Obviously you're experimenting with more complex harmony constructions and progressions. The mix also shows a greater spectrum and precision, I assume, except that much of it gets a bit lost in the muttering of virtually all melodic components. They go: "mumommom mo moumomo mo momumo mum momumo mh".
...it's like they were too shy to actually show what they've got. Like the little boy, who's an excellent dancer, but ashamed to show it, so he keeps his head down the whole time, staring at the floor. To avoid this, you should watch the overlaps between the chords: release times too long, notes held too long, reverb too long and deep.Then, at around 2:10, you add this bell like sound that is horrible. It plays the wrong notes, destroying the great impression you've already made up to then. Either look at the notes carefully or take it out, because it's a ruthless killer.
( 
)At this point I broke up listening, because I had to write all this before the damage became too dramatic, you know.
Other than that, like the percussion, like the mix layers, minus the possibly muddying reverb. I mean, I have a lot of reverb in my piece, possibly a bit much, but I tried to make sure that the components all come through with their purpose. Most risky bits come towards the end where I shamelessly played melodies into the veil of reverb, but then I switch instruments to let one play the melody that comes through clearly before switching right back. I dislike leaving ambiguous stuff, if it seems to need clarity to bring across my idea.
Let's see if a quicker answer will come again and ask you to forget all of the above?!
- DR_03 - one instance no layering. I had some problems with release on amp envelope (some kind of voice stealing even in max polyphony) so for final preset I set short release and I have fake tail with huge reverb. Then applied EQ for some tunning and then another reverb but just mid-high bands to improve tail even more.
