Random-storykeeper's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM - Clouds]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

I only just noticed this as I'm writing the review, but I didn't realize you made this using Caustic, a DAW which I haven't thought of in a long while. That's awesome though, and so is this track. When I first heard this, I was floored. I think the DNB elements work really well here against the piano and guitars to create that sense of constantly falling from the sky. It just has that sense of everything moving upwards at a fast speed and that conveys the idea of someone falling perfectly. That guitar line and chord progression are absolutely lovely.

The only thing I would have liked to hear more of is further development in the later sections, especially in the second half of the track. The track basically plays through the same ideas twice and it isn't as satisfying the second time they come around. Given the concept of falling (which I assume this track is about), I think it would have added a lot more intrigue to hear some slight variation in the way the layers are presented in the second iteration. While I do like hearing the layers being taken away for the guitar against the bells to shine at 2:13, I think the more intensive parts could have been presented slightly differently, perhaps with a different chord progression/chord movement against the same guitar line.

Overall, I was blown away by how good this track is. The guitar, bells, piano and drums are a fantastic combination and the emotions are effectively conveyed. I think this is my favourite entry I've heard from you in any AIM compo I've organized. Amazing job!

[AIM23 - Kubarium]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

There's a lot of nice things going on in the composition. The layers work very well together and hearing these varying timbres play off each other is quite pleasant. I also like the melody a lot - it's very catchy and the progression feels cohesive. It has this comforting feeling, like you just started the day and this piece is letting me know that everything's going to be okay. As far as morning vibes go, I think you nailed it.

I'm curious about the intention of giving this track a sunrise sort of feeling, as I don't understand how that connects to the art. A sunrise is a generally tangible part of the world while the art suggests something a little more abstract. It would have been nice to hear some playing around with the abstract, otherworldly and pastel atmosphere in the art. That being said, I think the long drones from the pads get the sense of the water and its vast scale effectively. I'm just not sure if the tone in this track works with the tone in the art, imo.

I love the use of the piano, though I wish it were played more stereo so we can hear the full effect of its chords. The piano was too suppressed to be enjoyable and the synth playing the main melody is just a little too loud, especially at the beginning with those softer accompanying notes. I'm also not a huge fan of the fadeout conclusion; it just doesn't seem like a place where the track should have ended especially given its length.

Other than that, I do love the warm and cozy feelings from this track overall. I think the melody is catchy and does get stuck in my head sometimes. The melodic development is solid and I would have loved to hear this extended to double its length.

Dynamic0 responds:

Thanks for review!

I meant the sunrise feeling as the time from the first sunrays to the time when it's almost noon.

I run out of ideas when I was making the end. I could make something better than fadeout.
But I'm thinking about making extended version.

[AIM - Soaring]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

I think I said in my review of "Sun Diver" that this entry was easier to like and I stand by it. The sound design is fun and the composition is loose. I love how effortlessly it flows from section to section. The rhythms are solid and everything just falls into place. I especially love how the final chord of the melodic phrase (first heard at 0:28) resolves to that interesting sort of chord that allows for a lot of forward momentum.

Despite everything I love about this track, I don't really know if it connects with the art inspiration that well. The art and the title of this track seem to suggest this piece is about flying and soaring in the air, but the syncopated chords from the guitar give a sense of grounding that feels more like a leap than constantly being elevated in the air. The emphasis is definitely kept more on the lower end with a few higher instruments that give that elevated feeling for brief moments in between. I think the intro is the closest thing I hear to feeling inspired by the art, but the rest of the track doesn't quite hit that mark.

Overall, I still really enjoy this track, especially the transition from the intro to the main melody. I also love the sax solo that comes towards the very end, particularly in how its last few notes are played with that sort of growl that makes it intriguing to listen to. The entry is catchy and full of bright energy.

[HOME OF HOPE (AIM CONTEST 2023) | RPG Music | Royalty Free Instrumental + MIDI |]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

You've got a nice sound design that works to capture the atmosphere of the cave and the night sky. Even though this piece's title seems to imply that it is about a home, the composition feels more like longing for home, probably because of its use of a mode instead of using a scale that would conventionally in Western music be considered more home-like (i.e. ionian). The piano and those muted higher bell-like synths play off each other well and I like hearing their moments of counterpoint throughout the track.

