Random-storykeeper's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM - Elegy to a Fallen Star]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

What I love most about this piece is that it feels like everything is handled with care. The piano is very light and even and it serves as a great throughline while everything else surrounds it. The composition lingers with such sadness with an undertone of etherealness that really encapsulates the feeling of being isolated in a vast expanse, focusing in on the image of the fallen star in a way that feels tragic. This was a great interpretation of the art and I think all the components work so well to effectively be moving.

It's so strange at the start, the melody almost feels like there's hope and I like that gradual shift towards the sense that "no, this is very sad and you should also feel sad". It's also interesting how the piano seems plunky, as if every note is almost hitting with the same amount of force. I don't know if that's actually the case, but I think the piano being presented like this works wonders for the piece - it allows the music to feel like it's stuck in time and the gentle pads and ambience come across as colours and shading being added to the image. I feel as though I'm hearing the image being formed in front of my eyes and yet I feel a strong emotion all the way through.

This entry is super well done and I even feel sad just listening to it while writing this review. It captures the scale and the isolation and the lamentation all in one, and it made for a very strong listening experience.

ForgottenDawn responds:

My warmest thanks for your diligence and for taking your time reviewing my piece~

[AIM - The Sun Hides Its Face]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

You've definitely put thought into the sound design in a way that really connects it with the art. The intro feels magical in a foreboding manner and I like the way the strings here feel like they're shifting into one another. The bells are a nice touch to the texture. I also like the way the track evolves through the sections, first introducing the electric guitar against the orchestral backdrop before eventually switching to the electronic elements at 2:07.

I really wish a lot of what's being described in the Author Comments came through in the music because unfortunately, the composition doesn't work for me at all. A lot of the melodies feel clueless and while not dissonant, there doesn't really seem to be much going for them. Everything feels like it just chugs along and the only sense I have of where the sections flow is when more instruments are being added or taken away or the rhythms slightly change. The melody and chords feel incidental to the piece and I feel like that's a huge loss to the emotional impact.

Overall, I think you are pointing in the right direction of how to convey elements in the art through the sound design. With a more purposeful composition, I think it would allow what these parts represent in your description to resonate more emotionally and atmospherically.

Joel-Phelps responds:

Thanks for the commentary! I definitely could work on the melodies, and I'll try being more intentional about the songs' direction in my other work. This will be very helpful!

[(AIM) Ryzmik - "Aztec Reaper"]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

I am not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to production, but I feel like the production in this track might be the best I've heard in AIM this year. Something about the way the sounds are placed and mixed hits just right and I can see why this was a huge challenge given how many wildly different sounds coalesce. Every part sounds so clear and even the harsher sounds don't hurt my ears.

There's been a lot of great D&B tracks combined with other interesting sounds or genres in past AIMs, and I think this entry continues this trend perfectly. I love how the composition captures an intensity, but there's also some lightness in the upper winds that help to bring the character in the art to life. I can picture the character as being extremely menacing and swift and they can leap away in a moment's notice when approached.

Overall, I like the balance of simplicity in the melodic elements paired with the complexity of the texture and sound design and that comes through very clearly for me. This track is worth replaying a lot just to hear a lot of what goes on in those musical layers. It not only manages to reflect, but also elevate the art it's inspired by.

Ryzmik responds:

Thank you so much for taking your time to analyze the song!

I spent literally days trying to get the best out of the mix without sounding wobbly from all the shakers and percs playing at the chorus, so I'm surprised that I managed it well somehow :o

About the inspiration, my intention was to give a sneaky and tense feel at the start, then as it goes on I tried to imagine how Maya (the character) takes action, pursuing or fighting its enemies with her weapons or something, so I thought fast paced percussive rhythm mixing aztec instruments with synths was my best option to visualize all that and make it interesting.

I really appreciate judges who gives an explanation to the concursants instead of a score.

[Casporb - Dragonfire]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

The decision to use dubstep as the approach for this track works for the art given the sci-fi nature of the scene. When the drop hits, I can picture the wubs as the attacks from the dragons and the people fighting them from below. I think the sound design and the buildups serve their purpose for the inspiration. I like that some of the sounds kind of resemble the roar of a beast, but in an electronic sort of way.

My gripe with this entry is that I feel like I don't really get a lot out of the composition. I can hear (and read) the logic behind what the structure represents, but I felt like the music was just kind of hitting the beats that it needed to but there was nothing beyond the surface that gave it a lot of substance. The buildups happen so quickly and the track basically just repeats itself twice - same repeating melody with the same accompanying chords. I didn't really find the minor scale melody that interesting to begin with, so its constant repetition throughout wasn't very engaging for me. The drop was certainly the more interesting part - I just wish that melody didn't come up in between it or that this repeating melody were more interesting.

Overall, I think there was some thought that went into making the music resemble the art, and I like some of the sounds that were used to resemble the fighting in the art. For this to have scored higher with me, I would have liked to hear more inspiration drawn from more aspects of the art, particularly its atmosphere.

