Geoplex's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Vanquish the Night]

This is an NGADM 2015 Review.

This is a fantastically varied epic. I love how rich and diverse it is, and how well it all flows. Most of the transitions worked seamlessly, and the few that didn’t weren’t noticeably off. Production is also fairly good, though it isn’t perfect, but I don’t honestly think it hurts the song too much.

So, starting off - lovely intro, really like how you jump into the epic theme of things so suddenly. I like the time changes that you weave in and around the 4/4… it creates this tense pace that I really like, but I don’t think each sections is carried very well by its solo. The first two seem a little melodically messy. The third one is SICK though good lord.

One of the first overwhelmingly positive thoughts I remember having about this song involved the first piano section around 01:30. I love the sound and I love the melody. It’s nothing new but by god does it work. The breakdown that follows this section is lovely as well, providing a nice change in pace. I like the brass in this section a lot, and the transition to the flamenco guitar works fairly well.

The flamenco section itself really stands out from the rest of the song. I feel that you should have let it sit on its own a little more before bringing the electric guitar back in. Without standing on its own for a while it feels a little pointless and sticks out a lot thematically - that said, it definitely re-engaged me from a listening perspective on my first playthrough and I enjoyed it.

Production-wise you’re pretty solid; I can hear everything quite comfortably. Everything feels a little mid-oriented, though - it could be the lack of high end that makes me feel this way. The lows are mostly fine. I think you might be over-using your reverb a bit, because some parts of the song did sound quite muddy to me, especially the second piano section. Despite any of this, your mastering is pretty great - the song is pretty loud and reaches around -10RMS. I think the only major issue is too much reverb and not enough high end, as the song is a little dull (spectrally!)

Seriously impressive track. My review would probably sound more praising if I was better at talking about composition, because that was definitely the strongest part of this song. Fantastic work.

bassfiddlejones responds:

Geoplex, thank you for the review! I wish we could have done more flamenco actually, but the idea is that the acoustic and electric guitars were battling each other, thus the breaks in between (which I liked, but I understand your point). As noted below, mixing had to be rushed a little bit (a lot). Thank you for the kind words Geoplex, and we definitely use your feedback. Glad you liked the piece!

[Past, Meet Present]

This is an NGADM 2015 Review.

Damn solid track here. I think your production in this entry was a bit of a step above the last one, nothing sticks out more than it should - solid mastering, as well. Sick melodies and chord progressions (especially at 3 minutes, ooh) and I really enjoy how frequently you switch it all up and keep the song flowing and interesting! It’s quite engaging.

While the sheer variety of melodies in this song is certainly a strength, i think it works to your detriment a little as well - I found that the song lost direction a little after a while, and it became a little inconsistent. The way that you repeated part of the melody from 00:38 at 03:16 was a great example of what you should have done more of, in my opinion. The variance you added on it in the second repetition worked fantastically for transitioning to an outro as well, and I think more of this kind of thing would create a greater feeling of consistency. That said, you don’t have to do that; I think what you did worked quite well either way.

One other structural thought I had related to the intro - you don’t really have one. The percussion starts up pretty much straight away; and while you do have a nice arpeggio for the first 14 seconds which differentiates the start from most of the song, it doesn’t really feel like an intro. This also reminds me, you don’t have many moments without percussion in your song; which isn’t necessarily bad in itself (especially with how much variance you already have), but it would be nice to have some softer sections. That’s an opinion, though!

I see a few people mentioning the synth you used, but I didn’t find it out of place too much myself at all, honestly.

Real solid track, man; keep at it!

[Xtrullor - Ichor]

Really top notch stuff, dude. This might be the most impressed I've ever been with a song on this site.

[~Echo~ Understated (Instrumental WIP)]

This is an NGADM 2015 review.

Lovely atmospheric semi-trap piece! I have to say that this is pretty good, but compared to your previous entries I felt that you didn't put all your effort into this one. The sound design is great, I love the pads and that sliding lead - the sliding bass is pretty awesome too and generally speaking the production is quite good. I can't really fault you on it (perhaps apart from that snare, because it's very harsh considering the relaxed and laid-back feel you're going for here.) This song is very nice, though.

I think apart from the snare, the biggest problem I had with this song was that it was very consistent and similar throughout. There's no breakdown, no chorus - it just steadily goes on at the same pace as it always has. This isn't inherently problematic and I suppose considering it's so relaxed, it's not too big of an issue, but compositional/tonal dynamics are definitely characteristics this song lacks in relation to its competitors. Apart from that there were no real problems, apart perhaps from the length.

Definitely an enjoyable listen. The more I hear the song, the more I absolutely love that sliding lead! It might be a bit repetitive sometimes but it's very appealing and an appropriate sound for the song. Great work :P

[Modern Day Mafia]

This is an NGADM 2015 review.

