Drrrrrrrrop!
3 Likes
Big up to everyone, it was a great listening session!
My votes :
FIRST @Synu Your beat have this old school vibe, it sound like an early nineties era type production, exatcly what I Like. It was the 2de submission, and I knew that it will be on my top! I will give Espi another look, you convinced me.
RUNNERS UP
@Unifono Great track, very cinematic, It donāt need an accapela, I can easily imagine it in a movie soundtrack. The piano sound great, if I remember well you told that u used Pianoteq, this software is amazing!
@emadb This one remind me the vibe of the 92ā era ice cube beats, I absolutly want to ear it with a cube accapela over it!
8 Likes
Whew! From 19 to 8 to three to one, this was a hard battle to choose. Kudos to everyone who participated! 
Anyhoo, hereās my picks:
FIRST PLACE
@waftlord 
Maaaaan, this just sounds so dope and unique. 
Your use of effects and processing really make this one stand out from the rest. The solid groove and memorable melody gets your track stuck in my head. I really enjoy when the samples in these battles have been properly āflippedā into something new and unexpected, which is what you totally acomplished. Big up, mate!
RUNNERS UP
@looms
What made this track stand out to me was the groooove! The drums have a nice push and pull feel to them, which keeps the track moving along. This, along with the well-chosen chops and signature sound of your track, makes it a runner up for me.
@drrumble
Like looms, your drums stand out as one of my favorite features. Their pattern doesnāt really change, but their punch is killer! The sub on this track is great as well. I also quite like how your two sections transition smoothly from one to the other. Awesome job.
Honorable mentions go to: @Synu, @surfacescan, and @xyzer.
Also: Many thanks to looms, @rockpapergoat, and @Doug for organizing this battle. 
Big ups to all the new contenders! Itās awesome to see these battles get bigger and better each go around. Hope to see yāall in the next one.
Cheers 
11 Likes
Well done to everyone who entered beats this go around.
First @surfacescan
Runners up @Synu and @Doug
Could easily have had others in the top 3. Sorry I donāt have time to include any notes this time on all the entries 
11 Likes
I think there was a clear winner for me and that was
- @looms. It was just kind of blown away by it
Runners up:
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@Synu. This was a close second for me. And man youāre really making great use of that SP program. Between the sound of it and the way you sequenced things like those little stabs, it sounds like it was actually from the early 90s. I think you would have needed to add a rack sampler on top of the SP to get all that in though.
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@Sleepyhead. I especially liked the back half. Itās just nice and straightforward front to back. And youāre really leaning into the strengths of the Rytm and showing off how complete of a machine it is.
Also, shouts to @DimensionsTomorrow. Man, Iāll take your word for it that you used the samples. You completely pulverized them and made something really cool and off the wall. I especially like how the distorted percussion fits in with the kind of sludgy remains of the samples.
9 Likes
First of all, itās really cool how many people joined this time, and props to everyone for making unique beats out of these challenging (at least to me they wereā¦) samples!
Winner:
@Doug: Iām a fan of your unique and recognisable sound: great sounding drums, synth elements and sneaky chopped up samples filling up the beat. This is one of my favourites of yours, the samples and overall sound really match your style.
Runners up:
@PineappleDave: At first I was like: Cool introā¦ and thenā¦ wow this one was unexpected! The drums knock hard, and I love how the spacey vocal samples interact with the madness below. This is not something I would make myself , but I would go crazy if this was played in a club.
@Yabba: Awesome sounding mix as usual. Love the drum sounds and the bassline. Itās cool how different this sounds from the samples. Great job overall.
honourable mention: @surfacescan, you retrospectively defeated all of us in the tribe battle, good to have you join this one while itās going on! This one is something I could hear an oldschool westcoast group like pharcyde rap over. Great groove and I love the sound of the drums.
Notes on the others:
- Rockpapergoat: I really like the subtle chopping on this one, and the drums sound great. Very nice track overall.
- Synu: Iām inspired by how well you mastered that 90ās sound. As in the last few battles you managed to make this sound like you, instead of the samples you used. Great layering, dope mix.
- Drrumble: You also have a very recognisable sound, which I love. Dope beat. I could hear little brother rapping over this.
- DimensionsTomorrow: Maaan props for this one. It really sounds like a sort of 60ās psychedelic dystopian soundtrack, and unlike any of the samples. I think your new setup matches your sound/style really well. Would love an entire album in this style.
- Roman01: Cool buildup, and dope use of the sade bassline and vocal chops without being to obvious about it.
- Unifono: Just as in Romanās track I really like how you used the sade bassline. It has such a strong presence in the original track that it takes serious skills to turn it into something which sounds as unique as your track. Great buildup as well.
- Waftlord: Great lofi sounds. I canāt really recognize most of the samples which is a good thing. I like how it breaks up even more in the end.
- Jedilicious: Itās cool to witness your journey into hiphop production. This one has a kind of old school vibe, reminds me of old beastie boys or early de la soul. Cool use of dj style fx as well.
