Random-storykeeper's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM - Earliest Memories]

The introduction of this piece feels like a cutscene in a game that has the art inspiration as the backdrop as the two characters converse. As far as sound design goes, the choice of the bell-like instrument playing the upper arps with the lower, longer held strings evokes the idea of being in space really well.

I like how the arps take on a slower rhythm in the more intensive sections where the synths start entering at 1:20. The transition from the orchestral to the synths felt very fluid. The detuned synth occupying the left side in this section adds a sense of imbalance and made the repeating melodic ideas progress in an interesting way. As a result, hearing this slow-building section suddenly return back to the ideas repeated at the beginning of the piece at 2:08 was rather underwhelming. It's especially evident in the drastic change of the dynamics, which sharply contrasts with the slower building transition at the 1:20 section with the gradual entry of the bass note shortly before. I would have liked to hear this section with the synths built upon more - there was definitely a missed opportunity for additional development.

It is, however, neat the way the arp develops through the piece in a subtle way, starting fast, then with slower rhythms and an electronic instrument, then slower rhythms with the bell-like instrument at the end. I just feel like the overall composition felt like it was building up to something more than it did in the end.

DarkHorseOrchestra responds:

That's one of the areas I struggle with the most, extending my tracks with new ideas and chord changes etc, trying to take the track somewhere else. I've been trying to get into more "orchestral" production/compositions and the habits I picked up from making rap beats prove really hard to put down.

I agree with you 100% on the missed opportunity with the synth section, though the VST I was using is too much for my PC to handle and crashes FL every other min. I lowkey feel like I wouldn't have been able to expand on it anyhow :\

Thank you for hosting AIM, the review, and confirming for me the weak spots in my music(I really did need to hear it from someone else to really make me get on it).
I'll definitely try harder next year!

[AIM - A Joy in An Apple]

After multiple listens to this piece on separate occasions, the melody at the beginning is what stuck with me the most. It's very catchy and I also think it captures the warmth, innocence and excitement you're going for in essence. There's something very fun and playful about the way the intro melody is handled - I get the sense of a small being in a big world, which is fitting given the art inspiration.

Where the piece starts to lose me is when it starts going into sections that either aren't the hook or based around the hook. I get the sense that some elements of mystery and strangeness were trying to be evoked here. For me, unfortunately, a melody like the one that immediately follows the hook at 0:47 comes across more as incohesive and doesn't have the same charm as the previous sections. It's a shame because I think there's a great basis here with the chords and the choice for the lead, but the melody feels more like it grinds the piece to a halt than evoke a sense of progression.

Later sections such as the one starting at 1:32 were good, especially when the melody at the beginning is slightly referenced as it follows a similar contour and chord progression. I also like when the piece just kind of vibes here and doesn't have any melody. It's a nice blend of instruments, but again, leading to 2:03, the buildup to this section feels underwhelming as the seems like it doesn't really go anywhere.

Overall the main hook (the one starting at 0:15) is what holds this entry together for me and I'm glad to hear it pop up at the beginning, middle and end. I do like what this piece is going for, but when the melodies feel aimless in the middle sections, it causes the composition to feel incohesive. Consider this: how can you create sections that melodically evoke strangeness and excitement without feeling like they halt the forward momentum of the piece?

ShepDeathWoods responds:

appreciated the critic, did had problems with this, the song could be goin calm but wasnt sure if it was getting too boring to hear over 3 minutes so did different sections that maybe could had been a problem and backlash on what i was trying to tell the mood of the image, had to learn from my mistakes =￣ω￣=

[AIM - At The End Of the Road]

There's a softness and smoothness to this track, where a lot of instruments feel like they all blend into one another that feels just right given the art inspiration. I feel the humid atmosphere and warmth really comes through and that bass entering really captures that feeling of driving down a road that works musically apart from the engine revving at the start.

I think the blend of instruments works well for the mid to high range, but at times, I find it compromises the lower layers and muddies up everything to the point where it's difficult to hear and/or feel the bass. I enjoy that rhythmic bass, but I do sense it getting lost in the rest of the mix once we get to the main sections. I would have loved to hear it come through more, especially given how integral it is to maintaining the sense of driving down the road.

As far as tying in a metaphorical journey to a roadtrip piece, I can definitely hear it coming through in your composition. You hold back the resolution to the tonic until about a third of the way into your piece, and that makes it extra satisfying to hear after the prior section's intensive parts that induce the tension of movement without resolution. It helps that the tonic chord is also a major 7th, which is perfect for the dawn setting in the art. The rising arps in this section are super pretty too.

Overall, this is a nice entry that reflects its art inspiration pretty well, just wish that bass really came through more.