Hey man! I have to say you really stepped it up this round! Your production is a lot better than the previous entry (like, a LOT better, so nice work on that). Your percussion is pretty punchy (though your kick and snare sound a little overpowered at times) and your guitar has some nice body to it, and I really have to praise you for all this :D

I think where this song falls a little flatter is probably related to the composition and instrumentation. The idea of a flute + electric guitar is pretty foreign to me; but there's nothing all that wrong with it given that you're were going for a specific feeling. It's more that that there's very little rhythmic variation in what the flute itself plays. A lot of this is exacerbated by the fact that for a lot of the song, the guitar is playing similar (or the same) notes as the flute. I think you'd be better off playing longer notes on the guitar, and perhaps more varied melodies on the flute, much like you did around 00:54 (this section is probably the strongest in my opinion.)

I also think the saxophone is a little incoherent - it's not the kind of instrument I'm accustomed to hearing in the background. In many ways it feels almost irrelevant and is present merely for flavor. There are definitely some sections where it works, though. I suppose I'm mostly saying that this song could be more coherent than it is - it's very hyperactive but lacks a cohesive structure and a lot of the transitions and introductions of sections feel a little arbitrary to me. One prominent example that springs to mind is the chippy percussion you introduce toward the end. It felt quite out of place for me and while it was cool, it didn't quite make sense or draw me into the track.

That said, this is definitely an improvement from your previous entry, and I think you were a much stronger contender for this round! A lot of my criticisms are arguably subjective, so you're obviously free to take them or not, because if you feel that this kind of theme is exactly what you'd want to hear in a song, then don't let me stop you. Creativity and experimentation are what we're all here for and despite some of my negative comments, this was an enjoyable listen :)

frootza responds:

LOL. It is muted trumpet but I love you guys for mentioning that.Yeah man what can I say though my mixing sucks I study composition at a reasonably high level but sometimes it just isn't enough. I am hoping we can get to recording this and serenity in a studio soon so that things make more sense. If you or any of the judges for that matter are interested in the jazz theory behind the flute guitar trumpet counterpoint I'd be happy to help out. Thanks again dude!

[[IV]Mokosz]

This is an NGADM 2015 review.

So this is an awesome song, I'll just put that out there. The good aspects about it (the theme/aesthetic, the production and the composition) are all very good, imo. I like the instrumentation as well, especially that acid/pluck synth and the soft orchestral percussion. This song is also quite evocative visually and it's definitely an enjoyable listen.

So at a cursory glance this song seems extremely good; and it is, but I find it unfortunate that it isn't very compositionally dynamic. It feels like the kind of song that could tell a story, but it stays very consistent throughout. I guess this isn't inherently bad, especially with how awesome it sounds, but it doesn't have much re-listenability. That's not to say that it's repetitive at all, though; and to your credit there are some sections that you make slightly softer. Your mix is also pretty full!

Overall I feel that your production and composition are excellent, but this song felt like sombre menu music in a lot of ways. I can't say that this is inherently bad, but compositional and tonal dynamics are characteristics this song lacks compared to others in the round, and those are what I have to judge it against. Despite my negativity I'd like to say that I really enjoyed this song - I'm currently trying to recreate part of a movie soundtrack and this has got me wanting to go back to that work :P so you can add inspiring to its list of positive characteristics :)

[Clockwork Waltz]

This is an NGADM 2015 review.

This is one of the more unique songs in the round in my opinion. I absolutely love the glockenspiel and how god damn creepy this is song is. Those little creaks you have going on in the background are gorgeous, and the whole thing makes me picture a creepy circus or something at night, especially 1:12. The strings at that part are really nice, too! They're extremely evocative of the mood you're clearly going for. I just love this song for its creepy ominous atmosphere. It's god damn spooky.

I think your track is at its strongest in the much quieter, atmospheric sections; because this song really shines in its creepy and sombre state. The crescendo and climax don't show off as effectively your production and I feel that the mix is a bit messy here (past 2 minutes). A lot of the problem here seems to be the attack on your strings (it's a tiny bit delayed) and it makes the percussion seem a tad out of time once things get faster. That said, this is a pretty minor comment; because to be honest I'm finding it difficult to get my hands on any real flaws with this one and for just about the entirety of the song the mix is stunning and crisp (though I'm unsure about the bassoon you introduce at 57 seconds in; seems like it might be a bit loud, but I appreciate how cheeky it is.)

It feels appropriate to mention that this song is very similar to your last entry, but I think it's better. It's a little less cliche (nothing wrong with cliche, though), and a little less intense. It doesn't tell as clear a story but I think that's also potentially a strength; because the song is still very compositionally dynamic, enough so that the audience could easily make up their own story. I think this is an extremely strong and enjoyable entry with few flaws to mention. Fantastic work.

