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Is this a ranked jam, or are submissions just collected for the compilation?

No I get you! I loved the Volcano initially but kind of came off of it after a while, then went looking for alternatives (and found FilterFreak). That's a shame to hear about the Drumbrute - it has always remained my "get this some day" list. Something about it just has that charm for me, but admittedly I haven't spent actual time with it to say whether that's valid or not, lmao.

I agree with you when it  comes to the Neutron - while that initially put me off I could see the benefit to it, and that was solely because I was coming from a fairly digital place to begin with so I was far too used to the convenience of endless preset and saving potential. You've inspired me to dig mine out; I've got it on the desk with me at the moment, just need to wire it up and figure out how best I to implement it into the workflow.

Appreciate the kind words and you taking the time to check my submission out! Congratulations on your work in the jam; I knew your composition would go far. :)

You're too kind! I'm glad you liked it and I appreciate you taking the time to check it out and leave a comment. I wasn't sure if the bit-crushing and filtered gritty piano would err on the side of being too muddy and 'blurry' for people so I'm really happy to hear that most seem to be vibing with the sound.

This jam was a blast as a whole and there were so many quality entries. It was a little too easy to get lost in them  all, and everyone deserves to have some form of engagement with their content. Not easy putting yourself out there, but that's part of the thrill! Appreciate the kind words all the same. Best of luck!

I'm really glad to hear that the Hollow Knight vibes resonated with some people! I wasn't sure if I was reaching with that but the visuals of HK definitely influenced some direction in terms of the moodiness. Thank you for taking the time to check it out and leave a comment - I'm happy to hear you like it!

I'm glad to hear you think that because I felt as though the key-change had the grace of a sledgehammer smashing pottery, lmao. I appreciate the kind words and you taking the time to check it out and comment!

The piano itself has no saturation directly. Booted up the project file again to refresh my memory and my chain was basically: Compressor → very light diffusion reverb (helps add some grit for future processing) → split into two sends, the first of which has 2 separate resonators and some more diffusion reverb / the second has a delay (slightly reduced sample rate and tone rolled back) and then processed through some very light shimmer reverb (to add back onto the highs) → both of those sends then return to the one track which is then ran through a driven low-pass filter and has a soft tremolo to add some movement.

I'm glad you like it! I wasn't sure if it'd be too muddy and bordering-on-clipping for people's tastes but I simply loved how moody and gritty it sounded.

That's the beauty of these jams - it affords an opportunity to really put yourself out there on a smaller scale and get some decent feedback. Your tracks were a delight to listen to all in all, and my only real criticism is how buried in the mix the percussion was in the first track specifically. An easy fix! Thank you for sharing your work, and best of luck later today!

Appreciate the kind words and you taking the time to check it out and leave a comment. Thank you, and best of luck - your submission was fantastic!

That's fair! I think the that Freedom Awaits works with or without orchestral elements, so either way it made for a nice listen. :)

As for the Soundcloud export - I understand, that's fair. It isn't a massive problem as all the audio is there, so I just needed to be mindful of what track was starting and what was ending. No big deal!

For sure, I agree with you. There's no real need for anything too fancy, but it can be fun and more-often-than-not inspiring to have some stuff that, while maybe not entirely unique in what they do, just have that sauce in them that motivates you to play with them and see how you can push and modulate ideas.

That's fair - I contemplated something similar with Fabfilter before but I didn't come across any particularly viable solutions for it so I kind of dropped the idea, lol. I did end up losing interest in Volcano but it was what originally caught my attention and really put them in the sights for me. I might have to give the VCV a look-see as I'm not familiar with it off the bat. 

Regarding the modular stuff - that's really cool! Probably the best way to get into it, honestly. I'm realizing that I need to plug my Neutron back in and actually start playing around more as I was quick to phase it out for no real reason. Admittedly a bit of a sucker for the ease-of-access you get with VSTs and the likes and the lack of memory on the Neutron had me feeling a bit iffy. Of course the upside to that is that it really does require you to lock in and learn about not only how to make a sound but what makes a sound, if that makes any sense at all. Shout-out the DrumBrute also - I've always wanted one of those but never committed. Arturia are another brand I own surprisingly little of despite them being right up my alley.

