- Perfect 10 — Vocals from Klopfenpop
- Perfect 10 — Production from Klopfenpop · Mark Cooper · Richie Branson
- Perfect 10 — Challenge from Klopfenpop · Mark Cooper · Richie Branson
- Vocal Standout 8.4 / 10 avg across judges
- Production Powerhouse 8.6 / 10 avg across judges
- Perfect Card 30/30 from Klopfenpop
- Sleeper Hit on 43 of 72 ballots — broadly liked, few #1 picks
- SoundCloud Rapper top 3 on SoundCloud with 5 likes
- Triple Heart Threat likes on YouTube, SoundCloud, AND the VPC site (22 total)
- Full Package audio + art + lyrics + both writeups
- Storyteller 2,397 characters across both writeups
- Climber +4 positions from Round 1
TOTAL REACH — 103 plays rank 9 / 22
- SOUNDCLOUD 66
- VPC SITE 27
- YOUTUBE 10
TOTAL LIKES — 22 rank 3 / 22
- VPC SITE 16
- SOUNDCLOUD 5
- YOUTUBE 1
Shadow Showdown
Vocalist's challenge writeup
This song uses the work by the psychology pioneer Carl Jung on his notion of the shadow self that exists within all of us and the work it takes to incorporate it to achieve real psyche wholeness. This song translates that concept through a lens of a western showdown between a person and their shadow self. Many lines are direct Jung quotes with some editing to fit on narrative and/or tempo. Some appropriated Jung quotes: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” “There's no light without shadow. No psychic wholeness without imperfection. “The most intense conflicts, if overcome, leave behind a sense of security and calm that is not easily disturbed.” “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” “The difference between a good life and a bad life is how well you walk through the fire.”
Producer's challenge writeup
Samples Used -------------------------- - DOLLAR BIN: Main Titles Alternate Version (Companeros). Used a section of horns as a transition piece. First heard at very beginning of song (0:00). Used for leading into first two choruses as well. - FREE BIN: Solid Potato Salad. You know what this one is. Used as the vocal clip to intro the song (0:00) - DOLLAR BIN: The Rope and the Colt. Main sample. This is used throughout the song in various ways, first heard at 0:03. - FREE BIN: Hard Times. Stem-split, used drums throughout, bass in choruses, and the whole sample makes a surprise appearance as well. First heard at 0:02. - TOOLS AND INSTRUCTIONALS: B6 89 BPM. Used for main kick, snare, and hats throughout. First heard at 0:03. - INTERNATIONAL: Lunghi Giorni Della Vendetta. Used for the “prechorus” sections of the verses. Used the trumpet from another section towards the end of the song, heard clearly in the oh/ah breakdown section. First heard at 0:42. - TOOLS AND INSTRUCTIONALS: B9 108 BPM. Used during the “prechorus” sections of the verses, layered in with much other percussives. First heard at 0:42. - DOLLAR BIN: Waitaminute. Upright bass in verse 2, chopped and pitched around. First heard at 1:36. - TOOLS AND INSTRUCTIONALS: Drum Improvisations. Distorted drum fill into the last two choruses. First heard at 2:13. - INTERNATIONAL: Zenka Onna Koroshibushi M-12. Stem-split, then used the drum track as part of tambourines in final chorus. Starts at 2:52.
