DSF SAMPLE PACK COMPETITION-22

[stappard]

SO many entries!

Will sit down and do a proper review later today. Can't wait to hear this shit

[Karoshi]

bollocks, got mine 99% finished then got caught up with a load of uni work

tbh, listening to the enteries its probably a good thing i never entered, there all so good!

[Ongelegen]

alot of good entries! I felt pretty good about my track, but not anymore after hearing the other entries

[trox]

damn i missed the deadline!

I thought I had a decent choon too.

Oh well

Next time!

[HAACK]

@tavravlavish:

Thanks for the vote

I know judges are not allowed to enter the competitions, but there is no judging this time around, just thought I would put something together for fun!

+

[tavravlavish]

@tavravlavish:

Thanks for the vote

I know judges are not allowed to enter the competitions, but there is no judging this time around, just thought I would put something together for fun!

+

fuckin killed it dude!!! seriously good song, plus the mix sounds pretty professional in my opinion.

[bolsty]

wow, deep deep vibes some of in these tunes, so hard to make a decision, not gunna vote for that reason.

[buttonia]

This one is over, voting is in progress... when will the next comp start??
buttonia

[jaydot]

Never submitted my entry in the end, and what with the standard of some of them I'm glad I never.

[stappard]

Here goes......I'm writing this as I listen so prepare for rambling.

Feeling You
Really like the unorthodox 'bubbly' sound running through this one. For me however, the drums aren't quite what I'd have liked to have seen. Obviously it may have been a personal stylistic choice but the snare sound (more of a harsh hat sound to my ears) didn't work for me. Also the second drop didn't really add anything new that hadn't already been said the first time around. The kick feels a bit lacking in definition at times too. Overall though an imaginative approach to the samples.

After Hours
Chilled! The vibe is almost brilliant, but I'm not sure if I was hearing space (the lovely, random trio kind) or just gaps. Obviously I'm not suggesting filling that space with more sounds, this tune's power is all in its stripped back nature, but perhaps some more work with the reverby washes in the upper frequencies. That said, I get all sort of Burial feelings in the last 20 seconds or so, which is never bad.

All I Wanna Do
Didn't feel the vocals fit the music on this one. The instrumental - particularly the dubby bass and that panned, gated atmospheric sound - is super-classy, but yeah, the vocals weren't doing it for me. Which is a bit mean of me really when you consider I was the one who gave you those vocals to use. I love the little drum roll, used sparingly but effectively, using a break against the dub bassline is a great juxtaposition. Not overly keen on the snare/clang noise though.

Keep The Change
(who's coming up with some of these names? ) Whoa, different tip on this one to the first few. But I can't quite work out whether its supposed to be a dancefloor tune or a headphones tune.. That bass feels like its designed for physical impact but the abtract drums are more breakcore... I liked some of the buildup noises but why does it buildup and then sort of tail off before the second drop? I can see the intention but in this case it felt like it lost the energy. To improve, work on the mix down. Those drums (is that a kick I hear somewhere?) aren't visceral as drums should be, they just sort of clatter away at the top of my hearing range. And the bass is too loud if those drums are really how you want them.

Compound
The drums! Dig the sound design on them. Given my personal preference (which is what I'm voting for anyway, this isn't the fucking princes trust) The 'blippy' style kick isn't my bag but its mixed nicely and would give this track some nice garage-style bounce on a system. Vocals are brilliantly treated and effectively deployed but I have the ****** doubt they're (perculiarly) favouring the left channel slightly? Who knows, possibly just my ears but in a headphones context it was slightly offputting at first. Nice progression, well put together, definately the most professional sounding so far.

Always
Interesting synth you've constructed for the bass, a clever idea but I feel like it doesn't really fit with the rest of the track. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'd say you're not mixing this on monitors - not through any particular fault, but the mix generally feels a bit 'loose'. Not entirely sure I'm feeling the groove on those atmospheric sounds you've got going either... Anyway too much criticism - the saxophone is nicely used and if the drums were just fit together a little better they'd be properly banging. Take notes from 'Compound' on how you want your drums to really in dance music...

Day of Grey
Another one that didn't need the vocals as far as I'm concerned. Loving the style and swing of the drums and the use of the synth sound. The break at 0:34 is really pro sounding. I sort of get a lo-fi, Actress vibe of this one which is definately a good thing. The new (I think?) progression around the 1:10-1:25 mark is a nice subtle change too. On the vocals again - having them lower means they fit nicely, but just in my mind the track called out for a less clean-cut vocal line. Something more nonsensical cut from the sample passage perhaps.

