the background added a very nice touch. Everything flowed very smoothly. Sounds very professionally mastered. I think this is the first one I have nothing to complain about. Good work.

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

Birdinator99 - Cosmic Flucuation

REVIEW: The first thing I noticed is that the mastering isn't great. It seems to be lacking in the higher end. That wailing synth sound you had at 1:53 didn't fit at all. The sections with drums sound good as far as the beat, and the bass synth sounds pretty good. There's good variety in the song, but the mastering needs work.

SCORE: 6/10
--------------------

FairSquare - When The Time Is Right

REVIEW: The 8-bit sounding lead was a nice touch. The bass and rhythm got a little repetitive though. I like how nothing is really heavy in this song, it all sounds light and bouncy. The synth solo in the middle was well done. Pretty short, but plenty to be heard.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

SessileNomad - Pleasantly Surprised

REVIEW: Sounds very pleasant indeed. The piano sounds good, as well as the supporting and bass synths. Hearing the dubstep after the audio clip made me laugh. The dubstep itself is well done. Would have liked to hear it go on for longer, I feel like you could have really expanded on that whole idea.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

ProudAardvark - Kayle, the Judicator

REVIEW: Very inspiring. Sort of slow to build, but it gives a good atmosphere. Quality mixing and mastering. The last section is a great ending. The percussion sounds good throughout. The melody and chord progressions flow very well.

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

Cleverhill - Evil meets good

REVIEW: Sounded good until the piano comes in, and the heavy brass hits sound like they're clipping. Other than that, the orchestration sounds good. The ending leaves me wanting more, it feels weak.

SCORE: 6/10
--------------------

SineRider - Like You

REVIEW: The intro is a little dragged out. But after that, the building of it is great. Once it starts moving, it has so much feeling. The bass fits perfectly, not overpowering at all. After a while it does get old. For how simple it is, it's very powerful and deep.

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

Tzunami - Beyond the Clouds

REVIEW: The intro was slow, but what it built into is pretty good. For a DnB song, it's fairly soft, a nice change. It's not terribly complex, but the rhythm is good. The use of chimes and such was good, but the melody they follow doesn't really match.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

Acid-Paradox - Monster

REVIEW: The intro was very interesting, with the vocal clip. It was a good introduction to what the song is about. I heard inspiration from Skrillex in the dubstep, but unlike him you kept it moving and changed it up a bit more. The vocal clip saying "Monster" sounds a bit silly though. It sounds like a kid growling by breathing inwards. The ending is... non-existent. It just drops out.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

Next - djInTheDark

[robertnolan]

RESULTS - DJINTHEDARK

dj-Nate - TransformR
SUMMARY: Trippy to say the least.

REVIEW: Overall very impressive. It is becoming increasingly difficult to create anything particularly unique within dupstep in my opinion, but you have knocked this one out of the park. My one issue is transitions all across the board. Some I thought were noticeably awkward and it tended to bog the song down as a whole.

SCORE: 8.5/10
--------------------

Rig - NGADM 1 Preview
SUMMARY: Meh

REVIEW: To be perfectly honest, length did not bother me, but what was contained within that length was somewhat unsatisfactory. The intro was good, but the pay off seemed very sloppy and panicked. I almost wish it had started and ended abruptly rather than fading in and out, it would have given the song more power and a little more interesting.

SCORE: 6.7/10
--------------------

xKore - Last Words
SUMMARY: I could get down to this.

REVIEW: A nice refreshing change from the norm. It felt less to me like dubstep and more like super juiced up R&B with a hell of a lot more energy and drive. While as a whole I did not find anything to be particularly "interesting," given that all elements present work well together, nothing truly caught my eye. Erm... ear, rather.

SCORE: 8.2/10
--------------------

mjattie - Lucky You
SUMMARY: Wow!

REVIEW: Very, very soothing. The composition quality of this piece is astounding. An extremely unexpected mashing of genres and the out come has proven to be top notch. Well done!

SCORE: 9.1/10
--------------------

BudGPStudios - Peaceful Assimilation
SUMMARY: Intriguing.

REVIEW: While the piece in and of itself was enjoyable to listen to, it had a so-so carry to it. The energy driving the song is present but seems very misplaced, putting the piece at an off balance ratio. The first thought that came to mind was something along the lines of a sort of prehistoric march or something. A very unique listen.

SCORE: 7.3/10
--------------------

InvisibleObserver - To Those Who Listen
SUMMARY: Odd-tastic!

