Cracking me up here, I can relate. Honestly not so happy with my effort this round, but I did not want to miss it so I just wanted to turn something in anyway
5 Likes
Well, in another variation to that theme, was pretty happy, heard playlist, confidence dropped to the floor, took a couples of breathes and listens, acceptance set in, and now i’m kind of fine with my entry again. 
6 Likes
Fixed that for ya!
3 Likes
These are all fantastic!
Is anyone allowed to vote or is there already a group of judges?
4 Likes
Traditionally, just the participants vote, but it’s flippantminister’s call as host this time.
Regardless, I don’t think any of us would say no to feedback!
8 Likes
Ah my bad, sorry first time I’ve really looked into these!
1 Like
No worries! Could always join us next round
2 Likes
Would love to
3 Likes
Not sure it will get counted as a vote or not but I really appreciate you taking the time to vote and leave your insights. Some great feedback
4 Likes
I have wondered if votes form those who did not make a track should be counted as partial points, or for tie breaks etc. But I didn’t want to mess with the system
I also know from the open challenges it can be difficult to get people to vote on them even though it is open to the whole community.
If there were enough extra people voting it would be cool to have a category like crowd favorite or something that counted for points or a place or maybe a special edition battle with external votes only as a one off
I wasn’t sure how many naughts are into hiphop, but it seems it may be growing
No complaints about the way things are now just some thoughts
1 Like
Related to this, I also really enjoy challenges where everyone flips one and the same record. Always amazing to find out what parts they took and hear how everyone approaches making beats differently.
3 Likes
After listening a couple times I just wanted to post a lil feedback.
All of these sounded great. It’s rad to see how well an Elektronauts battle becomes a sick compilation.
01 - Could be an outtake from Lyricist Lounge Vol 1, also some Mike Ladd, love it
02 - Reminds me of a bit of DJ Shadow meets Prefuse 73, super Ninja Tune vibes, very cool!
Could tighten up stutters, more staccato yet subtle. Maybe eq out some muddy frequencies.
Still super sick
03 - Smooth as chillin on a Saturday beat. Also gave me some Mike Ladd vibes.
04 - Its on the tip of my mind where this takes me but I can’t remember.
Maybe it partly form sound cloud, but the highs are a bit abrasive, another eq pass could spice
this up a lot.
05 - Love the tremmelow on the sample in the beginning. DJ Spooky vibes.
Also think this one could use and eq pass to kill some highs, and blend the layers samples a
bit more.
06 - This is dope. Reminds me of a few friends who always want to rap on a beat like this.
The awkward guitar sample is real nice, it’s unexpected melody is a fantastic touch.
I like how it has a drums only break, and bringing the other tracks in are filters etc.
07 - Rad intro. Another beat that I have a few friends who’d want to rap all over this.
Got a bit of a Gravdiggaz vibe. Killer horn samples too. Definitely a fan of that.
This beat is primed for lyricists.
08 - Sick! Reminds me of a Peanut Butter breaks compilation. Also has a Prefuse 73 vibe on the
subtle volume stutters. Like how the end of the bars breakdown and let a single sample shine
through.
09 - WOW this is like something my friend DJtminus one would make for Jurassic 5.
Love a good unexpected intro into something else. What really shines for me is the
70’s rock/funk samples flipped into something hip hop along with a strange chant sample
worked into it all. Very fresh and unexpected. I freaking LOVE some old sports tune horns.
10 - The horn build up at 1:25 is wonderful. Just a well crafted laid back track.
11 - Classic intro and over all hip hop track. I almost feel like the filtered break has a wee bit
of heavy resonance. All the little cuts/fill are great but could use a bit of minor finesse
when transitioning in and out of them.
12 - This is mad ill. Definitely my favorite track. Love the Clockwork Orange sound pad sample.
The break into :52 gets me super hype. At 1:26 that lil fill/transition into the dopest part
of the sample is just perfect. This beat stands out from the rest vibe wise. I like how it
bookends the playlist.
10 Likes
Damn. Amazing beats, everyone. So much to learn from the collective talent and skills here. Voting for my three favorite was incredibly difficult!
01 - Chill but yet found myself head nodding, nice supporting bassline, subtle but kept pushing the beat along
02 - Love the grittiness, felt like I was listening to funky textures
03 - Something about the high hats and snares that I really liked, clean yet sizzley, and the repeating swirling horns
04 - Joyfully chaotic, it’s like samples and instrumentation were tossed into a Vitamix, and out crawled a unified sonic monster
05 - Great escalation to this beat, the smooth transitions, all anchored by that vocal sample, it’s like listening to evolution of a species, beginning and end vastly different but you know it’s the same organism
06 - Admired the creative restraint and sparseness of the samples and arrangement, encouraged me to listen closely to each contributing piece, and on repeated listens how they fit together as an enjoyable vibe
07 - Loved how that horn jumped in, both a surprise and yet totally fit the beat, whole thing had a cool mysterious nighttime drive in the city vibe
08 - Got my head nodding vigorously, loved the variety of the samples/instruments but never did it feel like they were fighting for attention, all layered/arranged harmoniously
09 - Cool arrangement “It’s the tribe y’all” followed by the indigenous singing/chanting, awesome choice to let those vocals be front and centre with only bass and drums supporting
10 - Loved how the drums dropped out, stabs of horns, and expecting drums to pop back in we instead get the unexpected but cool vocal first, and the melody continues to surf along the propulsive bassline
11 - Enjoyed the epic-sounding orchestral samples and the brief switch to double-time at the end
12 - Incredible how to me this beat felt both chill and unsettling (in a good way!), so many textured layers that sat well together
Votes:
3rd - 10
2nd - 08
1st - 05
Thanks to @flippantminister for hosting this beat battle!
