I like the dreamy vibe at the beginning. It’s a little slow to progress, but I like the somber tone the strings add at around :30. I wasn’t a huge fan of the instrument at :58. It sounded very synthetic, which may have been intentional, but either way I don’t think it fits the texture of the piece very well. The percussion at 1:29 is interesting. I think there was just a bit too much of an attack on the offbeat, though - the piece is a little too smooth and pensive for such a crisp hat IMO (even if that criticism sounds a bit absurdly specific). I like the re-intro at 2:35, but the additional extended pause at 3:16 was a little much. The structural and transitional elements of the piece are strong, and I didn’t notice any problems with the mixing or mastering. Overall strong work! Keep it up, Spadezer. ;)

8.75/10

Really great and interesting piece, Spadezer. I enjoy the melody of the music box and the way it builds into something bigger and more orchestral. You've created a great atmospheric piece and I really like sparse, but slightly driving percussive section that appears in the chorus.

I see what BlueOceans was saying about the pad's fade-outs being a bit abrupt - I think you could slightly increase the release, or possibly extend the notation so that it overlaps the next section, but then fade it out with automation to achieve the desired break that you're going for. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it also sounds like you played it on a keyboard and didn't release all the notes simultaneously (totally normal for live performances), but the pad thins out as different fingers pull off the keys, and because of the short release time, it makes it sound a little clunky. Luckily this is a tiny discrepancy that can be fixed in five minutes!

But yeah, overall, great work! I hope you do well in this round :)

The track has a very chilling yet pleasant atmosphere. I love the music box and piano's melodies and arrangement.

The only thing I really dislike here is that the song seems to build up too quickly after becoming quiet. The pad and lead don't get a chance to fully fade out, and it sounds like their current fade outs aren't automated at all. It seems awkward to me. There are several aspects of the track that I become accustomed to after a few more listens, but this isn't one of them.

I would have liked to hear the snare increase in power as the climax progressed.

I'm not fond of the melodic lead. The base sound is okay, but I think it could benefit from having more release as opposed to being played continuously.

Overall, this is quite an interesting and enjoyable song that has a high level of originality.