Geoplex's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Motions]

This is an NGADM 2015 Review.

I spent ages listening to both your track and bass/josh’s before making a decision, because it was close to impossible. Both tracks are very high calibre, and this track is pretty damn amazing.

I love the mood, how happy and laid back it is. The production is fantastic. Nice and loud, very clear; much like many of your submissions. Melodically this one is also fantastic. This is a top-notch song, and I’ve had it in my head the last few days. It’s catchy and effective, especially the soft breakdown around 00:40! My god. Love that low-passed saw.

In the end it was hard to find any objective characteristics to base any kind of decision on, but it was necessary to make a call somewhere. I think the relatively short length of your track played a part in that, though to be fair you don’t have much time to produce with NGADM (I could never do it, honestly). I’d like to think that the airhorn also played a part but I don’t know in what direction, lol. It startled me, but it’s also kinda funny. Essentially what I’m saying is that this track is difficult to pull apart, at least in any negative way, haha.

Usually I find it pretty easy to nitpick people’s kick drums, but I can’t really do that here. It’s actually pretty perfect. In fact, the mix on this in general is pretty perfect. There’s literally nothing that sticks out at me as being too soft or loud. Perhaps the snareclap could be louder or have more punch; and it might also be a little wide - but that’s mostly just an opinion. Transitions, also an easy target for most submissions, are awesome and difficult to fault here. This track is atmospherically awesome as well. The little hats and fills, even just in the breakdown alone, are enough to sell me. There are plenty of subtle components that help to create a fuller and more exciting listening experience and it’s really effective.

The sound design/instrumentation isn’t ambitious, but it also isn’t too simple. Love the use of saws in general. Saws are life. I love the bass as well, it gives the piece a somewhat nu disco/electro feel; especially in the intro, which i really love. You’ve probably done a bit of processing to your noise sweeps as well, and they sound really nice; unless you used samples, which is also fine. I’m guilty, haha. Excellent lead sound, too! Blends incredibly well, in fact it fits into the mix so well it’s almost as though I shouldn’t be able to hear the melody appropriately, but I can, and that’s actually pretty damn impressive.

Compositionally speaking it’s an obvious success. The melodies aren’t repetitive, they’re catchy and effective, and you keep it pretty interesting structurally. What I really love, is that this song feels very “credits” or “outro” to me (partially because of its happy demeanor, I guess) and so it’s quite appropriate for the grand finals, the end of the contest.

I suppose in the end it came down to nitpicks, subjectivities and subtleties, because there was nothing else, and I had to swing one way or the other. It was partially the length, and partially that to me, this song grabbed me a little less - the ending was also a little dubious, but you knew what you were doing :P. I guess I’m apologizing for the inherent subjectivity involved, because you did an incredible job here; and so did your opponents. I love this kind of music, and I love this!

What can I say, fantastic work. Congratulations on Second Place, and for being awesome!

midimachine responds:

cheers for the reviews! tbh i giggle like a bitch at the airhorn every time so idk! :v

[Wake the Dawn]

This is an NGADM 2015 Review.

This round kills me a little inside, because this song is just so good… and so is Midi’s. It’s quite shocking how well matched the two are, when they’re so stylistically disparate.

I suppose what I’m saying is that this song is amazing. Amazing compositionally, amazingly sung and produced, quite well mixed and mastered, exciting and effective structurally. Not only that, but it’s very memorable and quite instantly catchy. In the last few days, I’ve had this in my head a surprising amount, especially the part at 1:32. Both- no, all four of you, are very talented. This is an epic project, and it feels massive and impressive in scale.

I find this track extremely "grabbing". The simple, uplifting melodies and chord progressions are fantastic and well executed, and another aspect that I find so important to how I analyze this track, is the sheer size of it all. You’ve got four singers, fully written lyrics, multiple instruments (most or all of which were physically recorded, I imagine. I mean, you could have used a piano VST or something, but it doesn’t sound like it to me.) The obvious amount of effort that has gone into this, even at a glance, was almost reason enough for me to swing in favor of your track. I suppose there were some things that held me back, like a few production nitpicks. But other than that, this is an incredibly solid, near flawless piece; and I love it!