Casporb responds:

Thank you for the review.

[Beneath (AIM 2023)]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

It's awesome that you made a lot of sounds in this track from scratch and I think that helps give the piece more of a distinct identity. I love the way the atmosphere is conveyed in this entry - there's an unsettling tension but almost everything is hushed and quiet. I feel like I'm underwater with this creature and it's terrifying and beautiful, all at the same time. Hearing the sound designs made for this track on your SoundCloud before they were added was super interesting, especially hearing how loud some of these sounds were before they went into the track.

Almost every sound in this entry has just the right blend for this atmosphere. The only part that really stuck out and didn't feel like it quite fit in was the string that comes up at the beginning and the end. I think it worked well when it was first introduced, but I felt like at the end where it feels like we are moving deeper into the abyss, that the sound of that string instrument would have also evolved or been a little more subtle in the way it is played rather than being so upfront. But aside from that, I think everything, especially the sounds made from scratch, worked perfectly.

Overall, it felt like there was a strong understanding of how to draw inspiration from the art and evoke the emotion, atmosphere and scale through the music. I love this entry and its attention to detail is superb. By far, the rhythmic "Underwater Atmosphere" and the haunting "horror radio choir.wav" were my favourite sounds in the entire piece. I'd love to hear or see more about the process it took to create these sounds. Fantastic work!

JazzDew responds:

tysm for the review !! :D i'll try working on a sort of breakdown video of it sometime in the future !
speaking of the intro's and the ending i will admit im kinda still a newbie when it comes to introducing a track and ending it, but i will try my best to learn how to get better at them ! :D

but overall thank you for the review on my submission ! this was something i did out of boredom and as a way to experiment to see if i still have the skill from my old track 'strike against god' ! :D

[Optimus Primal [Art Inspired Music 2023]]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

The art has a very striking image of a transformer with gorilla fur and hands, and I think this track approaches this appropriately, combining jungle-esque rhythms with a melodic, robotic loop. It was wild to hear the first time I put this track on (pun intended) - that robot sound that dominates the beginning and end is captivating and its repetition gets that "cog in the machine" concept across. I like the idea of interpreting this art as a means of reaching into your inner beast and fighting for your own individuality rather than just living by the machine alone.

While the machine concept is executed well in the music, I'm not really sure if I get the conclusion. If you're marching to the beat of your own drum, why is the ending section nearly identical to the beginning? Is this supposed to be you surrounded by the other cogs? But if so, then why does the perspective of the musical narrative shift from being your perspective to what's in the surroundings? I would think marching to the beat of your own drum would entail playing around with the rhythm of the main melody, perhaps adding a little extra counterpoint or something instead of it being very much an echo of the beginning.

Overall, I think this entry has a neat concept and a catchy sort of recurring loop. Personally I wish the arc were conveyed more prominently at the conclusion, but I enjoyed the general flow, especially the part with the piano melody and the high synths carrying that same melody at 3:20. The way that whole section builds up is top-notch.

Trackers responds:

Thanks RSK!

Is this supposed to be you surrounded by the other cogs?

Yes, that's right. The reality is noone will notice you. The melody is internal thought and awakening. Ultimately though, you continue as a cog, different, but still a cog. It's a bit grim heh. Thanks for the detail, really appreciate it 😀

[AIM - My oasis]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

The violin and flute seem like they are being used to characterize the two people in the inspiration by having these two instruments exchange the same melody and play counterpoint to one another, and I think that was a great approach to connecting the music to the art. It was a nice touch having one instrument be a bit quieter, and I think reflects the perspective of both individuals quite well.

The main melody has a lot of heartache and longing to it and the flute handles this so beautifully, especially when it jumps to the lower octave at 1:55. I wish the violin sounded more humanized - it just sounded too synthetic, which is strange because the flute sounds fine. It might be the absence of vibrato in the long held notes of the violin, which are more present in the flute. As a result, I feel like the emotional weight is a bit lost when the violin is playing. The last notes also cut off too cleanly and I believe it would have been more ideal to let the tail ends naturally fade out on their own to really drive that sense of longing right to the end of the track.

That being said, I'll give a shoutout to this entry for incorporating a key change that doesn't sound clunky and out-of-place. Overall, great setup with the instruments and reflecting emotion and perspective that feel strongly connected to the art.

IndexatioN responds:

Thanks for the review! Actually, you're not the first one to point out the syntheticness(?) of the violin, and thanks for telling me the cause of it :)

[AIM - Horizon]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

This is an absolutely gorgeous entry that nails the sense of scope and perspective reflective of the tiny subject in the bottom-right corner of the art. I love every instrumental choice made here, from the chord progression to those beautiful pads that support the softer bells playing that continuum from the beginning. Every layer fits so effortlessly to create an atmosphere that feels very tall and wide.

