Warzone Beat Battle - August 11-15, 2026
- Thread starter Fade
- Start date
-
battle that! finals voting begins in...
- Status
Armani
tryna bust a nut
tyty, ppreciate the feedback, and cs1.6 slander will not be tolerated intro was straight gas.
boutta. tomorrow.
stressin ma balls off rn.
DJ Excellence
ILLIEN
BiggChev
StormBourneMusic
Thank you @Fade , @Armani , @Iron Keys , @Dodgy John , @DJ Excellence and @Wax Camp !
@Iron Keys - I like you're 'live notes' style of feedback - particularly how you decided to vote.
@V.J. Retro - I liked all the elements of this beat - the chill lofi vibe, sound/sample selection, and the scratches/404 style FX. I would love to hear a bit more variation with the drums, or maybe a more 'purposeful" use of them. It sounds as if you either 1) chopped your samples, found a few different patterns, and then just pulled a drum loop you had sitting on your hard-drive, or 2) Loaded up an existing loop to write/chop to, and didn't go bak to expand on. I listened on both my AirPods and Sennheiser's, and on both platforms, the mix was quiet and overall a bit 'thin." I do think you captured a specific style/time with this beat, but I'd love to hear a bigger more punchy and pushing mix.
@Earsblower - it's no secret that I'm not a fan of 808s...especially driven/distorted ones...but these fit the vibe and the energy of this beat perfectly. I do think they were a bit too proud in the mix, and stood out more than the more important elements of the beat. The arrangement is really good! It flows well from the intro to each following theme very well. While this isn't my taste of hip-hop, I think you nailed the sound selection. All sounds serve the vibe and tone, and sound great together.
@P.A.T. - soooo much space, vibe, and ambience in this one. Again, I'm not a trap drums fan, but you used them very nicely against the sweet, serene, and nearly haunting, melodic elements of this beat. The one thing I REALLY liked about this beat is how you kinda split up you melodies/harmonies. You have a couple (very well written lines) that serve as both counter melodies AND call/response lines. This is genuinely well done craft!
@Wax Camp - This is my style beat! It has it's old school DNA, but 2000s sensibilities. Part of me likes that the drums are super bombastic and serve the groove tucked a bit back, the other part of me feels like this being 2 BPM faster, with harder hitting drums, would elevate the energy a ton. It's hard to incorporate a lot of variations/transitions in the 2min bounds without sounding chaotic, but I do believe some added variety could help elevated the overall listening experience.
@Dodgy John - I love this style of hip-hop. The old school, gritty, jazzy, vibe - that's my jam! There's a lot of nostalgic quality this this beat. That nostalgic quality means it has a lot of replay value (to me)/. Boom-bap is about groove and hypnosis...you def did that with this beat. You captured the important hallmarks of the golden era - from sample/sound selection, drums, to the textures. As much as I appreciate that SP1200 sound, I do think a slightly more 'modern' and 'prominent' mix could help to 1) add energy 2) improve the sonics.
@Leopard Cohen - The best drums & percussion across the entire ILL! Not sure if it was intentional, or just a product of your innate sense of groove, but there's this lilting quality to the drums/percs. It almost feels like the down beats are tipping over onto the up beats - and it creates such a cool groove! The drums/percs themselves create a certain tension that you go on and amplify with the melodic/harmonic elements. I'm very happy this beat placed because I think it showed endless creativity, was against the norm, and feels like a truly academic piece of a music. If your could write a doctorate in hip-hop, this beat would be a clean and easy dissertation!
@DEVBE - The arrangement was well thought out. The beat flows well from one section to the next. Again, this style isn't quite my vibe, but I liked all the constituent pieces. Mix and sonics is where this beat COULD'VE beat me. The whole beat sounds very dry. As is, there's no space, depth, or dimension, it's layers of things sitting directly on top of each other, They aren't blended or spaced. That lack of cohesion kinda makes it sound amateurish.
@Anton6 - great sample and dope drums. The lack of harmonic cohesion at the start took me way out of this. While the sample is cool, dissonance, and lack of tonal centre is hard to enjoy. The second theme with the more energetic drums is really cool though! My secondary critique would be that it sounds like to ideas/exercises jammed together. You took a very interesting sample, worked it into interesting ways and then pressed them together. Maybe being a bit more thoughtful on how to get from Theme 1 to Theme 2 could help really tie it all together and make your vision clearer.