The lyrics, once again, are really good. In my opinion, they weren’t as strong as in The Prodigal. I felt perhaps that some of the single syllable words covering multiple notes were a little unnatural, like “may our feet be-e” for example, but not terribly so. That’s a nitpick if there ever was one, haha. I definitely enjoyed a lot of the harmonies more and I think in general the *vocals* (as opposed to lyrics) themselves were stronger. They were clearer, and in general fit more appropriately into the mix. There were a few moments where I thought they should be a little louder, but honestly… no instances of this are worth mentioning. The levels in general are great!

The mix in general is great as well. There is almost nothing that sticks out to me as out of place, too soft or too loud. I suppose the snare might be a little loud in the quieter parts, such as 01:44 to 02:10, but just *barely*. The mastering is strong and transparent, and the song feels pretty even across the spectrum. There’s even a bunch of nice stereo stuff going on as well, lots of small subtleties that are absolutely gorgeous… especially when I actively pay attention to them. It’s too easy to tune that stuff out for me nowadays, because unless I’m actively analyzing a song I miss a lot of the small stuff like that. Great work!

There’s so much to praise about this song, and so little to criticize. Despite some difficult decisions and how close everything was, I definitely think this track deserved to win. I think Midi’s did as well, so I guess I’m glad that one of them won, lol. I guess it came down to some subjectivism and some going with my gut.

Overall an amazing song, from some amazing people. You two dudes make an amazing team. Congratulations on First Place!

bassfiddlejones responds:

Geoplex, thanks a ton man. We've really enjoyed your reviews and your levelheadedness about the whole competition. I'm also really happy we could impress someone with a huge EDM background! I agree the lyrics weren't as strong as our previous piece - they did not come as naturally and I had to work out a few parts painstakingly over a few days (lyrics are hard man!) - but I'm still pretty happy with them (though the syllable things are something Josh and I went back and forth about for a fair amount of time, haha). Like I mentioned below, Josh was able to use his studio monitors/room to mix this, so I think the vocals came out a little clearer. Also, my wife singing the main melody provided a different range that kind of soars above mix a little more easily than my own vocals do.

Thanks a ton man for the score and feedback, we're super excited to take first place in our first year competing ! :D look for more from us in the future!

(oh, and yes everything was recorded live except the drums and piano. The piano is actually a mix of two VST's that give it a really natural feel)

[The Prodigal]

This is an NGADM 2015 Review.

Everyone’s been praising this as the best song in the competition so far, and I can’t say I disagree. I think there are a lot of other entries that are right up there with it, but this one definitely stands out; and it’s one of the few songs that I keep coming back to in this year’s contest. I’ve had this one in my head a *lot*, actually. Not gonna lie.

The thing I like the most about this song is it feels ambitious. It feels like you didn’t take the easy way out. The composition is awesome. Like, stand-out awesome. The production is good - I think there are some points that stand out as a little weak, but it’s absolutely strong and a cut above most. The lyrics are… actually really good, which I find surprising more often than I should I suppose. They’re great!

I love the percussion. It has impact, which is *definitely* something I look for, coming from a fairly EDM heavy perspective myself. I feel the kick was a little dull, especially in louder sections. but it did the job pretty well, especially in the intro where it was prominent and awesome :P. I feel also that the lack of hats/cymbals in the song actually did it a lot of good, it helped to emphasize a powerful, epic, cinematic feel that drives the song really well.

Speaking in a more general production sense - I think you did a good job; but the vocals might be a little loud and could do with some highpass. I also feel the song didn’t have enough high-end in general, though it wasn’t necessarily damaged by its spectral dullness. The rest of the spectrum is generally good, bass has appropriate presence. The mids are strong, but apart from the vocals I don’t actually think they’re too much. Obviously transparent mastering, which sounds great. The song is pretty loud.

Your instrumentation and composition are the stand-out points in my opinion. It’s catchy, memorable, and enjoyable. As I’ve said, this has been in my head a fair bit lately. Even without the exciting double-time section, this track stands the hell out. You didn’t even have to make that part, and this song still would have been a winner. But you did, and it wins even harder, lol. I like that you kept everything relatively simple. It didn’t get repetitive and as a consequence, it’s hugely memorable. You guys are also clearly great singers, more so than I expected!

I really like this song, and I don’t actually like this kind of music. This is the first song I’ve ever heard in this style that I’ve enjoyed, and I enjoyed it a lot, and I think that definitely says something.

