Battle of the beats 2006 - V: reviews by Contayjen
Submitted by Contayjen on Sat, 2006-09-23 12:03.
Ruffian - They Prey - Big phat reece to start backed up by terror pads...sounds like its going to be a dark one. Nice filtering and drum edits to build it up. The reeces are fucking evil in this one. Sickness. Tight production and good levels in this, loud too. After the drop, the beat is heavy, but the kick really lacks something...too much air and not enough weight in it. Sounds like its too compressed. Change that kick and the pattern its playing dude and you've got a much better track. The fills sound good but the [kksk] pattern is too basic and industrial, its doesn't roll well enough and takes the whole track down, which is a shame as the sounds are fucking insane, probably the tastiest selection you've got out of all the tracks in this BotB. The evil vocals work well to instill even more terror. Seriously dude, this track really kicks apart from the drums...Redo them and you'll have an amazing track.
Submitted by Contayjen on Sat, 2006-09-23 12:08.
148 - Some crazy sounds in this intro setting the scene with those atmospheres and sfx good work, some phat reece sickness going on there. Beats are nice and phat. Can't help thinking those hats sound shelved too low for a 320 but still they are reasonably crisp. Proper punchy drums in this one and tight low end. The drops and arrangement in general keep it fresh. I'm sure I can hear a Rezidue reece in there...
Submitted by Contayjen on Sat, 2006-09-23 12:01.
145 - I love the smooth opening atmosphere. KP by any chance? Very nice backing
The arrangment itself is pretty sick with the diving bass fills and the breakwork is pretty good, though this should be crisper for a 256. Long track this is too, at 8:53. The drop at 4:16 really kicks off nice back into the crazy beats. Still loving that bass dive. Sickness. Could be a bit brighter and louder though.
Submitted by Contayjen on Sat, 2006-09-23 11:48.
150 - Right from the start I tell this is Jossi. Very melodic and light, flowing style. The hip-hop breakdown is cool, I am really getting into these myself lately. The piano is a tad bright and cheesy in the breakdown, likewise the pads. I'd slow the attack on those pads and use more reverb to sink them into the back. The piano would sound less cheesy with some more reverb and the top rolled off a tiny bit. Some crazy change-ups there, really shakes the track up a bit. Almost happy hardcore dnb. Lol, is that a sample of a car alarm being armed in there...excellent use of that 
Submitted by Contayjen on Sat, 2006-09-23 11:28.
Mike native - Mike still not getting to grips with the anonymity of this comp lol...You robbed me of the chance to identify you again by putting your name on this track. It does have your sound on it. More catchy and less cheese in this one. Glad you've seen the light mate j/k It starts off very liquidy, I like the way the panning reece comes in and the vocoded beats work well. The reece itself could be a bit dirtier imo, but the grit on it and the meaty snare nicely compliments the chilled smoothness of the rest of the track. This style of dnb would really suit some vocal snippets and samples I reckon....it needs that extra layer to take it higher. Good riffs and arrangement but without more going on it could get repetitive.
Submitted by Contayjen on Sat, 2006-09-23 11:52.
151 - Smooth intro, chilled and ambient, setting the scene nicely. It always cool to hear something different in dnb. Okay the drop....the breaks are too far back, and lacking clarity. I dont like the sample quality of those breaks, quite gritty. Ah, now the reece....sounds like Surge getting a lot of use in this track. The barking/stabs work well. The lower riff that first comes in at 3:08 doesnt work imo...just sounds too off-key. The selection of sounds is good, mainly the weak beat lets this track down. The el guitar style riff is really cool, I really like that.
Submitted by Contayjen on Sat, 2006-09-23 11:28.
141 - Great intro in this one too...mad sample, great choice. The reece sounds a bit static for my liking, though it does play a cool melody. The beats are hard but sound crowded, like there is too much snare, or the snare is to regular, and it doesn't quite roll enough or something The breakdown with the crazy sample and opera singing is quite different. Some excellent ideas in this one, though the sounds themselves could be fine-tuned a bit more. The arrangment is good with regular fills and changeups. The end fade is a bit unexpected, like the track isnt quite finished. Overall, its well planned out, just some fine-tuning on the drums and reece sounds needed I reckon.
Submitted by Contayjen on Sat, 2006-09-23 11:27.
143 - Interesting intro...a cheeky reversed Essence chipmunk there, lol. Some crazy jump up track here. Immediately I think the snare is very metallic, lacking weight, sounds like someone drumming on a car roof. The kick is also tiny. More beef, fella. That said, its nice and loud and in-your-face. The vocals work well, though I maybe a bit overused. The end of section build-ups keep the vibe going in this one, nice work. This defo sounds like Obscure and its an improvement over previous tracks. The melodies all fit together in this one, even if there is still quite a bit of 'jazz' going on.
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