I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning and the funky rhythmic elements of this. The melodies at :45 are really majestic, and the strings blend in really well with the synth harmonies. The piece flows really smoothly into the breakdown at 1:09, and the vocals at 1:52 were a pleasant surprise. The piece comes together nicely with the second climactic section at 2:14, although the mix there sounds a bit thin in the middle and the repeated vocal verse at 2:37 already felt a tad stale. Overall, the production quality and sound design here are really good, though. Love the rich bass at :45 and the crisp percussion throughout. The first half of the piece in particular sounds very refreshing and unique. Overall, strong work here, ALGO! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

I can relate to you with regards to the speedrun... I was having so many issues with rendering out my track and only just managed to get it in a minute or so before the deadline! Either way though, this doesn't feel at all rushed to me. I really enjoy the cello part particularly in the interlude and the sliding atmosphere; same with the outro. It feels really cinematic and brings some drama to the piece. Good luck in the competition :)

When I first heard the intro I thought I might be heading into a hiphop beat, but I held my breath. I think this might fit somewhere in lo-fi hip-hop for the intro.

Something is going on with the high end. Though those scratches sound great in isolation, they're a few dB high in the mix. As the only thing in that sonic space, it's especially noticable.

The vocal sample also caught me off guard as quite clean, however, it served to break us up for the final section. I think for the final chorus, the snare drum is a bit loud and dry, and the kick would be better served to have some more bottom.

In short, pretty much the only thing wrong with this track is balance. But I give props for making something entirely different to what I've heard from you so far, as well as a hook that stuck with me long after it was over. Great work!

This is AWESOME! Excellent but simple melodies, it turned out very cool broo

Niiice (⁠☆⁠▽⁠☆⁠)