Also, this gave me a Firefly vibe initially. I know it's obvious as to why, but it's still special to me.

9.55/10 (my score in the thread is wrong, sorry. I think it wasn’t changed because doing so wouldn’t have actually change the outcome.)

bassfiddlejones responds:

Geoplex, I always look forward to your reviews. It's a huge compliment that you enjoyed something in a genre for the first time and we're the ones who wrote it! We worked hard on the percussion to get that impactful sound, glad it came through. And thank you for your comment on the lyrics, this was my first time ever writing lyrics for a song, and I think I'll try to keep it up! (and I totally get a Firefly vibe from this too, haha. The first version had a violin in the intro that felt very Firefly but we changed a lot of things)

[[IV]The Offering]

This is an NGADM 2015 Review.

Man, I loooove your slow, dark, low strings and ominous intro. This track would be right at home in a dark, snowy setting. You have some fantastic FX and subtleties and you use your dynamic space well! The tiny piano chords closer to the start of the song are fantastic! I think the only unfortunate aspect of this track is that it doesn’t really go anywhere, despite clearly holding the potential to do so.

You’ve got this great atmosphere, dark and foreboding, and it fosters a build in tension, a dramatic rise… but it never really comes. I was really expecting (or hoping for) an emotional crescendo or something into a big powerful chorus, with orchestral percussion and big brass, but the song didn’t quite deliver the release it promised. This is alright, in some ways, and your song is definitely still really strong - it just feels a little anti-climactic as a result.

There are still plenty of strong aspects to your song, especially the subtleties (which haven’t stopped blowing me away on every listen, honestly.) This would be pretty awesome as a soundtrack to a game, where the nature of the medium necessitates the relatively stagnant structure. The melodies are also pretty good, I like the cello arps and I love the panning on the strings! This song is so incredibly rich at some parts, and I suppose that’s part of why I was a little disappointed; because it promised so much. The production quality is quite high and the parts you do have sound fantastic on their own.

I suppose it isn’t even the lack of climax that I’m uneasy about, but more that your song isn’t very dynamic from a structural perspective. In a levels sense, it’s incredibly dynamic, but it doesn’t go from soft to loud, if you understand what I mean. At least, not very dramatically, and not very much - it stays in the same place for most of its duration. You do have some percussion later into the second half, but you don’t add much new to this section, and it kind of feels as though it’s there for the sake of it.

One other minor problem is that, although your track sounds awesome; it’s very quiet, at around -25RMS. This is extremely low compared to most songs, and you’ve got a huge amount of space up there you should be using, since your song doesn’t have any overwhelmingly loud parts.

All of that said, this is a lovely dramatic piece and I really enjoyed how well constructed some of it is, especially the subtleties! Seriously, they’re fantastic. Great work!

IglicaV responds:

Thank you so much! I'll take a little break now, to get all those things sorted out, and I hope that I'll fix at least some of those problems that you've listed!

[~SW~ Annar]

This is an NGADM 2015 Review.

So as usual, you’re bringing awesome panning and production to the table! I think the decision to go with a more melodic approach to this song lead to some interesting results. I’m not very good at critiquing composition, so I probably won’t delve too far into that; but I will summarize here that I feel not all of the melodies worked as effectively as they could have. That said, there are a lot of awesome aspects to this song,

First off, great intro - I especially love the bell sound you’re using; it has a nice transient and that delay is perfect. The detuned saws that come in with the percussion are pretty good too; but I’m unsure about how they interact with the melody. The sound is very low-passed and detuned, and it seems a little inappropriate for a melodic theme. The melody is carried by a pretty nice lead, though, I’m always a fan of long slidey saws; though I think the first melody itself is a little directionless and could be more consistent.

By the way, the part at 00:42 with the panning and chopping is really awesome, god damn. The melody that follows this part is a lot more consistent and works quite well, too, and I think having what sounds like a slightly different lead an octave lower worked in your favor as well; especially mix-wise. Everything feels a little more full and powerful at this point.

So the next section is very similar to the intro, and the higher leads expose the detuned saws a little which I don’t really think works too well. There’s also a little stray note at 01:26 or something along those lines, because I heard a little, loud beep. The noise transition from this section to the guitars is damn awesome, though; and I really like the bells and the panning done on them here (though they sound a little out of time at points, I think?) The guitar itself is an interesting choice stylistically, but I’m not gonna knock it, I like it. It works better with the style of percussion you’re using more effectively than the rest of the song does too, I think.

