I like the quirky percussion and bass riff at the beginning. The drums might need a tad more reverb just to fill out the texture toward the beginning, and the progression is a little slow-paced for the first minute or so. By around the 1-minute mark it’s starting to come together well, and I’m enjoying the bluesy chords too. The synth that comes in at 1:37 is cool, but I think it’s distorting the pads in the mix. I’d suggest using a little more filtering to eliminate some of the low-pitched tones in the instruments besides the bass and kick. Otherwise, instruments playing in the same frequency ranges as others will tend to make each other sound less distinct, which I think is what’s happening here. There’s a great sense of climax into 2:15, though, and I like how you aimed for some dynamic contrast in the next section. The clave at 2:54 sounded a little dry and out-of-place - maybe it deserves a fade-in? The texture is pretty minimal in here, but the majestic melody at 3:20 is a great touch. The piece comes together really well at 3:57. I’m loving the injection of melodic content and energy, all while keeping the mysterious mood of the breakdown section alive. The mix might’ve gotten a tad overwhelmed by 4:17, and it might help to tone down the reverb there. I would’ve liked to hear a more proper outro, but in a way the sudden ending adds to the sense of mystery with this piece. Overall, the composition of this track is really strong. I love how it’s structured, and the sound design and flow of it are great too. Some of the mixing details are my main concerns here, and I think the bass is also a little too loud throughout. Otherwise, keep up the good work, Glassedhouse! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
8.25/10