Random-storykeeper's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[(AIM 2023) Harvest Moon]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

If I had to make a most improved list from participants in this compo, I would put you somewhere near the top of that list. This entry surprised me in how good the composition is, particularly in that transition into the groove at 0:34. Once the track enters the groove, the bass and the chord progressions complement the atmosphere from the art so well. There's definitely a dusk/not completely nighttime sort of vibe paired with an undertone of uncertainty and it comes through well with the setup of the composition.

While I do love what I'm hearing, I think the mixing could use some tweaks. There's a bit of a choked-up sensation in the groovy part but some parts, like the drums, feel like they sit too confidently on top of the mix. The leads like at 1:02 seem quite loud compared to the accompaniment, though it oddly sounds like it starts fading in volume at 1:22 with the lower counterpoint.

I was also surprised at the intro and conclusion, as they seem so different and unexpected given how the main groove is so smooth. The chiptune intro almost seemed like it was going to lean fully into 8bit and it certainly caught me off-guard when the track went in a different direction. I do, however, think the gradual buildup into the main grooving section worked well enough that I didn't feel like these were two completely different parts of two different songs. The ending was also not what was expected, but I do think this part came across more like you running out of ideas and concluded the track abruptly. I'm not sure if that was the intention - maybe the blood moon came down and truly brought the bad omen with it.

Overall, I like that your interpretation of the art inspiration was not entirely negative and I think that comes across effectively in the music. You've created something that really captures that specific time of day as portrayed in the art with the main part of your track. Great job!

[babait // home - AIM2023]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

I don't know if there's extra meaning lost in the English translation of the lyrics, but when I listen to this track, I feel like there is. That's the beauty of what music (and art in general) can do sometimes - taking a mundane concept like days passing and being at home and add so much weight behind it. And I think this entry's strength lies in that.

What I really like about this entry is that a lot of the emotion comes from the imperfections in the performance of the track. While there's a lot of emotion from the chord choices (it feels like there are seventh chords being emphasized when the piano enters), the weight of the emotion would have not been as impactful, imo, if everything were perfectly even in rhythm and tuned perfectly. The unevenness of the guitar playing and the way the unison vocals sound like multiple takes being overlayed on top of each other give the piece this sort of unstable feeling, as if it's barely trying to hold together just to seem okay on the surface. I get that sense from the art (and how the artist describes the context behind the art), and it sounds like you were definitely inspired by the emotions by viewing the inspiration.

The one part I wasn't really sure worked was the hard cut at 4:32. I think something about it just sounds a bit too clean and goes against the looser nature of the sections leading up to it. The guitar does have that little squeak that sounds like you put your hands on the strings to silence them, but I feel like we could have heard a little more of the effects of acoustics in the room rather than complete silence for a moment.

However, I do really like how the vocals are more strained and at times, a bit competitive as they overwhelm the track towards the end in a very dynamic sort of manner. Overall, I love the emotion from this entry, especially the downwards contour of the piano line. The way it goes from slurring to detached notes was just executed beautifully into the mix.

[The Mummy's Wrath (AIM 2023)]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

The atmosphere of this track is crafted wonderfully. You get a lot of out of the production and the drums, which I especially love throughout. There's just this sort of dreadful feeling that puts me as the listener inside this setting that I assume to be inside a temple, cave or pyramid (which I assume is the case given the art inspiration). To me, the first half of this track is just setting up the atmosphere and the second half really brings it to life with the interwoven melodic ideas.

While a cartoon art style is generally associated with more fun and/or cute melodies, I think the atmosphere allows this entry to slot in perfectly as a background score. Personally, I see the connection from the approach of the art inspiration being like the cover art for an adventure video game and this track would play as you venture into the pyramid and have to avoid waking up a mummy. This entry just calls to be played against dim lighting with an otherwise pitch black setting.

Do I find this track particularly catchy? No, but that's not really what super atmospheric tracks are expected to do. However, this entry's strength is that it puts me exactly where it wants me to be while listening to it and that is exactly what a super atmospheric track should do, and it does that job wonderfully.

[AIM - Sunny Patch]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

When that guitar first started strumming those chords, I almost thought we were going to get vocals and an acoustic-pop song. It was a bit of a surprise to hear the bells at 0:27, which immediately set it in the RPG village theme style for me. The composition and sound design evoke many emotions associated with returning home, to your hometown or village, which ties in wonderfully with the art inspiration and your interpretation of it. I can absolutely imagine this playing during an ending cutscene of an RPG with this art as the background and the credits rolling up. The hero and begins the journey home to a quaint country life.

If I had to point out one issue, I think the drums at the start of the phrases sound a bit like they're clipping. It might be the bass sounding like it comes in a little too strongly (imo) but it wasn't bad enough to detract, especially with this entry being as well-put-together as it is. The harmonica and flute play off each other so well and I really like the folksy section with the flute melody and the metre change-up. Even though there's a lot of changes, every section flows nicely into one another. It definitely helps that the melody really gets a chance to emote a lot in both the more upbeat and quieter sections.