Speaking of the percussion, I’ve found your entries this contest to be characterized well by their crisp, clean percussion, and this song is no exception. I do think more electronic samples would have been more appropriate, but the acoustic drums you’re using work quite well and make this song fairly unique among the other entries. One downside to their application here is probably how quiet the kick is, though. It has the low thud, but no high end or click; but I suppose with the sheer number of transients at some points in this song it really isn’t an issue.

Anyway, onto the last section at 02:35 - the lead here sounds like the one from 0:47 but an octave higher (at least, the melody is a fair bit higher), and while I still think it worked better an octave lower, this part works fairly well too; especially with all the chop-work you’re doing on the detuned saws. It’s my opinion that the part at 0:47 to around 01:10 is the strongest in the song, by a lot, though. Not only because of the lower lead notes, but also because of the melodies used there; especially the one from 00:53 to 00:58.

This song is pretty well produced. It’s relatively loud at around -11RMS, and while I can hear a tiny bit of ducking (although I could just be going crazy) it’s completely negligible. I think the high-end roll-off could be a little excessive, but I’m unsure, because it doesn’t seem to harm the sound any. (On a re-listen at a higher volume, thank you for the high-end roll-off. It's definitely appropriate :P)

Anyway, I enjoyed this song - i think your other entries were probably a little stronger than this one, but I can see this was a step outside of your comfort zone and an experiment at that, and I think it turned out well. When I get some free time I’ll be going through the rest of your music :P

SkyeWint responds:

Phone response, GO.

The main lead is something I made after dicking around in sytrus for about 10 minutes. It sounds like an accordian at lower velocities when it's not doing portamento between two overlapping notes.

I liked the pad :( listen to the other version with just the pad and drums and you'll see why - it carries most of the emotional content. Also it is literally just chores, not melody so much.

There are indeed many transients in this, and mixing the kick was a pain in the ass as it often is with acoustic. There actually is a decent amount of high end in it, if you focus on it. Not as much as my other songs, but eh. I'm surprised you didn't comment on the complete lack of any bass OTHER than the kick, though.

I was actually somewhat inspired by a lot of Japanese music I've been listening to recently, which does combine acoustic drums with a lot of synth stuff. More just a stylistic difference than anything, I suppose.

The RMS might be lower but this song is pretty damn loud in terms of how it sounds. I think I've said this before, but when I EQ'd it, the average frequency distribution was in line with white noise. So, when I did some limiting, I just cranked the compression up as loud as it would go - the threshold for it was at something like -10dB or another equally ridiculous threshold. Hard limit is almost always at -1 to -1.2db.

Anyway, that's about all I have to say - other than that, I hope you enjoy my other music. :P there's a pretty clear cutoff point at the start of 2013 where my mixing went "oh, this is how it do", so be aware that before then the mixing is kinda bleh.

[Threnody for Innocence]

This is an NGADM 2015 Review.

The idea that even two people together can create such a long and varied track in such a short amount of time is almost frightening to me… in an impressive way, though. What I find most impressive about this song is how seamlessly your movements transition to and from one another. They’re structured in a way that makes sense, and on top of that they’re not jarring or inconsistent with one another - you move between them as though they were never intended to be distinct, and yet they definitely are. I find it amazing that this song moves through so many emotional states, while staying strong and consistent. It goes from dark to light multiple times, but subtly. It's almost as though there's no single point I can call it dark or bright, because often it moves so quickly and sneakily.

This song is so long and subtle that I’m not really sure where to start. Movement 3 is definitely my favorite part, and the building piano crescendo you have leading to it is just lovely. The way it sort of climaxes around 3:05 makes me wish there were something lower in the mix, even if it were just more strings - something to give the section a little more power and impact. It probably isn’t the appropriate place for a climax, though.

Speaking of, and I know this is probably against your intention, but I do feel this song would benefit from some explosive chorus. The long, slow build, the rise of emotional tension throughout the song - it would be nice to release it with something huge. I do understand that this was almost certainly an intentional decision on your part, though; and I can respect that - you’re letting your composition do the work, keeping it simple. On that note, your song is ridiculously dynamic, and so it definitely has no shortage of powerful sections.

