Music Challenge - Instrumental Concept (AditTechno vs deepstrasz)

[AditTechno]

Music Challenge - Instrumental Concept

Competitors:

• Challenger: @AditTechno
• Opponent: @deepstrasz

Description

Both competitors create a song that will match an instrumental concept. This means that they must make a song that is suitable for vocals. They don't make the vocals, just the instruments.​

Rules and Conditions

• Universal rules
  • Submissions may not be started / made before the official launch of the challenge.
  • Teamwork is not allowed. Such can be detailed and technical cooperation, like reviewing, which is prohibited. Smaller, subjective feedback is not considered as teamwork and is allowed.
  • Submissions must follow the Site Rules
• Conditions
  • Challenge starts --> Judging, so we are not using public votes in general, unless there is a reconsideration.
  • Let the song lose that "vocal" instrumentation. That's basically what we're planning at all.

General Music Rules

• Your final entry must include the music in an accepted file Format (MP3, OGG, or MIDI) and an accompanying explanation of the song (i.e. explain how it fits into the theme).
• You may not include long periods of silence in your song - rests are allowed but using 30 seconds of continuous silence simply to fill up space is not allowed.
• Songs shouldn't contain only a single instrument soloing.
• Your WIP must include a screenshot of your worksheet.
• Minimum length is 1 minute, there is no maximum length (please keep it reasonable, 20 minute entries may create the necessity for a maximum length).
• Any method of music production is allowed, including using sequencers, virtual instruments, sound samples and standard recording.
• Vocals cannot be used.
• Though sampling is allowed, it must be within reason:
  • If you use an instrument sound sample for a Sampling VSI (basically if you just use the sound for the instrument, and make it play your music) you must provide the source of the sound, be it a website or an individual.
  • Sampling copyrighted material without the consent of the owner is illegal and will not be tolerated.
  • You may use Royalty free sound samples - but you must provide the source of the sample.
  • The final song must be at least 75% of your writing - In essence, you can use a royalty free drum loop (or other form of sampled material) in your song, but if you chose to you must create enough of the other material or use in such a way that it can be said that you wrote 75% of the song. Samples of instruments are simply to be used for a sequencer (like building a drum line out of specific drums or using a pitch altering sampler to make a melody out of a sound sample from an instrument) are exempt from the 75% rule.

Reputation Award

15 Reputation points​

Duration

• Start: July 24, 2018 GMT
• Deadline: August 14, 2018 GMT (Extends up to a week)

Judge

@Its Ryan Boi


Judging Criteria

Theme	How well does it demonstrate the feeling of the theme	/15
Creativity/Originality	How original is the piece? How creative are you with the theme/instruments/etc.	/10
Production	Basically, how well does it flow? Are accents used to good effect? Do overall levels make sense? etc.	/10
Composition	How well is it composed? Do the key changes make sense?	/15
		/50

Results Calculation

Comparing the judge scores of each competitor.​

---

Applied moderator: @Naze

 

[AditTechno]

@deepstrasz Whenever you're ready, and take a look at the conditions in case you need something changed.

 

[deepstrasz]

@deepstrasz Whenever you're ready, and take a look at the conditions in case you need something changed.

I'm not sure what there should be subject to change. I guess it's pretty explicit that we're supposed to create song fit for vocals no matter the genre.

How much time do we get for this?

 

[AditTechno]

I'm not sure what there should be subject to change. I guess it's pretty explicit that we're supposed to create song fit for vocals no matter the genre.

How much time do we get for this?

I'm not sure, maybe 3 weeks and extends up to a week if needed.

 

[Naze]

Sorry guys I only got to this now. I'll move the thread right now to the main lobby. You can start whenever you're ready.

 

[AditTechno]

@deepstrasz Are you ready?

 

[deepstrasz]

@deepstrasz Are you ready?

Not quite? I don't know Maybe we should start from tomorrow, as in Monday?

 

[AditTechno]

@deepstrasz Today is Monday in my time zone
Let's wait for your time zone.

