Battle of the beats 2005 - IV: reviews by Tacx
Submitted by Tacx on Thu, 2005-12-01 21:48.
Starts off very promising, Elusive synths break a moaning softsynthline, which in turn with the hats rolls around a industrial wasteground. A sticky mash of dirty bass in the undergrowth...teases and wants to let rip. The beats roll around tormenting and lets the bass introduce properly at a Low HP Frequency and slams into a massive unstable..ready to pop lead bassline. Cranking, contorting and twisting this track grabs every part of the brain and replaces it with a new introductory sound. Constantly developing beat. Theres a few parts to this track that i feel need a little tweaking though, as much as my head smashed every wall in my house. The track ends too abruptly, it needs a randevous with the original synth from the start of the track...this bad-boy needs to settle ya know?
Brain Mash - Good Stuff!
Submitted by Tacx on Sat, 2005-12-03 20:47.
Oooo where am i?
Another realm? India? I don't fucking care, its cool where ever I am! Because now i can hear the bass filtering in and now a boudy bass slide. That sub keeps that track moving...sliding everywhere and helping drop every sound thats next in line. The beat is very breaky and nice and chirpy. Im not 100% sure but i dont think the Indian Sitar scale(behind the beat) is in time or not. That ill-boy bass synth is back to destroy all human lifeforms. No one can pass its wrath, feel its power. the beats evolving slowly, introducing many different sounds and kits here and there. Not a huge amount of progression elsewhere - your main focus is the bass, this leaves the Indian sounds to be bold and impacting enough to keep the beat stable, which it does to an extent, only when the sample starts reversing does the track become stable. Im very curious to how the samples in the middle 8 are kept in-time, i dont think they do, they start a little late and i think are in a different time signiture. This doesn't mean i dont like the idea because i think its hot. Just gotta be careful how the drop snaps back. Enjoyed listing to this, although not many elements grabbed my attention.
Nailed on straight
Submitted by Tacx on Sat, 2005-12-03 20:31.
Delicate and precise intro. Moving strings soft groans lean into a nasty bass sign. An evil chanting "red-drum" breaks a paht beat - slightly broken in places - in a good way. Nasty, bad and almighty. Booming synths and screaming basslines create an evil and dramatic atmosphere. Evil cheeky "tricks" with the beat, leave you un-easy and apprehensive of the forcoming....something...didn't expect the strings. I must say the transition between the strings and the drop is phenominal. A Late night smash-up. Maybe a little to broken up in places, but the lead synth takes you higher with-in the track exposing raw bass. Theres little variation on the synths and basslines, i know that it will always drop back into the heavy sections. Predictable and unusual... The synth that goes up and up and up and up and well.....up keeps a little taming. It screams through my tweeters like a butter knife, I think i lost a few brain cells. Who knows. Production was tight and the distortion was kept clean. Cannot fault this on production, bar what I've previsouly said, its just a bit samey. The beat doesn't quite take all the heat off the track in the breakdowns, and I'd like to hear more variation on the synths. Good work all the same
Submitted by Tacx on Sat, 2005-12-03 12:44.
Sensual, romantic. Sweeps and delayed synths wander around a smooth stereo picture. The beats kicks in...Superb beat. Liking lots of key features of this tune. Snare is tight - kick is tighter! spot on drum work. Maybe a little overcompresed as the open hat squeezes to find a route to the next sequence. Moody synths and a low end pad progress the track to a further Flute. I feel very Bukem about this, the production, the sound choice and vibe. Very much enjoed this track.
Top key to this tune is the fact it has an outro - and a veyr nice one indeed
Submitted by Tacx on Sat, 2005-12-03 12:39.
