#introducingneals

Introducing Neals tells the story of Neals, a hacker that has been "imprisoned by the The Syndicate for raging against the machine in the name of online privacy and net neutrality."  Neals is living in a near future dystopia where our freedoms, as we know them, are spiralling out of control in favor of corporate (monetary) interest. While the album is a work of fiction, the events that take place are somewhat a reflection of the modern world we are currently living in.  Through the eyes and life of Neals, YTCracker lays out the repercussions of sitting back complacent and not using your voice to stand up for what you believe in.  

Not only has Bryce had a huge impact on the technology front, he’s also had a huge impact on Nerdcore.  In an homage for everything that he has done for our communities, we at the VPC deciding that it would be only fitting to carry on his message in the form of a Vocalist Producer Challenge.  We present to you VPC: Neals Feels.

The objective of Neals Feels is to elaborate on the concept of Introducing Neals in your own San Secuestro themed track.  Unlike other Vocalist/Producer challenges, we’re removing all limits from you.  You’re not tied to the hip-hop genre, you’re not tied to rapping.  You can sing a pop song, or submit a blues song, as long as you give your song that Neals Feels.  Your song should clearly sound like it belongs in the San Secuestro universe, whether it’s a song you would hear playing on a jukebox in a punk club in the city, or an old standard being sang by a homeless drunk under the local freeway bridge.  If you can make it feel like it was pulled right out of the San Secuestro, than you should be submitting it for this challenge. As mentioned above, this is a challenge, and with a challenge comes rules.  We’re leaving the rules pretty loose on this one, but any entry submitted must adhere to the below guidelines: VPC:Neals Feels Challenge Criteria: All submissions must be original and composed by the individual/team/band entering the track

Tracks must overall sound like they belong in the San Secuestro universe - the “Neals Feels” are the most important aspect of this challenge

No loops, but sampled sound FX here and there are ok

In addition to the above challenge rules, we also suggest some additional “side quests” for your journey.  None of the below are required criteria, but they are specific aspects, challenges, and power ups that you should consider to make your entry stand out: Vocalist Side Quests: Use of alliteration Use of multisyllabic rhyme scheme Ad-libs Producer Side Quests: Write a bad-ass arpeggio without an arpeggiator Include a live instrument Create your own synth patches

Our judges are looking and scoring on very specific criteria for your tracks.  To give you the advantage in this challenge, we’re going to give a sneak preview of what they want, so you know to be ready and BRING IT IN FULL FORCE: Clear vocals Melodic Interesting harmonies, interplay between instruments, call and response Steady build-up of intensity from beginning to end Each instrument “having fun”, not just being stuck on one pattern Catchy hook/chorus if there is one – you don't have to follow an ABABCB-type pattern Good dynamic range – aim for DR10 or more Dynamic percussion Songs shouldn't overstay their welcome in terms of length

Also unlike any previous VPC challenge, we’re giving you the opportunity to approach one of our judges DURING THE PRODUCTION OF YOUR TRACK!  Amplitude Problem, responsible for the productions of multiple Introducing Neals tracks such as Fortune or Freedom and Barcade Date, is going above and beyond the call of duty to help you guys with your tracks.  Should you choose to do so, you can reach out to Juan at set points during the VPC round time frame for feedback on your works in progress.  Please note, restrictions do apply and will be confirmed on March 7th.   No contact is permitted until the full guidelines for pre-production feedback have been released on this date.  

A team is comprised of any number of individuals who work together to submit a track. A team must have allocated Vocalist(s) and Producer(s) An individual may fill both roles in the competition for their team. A group/band entering must be comprised of members that working together throughout the entirety of the track, posse tracks are not allowed under the guise of a band/group The team must remain the same members through the entirety of the competition The tracks must only feature members of that team unless crediting a guest. The producer is responsible for track production and final mixing (this includes mixing vocals) The vocalist is responsible for lyrical content and delivery Roles may overlap in some instances, but there must be one person allocated to fill the primary responsibility of each role

2.    Specific Production Guidelines

No loops A small amount of sampled sound FX for effect are permitted No plagiarism*, all compositions must be original The allocated role of producer should do the final mix down including the vox The final mixdown should be as close to a professional master as possible without outsourcing All production must meet requirements of round challenge to be eligible for voting/scoring on that round All production of the track must be initiated after the announcement of that round begins No already released content will be accepted No already completed productions prior to round start will be accepted *PLEASE ENSURE YOU CLICK READ MORE FOR FULL RULES AND REGULATIONS.*