BOTB 2006/IV [Vemberaudio Sponsored]: reviews by Contayjen

trial (working title) by synrgy + empyr: 114 - Cool intro, tight

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Submitted by Contayjen on Sun, 2006-07-16 01:29.

114 - Cool intro, tight punchy beats, good depth in the mix.  I like the percussion behind the drums..and well placed glitch/fills.  Bass synth works well.  Production is pretty good overall.  I think theres probably room for another layer over some of the sections, but it sounds pretty good as is.  Enjoyable.


Nevertheless by Kondencuotas Pienas: Kondencuotas Pienas vs.

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Submitted by Contayjen on Sun, 2006-07-09 12:28.

Kondencuotas Pienas vs. Synaesthetic Society - Very nice wide open airy mix, lots of reverb but the space is warm.  Nice contrast between the ambient sections and amens and one-shots.  Bass is big and phat, though a bit repetitive.  The organic instruments make a nice sound altogether.  Only thing is that whistle is too loud and gets annoying after a while.  Good mixing, good depth in this mix.


Headlines by DMJ A.K.A Jossi: 117 - Good arrangement and

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Submitted by Contayjen on Sun, 2006-07-09 11:26.

117 - Good arrangement and musical content in this one, about the right amount for commercial dnb.  Drums and bassline are very Pendulum-ish, with heavy drums and grinding reece.  Not too keen on breakdown section before the main breakdown when the drums came in for a while.  It seems to get a bit mashed up there, but rest of the track is well made.  The levels are well balanced and its mixed and mastered well.  Melodies make me think this is Jossi/DMJ.  Great track, I enjoyed it.


Global Threat by Vex: 122 - Snag.  Heavy amen

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Submitted by Contayjen on Sun, 2006-07-09 11:32.

122 - Snag.  Heavy amen roller with huge deep subs and reeces.  Very big wide mix too.  I have to say I am bit biased against amens, especially when they are running just on their own but it all works well together when the basses come in.  Nice selection of reeces in this tune. Mixing isn't bad, maybe slightly bass heavy compared to modern mastering but it sounds great through my sub.  There's room for more melody or a melody that develops more but I like the aggressive dark vibe.


Freak Show by DJ Shiver: 121 - Quite wobbly vibe to

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Submitted by Contayjen on Sun, 2006-07-09 13:04.

121 - Quite wobbly vibe to this.  Are those horn stabs in there?  They give it a kind of latin feel.  Bass is big and bouncy, drums are cool, especially that little roll.  Not too much wrong with the mix.  Interesting track.


bodycount by mabus: 116 - Wow that feedback at

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Submitted by Contayjen on Sun, 2006-07-09 11:49.

116 - Wow that feedback at the beginnng really cleared my ears out, lol.  The intro to this track is quite long not much changes once it gets going, its simply the same loops going all the way through it.  Perhaps some different sections would help it.  Mixing isn't bad, just not enough happening.


urza by infest: 105 - A dark, but not too

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Submitted by Contayjen on Sun, 2006-07-09 13:25.

105 - A dark, but not too heavy vibe.  Quite trippy.  The drums are excellent, the bass is deep and solid.  The mix has some space in it for some more stuff to be going on.  Overall mix and mastering is okay but the song doesn't have much progression.


Undertone by Override and PolyFonix: 128 - Only 40 secs of this

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Submitted by Contayjen on Sun, 2006-07-16 01:18.

128 - Only 40 secs of this came through, which is a shame because this started really well.  Nice atmospheres, punchy drums, production isn't bad.  I can't really judge the arrangement without listening to the whole thing though.


no tommorow by dj obscure: 136 - Another dark amen

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Submitted by Contayjen on Sun, 2006-07-09 11:56.

136 - Another dark amen roller.  Damn, that woman screaming had me looking out the window in panic, lol.  Thought someone was getting murdered in the street.  Evil vibe man.  The amens and bassline do get a bit samey after a while, but there are some good ideas well presented in this.  Some slight distortion on the mix.


Different Dub by DJ Scape: 113 - Different Dub. 

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Submitted by Contayjen on Sun, 2006-07-16 01:20.

113 - Different Dub.  Fairly quiet mix this, could do with some compression or limiting.  It seems quite sub heavy, leaving a lot of space in the lower midrange and higher.  It also goes on a long time for what is in it.  The vibe would suit a smokey dark underground club, but its not really a dancefloor smasher.


wait to sleep by robad pills: 124 - Interesting track

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Submitted by Contayjen on Sun, 2006-07-09 15:04.

124 - Interesting track this.  Quite experimental, not really dnb at all, more IDM.  The beats seem to have lurching groove to it, not good for dancing, but then this isn't a tune for dancing.  I actually like the glitchiness of the drums but the rhythm is very mechanical which will put most people off.  The tune is mastered well overall, with clear highs and a deep sub.  The melodies are quite interesting too.


by : 138 - Some good ideas here,

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Submitted by Contayjen on Sun, 2006-07-09 13:32.

138 - Some good ideas here, though they could have been developed better.  The track is quite repetitive without much changing for many bars.  There is no real bassline for any of it, which isn't a exactly a small thing to overlook in this style.  Not too keen on the bendy synth riff.

Mixing wise, the open hat is too loud (or decay is too slow).  I dont have much positive to say unfortunately but I can tell this producer hasn't been at it too long.