BYE - Straight fucking banger! You shoulda won the whole damn thing!!!
@GodfatherMoGZ - I always found these "dark trap" beats to sound kinda lazy and lethargic, but man, did you ever bring some energy to this! The arrangement is good, the sound selection is cohesive and meshes well together, again the energy is there....but the mix let you down (in my opinion). I don't know if it's over compressed, or too much reverb, but it certainly lacks clarity. I don't know to explain it other than - Listening to a beat on my headphones in subway station. There isn't enough separation between front/back, left/right or near/far. Otherwise, cool beat!
@2GooD Productions - Clean, concise, and arranged very well! That broken chord stab dropping on the down beats has a great tone to them and def help create pace/cadence, and ultimately groove. Everything fits well. I especially like that up-down-up-down string bit you used as tails to the loops. Your mixes are always big, forward, and clear, maybe a bit tooo forward/energetic for the general vibe of the track or my tastes. I do have one piece of critique, and it's kind of a back-handed compliment, but this feels OVER engineered. Does it sound good? Yes! Do all the elements mesh and work well together? Yes! But, is it so dense, that it takes away from the dynamic range? IMHO yes. HOWEVER, by stripping back a bit, this could build, drop and elicit much more emotion - purely by allowing it to be more dynamic. I know this sounds hypocritical (coming from me lol), and I know the 2 minute limit doesn't allow for stretching out themes much. But, I feel like this beat FEELS better being re-arranged, with purpose, to 4 minutes in length.
@allagory - This is the most cohesive and complete offering I've hear from you...until the abrupt change to the Berlin Techno Rave bit lol. Keep going, keep re-enforcing the fundamentals, and applying new skills as your learn them! Appreciate your consistency to the craft and being active in the battles.
@Armani - formidable opponent for the diamond match up! The bouncy nature of that main synth line is really nice. It's funny, I like that synth line as a main line, but I LOVED that pensive, orchestral counter building up underneath it. Then the little piano lick serving as a 'tail/turnaround.' You did a great job of ensuring a rhythmic AND harmonic quality to this beat...without even factoring in the drums. The mix allowed all elements to be heard and felt. The strings that accent the main synth groove from beats 4, into beat 1 of the next bar, help to establish the eventual symphonic counterpoint that comes in later. I would've like to hear those 1 and 4 accents a bit more - not so much for the harmonic quality, but almost more as percussive/accents. Sounds like there was a lot care and intent put into this beat. For example: that e-piano/organ part that comes in at the 0:19 mark. It's subtle, but does a great job of creating interest (almost more felt than heard) and tension. Another example are those broken piano chord stabs on the upbeats around 0:47 - they aren't wildly obvious in the mix, but bridge the sustained nature of the symphonic counter and the bouncy main synth line. The only thing I DIDN'T like, was your sound selection for the bass. I rounder, punchier bass I feel could've served the purpose of filling out the low end and adding some rhythmic pop to the whole beat. Super dope piece!
@Majic12 - I really like the drums/percs. It has a rolling, tribal quality. That being said, some more punch on the kicks, and crack with snares would be welcomed. I do like the orchestral elements, but the two themes sound disjointed, as if rom two different songs. There's a 'strength' or rather 'foundation' I feel is missing. Either a stronger groove could be established or more complete melodic value. Otherwise a very cool experiment and vibe.
@Iron Keys - I like you're 'live notes' style of feedback - particularly how you decided to vote.
@V.J. Retro - I liked all the elements of this beat - the chill lofi vibe, sound/sample selection, and the scratches/404 style FX. I would love to hear a bit more variation with the drums, or maybe a more 'purposeful" use of them. It sounds as if you either 1) chopped your samples, found a few different patterns, and then just pulled a drum loop you had sitting on your hard-drive, or 2) Loaded up an existing loop to write/chop to, and didn't go bak to expand on. I listened on both my AirPods and Sennheiser's, and on both platforms, the mix was quiet and overall a bit 'thin." I do think you captured a specific style/time with this beat, but I'd love to hear a bigger more punchy and pushing mix.
