Random-storykeeper's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Shining [AIM 2024]]

AIM 2024 Judge Review

What I liked most about this piece is the way it incorporates your electric guitar sounds with higher space-like synths. It definitely seems like a weird combination on first listen, but I think it helps enhance the elements that you were inspired by for the image. With the synths on their own, it would have been more prone to veer too far into an "outer space" sort of sound, and the use of the guitar helps to ground the scene. I really enjoyed the first section with those high pads, which evoke the scene of the northern lights so vividly for me. So much of that prettiness of the night and lights in an isolated landscape that is felt strongly throughout this piece.

I feel like there are parts where the bassline sticks out and doesn't fit in with the rest of the sound design compared to the other layers. Even the electric guitar, which has quite a prominent sound, fits better in this piece than the bass does. Personally, I think the bass having that heavier hitting sound and the tail fading seems a little too much like outer space and it kind of takes over the rest of the layers, especially once the piece goes into its quieter sort of middle section at around the 3 minute mark. I would have liked to hear something smoother in tone, maybe with a fade-in fade-out like a hill to complement the higher synths heard at the beginning.

The progression of sections throughout this track is great. It takes its time through some sections, but I think the ones that it loops feel natural - sometimes I don't even notice this piece is over 6 minutes long. I particularly love the second half of the track from 3:30 onwards and the way it builds off that chord progression with the addition of the layers and the melodies playing off each other. It's a bit of a differing take as far as capturing a wintery, peaceful scene with an electric guitar goes, but I think you hit the mark. Great entry.

[[AIM 2024] Ad Astra - nito-kun]

AIM 2024 Judge Review

What I like most about this piece is the composition, particularly in the way it builds up to 2:45. You did a wonderful job at picking chords that capture the vibrance and spaciness reflected in the art. I love the use of layers slowly building upon that same chord progression and using a lot of that texture to convey a sense of ascending through the galaxy. The sound design for the most part is pretty good, although I feel like the bassline at 2:00 sticks out too much with its resonance. It's too buzzy in sound and it feels distracting against the gentle arps in the background.

My biggest issue with this entry is that the development after the build (past 2:45) doesn't feel like it leads to anything satisfying. I really felt like the energy was gradually building up, especially once the drums started hitting the quarter notes and bass line became more rhythmic, so to hear this go back to a quieter part immediately at 2:45, it felt like all that built up energy fell flat and the momentum building up the track was lost. I would have liked to hear that quarter-note drum beat also slowly build itself up with the rest of the instrumental, perhaps incorporating some of those trancey chords at 3:30 into a faster drum beat. It just feels like the track resets itself too early and there's a climactic part that's missing to really stick the landing.

Overall, this is a very good entry with awesome compositional ideas and a vibrant atmosphere that I think has a lot more potential to grow.

[AIM - Sentient]

AIM 2024 Judge Review

It feels like a lot of work went into developing the composition and sections, and I think that comes through. The composition is the clear strength, especially that melody - I'm in love with those two chords that lead back into the repetition at 0:19 - 0:20. The melody has just the right balance of being mysterious, dark and intriguing, which I think complements the image inspiration excellently. I also like the different sections, especially the second section at 2:13 with that repeated stab and the arps and melody sneaking back in.

There's a couple of things I believe could have been tightened up here. I feel like there could have been more sense of dynamics leading up to 2:13. Right now, it seems like the track starts out quite intense and thick, thus there's not much else to build up to in order to reach that second section. Personally, I would have liked to hear less intensity in the sound design near the beginning so you can build up the tension and release it with more impact at the drop. I think the note stabs are too loud in the mix - it was difficult to hear that the arps and melody were sneaking back in the first few listens. It would have also been interesting to hear cleaner breaks in those short stabs and perhaps the rest of the track too as a contrast to the more flowy first section.

There are a lot of entries this year compared to last year, and I wish you all the best in making it a little closer to the top. Overall, great entry with a gripping melody and narrative. To me, this feels more like a piece about a computer gaining sentience and I like the idea of having this more emotional melodic section at the beginning leading up to a very repeated, "computer-like" climax. To bring it all back to the melody and have those ideas combine made for a satisfying listen.

OVERSCORE responds:

Thanks for such a detailed review! I was hesitant to leave the section at 2:13 in, so it's a huge relief that you liked it. I couldn't really think of a way to build up to it, but giving it more contrast in the dynamics would have helped, you're right.
Last year I was right in the middle of the pack, 40 out of 81 or something. If I got middle of the pack again for this entry, I would be just fine
Thank you for hosting this awesome competition!

