I really like the energy and frantic synths at :23, but honestly a lot of the synths here are pretty cheesy, and the chord progression is a bit generic. The kick at the very beginning has a lot of upper-mid-range frequencies in it for my tastes, and the clap at :23 could use some more reverb and layering for interest and atmosphere. The lead at :49 sounds very indistinct in the texture, perhaps because of an excess of reverb this time, or maybe just because of a lack of compression or general balance in the volume levels. I also think you’re overusing the sweep-down at 1:21.

The arrangement of the piece is a bit choppy in the way that it oscillates suddenly between the frantic, high-octane sections and the downtempo, atmospheric ones. The piece starts getting better when you start integrating these two sections a bit better, with notably with the frantic riff playing at 1:23 after you strip the beat away, and then transition well back into the synth lead solo at 1:45. The little screeches you threw in there (like at 1:51) weren’t my favorite, but the warm, elegant pads at the breakdown at 2:08 help to offer some contrast in the structure.

The key change at 2:31 felt a bit abrupt at first, but I like the bubbly synth at 2:33 and the sense of apprehension in the texture by around 2:55. You also have another effective key change at 3:20, although you may start overdoing it a tad by 4:05. Relying on key changes alone to create variety in a piece is hard to pull off, especially in a 5-minute piece.

That said, you have a lot of really creative and fun compositional details here. I just wanted the mixing to be a bit sharper and the sound design to be more polished and original. Also, the arrangement was a bit choppy, especially early on in the piece before the texture was as rich and full as it was for most of the second half. Overall, this was a fun and catchy piece with a strong atmospheric appeal. Keep at it, StormLight93! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

Simple and effective. Crazy arpeggios, and those characteristic transitions. Takes me back.

I would recommend taking some reverb off of your strings, shorter release time, and timing the attacks a little early for each note as when you play multiple notes in a series they get so muddy!

The quack in your guitar at 1:52 could come down some, and for all future quacks. Otherwise, well written! Nice work.

The transition at 2:33 was unexpected and is like two songs in one. Yay!

This makes me want to go nuts and produce crazy old techno shit myself xD

What was I going on about, oh, the clarity of the mix is a big issue, as I would like more umph out of your kick, more space on your strings -- two separate instruments panned somewhat left and right respectively should help. That talking synth in the background is sounding great but could come down a bit in volume for your outro.

Nice outro keychange. Fits well.

Your arps are nice and nutty throughout. Overall, fantastic. Really enjoyed it!

Thanks for coming out to NGADM!

Wow, this sounds exactly like Dimrain, used to love his music. Did you build this from scratch yourself?

Following you for future music!