GAS is a killer, lmao. I kept to the lower end of things years ago but once I started earning decent money at my last job I started to put aside money for musical gear without anything in particular in mind. From there I started sniping deals whenever I saw them and started to amass a small collection. Nothing as impressive as most but my "home" territory in a way. I need to use them more in general and get a proper Send/Return set-up going on this PC as I never really bothered to properly wire everything together this time around. I tend to stay too in-the-box digitally as of late and I've been really wanting to break out of that and embrace the analog side more again.

Never apologize for being passionate man - all of this is important to you for varying reasons and getting to share in that love of art is what really drives us forward. You're knowledgeable in the field and have plenty to say on the topic, with a profound respect for the creative process and making things work irrespective of the cost. I respect that immensely.

Weekend reminds me of the child-like joy that would come when Friday finally rolled around. Nice choice of voicings here, and the use of samples was well done to create a kind of virtual, relatable atmosphere.

Screw Him took me a little by surprise with how hard it comes in, but the orchestration here is nicely done. Good voicings and the percussion is fantastic. Some might think of it as a little too much but I love when the drums get an opportunity to get a little wild, so no complaints from myself!

Again has some Nintendo vibes off the bat - reminds me of some sort of menu music you'd find in Animal Crossing or perhaps the Wii menu itself. Once again, solid use of SFX here to provide context.

Can You get the Cat Please? is quirky, playing into the title rather well. Much more going on here than the previous tracks, but it works well. I like the occasional glitches and stuttering to add some texture. 

Final Discussion is heavier than the rest, and welcome at that. Cool to hear some natural tension and drama woven in. Piano work is good in this; expressive chords, a decent melody to keep it all connected and nice articulation. The filtering is an interesting choice! I feel like some chords might have benefited from having some low-end come through.

Finally, Free Time resorting to acoustic guitar is a clever changing of gears. Acoustic can encapsulate so many emotions well, and I feel as though freedom is one of those. There is some really solid orchestration that comes in to support this as the track progresses.

Good work all in all, a fun listen and quite a variety of different vibes here. Unique use of SFX to really tell a story with this one.

Gorgeously ambient. Those low drones almost "blurring" into existence was great. The vocals following suit and washing over the mix was also a delight. I could get lost in this first half and never complain.

Second half changes things up quite a bit with some nice chugging. Percussion is pretty defined here and works well to add some rhythm between the staccato guitar. Those resonant synths kind of bouncing around and fading in and out add incredible ambience and keep the piece as a whole kind of elevated and dream-like at times.

Great work, this was fun to listen to and pretty unique. Well thought out and defined.

Really nice voicings in this; some more subtle than others but all of them working in tandem to really complement one another. I love how the rhythm is dictated by the strumming in the earlier section to provide a sense of pulse to the piece. The long sustained notes in the background do a great job keeping the key tones relevant as the orchestral strings and guitar play over and around.

This was fun to listen to and pretty unique, honestly. The combination of instruments isn't something I've seen too much of in this jam, and they all work together so well. Kudos for the dynamics on the guitar playing in particular - it sits so wonderfully back in the mix and never overreaches or steps over other elements. Great work!

This is pretty! Thoughtful piano melodies and some really nice orchestration to support it, adding just the right amount of motion and aural intrigue to keep it engaging. As others have noted - the key changes really do elevate this to another level, turning it from what could be a kind of monochromatic journey into one that is laden with all kinds of color. 

I like the use of the different string articulations to add some spice and variety to the palate, and the use of the orchestral percussion throughout is well done also. Progression throughout is really nice as I've already mentioned, and I love how the end of the track has just a little bit of tension and unease woven in; perfectly befitting the 'First Flight' concept, and thus executing on the theme really well.

