this is great, we listening to it at the newgrounds podcast block party right now

I like the bright strings at the beginning. The fade-in could’ve been a tad more creative, but the orchestral flair of the piece with the mallets and piano works really well, and there’s a good sense of build into the energetic electronic section at 1:00. The production quality is really strong, although the drum part is a bit bland and the piece could use some stronger melodic content to keep me engaged after a while. The most prominent element in the texture is the staccato-y synth lead that’s mostly just outlining the chord progression for 2 minutes. Something more dynamic-sounding would be a welcome change at some point. That said, I enjoyed the cutesy arpeggios at 3:00 and the mellow outro. You clearly have a great sense of harmony and progression, and strong mixing and mastering skills too. The sound design here is also really well done. I think boosting your score from the 8-range to the 9-range would just require a bit more ebb-and-flow in the composition, and maybe a more original harmonic pattern at some point. Until then, keep up the good work, DJ-Cassell! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

very nice chord progression! really love the vibe of the intro even though it's a little long. love the energy coming into the drop too. i think overall the mix is a little on the bright side, i think the snareclap and some of those hihats sound a little brittle and probably need a little rolloff on the treble. although that arp sounds great, it bounces about a bit too much to provide the melodic backbone the track needs. the ending feels like you kinda gave up on it little bit, like it doesn't have the same attention to detail in its winding down that the intro has building up. great sound though, make more!

important notes on my NGUAC review process: https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1476427/18#bbspost26965604_post_text

Trying this review on my iPad. I really like the intro with the sharp strings. I like the evolution and how it explodes with the riser. Nice tight beat to it and the melodic progression is enjoyable. Then another riser and the song continues. I’m really digging it so far. If I was to give any room for improvement I would say maybe could change up the lead instrument after the second rise, maybe up it an octave or add effects or even change the lead instrument. But that said, top notch production! Kudos, -G

gud