 

[Rufus]

Interesting!
Subscribing

 

[AditTechno]

The challenge starts in July 24 GMT!

@deepstrasz

 

[deepstrasz]

Let's wait for your time zone.

It's Monday here 12PM.

 

[AditTechno]

Oh, you're 5 hours behind me.

 

[AditTechno]

Bring it on! @deepstrasz

 

[AditTechno]

Starting off early with this WIP right here. It's an early idea and won't kick everything off currently.

 

[Daffa]

Gonna be interesting. Needs to mark this.

 

[Pyrogasm]

Starting off early with this WIP right here. It's an early idea and won't kick everything off currently.

You broke my sense of time for a second with that fivetuplet! FUCK dude. I walk counting 5/4 all the time in my head but hearing it as a five over 16th notes really messed with me. My mnemonic for how to feel 5/4 is "I want to go running today" where yellow is both, red is 5, green is 4. It's reasonably good for a base progression but you need a better turnaround.

~later~

I played with it on my piano for a bit and make a couple short recordings of ideas that are attached to this post. Just my thoughts about where I might go if I was composing the piece. Ignore me if you want, lol. I said the wrong chord for one of them and what I played is F#min, Amaj, B9, Dmaj7, C#min7.

 

[deepstrasz]

Hey guys, tell me if it sounds too familiar with a song you know. I have this feeling it's not that original.

Uploaded a screenshot of the WiP:

 

[AditTechno]

Final WIP update. Next submission will be the final entry and the screenshot.

 

[Pyrogasm]

Final WIP update. Next submission will be the final entry and the screenshot.

IMO you should focus more on the section at 1:40 and trying to integrate your different ideas into a larger phrase that evolves over the course of the piece. The pieces are there you just haven't properly integrated it all. Right now it sounds very disconnected to me, like "We're doing thing A now! ... Okay A's done, here is B now hopeyoulikeitwhoopiee! ... Okay that's B, wasn't it cool? How about A again YEAH! ohalsoadrumsolo". The only thing connecting the two parts together is the fact that you put them in the same song, and nothing propels the music along to the next section when you reach the turnaround back to F#-. It's robotic, uninspired without a rhythm/leading chord that makes you feel that F# before it happens. Just my opinion, though.


Also something about the first half your drum solo is off-putting and I can't quite put my finger on it. I think it's that the beats you accented with bass drum and snare/hi-hat should be swapped in part of it. Or perhaps it's just the accents on the notes being on a weird part of each beat. Do you know how to read music? I could explain with notation.

b is bass drum
s is snare
You have 4 beats per measure and your drums are hitting 8th notes, so 2 per beat. What I'm hearing as the 'proper'/'correct' accenting and grouping:

Beats:     | 1   2   3   4   | 1   2   3   4   |
Drums:   b | s b s b s b s b | s b s b s b s b |
Accents:   | >   >   >   >     >   >   >   >   |
Grouped: [    ][  ][  ][  ][    ][  ][  ][  ][    ]

 

[deepstrasz]

More stuffyo. I still gotta do lots of equa-mastering, make the percussion for all parts not the same and separate solo parts from riffs where singing is due.

 

[AditTechno]

Great news! We finally have a new judge, @BlackEnvyX !

 

[Naze]

Great news! We finally have a new judge, @BlackEnvyX !

Awesome!

The diversity of the wips has been interesting so far. Looking forward for the final entries.

 

[deepstrasz]

Maybe final?

 

[BlackEnvyX]

I can't wait to listen to these!

 

[AditTechno]

Maybe final?

Nice! Mine will be sooner because there are things to do.

 

[AditTechno]

There you go, my final entry.

@BlackEnvyX Both pieces ready for judging.

@deepstrasz It's up to you whether to end this or continue till' the deadline.

 

[deepstrasz]

@AditTechno let's do this!
Let's we'll have done this?

Fin.

 

[AditTechno]

Alright, so it's finished.

@BlackEnvyX Ready for judging, both pieces.

