Random-storykeeper's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM - 3am Waltz]

On first listen, this piece feels very disjointed. There's a lot of changing around of instrumentation and ideas moving around and it's easy to feel like melodies are just going all over the place. On repeated listens, however, the presence of a repeating idea with pretty bursts of instrumentation becomes the constant and it also helps that the waltz metre is very present in spite of all the apparent chaos.

I didn't personally notice any issues with the mixing. Perhaps some chiptune elements were a bit on the loud side, especially when they are introduced, but I felt like they kind of worked in the music's favour, with seemingly disconnected parts working together as a whole, contrasting in timbre and dynamics.

The way the percussion starts getting crazier towards the end was a great way of conveying the falling stars in the background of the art inspiration. I can definitely hear this piece musically connecting to the art, although I do get more of a somber mood from the artwork that feels very different from the playful vibes of the composition (especially given the title and the muted colours). Still, it does capture a specific mood that can be interpolated from the art and the piece does set a magical nighttime scene quite well.

Overall, this piece lent itself to many relistens, both for the comforting and whimsical nighttime atmosphere and the various pops of embellishment that may not be as prominent on early listens.

Zechnition responds:

thanks for the review, it means a lot! Glad you liked it too :3

[AIM - Skypunks]

Out of all the entries I've listened to, this was the one I came back to replay the most. The thing I love the most about this track is that it's really well constructed. The beautiful piano intro, the way the bass enters, the melodies setting the stage - man and the way the bass takes that extra step to go up to the next set of repeated notes at 0:58, it's like everything hits and flows in a way that feels incredibly magical.

I can definitely get that the feeling/atmosphere of the artwork was drawn upon for inspiration, especially in the way that repeating melodic idea latches onto the G note until the end of its mini phrase. The dissonance with the underlying IV V vi chord progression elicits that sense of falling but in a fun and charming sort of way, like it is depicted in the art inspiration.

The biggest drawback I'm getting is that even though I've replayed this a ton of times, I still can't completely get into the key change at 2:03. It just felt too sudden, like even though the music was building up to that big sort of change, the chords/accompaniment didn't seem to accommodate for that, so something always feels off when that section begins. In this sense, having the ideas repeat in that new key allows me to regain my immersion by connecting the unfamiliar with ideas introduced earlier, but that part to me comes across as a jolting moment when the rest of the piece's strength lies on its ability to flow through ideas organically.

Other than that, I really love the melodies, particularly the use of the vocaloid as a lead instrument. The overall energy and that repeating looped idea that cycles through basically the entire piece is captivating and also comforting, and I found myself wanting to listen to it because of those things.

LordAndiso responds:

Thank u so much <3 really appreciate the analysis. glad you liked it. Yeah the part that feels off, i really love experimenting with new stuff, i had another section made but it was a bit too much.. so i removed it and kept it like this. This how i like it :D Anyways, thank u for listening!

[AIM - Pixel Daylight]

This piece feels so calming and comforting. I like how the notes feel very sparse and independent at times, but their pointilistic nature does convey the feeling of the different aspects of the landscape in a distinct pixelart nature.

The chromatic upper note feels a bit too happy-whimsical to fit with the rest of the composition’s atmosphere, but I think it does tie in nicely when there are multiple melody lines going on. I think the multi-melodic layers pull the piece in interesting dimensions; they almost feel like different elements of nature interweaving with one another but still remaining their own independent entities, like the trees and clouds, maybe.

Out of all the acoustic instruments, I particularly enjoyed the addition of the strings at 1:00. They feel very pixel-like, with their short notes and unnoticeable volume enveloping. I wish that there were more opportunities to hear how that instrument worked against the chiptune sounds, although I did enjoy the little bits of call and response in that particular section.

Overall, I enjoyed the incorporation of the music as the medium itself, whether intentional or not. It was simple, pleasant and hits the atmosphere of the art adequately. Nice work.

Zechnition responds:

Ah I forgot to respond to this review, I got distracted at the time pulling up the project and figuring out what you were referencing 😅. Thanks for all your thoughts, it totally helps!

[AIM - Torment Beneath the Flesh]

What I like the most about this piece is the introduction. The hook is not only immediately attention grabbing, but the way only certain guitar notes have that noisy quality to them adds just the right sense of creepiness.