When it comes to production, it’s hard to go wrong with piano and strings; and I don’t think you did. The piano especially sounds quite good, though I’m uncertain about the strings you’re using. The sound itself is pretty good, but the ADSR on each note sounds just about identical and consequently they sound a little artificial. Your levels are great, though. My subjective yearning for something in the lower end of the spectrum aside, you’ve got a solid mix.

I like that you ended things with soft, drawn out piano; the way you started it. It was an appropriate conclusion. Excellent work, of course, on this song - while I might not have been able to relate so well emotionally (I’m less inclined to see music that way than some, I think) it’s easy for me to hear that you’ve made a powerful and emotive piece.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Man, this is a wonderful review. Thank you so much for writing it!

And yes. Two weeks is definitely way too short of a time. It took 9 days to get the piano part together, and 2 days for the strings (dem0lecule literally assigned strings to the entire track in just one night, and I edited them the night after that). The problem came during the last 3 days, when we both had to go away for the weekend, and we still didn't have a decent production. So during the last night when I got back, I did my best during a few hours to level and mix the piece. But Indeed, the ADSR is pretty much identical all the way through. Hopefully, we'll get time to remake the track with dem0's intruments at a later point, to bring out the best sound quality we can.

I'm really pleased to hear that you like the transitions, and how smooth they are. I am pretty used to working with different kinds of transitions by now, especially when it comes to piano compositions. But I almost always end up making several of them when all the parts are finished. This track was not made in entirely order, but a little bit here and there, until I could make sense of the structure. And the last days I spent mostly on arranging the parts and adding/changing transitions, also based on suff that dem0lecule sent me.
It helps a lot that I get to play this on my electronic piano and just transfer the MIDI file. Not only does the playing stay very dynamic, but transitions work so much better when you play them IRL, as you kinda just feel how to go about them with tempo and velocity.
We definitely did our best to keep the track consistent too. The strings only have a few points of repetition, but the piano actually has quite a lot hidden in there. And the harmonies and moods that we used make sure that there is some atmospherical consistency too. Of course, the structure helps a lot in this.

You're definitely right about the dark/brightness. I wouldn't necessarily call a different part darker or brigther, except for the 4th movement, which is slightly darker at least in the later half, and actually used a darker string section for a short while. But that is the only point where we really have a relatively strong low, so you may be right about the lack of such. If we could've used dem0's cello, it would've sounded much more powerful in the dark areas, which was the original plan. I had a hard time giving it too much power though, as it interefered with the rest of the mix when I tried :(

Many people have liked the third movement. It's definitely one of my favorites as well. It's based around a string part that dem0lecule sent me very close to the start of the process of composing. I think it stands out a bit from the other sections, and has a pretty clearly defined melody that actually repeats itself a bit within the movement itself.
I do think that there should be a bit of a climax though; more than there is now at least. There actually is one, but I didn't bring it out enough in the mix. With great production, the part between 5:38 and 5:52 would sound great. Other than that, there's the main theme that returns at 7:43. But it's a bit too messy to be powerful in this mix. There are some other points where more power would do good too, but I decided in the end to keep this consistent, as I didn't have time to bring out the places I wanted to as much as possible.

It does make a bit of sense for the third movement to have a bit of a climax, which is also why we made it into one of the more powerful sections. The fourth movement after that goes into a different kind of mood, but for the intention behind the third movement, some more power would do good, and maybe indeed something in the low end. The third movement represents when a person realizes that everything around her/him isn't that simple and defined, but rather, pretty complicated grim, so it definitely makes sense for it to have some explosive chorus :)

While the mix is okay, there is definitely a lot to be yearned for procutionwise. I wouldn't change much in the way of composition or structure though, as I'm very happy with what we've done there. But as this track had a deadline, it currently looks like it does. When we eventually do try to produce this better, we'll make sure to take your suggestions to heart!!!

I'm glad that you noticed that the ending is a replay of the beginning (essentially). It's the only way I could see this piece ending, to be honest. It's fine that you don't relate much emotionally; I feel that the song is comlex enough for people to enjoy it even if they don't live into it as much.

Once again, thanks a lot for the review, and for your judging in general. Great job! :D

[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!

[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!

[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.

[~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