I like the eerie mood, quirky synths, and ghostly pads at the beginning. The cute melody at :18 is a nice touch, although the bass that comes in at :35 makes the texture sound pretty muddy. I’d suggest taking some of the reverb off of it and tightening up the equalizers in the other instruments. I think the composition could’ve been more fleshed-out. There’s a lot of tension in this piece that never quite gets fully explored or resolved. The result is that this track seems fitting for a video game loop, but leaves me wanting more as a stand-alone piece. You nailed the sound design and atmosphere here, though. Keep at it, Shabbyjazz! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

Composition wise, I really enjoy this, even if it's a little simplistic and relies heavily on reverb for effect -- and is short. Nice work setting the mood. The piece very much matches what you describe, a somber, wonky little dance of dead men.

Mix wise, I would take down the reverb somewhat. Everything seems relatively in its place beyond that, likely owing to the simplicity of the piece.

I think this would make a nice intro into a grungy, sad metal ballad. As is, it feels somewhat incomplete.

Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!