REVIEW: I wasn't sure how to follow this one, so I didn't and just tried to listen instead and found it to be profoundly creative. I think I can honestly say I've never heard anything quite like it. I had wish for maybe more chords, running along the minors, but as it stands may have been the best choice to go for nonetheless. Thank you for this!

SCORE: 8.4/10
--------------------

Decibel - Acknowledgements
SUMMARY: It's the drums, man.

REVIEW: I always feel like I am the one who is wrong when I think this about certain tracks, that the one element on the song that is out o place is the drums, usually, and in this case, the kick and snare. Besides that, enjoyed it to the fullest.

SCORE: 7.9/10
--------------------

LogicalDefiance - Sunshine
SUMMARY: Short lived.

REVIEW: The piece it self was very enjoyable, but it, for lack of a better phrase, left so much to be desired. It felt that it was just getting going, then all of a sudden, poof. Gone. Content was crisp, clear and had very exciting energy to it.

SCORE: 7.6/10
--------------------

JohnnyFrizz - The Struggle
SUMMARY: Was feeling it.

REVIEW: This is one of those seemingly miss guided genre driven songs. The intro told me it was going to be an electro house song, and a good one at that, but instead strayed into a completely different an unnecessary position.

SCORE: 6.2/10
--------------------

SolusLunes - Morning Genesis
SUMMARY: Walking on the moon.

REVIEW: This piece pleased me to a great extent. It was pure, simple, and gave a profound interest to itself. It is also wonderful in my mind, because if you listen a few times, you realize you can interpret in a number of ways, opening all sorts of doors to the imagination. Well done.

SCORE: 9.3/10
--------------------

Brokendeck - The Guardians
SUMMARY: Felt rushed.

REVIEW: To be honest, it was a little fast for me, I thought maybe if you brought it back, even just a little it would change the fell of this piece entirely, and for the better as well. Other than that, it was very straight forward and to the point, making it easy for me to follow, and that's usually a good thing. ;) Very nice work.

SCORE: 8.1/10
--------------------

Quarl - Black Widow
SUMMARY: Truly surprising!

REVIEW: I've been looking for this and hoped someone would bring it to the competition, you have exceeded my expectations. It's been a very long time since I've heard good industrial like this song. The intro I believe does not do the rest of the song justice however. It was epic to say the least.

SCORE: 9.5/10
--------------------

Sprittles - Saving The Sunset
SUMMARY: An epic journey.

REVIEW: This piece was very interesting; it had an adventurous feel like no other. The first thing I thought when I heard the first intro of the violin, I said to myself, "I wonder what it would sound like if you replaced that with a bagpipe." Just a possible idea to help expand the spectrum of power to the piece.

SCORE: 7.8/10
--------------------

SBB - Then Everything Fell
SUMMARY: Rockstep.

REVIEW: I don't know, that just what it sounded like to me at first. Its got a lot of thins working for it, different styles that you have so cleverly tied into each other to make something completely new and different. Very nice work.

SCORE: 8.3/10
--------------------

Cross666 - Harlock
SUMMARY: Some serious game music right here.

REVIEW: This is a song in my mind that sounds like it could be used in a game at some point in the future, because it sounds so energetic and rich, the way that it can only truly be appreciated to be that manner. Overall, a solid tune with flare in all the right places.

SCORE: 9.2/10
--------------------

midimachine - f4p;f4c
SUMMARY: Meh.

REVIEW: Nothing I haven't heard before to be honest, and this type of Drum and Bass has been declining ever since it was conjured up. I would love to something a little more traditional, this has diverted to much from its roots as a genre altogether.

SCORE: 6.1/10
--------------------

AMP - Speechless
SUMMARY: Well hopefully not speechless.

REVIEW: Otherwise I wouldn't be able to right this. It was a nice change from the norm, but lacked a certain drive that I craved throughout the song. Great work, just needs "more" in order to reach its full potential in my opinion.

SCORE: 6.8/10
--------------------

F-777 - Life
SUMMARY: Something different.

REVIEW: Wasn't expecting something quite like this. The tempo was at such a pace that it was for me to place exactly my feelings about it. It wasn't slow enough for me to say bring it up, but the song begged for more drive and push. All in all, pretty darn good.

SCORE: 7.7/10
--------------------

Aliaspharow - Downpour
SUMMARY: The numbers don't lie.

