Random-storykeeper's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[cozy]

Good stuff. The instruments feel a bit on the harder-hitting side, but I like the extra pop of crunchiness paired with the chillness of the composition. I wish you a safe and quick recovery from your surgery!

LordAndiso responds:

Thank you so much!! I am doing very well now after the surgery!

[Woko Credits]

Congrats on your first front page! I like the sound design a lot here; the little bells hitting some of the beats from 0:23 to 0:45 were probably my favourite touch so far. I can definitely hear this as an end credits theme where these instruments would have been used in prior tracks.

If I had to point out one issue, I feel like the synth brass lead is a bit too loud, especially at 0:48 where it doesn't seem like the choir is stereo panned so there's no sense of immersion with the instrumental - it feels like the accompaniment is very far away and the brass instrument is blowing in my face.

But aside from that, I think this is very well structured, from the higher energy start and sort of wrapping up with that final bass note at the end. I am curious - since all these tracks you recently uploaded start with "Woko" for the most part, are these for a game? I would love to hear more about this game and how to play it if that's the case. If not, then is it for a game concept? I think this is a great opportunity to utilize the Author Comments to at least briefly describe what your track is about.

CanineLotus responds:

Hello! Thanks, it's the soundtrack of an old project. I think it's almost 2 years old. I made it for a friend for a Mario fangame called Woko Izland. I'm not very good with descriptions and that's why I don't include any, but I'll try.
For now I'm only going to upload old projects to newgrounds until I finish uploading them all

[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 - 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.

[AIM - And Then the Storm]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

When I first heard this piece, my initial impressions were that this was depicting a city floating high above the clouds. The repeating, even-rhythm bassline feels like a slow motor running and the synths overall had this airiness to them that gave an elevated perspective that also made it sound futuristic. It was quite surprising to hear these elements being used to portray what appears to be a downtown city and a coming thunderstorm - not a bad thing, just unexpected for me.

I admit that it took a long time of constant listening for me to come around on this entry. I thought it moved too slowly and the composition felt like it was building up to something than it led on. Thankfully, this compo provides that luxury of time to do so. Eventually, that repeating bassline and the synth line doing the D F# D G pattern got to me and I found myself appreciating the layers and the texture as a whole.

Originally, I thought the piece would build up to some headbanging rock intro and although that didn't happen, I like the way the electric guitar is used to pad out the lower drones towards the end. It was also an interesting choice holding off on changing up the chord progression until the end, where it resolves to the major key before transitioning back to the two chord pattern. Personally I found it to be satisfying, as if the thunder has finally run its course and exits, allowing just the rain to remain.

Overall, I like this entry's atmosphere and sound design quite a bit. The repetition of the two-chord progression works well to set the cityscape scene and in the end, I think the synths do complement the pixel art style of the art inspiration effectively. It really captures the emotional core of experiencing the gradual arrival and leaving of a heavy rainfall with rolling thunder.

LuckyDee responds:

@Random-storykeeper and @damifortune thanks for your kind words. I was aiming to create a very spartan piece, which I ended up adding more keys to because it turned out a little too empty to my taste - it's not the touch I wanted to add, but under time pressure I couldn't afford to spend any more fiddling about with the composition. The relative monotony is a conscious choice too - rain with the promise of a storm that ends up not coming in is itself very monotonous, but in a transfixing rather than boring way, and that is the vibe I wanted to capture. And I love how competitions like this help me branch out creatively like that - although there's probably dozens of contestants how delivered a more exciting piece than I did, I consider myself a winner once again.

Thanks for your efforts!

[AIM- Come Home]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

Whenever I see an entry from you, I immediately think of compelling, emotionally-drive works and of the two entries you submitted, this was the one that tugged my heartstrings the most. It was mainly because of the vocals; it's great that you found a vocal instrument that manages to have some control over the diction of words and breaths so that it feels more organic and less computerized. I was especially a fan of the vocal runs at 1:04 and how they are slightly delayed coming in on the strong beat. The way the vocal runs hit the higher notes at 3:20 was absolutely heart-wrenching.

The only prevalent issues for me come from a few production decisions I'm not sure work. That two-beat kick drum pattern seems like it was trying to mimic a heartbeat and while I like the idea, I think its presence in the mix is a bit too distracting, especially during the beautiful vocal runs. The string instrument in the final vocal run section at 3:04 also seems too loud and prominent. I'm not too production-savvy but I feel like some of the higher frequencies from it could have been cut or suppressed to make it complement the vocals more. I love the string and vocal counterpoint compositionally, so it's more about making these two parts seem like they're working with each other rather than against each other.

I appreciate you sharing your interpretation of the art and how you chose to express that in your music. It surprised me to read that this track was meant to be a little more optimistic and hopeful, like these two people in the artwork went through all these devastating troubles, but in the end, they reunite. Personally, I feel like this track comes off as more tragic than touching. The heaviness of the piano chords paired with the words "come home" come across as the girl calling out for her father, willing him to make it out of his peril alive. The vocal runs especially suggest this idea of a voice calling out and metaphorically travelling throughout the scene, trying to find the father, but in the end, he never returns. This interpretation is what made the piece so heart-wrenching, but I can definitely see that you put a lot of thought into the art and whether this tragic perception was your original intention or not, this entry was thoroughly impactful in its emotional resonance.

DigitalProdigy responds:

Thank you for that detail review. I agree with everything you said, the art interpretation could have went either way, so I appreciate your way you viewed the art work. The heart beat was a production choice and I had trouble in the beginning deciding if I should keep it or remove it, I decided to keep it. Overall I'm satisfied with what I came up with and also your review of the song. Thank you for taking your time to review it.