This was a blast to listen to, and very well developed. Produced and mixed well, interesting throughout and with some memorable melodies and strong voicings. Great work - this is really good!

This is really, really pretty. Stellar use of dynamics and articulation when it comes to the piano playing. It's so tender; each note feels handcrafted to achieve exactly what it needs to. I absolutely adore how subtle the supporting orchestration is when it first comes in - the barest hints of it bolstering the track and providing some motion and sustained notes to really emphasize the tone. The way it gradually builds up and then takes the forefront as the lead is great, and I cannot give enough kudos for how well done the layering is. 

Having some tension come into the voicings around the 2/3rds mark is fantastic as it varies the piece up and keeps it engaging, before embarking on a crescendo to resolve said tension and then give way to a gorgeously soft outro section. Piano playing here is, once again, right where it needs to be with just the right amount of supporting elements to push it that tiny bit further and really have it sing.

This is some genuinely fantastic orchestration, probably one of if not the best I've heard in this jam. Cannot pay enough compliments to how well structured and commentary all the individual sections are to one another. Phenomenal job - thoroughly enjoyable listen. Evocative, powerful and so seamlessly put together.

Sunrise into Day is wonderfully chill. The use of the bird calls here really sets the tone and helps create some aural intrigue in-between the initial piano chords. The melodies are nice and tranquil, taking their time to plod from one note to the next. It personally gives me sunny day kind of vibes; the outside is inviting you to explore it, but there's no pressure or rush to get out and experience it.

Moonrise into Night follows in a similar vein, this time soloing out the piano in the beginning. I like how you've relied more on the upper register of playing to really sell the quiet calm that comes with nightfall. Even when the chords come in, they aren't too deep to delve into the lower register. Nice and contemplative progression, growing a little more open as the track goes on.

I think both  of these function as great sound beds for capturing their respective vibes. Some more supporting instrumentation such as some strings or the likes might help flesh each of them out a little more, but as a whole they set out and do what they need to do to establish the vibe. Good work!

Great choice of synth patches - was roped in immediately. There are some really nice, subtle supporting synths buried beneath to accentuate the melody line. The guitar work is tidy - playing perfectly to the strengths of the melody that came before it and bolstering it all the more. It gets pushed more to the front after that and does a good job of elaborating on those feelings. The rhythm guitar having just a little bit of crunch adds some nice grit to the piece and also does a fantastic job of providing a pulse to to work with, alongside the drums.

This piece makes me feel.. resigned, in some ways. It has some semblance of hope and thoughtfulness, but also a quiet kind of progression - "one last push", as Micerama put it. I think their comment sums up the feelings better than my own. All in all this was good, a nice mix of textures and instruments that all complement one another rather well. Good work!

A Wall Too Tall has some wonderful orchestration off the bat. I love how each section is introduced before being stripped down to the essentials. There's some great storytelling in this piece - it feels very pensive with a sense of longing to it, thanks to the voicings and chosen progression. The woodwinds coming in more notably toward the end of the track does a great job of really leaning into said longing. The percussion feels a little understated in comparison, but I'm sure that's by design.

What I Deserve is gorgeous. The core melody with the emphasizes beat note supported is clever and a great way to really have it stick out. The percussion here is a little busier at points and more present in the mix, adding a nice pulse to the movement as it progresses. 

A Life Left Behind starts nice and slow, taking its time to develop with a strong choice of leading voice here. Not quite lullaby sounding, but pensively quiet - if that makes sense. The strings are subtle and add just a hint of much needed sustain to connect each passage together and tie in the root to keep things coherent. 

Great work, this was fun to listen to and as a whole all sounded very cohesive. I could envision this in a couple of different games in all honesty. Good job!

A Promise Made Until the End kicks off with some nice orchestration and gorgeous lead tones. Strings here are well done and add some needed motion to the track to keep it from feeling too static. Nice introduction to the soundtrack as a whole.