[AIM - Yeah, something like that.]

AIM 2024 Judge Review

Art with a lot of fine linework really lend themselves to a range of wide interpretations, and I find the way you approached this entry fascinating in the mishmash of musical elements. There's this continuous synth line playing quarter notes which is orderly and in-tune, but there's also layers that are very punchy and suddenly drop in and out like those off-beat short notes in the intro. The simple lyrics, combined with a wavery vocal performance. I mainly enjoyed the synth line and its orderliness through the strangeness of the composition, and I think all these parts do feel like they were inspired by the strangeness of the art.

With the lyrics being understating, culminating to the line "something like that", I would have liked to hear more out of the vocal performance. Perhaps as the song progresses, the vocals become more agonizing or maybe they start on key and then slowly devolve into being more off-key and off-rhythm. To me, having lyrics that are, well, "something like that", only work if the vocal performance adds the extra punch needed to convey an underlying narrative or emotion. The song being performed with this constant off-key singing throughout didn't work for me in that regard - I don't think that in itself is an issue, just that it is like that for the entire song.

I like most of the counterpoint in the accompaniment; the moving bassline works well with the quarter note instrumental line and I like the little spacey sounds that kind of fade in and out. I would have loved to hear more of that in the accompaniment or even in the vocal lines as a reflection of all the mouths in the art. Overall, I like this entry, particularly for the instrumental line and there's certainly a lot to take in with the various elements at play.

Aalasteir responds:

Hi Annette. I am grateful for your feedback, I fully understand that my vocals have issues, and I agree with you. I typically start and finish songs in a single day because I have to work very quickly to complete them; otherwise, I might not finish them at all. I need to work fast because I struggle with overthinking, which is often a detriment to me. I understand your points. Thank you for creating your Judge Review.

[AIM - Frenchantress]

AIM 2024 Judge Review

I love how this piece takes this silly concept of mashing "French" and "enchantress" and transforms it into a night-time, enthralling work of music. The sound design itself is enchanting, especially the melodic lines with the guitar and accordion playing off each other. What really impressed me about your entry this year is that while there is a sense of improv in the melodies, the sections flow really well into one another. In particular, the entry of that guitar improv solo at 1:42 is one of my favourite parts about this track - the way it leads in, and the solo that follows. Another would be the sudden cut to violin at 1:12 - I like that there are a mix of ways that the music gets to its sections, which makes it more intriguing to listen to.

In your description, you mention the concept of this character turning VSTs into accordions. I'm sure it was an exaggeration, but I think it would have been neat to play around with that sort of transformation in the sound design as instruments slowly get taken up or gradually morph into accordion sounds. I think the current sound design works well enough, though I guess I was expecting more accordions for some reason - at least more accordion solos. I also feel like the piano notes are a bit heavy on the hits and they could have been a bit snappier as it dampens the energy a tad.

All things considered, I enjoyed this entry and its take on the concept. Awesome hooks, great sound design and fantastic transitions. There's a great balance between having a recurring hook (0:41 to 1:12) and free-form parts, and everything connects well to one another.

Cresince responds:

Thank you for putting on a great contest every year, and for your detailed review! I really liked your idea with the accordions, featuring prosody with the story of the art is something I would want to do in the future! Thank you! :D

[AIM 2024 - The Spirit Fisher]

AIM 2024 Judge Review

You present this entry with a very clear and emotionally driven narrative, and I think that comes through a lot in the music. There's an airiness to the sound design, especially in the soaring woodwinds and the lightness of the higher, recurring melody and it feels connected to the clouds and brightness, along with the additional narrative of this woman and her journey. The melody that recurs throughout most of the track is beautifully framed, especially the way it falls to the major seventh interval upon changing to the IV chord - it tugs at the heart strings, and I think the way you develop the track with that melody does make for a beautiful, uplifting journey.

As much as I like the structure of this track, I think there could have been more done to develop the middle section (1:21 - 2:24). Breaking away from the recurring melody is a great idea - the resolution at the end of the phrase in the main melody would get pretty stale if we were to hear it over and over again. However, the middle melodic section feels rushed here - I would have loved to hear something gradually slowed down, longer held, sweeping chords, maybe something that kind of feels more still and peaceful in the moment. I love the start of this middle section and the drum break leading back to the main melody, but I wish there was more melodic development in that middle section away from the main melody so that we miss it and long to hear for it to come back at the end, leading to a more impactful conclusion.