REVIEW: This was far from ambient in my opinion, but not far at all for great. Was very clean and thought out. It had a silent energy to it, making it some much more interesting to listen than analyze. It proves indeed that less is more.

SCORE: 8.6/10
--------------------

Birdinator99 - Cosmic Flucuation
SUMMARY: Brought me back.

REVIEW: The first thing I instantly thought was Kraftwerk. It was undeniably similar to that style, which hasn't been used since before you or I were born. It was, to say the least, refreshing to hear this, and would love to hear more like it in the future.

SCORE: 8.8/10
--------------------

Results continue in next post...

[robertnolan]

RESULTS - DJINTHEDARK Continued...

FairSquare - When The Time Is Right
SUMMARY: The uptown version of NYAN cat.

REVIEW: It brought me back to the days of the early Sims is what it really sounded like to me. The course and structure of the song was very well thought out in my view. Nice work.

SCORE: 7.0/10
--------------------

SessileNomad - Pleasantly Surprised
SUMMARY: I wasn't surprised.

REVIEW: It turned out just as good as I thought it was going to. I was very happy with this as a whole, there were not many things that you can say bad about. Was a good solid listen and would recommend it to anyone.

SCORE: 7.7/10
--------------------

ProudAardvark - Kayle, the Judicator
SUMMARY: Soothing and frightening.

REVIEW: This piece was something that really hit the home of my particular taste of classical music, which I do not get to hear very often simply because it is one of the few sections within the genre that is over looked and ignored in my opinion. Very nicely done, love everything about.

SCORE: 8.0/10
--------------------

Cleverhill - Evil meets good
SUMMARY: Didn't see that coming.

REVIEW: Usually when good and evil meet, they tend to fright for power and clash. This was, quite literally the case in this piece. Once it got going, I started to truly understand what you were trying to envision with the piece, but at points it felt over powering and drowned that vision.

SCORE: 7.4/10
--------------------

SineRider - Like You
SUMMARY: Out of the park.

REVIEW: You have proven over the years to be one of the few ambient artists, as I believe you have said this yourself before, that it is very easy to make ambient, but very difficult to make it sound good, and you have done just that. The song was uplifting yet it had a sleepiness to it that made me want to go lie down and try to sleep and dream. Nice job.

SCORE: 9.0/10
--------------------

Tzunami - Beyond the Clouds
SUMMARY: I'm done with that.

REVIEW: This had a funkiness to it that was not easy to describe, but very easy to feel and practically dance to. It was very cool and the beat has really made me want to give it a score above the limits of the competition. The only thing that made me unhappy was some of the drum samples involved, sometime feeling very awkward and out of place.

SCORE: 8.7/10
--------------------

Acid-Paradox - Monster
SUMMARY: You are a monster.

REVIEW: And we love you for it. This was very good and I personally love this type of dubstep and don't hear it very often. It's one of the dubstep tracks that seems to me to almost be at a level such as "sophisticated." Very happy with this track.

SCORE: 9.2/10
--------------------

Next - Substitute Judges

[robertnolan]

RESULTS - SUBSTITUTE JUDGES

dj-Nate - TransformR

REVIEW: Now normally I'm not a great fan of dubsteph, but you have great quality all round here. A nice melodic intro which led into the well planned and executed wobbles, which contrasted quite well with the background. What I didn't like all too much was the lack of depth of the song. You scarcely had anything playing in the background to give the song some solid base to build on. Also, the melodies could have been developed more.

SCORE: 8.5/10
--------------------

Rig - NGADM 1 Preview

REVIEW: You are one the best producers in terms of production quality on this site, this song seemed below your standards. The breakdown doesn't flow, meaning a couldn't rock my head to this if I wanted to. Mainly due to the lack of a distinct rhythm, inconsistent snares, and awkwardly placed kicks. The bass synth has good modulations, but it is wwaaaaaayyyyyyy too distorted and it lacks a ton of definition, thickness, and low end, probably due to a problem in your FX chain (low passing before distorting, therefore you feed the low passed signal into the exciter/disortion, I'm guessing a vocodex/vocoder, which leads that screechy undesirable sound in certain modulations, if you were using the "deep throat" osc in massive it also more susceptible to this). The kick is really nice and mixed well, the snare could be a bit louder but it is also nice.

The 8-bit styled stuff at the beginning was interesting and written nicely, contrasted well with the breakdown, which had a bunch of seemingly random drawn out notes. The breakdown was only fx, bass, and percussion, which can be cool but also added to the seeming randomness of the notes. If you didn't notice, this is a preview and not even a long one at that, why would you post this in a competition that expects full songs.

