Random-storykeeper's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[V-Future - Echo (AIM CONTEST 2023)]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

My takeaway from this piece is that it's a very bright, pounding and energetic. The choice to match such intense synths with such a jovial composition was off-putting to me. I think the approach to the sound design does show some connection to the art, and the faster tempo does make me think of the character in combat.

There's definitely a clear structure and many musical ideas that are introduced, and I never felt like this entry dragged on. However, the downside was that the ideas and sections come across as very incidental to each other. They just come and go and hop from section-to-section. As a result, I felt like the music went in one ear and out the other.

When making a piece with lots of different sections, consider not only the ideas in the sections themselves, but also how you transition into each section and how long each section lasts for and develops. Personally, I did enjoy the quieter part from 1:39 to 2:22, but it begins so abruptly that it felt like it could have happened at any other point in the piece. It also just doesn't last for that long, so just as I'm getting into the melody, it's done and we move onto the next section with no rhyme or reason. This entry just barely crosses the 3 minute mark, so there was plenty of room to extend some of those ideas further and work on making the piece feel less rushed.

Overall, I think the ideas you have presented in this piece could work with more attention to structure, particularly in the transitions and how melodic ideas develop, etc. The sound design alone does seem fitting enough for the artwork, but given that it's a character-focused piece, I would expect the music to reflect the character as well and in this entry, I didn't really get that except in a more general sense.

[AIM - sweetheart]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

There's something very touching about this piece. The chord progression and instruments, paired with the bird sounds, provide a sense of brightness along with a hint of innocence and I believe that reflects the lighting and the subject of the image quite well. I love the textures brought in from the synths - it's very much a vibe sort of piece but every layer being added brings just the right amount of flow.

My only main issue is with the sound of the kick. It could also be the mixing too, but the way it sits just doesn't feel right compared to the warmth and comfort from the other instruments. Personally, I think the kick could have been a bit lower and softer - it just felt too high and loud to the point where it detracted from this otherwise lovely atmosphere that the other instruments and composition are creating. Even the cymbals are kind of loud when they're introduced, but they do seem to be more balanced once the kick comes in (though I wonder if that's just because the kick is so much louder).

On subsequent listens, I also believe this piece could have been developed a little more, especially given that it only just hits the 3 minute mark (2:48 if the tail end is taken off). I still do think the general structure works effectively, but given that it's a piece that relies a bit more on the atmosphere and just being in the moment, I felt like that melody introduced toward the end could have carried on into another idea or section instead of just winding down after the 2:27 mark.

Overall, I think you did a wonderful job with the composition and instrument choice that complements the innocence and brightness of the art, but also feels a tad poignant under the chipper dreaminess. I'm particularly in love with the high chiptune arps that are introduced at 1:24.

[AIM - The Child of the Moon]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

In the description, you show an in-depth understanding of the narrative you're trying to accomplish in this entry and I think there's a lot of it that comes through in the music. Orchestral and dubstep and generally two very clashing genres, but the way they come together here feels very organic and the transitions between them feel natural. It's a great choice narratively to showcase the transformation of this moonlit forest at night into a perilous journey.

When the dubstep drop kicks in, I think it helps a lot that the melody from the orchestral section carries over and that overwhelming wall of sound almost feels very bright with all the higher notes while maintaining that intensity. The drop feels very tall, and the entire piece overall does feel very forest-like and whimsical in nature.

Where this piece loses me most is in its structure, particularly in its repetition towards the end. If the intention of the entry was to capture a story, I feel like we should hear more of that reflected in the later sections of the track, especially once 3:42 hits. There might be more of an opportunity to take familiar ideas and transform them in a way that doesn't feel like the track is just restarting. Whether that be to change certain notes within the chord that slightly alter the emotion or adding in an extra layer that changes the rhythm, I think this entry really needed something towards the end to really drive the narrative home.

Overall, I'm impressed with how well you transitioned between your quieter and intensive sections. I love the low solo piano note that closes out the section before the drop first heard around 1:36.

[AIM - Windmills]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

I think this entry, compositionally, captures the grand outdoor landscape reflected in the art. The choice of piano, strings and timpani work well off each other to create an atmosphere that is uplifting with slightly melancholy undertones. I especially love that piano melody playing in 4/4 with the underlying string instrument that sounds like it's playing a 3/4 layer. The delay in hearing the string reach the strong beats helps to add that overall motion while setting the scene.

The one thing that held me back from fully enjoying this piece was the execution of the production and the dynamics. I wasn't hearing a lot of phrasing that would have helped to finetune the way the piece builds and flows. The piano also sounds a bit too thin and MIDI to really hold its own as a bass note and counteracts the composition and structure working to evoke such grandiose feelings.

I also would have liked to hear another layer that more closely complements the lower percussive piano notes the same way the piano melody and strings play off each other. When they were introduced, the repeating piano notes were fine, but as the piece progresses, it feels like there could have been more done to ensure they don't stick out so much.

Overall, I can tell this entry was very closely inspired by its art and I like the way the repeating melody progresses.

[A Cat and a Can (TrashKitty OST)]

What a bop - love the little instrumental ornamentation that plays in between that catchy melody and that weird sort of detached chorus sound hanging out in the right side. Also this is a great year for cat browser games so far. 😂

[coffee with u]

This RULES! I love how energetic and full-bodied the track is. It makes me feel great and packs a punch because of the intensity...just like coffee!