Overall, I think this track nails the RPG vibe once more than instrument is playing. When listening, I can clearly hear that this track drew upon the emotional resonation of the artwork and I love how that was captured in the development of the melody.

Manvineo responds:

Hey, I just wanted to say a big thank you for your awesome feedback! Seriously, it made my day! I'm so stoked that you enjoyed the surprise of the guitar and got those RPG village vibes from my work. Your description of how the music made you feel like coming home is spot on, and it really means a lot to me that my interpretation connected with you.

I gotta admit, your thoughtful review just blew me away. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to write it. And hey, I'm super grateful for getting the chance to be a part of this contest. It's been a great experience, and I'm just glad my music could bring some joy to your ears. Thanks again!

[AIM 2023- the interlude]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

With a piece of art literally called "Vaporwave", creating a future funk track is the logical thing to do. You've chosen a good set of instruments that mostly give off this warm sort of sunset vibe that I usually associate with the vaporwave art style. The melody that you've chosen is pleasant enough to be repeated, which helps a lot given that this track is mostly based upon this one loop and chord progression.

There's a couple of issues that come to mind. The production feels a bit on the muddy side like every instrument's a bit too reverbed or perhaps competing with each other in the same frequencies. Although you acknowledge that the mixing is off, I think this would be one aspect to focus on, especially for compositions that utilize a lot of repetition. I'd love to hear how these layers interact with each other and right now, I feel like a lot of that gets lost.

The other thing is that even though this does technically match with the art, I feel like there's not much more to the surface besides that. You mention there are unique melodies in this, but when I listen to this entry, I get the sense that this could have paired with any random piece of vaporwave art. Why pick this particular vaporwave piece and how can you convey the nuances of this specific art through the music? It might seem silly, but sometimes taking on that challenge when it comes to drawing inspiration from an artwork breeds uniqueness.

Overall, I think this entry is fine - it's pleasant enough and hits the beats of what to expect in a vaporwave track. I do like that slight change in the melody during the opening before it goes back to the familiar iteration once the drums enter.

[Rock On Gustafa [AIM 2023]]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

Oh hey, Quarl. Glad to see you in AIM from the participant's side now. I don't think your presence in the compo takes away something from any of the younger participants entering. It's also nice because I don't think I've really gotten around to listening to your music yet until now. Sorry!

I have a tiny amount of familiarity with Harvest Moon, but hearing the acoustic guitar, piano and animal sounds definitely felt relevant to how I looked at the art. What I love most about your entry is the concept - the town musician playing in one spot as the animals gather around him. The phrases in the faster section give this comfy feeling of togetherness, especially the cymbal transition at 1:40. The guitar feels so close and in-your-face compared to the rest of the instruments and that puts me right in the perspective of the musician strumming those notes on his guitar.

It was an interesting decision to use synths in a similar fashion to how a bowed string instrument might play in the background accompaniment. I'm not really sure if I get the idea of the animals interacting with the synths considering how much of a background element the synths come across as. All these elements still worked well against each other; I'm just not really sure if I hear the synths in this piece the same way you intended for them to be heard.

Overall, I think your general enthusiasm towards the Newgrounds music community reflects a lot in this entry - like one person, playing music, bringing people together in a sweet harmony. This may not be a grindcore song, but Gustafa sure shreds that acoustic guitar like a champ.

Quarl responds:

Most my music is noisy dnb and dubstep, keep clear of my catalogue if you want more like this :p

[Chocnoon - Prototype ~AIM~ (CCLXXXIV)]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

For a track described as being "rock", I was surprised at how buried the electric guitar was in this. The composition does somewhat fit the art in that it has a bit of sadness and a touch of intensity from the minor key progression, and the layers that are introduced I can hear working with a different execution. I do like the way the second section's continuum starts under the first section's and despite the hard cut to the new section, these two ideas melodically flow together.

Unfortunately, the mixing and production feel so off that it's hard to justify wanting to listen to this even if the composition is decent. The drums are too loud but they're also very spread out and sound like they're heavily reverbed, which does not work at all. Layers that enter or re-enter either sound too loud or too soft and the entire mix is generally just too loud. I had to relisten to this many times before even realizing that there were other parts besides the drums and the one continuum. I wish I knew more production-related terms, but sadly I'm not that knowledgeable in that regard, but I will say that generally with production, you don't want instruments to be competing against each other so that the whole thing doesn't sound muddy.

There are ideas in the layers that do work and I think the downward contour of the arps does at least come off as a bit tragic, reflecting the art. I just wish I could hear more of what you've done with your composition. When your audio waves are almost constantly touching the top and bottom, it's a good indication that the track might be too difficult to listen to mix-wise.

name responds:

What genre should I change it to? Also I can't change anything, since Jummbox can save only up to 8 songs and I post very frequently. So the only way to fix that is through remaking it from scratch.