SCORE: 6/10
--------------------

xKore - Last Words

REVIEW: xKore you are a sly dog. The crunchy bass, the excellent low end on the snare, the punchy kick, the sparkling higher end synths, the explosive tom fills. Beautiful production. The use of FX was extremely interesting (the girl's voice on the breakdown/drop), the attack automations on the sparkly high synth show how much attention you put into production, the upwards bass slides had beautiful low end. To top it off, one of the best supersaws I've heard in my life, in which it was the seemingly loudest instrument in a dubstep track (a highly unlikely combo pulled off really well).

Chord progression wasn't anything innovational, but it was used very well and evoked a lot of emotion. I usually do not like abrupt endings, but you pulled that off as well. Re-introducing the melody of the plucky high end synth after the first breakdown was an awesome choice. The plucky arpeggio on the break, contrasted well with the rest of the song and produced a relaxing, new, and interesting feel overall that made delving back into that nostalgic melody all the more satisfactory.

SCORE: 9.75/10
--------------------

mjattie - Lucky You

REVIEW: Really liked the pulse of the song. And the transition to the electronic part was perfect. The sound there was beautiful. Great sound on all of the instruments. Sadly the orchestra instruments are a little fake sounding, but thats hard to avoid. Very nice little decresendo ending to finish of this wonderful peice.

SCORE: 10/10
--------------------

BudGPStudios - Peaceful Assimilation

REVIEW: You gave the audiences deep emotion and a clear setting on what should happen in the song. I really like your violin sets although it would be much better if you lower them one octave. However you ruin the rest of the song with very strange arrangements of heavy percussion and especially imbalance volume of marching drums. They make the whole song theme more like preparing for war instead of making peace, which is opposed to the song title. Overall I enjoyed it as a hit-and-miss piece which needs more work in production. Good luck on NGADM, SethJH.

SCORE: 7.5/10
--------------------

InvisibleObserver - To Those Who Listen

REVIEW: A progressive work of genius, or a perfect head bobber at the very least. The progression is spot-on and at no time do any two sections feel like they're alienating each other. The beginning made me expect Dev/Null, but then I got Gold Panda all with Nero's Day at Disneyland doing his thing in the background on Xanax.

SCORE: 9/10
--------------------

Decibel - Acknowledgements

REVIEW: Ok so you had a lot of potential in the track. The intro started off the piece quite well, even tho the violin sounded a bit too whiny and could have used a bit more backup to make it feel more solid. You also had some instances of dissonance which left quite a bad taste in my mouth. The beat was pretty solid, but drums needed more variety. However, the bit which started at 1:30 was quite brilliant.. The melody contrasted perfectly and the synths fit in together amazingly. Good work, but needed a bit more variety and quality in the finishing touches.

SCORE: 8.2/10
--------------------

LogicalDefiance - Sunshine

REVIEW: Excellent arrangement and mix of strings and drums. Well done on the progessive string staccatos. Even though you tried to to simulate the Hans Zimmer power string set, you still have your own unique style and that is a very important thing. Everything else is pretty flawless except the ending i8s quite missing out with the lone unison brass. It kinda gives a lacking of conclusive emotions for the track itself. Overall everything is pretty almost perfect. Good job LogicalDefiance, and wish you best on NGADM.

SCORE: 9.1/10
--------------------

JohnnyFrizz - The Struggle

REVIEW: Well produced, great sound, nice feel throughout, but damn it it's to short, and a nice little touch with how well it loops. Honestly there isn't muchelse that can be said other than that. I realize you might of only have 4 hours of actual free time,but i can't give you the pity points

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

SolusLunes - Morning Genesis

REVIEW: Timpani roll at beginning had AWESOME vibes, could have been mixed a little better though (less reverb more high end, I know timpani samples are usually not awesome sounding). Lack of lower end instruments is the greatest shortcoming of this song to me, you could used or put a lot more emphasis on your lower brass and cellos, it leaves an awkward mix with very little low end. The cymbals could have a bit more tail/reverb on them.

