definitely sounds like something I'd hear in steven universe, especially when the low beats kick in

I can easily imagine walking through a crystal tunnel while listening to this. The tunnel and music is filled with sparkling beauty and magic. Wonderful experience!

This is an official NGADM '19 Review

Composition:
The complex jazz-like chord structures are a nice work. It really helps with the with the floaty feel you bring across in the song. With the way the chords traveling between the augmented and diminished chords, it helps give it this free feeling that works well with the choice of instruments you have. There never really was a point that it felt lacking in fullness while also maintaining this air of simplicity. I don't really have any real issues with the melody writing, other than really the only memorable melodies IMO happen in the breaks like at 1:00 and 2:20, as well as the hit at 3:34 which I think would have really benefited from some crashes from the percussion.

Production:
This is a good clean mix. The it's well balanced and sounds like a finished product. There's particularly good work in the percussion. I like how there's a lot of folly type of percussion riding on top that's really subtle and brings in so much depth to the mix. It's subtle enough you can miss paying attention to it, but it would feel like it's missing something without it.

Sound Design:
Again, the percussion is a really nice plus. The synths you have really develop a nice atmosphere which works very well with the title. Nothing is piercing at the top, and everything on the low end is really soft and is careful not to fight with the rest of the mix. The only issue I really have is the sine wave bass you have might be a little too soft for areas like 1:45. It's not very clear when hitting those staccato style eighth notes. It would be a lot better I think with a plucking style of attack at the front. Not too much since everywhere else it fits nicely within the mix.

Structure:
This song can also really gives me the feeling of let's say flying through space in a carefree style. I like it, but it feels like the progression doesn't really move that much. I don't mean that the song drags out, but it feels more like it didn't have a lot of energy dynamics. Sure the breaks got quieter compared to the track around it, but they felt too similar to me. The climatic hit around 3:33 fell a little flat compared to what it sounds like it was trying to do.

Emotion / Conclusion:
Overall, it was really well made. I didn't feel like it wanted to hold my attention though, and felt like I didn't thoroughly enjoy it as much as I could have.

Composition: 8

Production: 9

Sound Design: 8

Structure: 7

Emotion: 6

I like this stuff!

I like the quirky detuned arpeggios at the beginning. I rarely hear VGM tracks in ¾, so you get brownie points for that at the very least. The sound design of the piece is really fun, and it almost sounds like it has a hip-hop-inspired beat pattern between the vintage clap and intricate hi-hat pattern. The melodies throughout the first minute are really nice, although the lines at :58 get in each other’s way a bit too much for my tastes. Maybe you could’ve gotten away with it if the transition at :58 wasn’t also a bit abrupt, but it kinda sounded like you just bent the piece into a horseshoe shape and tried to meld the two sides together. The melodic theme from the first minute also returns rather abruptly at 1:36, and after that the piece lacks direction a bit, instead oscillating between a couple of distinct sub-themes that aren’t integrated well with each other and (for the most part) don’t really help the piece develop in a meaningful way. I think the climax at 3:32 made the progression of this piece sound infinitely more interesting, and I’d love to hear a version of this piece that tries to break away from the ABABAB framework of the first 3 minutes even more. My favorite element of the piece is probably the production quality, which I have exactly 0 complaints about. Very clean and loud mix, my friend. Still, I think you sold yourself short on some of the compositional elements of this piece, even though the sound design, mood, and mixing are all top-notch. Solid work overall. Keep at it, Trixelbit! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
8/10