I like the ominous atmosphere at the beginning. The ascending line and filtering into :28 are just haunting, and the production quality is solid here too. The transition at :50 is a tad abrupt, and the mood seems much lighter and more tranquil thereafter. The minimal section at 1:15 was a good segue back into the more energetic content at 1:35. The echo/delay effects at 1:57 are just beautiful, and the refrain at 2:03 sounds very somber and rueful. This piece is a bit of a slow burner, and I think the composition could’ve been a tad bolder in places, especially towards the end. I also think you overuse the sudden transitions a bit, and that the harmonic content is a tad repetitive. That said, the sound design is top-notch, and I love the creepy, sinister undertone of the piece. You could even play that up a bit more with some more mixing effects - subtle pitch shifts, reverb automations, etc. Still, really evocative stuff here, DefectiveSmile! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

Loving all the modulations, synths chosen, FX and mixing decisions through this piece, with the exception of one. The bass should have some dedicated space! I can hear it, but it's pretty quiet throughout. My setup emphasizes these frequencies, so I know they will be near non-existent on other systems.

Are you using a pure sine for your sub? You may consider a slightly distorted waveform for it, or applying distortion.

The problem is less pronounced at 2:09, but I worry that stray reverb low frequencies or delays would stick out if you were to emphasize the low register much more. Something to think about in future mixes.

Overall great mix, good looking levels on the master, controlling for dynamic range, just a bit sibilant. I wonder if alternatively, you could roll off some highs OR take down your hi-hats and so on, adjust your master accordingly, and the perception of tinniness would go away.

I've been reading up on psychoacoustics, or the science of sound perception in layman's terms, and what I've discovered confirms my every day observation. The higher a sound is in pitch, to a certain extent, the louder it seems; the highest extremes of course suffer the opposite -- fading into silence like a YouTube hearing test for the partially deaf. Somewhere in the middle hi-hats and cymbals make their entrance, high-pitched and almost universally loud, such that they are easy to over-crisp and over-pump. A nice balanced EQ I've found for dealing with them is EZQ, a light touch in any direction will gently roll off the volcume of some of these offending frequencies for you, with minimal effort!

Ooh, got goosebumps at 0:28. That bass you chose is really satisfying. You make some really smart and tasteful choices, and refreshingly unexpected too. You definitely have your own style going on here. 1:35 hits really nicely too; you lead into it wonderfully. The outro feels satisfying noir. My only wish is that the tail of the end of the song didn't suddenly cut off at 03:43, and that you'd just let it ring out until it faded out naturally until the very end. Still, this is one of my favourite submissions to this round of the NGUAC. Good luck, Detective. I can see this scoring quite highly, and you've earned a new follower :)

This track really hit different. Made me feel a rare feeling of introspection while listening. Really glad to have listened to this because it totally fits my current mood haha

damn, meant to take part in NGUAC, but totally forgot about it. good luck and congrats on finals!! you didn't even have to tell us how much heart you put into this, we can all feel it