There are a couple of issues that come to mind. I would have loved to hear phrasing in the piano, particularly when it comes to the playing of the chords. They feel like they're played too accented sometimes and I think it doesn't gel with the otherwise quieter-sounding composition. The higher bells feeling softer and muted make the atmosphere of this track seem more enclosed whereas the art shows the perspective of the night sky from inside a cave. I would have liked to hear those bells brought out more as I think it would get the idea of this setting being more out in the open.

Overall, this entry definitely has a very loopy and sleepy sort of vibe, but I think that works well with the art inspiration. I especially love the way those faster rhythms give off the sense of the notes ricocheting off the cave walls, which was a great idea to draw inspiration from the art and reflect that in the music.

[Infinity]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

The minimal soundscape is what works well for me here. I like the sound design a lot; the piano and synth strings are a great melodic choice and the ambient wind sounds have a spaciness to them that work given the concept. I also really like the super-low sub sound heard at the beginning of the track like at around 0:09. It was a great way to get the idea of a vast and desolate setting across in a subtly haunting manner. The piano melody captures the loneliness quite effectively.

I notice that the track is relatively quiet and I have to turn my volume up for this one to hear it compared to other AIM entries. I think this track could have been mastered to be a bit louder. The piano also feels too forward in the mix and I think production-wise, that doesn't really fit in with the loneliness and emptiness you seem to be going for with the rest of the accompaniment. I think it could have definitely been a lot softer, a little more part of the background layers to create a more distant atmosphere.

Unfortunately, I don't think this entry has that strong of a connection to the art. While it does capture the isolation and the vast expanse in its composition, I was hoping to hear something more specific to this art. I think it doesn't help that this entry had two inspirations, which goes to show that it had to sacrifice some of its relevancy to this art in exchange for a bit of the other. This track seems more like a general space track and I'm not sure why this inspiration was picked over any other outer space artwork. It might seem a little conventional, but the chunkier pixel art definitely screams chiptune for this particular art inspiration.

Overall, I think you get some of the emotions associated with the art in the music, and I like the use of the piano as the emotional vehicle. I'm just looking for some more nuance in drawing inspiration from the art, especially when it comes to scenic pieces that take place in outer space. There's certainly a darkness and sadness that kind of complements the colour palette, but it still does feel too general to be specifically related to the art.

[batzona - aim2023]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

I feel like this entry has a lot of strange opposing elements clashing with each other that also help to create a cohesive, unique experience. The lyrics are extremely vile but when listening to this track, I would have no idea as someone who doesn't know any Hebrew. The vocal performance has great flow and a lot of grunt and emotion poured into it against this otherwise kind of pleasant and loopy hip-hop beat. On top of that, there's the pads heard at the beginning that sort of slide up and down and serve as the backbone accompanying layer which are nice to listen to but also unsettling. It's such an odd combination of things that somehow come together for me and I think that also connects it with the art.

At first glance, it seems like the art shows two girls who are bleeding, but upon further viewing, the art actually shows it as red paint. The appearance of the girls is also a bit unsettling, with the darker-haired one having one eye completely closed while the other eye wide open. It's a strange-looking image that also looks pleasant enough and I think your entry shows an understanding of that "beautiful but off-putting" dichotomy.

The one thing I would have liked to hear differently are the pads from the intro. I love their presence, so it's disappointing to hear them become so suppressed in the background once the beat comes in. I think they easily could have been brought up more as they serve as a great accompaniment to the atmosphere.

Overall, this entry is extremely difficult to get into, especially when listening to the lyrics, but I appreciate that it was able to take all these opposing elements and bring them together to create a unique listening experience. I really like those ascending chiptune arp patterns that play in the second half and close out the piece.

[AIM Dance Of Seduction]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

The sound design in this entry is entrancing in of itself. From a Western perspective, Middle Eastern instruments are generally associated with being desert-like, but I think it's cool that they're being used for this beautiful, haunting mermaid track. The vocal instruments are used to great effect - there's a lot of great phrasing and dynamics that help to make the melody more emotionally impactful. I can definitely picture this mermaid rising out of the water and singing, grabbing an unsuspecting man and returning underwater with her new catch.

I think the production could have played around more with that idea of being immersed underwater. The water sounds at the beginning and the end are great, but the instruments could have also had some higher frequencies cut off to depict the underwater moments more effectively. I would have loved to see some shifts with the filtering as it would better illustrate this mermaid rising out of the water and then sinking back in.