 

[BlackEnvyX]

So both of these songs are the ones that I'm judging?

 

[deepstrasz]

So both of these songs are the ones that I'm judging?

What a shock

Yeah, it's how challenges work. One loses reputation and the winner receives. It's like some sort of highlander duel.

Please follow the contest judging rules as strict as you can

 

[Naze]

You guys can post the results here in this thread if you want. Alternatively, if you prefer to have a separate results thread, I can make it as a neutral party if BlackEnvyX sends the reviews to me.

This has been a nice challenge guys
I'm looking forward for the outcome!

 

[BlackEnvyX]

You guys can post the results here in this thread if you want. Alternatively, if you prefer to have a separate results thread, I can make it as a neutral party if BlackEnvyX sends the reviews to me.

This has been a nice challenge guys
I'm looking forward for the outcome!

I think it would be easier if I sent the results to you and we made a new thread.
I'll have the results by tomorrow.

 

[AditTechno]

Bump
If I lose, I might not challenge anyone again, RIP.

 

[deepstrasz]

If I lose, I might not challenge anyone again, RIP.

What, why? Besides, I think yours is better fit for vocals.

 

[AditTechno]

What, why? Besides, I think yours is better fit for vocals.

Challenging HIVE producers was one of the reasons I'm back to music production
Win= Continue
Lose once= Reconsider (Continue or withdraw)

 

[deepstrasz]

Challenging HIVE producers was one of the reasons I'm back to music production
Win= Continue
Lose once= Reconsider (Continue or withdraw)

That's not how it works. There are many factors involved, from the theme to the person you challenge and so on...

 

[AditTechno]

That's not how it works. There are many factors involved, from the theme to the person you challenge and so on...

I mean, it's just personal, since these days I'm a busy person and I can't really spare my time on music production.
Winning gets me motivated usually and makes me want to continue developing and challenging more people.

In short, IRL

 

[deepstrasz]

Winning gets me motivated usually and makes me want to continue developing and challenging more people.

True, but losing might make your learn more and it doesn't make you the worse composer.

 

[Naze]

Alright when I have Frieza's, I mean, BlackEnvy's judging I'll post the thread!

Winning gets me motivated usually and makes me want to continue developing and challenging more people.

Funny how people are different. For me it's quite the contrary: when I'm losing at a game/sport/something I get more motivated to understand why other competitors are going better than me. That's when I find myself watching some tutorials or reading tips/tricks online.
I can hardly picture myself doing that if I'm winning =P

 

[Daffa]

Waiting for results ^^

 

[AditTechno]

Sad news, people.
@BlackEnvyX resigned from judging the Music Challenge. We have to find a new judge for this.
@deepstrasz @Naze I need your inputs, if you have some.

 

[Pyrogasm]

Would gladly contribute to a judging trifecta. But you'd want more than just me judging, as I have posted some comments about the submissions in this thread.

 

[deepstrasz]

I don't know, whoever you want to, somebody from the music contests perhaps?

These guys know music and are pretty active:
Brambleclaw
Naze
RiotZ
RollBoat
bhusta
Eric Matyas
GhostOfPast
obie
Hakren
Its Ryan Boi

However, I see that Pyrogasm knows music theory which is a bonus but of course, maybe you'd not feel comfortable with him judging because he commented on your work already?

 

[AditTechno]

However, I see that Pyrogasm knows music theory which is a bonus but of course, maybe you'd not feel comfortable with him judging because he commente

Yes, he did.
Also, I contacted bhusta already. RiotZ is inactive these days. I'm going to contact the rest of the active producers, though.

 

[Naze]

Alright. Good you're looking for others already! If you guys want, when you have the judges you can tell them to send me the reviews etc etc

 

[AditTechno]

Great news!
We have a new judge, @Its Ryan Boi coming in to fill the void!

Maybe if some others I contacted wants to become a judge, there might be 2 judges.

 

[Naze]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand the result is out!

Music Challenge - AditTechno vs deepstrasz - Results