Mikaiah responds:

Thanks! Despite everything, i'm glad you find enjoyment into it! I'll try to maybe keep that on mind x3

[AIM - Techacardia]

There's a lot of depth to the percussion that really shines through in this entry. Even at the beginning, I like how there's this metal clinking sort of sound that could also pass as being melodic while still adding to the percussive soundscape. Although this feels more like a piece where the drums are stronger, I do think the instruments evoke that wistful emotion you're going for and that combined with these techno drums work to effectively convey the finer details of the art.

I quite enjoyed the way in which the piece flows through its sections, but I found its conclusion to be rather unsatisfying. I think it was because the return of the A section, while presented differently, still had this sense of forward momentum that gave me this expectation it was going to a different section melodically and it feels like there could have been more time given to lead into other breakdown sections - perhaps even venturing away from the underlying chord progression. For me, personally, even though the removal of the percussion suggested an ending, I wasn't feeling it composition-wise.

That being said, I love how this entry caters to both the naturistic details in the art but still has an overall techno kind of vibe to it. The main sort of idea in the A section has this immersive, underwater atmosphere while still fitting in with the idea of cogs turning and machine work at play. You managed to capture the details and the overall picture - I would have loved to hear more.

Aterum responds:

Thank you for the thoughtful review. Like you pointed out there was a time where i was considering going into another section near the end but i was quickly burning out on the track and i opted to close out what I had to be sure i could submit in time. I really got into trying to evoke the elements i felt from the art piece so I'm glad you think they came through.

[AIM - Pole Position]

I love the sound design - I think it complements the style of the art inspiration. The slap bass in particular has a lot of moments to shine, but I do like the additions of the leads, going from this trumpet-like synth to an electric guitar worked effectively timbre-wise. Plus the hand-off from the trumpet to the electric guitar was the chef's kiss. Having these two instruments harmonize at the end of the trumpet's phrase before going into the guitar's section was the highlight for me.

The only thing I found myself questioning about this entry was that it doesn't really come across like a racing track. I agree that I don't necessarily see the art as having to be about the race itself, but I did find it strange that the beginning of the entry sounds like an engine revving, suggesting the beginning of a race and that the title has something to do with being a fast racer. But the overall bulk of this track feels kind of chill and overly happy, with its laid back bassline and very even drum rhythms.

To me, this feels more like a theme you'd hear after winning the race. I can definitely see that working for the art; it's just that the intro to the piece seems like it's leading into a composition that feels more high-speed and fast paced, like you're zooming around the track sort of thing.

Overall, there were some great compositional elements at play - I just wasn't really sure if what I was hearing was intended to be more like in the moment of racing as the title and intro of the piece suggest. I think this entry sounds amazing, the instruments and drums are well balanced together. I'm in love with that drum roll at 0:29 culminating into the reverbed snare. Consider that the second chef's kiss for this piece.

TeffyD responds:

Thanks for reviewing my entry. The main element I was going for wan an 80s F1 tv theme vibe more than an actual race. A song that might play when someone wins or a race highlight etc. I added the F1 sounds just as a background thing and I liked the sound.

I appreciate the mentioning of the drum fills and guitar/synth harmonies, and the reverb sound is a group clap cause I couldn't get a good snare for that part

[AIM - Succubus]

The chorus in this is insanely catchy and the lead-in to the main phrase on "wicked little one" feels cathartic whenever it comes back in the song. The handoff, in particular, of the word "one" and the "ahh" vocals in the background was seamless. I also really enjoyed your vocal performance in this. From the tone of your voice and the enunciation of the verses, I got that sense of desperation and infatuation with the character depicted in the art. Part of what makes the chorus so impactful is the way your vocals get a little more breathy, which helps to shape the phrase instead of it having that growling undertone the whole way through.

I think the one issue that crossed my mind in multiple listens was that the chorus was super great, but the verses didn't quite feel up to snuff. Obviously the chorus should be where the song builds to, but it feels like the verses are sections where I feel like I'm waiting for the chorus rather than being led into the chorus. If I had to point to what makes the verses weaker to me, I think the accompanying synth in the first verse being basically all one note repeated in a quarter note rhythm made the momentum feel very stagnant. Although there are some moments where the electric guitars come in brief spurts, they felt like embellishments that weren't really working with the main synth bass note.

What also doesn't help is that there's very little time transitioning between the chorus and the verses and it kind of makes the song's sections bleed together. At 1:24, there's no break between the chorus and the second verse and it does feel too sudden as the song just gets off the high point of the chorus.

Overall, I think this interpretation of the character in the artwork was solid - loved the style of the music and the production was pretty good. With more attention to the transitions and verses, this would have really sucked me in. That chorus is absolutely killer, though.

Shifterhead responds:

Very helpful review, i am planning on working on it and release it soon taking into account your constructive review here, thank you!

[AIM - The Silence of Winter]

Out of all the AIM entries I've listened to so far, this is the one that strikes me as being a near perfect representation of its art inspiration. Everything from the wind sounds to that single chiptune instrument "calling" out through the ambience - it was just the right tone that suggests this scene down pat. I like to think of that mostly solo melody as the single detail of light in the picture.

