[holden]

Again, thanks so much to everyone who took part - i can appreciate how much work you put into your tracks, and i think it shows. Below is my subjective "review" - i've no criticisms, i'd rather just lavish on the praise and enjoy them for what they are: 11 really great tracks (and 2 clunkers by AViD tossed in to make the others look even better ) keep in mind also that i've heard many of these for several weeks, so i'm quite attached to them!

Holden/AViD's random thoughts -

• AViD – “Be Home by Dark” – I’ll just say this was a lot of fun to make, maybe a bit thick in the mix, but hopefully it sounds integrated.
• Bitten Turtle – “To Where the Sun Shines” – Laid-back groove, crisp and breezy, like an autumn day should be! You created a nice atmosphere with comparatively few parts – kudos!
• Easydelic – “Caught on Film” – for starters, I really like the enveloping or whatever on the piano chords, the sort of reverse reverb leading into the note. Fine bubbling bassline. The glitchy effect on the drums at ~1:55 is awesome, too!
• GRANDbrother –“Packaging Solutions for Life” – This has a fine swagger to it, thanks to the percussion and the tropical feel of the harmony and gently-strummed guitar. Very warm track, and Leary’s conceptualization of “every living thing” was a cool idea to base the track on. Groovy wah-wah guitar at the end, as well.
• LX Nen – “Diversion” – This is one of my favorites. Just so many interesting sounds and changes in atmosphere. It starts as a programmed-sounding, almost automatic MIDI sort of track, but becomes very emotional and human with the inclusion of som twinkly melody lines string pads, some extra percussion. The hard turn it takes ~3:30 with the distorted guitar is great! And some bizarre key sounds out of the latter-day Orbital playbook (at least to my ears) make this into a monster, before chilling out with lovely piano lines. I love it!
• Marshall Watson – “I l s Dry” – A gorgeous downtempo track, with lots of fun effects for headphone enjoyment. But I like playing this (and other MW tracks) on the stereo, so the mood sort of fills the house. This is another track that I feel fits the autumnal theme.
• Matt Parra – “Trance de Muerte (megamix)” - the back story on this one was, when collecting submissions, Viddy sent me his whole original score, and told me to “pick what you want”. It’s such a great piece of composition, I couldn’t choose, and also many of the themes are brief, just choosing a couple might not do them justice alongside longer tracks. So, Viddy agreed to make a mix of several tracks, and what can I say, it’s beautiful – From the energetic, pounding opener to the moody piano and string melody (which builds to orchestral heights) and another pounding guitar-based track, you get a feel for the sorts of scenes that may have inspired the music, or alternatively, how this emotional music can propel a film. Thanks, Matt, for collating your favorites from the ST, giving the rest of us a sense of the breadth of your composing talents!
• Maus – “Soldat” – Incredible skippy d-n-b beats and swelling sounds, every time I listen, I hear more wonderful effects. There is a nice contrast between the warm intonations and the barrage of drums, a contrast that holds interest and evokes a rawer sort of Fall weather!
• Sputnikk – “Gateway” – KoS’s track takes me on a journey. Great pace introducing the various loops, changing the effects added to them, and generally building an epic energy. Production’s top-notch and you definitely have a unique style – certain lead lines emerge and I think, “yeah, that’s classic Sputnikk!” (keep in mind I remember hearing your tracks in 2004 and onward –they were good, this is even better!)
• Tin Foil Hats – “But Tonight” – Wonderful synth-rock sounds to this, from the analog whirring synth lead to the arpy bassline, and especially the great vocal! You love those treated vocals, don’t you? This one is a bit goth, a bit glam, certainly somewhere between new-wave and new-romantic. Very enjoyable!
• AViD – “Chimera” –one of the creepier tracks I’ve ever made!
• Easydelic – “Mizzle” – Everything seems to have a buzzy edge in this track, which I like! So many great counter-melodies on interesting-sounding instruments. This is another track that really gets me grooving when its in my earphones and I hear the interplay of the various loops.
• Tin Foil Hats – Plaisir d’amour” – there are those spooky treated vocals again! Camiel Toe was going with “But Tonight” over this, but I suggested he keep this in, as well, as it also has that analog goodness. I can’t tell what the voice is saying, but I don’t mind! It’s a nice melody in itself.