Speak
The Intro before the drop wasn't very engaging. Perhaps in a club environment you could use that for mixing or whatever but given the nature of the contest (3 minutes, going to be listened to at relatively low volumes) I think the intro as well as the track in general was a stylistic gamble.. I think the most effective bass noise was the one at 1:37, the repeater one. I think that was closest to what you were trying to achieve (presumably a Datsik style thing, hard bass and lots of quick edits) As with a few other entries, the drums could do with some more close attention. Just as an example the attack on the snare felt a little slow which, to use a penis analogy (I do like a penis analogy) sort of resulted in feeling a bit like you were gently wiping it across my back rather than shoving it in my fucking arse, which a good snare (particularly in a song like this) really should. Sorry if that felt like a lot of criticism and homosexuality and not much else but I'm losing concentration slightly.

Destroy Supreme Foes
Well you lose the naming contest but thats another story. The synth got the energy levels right from the off. Like the clattering snare sound, but the white noise counterpoint thing didn't do it for me. A melody line like this is hard to get right without sounding a bit cheesy (Zomby - Rumours and Revolutions is the one that does it best for me) but this one sounds pretty slick, variation keeps it interesting too. Well done too for creating a sound for the melody thats different to the others, sets the track apart. The switch up at 1:53 is fun but that white noise is still distracting me! I love the combination of the ascending atmoshperic noises and the crazy new melody that comes in with this final section.


Part 2 coming soon....

[alphacat]

@Bolsty - aw, fuck that! C'mon - just pick one and vote!

@Jaydot - You're being too hard on yourself dude. I'm sure others here have felt the same way. Everyone that enters is a winner tho. No, seriously!

And props to Stappard for posting up his notes too.
_________________________________________________________________

♪♪♪ Now people lemme tell ya a story/'bout them DSF Blues/I done did a track/but it went on a snooze... ♪♪♪

So I told y'all I'd be entering this time around, but sadly - wound up not submitting the track. How many of you have started a track and were really psyched on how it was shaping up, only to get fucked up by some piddly detail like tuning or making all of your basses fit in the mix (both of which happened to me here) and instead of going back to the beginning, tried instead to fix it in the mix... and wound up making it into a big tangled shitcake of mud? Yeah, well... that's what happened to me. The only thing I really like about it now is the stuff I did to the vocal sample, which I'm totally shocked none of you did as well - made him say "All I love is Bass," "All I wanna do is Bass," "I love all Bass," etc. etc.

Ah, well... once the voting's done - if anybody wants to - I can post it up. Or not. Whatever.
_________________________________________________________________

ALPHACAT'S THOUGHTS (if you can call them that) ON THE TUNES

1 - "Feeling You" - Got my interest right out the gate. Solid, simple, economical progression and excellent sample tweakage - most of those sounds are pretty unrecognizable from the originals. This one feels like it'd be a good warm-up tune for a party that was just starting to go off. The mix feels a little too brickwalled in spots, especially the drop around 1:54 - go easy on that compression & hard limiting, give the mix just a little more room to breathe and the drums more 'air.' Otherwise, very very solid choon. I'm suddenly feeling really good about DSF22...

2 - "After Hours" - Again, totally impressed. While the lead-in might not be the most spectacular intro ever, the song manages to keep a step (or two ) ahead of the listener by changing it up in little ways where you may not expect it; this is critical for keeping my attention locked on to a song. If I hear the same 4 bars repeat verbatim in a song, my interest goes out the window. This was never an issue in "After Hours." When it ended I wanted more.

3 - "All I Wanna Do" - Interesting that the first three kind of touched on the same general vibe but arrived there in very different ways. Lovely fat bass... the mix is pretty raw and needs some finesse (hats are a bit hot, too much compression on the drum mix) but the idea is pretty solid. Not sure where this one could go from here though. Maybe a tiny amount more of melodic variation: the tune achieves its own distinct atmosphere but feels frozen in it by the end. Still quite listenable by any measure.

4 - "Keep The Change" - Liquid psychedelic sounds in the intro had me glued - where the hell is this going? Why, into the giant wave of bass - surf's up! This song had the really interesting effect on me of getting me excited like something really crazy was about to happen, and the tension just built and built, then eased up a little bit near the end without, unfortunately, ever cracking me across the face. The little reggaeton beat cutup from the Amen/Sniper break (towards the end) made me chuckle. Ultimately, there was a sense of anticipation that didn't quite pay off, but considering the time limit I understand that's a tall order anyway. Also, take a look at your waveform - chunky like brick wall. Some more dynamics could potentially help with the "payoff" thing at the end too. I like this song despite all that though.

5 - "Compound" - Sounds like an old pro made this. Good mix, maybe could use a little more mid definition in the overall mix (not bass though - subs are tighter than a nun's shitlocker, sonically speaking.) This track has the marks of classic UK dance music all over it, which can be good or bad depending on the listener I suppose. The tearout kidz will hate it, chicks would dance to it, older heads would nod sagely about the overtones of the Golden Age of Garage or some such bumclot. Guess what I mean to say is production-wise it's definitely a contender, beats and everything are great, but 5 minutes later I can't remember what it sounded like - maybe in need of a hook or something to distinguish it further?