@Earsblower - it's no secret that I'm not a fan of 808s...especially driven/distorted ones...but these fit the vibe and the energy of this beat perfectly. I do think they were a bit too proud in the mix, and stood out more than the more important elements of the beat. The arrangement is really good! It flows well from the intro to each following theme very well. While this isn't my taste of hip-hop, I think you nailed the sound selection. All sounds serve the vibe and tone, and sound great together.
@P.A.T. - soooo much space, vibe, and ambience in this one. Again, I'm not a trap drums fan, but you used them very nicely against the sweet, serene, and nearly haunting, melodic elements of this beat. The one thing I REALLY liked about this beat is how you kinda split up you melodies/harmonies. You have a couple (very well written lines) that serve as both counter melodies AND call/response lines. This is genuinely well done craft!
@Wax Camp - This is my style beat! It has it's old school DNA, but 2000s sensibilities. Part of me likes that the drums are super bombastic and serve the groove tucked a bit back, the other part of me feels like this being 2 BPM faster, with harder hitting drums, would elevate the energy a ton. It's hard to incorporate a lot of variations/transitions in the 2min bounds without sounding chaotic, but I do believe some added variety could help elevated the overall listening experience.
@Dodgy John - I love this style of hip-hop. The old school, gritty, jazzy, vibe - that's my jam! There's a lot of nostalgic quality this this beat. That nostalgic quality means it has a lot of replay value (to me)/. Boom-bap is about groove and hypnosis...you def did that with this beat. You captured the important hallmarks of the golden era - from sample/sound selection, drums, to the textures. As much as I appreciate that SP1200 sound, I do think a slightly more 'modern' and 'prominent' mix could help to 1) add energy 2) improve the sonics.
@Leopard Cohen - The best drums & percussion across the entire ILL! Not sure if it was intentional, or just a product of your innate sense of groove, but there's this lilting quality to the drums/percs. It almost feels like the down beats are tipping over onto the up beats - and it creates such a cool groove! The drums/percs themselves create a certain tension that you go on and amplify with the melodic/harmonic elements. I'm very happy this beat placed because I think it showed endless creativity, was against the norm, and feels like a truly academic piece of a music. If your could write a doctorate in hip-hop, this beat would be a clean and easy dissertation!
@DEVBE - The arrangement was well thought out. The beat flows well from one section to the next. Again, this style isn't quite my vibe, but I liked all the constituent pieces. Mix and sonics is where this beat COULD'VE beat me. The whole beat sounds very dry. As is, there's no space, depth, or dimension, it's layers of things sitting directly on top of each other, They aren't blended or spaced. That lack of cohesion kinda makes it sound amateurish.
@Anton6 - great sample and dope drums. The lack of harmonic cohesion at the start took me way out of this. While the sample is cool, dissonance, and lack of tonal centre is hard to enjoy. The second theme with the more energetic drums is really cool though! My secondary critique would be that it sounds like to ideas/exercises jammed together. You took a very interesting sample, worked it into interesting ways and then pressed them together. Maybe being a bit more thoughtful on how to get from Theme 1 to Theme 2 could help really tie it all together and make your vision clearer.
BYE - Straight fucking banger! You shoulda won the whole damn thing!!!
@GodfatherMoGZ - I always found these "dark trap" beats to sound kinda lazy and lethargic, but man, did you ever bring some energy to this! The arrangement is good, the sound selection is cohesive and meshes well together, again the energy is there....but the mix let you down (in my opinion). I don't know if it's over compressed, or too much reverb, but it certainly lacks clarity. I don't know to explain it other than - Listening to a beat on my headphones in subway station. There isn't enough separation between front/back, left/right or near/far. Otherwise, cool beat!
