Koumori Rider

JUDGES' BREAKDOWN

1. Richie Branson

   6.33/10 score · rank #19 of 23
   VOCALS 6

   PRODUCTION 6

   CHALLENGE 7

   Vocals complement the beat well. Vocal performance overall is on trend, kinda cute and meme-y in a way. Hook performance could be a bit tighter. Same with certain triplets. Song needs something after the second hook. Beat def gives me kawaii trap vibes. Vocal mix could use a light FX pass, on the hook in particular.

2. Mark Cooper

   7.67/10 score · rank #13 of 23
   VOCALS 6

   PRODUCTION 8

   CHALLENGE 9

   ● Overall good submission. Nice metaphor with emotions and opposites using stuff animals that you can help build trust with people again. I feel that you may be writing or recording your first few songs and trying to find your sweet spot when creating music. At some points it may sound like that you were reading on the microphone but that gets fixed with experience. Can’t wait to see how you improve. ● Production: very bright and happy. Definitely help the vocalist find a good footing within the song. Good work!

3. LEX the Lexicon Artist

   5.00/10 score · rank #21 of 23
   VOCALS 2

   PRODUCTION 7

   CHALLENGE 6

   Thing 1 is being compared to Thing 2 A Friend / Lover = A Stuffed Animal? It’s unclear to me if this song is about a stuffed animal or a friend/lover that’s being compared to a stuffed animal. I think it’s the latter, but it could be clearer. EDIT: I read your notes and I was right! So good job, you communicated it through the song. There is an effort made in drawing analogies. You connect aspects of the stuffed toy (warm, soft, protective) and the friend/lover in question. And spurn more violent/tough spiky toys (humans). In this way you do meet the challenge. I think the idea for the chorus is quite good, very catchy. It could be executed better. I would work on meter. E.g. I would’ve written “Can’t be afraid for my safety…don’t wanna hide in the shadows” to make the flow fit the triplet meter, rather than cutting important syllables off of words. The vocalist needs a lot of work with the delivery and lyrical construction. The flow is very basic - almost all 8th notes (sometimes punctuated by 16th notes and triplets which is a good start). It is possible to make all 8th notes sound interesting if you are punctuating your syllables, but that wasn’t achieved here. There aren’t any vocal dynamics or inflections to keep my attention. Sometimes they are not rapping on beat (not in the pocket) and it sounds messy. Again, it’s possible to drag and still sound good, but it requires advanced skill. I recommend listening to a LOT more rap and hip-hop music across the board. Start with some of my fav vocalists in this round: Mechanical Peasants, ArtCrow, Garbage Gang, imp and navi, Crab Rangoons I will say that the concept is adorable and it’s punctuated by the syrupy sweet production. It’s giving dating sim and j pop. There could be more layers, dynamics and switch-ups in the production, it’s a bit samey all throughout and gets repetitive. I don’t think I hear a non-instrument sound. EDIT: Oh you recorded an ambient room tone, I guess that counts although I could not tell!

4. Ben Tarkus

   6.00/10 score · rank #17 of 23
   VOCALS 5

   PRODUCTION 7

   CHALLENGE 6

   What in the kawaii trap beat... I found myself immedately bopping my head here, great work. I feel the lyrics here are softer than the rest of the song both in sound but also in balance - would have liked to see more subtle messaging but the words feel very heart on your sleeve and direct.

5. Klopfenpop

   5.67/10 score · rank #23 of 23
   VOCALS 6

   PRODUCTION 6

   CHALLENGE 5

   I like the timbres you get in the arrangement. Lots of good sound selection, but I would love to hear a more balanced mix. The vocals could really use some love to better showcase the best of what their bringing. This beat has a lot of good ideas that could be refined into something really special with a little more consideration. It’s pretty dry and mid-heavy. I like the room tone lead synth in the hook, but I’d love to heard you explore this technique more and dig into different ways to apply it. This song feels like an early version of what will eventually become a great record. I like the imagery and the metaphor is very apt, but I’m not sure how clearly it’s presented. I really like your blend of rap and melody. I think a more intentional vocal mix could really help those two vocal modes shine in their own ways. This team sounds like they have lots of growth potential even from round to round, and I’m *always* excited to hear that progression. Keep the tunes coming!