I like the creepy mood at the beginning. The synths sound a bit unpolished and muddy, though. I like the beat, although the reverb is a bit excessive and compromises the quality of the mix. The mix sounds especially distorted at around 1:13. I’d suggest toning down the compression a bit, and also making sure that bass instruments (kick drum, synth bass, etc.) have as little reverb on them as possible - reverb can make the entire mix sound really muddy when it’s applied to the bass frequency range.

Compositionally, the piece is a bit bland, with little in the way of harmonic variety or a sense of development over time. Some stronger melodic content, or at the very least some contrast in the texture (a section that’s more atmospheric, for example), would likely help you out here. The sound design is fittingly ominous and apprehensive-sounding, but nothing too unique or especially engaging. Overall, my favorite element of the piece is probably the mood and atmosphere.

Priority number one for you going forward should be reining in those volume levels at 1:13 - I’m hearing some clipping there, which means there are distortions in the audio signal because the piece is just too loud. Listen to how staticky the texture sounds there, especially when the kick plays on the downbeats. Dialing back the compression, or just the volume levels as a whole, can help limit that distortion. Most DAWs have some sort of bar or gauge in the built-in mixer that will light up in red during playback when your piece is clipping. Ideally, your piece would never go into the red. If you use FL Studio or Logic Pro, PM me and I can give you some more particular advice about dealing with clipping.

Sorry if this review sounds really negative - you have a solid start on the emotional appeal, catchiness, and progression of this piece. But more attention to detail on the mixing and mastering will make your piece sound a lot cleaner, clearer, and well-balanced while making those ominous synth riffs really pop. Keep at it, Harry107! :)

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

evil circus trap is a bit of a vibe tbh! good to hear varied dynamics and interesting chromatics used. it's kinda weird that everything gets louder at the same time every time there's a change. the first time it's not a big issue, but the second time it doesn't feel like a satisfying drop because it just sounds the same as the first part, only louder. plus it starts distorting so maybe look into compression/limiting on the master channel. song is quite short and not a lot really happens musically, but i like that you're trying something new for yourself with this.

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

You really nailed that creepy vibe with those chords around 00:10, great job!