Lyrics
(verse 1) The Psyche Wild West Brings Slingers of head health And right beside them to remind them Is the shadow self What's not brought into consciousness Can seem to us as fate Spurred boots navigate What lassos integrate This county draws the rowdy Proclaiming, O so proudly Rough edges obscured Gunsmoke cloudy Those aging hinged doors House hidden storyboards While Desert thunderstorms Puppet a persona performance Well Shadow's not a villain Some urges unfulfilled and When Shadow manifests Slingers try curb their realness Those yin and yang fingers Wiggle inches from the trigger Where there's tension in repression It's a showdown of two killers (Chorus) Showdown Showdown When you hear the iron sound We'll have a Shadow Show... Shadow Showdown Showdown By high noon in this town We'll have a Shadow Show, Shadow Showdown (verse 2) Then a procession coffin carries A marriage necessary Two halves of a fractured Combat as adversaries There's no light without shadow No wholeness without imperfection The slinger must learn The intention of this lesson A summoned bravery A state of mental being Understanding embodied A dosed duality The Slinger, their Shadow Meet on fields of battle Upon raising up their weapons They instead break their shackles Then dead silence But for one Guitar strummed by Jung Shadow work overcome It's not easily disturbed It is unshakably calm In duel they summon A soul harmonious We do not become enlightened By imagining figures of light But by making the darkness conscious It's that eternal fight Those who think themselves higher Live their life like a liar The difference in a good or bad life Is how well you walk the fire (Chorus) Showdown Showdown When you hear the iron sound We'll have a Shadow Show... Shadow Showdown Showdown By high noon in this town We'll have a Shadow Show... Shadow Showdown
JUDGES' BREAKDOWN
LEX the Lexicon Artist
6.67/10 score rank #13 of 22VOCALS 7PRODUCTION 5CHALLENGE 8As a psychology nerd, I love the concept of a wild west Jungian shadow showdown. Execution fell short a little bit. I clearly hear the vision but the end result came out a bit muddier than I would've liked. Still, you both met the challenge. Michaelangeflow: You show off your range with your deep storytelling-style rapping and then singing (did you do the backing chorus at the end too?) Watch your meter with the rapping. You sometimes shove too many syllables into a bar and lose the flow and timefeel. Flexstyle: Great job on incorporating all the samples into a cohesive Wild West-flavored beat. The mixing needs work; as it is, it's too harsh on the ears to relisten to, especially the chorus, which is a shame because I like the idea and the melody of the chorus.
Mark Cooper
9.33/10 score rank #2 of 22VOCALS 8PRODUCTION 10CHALLENGE 10Love the hook! taking us to the old west with this track! Love the smoothness of the vocal throughout the song. there are a few parts in the song where the vocals can get a little buried as more instruments come in. Overall love the production, so full and well put together. Definitely embodied the theme along with the challenge. Great Work!
Richie Branson
9.33/10 score rank #4 of 22VOCALS 8PRODUCTION 10CHALLENGE 10This beat has a nice swing to it. Love the switch up, western theme is well done. The vocals sound good, I think a little more refinement could go into the hook vocal mix. The final minute of this song, wowzers.
Klopfenpop
10.00/10 score rank #1 of 22VOCALS 10PRODUCTION 10CHALLENGE 10Holy shit, y’all. This is such a delight to listen to. You sound a lot more natural and settled into your YOUness on the mic. I know you may be doing a bit of character, but the delivery feels smoother in a really nice way. The lyrics sound really well rehearsed and embodied. I love the layers of reference even into the framing device. This beat is one of the best of the round. You have a great ear. I really love the way you explore samples from The Rope And Colt in a way that feels almost like a tour of the song. It’s done in a really musical way and it lends your track a ton of character and some really rich harmonic and emotional content. I love that you dropped the full Hard Times sample in at the end. It lands perfectly and feels right at home in your piece. This shit absolutely fucking rips y’all. I had to listen to this one 4 times in a row. Well done. My other first perfect 10!
Ben Tarkus
8.33/10 score rank #4 of 22VOCALS 9PRODUCTION 8CHALLENGE 8Okay I have to say when I first listened through initially I pictured Shadow the Hedgehog in a Spaghetti Western and I didn't hate it, but the actual depth in this song is rock solid. I dig the philosophical nods here! The lines were delivered just right on the track to match the beat, and I loved those horns and the breakdown at the very end. I'll be coming back to this one on my 'clear my head' days for sure.
Audience score and rank
AUDIENCE SCORE
Aggregated from 72 ballots cast by the public.
AUDIENCE RANK
Out of 22 teams competing this round.
- 43 voters ranked them in their top 10
- 18 voters had them in their top 5
- 2 voters picked them as their #1 favorite
FINAL BLEND
The final score was a 7.94. The song received an average voter score of 5.55 from the community, and an average judge score of 8.73.
The display score blends the audience and judges' contributions at 25%/75%. Here's how Idealistic Mystics's 7.94 broke down:
(5.55 × 25%) + (8.73 × 75%) = 7.94
YOUR SEASON SO FAR
- Round 1 6.89 / 10 rank #11
- Round 2 7.94 / 10 rank #7 PERSONAL BEST