Random-storykeeper's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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.

[AIM - Sunny Afternoon]

The first section of this piece is really good. I love the warm bell tones and that little higher musical box melody paired with the repeating chiptune notes and chiptune percussion really set the scene. The choice of chords works as well, evoking that bright midday atmosphere.

I like that the repeating chiptune notes were an intuitive way to transition between the shift in tone from the A section to the B section (which I interpret to start at around the 1:10 mark). The second section's development, however, shifted from a bright to dark tone that felt like it turned into a different track entirely. I don't think the transitions were too sudden, and I like that there were some shifts from the cheery melody - to me, the elongated B section felt too far detached from the mood set by the first section and as a result, also felt detached from its connection to the art.

Like that buildup to the more intensive sections from 1:10 up until around the 1:40 mark could have worked as a way to build upon the musical scape. When that higher repeating loop started entering, it was really when the mood shifted entirely and building upon that made the piece feel like it had no satisfying resolution, which didn't seem to fit the art inspiration.

The first minute and a bit of this entry is fantastic and easily the highlight of the piece, but we spend so little time in it, which I think was a missed opportunity. If this piece had more of a satisfying resolution at the ending that built upon ideas from the A section, I think it would have really made this entry come together.

[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