Yeah that section is kinda the precursor to your main section. You pass the same melodic idea from the mallets into a different instrument but I didn't get the feeling that :14-:42 was the main statement of your idea. The first time that idea really kicks in is at :42. Up to that point you're just laying groundwork. You could take out that section just to hear how it sounds but another (or of course leave it as is depending on what you're going for) or another option would be to bring some things back so that section has even less impact so that when you hit :42 it still gives you that punch. Like for instance in one video Tom makes a second EQ for the kick and automates it on when he wants the kick to sound less full. There's a number of things kinda like that you can do. Just change things around so your main section hits harder.

Then again, just like you, I'm learning and probably always will be. These are just things that I thought stood out to me but my writing style might be quite a bit different than yours. I've done some collaboration projects and had some fun but as you say they're a challenge. I've been in some collaborations where I get in one idea and before I get a chance to work on it again the other person has taken the idea and written the rest of the song. That can get frustrating. But there's a ton of benefits if you can get the groove.
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Can you render out an audio example?
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