Castle Town features some drastic panning - I dig the feel of it, but I think it could be reeled back a little to really sell it all the more. Instead of hard panned elements, I think settling more into the 30-80% range of panning might have done more to cohesively glue all the elements together into the one track. Structurally the song is good; nice vibes, great use of orchestral percussion and articulation.

Green Pastures has more of the same orchestration that I'd expect. I won't comment on the panning here again but I think that this track suffers more than it should for it as a lot of emphasis is put on the left channel and very little on the right. Movement wise, this has a nice progression that continues to iterate on itself as it goes on.

The Lovers has some really nice woodwinds in it. The middle section coming together with supporting strings to help harmonize things is nicely done, and I do like the variation of articulation here to spice up the sound palate somewhat and provide some more transient heavy elements to the track.

All in all, solid work. This was fun to listen to and all feels like it belongs in the same soundtrack as a whole. Good job, and best of luck.

ur only welcome here has some really nice ear-candy throughout. There are such poignant oldschool roots in this, it is hard not to groove along with it. From the occasional scratching to the use of organic samples such as the telephone ringing - these are all just the perfect spices to sprinkle on top of an already strong piece. Melodies are interesting and the bass and percussion fit really well together; playing to one another's strengths.

slow n' steady... keeps playing to what it does well; great  bass voicing and some more scratching to spice things up. The percussion here has a kind of lazy amble to it, which I love. The bass continually descending only emphasizes this all the more, and leaves so much room to play around with melodies on top. Speaking of - those melodies and held wavering chords are fantastic. 

...DOES NOT WIN THE RACE. YOU BETTA RUN! is a great track to round things out with; some new samples joining the fray and a chaotic kind of rush with those xylo(?) arpeggios. This track reminds me of so many different things at once that it is hard to even nail down what to talk about. Main melody here is super catchy and really drives that anticipatory rush vibe all the more. Finishing this off with some modulation on tempo and pitch was really clever.

The thematic execution here is genuinely phenomenal. The art, the chosen sound palate and the overall vibe all locks into itself so perfectly to the point where I feel like I am listening to an actual game's OST. Fantastic work.

This wastes absolutely no time in showing off some impressive melody writing, spread across so many instruments as well. Effortlessly weaving around one another and providing just the necessary support to prop each line up without it becoming overcrowded.  The orchestration in this is really tasty - playing more on the subtle side of things while also flourishing when given the opportunity. Some really nice use of articulation throughout this, and a solid understanding of dynamics and how best to use them to push a piece.

The vocals were unexpected but fit perfectly, providing this very organic layer to the piece as a whole. That crescendo and flourish at the end felt like such a powerful release. Produced really well, and the mixing never felt too crowded despite the sheer amount of elements taking place at once.

Fantastic job - genuinely breath-taking piece that demonstrates your chops incredibly well. This is tight, and I would love to hear what an entire soundtrack would sound like from you. All the best, I think this is one of the strongest submissions I've come across.

Others have already noted that this sits pretty heavily in the high-mids and upper range so I won't focus on that. There are some really nice choice of voicings and patch work in this. Guitar does a good job of really providing a driving pulse to this piece, with those lead melodies in particular having just the right amount of balls to them to really sell them. Orchestration was really well done - nice layering of each string section, all with just enough motion to keep it interesting and engaging.

Kudos on the vocals - I'm always impressed with what people can come up with in a 48 hour period, and I can't imagine writing lyrics and then having to perform them, all within that period. Good job, this was interesting to listen to and pretty unique!

Damn this must have been quite the undertaking, but it paid off. Incredibly authentic sounding piece. 

Exile is great. Some tension woven into those melodies and a lot of panning to really keep the listener immersed in the virtual space. I love how the voicings grow almost creepier and more oppressive as the piece progresses.

False Piece is deliciously ominous off the bat. Nice percussion here to provide a rhythm to work with and the continued layering of elements as it draws on is well done.