The other issues I wanted to point out were that the starting with that fishing pole reel sound was jolting and takes me by surprise in a way that I don't think was intended considering the rest of this track's seamless development and flow. I also find the track's crunchiness overwhelmingly mushy, aside from the soaring higher layers. It feels counteractive to the otherwise airy atmosphere. Some of the crunchiness, like at the beginning, does work well for transitioning into the more upbeat parts. But I think the important thing is that you nailed the heart of the track with a beautiful melody and that soaring journey that feels like you are flying through the clouds. Overall, great entry and a thought-provoking piece at that.

[Cheese Dreams New Moon Menu Theme Remix]

This is great and I can't believe I haven't heard this until now. I love the sound design on this, especially the bells. Using the Nitrome jingle for those quick breaks was unexpected but it works great. I enjoy the contrast between the two sections of the original with the faster drum break.

Your description mentions sampling a few things from other Nitrome games/songs and I'm really curious what else was sampled. I feel like I should know as a Nitromian but I could only pick out the Nitrome jingle (besides of course the Cheese Dreams New Moon menu theme) but I imagine there might be some sound effects referenced or something like that. Perhaps it will come to me with multiple listens.

Exclaim responds:

I think I remember sampling a bit of Spindle's intro for it, though it's been a while so I've forgotten a lot of it myself LOL

[cozy]

Good stuff. The instruments feel a bit on the harder-hitting side, but I like the extra pop of crunchiness paired with the chillness of the composition. I wish you a safe and quick recovery from your surgery!

LordAndiso responds:

Thank you so much!! I am doing very well now after the surgery!

[Woko Credits]

Congrats on your first front page! I like the sound design a lot here; the little bells hitting some of the beats from 0:23 to 0:45 were probably my favourite touch so far. I can definitely hear this as an end credits theme where these instruments would have been used in prior tracks.

If I had to point out one issue, I feel like the synth brass lead is a bit too loud, especially at 0:48 where it doesn't seem like the choir is stereo panned so there's no sense of immersion with the instrumental - it feels like the accompaniment is very far away and the brass instrument is blowing in my face.

But aside from that, I think this is very well structured, from the higher energy start and sort of wrapping up with that final bass note at the end. I am curious - since all these tracks you recently uploaded start with "Woko" for the most part, are these for a game? I would love to hear more about this game and how to play it if that's the case. If not, then is it for a game concept? I think this is a great opportunity to utilize the Author Comments to at least briefly describe what your track is about.

CanineLotus responds:

Hello! Thanks, it's the soundtrack of an old project. I think it's almost 2 years old. I made it for a friend for a Mario fangame called Woko Izland. I'm not very good with descriptions and that's why I don't include any, but I'll try.
For now I'm only going to upload old projects to newgrounds until I finish uploading them all

[KERKA:Warden's Theme [Art Inspired Music 2023]]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

This entry does an amazing job with its melodies. That guitar line is unstoppable - it conveys the dark, fantasy vibes perfectly. I even think it has a bit of an anime feel to it, which the lettering in the art makes me think of (looking at the other works from this artist related to this art makes me think otherwise, but it works related to this specific inspiration vs. the music). I also like the use of the strings in the second half of the track - it's a nice addition to the texture.

I'm kind of mixed on the use of vocals here. I love the idea of adding in the poetry from the description of the art inspiration, but I'm not sold on the execution of it in the entry. Unfortunately, the performance of the vocals sounds too much like reading from a script and it doesn't really match with the darker, fantastical tones all too well. I do like the effect at the end of the last line, however, with the lower pitched echoes, but I do feel like the processing is doing more of the emotional work than the delivery of the lines.

The production also gets muddy when the guitar comes in. I love the guitar, but it overwhelms the rest of the instruments serving as the background. There's even a really nice vocal line I hear in the background that adds an additional touch of emotion, but it gets buried among all the other instruments, especially the guitar. I'd love to hear more of how these instruments like the piano line be more balanced with the guitar as I think all these layers play a significant part in the texture.

Overall, I think the core of the composition remains moody and entrancing. The melody feels like it would slot perfectly in as the intro to a show surrounding this comic. There's some good layering that I hope to hear brought out more in the accompaniment.