The heartwarming opening melody and the homely/quasi-arabic vibes that continue throughout are just SWEET. It ends very abruptly, while a tempo decrease or a little bell/glockenspiel solo would have been a sweet finish to this piece after the final cymbal crash. After the big intro, giving the snare a bar or four to rest would have been nice, it keeps the song tense and not fluid. The buildup to the ending could have also been better orchestrated (using the low end instruments which you left out). The chord progression changing throughout the piece and then returning to the same one of the big intro was pulled of spectacularly, it almost felt like returning home after a long voyage. I hate to write this, but this piece is short.

SCORE: 7.9
--------------------

Results continue in next post...

[robertnolan]

RESULTS - SUBSTITUTE JUDGESContinued...

Brokendeck - The Guardians

REVIEW: Well arranged beginning and I absolutely like your string set, it gives me a vast kind of freedom and sureallistic feelings. Brass arrangements are outstanding, with great set for a picture of a hero stands on the hill and look over a vast landscape. The melodies reminded me of WW2 movie soundtrack somehow. Yet the extra drumbeats on 0:17 and 0:47 gave me an empty feeling like they shouldn't exist there. Those beats would be better if you keep them all as low timpani instead of electronic beat. Also add timpani rolls at the end would help to leave the audiences more impression. Overall the song has great potential of creating epic emotion but in some parts still not there yet. Wish you best on NGADM, brokendeck.

SCORE: 9.5/10
--------------------

Quarl - Black Widow

REVIEW: Here is the magnum opus of what Cory can be capable of, ranging from his erratic and calculated IDM, his hard-hitting, clean drum n bass and his chilling and often mental dubstep, all wrapped in his almost trademarked nightmare pianos. Like all of his songs in the past, it takes a few listens to truly appreciate what he's done in the song in terms of storytelling, programming and the ability to switch up time signatures in a moment's notice. It's truly an ode to spider venom worldwide.

SCORE: 8.5/10
--------------------

Sprittles - Saving The Sunset

REVIEW: Melodies are very monumental and colossally set of emotions. I really like the creative fast legato fade in and out and it spins around to support the main melody. The arrangements are quite unsophisticated and seem like you put poorly efforts in it. Listening and even 'liking' your own music too much is a very dangerous thing that set you down. You must open your mind to evolve your melodies and especially arrangements more. Remember it's your audience who could see and enjoy the clear picture of your music, not you. Throughout the piece, you has created a great work on melodies. Need extra hardwork on arragements like you did with the melodies. Wish you best on NGADM, Sprittles.

SCORE: 7.1/10
--------------------

SBB - Then Everything Fell

I loved the tone of the guitar throughout. Very relaxing. A nice full sound without anything overpowering another. The solo's sounded great, very natural and felt. My only real grips might be that the drums were a tad too soft, and it was a little bit repetitive towards the end, but it is still a great peice.

SCORE: 9/10
--------------------

Cross666 - Harlock

REVIEW: It's ambitious, it has heart, but it has an identity crisis at least twice through. This cross between Liquid Funk and Neurofunk just doesn't work that well for me, and the sudden switch to a near-empty vocal section confused me deeply. The song really wanted me to like it, love it even, but even through the good, there's just too many flaws to ignore.

SCORE: 5.5/10
--------------------

midimachine - f4p;f4c

REVIEW: This song had a lot going for it, it's just a shame that midimachine never went for it. With a title like "Fighting for Peace, Fucking for Chastity", you'd expect a lot more out of it rather than a generic, entry-level breakcore track with amens and droning basses aplenty, but where the percussion falls short, the textures make up for it. I can appreciate the time and effort put into the programming though, breakcore is time-consuming but often beautiful in it's end result, unfortunately, the same can't be said about this.

SCORE: 6/10
--------------------

AMP - Speechless

REVIEW: The climaxes are what really make this song for me. The constant ebb and flow of the music left me hanging brilliantly, and I can honestly say that this is one of the better songs I've heard in the competition. You have solid melodies and brilliant background synths. The melody is quite catchy and upbeat. Some more variety would've been nice, but overall this track is quite great. Good work.

SCORE: 8.5/10
--------------------

F-777 - Life

REVIEW: Now this is what I call dance music; a driving beat, a catchy melody, fantastic background pads and melodies and overall, stunning quality. I love how everything is crisp and clear, no matter how many elements come into the mix. I in particular liked the fast background melodies which countered the primary melodies brilliantly. The variety in the piece was also quite phenomenal. Great work all round.