Dystopia kicks off with some great PWM and pitch modulation to really establish this as a dramatic track. It kind of reminds me of some of the themes you'd hear beneath the Rocket Hideout in the early Pokemon games - unnerving in every sense of the word.

Underground feels like much more of a pensive piece, though I suppose anything coming off of Dystopia would result in that same feeling. This has a quiet determination to it with some fantastic little bits of ear-candy to keep the piece interesting.

No Tears has a great progression, and actually loosely reminds me of something Jake Kaufmann would do in the darker levels of Shovel Knight (or perhaps Plague Knight). Really nice use of panning here on the supporting waves in the back.

Finally, Free At Last rounding things out does a good job. There are some more hopeful melodies here and a more definitive sense of driving forward toward that freedom. I love the trading off of the voicings doing the one melody being hard panned - clever use of stereo-space and harmonic trade-off.

This was great, and very unique. Goes without saying that I could imagine this slotting into any kind of game on the Gameboy for.. obvious reasons, lmao. Works really well. Good job!

Guitar work in this is really clean; some great grooves and feel. The supporting instrumentation is fantastic too; the subtle synths, articulated strings and soft piano arpeggios all come in at just the right time to really bolster the piece as a whole. The percussion is busier than I thought it would be, but it provides a nice pulse and rhythm to the track to keep it driving forward. A lot of different instruments at play here, too - the sound palate continues to grow and grow as it progresses.

Great work - fun listen, and quite evocative. I'd love to hear more in this style. Best of luck!

Great patches in this - solid choice of soundbank for these voicings. Some really nice use of articulation in this to push each channel to the limit. My favorite element of the bunch is the guitar that has some delicious bends and cheeky modulations.  Structurally this is really strong and has some genuinely catchy melodies - found myself coming back for a listen again because I had that lead saw melody stuck in my head.

Very upbeat piece that plays to the strengths of the chosen voicings, with some really nice use of rests to add some punch and add groove. The bass in this is undeniably funky and hard not to move along to. Great work - this is super good and fun to listen to. Feels quite unique, too. Best of luck!

Intro Theme wastes no time in establishing the genre, and this might (surprisingly) be the first submission I've come across that is pure chiptune. Loving the various use of oldschool techniques here to really get the most out of each wave and channel.

Overworld Day has some delicious oldschool percussion - who knew noise could be so groovy? Melodies here are delightful and play off of one another really nice. More examples of good usage of the likes of vibrato and automation to squeeze every last drop of usability out of the waves.

Overworld Night plays with some lovely contrast in comparison to day theme. An almost lazy sounding rhythm at the beginning that soon gives way to some busier work, but without fringing into the "upbeat" territory. I wouldn't say there are "lullaby" vibes to this, but it captures that drowsy feeling perfectly.

The Date comes in with a surprise - I was not expecting that intro. It feels somewhat tense in the beginning, leaning heavily into the significance of the title of the track. In typical fashion, it opens up later and features some really nice ear candy. Playful and catchy melodies in this one.

Finally, Ending plays to all of the strengths of 8-bit. I feel like I could envision this track in particular fitting into so many games of that era, to the point where I feel as though you could just drop it into any game and not realize it wasn't "meant" to be there. Great way to round out the soundtrack.

Great work - first proper chiptune submission I've come across, and it was a delight to listen to. Brought me back. Best of luck!

Missed Target - Loving the choice of patches to kick this off; hauntingly soft. The sharper, more resonant synth that comes in offsets this really nicely. Feels as though the ambience and atmosphere has been set up instantly, making it even easier to get lost in the track.  The half-time toward the end is a clever way of getting the most bang for your buck with the melodies.

You Shall Know - this really reminds me of something I might hear from a Legend of Zelda game on the N64. It just has these kind of ethereal but magical vibes to it. The use of leitmotif here is strong, and does a great job of really tying the tracks together. I think this is my favorite of the three, in all honesty.

