Fuggit, here are mine, then...
Track 1
Nice structure to this one; the most natural-sounding in terms of progression and one of the more faithful to the original (not easy considering how little there was to play with). Volume is a little low overall; drums are nice sounding if a tad 'splashy' in the top end, and the bassline is pleasant - thick and warm, but a little unadventurous melodically. Vocal is effected nicely but levels are a bit wayward in places. Good use of synth layers. Decent.
Track 2
I know precious little about this sort of music - what genre it even is escapes me. But fuck it, I like it. Would never go out and dance to it, but it's got a good vibe to it, it's energetic. Progresses quite nicely over time, and mix sounds healthy on it too. Only thing, and perhaps a critical thing, is the use of vocal really seems quite slapdash. It's not in key and the timing is kinda off also; it's as if it were just laid over a random track as an after-thought.
Track 3
Whoa! This is some splatterhouse shizzle here. Tough beats and gritty bass, a real lip-curler. Gets my head nodding for sure. It's lacking quite a bit of top end, though - and once again the vocal isn't in key, although 'sits' right in the mix. Coulda done with more in the rhythm section - hats, percussion etc to add a sense of development throughout the tune. It's also a bit short - well, by D&B standards anyway - is this meant to be a PA mix, or radio edit or something? :-p
Track 4
This is slick. Love the mood set by the weather FX, and I'm a sucker for an arpeg in a toon, so this one had me at "hello". Lazy as fuck and stylish with it. Very synthetic sounding beats, but it makes sense contextually with the vibe of this piece. Didn't suffer for lack of an obvious bassline, nor for any real melodic changes over time. It just 'worked'. Nice.
Track 5
Hmmm. From a compositional standpoint I can't really fault this tune, but I really REALLY don't like tracks of whatever style this is. Nonetheless I'll try to be objective. Mix wise, it's a lil' lower in overall level than a couple of the others so far. Shame, as the mix seems well balanced - nothing jumping out nor getting swamped in busy sections. Bar the vocal, that is - to my ears it's a little far back; sounds like Miss EK is in the next room! Competent arrangement though, keeps my interest levels up.
Track 6
I can't really explain why, but as soon as this tune started it made me think of adverts for cars on TV! Make of that what you will, hehe! Placement of the vocal messes with my head a little. Of course it's all bang on, I just think I listened to the original too many times, so it freaks me out a little. Cool edits, though. Really wanted something to happen before the mini-breakdown @ 2:38, though, something to build on that real simple groove that got going really quickly in the track. Actually, 4 mins in, I still want something else to happen. It's kinda slick, but seems to lack 'warmth', despite that word really not meaning much I don't have a better one just now.
Track 7
Nice strings to start, very melancholy. I love stuff like that. Beats are a little simplistic and a tad dull, but sufficiently snappy. The percussion scuttering around in the stereo field are a welcome addition, though. Nice vox edits, good use of delays and filters. But that drop at 1:27 is not working for me at all. Drum pattern is very disjointed and distracting, sounds like they've lost a little level since the intro too. Bassline doesn't actually have nearly enough weight to it, and positively screams "VST" at me; it's a real thin, plasticy sound that I'm not into at all. The melody is quite strange also. Overall the sound is quite clinical and dry, a more generous helping of FX on things to give more of a sense of space/depth woulda been better, I reckon.
Track 8
Vocal edits are a bit brutal on this one. Some cuts are a little abrupt and ill-placed. Beats sound tight and well EQed. Not overly enamoured with the LFOed rhodes sounding melody, in tone or musicality; it also really suffers from that "VST" sound. Slick bassline, nice groove to it. I absolutely detest the melody that kicks in @ 2:11, though - far too "Fisher-Price" sounding, no character to the sound and a really irritating melody. Nice bass switch @ 2:59, and the riff here is a lot easier on the ears (I like square waves!). Competent arrangement, good attention to detail. Woulda liked some use of the lush chord progression from the original, if only to break up the electric-piano-wobbly-thing a little more. Of all the D&B tracks, this one has the most rounded overall sound, but I really wish there were more to it.
Well done chaps.