LordAndiso responds:

coffee coffee coffee... actually coffee makes me sleepy half of the time for no reason.
thank u for listening :))

[AIM - Escape!]

One thing I like about this piece is that it has a very clear sense of direction due to the supporting repeated strings and that recurring melody line that doesn't resolve. The sound design is good; I like how the repeated low string notes serve as an overarching percussive element to the piece.

I also enjoyed the incorporation of the choir sound, but it felt underused. The choir could have added some heightened tension and culminate to a climax, but the choir in this entry seemed to be a single line that often was in unison with the melody or accompaniment line of another instrument. Some use of harmonic lines within the choir could have also helped to add more depth to the composition.

Other than that, there was this lightness to the instruments that felt swift despite the fast paced composition, and I think that really helped to convey this character dashing out of a dangerous situation while remaining quick and light on her feet.

NativeNiles responds:

Thank you for the review!

[AIM - Raphonia Traditions]

I like that the progression of this piece feels like it reflects a journey through this whimsical radish land. Like the intro is like the (metaphorical) curtains pulling away and revealing this land where all the cute radishes start singing to welcome you. I like the musical interpretation of this land - everything feels very high and light, like each note has a slight attack so you don't hear that little "pop" you might hear with some chiptune instruments in particular, which helps to give the piece that "lineless" appearance reflecting with the art inspiration.

I also really enjoyed the interpretation of the radishes singing at 1:15 - I imagine this is supposed to represent the song they're supposed to be singing as described in the art based on its repetition. I would have liked to hear the radish song be more catchy. Personally, I see these radish folk singing a song that would have been a total earworm, thus why they'd be singing it for hours with no end. As a result, it feels like the song in this entry almost kind of blends in with the rest of the world and then vanishes with little impact.

Regardless, I love the wonkiness and I do agree that the singing is fun, but only in how it's interpreted timbre-wise. In general, I can see that there was a lot of thought put into musically conveying this art and for the most part, it comes through quite prominently. Overall, this is a very good entry.

[AIM - Lowlands Scrapyard]

For an entry that is almost 3.5 minutes long, there are a lot of ideas and moods at play here and I think that made this piece quite engaging as you never really know when or where the mood or atmosphere will shift. I like how it starts all cutesy and whimsical but there's this long held, off-key tone that slowly wedges its way into the composition that makes things feel a bit unsettling but in a way that feels like foreshadowing for sections to come.

That reed instrument playing the melody...an oboe(?) at 0:30 was a great way to transition, timbre-wise into the less chipper atmosphere set by the first section. I can tell each section had a lot of detail and thought put behind it. One thing I was curious about was that each mood/atmosphere in every little section felt like it existed on its own, the main example being that sudden shift from the mysterious tones to a more uplifting tone at 1:42. What was the intention of having each mood be a standalone section, or do you see it as such? Personally I felt like in an exploration in an RPG-esque manner would take more time in between sections, whereas the amount of time spent in most sections here feels quite short.

I see this piece as a score for a short film based on the art inspiration if it were animated. The playing around with the spontaneously changing sections seems to suit the change of different scenes in quick succession, so in that sense, it brings the art inspiration to life.

Everratic responds:

Thanks for the review and hosting the contest again :) I did intend for this song to be like a film score in my approach to creating different sections. I wanted to cover a lot of ground in this mysterious world rather than solely create music that matches this one scene. Each of the sections is short because I didn't have the time to compose a longer piece. I composed until the last hour I had available before the deadline and did the best I could.

[AIM - A Spirit's Thoughts]

What I love most about this piece is how introspective it feels as much as it does spacey. The otherworldly atmosphere is conveyed nicely in the choice of instruments and those little "blips" like at 0:40 as the repeating arps continue developing. I like how the blips start subtle and gently blend into the piece, but take their own prominence in the quieter sections at 1:12 - it feels satisfying to hear more of the intricacies of that sound. I like to think of it as like blinking lights in the distance that could resemble the twinkling of stars.

I found that several times when listening, I would start zoning out and concentrating on other thoughts in my mind that didn't have to do with listening to the piece. I don't think the composition was boring necessarily, but the slow building atmosphere and relaxing composition lulled me into a sense of mini reflection myself, which seems to tie into this idea of the short break that Ori takes being a mini journey of itself in both the metaphorical and literal sense.

Overall, I think this entry is a good interpretation of the art in its emotion and atmosphere. I like the narrative that goes along with it - although I personally found this piece to portray loneliness in an uplifting, "you're not alone" kind of way. Not sure if that was the intention but it is something nice to think about if using this piece to fall asleep to.

masterakuma99 responds:

Thanks as always for the reviews!
It`s great that you said these things, since this feeling of self reflection is the exact feeling I want to evoke in the listener. I listen to a lot of dream pop/slowcore stuff in bed while I`m thinking about everything, so you getting the same thing through my music is really encouraging.
What I tried to do with the loneliness is weird to explain. It`s less "you're not alone" and more "you`re alone but that`s ok" if that makes sense lol. Basically accepting rather than uplifting. Really glad you enjoyed it.