TAXI.com

I received one forward and one return on this one. I put up the forward in the forwards section, so I'll post the return here. I agree, pretty monotonous and weird (or too quirky as they put it)

https://s.disco.ac/tenokvenqecj

Screener 419: What I like most about this song
Good Lo-Fi groove / beat. I like the subtle ambient noise for texturing. Pretty melodramatic piano melody.

I think you could improve this song by
This is too melodramatic and bit too quirky. The piano melody, while pretty is also too repetitive the first 1:19 and from 1:30 til the end.

I returned or forwarded this song because
Too quirky and a bit too repetitive the first 1:19 and final :45.

Agree with the screener on this one. Great mix, excellent bass and drums, they are a solid fit for the genre. But the piano takes it elsewhere. The major key, I to V progression and straight arpeggios take it out of the genre, as does the long note trumpet. Lofi needs more dirt and less "stability"... some shuffle feel, some stutter, etc. I think if you change the piano you've got a solid track to pitch. One idea could be to turn the piano theme into an audio file and loop/chop it. Or ditch the arpeggios and create a new theme.

I'd need to hear the references they provided, Lo-Fi is a pretty wide genre. If you search for lofi piano playlists on Spotify you find lots of stuff like this that is more complex than what I consider traditional lofi (think "Lofi Girl" on YouTube). My experience has been that lofi is a darker genre, more minor keys, imagine the angst of the 20-somethings out there struggling with 'the man' as they search for a job on their $800 phones while sitting at a coffee shop drinking a $9 coffee.