6 - "Always" - Beginning reminded me of Sanford & Son's truck loaded down with salvage - rattles a bit, kind of clunky, but still endearing. This one just jumped right in with what it had, no pretenses about build-up or anything like that. Pretty straightforward use of the samples too, but has a suprisingly nice progression (I expected it to just find a groove and stay there like many tunes do.) Hyped up vibe to this one too, nice contrast to the chill factor inherent in the Miles sample.

7 - "Day of Gray" - For a minute I was a little worried about the dreaded conceptual intro leading nowhere in particular, but when that beat drops those worries disappeared. Mix needs a tiny amount more finesse, although that's not a showstopper. Starts to lose a little energy in the repetition through the middle, and the overall structure is OK but I sense the creator could do more with this tune and was just pressed for time or something.

8 - "Speak" - Sets itself apart right away with kind of a primitive/rockist vibe... and then the filterfuckery hits. Interesting mix in that it's both sparse and excessive - the basses obviously take completely fuckin' over when they're playing. This track could benefit from a more clearly defined sense of space though, especially on the drums, because that formant nuttiness is really dominating the mix - while the drum samples are being used mostly dry and as-is, meaning that they tend to sound dull in the mix next to the bass. Unusual ending, liked it.

9 - "Destroy Supreme Foes" - Another from someone who's been around the block. Mix is a little loose but not totally flabby: high end is fairly clear, but it loses definition toward the low end. Cool little melody lead, and the progression here is pretty untouchably tight - no wasted time. This one feels like a genuinely complete song more than any of the others so far. I'd like to see you freak that shit even more, like the stuff in the middle, because the structure here is so solid that you can go totally nutty in places and the song will still hold together just fine.

10 - "Final" - Great intro, great use of the sounds, and bless you for being brave enough to post a track like this knowing full well how many wobble/midrange/tearout haterz there are around here. While the balance of sounds is OK in this (just OK - not enough subs and mid lows in the mix at all) the brickwaving HAS TO STOP people! If you gave this mix just a pinch more headroom and general space it would absolutely hold its own compared to similar tunes, but right now it sounds like someone's trying to cram sounds into my ears with a fuckin' crowbar. Maybe that's what you were after though...

11 - "All I Do" - Cool retro DnB-esque vibes. Kind of a generic progression/transitions, but that's true of many songs in these contests and not a showstopper in and of itself. This one reminds me of driving around late at night listening to 96-98 era DnB. One thing though - I want more oomph in this arrangement (not the mix, which is fine)... perhaps some unexpected breaks or transitions. The nostalgic warm fuzzy vibe of the song makes me comfortable - too comfortable. Challenge the listener more. I dare you!

12 - "Baby Bin" - Interesting intro (makes me wanna do the DubstepJustin dance!) and sub hits early on pulled me in and made me curious to see where this one was going - and it didn't let me down. Originality and minimalism meet head on in this tune and have one big fat heavy baby... I like the understated over-the-topness of this song. My biggest complaint was that it ended too soon, and now I want to listen to your other tunes if they're anything like this. In fact, I didn't even notice the mix because I was listening too intently to the heaviness you were layin' down.

13 - "Horny Sea Creatures" - 1st Prize for song title this time around (although #4 could've been called this too with it's squishy watery vibe.) Standard intro, nice use of space especially. Maybe I'm too old, but the squelchy resampled airhorn kind of gets on my nerves... which means most current dubstep fans will probably like it. This song doesn't break any stylistic ground by any means, but it's developed enough that it could get dropped into many setlists and do just fine as a bridge tune or something like that. Also think (and this is not an insult) that you could probably do pop songs too - I think you have the sensibility to do it well, anyway. I'm surprised that you're the only one that really had any fun with that vocal sample so far.

14 - "Refuge" - This one reminds me of at least one other song I've heard but can't remember for the life of me. That kick is mighty large - almost too big for the mix, but somehow it also sort of works in its excessiveness. Again, more space in the drums would be nice (the rest of the mix has enough room though.) Listenable, but it doesn't set itself apart enough besides that massive kick. Maybe if you mixed it up with some of the atmospheric stuff and did different things with that, or a melodic progression to keep things moving along.

15 - "All I Want" - Whoa. At first I was wondering if this one was going to re-tread old paths too, but I have to say that despite the immediate recognizability of the samples it's still one of the most original submissions. Feels a little like Prefuse 73 in the use of suffocatingly thick atmospherics that kind of overwhelm [in a good way] the listener. However, a little more variety in there somewhere - to be honest, I'm not sure where - would make this one a total standout. Also interested in hearing more from you too.

