Considering the challenge, I wasn't expecting for any of the submissions to be "elegant", but I'd say yours certainly is! The composition and mixing are really well done, and the way you interpreted the cover art is very creative. I do think that how the song incorporated the challenge should've been a little clearer though.

This song is crazy good. The composition is just killer! And it's in a similar vein where I went with it too, so it's fun to hear that. I think your mix is great as well, very clean. I think really my only feedback is that Amen Break- it definitely does feel like you didn't know what to do with it and instead of taking advantage of it, it's sort of hidden back there behind all these really wonderfully composed elements. When it first comes in I'm like "oh this is gonna get huge!" and it sort of does, but I think leaning into that dnb vibe you were avoiding would have made this incredibly unique and awesome. Also would have made the quiet part after that much more serene and dynamic.

I literally can't nitpick anything else though- this song is just awesome.

Did you play the guitar and the bass or are those synths/samplers?

This was a different take on this challenge, since you took the emotion in the image and went with that instead of focusing on one of the samples. If think you did a good job portraying the image, and I especially like the background parts towards the end of the song. Only on second listen did I hear any amen break.

Really liked your composition!
I feel like some of the instruments break the "feel" of the song sounding a bit MIDI-ish compared to others,
But overall great!

I will have to agree with Aurelien & Jofes about the challange's essence though,
The amen break barely "breaks" through (lol).

I get how incorporating it kinda ruins the vibe of the song,
if you ask me I prefer it that way as it's very cool sounding but it does miss the challange's point.

Even if its a good piece overall and I dig the "japanese" anime/game feel, it sound a bit too serious for this challenge.

I understand not wanting the Amen break to override the song but I think that kind of takes away from the purpose of the challenge. Hearing the amen break or metal pipe or meowsynth is the point so trying to mitigate its role in the song feels counter to the challenge.

that being said, the song was really good and my favorite bits were the fleeting percussion noises that would come in and fade out like the shaker noise.