1. Lost in a Trance
   nukage
2. lost your way
   coloradoweeks
3. Following The Sound Of Cryptids
   Misael.K

1. lost your way
   coloradoweeks
2. Following The Sound Of Cryptids
   Misael.K
3. Fight Me, Woods, You Coward!
   Jett Swole

As usual: within the rules, on theme, and euphonious. More or less in that order.

colorado weeks's was short and sweet, and marked all the boxes.

1. lost your way
   coloradoweeks
2. Lost in a Trance
   nukage
3. Link's Acid Trip
   DDRKirby(ISQ)

i liked these songs

i also liked lyra's thing

1. Link's Acid Trip
   DDRKirby(ISQ)
2. Owl(Annihilation)
   NickC
3. The Darkstar Woods
   Xanthos

DDRKirby making the DANK

1. Who's Following Me
   TheVideoGamer
2. Lost in a Trance
   nukage
3. lost your way
   coloradoweeks

TheVideoGamer - Amazing production! 6 full minutes of building ambience, like a journey traveling deeper and deeper into the ominous woods. Very well-written composition!

nukage - This song put me in a trance. I listened to it several times after to fully absorb it, love the energy put into this one. I was really picturing a rave deep in the woods, with multicolored strobes lighting up the trees and all that. Awesome work!

coloradoweeks - I always enjoy the heart and soul you put into your work. I am often reminded of Cowboy Bebop(particularly the jazzy aspects) and other anime from the 90's-2000's with the silky jazz and smooth vocals. You have an incredible voice! Beautiful composition!

1. The Darkstar Woods
   Xanthos
2. Owl(Annihilation)
   NickC
3. Lost in the Woods
   Dex

All comments are replied to on discord, so onto the voting!

TheVideoGamer - This track is designed to be very atmospheric and spooky. There isn't an emphasis on melodic ideas, and the track itself is more on the simpler side in terms of the way the melodies are played (If you would even call the melodies, it's mostly pad chords playing single notes in a spooky scale). The track is all about the progression, after a 1 minute of intro, we get the drums, which is a manipulated trance kick with a triplet delay. The kick is the only form of percussion here minus the reverb sound effects that come in and out. The sound effects are just random stuff thrown in, like the sound of smashing glass, a reggae drum fill, and Goofy screaming his arse off lol. It's not designed to be anything but mostly reverb fodder. The pad chords are designed to develop dynamically, so it doesn't sound boring or repetitive, it's all about the layering. I also decided to throw in a bitcrushed ending, because i thought it would add a cool experimental layer to the sound, and it makes for a proper ending. Unlike other endings of a similar nature, the distortion and reverb is cranked up to make it so we kind of fade into nothing. All in all it's a pretty cool piece, with some cool spooky moments. Glad you liked it!

DarkShadow - Liking those oldschool drums. Feels partially 90's sounding. This is definately more distorted squares than the average Dark Shadow entry. The laser gabber section was also very cool. This is quite the hectic tune, more so than normal DarkShadow. The mix is surprisingly really good to say it's distorted. Very hard to follow though, mostly because i was distracted by the pulsating kick. throughout, lots of potential here. Definately different from your usual stuff, but without it sounding nothing like DarkShadow, lots of fun. Good job!

Koekepan - No 6 minutes? Say it ain't so! I do like these textures, it's spooky but also unsettling. Despite the thick wall of spooky texture, you manage to include a really nice soft melody, that doesn't make it spooky in my opinion, but it's extremely nice sounding. It sounds more like space music weirdly. I do feel the pads in this are a little weird sounding. Mostly in that it sounds like it's a little muffled. The distorted textures brought on in the middle, is used towards the end, which can make for a slightly weird contrast. I feel they don't work together in my opinion. This track has a lot of potential i will say, the idea is really dope! That melody is very nice, i loved that. Good job!

Lyra_183 - This is one quiet waveform, but luckily not too quiet that i can't hear you. The rhythms here are super cool, it sounds like a mixture of rap and singing. I love the duplicated effect here, it sounds like 2 singers in one voice, it's great. You should explore more of that. I love how consistent you are, everything is on beat, and the melody is both present, and memorable. Honestly, i'm kind of impressed by this one, it's really good! I'm feeling like giving you this, it was great. Well done!

LillyMeadows - That is one thicc bassline. The drums are also pretty great, although they do seem to struggle in competing with the bassline. The bassline has everything, but the drums don't seem to compliment. Maybe i would switch for a more intense kickdrum, to beef up this sick vibe. The riser was slightly loud, but hyped me up for the drop. I do feel some strong lead melody synths could take this over the edge, especially for a nonstop looped bassline (Which i love by the way, repetition is always a great thing). Your mixing game has definately levelled up though, the overall mix is really great. There is a lot of potential here, it's a sick idea. Good job!