Set You Free changes the pace off the bat. Some really nice melodies present in this, and the bass does a great job of rounding out the lower-end of the mix and providing nice flourishes. Not much else to say on this one but I enjoyed it.

Solid work - these were fun to listen to.  They feel cohesive, and once again the use of the leitmotif was clever. Good job!

As others have already said - the orchestration here is fantastic. Each section feels as though it was hand-crafted with care, all playing into their own strengths and bolstering the rest of the instrumentation. There's some really beautiful movement with the strings around a third of the way in, and some great use of various articulations. I also have to give kudos to the orchestral percussion in this - it feels so natural. I myself struggle with how best to utilize percussion to its fullest, so hearing it done well always makes me want to take notes.

The movement's progression is really nice, and the melodies present throughout are pleasant to listen to. As a whole the piece feels very evocative and so easy to get lost in - in the best way possible. Fantastic layering instruments and produced and mixed well to boot. Stellar work!

This wastes absolutely no time in showing off your chops. Bombastic intro, fantastic voicings and instrumentation with plenty of modulation. Stripping down to more typical 8-bit wave driven leads was clever, and gives the track some real time to start building up again. There's some great use of arpeggios and harmony at play throughout the following sections, and I am immediately transported to a more modern take on the 16-bit era. 

Several points throughout this track had me thinking of Jake Kaufmann's work (Shovel Knight, etc) and I mean that in the best way possible. This could easily slot right into any one of those games and not sound out of place. Fantastic production across the board and stellar compositional skills to boot. I would absolutely love to hear more in this style and see how you'd explore other emotions. Best of luck with this!

Title Theme - really nice chords, and I love the held tone of the synth coming in and out like that. Percussion fit perfectly and does a good job of establishing the rhythm while the piano gets some more room to explore and overdub.

Eagle Mode is sick - nice arpeggio and great sounding patches, with some tempo modulation to really drive this forward. Almost wish it were longer in all honesty!

Deep Underground gives me some oldschool feelings with the percussion. Once again the chords here are really nice and I love how deep that reverb is; really lets each sustained note hang for so much longer than expected. Main melody here is good, and the use of samples and other textural ambiences is great.

Ruined Midnight featuring  a call back to the held tone from the first track is really neat,  and that sweeping bass note adds so much motion. This is a really pensive piece. Production on this track in particular is fantastic.

Rooftops kicks off with more of the same, but I love how blurry and washed out those initial chords are. I've already spoken about the piano a lot but it continues to deliver on each track. A slower, more thoughtful melody this time around with some nice modulated chords to push it a little further.

A Moment Alone is befitting of its title; this is an incredible spacious piece. The beeping here really reminds me of an EKG in a hospital, which adds this whole other layer to the track. The pads and piano at the end being drenched in reverb really helps sell this ethereal feeling, too.

Slipping Away, coming off the vibes above, is dramatic and heart-wrenching. The repeated key-modulations here are nothing short of genius and had me feeling more and more anxious as the track progressed.

Rescued following in the same vein but evening out was a fantastic release of tension. The only criticism I have here (that can be retroactively applied) is that the sample is just a little too loud in the mix and comes across as a sharp contrast to the audio, kind of taking the listener out of the experience for a brief moment.

Awoken is the movement I've been waiting for this entire time, as all of the other tacks have featured orchestration and other elements to prop up piano chords or the occasional melody, but this is the first time we really get to just get lost in the piece and go along for the ride.

Finally, Credits featuring a guitar off the bat was neat and helped cleanse the palate a little. We're back to multiple instrumentation now, which is expected. This piece is laden with hope, playing perfectly to the theme of Freedom. Melodies in this are gorgeous and a pleasure to listen to.

All in all this is some genuinely fantastic work. I think my favorites of the bunch are Deep Underground, Ruined Midnight, A Moment Alone and Slipping Away. Truly a wonderful variety at play here and the production across the board was really well done. Kudos, this is solid.

