I like the rich atmosphere and crisp drums at the beginning. The transition at :20 was a bit abrupt, as was the one at :30. You just switched out a lot of different instruments all at once, and the risers and drum fills bridging the gap feel like Band-Aids over bullet holes in that regard. The blissful melodies and VGM sound design are both enjoyable, but at times I wanted the drums to be a bit stronger in the mix. Once the texture gets busier at around the 2-minute mark, they get rather buried. Part of the problem might be that there’s a lot of reverb on the pads and bells. Stereo widening could potentially help clear out the middle of the stereo space for the drums, bass, and melodies. The second half of this piece (2:12 onwards) also doesn’t have much in the way of dynamic melodies, and the melodies you do have seem pretty square rhythmically. Switching up the energy level more might help solve that. Still, I enjoyed the dense beats and cinematic flair of the sound design. Keep at it, TheTrester! ^_^
Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.25/10