[Sin Tiempo (AIM CONTEST 2023)]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

What works really well for me is this entry's sense of forward motion. Throughout the whole piece, it feels like I'm flying constantly towards the focal point of the image. The composition captures the wonder and adventure - I can definitely see this fitting into a platform-adventure that takes place in an environment like the art inspiration.

It seems like you were going for a lot with this track - dynamic variations, a composition that has to work for both day and night, and I love that you approached this with the idea of creating a surreal atmosphere. I feel a sense of forwardness from some instruments (like the floaty arps) while the lower instrument with the attack almost feels like it's moving backward. Putting these together creates that perception of motion in two opposing directions simultaneously, as if one is venturing into the unknown.

I was also intrigued by the title of this entry, which I know shares the same name as its inspiration. Apparently it literally translates to "without time", so it is interesting that some of the percussive sounds used here sound like the ticking of a clock or the evenness of the piano notes at 1:50. Out of curiosity, did the meaning of the art's title get taken into consideration when creating this track?

Overall, I really loved the atmosphere from this entry. The use of the ambient sound at the beginning into the main sections worked really well and added a captivating wispy tone to the texture that I enjoyed a lot.

ZagyBoi responds:

Thank your for your feedback! Actually yes, the title did play into the inspiration when creating the track, which led to the decision of using ticking clocks throughout the track.

[AIM - Misery Haunt]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

This entry does a great job at capturing both the creepiness and the innocence present in the art inspiration. I love the use of the piano playing in the lower register with a lot of release in the tails. The use of the jazzy instruments was also well done, particularly in the transition leading up to when the music box comes back at 2:12. I love the use of the horns at 1:53 followed by the weird sort of metallic attacked sound at 2:03. It really conveys the mystery and cuteness in the character and the environment.

The one thing that didn't work for me here is the decision of keeping the music box in the background while the oboe plays. The music box has a very strong sort of pluck to it that remains prevalent even when its volume is turned down, especially when it's accompanying a lower melody being played by a woodwind, so it ends up becoming a distraction at 2:22 specifically. The way the composition was set up, it felt like these ideas from the oboe melody and the rest of the accompaniment already connected well enough that the music box didn't really need to keep playing.

Overall, this piece excels at depicting this character and that sense of wandering forward down an endless dark corridor. I like how you even took into account the kind of music Mizore listens to and working it into the track in a way that enhances the atmosphere and gives an edge that is more specific to the art inspiration.

Codefreq responds:

Thank you for the very in-depth review. I’m glad you enjoyed my piece and that you liked the angle I took regarding Mizore’s character. :)

[AIM - Shark Dude Shanty]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

A metal pirate shanty is exactly what I was expecting when I saw this art and this entry did not disappoint. I find this entry very easy to enjoy - it's just got the right energy to hook me in and convince me that this is the right sound and approach to bring this goofy, menacing shark to life. Not only does the guitar sound great, but I love how the other instruments work in this track compositionally to paint the scene fully. At one point, I noted that at around the 0:58 mark, it sounds like the shark is dancing and stomping around on the deck. He definitely doesn't own this ship but you'll gladly and fearfully give it up to him in the hope that he spares your life.

While I like the use of the non-guitar instruments in terms of their composition, I think their sound and mixing didn't quite make them as effective as the guitar parts. Perhaps this is in part to the guitar being played live while the other instruments are not and that couldn't be more evident than in the choir. To me, the choir was barely audible (but from what I could hear, I loved the way in which it was used as a layer) and it was where I really felt like the synthetic nature of its sound was most evident. When it changes notes, it just seemed like a program in a DAW moving step by step. I would have definitely loved to hear less MIDI sounding instruments as I think it would have enhanced the piece a lot more, especially against the awesome guitar.

Overall, this entry does a great job at blending fun with a razor sharp intimidating edge. It sounds to me like the structure paints this clear image of a shark rising out of the water then jumping onto and scaring everyone off a ship. Then he destroys everything and it seems like at the very end, with the organ outro, he slowly sinks back into the deep. That's quality musical storytelling right there.

CrossCarrasco responds:

Thank you for the feedback! I appreciate you checking out my song and glad you liked it!

[AIM - INEVITABLE]

AIM 2023 Judge Review

You do a fairly good job at building this track around a single idea. I like the combination of the light, high bells with that low acid bass. The faster high chords pair well with the repeating melodic bassline and I like how you build upon the intensity towards the end. The piece feels off-putting but it also manages to be quite flowy with those high bell sounds and given that the character in the art is also bleeding profusely, I think it is an appropriate enough fit.

The part of the track that didn't work for me was the drums. They just seem to enter in at the start and then suddenly leave, then come back again. It didn't feel like there was any rhyme or reason for them to be in the track and their sound just doesn't mix that well with the rest of the synths.

I also think this track could have explored its art inspiration a lot further. When I look at the art and its description, I read about a very harrowing scenario and I think this track was a missed opportunity to delve into that narrative and find ways to express that musically. I guess the idea behind this entry is that the repetition reflects how the "bleeding doesn't stop", though I think this art and the story behind the character provided a lot more in-depth grounds to form a very bleak and emotionally driven track. I'm not sure if that was taken into account here, but from what I hear, it didn't seem like that was the case.

Overall, I don't think the repetition is bad nor is that the issue. It's about how the repetition is used and the role it plays in the composition and the reflection of the art inspiration. This entry does at least have a sense of flow and its intensity shows that it was at least pointing in the right direction.

V1ZION responds:

I appreciate what you wrote. I will take all of this into account to make sure I do better in the future AIMs. Thank you so much! :3