SCORE: 9/10
--------------------

Aliaspharow - Downpour

REVIEW: This song makes me want to drift away, and not in a bad sense. The calm soothing texture of the music just flows consistently and never lets up, giving the track a sense of completion and consistency which is quite awesome. The quality of the instruments is very high, but the level of variety could have been higher, particularly in the drums, which pretty much remained the same throughout the track. Still, this track is pretty awesome overall. Good work ;)

SCORE: 7.9/10
--------------------

Birdinator99 - Cosmic Flucuation#

REVIEW: This was fairly unique. It didn't feel like the song was trying to sound like anything other than it's own thing, which was nice. The percussion sounds could use either a little eqing or better samples, especially the snare. It needs more oomph, i know space is open and loose, but the song needs something pull you in, and the mix/master is a little so/so in that respect.

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

FairSquare - When The Time Is Right

REVIEW: I don't know what to really think of this one. It's a little weird in a way that made me wish the mix more prominent in certain EQ ranges. The instruments aren't prominent enough to really get a good feel for what is going on, and it just feels a little rushed mixing/mastering wise.

SCORE: 7/10
--------------------

SessileNomad - Pleasantly Surprised

REVIEW: This was a very well mixed/mastered song, but the length and substance was to little. What was there was great, but it leaves me wanting way to much more to give it more. Rhythmicly simple, but effective. Sound wise, was great and full. Wasn't overly repetitive, or to random, which was also nice.

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

ProudAardvark - Kayle, the Judicator

REVIEW: An elegant, majestically and overwhelming piece of profoundly arranged emotions. The orchestral builds are excellent and they are almost flawless with almighty progression. I feel like the song is still not there yet with a set of imbalance volume between the opening and ending, a strange feeling for an incompletive masterpiece. You should spend more time on it until everything is truly completed. As I said before this piece would be extremely powerful if it is fully completed. Wish you best on NGADM, ProudAardvark.

SCORE: 9/10
--------------------

Cleverhill - Evil meets good

REVIEW: I really enjoy the dark cinematic feeling of the frech horns, choirs and especially the piano sets. The switching from dark to light heroic themes give the song powerful emotional mix of fear vs hope. I can see a battle is going on and it struggles energetically. Mastering is the main problem, it drags the song emotion down a lot. While the balances between drums and choir are too soft, brass is seemed to be overwhelmed everything else. It feels more like the Evil is winning the battle instead of facing its balanced opponent. Excellent work on creating epic emotion and visualizing a vivacious battle scene. Good luck on NGADM, Cleverhill.

SCORE: 8.5/10
--------------------

Results continue in next post...

[devilspaniard]

RESULTS - SUBSTITUTE JUDGESContinued...

SineRider - Like You

REVIEW: A downright peaceful and entrancing ambient piece that wouldn't be out of place in a post-apocalyptic fairytale. It moves gently throughout, with what appears to be the same melodies playing changes into a perpetual wall of sound in seconds without your knowledge. It could have used a bridge, but it's for the best that it wasn't there, seeing as it might have pulled you out of your trance.

SCORE: 8/10
--------------------

Tzunami - Beyond the Clouds

REVIEW: Awesome pads, kick is annoying imo, nice snare, no clear highlight to song (blended together). I like the snare, I strongly dislike the kick. It sounds really low-fi, maybe on purpose maybe not, either way it turns me off really badly. The hi-hats are also rather lacking, could use a higher end treble boost and some more colorful reverb, apart from that the worst part is that all I heard was 1 closed hat and one ride, and considering the hats are the ONLY thing in the upper highs(a big mistake) they take a lot of attention and can get rather annoying. The choir-y pad is really nice, but apart from nothing really shoots out to me in terms of good production quality.

The pads and the chords that accompany them are the best part about this song, unfortunately they loop for a whopping 4:37 straight. The drums weren't the highlight of this song, so I hoped that the writing would be, sadly you fell short of hopes. The eerie unorthodox melodies (which I enjoyed), go on repeat and don't grab my attention. Why didn't you modify the progression, change key, or even change anything? The drums change patterns frequently but that really is not near enough to make a song interesting. The drums have a break, but the chords and melodies don't change during that break (a mistake as well). The of beat snare during the DnB part was cool, another unorthodox aspect to this song.