Wassup Thunder -  Some sick reverbed drums here, with a great 4:3 polyrhythm. I don't know what style this is, but i love it. There is like a cool synth bassline in this, that makes it sound like it belongs to some kind of techno record. This irks me now, because i feel a kickdrum and a clap is calling for this track. The flute melody is fire, but i can't tell if it's detuned on purpose, it sounds a little flat compared to the rest. The bagpipe melody was unexpected but also welcome. I feel we could also do with a stronger bassline, to account for all this drum work. I still can't get over the lack of techno kick. It just....needs it. I had to think about this one, because there is a lot of moments that don't really sit right. Some of the out of tune flute parts, the lack of bassline (I'm thinking a lot in terms of EDM, because this style just needs it for some reason), and the intense taiko like drums that could do with some mild drum variation, but this is just me, that's more of a nitpick. This has so much potential, idea was sick, good job!

Nukage - Nukage going modular? Wow that is not something i would be hearing this week. The synths and kick don't sound too far off a Arcana type beat, minus the thick sidechain and futuristic melody. I'm shocked at how...good this sounds for modular. It sounds very normal, and not mangled like a lot of modular can be. The melody is pretty fire, especially for this setup. I noticed in some parts there is a speedup and a slow down, i'm not sure if this is my ears, or some Mandela Effect going on. This is definately not the average Nukage production, because for one thing, there is a loose structure here (Which you even point out in the description). Normally you have a calculated number of bars before the fill or the breakdown, however in this case, it wasn't really predictable (Not that it's bad anyways). It's shocking how this came out of modular, considering it's melodic. This is honestly just....awesome. I don't know how else to describe it. Yes there is some stuff to be worked on, but it's not a lot. This was just soo good, another entry worth voting on, but alas i can only pick 3. Awesome work!

Jett Swole - Welcome new guy! I'm not familiar with your work, so this is my first time. Loving that video game-ish bassline,. The drum and guitar work caught me by surprise. I was not expecting metal at all, especially not for that kind of description. My god even the solo was on point wow. If this is your first entry then....holy crap why am i even here, i'm not worthy. Seriously the drums were fire, the chords were epic, the playing was insane. The only thing i've got, is really to beef up the bassline. I know there's an inside joke that you can't really hear the bassline in metal, but in this case, you do kind of make it a selling point in the beginning in regards to the bassline, so i feel a little boost goes a long way. But to be frank, i'm not even paying attention to the bassline, because those guitars man, already cemented this fate. It's definitely in the awesome section. In fact i wanted to vote for this so badly, but i had to settle with 3 entries. However if there was a 4th place, this would be it. Amazing work!

Dex - Piano vibes galore. That melody feels very 70's rock. Don't know which band, but i get that vibe. I do love the violin melody, it's got a lot of lovely phrasing. The piano is kind of melancholic, but works super well in conjunction with the violin. The string section in the 2nd half was kind surprising, like very surprising. Not only does it sound completely different from the chords in the first half, but you go through like 20 different chords, hot damn your harmony game in this is....amazing. I was shocked at the different chord choices here, it's really great. It sounds like something is among us, as if were going to meet our doom. The piano finish totally sounds baroque, i love it. Definately fits the lost in the woods aesthetic. Yeah there could be slight mixing tweaks here, but ultimately the chords and melody won me over, i love this. It was soo good, i choose this for the 3rd spot! Amazing work!

DDRKirby(ISQ) - The foley make it sound very peaceful. I was expecting to be scared, but no i'm actually in the land of funk. The sound effects into the drop, were something. I thought that i was going to die, but all i felt was getting sucked into a portal. That synth melody is wow. But what can i say, this is DDRKirby, who is known for amazing melodic ideas. This is super infectious groovy stuff, you will not keep me still, i can't stop moving. Even the vocal samples add something. I'm really into the mix too, everything sits really nicely on my ears, i love it. Nothing else to say really, it's not particularly a melodic composition, if you count the number of chords, and the ending was unusual, but damn the solo's were fire. it's such a funky piece of music i absolutely love it. Would have loved to vote for this, but i only have 3 choices. Awesome work!

Coloradoweeks - This sounds were coming from a Military Band, although this is probably more Latin inspired. The bassline is pretty catchy, and really adds a lot to the funkiness of this piece. Chords were lovely too, and singing is amazing as always. I do wish this was longer, it's barely a minute, and that includes the 6 second release. (You did a proper ending this time lol. It's a recurring meme, when i hear the Colorado ending. A delay that cuts off at a certain point haha. All in good fun.) The drums are fine, although perhaps a stronger beat would go a long way here, but that depends on the style, hence why i said fire here. For some reason i can't stop laughing at the ending, i'm weird. Delayed vocals, with an accidental tambourine, it just gets me. At the end of the day, if this was longer, this would really take it over the edge, but after relistening the singing and chord work is too good to ignore, so i'll give you this one. Well done!

A2Z - Wow these are some seriously cool synths! I thought were gonna go for some Dubstep. Nope, it's good ol' hardstyle. Not as aggressive though, it feels quite weak. Maybe more jumpstyle, except this is pretty melodic. You were right about the lead, it scared me a little, and kind of took me out of the piece. For this style i feel a flute melody benefits more. In terms of the overall mix, it's pretty great. The kick is also great, even if it's not as distorted as hardstyle. It's a very unique take on the theme, with some sick sound effects. It's a shame that lead was there, i almost contemplated giving you this one. Good job though!

