Please let me know your thoughts to why AJ rejected this piece

This piece was rejected and I need help in understanding what I have missed and not done correctly. Is it the production, arrangement, or something I still don’t understand yet; I am just not sure? Any and all suggestions would be very much appreciated.

When I set out on this journey to write and produce I knew it wouldn’t be an easy one, but with it being a journey it’s not the end result but the entire process, and it’s been very awesome so far. Thank you so much for your thoughts

To my ears, a few things in particular jumped out:

  • The synth sounds - especially the “bells” - are very '80s / digital / dated sounding. Sampled real bells would be better.
  • The drums - especially the snare - are too busy. A simple backbeat on the 4 (assuming you’re counting it as 6/8) would be far less obtrusive.
  • The bass too - as it interacts with the drums - is counter-intuitive, thus further complicating the overall groove.

Overall - a more straightforward approach to the entire track would bring it closer to the mark.

Hope this helps.

Thank you Eightball audio. I appreciate your thoughts and will work on those suggestions. Cheers
Rick