8 Likes
Here’s my notes on the 21-12 beat tape.
#1 - An uplifting and confident track with a warm bass. Many elements are present, but it never feels crowded on stage. The track has a clear and crisp sound.
#2 - I like the growling distortion in this one. It becomes a bit too dissonant for my taste at some point. Is it the same sample as Beat #1? I enjoy the pauses in the track.
#3 - It meanders nicely, creating a dreamy atmosphere. Is it the same sample as Beat #2? The drum variations are enjoyable.
The first three beats seem to be related and have a nice sequence, good job @flippantminister (on the whole set).
#4 - The glitchy machine intro sound transitioning into a thick beat is a cool effect. It feels like it’s heavily chopped. Later on, it sounds like it was live-programmed, going from machine-like to human. You can hear someone punching in the samples. Uplifting and joyful with an original sound.
#5 - The panning, close harmony chops, transitions, and percussion are all exceptional. It’s super creative. I love how the FX tail serves as the foundation for the next section. The organic evolution of the track is next level. How was this song created? What was the workflow like? Later in the track, the funky characters singing off-key over the over-the-top dramatic beat provide a super cool contrast. This one is a favorite.
#6 - It has a really nice build-up. The warm sounds, including the electric piano and guitar, are super enjoyable. It has a pleasing alien vibe in some way. The drum beat has a punchy quality to it.
#7 - It’s abstract with a sustained piano note that feels great. The drum roll in the militaristic beat is excellent. It has a slightly ominous and brooding feel, but with glimpses of light. The sound palette is beautiful and wouldn’t be out of place in a 2d animated movie.
#8 - It starts off funky right away. The transitions are cool, and the stabs are enjoyable. The beat hits hard and snaps. Unfortunately, the stabs that i like so much fade a bit in the mix at some point.
#9 - It has a nice arrangement with relatively few elements, well done.
#10 - The mix is really good. It makes excellent use of negative space and doesn’t feel overcrowded. It switches things up nicely. The bassline, in particular, is fantastic. It uses the spoken ’21’ sample, so I assume it was made by a numerologist. Besides the technical aspects, it’s beautiful music that brings a sense of zen-like contentment.
#11 - I enjoyed this orphaned James Bond entry. Are there SP404 effects used? Some interesting rhythmical puzzle pieces were cleverly fit together in this one.
#12 - Great track. It has a nice hook / catchy earworm. And the bass is fantastic.
It was a tough decision between Beats 5, 10, and 12 for me:
- Beat 5 stands out for its creativity on display. (3 points)
- Beat 10 excels in evoking emotional responses. (2 points)
- Beat 12 is super catchy and leaves an earworm in head. (1 point)
8 Likes
I’ve listened a few times now and my top three today are different from my top three yesterday.
So Maybe it’ll be different again tomorrow when I vote.
It’s a really strong selection this time round.
They’re all on par with eachother.
3 Likes
1 - This opens so strong. It just sounds pro from the first bar, the drums slap, the bassline is great. Great choice of samples. Not a massive amount of progression, but if you are counting it as something you might want to lay down an acapella over then it’s absolutely first rate
2 - Nice grimy grunge to everything on this one, and I’m enjoying the variations of the drums and some of the swells. I like the sudden energy drop at the end with kind of a DJ Shadow vibe
3 - This is CLEAN, and it sounds big, bass and drums are locked and sound fat. Again keeps fairly locked and low key throughout so it’s waiting for the vocals to drop. Almost like a sleezy french vibe on this one.
4 - I enjoyed the glitchyness of the start, but there are a few harsh frequencies which jumped out at me and I needed to back off the volume. Maybe something like Smooth Operator / Soothe might help. I like the chops and how corrupted all the samples are
5 - I like the messed up jingle clips and layered harmonies on this one.
6 - Nice low down dirty vibe and I like the insistent bass. I like the slappy bass that comes in around half way through. Got me nodding my head.
7 - Mmm some nice crackle at the start. Starts slow and builds some tension. It’s really creating a vibe. Kind of cinematic like what’s going to happen as the atmospheres swell. This feels like some kind of spy movie going on. Great brass LOVE THIS.
8 - The beat on this is brutal. I was listening to this pretty loud and there were a few harsh frequencies where I had to pull it back so maybe some compression / EQ etc would help. Really nice vibe and some solid chops.