Misael.K - Cool effects, you sort of got some modulated bird calls in this. Drums are thicc, it's like a cross between orchestral and downtempo. The melody is pretty whistly, i totally get a bit of a bird sound in this. It does make for an interesting track, although it can sound more like a one shot white noise track, resulting in accidental dissonance. I feel we could have used a more longer sine-wave synth, but keep the chords, as both seem to blend well, resulting in the melody becoming a bit lost. I do dig the drum work, and the background synths are very eerie, so ultimately in the end i found there was more to like than dislike. Well done!

NickC - RAVE!! That kick is one phat boi. Tubular bells is not what i was expecting, but i will take it, especially since i used it in my track. That violin melody is spooky as hell, and fits the atmosphere quite well, despite it being high energy. In some ways i detect similarities to my track, even though it's not the same style. In fact i'd argue it's more similar to LillyMeadows track than mine, largely because of the looped bassline. This one though contains a breakdown in the middle resulting in a very eerie string section. This one is extremely unique melody wise, and honestly i'm both fascinated and also weirdly in love. I don't know what it is, because a lot of the moments here seem quite off, but yet it makes the track. Some melody parts are slightly tinny, but i thick you've processed a harpsichord with distortion, so that might be why. The sheer uniqueness of this rave track, coupled with some really spooky melodies, is why i love this soo much, and i will definately give you this one. In fact i'll definately give you the 2nd spot, this was soo good. Incredible work!

Xanthos - 6 minute Xanthos les gooo. This is some very airy stuff going on. Vocals in a Xanthos entry is kind of unheard off, but i will take it. The vocals give me a bit of middle east flair to the sound. Drums are super cool, sounds both electronic and kind of tribal, it really makes me feel like i'm in some kind of cave or something. The variety of melodies is also surpassingly great, so many atmospheric pad chords, i feel like i'm floating. Some parts of the drums do get on top of each other, resulting in something a little loud, but really that's the only critique i have. I just loved how you had this climax of really thick airy and spooky sounds, before it all suddenly drops in favour of just a vocal and drum line. It's a brilliant way of keeping the flow, without it being boring or repetitive. Despite the nonstop nature of the drums, the track just keeps on giving, with so many amazing airy melodies. I don't know how you keep it soo engaging despite it's melodic content, but i love it. This is probably you're strongest entry since i've last heard you. In fact it was so strong, i decided to place you on the top spot, incredible work!

Johnfn - Oh man i missed your music. The Johnfn chords are back, this is super pretty and chill, for a theme about being lost in the woods. That piano melody seals the deal for me. Even the drums are super tight and groovy. Not the most theme fitting, but to be fair, who cares if it's this good. Loving the occasional reverb splash, so much attention to detail on the drums, despite it's laidback groove. That synth melody is infectious. Honestly, this is just amazing stuff from you. Sure if i were to really nitpick, the drums could benefit from smoothing, as they're a little too crisp for my liking, but that's about it really. I definately missed this, the melodies are top notch. Definately voting worthy. Loved this a lot, awesome work!

Arcana - Triplet Arcana was not something i was expecting, but then again you guys always pull surprises on me. The singing is super strong here, especially those registers. I don't hear any correction here, and you've managed to hit on the right pitch i'm impressed. It's almost falsetto at this point. It can get a bit a bit loud as a result, but the sheer passion in that voice is super impressive. The chords are really great too, it totally matches the vibe of your voice. I can see potential here for more expansion to make the melodies more epic and maybe orchestral even, but despite that this is sick. Your vocal performance is to be commended. I'm gonna give you this one, it's really great! Well done!

Top 3 - Xanthos, NickC, Dex.

These entries are amazing and deserve to be on the list:

Nukage (This one deserves to be on the list, but alas i can only pick 3)

Jett Swole (Amazing first entry, shame it can't be on! I can only pick 3)

DDRKirby(ISQ) (Another awesome one, but alas i only have 3 to choose from.)

Johnfn (Awesome comeback, shame i can't vote for it. I only have 3 spots avaliable)

Awesome - Lyra_183, Nukage, Jett Swole, Dex, DDRKirby(ISQ), Coloradoweeks, Misael.K, NickC, Xanthos, Johnfn, Arcana.

Needs Work - DarkShadow, Koekepan, LillyMeadows, Wassup Thunder, A2Z.

1. Lost in the Woods
   Dex
2. Who's Following Me
   TheVideoGamer
3. Following The Sound Of Cryptids
   Misael.K

1. Lost in the Woods
   Dex
2. lost your way
   coloradoweeks
3. forest thing
   johnfn

Dex: that second part is gold.

coloradoweeks: groooovy.

johnfn: the return of the johnfn lead.

awesum: coloradoweeks, DDRKirby(ISQ), Dex, Jett Swole, johnfn, nukage, Xanthos.
good: A2Z, Arcana, DarkShadow, Koekepan, LillyMeadows, Lyra_183, NickC, TheVideoGamer, Wassup Thunder.