State Machine has some dope sound-design elements going on; the track took its time to build into the main section but it was thoroughly enjoyable to experience. The lead guitar work in this is pretty good but fairly heavily filtered - I think I would eased back just a tad on how much is being cut frequency-wise, but it is still enjoyable to listen to and does a good job of keeping the listener engaged. That being said, I do love all the motion behind the guitar and how the bass and drums are trading off while a myriad of electronic and crushed textures fill out the mix.

Protonpunk has me feeling similar to what I said above about the guitar, except perhaps it is even more filtered here. I think the track is interesting and I love the glitching and stuttering occurring  throughout. The vocal/intercom sample playing throughout was a cool textural element, too.

I enjoyed both but State Machine is my definitive favorite of the two; a lot going on, some really nice post-production and just a rather moody and unique vibe as a whole. Good work.

After Hours has some gorgeous string accompaniment. The lead lines are well thought out and evocative, and the mixing throughout is really solid. This is a great track to kick things off with; shows your chops and really stands on its own. Ended up listening to this one twice before moving on because I was caught up in the orchestral crescendo building so seamlessly from the mid-point onwards.

Uncertain is wonderfully befitting of its title, wasting no time in providing just enough rest to give the listener time to contemplate their surroundings. Really nice melodies in this, and the patches for the pads are brilliant. The tremolo adds some really nice motion to the side of the mix, and the percussion does a great job of holding down the rhythm.

Lastly, Confessions is absolutely laden in ambience and vibes. The post-production here is phenomenal, and the way this track develops as it progresses is nothing short of fantastic. The focus being kept on the piano while other supporting elements occupy the side and gradually wash in and out to provide harmonic support or emphasize a specific note is genius. Once again the orchestration in this is really well done.

These were a blast to listen to, and all so distinct. You've a knack for voicings. Thoroughly enjoyable listen. Best of luck!

From skimming the description and your other replies here, hot damn - you've got a busy 3 months ahead!

There were some interesting ideas in this; the beginning caught me off guard with the vocals. The main patches are pretty mystical and out there, with quite a few textures buried beneath for more aural intrigue. I think the drum break sections need a little more supporting elements to really make them pop - the second time around it seemed more developed than the first.

Very unique take on things, definitely stands out as one of the more distinct submissions! Good work, and best of luck - with the jam, and the coming three months!

Cell 4839 had me thinking this would strictly be chiptune, but hearing the piano come in immediately changed my perception of what was to come. This piece is laden with tension; a quiet dread, offset only by the faintest glimmer of hope. A lot of interesting voicings occurring in this one.

A Curious Creature has some really delicious bit-crushing going on off the bat, giving some really neat textural vibes to the track on the get go. The pads swelling out reminded me of something I'd hear in Biohazard on the Genesis/Megadrive. Orchestration kicking in after the big blow-out was neat, and really gave the piece a very expansive feel.

Break Out Duo comes in with some strong patches and a thick kick with just a hint of crushing on the top end. I love how the saws here are wavering constantly and panning around the place, giving them some real motion. The lead lines are interesting and the chosen voicings give some real texture. I absolutely love when the percussion gets some extra layers - it spices things up just enough and adds some real ear-candy.

A Home of Our Making caught me off guard a little; the intro feels very ominous, but then it gives way to some gorgeous piano work and orchestration. Nice use of the bird calls here to ground the piece. The delay on the key melodies here are fantastic and really round out the stereo-space. The entire track is like one massive  release of tension; a crescendo from start to finish to encapsulate freedom. I was full sure that Break Out Duo would be my favorite of the bunch coming into this one, but I'm wholly and utterly sold on it being my favorite of the bunch.

Great work, these were a delight to listen to and pretty varied. Started well, but ended strong. Gave A Home of Our Making about three listens before having to move on! Best of luck.

Oh this is quite the unique submission. Experimental. The elements in this gradually coming out to the forefront over time is really well done, and the use of the vocals to guide the listener through the experience is really clever. When the piece really starts to come together and get some melodic direction, it hits a lot harder thanks to that aforementioned build up. Simple piano melody but it captures exactly what it needs to, lulling in that ambient space to give the listener some space to consider themselves and the concept of freedom. Great use of panning here to separate out elements as well.