SCORE: 6.25/10
--------------------

Acid-Paradox - Monster

REVIEW: The hi hats got on my nerves (if there were any? Maybe they-re really quiet), the single ride that repeats the whole song really started to piss me off. You might fool the masses but every producer can recognize the modern talking oscillator, its not that cool anymore really and its also gotten rather annoying due to the constant spamming of it in unoriginal ways. The modulations and automations and the bass were well performed but the WT and glitch machine combo has also gotten a little old by now. The monster fx before the drop were pretty stereotypical, but they fit perfectly and were pulled off well. Snare lacks a lot of low end punchiness, sounds just a bunch of distorted white noise. The kick is nice, just not perfect imo a bit too clicky on the high end and that doesn't go with the song perfectly, again strongly opinion(no point deductions for that). You get major props for taking the time to record vocals and singing those vocals. The vocals could have been a little thicker (more lower end), and could have been spiced up with some pre delays and "over-reverbs" at parts (another imo).

Hearing the first two bars of the chord progression I was literally anticipating stabbing myself waiting, luckily you didn't use that generic chord prog and looped back to the first. Although I'm not a fan of two chord progressions (usually due to lack of complexity), you pulled it off. Loved the synth solo at 1:14, fave part of track. Without the vocals, this song would be generic. With the vocals you managed to make this song shine through the waves of shit on the AP, male vocals on a dubstep songs fail about 95% of time, but you won sir. Your voice goes very well with the "eerie-ness" of this song.

SCORE: 8.75/10
--------------------

Next - Score Summary and Pairings

[devilspaniard]

SCORE SUMMARY

DJHeat vs dj-Nate

DJHeat -- DISQUALIFIED

dj-Nate -- AVERAGE SCORE = 8.00
--------------------
WINNER = dj-Nate
--------------------

Rig vs Suezo

Rig -- AVERAGE SCORE = 6.04

Suezo -- DIDN'T SUBMIT
--------------------
WINNER = Rig
--------------------

xKore vs NIGHTkilla

xKore -- AVERAGE SCORE = 8.99

NIGHTkilla -- DIDN'T SUBMIT
--------------------
WINNER = xKore
--------------------

mjattie vs BudGPStudios

mjattie -- AVERAGE SCORE = 8.92

BudGPStudios -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.16
--------------------
WINNER = mjattie
--------------------

InvisibleObserver vs Decibel

InvisibleObserver -- AVERAGE SCORE = 8.68

Decibel -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.54
--------------------
WINNER = InvisibleObserver
--------------------

LogicalDefiance vs JohnnyFrizz

LogicalDefiance -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.94

JohnnyFrizz -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.54
--------------------
WINNER =
--------------------

SolusLunes vs brokendeck

SolusLunes -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.44

brokendeck -- AVERAGE SCORE = 8.92
--------------------
WINNER =
--------------------

Quarl vs Sprittles

Quarl -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.70

Sprittles -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.38
--------------------
WINNER = Quarl
--------------------

SBB vs Cross666

SBB -- AVERAGE SCORE = 8.06

Cross666 -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.94
--------------------
WINNER = SBB
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midimachine vs LaForge

midimachine -- AVERAGE SCORE = 6.62

LaForge -- DIDN'T SUBMIT
--------------------
WINNER = midimachine
--------------------

AMP vs F-777

AMP -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.86

F-777 -- AVERAGE SCORE = 8.54
--------------------
WINNER = F-777
--------------------

aliaspharow vs Birdinator99

Aliaspharow -- AVERAGE SCORE = 8.40

Birdinator99 -- AVERAGE SCORE = 8.06
--------------------
WINNER = Aliaspharow
--------------------

FairSquare vs SessileNomad

FairSquare -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.60

SessileNomad -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.64
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WINNER = SessileNomad
--------------------

ProudAardvark vs Cleverhill

ProudAardvark -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.90

Cleverhill -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.68
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WINNER = ProudAardvark
--------------------

SineRider vs Tzunami

SineRider -- AVERAGE SCORE = 8.80

Tzunami -- AVERAGE SCORE = 7.99
--------------------
WINNER = SineRider
--------------------

Acid-Paradox vs nubbinownz

Acid-Paradox -- AVERAGE SCORE = 8.89

nubbinownz -- DIDN'T SUBMIT
--------------------
WINNER = Acid-Paradox
--------------------

The Loser with the highest score is Birdinator99, so to make up the 16 competitors, he'll be taking Acid-Paradox's place and will also be passing through into Round 2.
--------------------

PAIRINGS

InvisibleObserver vs F-777
midimachine vs Quarl
LogicalDefiance vs mjattie
SBB vs SineRider
brokendeck vs ProudAardvark
xKore vs SessileNomad
aliaspharow vs dj-Nate
Birdinator99 vs Rig
--------------------

So there we go! Round 1 is over and Round 2 has now begun. If you're one of the 32 participants who made it through, then get a song done before the 5th of September, 1:00 PM EST (NG Time). If you're not, then thanks anyway for participating. I think I'm speaking for all the judges when I say that we enjoyed every submission and we hope to see you all next year!

