Random-storykeeper's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Jewel Man (Rockman Remastered)]

I like it when the lead is the electric guitar, especially when it does that slide at 0:35 and 1:17. The balancing feels kind of off, though. The accompanying electric guitar at the beginning of the loop is interesting, but it's super loud to the point where the lead is pushed to the background. The bells also sound slightly out of tune, like there's some odd parallel harmonies that don't quite fit in with the tone of the track. Are you using a Mega Man X soundfont? I have one and it's slightly out of tune with my other soundfonts and instruments, which is kind of annoying.

Anyways love the energy, especially in that aggressive percussion. I feel like replaying it too many times in a row would probably tire me out though, haha.

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Edit: April 6

Okay so I finally listened to your revisions. The guitar could still be brought down a couple more notches, but it is a little better than before.

The harmonies at 0:11 still off in comparison to the original. You play them all as perfect fourths, whereas the actual harmonies are a minor third, a perfect fifth and a perfect fourth. In other words, that lower note in the harmony should be E, D and D, not D, E and D as it sounds like in your version.

RetroCarrot responds:

Not to worry, I'll get on that right away.

Also, yes and no. This IS a Rockman soundfont, but it's from the Power Fighters, not Rockman X.

I've edited this a bit. Will this be better for you?

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4月10日

I'll fix that noisy guitar、but with all due respect、I'm fine with the harmonies as they are。 It's not 100% accurate to the game's original score、but that's the point。 I can't write lyrics for shit、which makes it near impossible for me to make music of my own。 With that said、if I'm doomed to be a cover-artist、I want to do my best to make my version as unique as possible。

[Requiem Hope]

This is neat and definitely something that doesn't seem like it would be within your league of stuff to make. Based on the request, it seems kind of surprising you would even get something like this, but I think you did a good job striking a balance within the required parameters. A choir is a good choice for making a piece that is powerful, but has depth and emotion to it.

I really like the intro; just that gentle fade with the resolving chords really did feel warm and more emotional than cheesy. Maybe there's a couple of issues I had: I found the reverb to be a little on the distracting side - when the choir cuts, it doesn't quite sound like a rest as the reverb tail sort of fills the space (1:39 maybe is an example where I can think of this?).

There could have been more shape in the melodic phrasing, which I think would have helped to give the piece more shape even if the chords don't always sound like they're resolving quite "perfectly" as a traditional choral piece might. But I think that's interesting...there just could have been something more to give the listener some satisfaction of resolution without it actually being reflected in the composition. The higher notes especially don't quite seem to blend in well with the rest of the choir, but I do love the little ambient background touches at the beginning and end.

Based on what you normally do (from what I've heard in Chips anyway), it seems like you did your best with what you got. Even if it's just a quick piece, you were at least heading towards the right approach.

[in time // rewind]

Wow, you really know how to repeat an idea to satisfying levels, and catchy ideas at that. Those piano chords are everything. I love how airy the vocals are (lol are those YOUR vocals?) because they balance so well with the bass. The glitchiness works so well, and I quite enjoyed the drum break that happens like halfway through.

I'm blown away with how you're able to get away with repeating things as much as you do in a piece, because this basically is just like, a couple chords cycling throughout yet by the end, it still feels as fresh as when you first start the piece. You just execute it in the catchiest manner, and it's the little details as you go along that make it all the more captivating. I did quite enjoy this. Hope you do well in the NGADM.

johnfn responds:

they actually are mine!

[Root Beer Float]

omg...is it a coincidence that I get vibes from that OHC with the beer pics? Like it's got that jazzy feeling, but this obviously leans more on the sound effects, chiptune. I really liked that piece you did in that OHC488, and I like that this is like a longer drawn out version of that.

I'm not sure if I'm completely sold on the sound effects working for me, but I did enjoy the various instruments playing the melody. It's cool to hear that main repeating melody get broken up and played around with in terms of intensity. And whenever I hear a good sax solo, I'm required, by law, to give at least 4 stars. I love the different timbres and the mix of chiptune and acoustic.

Probably my favourite part was the jazzy interlude that kicks in at 1:58. Yet you combine this with such strange drums that don't really fit in with that part at all? I guess I would have preferred more traditional jazz/acoustic style drums there, especially since they don't really do much; they just sort of pop in for a couple seconds and then stop.

This was a pretty interesting example of developing a melody in ways that wasn't just compositionally, so I'm impressed you kept it engaging throughout. I wish you all the best in this next round of NGADM.

Miyolophone responds:

Thank you for the feedback RSK! I actually didn't have that OHC in mind but now that you mention it, I totally see it :O

[Launcher Octopuld (30th Anniversary Edition)]

HECK YEAH Mega Man X music! Although I must admit that Launch Octopus is one of the Maverick stage themes that I am not that familiar with. My favourite part of the original is definitely the orchestral hits. While your remastering of this seems to make those hits a lot less subdued, you make up for it with really good bass. I LOVE how pronounced it gets at the beginning. I do agree that the guitar, especially towards the end gets too loud, but it sounds pretty accurate to the original piece besides that, instrument-wise.