16 - "Sonic Putty" - Uh oh, studio wiz kid alert! Big large huge sounds speak for themselves, so you don't need to brickwave the whole mix too (the synths in the intro, for example, wind up getting squished to the point where they lose any suppleness and sexiness and get a little taxing on the ears.) Cool sounds, not much of a progression. I like the overall vibe here and would like to see some more funk in the tune - because vibe + groove = win, and you're already halfway there!

17 - "Cytoplasm" - 4 minutes plus?! Hmmf. Bearing in mind that these aren't supposed to go past 3 minutes, spending a whole minute on an atmospheric intro isn't exactly economical. However, you do freak them sounds pretty good. This mix is also a good example of why brickwaving sucks ass: this song is quieter than many other entries and also has more of a sense of room... but coming after all of those over-loud tracks it both stands out for not being so and sounds out of place, even though you're the one with the right idea. Ideally we could all find some middle ground and make tracks that are hot without having the "sonic caps lock" always on. Props on the doppler siren effect towards the end, imaginative sample use. There's a lot of restraint in this tune - something I always have to give credit for. This song [to me] calls out for some kind of variation, either rhythmically or melodically. There's not a lot happening melodically at present, so that'd be the easiest thing to add and give it more dimension imho.

DSF23 FTW!

[alphacat]

...just as an example the attack on the snare felt a little slow which, to use a penis analogy (I do like a penis analogy) sort of resulted in feeling a bit like you were gently wiping it across my back rather than shoving it in my fucking arse, which a good snare (particularly in a song like this) really should. Sorry if that felt like a lot of criticism and homosexuality and not much else but I'm losing concentration slightly.

Ooooookaaaaay then... now that we all know that Stappard had dick-on-the-brain when he wrote this...

Heh. Looking forward to pt. II of your reviews man. I think you have a different take on this stuff that's probably a little more in line with the majority of listeners [than mine], so please keep it up. No, I don't mean keep THAT up - put it back in your pants! Sheesh.

[stappard]

...just as an example the attack on the snare felt a little slow which, to use a penis analogy (I do like a penis analogy) sort of resulted in feeling a bit like you were gently wiping it across my back rather than shoving it in my fucking arse, which a good snare (particularly in a song like this) really should. Sorry if that felt like a lot of criticism and homosexuality and not much else but I'm losing concentration slightly.

Ooooookaaaaay then... now that we all know that Stappard had dick-on-the-brain when he wrote this...

Heh. Looking forward to pt. II of your reviews man. I think you have a different take on this stuff that's probably a little more in line with the majority of listeners [than mine], so please keep it up. No, I don't mean keep THAT up - put it back in your pants! Sheesh.

Had a dick-centric comedy routine in my head from earlier, i apologise profusely, especially to the guy whose song got shafted with a cock analogy

[wrexile]

AAARRRRHHGGGG!!!!

Totally forgot about voting On the case now, and I must say...

I'm only on track 3 and I'm already extremely impressed. Such quality coming out of this one Wish I'd have participated but gah.. y'know the score...

[Ongelegen]

...just as an example the attack on the snare felt a little slow which, to use a penis analogy (I do like a penis analogy) sort of resulted in feeling a bit like you were gently wiping it across my back rather than shoving it in my fucking arse, which a good snare (particularly in a song like this) really should. Sorry if that felt like a lot of criticism and homosexuality and not much else but I'm losing concentration slightly.

Ooooookaaaaay then... now that we all know that Stappard had dick-on-the-brain when he wrote this...

Heh. Looking forward to pt. II of your reviews man. I think you have a different take on this stuff that's probably a little more in line with the majority of listeners [than mine], so please keep it up. No, I don't mean keep THAT up - put it back in your pants! Sheesh.

[Ongelegen]

AAARRRRHHGGGG!!!!

Totally forgot about voting

maybe its a good idea to change the topic name, like add voting in progress or sumthin. This way more peeps will check the tracks?

[ResetTheAtari]

This is a great idea, definitely going to take part in the next one.

[wrexile]

Done It was "Day of Grey" that did it for me in the end. That beat was just so funk-tastic I couldn't let it go

p.s. "Horny Sea Critters", while not my fav, was such a kawai tune ♥~^_^~♥

[soulshynchyld]

me & ma shit reading skills.... i thought we were only allowed 2:30!! hhahaahhah.
owel, i might do abit more with ma track in the future... was liking some of the shit i was uptah.
ay and why did my track name get shortened??

[alphacat]

Hey you exhibitionist fuckers - - contest's not over. It's generally the idea that we keep the entries anonymous until a winner is revealed so peoples' personalities (or lack thereof) don't influence voting. That's all out the window at this point, it seems, but for future reference...

You fucks.