I like the pensive mood at the beginning. There’s a nice rich atmosphere and some cute, airy synths. The piece is a tad slow to progress, and the drums are a tad soft at first. The refrain at :42 is catchy, if a tad cliche, and I think the main melody could use a bit of a boost in the mix vis a vis the pads and bass. The quirky texture of the post-chorus at 1:04 is nice, and you definitely return this piece to its atmospheric roots there. The more frantic arpeggios at 1:40 were a great way of transitioning the piece into the high-energy section at 1:47. The final minute of the piece sounds a bit dragged out, and could use some more “shape” to keep it interesting - filtering automations, or other small compositional details during transitory moments. The mix is probably my main concern here; it just could sound a lot more punchy and crisp with some more compression, especially on the drums and lead melodies. At times, the frequency ranges of the synths also feel a bit overly constrained, so maybe you could play with giving the lead instrument a boost in the upper-mid range, especially during the breakdown from 1:04 to 1:47. Still, I really like the sound design, melodies, progression, and atmosphere of this one. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC, SpecialGuacs! Hope to see you back next year. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

These NG contests are really quite intense, huh? It takes a lot out of a musician to put themselves through that type of challenge, but the pay-off is great. I feel like you should be very proud of the result of your work! This is a very good track. I hope that through the competition, you've been able to build your self-confidence as a composer, because you really are very good. I'd love to hear your music in some games! I think a lot of people would really love your style if more people got to hear it. You definitely have your own voice as a musician - I hear you!

I wish you a lot of luck in the finals, but no matter what happens, I'll be really looking forward to hearing your future music from hereon out :)

Reminds me of daft punk with that bit at 1:03. I've been listening to the other finalists and uh... i think you've gotten this one in the bag

Wow...