[Tower of Tech - AIM]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

There's a lot of complexity in the art you've chosen, from the intricate details to the lighting. The top portion of the art suggests steampunk, but the bottom portion seems more sci-fi, and I think you managed to evoke these elements in your entry in a way that is cohesive and not just two styles sitting incidentally next to one another. As the track progresses, it feels like we're panning over a close-up of the image - I feel like top-to-bottom is what I picture because of the gradual lighting from the top. It's a very concise entry and I sense a lot of these subtle complexities in spite of a straightforward melody.

One small nitpick that I'm not sure was intentional or not - it seems like the softer instrument playing those arps at 1:08 has some clashing notes. I'm not sure if a note was forgotten to be deleted (considering the repeat of this pattern does not have this issue), but it happens pretty quickly so it really only became noticeable after a few repeat listens.

I think what helps this entry flow so well is the way the melody recurs throughout the piece. Even then, there's a lot of time taken in between to help build up the atmosphere, especially leading up to that reiteration at 2:34 which seems to play in a different mode from the first time we hear that main melody. I also love the slowing down of the tempo in the outro where the melody repeats one last time with those gentle keys. The decision to use a lot of plunky instruments and detached notes really helped to always give this entry a sense of the machinery. It's almost a deceptively simple entry that only shows its details after repeat listens and I feel like that does speak to the way the art inspiration shows itself in more detail upon zooming in and lingering at different angles.

Irish-Soul responds:

Wow, thanks for the thorough and detailed feedback! I really appreciate how much effort you've put in to the review, and I'm glad you enjoyed the song :)

By the way... I agree that the art I used is extremely complex. Boomnm did an amazing job and it was so rich with inspiration to pluck from.

[rocks and rocks and rocks [AIM 2023]]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

It's interesting to read about how this song evolved from one about an explosive relationship to the perspective of one experiencing an explosive relationship first-hand. The 7/4 metre is an unconventional choice that makes for some sense of unevenness akin to the surface of a rock. I also really like the way the chorus deals with the repetition of the word "rocks" at different volumes and in almost a breathy-sounding tone - it's as if the word is pelting down in a series of smaller pieces. To me, it definitely sounds like the song deals with the aftermath of the explosion - the volcano has erupted and now all the ash and uh, rocks are raining down.

Even though I like the way the chorus handles the lightness of the vocals, I feel like the entire song needed a bit more of a harder edge. The accompaniment also seems very thin and counteracts with the explosive energy and aftermath that the rest of the song conveys. For a song about rocks and something blowing up in one's face, I think the backing track could use a lot more impact. I like the melodic pattern being played in the accompaniment; I think it's just more about how it sounds and the frequencies it occupies.

Overall, I like the song in concept and I feel like a lot of the choices being made compositionally and lyrically help this entry to stand out. My favourite part was the culmination to the shouting of the word "unbelievable" in the second verse. It's neat that this also feels like another sort of figurative explosion that occurs two-thirds of the way in.

MasterHand4444 responds:

First of all, I know it's for a competition, but it's very cathartic to have something I've made so critically analyzed. So thank you sincerely for that!

And second, I agree that the track could've used a harsher edge. Over the past few months I've relistened to this song quite a few times, and while I would change quite a few things, I'm still very proud of this track.

So thank you again for the honest critiques! AIM is incredibly fun and I can't wait to do it again next year.

[AIM - Stellar Guardians]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

I like the way you approached this entry - the combination of the chords with that buzzy sort of synth waving up and down captures the sense of etherealness that can only be described as celestial. The piano melody paired with the chord progression almost felt like the gentle sense of the aura from these beings and the composition does a good job at evoking the wonder and awe from the perspective of a witness.

One thing I would have liked to hear is a reflection of the art and your interpretation of it through the production. Unfortunately I'm not too familiar with a lot of production/mixing terms, but to me, a lot of the solid chords sound a bit too in-your-face and I think that takes away from the scale and distance of these celestial beings. The long-held notes also seem quite uniform in their presentation and I think more sense of some dynamics in how the notes are played or shifting would have helped to give more shape to your beautiful chord progression.

Overall, I think the composition and the choice of instruments were fitting and I like the concept you chose to approach the inspiration with. Also, hats off to inspiring the artist with your inspiration of their work. Nice job!

GlaceonDash responds:

I am very bad at describing how I do stuff :)

But thanks for the feedback! The more loud/in your face notes I can definitely see as an issue, and the uniform notes I actually noticed whilst creating this (but was too lazy to fix it). Surprised that the more repetitive nature of some areas weren't mentioned, but that means it might not have been as big of an issue as I thought :)

Once again though, thanks! I'll try to improve in my dynamics at least