I like the quirky synths at the beginning. They sound a bit thin, but they also mesh well with the percussion and bass. The drums don’t sit very well in the mix, though, and also sound a tad indistinct. At :13, you can tell there’s a lot of reverb on the kick, which is a bit dangerous - putting reverb on instruments with that many bass frequencies can make the texture sound really muddy. The texture remains very minimal throughout, though, and there’s little sense of progression or narrative drive to the piece. Harmonically, you could’ve put a lot more creative energy into the piece. There are long stretches (2:20-3:00, for example) where there are very few moving notes at all. Some of the rhythmic components and drum riffs are cool, like at 1:50, but overall it’s not a very well-rounded composition. The production does feel more well-balanced later on, and is also mastered pretty loud, but there’s also not a lot of “troublesome” instruments mixing-wise (pads, consistent bass lines, etc.). The energy picks up a tad at around 4:30, and I’m enjoying the mysterious mood and sound design, but the lack of harmonic variety and the dragged-out and incremental progression don’t really help the piece keep my interest over these 8 minutes. I understand this is an ambient track, but honestly for this competition you need to demonstrate a broader array of compositional skills to earn a higher score from me. Still, you clearly have a good sense of atmosphere, rhythm, and flow, and the production grows on me the more I listen. The moody, stripped-down outro was a nice touch, too. Keep at it, Geonb! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.75/10

great to hear some classic trip hop on NG. i love the creative use of resonant filters and the subtle chromaticism that it creates. i think the reverb on that low kick is very muddy and messes with some of the other bass elements. i think the bass can come down across the board, just a little. i like the variation in tones, but some of the top end elements are a little harsh - i'd lowpass that brass loop and turn down the resonant hihat thing at 5:42 a little. while i enjoy the slow build i think the runtime is a little excessive overall. and despite that, the track doesn't give itself time decrescendo in a satisfying way. with that said, i quite enjoyed this and want to hear more!

important notes on my NGUAC review process: https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1476427/18#bbspost26965604_post_text