I'm completely biased, but I'm very happy to hear a Mega Man related piece entered into this compo. :D

RetroCarrot responds:

Spread the word、the new and improved version of the new and improved version of Launcher Octopuld is HERE! ! Also、the new and improved version of the new and improved version of Boomer Kuwanger is on the playlist as well。

[King Ascendance]

Riddim is really not my thing. I think the overall arc of this piece is fine; the melodies are pretty good. The sound design is particularly interesting, but I also think it's the thing I'm not too keen on about this piece. It's pretty grating on the ears, yet at the same time, the focus of this music is the instruments themselves going crazy and it was also quite interesting to hear.

One thing I'm not sure of...how present is the bass supposed to be? It feels like really gritty electronic instruments but at the same time, it feels really thin to me. I dunno, I guess it wasn't a huge deal, but I think the overbearing lead probably overshadows it. I like how there's a repeating melody that pops up after the noisy sections; it really helps to tie the piece together. Interesting stuff.

[A Tarnished Sky]

I like this. It's very minimal, and I love the repeated note sequence the piano does at 0:28. This, combined with the strings, creates an evocative composition that isn't quite stable musically, and that's what makes it really interesting.

The addition of the electric guitar sounds was a good idea to help "open up" the piece as it progresses while still maintaining the continuum in the background. I just wish the sound design was better - not that strings, piano and electric guitar make for a bad combination in this, but I think a minimal piece like this relying more on atmosphere and emotion needs sounds that are a little more "human", more akin to how they would sound in real life. This is especially apparent in ambient/atmospheric music, where a good portion of evoking the atmosphere does rely on the timbres to create said atmosphere. As noted below, you should consider doing things like varying the velocity, especially in the acoustic instruments so it sounds less "robotic".

I'm reminded a bit of storybased RPGs, especially at the beginning, but I can see this piece working in a game of that sort. Overall, nice job.

[Relax - JasLand]

A drop with a xylophone as the lead? I don't think I've heard that before, but then again, I guess I don't really listen to a lot of House. Still, it definitely stood out to me, and I liked that particular island feeling in the drop.

The piece is pretty straightforward, building up as expected upon a simple repetition. Overall the structure is good. I guess my main issue is that everything kind of just happens too quickly. Each section can be expanded for sure, perhaps throw in additional hooks or heck, even a melody or additional sounds, change around what chords accompany this repetition. There are other possibilities; these are just a few suggestions.

This was such a fast listen that the piece was able to stand on its own without the need for themes to be developed sufficiently. I guess it's good enough for what it is; I'm not really sure how old this is or how much you've exactly changed since you last posted this (or when you made this), but I hope, since then, that you have worked on expanding your music so it doesn't feel so "in one ear, out the other". But I think making longer music comes naturally with time if you keep composing. :P

[Hypersonic Speed]

For a track about hypersonic speed, it feels really chill and actually more on the slower side. The repetition, however, adds a sense of "slow motion", like this is what "fast" would sound like if it were considerably going at a lower speed.

It seems like the track picks up more after the halfway point, but I do like how it kind of drives in those super laidback vibes in the first half. Those off-beat accents in the continuum keep me engaged, and I like how, at the very end, you have the more higher synths harmonizing with the accented notes in that motif.

Overall, I wasn't crazy about this track when I first heard it, but it grows on me with repeated listens. Like, this definitely goes for atmosphere, and I feel that without a doubt. There's a very dark, futuristic feel, and I love the extended repetition and minimal changes that really add to this idea of "slow motion". I don't think that's really what you were going for, but I think it makes sense for a track with a title like "Hypersonic Speed". :P

I do agree that the lower ends are a bit muddy, but aside from that...I ultimately quite like this for the vibes.

Aelkamal responds:

It's not a track about the concept of "Hypersonic Speed". It is however making a wink to Woody Norris, the inventor of LongRangeAcousticDevice & the overall study on hypersonic sound.
Also you nailed it on the progression of the track.

[Aloof]

I really enjoy the composition. It's got a very jazzy feel, and I love the weird chords and the rhythmic placement. I especially love what the piano does in this track.

The only thing really holding this track back for me is the way it sounds production wise. The main "meat" of the track is overly maxed out, and as a result, is very grating to listen to. It's a shame, because I genuinely love the compositional aspects of the music a lot, and the instruments you've chosen (for the most part) sound good. There's just some buzzy sound, I think around the lower ends, that clips the track as evident in the waveform viewer. And because this happens so frequently, it's hard to imagine me replaying this with its current production.

Perhaps you just have do more normalization, remove whatever super buzzy instruments are hanging around in the bass. I could barely hear the drums because everything just sounded so loud.

That aside, I do think the composition sounds quite cute, I love the melody, and the buildup to the overly compressed parts does sound fine - the piano really shines around parts like at 1:47.