- emadb: Another completely unique beat made out of the sade bassline. I like the glitchy drums and stabs. Cool breakdown in the middle.
- Maisin: You also always sound like yourself which I really admire. I like how you managed to get a dreamy sort of vibe out of these samples.
- Pemz413: Great spacious mix, and good use of space in between the grooving parts.
- Looms: Love to hear your compressed, full sounding style of mixing again! Great job on the off beat swing in the drums.
- Xyzer: I like the sound of the drums, very sharp yet subtle. The reversed sound in the second half is really cool.
- Rennweg: Great drums. I like how full and complete this sounds, like everything was made to be used together in this track.
- Kpucski: Very nice buildup which keeps the track exciting while keeping the groove going.
Shout out to @looms, @rockpapergoat and @Doug for organising this one and being steady and inspiring contributors to these battles! Also shout out to everyone who joined for the first time.
14 Likes
If the YouTube algorithm ever identifies those samples we are all in trouble. 
Honestly, the reason I didnāt add an outside instrument is that I didnāt want to have to explain what was outside and what was the original samples. About maybe a quarter of the way through making the track I bookmarked some of the original samples on the computer, just in case I got called out, but donāt think I could recreate most of them if I tried. Haha. This was mostly an exercise for me for seeing what kind of crazy sound design the 404MKII can do.
2 Likes
Thanks so much for this. It means a lot to me. This might not be my strongest track, but I do feel like Iām finally finding my sound. Definitely hoping to do an EP, baby steps.
2 Likes
once again, you all did some unexpected things with the sources and stepped it up. picking top 3 was hard, as always. props to everyone who entered something, especially first-timers. itās great to see more people taking a chance.
First:
@DimensionsTomorrow: oofā¦ so crunchy. those samples were smashed to bits, in a good way. you stuck everything in your SP blender and purĆ©ed it all. dope track!
Runners up:
@looms: dig the double-time drums. dig the vocals in the back. i especially like the interplay of the synths/keys in the back, too. good work, as always. did you say this was a quick thing?
@Sleepyhead: that snare/hat combo is killer. sadeās peeking around the corner throughout. top notch sample chops in this one, too. chantae bringing in that second beat was a surprise! smooth one, yet again, yo.
Synu: bass chops are nice. the track feels cohesive. samples work really well here. i dug it, especially that tiny chop of guitar with reverb.
drrumble: subterranean bass in there! drums are solid as always. the vocal chops work really well without relying on them as vocals. that mood change 1:00 in was cool, too.
Roman01: man, this oneās tough. those drums just keep motoring along. i dig the overall atmosphere here, too. the vocal variations are also nice, breaking it up a bit.
Unifono: the juxtaposition of the sampled and played in piano is really striking here. it all flows pretty well. this track feels really full, maybe because of that busy bass line. lots of energy in here.
waftlord: that low bit rate flow in hereā¦ itās a wild ride. you kept us guessing with every few bars. such a different vibe. itās impressive hearing what you were able to do with the sources.
Jedilicious: hey, welcome to the battles! nice one out of the gate here. i was left hoping for maybe another musical idea or two here. maybe itās worth going back to explore this one a bit more.
emadb: parts of this remind me of meat beat manifesto. nice work on this oneā¦ it flows well, feels like a slippery freight train grinding away in the night.
Maisin: drums are somewhere out back in a shed, but i like them in this track. the call and response going on with the vocals and other bits sounds like theyāre meeting for a rumble in a giant church. cool ambiance all around.
Penz413: nice to hear from you again, old friend! that sade bass line is irresistible. i could see that chop over the snare all by itself as a melodic element, maybe even played chromatically. the main loop needs a little fade to get rid of the click. solid work, man.
Doug: solid, solid, solidā¦ the synth bass works well here. itās like two worlds colliding. sade vocal chop is hot. my ears want this mixed differently, though. dope track, once again, doug.
Yabba: oohā¦ pitched vocals. iām kinda surprised more people didnāt do that. it sounds great in your track. thereās enough space in the mix. i dig the bass line.
PineappleDave: i was worried for a second we were in a video game, but no. damn, this feels way different than some of your other stuff. the pitched, sped up vocals give this such an urgency. is she okay? props for setting up a very unique vibe, yo.
xyzer: i like how some of your chops sound like animal calls in the night. nice track!
surfacescan: more live piano! like other said, you came in after the vote and destroyed us all last time, so i was looking forward to your entry here. i like how you chopped the sources; they werenāt easy. my only critique is that the track could be shorter. track gets a dope stamp.
rennweg: this oneās like a dream sequence, yo. iām into the dub reverb on everything.
Kpucski: the bass line! nice slow burner here. that sound in the background faked me out at first ā i thought phone was ringing somewhere. nice filter sweeping in there, too. props.
14 Likes
Thanks for the kind words @Doug. Your beats have made me think and try and step up my game so really appreciated.
It started quick 
The drums were a first take wonder and the main sample from mr fingers came really quickly too. Then after choosing the vocal chops I did nothing with it for ages and struggled adding them and arranging coming back to it. Lesson is commit to finishing in one session when the early inspiration is there but I basically never do this!
