I like the pensive, quirky synths at the beginning and the pads. The minimal percussion also fits the texture well. I think the strings at :24 could’ve sounded a bit more distinct in the texture. The drums are mixed quite well, so it threw me off a bit when a lot of the harmonic tracks could’ve sounded sharper. Excessive reverb might be part of the problem, but the more likely culprit is “loose” equalization. The mix is also a bit quiet overall. I love the sound design and atmosphere of the piece, but I think the composition sounds a bit cyclical and stagnant after a while. I think you needed a more climactic section or some stronger melodic content to hit this piece home at the end. I also didn’t like the ending very much. The instrumental tracks cut out very suddenly at 2:47, and then the fade-out of the drums thereafter came across as a bit lazy. Still, I’m pretty torn about this piece overall because, despite my criticisms, a lot of the instrumentation, rhythmic content, and synth riffs sound really funky and unique. Keep at it, StoneForged! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

I like this track. The pitch automation is cool and I like the drums. The lead synth in 1:10 is really weird, maybe a bit too weird for a lot of people but I really love it.
The main problem I have with this track is the repetitive nature of the synth which goes through almost the entire track without changing which is another reason why I like the middle part of the track because the synth isn´t there.
Still, really like this track. Shows a lot of potential