I really wanted to get in on this month's Warzone, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to get something I was proud of together. When I saw there was a bye, I thought maybe I should've just uploaded something. Thankfully I didn't submit a half-assed beat because there was some heat this month!
Congrats
@TWU! - This has a really nice bounce to it. The interplay with the drums and the clavinet sounding rhythm part had my head nodding the whole way. I love the lofi gritty sizzle this had as well. What I really liked was the bouncy foundation and the more emotive/chill piano/chime/string bit at around 0:42. There are some really cool textures tucked away than fill out the beat too. Dope!
@Delta Skeltah - The change into 0:51is incredibly smooth and seamless. I like the vocal chop and the bell sound reminds me of Living Proof. The wind down at the end was a nice touch as well - as is the little stutter at the beginning. It gives this a "live" feel, like a DJ is playing a record. Personally, I think were TWU stood out more was just bounce and energy. The old school vibe of this is perfect!
@2GooD Productions - as always, mix is nice. That eastern sounding flute is dope! The little details and one-shots like that can really elevate a track. Listening to a lot of your stuff and others have certainly helped me focus on the little things that add up and can bring a beat to the next level. I like the drum sounds, but they sound a bit too straight ahead. They serve the beat well, but a bit more swing would suit my personal tastes better. Arrangement is great.
@prodCardellino - While I love chill jazzy beats, I think this may be a bit too chill for a battle context. Sample choice is great, maybe a bit quiet. I really liked the change at 1:24, and I think it serves as a great outro, but the transition was a bit abrupt. Cool beat, chill vibe, nice work!
@K-waz - I love the drums on this. Coupled with the piano chops, I feel like I'm in a jazz bar! There's a janky stilted feel to this that I think works really well. I can picture some with an incredibly animated flow - the likes of Redman - doing something very fun with this beat. What I particularly like, is how this has both both an 90s and early 2000s vibe.
@Mike Chief - Similar to K-waz, I really like the bouncy stilted feel. The anime/karate movie SFX/foley sounds are a really cool touch, and they fit the vibe of the beat. The use of various different horns/brass definitely builds out sound. I feel like this is the soundtrack leading up to the big fight between the protagonist and villain of 70s Karate exploitation film. The phased/filtered plucks add a nice texture and foundation for the whole beat too. Respects to you keeping the underground alive!
@Leopard Cohen - You always bring interesting and creative drums/percussion. I like all the elements of this beat, but not necessarily all together. The vocal sample, piano chops, are all cool. The soft sustained horns add depth and texture. The sliding synth lead evokes a mellow vintage vibe. But with the 808s and everything else, it feels a bit to abstract...at least for me. Very creative, and definitely unique sound.
@V.J. Retro - I really liked this track. It has a super raw, high energy vibe. It kinda reminds of some 80s stuff where the beats were loud, banging, and rap groups would drop wild ass posse cuts on. I think the obvious comparison is Beastie Boys. I think this would've been great for the "Riot" theme a few weeks back. The distorted bass line is the highlight of the beat, but it's a bit muddy. A bit more definition on the low end and this beat, with a high energy rap group would definitely tear the place down!
@A.D. - The intro is very clever and sets the tone of the track perfectly! The percussion fill and scratchy strings at 0:21 are a great transition into the next phrase. Speaking of, that's NOT the direction I thought this beat was going in lol. The build is really cool. I'm a big fan of complextro and this has a lot of that genres trademarks. This beat is the beat that keeps giving. It builds, transitions, and ramps up non stop. There's a cinematic, movie/video game trailer, feel to it. However, it's A LOT. And that's coming from the guy who brought an orchestral rock song to a battle once lol. It's a lot for 2 minutes, and maybe towards the fringe of hip-hop. It appeals more to my EDM tastes - but still very dope!
@M.I.ndless - This the platonic ideal of a hip-hop beat. Dope sample, nice drums, I'm always a fan of 'micro-chops' and the middle section is my favourite. The only thing I actively dislike is the 808/analog clap. It doesn't sound bad, I feel it just doesn't fit the timbre and tone of the track. What I really liked was the accents with the stabs at the beginning of each loop. When using a generally well known sample, it's important to add some sort of differentiating element to it.
@Jobeezytracks - Respects for jumping into a battle right away. I'm not a fan of trap/crunk/dirty south at all, so I'll try to keep my feedback less focused on the 'style.' I think you nailed the Trap drums, but the kick/low end seems to be lagging. Something with more punch could definitely add to the swing and bounce of rhythm section. The bell/mallets are a cool counter melody, but are lost in the mix especially with the main theme being so up-front. Again, not my style, but I feel a revised mix with more intent on what element should shine where, could help this beat a lot.
@PhxAzTracmaster - Is this a new tune? Tons of energy with the drums - even for a trap hating square like me lol. The intro/outro is really dope. The main theme is a nice counter to the intro. All the little fills, and subtle drum changes keep this interesting. One of my favs from you so far. I say it every week, but you have a great sense of melody, movement, and an uncanny ability to pick-and-place melodic information in the spaces where I would never think to put them. You remind me of my college roommate. I'd be strumming on the guitar, and this fucking guy with no musical training at all, would mindlessly start humming the most epic melody while doing the dishes or something. I was always jealous of his ability to that. So fuck him, and fuck you too lol.
@them - I like the dub-style delay, and the snare sample. Where's the kick? With the ambience of a dub delay you can do some really cool rhythmic stuff with drums and a bass line. This feels like a long intro or interlude.
@Coltorki - this feels like an ambient techno song to me. It's moody, and I love that serene melody. While I do really like the sound selection...this doesn't quite hit as a hip-hop beat. It's got a great ambience to it, but not a "battle" beat to me. A nice mix and some evolving filters or synth parameters and you have something that can be on a study playlist.
@Iron Keys - Mix is bang on...as always. Great sample selection. I really like the use of the L-R spectrum on this. I
think I'm hearing guitar in the left and piano in the right, or a really wide stereo spread on the delay. Either way, very very cool attention to detail. Personally, I've heard more
interesting (maybe not better) from you, but there's nothing wrong with this beat. Its well put together and mixed well.