You really show a lot of prowess when it comes to crafting a narrative surrounding the art you're inspired by. Not gonna lie, I was surprised by the use of male vocals towards the end of the track. They worked relatively well, composition-wise, but I was confused what they how they were supposed to contribute to the narrative. Are these the men that are going down with her?

Overall, I think this track does a great job at creating a distinct atmosphere that is gripping as it is alluring. I love that final section and the way it culminates around that descending scale pattern with that plucked string instrument. It was a fantastic decision to lead up to the conclusion.

[AIM - Boombox]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

What I really like about this track is that it's easy to tell that it was completely made with the art in mind just by listening to it. Not only because the BPM was matched to the swaying of the characters, but the sound effects from retro video games and soundfonts perfectly complement the art style. Most of all, I think this piece gets the energy of the art just right. It moves enough to make you bop your head, but not so energetic that it makes you want to full-on dance. And I think that was the best part of all.

If I had to nitpick one thing, it would be that I think the second half of this track doesn't really offer that much. The track is pretty laid back with one guitar layer coming and going at different points in the track, but I think there was room to have at least one other layer that complements the main baseline while not feeling identical to what was previously heard. I don't think this track needs like a major chord change or anything, but I did feel like it wear out from overplay.

Aside from that, I really like this track overall. Like I said earlier, it goes for the elements in the art and gets the sound, energy and beat down to a pat. The guitar plays well against the bassline and is a good way to add some changes to the layers while still maintaining the general groove. For a while, this track did get stuck in my head and earlier in the judging period, I did go back just to listen to it for the guitar line.

[Corridors (AIM CONTEST 2023)]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

It was surprising to see an artwork featuring what seems to be an empty, dark room be interpreted in such an abrasive and aggressively uncomfortable way. That's not to say this entry is bad - in fact, it's because of its harsher tones that I think you are able to effectively portray the liminal concept. Typically, empty rooms would lend to a quieter sound, but this track feels like an amplified version of what one would normally perceive as quietness. Sometimes the "silence" is simply the stuff we cannot hear at face value and I think this track captures the essence of that effectively.

I also found it interesting that the sounds are quite noisy and distorted, but the track remains at a constant, even tempo with a standard drum beat. These two elements play into the idea of liminality really well. The atypical sounds overlapping with that 4/4 time signature exudes that feeling of being stuck in between two places - a normal percussion with intangible instruments, musically. I would love to hear more playing around with time signatures or familiar drum beats, perhaps having some parts where there is no sense of time or where the beats are to enhance the disorientating atmosphere.

I'll admit that I respect this entry more than I enjoy it, but I think there's a lot to be intrigued and impressed by. I love the sense of distance in the texture; some sounds are very much in-your-face while others creep around the edges. There's a strong sense of distance and boundaries that sonically shape the room scene. It doesn't feel explicitly horror, but it is very much unsettling.

[AIM - Snow Angels]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

The piano does a good job at capturing both the emotion and the snowy landscape from the art inspiration. The four-note pattern it plays gives off strong wintery, quiet vibes. I think all the instrument choices and composition fit wonderfully with the art's setting. Despite this entry being described as B flat major, the entire piece seems more rooted in the relative G minor, which seems more fitting for the emotions related to the composition. that I'm curious why you thought B flat major specifically was a good choice for the scene. Not saying it is or it isn't, but why that key over any other key?

The string melodies have a lovely composition, though I wish they were phrased to add shape and inflection that would help with the emotional impact. While I really like what the piano is doing with those alternating chords, overlaying an additional piano line on top of them at 1:23 almost completely buries them among all the other instruments and there's no room for it to be a part of the texture. I also love the use of bells towards the end of the piece, but I think there was room for them to appear a lot earlier - they feel underutilized in the soundscape.

Despite my issues, I think this piece has a great choice of instruments. The parts they play when they come into the texture was well done and I never felt like anything was out of place, only that some parts be brought out more to hear better how they interact with each other. I'm not really sure if the characters in the art were taken into account when creating this entry, however, the track does have a sense of "fleeting moments" and I could make the connection that this entry puts me in the perspective of these characters in the snow, staring up at the falling snowflakes in the sky.

NativeNiles responds:

Thx for the review. I just choose B flat major randomly.