Once the track gets into the heavier guitar-riff stuff, I found myself still enjoying it, though the balancing felt quite off. I didn't really get a sense of dynamics in the track - it mostly felt pretty uniform and I think there was more opportunity to play around with the way the noisiness hit certain notes and rhythms, much like the beginning. Ultimately, I also found the percussion to be very quiet and hidden. It felt as though the drums weren't part of the same piece. The patterns themselves were fine; I just wish they were more integrated with the rest of the instruments.

Overall, this entry was my favourite of the two you had submitted. I like the structure of the piece and I think the resonance and intensity of the guitar instrument does give off that uncomfortable feeling that complements the concept of the art inspiration.

jebuscrust9 responds:

Thank you for the in-depth review. I'm glad you seem to have enjoyed it despite its issues and hopefully I will be able to keep your considerations in mind for when I work on other projects. I'm pleasantly surprised that you liked this one better out of the two as I enjoyed making this one a lot more.

[AIM - Stomach of The Beast]

This piece is full of sounds that captivate me in a rather unsettling way. It's almost hypnotic - I'm drawn into the soundscape even though the atmosphere doesn't exactly call for a pleasant experience. The strengths of this piece rely on evoking this nightmarish fever dream that slowly, but surely pulls me in.

I really thought everything came together when the distorted bass entered at around 1:10. It's so overwhelming that it practically engulfs the other instruments, but it felt like a good step in the progression of this repeating idea and added some much needed emphasis on certain notes in its rhythms.

Also of note is the conclusion, which feels subtly emotional and human-like, with the way those synth chords first enter at 2:33. The major 7th chords heighten the sense of melancholic resolution and I feel like they reflect the humanness of the inspired artwork in the same subtle manner. I like how this accompanies the return of the ideas from the introduction, sort of an interesting recontextualization of what started as a dark and disturbing atmosphere.

Overall, this piece does a great job at encapsulating the subject of the artwork in all its breathtaking glory. I think you got the tone just right.

WakerLink responds:

That is quite a detailed and interesting interpretation of the piece, and I'm more than glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for hosting this contest, it was pretty fun!

[AIM - Aura of a Ghost]

The intro definitely gives me chill vibes - I love that gentle sweep of the bell-like instruments and how those lower strings cut through at around the 0:30 mark. I think it was up until the bass that I was really enjoying the atmosphere; it does portray the artwork it's inspired by effectively.

Unfortunately, I think the harsher bass really dampens my engagement in the track. While I like the idea of adding intensity, I think the transition into that bassline feels abrupt, volume-wise, and the bass is very in-your-face that it's difficult to listen to without feeling like my head is being pounded. The repetition of this bassline also doesn't help it much - it mostly feels uniform and stuck in the same place.

Overall, I think the structure of this entry is good - I think the intensity between sections would work with more solid production in regards to mixing that harsh bassline and its progression.

[AIM 2021 - Huntress]

The thing I like most about this piece are the sounds. The guitars give a warm feeling and the track is well balanced, which is good, considering the various ideas rolling around in the texture. The general structure feels pretty loose, but at the same time, ideas seem to be focused on one particular spot in time. When I listen to this entry (and I feel similarly about "Bridge" as well), I feel like I just stepped into the middle of a track and that one aspect of time plays itself out. To me, it's kind of like portraying a still picture sonically, which seems to be exactly what the art calls for.

One thing I find confusing to grasp is your description of the entry suggests progression which is not evident in the track. Normally, the expectation is that there would be a change in the feeling of the composition that shifts from the fear of the dragon retaliating (as an example) to the gradual act of becoming the dragon's friend. The track feels too stuck in a particular loop to express any sort of narrative storytelling, at least for me.

Overall, I think the patterns within the textures of your entry are fascinating, and the track does lend itself to some replayability to get a sense of different ideas being played in front of me that I may have missed on previous listens. I'm not sure if I completely make that connection to the art inspiration or to the ideas attempted to being explored, although I think the sound design captures the warmer tones of the painting.

AndieCiambotti responds:

You really give the best reviews, thank you so much for your time, greatly appreciated!
The progression/twist of the story written in the description are the last tunes you can hear at the end of the track, sort of a mellow ending to a hunting adventure (which I deeply hate).