P.S. You can post now :P

[Buoy]

cool pairing I like it

[aliaspharow]

OHHHH Damn... DJ-Nate huh... Well this is an opportunity hehe. Well I already Finished my song during the Judging. But i wont submit it up in case i change it

[Acid-Paradox]

go kick some ass birdinator and congratulations to the rest of the people!

[Quarl]

Quarl - Black Widow
SUMMARY: The PAIN! My poor ears.

REVIEW: Ouch. Just... ouch. To call this a song would be an insult to all music notes everywhere. There is nothing pleasant I have to say about it. It's HORRIBLE. It sounds like an angry cat in heat attempting to shred a chalkboard.

SCORE: 4/10

That sounded a little biased if you ask me...

My full condolences to everyone that's having fun, especially sprittles but did you do any background checks on the judges or did you just let any 12 year old with no music experience judge? Honestly, that review was incredibly lame, insensitive and not to mention incredibly unprofessional. He had nothing intelligent to say about my song. I doubt he even knows that the word dissonance is :/

midimachine - f4p;f4c%u2028SUMMARY: Just... no.
REVIEW: The first half of the song in no way matches the random interlude that comes after it. And I'm not a fan of vocals I can't understand. Plus, the odd car tire-sounding... thing that comes in the second half hurt my ears.
SCORE: 6/10

That song was actually one of my favorites submitted to the comp. The fact that he missed the first note in the song as being directly connected to the melody towards the end made him think the melody was random when it was clearly a response to the note from the first second of the track :/

Birdinator99 - Cosmic Flucuation%u2028SUMMARY: Spacey, but dull
REVIEW: I love the theremin-sounding instrument the artist uses about halfway through the song. But besides that, it all seems... generic. Plus, it starts off too slow, and the intro lasts too long.
SCORE: 7/10

What's his problem with things sounding generic? He obviously doesn't like things that don't sound generic. I don't think he knows what generic means. With that said, if I wasn't up against MidiMachine next round I'd probably drop out now. I clearly won't have a chance at winning with this kid judging.

Midimachine, lets make the loudest sexiest IDM music anyone in this world has ever had the privilege of listening to. When all the judges agree that we've failed at making music we will know that our job is done.

[aliaspharow]

At 8/22/11 11:06 AM, Quarl wrote:
That sounded a little biased if you ask me...

Wow I seriously Think Quarl Has a point here. This judge is definitly No good. I think We better get him Replaced.

[Echo]

At 8/22/11 11:06 AM, Quarl wrote: Stuff

The reason we have multiple judges is so that the harshness and/or bias of 1 judge does not have a large effect. In this way, the other scores balance out the low score, as was your case, since you won.

Nevertheless, i have to admit that that review and the others you highlighted were a bit too harsh and unprofessional for me. We'll warn Morph94 not to do something of the sort again, mark my words. If he does, he will indeed get replaced.

Also, I would appreciate it if arguments and discussions of this sort were confined to PMs (Read Rule 4 of the opening post).

[Quarl]

At 8/22/11 11:15 AM, Echo wrote:

Also, I would appreciate it if arguments and discussions of this sort were confined to PMs (Read Rule 4 of the opening post).

oops, sorry missed that bit. To clarify though I don't mind getting harsh reviews. The only string attached is that I have to agree with them on their points if I'm going to take them seriously.

[Quarl]

Also, thanks for taking your time to post all that and write those reviews man. Hell of a good job. The work that you guys are putting into this isn't going unappreciated. Even if the first ting I have to say comes off as a complaint :/

double post :C

[Buoy]

I agree that his reviews were really pretty bad. A few lines of not particularly insightful text (I wonder if he listened to more than a few seconds of my entry?) and the scores seemingly arbitrary (which is particularly offensive when other judges rarely go outside the 7.5-9 range).

[Buoy]

whoops sorry about that echo i prumise I'll never do it again ,_,

[F-777]

Wait...theres more than one round?
Just kidding. Gotta say though i was super relieved i wasn't paired
up against SBB. (hes mah hero)

[SineRider]

You're on SBB

I'm scared