9 - Love the build with the harmony vocals and then the sudden gear shift into another tempo. Some nice vibes with the vocals and bass and then it’s a really nice change up when the little brass interjections come in.
10 - BIIIG low end on the start of this it was rumbing my speakers. I like how it comes in big and then drops back before hitting hard again. Really good stuff and a thoughtful arrangement. Feet tapping all the way through.
11 - Moody start with the classical phrases. Absolutely love what you’ve done with the orchestral chops etc and the filter sweeps. It sounds noticeably quieter than the other tracks so you might want to think about investing in a mastering limiter if you don’t have one. It’s bloody good this one though. The arrangement is thoughtful and imaginative.
12 - Like this, it has almost a dubby kind of vibe to it. It’s foot tapping. Great use of the “we got the action jingle”
Honourable mentions
11 - HM had the mastering been a bit more punchy it would probably have placed
12 - HM Different vibe from the others really enjoyed it.
1st place - 7 had me on the edge of my seat. Quality stuff
2nd place - 1 The best sounding track in the list, just maybe could do with more variation / dynamics and it would have been my top pick
3rd place - 10 Love the vibe on this one and the cohesiveness of the elements
7 Likes
O I dunno, this is all too difficult.
Today my favourites are…
1st= 1
This has a really sweet sound to it.
I like the chops and the little line that’s drops in every now and then and is the right mood for today for me.
2nd= 5
Nice beat to start with then we get the switch up to that intense sound.
Nice work, and yesterday this was my favourite.
3rd= 8
I dunno there’s so many I could have put into third but as the sun is shining hot this morning this one speaks to me more today.
The intro is cool, but love it when it switches to the main beat.
It’s like some showbiz & ag and could easily go first on a different mood day.
I’ve written feedback on all the entries which I’ll post after the battle, my criticisms of my own on this particular occasion will give the game away which one’s mine if I post em now.
This is probably my favourite to listen to since the Morricone battle.
Thanks everyone
7 Likes
- Beat 10 - I just plain like how everything fit together.
- Beat 1 - This one is just nice and straightforward. Really well put together.
- Beat 12 - I really like the feel of this one, especially the little loops for the verse parts. Reminds me of backspinning records and pause tapes.
Honorable mention:
Beat 6 - I like how this one built on that loop as if went on.
7 Likes
Definitely a hard one to judge
1st: 12 – I love this woozy beat, screeching and booming with subtle switchups everywhere to keep it fresh. The vocal line makes me shiver. Nice work!
2nd: 01 – Love the way this song turned tense strings into pure R&B smoothness. Great mixing to fill space without losing that high hollow vibe. Drums are golden.
3rd: 10 – Lush and casual cool. Great bass, great mix of hi-fi and srr’d sounds, easy groove. Top flight
HMs: 05, 08
01: Love the way this song turned tense strings into pure R&B smoothness. Great mixing to fill space without losing that high hollow vibe. Drums are golden.
02: A melancholy blanket of sound. I like how live the drums sound, crisp syncopation against the gloom. Like others have said, something is making the second half muddy, even before the noise buildup
03: Grimy noir, rain at 3 am on a bad detective case. The bassline is killer, and I love the horn-like synth with its scattered echos. Nitpick: for my taste, the drums are a bit too forward and don’t quite blend with the hazy backing
04: Nutty and fun, from the fakeout timeshifting intro to the broken machinery of the rest of the track. The hook (0:20-0:40) is my favorite bit. I do wish the verses had a bit more space between chops; it’s a bit overwhelming as is
05: Right at my little horror-fan heart. Great arrangement with new elements entering and leaving just as we’re getting comfortable with the current groove. Love the blend of bongos and a more “traditional” beat. Nitpick: maybe bring the drums up?
06: Echoing others, love the layer build-up and the space in the beat for each lick to come in. That bass is the secret weapon, gluing everything together
07: Good mix of spooky and silly, that low throbbing piano against the cartoony vibes/marimba. That dissonant horn was an inspired choice.
08: Disorienting but in a subtle way, shifting pads like a half-remembered dream. Drums are maybe a bit harsh, but a good contrast with the directed haze. High skill
09: The chants and horns are great sounds, as others have said, and the bass and drums sound clean. I do think as an instrumental it’s a little too sparse, or at least too long to be so sparse without a rapper on top
10: Lush and casual cool. Great bass, great mix of hi-fi and srr’d sounds, easy groove. Top flight
11: That three note orchestral sting is killer, and I really like the FX showcase, adding variety without being too flashy. The second orchestra sting doesn’t work as well for me, falling out of sync with the rest of the beat
12: I love this woozy beat, screeching and booming with subtle switchups everywhere to keep it fresh. The vocal line makes me shiver. Nice work!
8 Likes
Yoooo, time’s running out, so no comments for now, but I’ll take time to type my notes for all the tracks tomorrow! Sorry guys, it’s a bit unelegant, but it’s midnight already.
Soooo:
1st : track 10
2nd : track 1
3rd : track 9
HM : tracks 5 and 12
7 Likes