Now, I know that you started out feeling a whole lot of pressure, first of all because Peaks earned you the highest scoring Audition track, and second because you were immediately matched up against the daunting team of bassfiddlejones & joshgawaldomusic. That much is perfectly understandable, and I cannot fault you for cursing the heavens over such a fate and unleashing the occasional primal yell. Regardless, you pulled yourself together and made another superb track for the Round of 64. I was just as sorry as anyone to see you exit the arena, but now that you're back in I am eager to hear what awaits us from here on out!
Okay, enough about that. On to the review!
Straight out of the gate, we have this very deep yet chill bass-y progression. While, at first listen, it sounds as though there's some sort of unintended popping going on at certain points, upon further inspection I believe that to be the introduction of percussion, due to its rhythmic nature. Next we have that high pan flute, which is quite beautiful, but does seem to have a little too much presence since those especially high frequencies come across as almost painful when listening through my headphones headphones. While switching over to speakers works a bit better, I still believe that there's an overabundance of loudness within the first 28 seconds. A softer combination could have made for a more dynamic and somewhat less harsh-sounding intro. After that, moving on to the fuller, more naturally louder section at :29 would have made an even bigger impact.
On the whole, this track possesses a really relaxing, chill sort vibe. The exception, of course, comes in around 1:21 when the music takes a darker turn. While I found the glitch to be just a bit startling at first, upon subsequent listens I have grown quite used to it and ultimately enjoy the break. It works quite well as a transition, and while that isn't always the case and glitch can easily be overused to the point where it loses effect, that doesn't seem to be a problem here.
You yourself have already brought up the fact that this track is an amalgamation of ideas, ultimately sacrificing a certain level of cohesion, and while that isn't usually the best plan of action within a contest like you, I can't help but feel as though you've managed to pull it off...for the most part. Your transitions are the real workhorses here, tying together each individual section in surprisingly convincing ways. You are indeed to be commended for such a feat, but the fact remains that some parts feel more well-connected than others. You are obviously prepared to accept that reality completely, so I feel that no more need be said.
Moving on to a few more of the inherent issues, there's a whole bunch of popping going on from 3:15 to 3:23. While this is glaringly obvious with headphones, it's a bit more subtle coming out of my speakers. Either way, that is definitely a problem that needs to be addressed, and while the synth itself shouldn't cause that kind of anomaly, it seems to be more attached to the long release or echo/delay that was applied.
And that pretty much brings an end to the constructive feedback portion of our review! I hope that you haven't already heard all of this a dozen times over, but I try not to read and therefore bias my own reviews by looking at those of others. I also prefer to write them live, which gives me an opportunity to listen a few more times as I really dig into the material at hand. May you find this feedback helpful going forward, and best of luck to you in the Round of 32!
9.25 out of 10