@2GooD Productions - Clean, concise, and arranged very well! That broken chord stab dropping on the down beats has a great tone to them and def help create pace/cadence, and ultimately groove. Everything fits well. I especially like that up-down-up-down string bit you used as tails to the loops. Your mixes are always big, forward, and clear, maybe a bit tooo forward/energetic for the general vibe of the track or my tastes. I do have one piece of critique, and it's kind of a back-handed compliment, but this feels OVER engineered. Does it sound good? Yes! Do all the elements mesh and work well together? Yes! But, is it so dense, that it takes away from the dynamic range? IMHO yes. HOWEVER, by stripping back a bit, this could build, drop and elicit much more emotion - purely by allowing it to be more dynamic. I know this sounds hypocritical (coming from me lol), and I know the 2 minute limit doesn't allow for stretching out themes much. But, I feel like this beat FEELS better being re-arranged, with purpose, to 4 minutes in length.
@allagory - This is the most cohesive and complete offering I've hear from you...until the abrupt change to the Berlin Techno Rave bit lol. Keep going, keep re-enforcing the fundamentals, and applying new skills as your learn them! Appreciate your consistency to the craft and being active in the battles.
@Armani - formidable opponent for the diamond match up! The bouncy nature of that main synth line is really nice. It's funny, I like that synth line as a main line, but I LOVED that pensive, orchestral counter building up underneath it. Then the little piano lick serving as a 'tail/turnaround.' You did a great job of ensuring a rhythmic AND harmonic quality to this beat...without even factoring in the drums. The mix allowed all elements to be heard and felt. The strings that accent the main synth groove from beats 4, into beat 1 of the next bar, help to establish the eventual symphonic counterpoint that comes in later. I would've like to hear those 1 and 4 accents a bit more - not so much for the harmonic quality, but almost more as percussive/accents. Sounds like there was a lot care and intent put into this beat. For example: that e-piano/organ part that comes in at the 0:19 mark. It's subtle, but does a great job of creating interest (almost more felt than heard) and tension. Another example are those broken piano chord stabs on the upbeats around 0:47 - they aren't wildly obvious in the mix, but bridge the sustained nature of the symphonic counter and the bouncy main synth line. The only thing I DIDN'T like, was your sound selection for the bass. I rounder, punchier bass I feel could've served the purpose of filling out the low end and adding some rhythmic pop to the whole beat. Super dope piece!
@Majic12 - I really like the drums/percs. It has a rolling, tribal quality. That being said, some more punch on the kicks, and crack with snares would be welcomed. I do like the orchestral elements, but the two themes sound disjointed, as if rom two different songs. There's a 'strength' or rather 'foundation' I feel is missing. Either a stronger groove could be established or more complete melodic value. Otherwise a very cool experiment and vibe.
Last edited:
Iron Keys
ILLIEN MBAPPÉ
I don't think the intro offended me as much second time. Not sure what the beef was. Maybe thought it could been done better or something just compared to the quality of the beat.
I think this should have one. With great respect to Chevvy
BiggChev
StormBourneMusic
If anyone else made the beat I did, and it was them against what Armani made....I'd have voted Armani.
Iron Keys
ILLIEN MBAPPÉ
Love, bro
For transparency and I don't think there's much talk of how people reach their decisions.
Iron Keys
ILLIEN MBAPPÉ
What's funny, is when I first heard your beat, there was something I found very GOOD about it, but for some reason I felt inclined not to like it, I think there's some kind of underground track living in my subconscious that irks me or something, but by the final (I knew Alvin's beat would be final before clicking) when I listened to your beat I was actually like nah you know what, this could be the one.
It actually made me consider for a moment what way to vote.
I ended up going Arvins due to my original conviction and also just because the production sounded a lot more forward (he can get the forward ness wrong sometimes) but by contrast yours felt a little too far back, if maybe it stepped forward a bit could have been real interesting!
Side not, sad to have not submitted something just for the fact of missing out on the Chevvy feedback!
BiggChev
StormBourneMusic
Iron Keys
ILLIEN MBAPPÉ
basically @Armani often in his mixes just pushes everything ^up^ in level. So everything is loud. One a recent entry I found it gave 'everything too loud all at once', which was negative, you often better served to create hierarchy and depth. On this one of his, it balanced out well however.
2GooD Productions
Im back
V.J. Retro
The silent beat assassin
Congrats @BiggChev I've been using the MPC Sample as I've made my own drum pattern using individual one shots. Once I figure out how chopping works on the MPC Sample, I can definitely chop up a drum pattern.
Leopard Cohen
ILLIEN
- Status