So here's my notes and quotes, tomorrow I'll do the votes! ... though my reviews will kill any notion of surprises
Abu Dhabi ... snappy, crunchy percs, like an eighties minimal '8 bit - does the job' feel .. nice glassy chords and a hint of a credible guitar sound! really nice 'do what I have to and nothing more' lazy bass giving a lovely 'human' feel to the track as a whole. Lovely track, well produced .. particularly love that bass which does what it should, when it should, and comes at you as a fist then hits you with a pilow!
Dubian .... Love the bass! Punchy sounds, and kinda sleazy as well! The brass is so nearly brass.... nevertheless, the brass job is done! .... cool composition allowing space for the sounds to stand up on their own .... simple melody but, good variation in the arrangement ... good production all round!
Invasion ... great percussion . no mean feat in Anubis! ... love the vibe .... a bit like what happens between putting the phone after saying 'yeah, come on over, we have a bottle of wine, and some snacks' .... and then realise the place is looking like something big came along and sneezed into it! .... and it needs sorted out ..quick!! .... Interesting bass sound, and really love the different levels of spacial settings from 'under the nose' to 'way off over the hills'... good variety of sounds altogether and good arrangement.
Contest .... thats a good kik, if it were louder..... nice mellow track, cool automation(?) on the chord ... very realistic snare .... short track, but good stuff .... really need to get the patch for that snare .... best snare in the comp, but is it Anubis? .... that missing text file would have been handy!
Haunted ... mr blitz once again demonstrates the fine line between fairy tale and horror movie with this engaging 'suck you in so I can chew you up composition', with one phrase serving as a fun rope swing, whilst the others represent the beasts who want to chomp your ankles off! I love the mix of clever, carefree and downright careless mrblitz manages to marry off in a short track, One day something is gonna really fly from this guy!
Hibernation ... Like it or not, this is what Anubis does best... the sound of the railings still vibrating long after you've cracked your skull having accidentally knocked said railings whilst falling down the stairs! ... with a hint of aircraft ( or is that just my head swirling? ) .... and the fear of being eaten whilst unconcious by giant insects! Gorgeous dischordant yet natural collage of metal, stone, and flesh..... and yet, if this is really what it sounds like, I can forget the skull giant carnivorous insects, and the and just lie there til it's finished ... and maybe play again!
Ear .. warm, rich, and all encompassing from the off ... excellent full sounding track .... this had 'winner' written all over it the first time I listened, and each subsequent listen has only served to confirm ... Like so many tracks from previous comps, this deserves to have more written about it, but it demands so much listening that writing becomes a distraction. Excellent handling of the bass and lo mids ..... otherwise, this track could have been a real fkn mess..... but it's not!
