I like the upbeat synth riff at the beginning. The drum samples and some of the synths are a bit cheesy, but a bigger problem is the mixing. The drums are very hard to hear once the harmonies at :24 come in. Notice how the drums sound a lot quieter at around :30 than they did at :10 or so? That’s a sign that the texture is getting distorted because you have multiple instruments playing at the same frequency range. You can fix it by adding a compressor to the drums, and then using an equalizer to filter out the bass tones (less than 200 Hertz or so) in the harmonic instruments. I’m sure you can look up “how to use a compressor in Jummbox” or “how to use an equalizer in Jummbox” to help you navigate the technicalities of your DAW. You also might already be familiar with these mixing tools - you should use them way more often, is the point. You can also try dialing back the reverb, which might be making the texture sound even muddier.

Production quality aside, I like the energy and rhythmic content here. The harmonies, while hard to discern in the muddy mix, fit nicely together, and you also have some cool transitions in here, like at 1:15. While the harmonic content is very repetitive here, the key change at 1:26 and the shifting instrumental palette help keep things interesting. Still, at some point I would’ve liked to hear an extended breakdown or bridge section where you strip away the beat and give the piece a stronger narrative appeal. Right now, it’s high-energy pretty much all the time, which isn’t very conducive to keeping the listener engaged.

Still, I like the shimmering synth at the outro (2:41), and overall the atmosphere, melodies, and progression of the piece are enjoyable. Keep at it, Derailment! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
5.75/10

Good!