This left me feeling pensive. Very unique. Great work!

Of course, thank you for sharing your piece with the rest of us! The insights are really cool, and the end-product came together really well. It was a delight to listen to, and I wish you the best of luck with it! Not long left now until the results are out. Take care!

Hot damn, appreciate the detailed response! I have a Neutron myself but don't use it nearly enough, in all honesty. I've been wanting to get involved with modular synthesizing for a while now but my wallet is terrified of committing, lmao. It has always looked so relaxing and just.. I'm not sure - the analog nature of getting involved and having direct control over signal flows just hits the spot, you know? Similar to how turning a knob on an actual piece of hardware will always outmatch the feeling of using a mouse to tweak a virtual knob.

The care in which you put into you post-prod is really admirable and inspires me to knuckle down more and actually experiment with the process instead of just slapping on the classics and leaving it at that. I'm going to need to give the Klanghelm a look as I can't say I've come across that myself. I do have some tube sats in my arsenal already, but the GAS can be overpowering and sometimes you just need more of the same to really feel awful about yourself for spending more money you could have saved add some more variety.

Agreed with your takes on Fabfilter - their stuff is pretty expensive but worth it if you can push the envelope with them. I've only got two of their products myself and was lusting after their Volcano filter for a while, but have since substituted it with some others (Soundtoy's Filter Freak was a really fun one). Their Black Friday sales are pretty good honestly, so I should really look to set aside some cash to capitalize on that.

I kept the actual synths on the top, but the secret sauce is in the herbs and spices of the digital processing chains.

I love this, and I agree entirely with you. I've been picking up some Chase Bliss pedals for a little while now, and while they're not to everyone's tastes (and rather expensive at times, unless you snag Used or B-Stock) I have to say that they have been an absolute delight to play around with. Digital processing chains can give you so much control over your sound that it feels criminal to overlook it simply for not being "analog enough".

Thank you for the deep rundown - very considerate of you and I will be revisiting this post to see what other bits and pieces I should be looking to pick up and invest in. Your submission was a blast to listen to, and the passion you have for your art is genuinely amazing. Keep up the great work, man!

This certainly goes against conventions at times. That intro is laden with all kinds of emotions, each representative of the instruments and their voicings, all weaving around one another. Hearing a proper brass section is a delight as I feel as though it has been under-represented in this jam somewhat. Piano work is super solid too, playing right in the pocket. I could extend this to the keys in general as the synth lines are fantastic and there are some fine examples of articulation at play here.

The gradual modulation from minor to major is what really sells this piece as a whole - such a great take on the theme and executed so well. The thought of even trying to do that kind of thing myself has my mind boggled, but you've killed it. Instrumentation was fantastic, melodies memorable and production across the board is great. Awesome job!

Really cool thematic execution here. Contrasting the piano in the intro with some soft synths, subtle in the mix and just peeking through, is really clever. Adds some really nice texture. Those pads gently coming in and accompanying the main instrumentation is also really nice. The guitar work in this is fantastic - beautifully soft and contemplative. Almost whisper-like in the beginning before finding its voice and standing out.

The middle section has some nice use of noise as a texture to really create an expansive bed to work off of here. Keeping the guitar more on the clean side is a good shout, makes it so you can weave so many more subtleties into the playing and complement the lines with harmony and emphasis on certain notes. Reverting back to the piano and soft synths after this section was a great way to call back to the first section of the track and provide a kind of mental reset. 

All in all, this is great. The structure of the song is fantastic - the first had me right in place of what you're describing, looking out of a window and seeing the world beyond the pane. The second is akin to the decision to get up and open the door. Venture out into the world and embrace that freedom, while the last section represents those steps outside growing more and more distant as you wander off into the world. Good job, this was a delight to listen to.