3 Likes
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Roman01
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emadb
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xyzer
Thanks to everyone who participated, its been a pleasure to listen to all of you.
Forgive me for not going into details of the tracks, glad I managed to get here before the deadlineā¦, hopefully
Thanks @Sleepyhead and @rockpapergoat for finding some nice words for my rushed track. I wish I would have taken a bit more time on this, but it was late and I had at least 20 joints,ā¦next timeā¦ hahaha
Much love goes to @looms for making all this possible.
THANK YOU 
10 Likes
Was just relistening to some of the beats. I am not going to change my votes, but I have to say I am genuinely impressed by the quality here and i could have easily picked another ātop threeā.
This really inspires me to keep working at my beats and to step up my game
10 Likes
Pardon the late feedback. Iāve been on a deadline at work and it has consumed all of my attention. Iām very impressed with the skills everyone has showcased here and the variety of style and approach is also appreciated. Looking forward to sharpening my skills for the next battle.
I should preface by saying my picks are based on what I would want to listen to in daily life i.e. in a social gathering, a gallery opening, a bar, or just getting home from work and turning on the stereo. There are some great ideas all around and I donāt want to dismiss their appeal. This is just my approach to rating this collection.
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Rennweg - Strange that you also picked me as #1, not at all a factor in my selection. I really enjoyed the overall atmosphere, the evolving drums and the subtle use of vocals. This is something I wouldnāt mind hearing in a dark lounge somewhere - the vibe is great.
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Looms - I thought the drums were great along with the bass line. The (flute?) balanced well with the filtered chords. I liked the vocal samples as well, my only critique would be their frequency.
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Synu - This has all the right ingredients. It has a nostalgic 90ās vibe with a slightly jazzy swing. If the brief was to create something from that era, Iād say you nailed it.
Shout Outs:
-DimensionsTomorrow - It looks like you set out to achieve something very specific and I admire how intentional this feels. I dig the cinematic quality. I believe the RZA would approve.
-Unifono - 10 years ago, this would have been my #1 pick for the dark atmosphere and generous reverb. Back then I was acquiring a lot of music with this sound.
-Maisin - Nice ideas here. I can imagine some MCās doing real damage on this beat. It has this gritty east coast sound that is hard to forget.
-Yabba - Speaking of east coast, the intro reminded me of NY State of Mind. The solid bass drew me in.
12 Likes
Big up everyone, thanks for taking the time to listen to them all and voting. Itās great to have so many entries but that does mean more time listening and making it even harder to choose for everyone 
As Jedilicious said a few posts up, itād be easy to pick other top 3ās on different listens.
I think Iāve āwonā. I feel a bit awkward hosting and winning and I donāt take complements or anything well soā¦ ermā¦ thanks! Someone might want to check though as every time I count up things are coming out differently. If I havenāt won, well thatās embarrassing isnāt it!
So many great entries, I personally feel inspired by lots of stuff here. For one, @waftlord, believe Iāll be āborrowingā your low bitrate mp3 technique! Even if it was done as a cheeky joke - was it?! Either way, it sounds fucking cool to me. Ah, nostalgia.
Thanks again @Doug and @rockpapergoat for their sample choices and helping with the theme for this one.
Iād like to nominate @Unifono or @surfacescan (or maybe you could both collaborate) as host/s for the next one if you guys are up for it? You both had lots of votes coming joint 3rd just behind Dougā¦ if my calculations are correct 
Or if you guys canāt do it maybe someone else fancies the gig?
12 Likes
Congrats to @Unifono or @surfacescan! But for real, the quality of the beats and diversity of styles was really apparent looking through peopleās top 3s. And I really dig what everyone was doing with kind of an odd style of music to sample.
12 Likes
Love these types of battles, always crazy fun seeing all the different snippets and slices everyone hears in them, you are all amazing
9 Likes
cool battle. deserved winner(s).
looking forward to the next and hearing more of everyones styles.
i spleetered out a few of my samples giving that washed out feel, threw them in my MD (more bit rate suction) and my submission was a live recording with a few edits.
same samples here on a more wonked tip
1 Like
Nice one. Definitely digging the artefacts from these sound separator tools. Really liking the stuff you make on the MD - although the MD and all elektron gear is a weird alien mystery to me!
3 Likes
Great work everyone. This was fun! I am a newbie not only to this group but to a lot of this production. This is such a great way to pull me out of my comfort zone, and think differently. Also, hearing everyoneās take is always cool. We all have much different ears for the elements. I love it. Iām already looking forward to the next one!
12 Likes
Congrats @looms !! Well deserved!
Congrats to everyone for these extremely diverse and unique contributions.
Not sure if Iām really within the top three, I felt others had much more votes but Iām too lazy to count 
I can host the next battle, I just have to check what kind of battles have been done already. I only joined the first one and this.
@surfacescan would you like to contribute?
It was a pleasure! Thanks to the hosts
6 Likes