I love the way the repeating melody starts to pick up tempo as it progresses and then it just leaves you in the cold (haha) with the ambience being the resolution to the desolate landscape. I think the one thing I would have elevated this piece more is if the starting notes of the melody were a lot slower and had less release to them. Like not minutes between each note but just a few more seconds slower than how they were introduced in this entry and allowing each note to fully conclude with brief pauses of the ambience filling in the "silence". That could more effectively portray this sense of being quiet, alone and cold.

Overall, this is a great entry that is able to say a lot with a conceptually simple composition.

Curruff responds:

Thank you for the advice! I'm really glad you liked the song.

[AIM - Panorama Drone]

This entry feels very fixated on this particular moment captured in the picture, which I really like about it. Those long held, slowly evolving chords feel like the atmosphere is breathing and moving around while being held on this one scene as time moves on, but the structures remain stationary. I love the choice of synths to create this pretty breathtaking atmosphere in the composition, but their timbre also gives this sense of industrial structures becoming a part of the spectacle (as seen with the electrical tower and the presumably shining lights from buildings in the art inspiration).

The single melody that does persist throughout the track is gorgeous and works with the accompaniment quite well. I do wish that there was more of a gradualness to the way the melody was introduced. It did feel a bit too sudden and to hear this sudden and somewhat stagnant sounding synth blaring out against these long and evolving chords in the background felt like it took me out of the atmosphere. This, however, is mitigated once the higher synth takes over the melody and it begins to pan around. I didn't hate the first synth carrying the melody, but it does take a bit of getting used to after it first enters.

Overall, the unique atmosphere created by the synths really elevated this entry for me and I enjoyed being engulfed in its presence.

CryNN responds:

thank you for your review!

[AIM - Skyocean]

The ocean-meets-space aesthetic is one that is interesting to convey musically, considering the connections these settings have in real life and how we perceive them (astronauts training in the ocean, ocean creatures of the deep are often described as being very "alien") and the differences in which they are conceptualized musically.

In this entry, I think that the underwater setting comes through quite clearly to me. There's this rocking motion I get from the rhythm at the intro that feels like waves rippling through the ocean's surface while the more constant three-note arp following it makes me think of dipping under the water's surface and seeing all the life flourishing around you. At around the 1:13 mark, there starts to become instances of a faint bubbling sound that gently enters and exits in the background. If separate from the art, I would have thought this to be an underwater piece.

Given the surreal nature of the art, I would have expected some of the "space" qualities to become intertwined with the underwater atmosphere, but I wasn't getting a lot of the outer space/sky aspect that was part of the art. I get that the synths are supposed to evoke those vibes, but they seemed so integral to the compositional base of the underwater part that it just seemed like it was a developing idea for the ocean concept. As a result, it ends up contributing to the ocean sound instead of being discernable as a space/sky sound.

The mixing overall seemed to be an issue, with synths sticking out and not being balanced with the accompaniment. The synth that enters at around the 1:10 mark and around the 2:00 is just a bit loud compared to the rest of the mix. However, I do think that the idea of the changing modes does elicit that sort of mysterious, otherworldly tone throughout the piece that hints at being spacey, though I do wish that space/sky atmosphere were more prevalent composition-wise. A lot of the piece is very low and grounded, so maybe some higher and softer synth tones up top would give the idea of a sky or space being present.

I do like that the melody is happy and cheesy in a way that complements the cute cartoon style and the bright colours of the artwork. Overall, there are some interesting ideas at play and I think you took a good approach in terms of using the art inspiration. I just think there was more of an opportunity to capture the sky element that I don't think was quite there.

TebyTheCat responds:

Yeah, while I had many ideas as how to convey the ocean I struggled with bringing the sky/space elements
(and I wish I had finished this earlier so I'd had more time to figure out the mix's issues)

[AIM - Nightly Stunts]

I like the soft lofi instruments at the beginning, which give that sense of perspective of being inside something (like a car) and observing the scenes outside. The gentle arps also help to convey a nighttime, melancholy atmosphere. From my perspective, this piece seems like it's from the perspective of someone who wants to go out to the buildings with the neon signs, but is not able to at the moment.

The biggest setback of this piece for me is the production. Once past the intro, a lot of instruments start sticking out when they could have been integrated more into the mix. Once the piece gets louder at around the 2:20 mark, the drums feel completely drowned out. In addition, the synth at 1:55 being panned to the left while also being loud created an imbalance in the audioscape, especially while having it remain without any other ideas taking the right side.

Overall I think the intro and those arps were the strongest points about this entry and ones that suited the art inspiration the most. It was nice to hear them pop up again at multiple times throughout the piece and felt like a good respite.

BusanBlack responds:

I appreciate the feedback. I'm going to continue improving and hopefully I will come back with a better production and balance of my songs. I know I can make some great melodies and beats but I just cant get over the hump of pristine audio quality.