Azhthar responds:

Jay! First review of this round ;) Thanks a lot! I´m really glad you enjoyed the track. Since I intended to make a circus song at the beginning it´s cool that I still preserved some of the circus atmosphere although I changed the direction a little bit. I was going for a bit spooky atmosphere, especially with all the chromatic chord progressions, so I´m also glad to hear that it worked. Although it could have been a bit more spooky in my oppinion :) I will have a look at the drums in the crescendo/climax section. I knew that the mix in this part is a bit messy and I also overloaded it with voices at the end I guess...
Although the style is a bit similar to my last entry (it´s just the music I love to do ;) I didn´t feel that the track itself is quite similar, too, but since Chrononomad already mentioned this, too, I think I have to listen to coments from outside ;) Maybe I´ll try to squeeze them into one album or EP at some point. This time I was going for a bit less storytelling and tried to make something more coherent. Thank you again for your review! It´s extremely motivating.

[Self as Context]

This is an NGADM 2015 review.

This is a pretty interesting song. I find the sound design quite interesting, especially the modulated bass you've got going on in the chorus. It's quite unique in my experience, actually, it's got a really weird attack (at least the first few times you use it). The instrumentation is pretty interesting too, and the production is quite solid. Really liking how crisp and appropriate in level the percussion is, that snare is real nice.

I think this song has its strengths in production and sound design, but it has some problems regarding repetition and composition. The main melody is repeated a lot, and consequently it became quite catchy, but it got a little repetitive for me by the end, as did the chord progression. I like how you mix things up in the breakdown at around 1:15 though - the melody and sliding lead there are fantastic, and the second chorus is definitely a step up from the first lead-wise with those extra notes, which is always a good way to do things to keep it all exciting.

One other problem I had that strangely wasn't present in the second chorus is that the first lacks a big transient or impact to properly define the start of it. I actually found the transition quite awkward and surprising (00:25). This issue definitely wasn't present in the second drop, which I found interesting.

Anyway, I don't have a whole lot of negative stuff to say about this song. The saws are nice and bright, the percussion clean and interesting. It's a bit repetitive, but that's most of my gripes. This is a pretty great and well rounded song. Lovely subtle vocals at the end, too! Nicely done :)

[~SW~ Thurm ins_wa_]

This is an NGADM 2015 review.

Oh dude. Damn. I have to say I'm a real sucker for subtlety, for tiny intricacies, for drilled hats and tiny, funky percussion. I love that it's very electronic, but very dynamic and atmospheric, and damn interesting to listen to. Your production is fantastic and I just love the vibe. I find that kick drum nice and punchy too, but not overwhelming in low frequency content which would probably be damaging to the song aesthetically. I find this strangely specific thing important to praise, for some reason.

Anyway, I really like this one. If I have any gripes it's about the composition and that in many ways, this track is more ambient than anything else, based simply on the fact that it's atmosphere-driven (in my *opinion* anyway :P). Don't get me wrong, I love what you're doing. I love the sound design and pads and how off-guard this track catches me; but I don't find the melodies or chords very engaging or memorable. They're just kind of there. There's nothing bad about them inherently, and I suppose neutrality describes this song very well in a word, but that's kind of what they are - neutral. I'm also a little bit gripey about the long sliding lead sound itself, I feel like it could have more body and maybe more reverb, but that probably wouldn't be in the spirit of the aesthetic.

Despite the fact that I know that the sub is the thing doing a lot of work here, I find it quite impressive that this song is as loud as -9RMS when it sounds so spacious and transient-heavy! I can hear no master compression at all.

Also dude I love that squarey/reverby/arpy ambient thing you've got going on, especially toward the end. You know the one. I hope. I can't describe it, it's too cool for my words.

Definitely a winner, and a great listen :D

SkyeWint responds:

Thought this one might be a bit more up your alley!

The kick has most of the bass cut out of it to leave room for the bass - it works *so* well for punchy kicks and kick rolls. Like, ridiculously well.

The composition, I get - I tend to go more atmosphere-oriented than anything else. I also tend to go for fairly neutral music which works in the background as well as when you focus more on it.

Not sure if I could make the lead have much more reverb without fucking up the mix somewhat. It already screws up a bit closer to the end.

Dem square subs. That's all I have to say on the matter of volume.

Oh, and also that all the plucks in this (even the bass ones) are one instrument. And it's totally a sawsquare.

I'm pretty sure the reverby arpy thing is what does the weird little noises starting at 0:09. It's a 13-note looping arpeggio the whole way through except for when it does its solo at 1:50. We should totally skype, they're not too difficult of sounds to make. :P