Where I find this piece starts to lose me is in the percussion, which is probably very weird to say given that this is categorized as a D&B track. I keep going back and forth as to whether the fast drums actually fit into these beautiful melodic sounds. Some days, the drums seem fine. Other times, they come off as a huge distraction. I noted, at one point while listening, that the snare feels like it's competing with some of the instruments in the mix. I do think the fast percussion is a risky move to capture a breathtaking and otherwise ambient sort of scene. The melodic elements definitely give room for this faster composition - I just wonder if there was a way to introduce the percussion in a way that a listener would more easily acclimate to its presence.

Other than that, I really love the work you've done here really building out the progression of the track. I also noticed you used Sunvox to create this, which is awesome. I didn't realize Sunvox had piano sounds, or was that from a sample?

OVERSCORE responds:

Thank you for all the compliments and feedback! I wanted the percussion to drive the song but in a soft, subtle way. But my lack of mixing expertise has foiled my plans yet again! What a shame.
Yeah, SunVox does have a few piano sounds. A lot actually, they’re all pretty good.

[Facing the Storm (AIM2023)]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

I can see that you drew from a few elements within the art to use as inspiration, and I think they are pretty evident in this entry from the get-go. For example the use of orchestral strings at the beginning is a good choice for reflecting an image that appears to have been painted. The way you also use the string instruments in the intro, sliding them on a single held note up and down, is evocative of a motor sound, and I drew connection to that sound and the windmill in the art. I get this sense of the wind being picked up by the windmills; something ominous is coming, from the perspective of the shepherd and the dog.

The composition is solid; I like the choices made in the sound design and the buildup to the drop at the end. One particular detail that stands out to me is at 2:46 when that subtle really fast repeating bassline enters and I feel like that was a great choice for conveying the wind picking up - the windmill works harder.

The only issue that comes to mind is that it seems as though everything starts a little too in-your-face, such as when the drums enter at 0:25. Despite being an intensive piece, I feel like having too much intensity at the beginning lessens the impact of when things really start to build up at 2:46 and I believe there is room for more dynamic range in the mix so that there's room for it to build towards the end. A softer sound design at the start could complement the art inspiration even more considering there's a tint of bright blue in the top-right corner of the art, so it's not all completely dark.

Overall, this entry is effective at drawing inspiration from specific details in the art and showcasing them in the sound design and certain elements of the composition. I love the choice of intensive synths during the drop - at around 3:37, those downward "pew" synths are particularly memorable.

Arponax responds:

For me, strings vibrato and some sort of sliding notes always feels like wind to me or something uncomfortable/unpleasing :D (i dont have an option to do some vibrato and i was lazy doing it with Piano rolls slide notes so i just put really fast low depth flanger on them XDD which sounded better than i thought.

Im glad the composition works :D

Maybe i was trying to achieve some sort of impact....like when you hear something in the distance or someone tries to warn you, maybe it could have been a shorter part so it doesnt affect the whole impact of the ending part or maybe just go even less on those taikos.

Overall thanks for feedback, well see how it goes. XD

[AIM 2023 | Siberg - Buddy Guyerson]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

What I love most about this track is its ability to capture the background of its inspiration. The chord progression and sound design sold me on musically setting a nighttime scene with a lot of street lights shining, which does reflect what's being shown in the art. The production sounds very full but also as if it's pulsating, which seems to bring life to the lights.

There's a lot of nice compositional choices here, particularly in the addition of that higher synth that soars above the intensive lower ends of the track like at 2:10 and the guitar part at 2:40 and its syncopated off-notes were quite satisfying. Honestly I would have loved to hear the guitar part break into a full-on solo, like it almost sounded like it was going to do.

While I believe this entry captures the environment of its art inspiration well, I found myself struggling to hear how inspiration was being drawn from the subjects within the artwork: the person and the bird on the street. I mean the streetlights are a part of the art, but it seemed like a missed opportunity to not draw any inspiration from the main focus of the art. I didn't see any intention to portray the subjects nor did I get any sense of that from the music.

And sure, listening to the music itself, I like it just fine. But when judging this in regards to its relevance to the art, the only thing I'm wondering is why you picked this art piece over any other art piece on Newgrounds that captures just a night scene with a street and streetlights?

The other thing I would have liked to hear, music-wise, is more clarity in the production. The track definitely feels like it's way too chocked up in the lower ends and I feel like it's hard to listen to, at least multiple times in a row. The higher synths and guitar part helped to make this a bit of an easier listen, but looking at the waveform on this track, it feels like some instruments were overblown.

Despite my criticisms, I do like a lot of aspects in this track - the chord progression the entire entry is based on is very good and when it changes to that third chord, I feel a sense of hopefulness coming through. Overall, you've made a lot of entries for AIM where the composition was one of your strong suits, and I think this entry slots right into there.

Siberg responds:

Thank you. I appreciate the feedback and unique perspectives.