Great combination of sounds - that sub-bass comes in and builds to something massive...But instead gets tamed off into a cheesy harp scale. The hihats are no-where. The beat develops well at 1min57sec. The Piece starts being a "track" at that point. The strings are getting a little old towards the end of the track. Theres a lot of sub-bass in this track, which helps carry it well - without this this track would be in pieces. The main strings end well with a dropping scale, which could have been used earlier in the track to state a Middle 8 position. The production of this track is v good, all sounds keep tucked in together. needs a little highend Eq to bring out the Hats a little more. Thats the only element that i have found consistent through out the contest. Good work - has a good stature
Submitted by Tacx on Sat, 2005-12-03 12:53.
Love the start! Great work, spanish guitar rolling back with the strings. The beat is soft, but for a reason. Too much power and energy behind thie track would overspill the strings (which sit right at the back of the mix). Most prominant is the sub bass, a little over powering but still a nice addition. That Brass stab sample we have all heard be for drops in with a sliced and diced vocal. This builds for about 16 bars...builds and drops a wet 70's synth, not to my taste. I love the sounds you have used, but that synth? why? Anyway that synth is shortly lived and drops the vocals and brass stab back, funky and head fueling - interested as the lead melodie pops in for a rain-check. A little build and a drop into the 70's synth, which is totally overpowered by the sub bass.
But - The Outro is just as sweet as the intro. Once again... as ive said in a previous review...the outro ends with a finshing string movment, which could have made an interesting Middle 8 section.
interesting, good piece
Submitted by Tacx on Thu, 2005-12-01 21:53.
Oldskool feel, lead synth sounds 8 bit and commadore. Its just about a good mix of layers and textures. The patriotic gregorian choir need to be slammed right in that mix at the end of the 16 bars. Good bass work - follows through like beer and curry 3 nights in a row, with the lead synth. Im not overly-impressed with the fills and drops...nothing really gets achieved with these, they are too messy and all over the place. Its a good track, needs a decent drop sequence...
Submitted by Tacx on Sat, 2005-12-03 13:00.
Evil and boudy
Ha...that surprising beat got my head slammin' straight away. Nice and cheeky. A drop of a very avarage sub bassline. The beat is constantly filtering and distorting, its a good effect when used correctly, use this as a decent expample of how. A detuned synth mashes the atmosphere and sits hand in hand with the beat. The synth is a little too loud - your incredible atmosphere totally dissapears when that comes into play. The atmosphere is a foundation - which should not be under-mimed. Amon Tobin style eerie-ness.
Doesn't really adapt, change or progress to much.
Good work - nice grime levels
Submitted by Tacx on Thu, 2005-12-01 21:32.
Developes nicely. Great production, as tight as fuck although there wasn't much to cram into the stereo-space you had. This track had a loverly atmosphere, but not else to it. Most importantly - the open hi-hat does not sit right on the beat, great construction of beats, dont get me wrong, but the hi-hat sounds much to live. Delightful little synthline - cheeky and uplifting. Not enough progression during the center and end of the track.
Submitted by Tacx on Thu, 2005-12-01 21:40.
It means to float and drift - but suceeds like a jelly on washing machine. Im very intrigued with the type of sounds used - gentle ethnic sounds. I can't really see this as a finished track, there's lots of elements missing...sturdy beats...rolling hats...an atmosphere. I love the idea and elements on this track, although i feel it lacks in construction, production and mainly listenablility. I sincerly wish this will one day, in my eyes, be finished. A few more knicks and tricks here and there, wouldn't go a miss. Once a friend said to me : "This track is like a ferrari with a VW Polo Engine in, just needs some bits and bobs and a few tweaks"
Submitted by Tacx on Sat, 2005-12-03 20:37.
Strange intro, into a simple beat. Cruises around until stopping for a vocal snippet into a horny bass sound. A drop of a sub and the horny sounding bass equal the lead bassline. There's little progression of anything in this track. Had little to listen to. This has to be unfinished? Surely? I havent got anything like progression, outro, structure or lead synths to comment on...Its short and sweet, but there'ss no way near enough musis for me to comment on fairly?
I can except this being a full track, but for me it isn't long enough. In the time spent listening i found little, not many sounds to listen to. I have no idea what to go by?
Wicked track - Sick and bitter
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