Edit: I think I know what's missing on this track... I completely forgot to record a bass!

[AIM - Break the Cycle]

The beginning section definitely feels like a piece that would play during the cutscene of a visual novel in which you see the art inspiration as a still frame while text scrolls on the bottom of the screen to indicate a conversation. I think the overall vibes play into the warm colours of the background and that bassline ties the piece together. I love how it stands out, but it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.

The structure feels quite loose and much like the chill atmosphere, things just kind of happen into one another. Everything just comes into place wherever it seems fit, and I definitely get that sense from the music alone before even reading the description. At the same time, the chord progression and the instrument choice seem very classy, and the loose nature allows me to have a relaxing experience in which my mind simply wanders with the music.

Not only was the piano section stunning, but also its transition from the first section into it. I did notice that some of the notes on the piano came across as being a tad too forceful, but I think it was generally humanized well. It was more that I wasn't expecting, around the introduction of the piano, the notes to all have that sort of heavy accent on them, although I can see that complementing the ominous nature of the character. Also weird side note, but the melody at 3:44 always leads me to believe it's going to turn into a remix of "Reflection" from Disney's Mulan because those notes sound quite similar to a part of the chorus.

Overall, there's a lot of nice, little surprises amidst the laid back atmosphere that do sound like they aren't conventional, thus breaking the cycle. In the starting section, I like how the keys at 0:18 sound like they're being set up to serve as a background instrument to the lead, but then at 0:35, they themselves become the lead. These subtle touches are interesting to look out for on replays, and I did replay this one frequently.

[Rolling Waves - AIM 2021]

Listening to this piece is like the equivalent of being hit by a giant wave in slow motion. The multistage structure feels like it captures everything, from the water picking up to the wave travelling towards its target and ultimately hitting it with a gargantuan slam. What I love most about this piece is that it manages to capture the emotion of what such an event would be like, without overstating it to some large scale degree. It actually feels a bit more intimate, as if the events were unfolding in the eyes of an individual.

In my opinion, the piano is really what shines here. I think its subdued nature, especially when the percussion and other instruments enter, is what makes it work so effectively. It presents a very somber chord progression that lingers even when it goes into the background, which evokes the sense of being overtaken by a giant wave (I'm really running with this wave metaphor even though I don't think that's exactly what you were going for lol) and the way the piano tries to cut through the mix comes across as suppressed cries of fear.

As much as I am taken back for the ride, I'm not quite sure I follow the connection between the art and the music. If the interpretation is a darker take on Alice in Wonderland, I'm not really sure if I felt that through this composition. Maybe the dread of inevitability that takes over most of this piece alludes to that inevitable feeling of having to accept growing up. That and the rising strings glissando to bassline at around the 3:50 mark felt a bit too horror trailer-y in a way that didn't completely work for me, but it it didn't really bother me a whole lot - mostly because it was just at the very end.

Overall, these are pretty much minor gripes to a pretty solid entry. I love the structural flow and the way the piece sets up an emotional kind of tension. The build to that vocal part at 2:59 is just haunting in a way that also feels climactic. Well done!

[AIM - Sunset Silhouette]

Your instrument choices are spot-on for evoking emotions that can reasonably be connected the artwork. I especially like the use of the pizzicato strings, which add this extra level of poignancy and that, combined with the piano, conveys the idea of silhouetted figures pretty well.

Generally, the composition feels quite sad due to it remaining in the minor key for the entire duration of the piece. It does paint the picture in quite a different light, giving the story captured a more bittersweet feeling, as if the two lovers can only meet each other in secret during sunset unless they get caught. I'm not really sure if that's what you're going for, since you only mention the piece being romantic, but hey, romantic sadness also works.

One way to bring out more emotion in the piano is to phrase those solid chords at the beginning (starting at 0:05) and not allow them to hit exactly the same. I think they would probably work best if the second chord were slightly softer to play into that conclusion of sadness even more.

Overall, this entry interprets the art in a melancholy sort of way, which I'm not sure if the image itself was actually trying to convey, but I liked the approach.

NativeNiles responds:

I was going for that Romero and Juliet vibe. You nailed it on meeting in secret at sundown, after everyone retired in their homes. I could have used more time to edit, but at last, no time waits for no man. Thx for the review.