BloodyN00b's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Plains Theme]

The effort shows

Seems like the guy who made the request missed out on a lot, because this song is great.

The combination of instruments works really well, the mixing is great. The rhythm is energetic, but the melodies are calm. A nice contrast that gives it a very adventurous feel.

There are many details in this song and I'm going to study them. One day I want to make a song like this =D

Step responds:

Wow, thanks!

I'm pleased that you like the track. Pretty surprised you think the mixing is great though because when we made it we didn't know how to mix if our lives depended on it :P.

But anyhow thanks again for the supportive feedback!

[Japanese Fields]

Great!

I was drinking a cup of good herbal tea when I stumbled upon this loop. I was impressed by the soundscape you threw me into, in an instant I was watching those japanese fields from atop a hill. Farmers were harvesting rice, the sun was shining and the sakuras by the edges of the fields were in bloom.

Then the song looped and I swear I nearly choked on my tea! You were certainly not exaggerating when you said that you looped this perfectly, no Sir. That was the best loop I have heard in a long time. Perfection like this can be lethal! =P

Step responds:

Haha thanks xD.

Yeah I like the atmosphere I did here quite a bit, but this loop was mostly a product of me wanting to try out my new VST Ethnoworld.

Oh and sorry for making it a perfect loop :P.

Thanks for the review!

[First attempt @ Orchestral]

It's alright

I like the pattern, but after the first five seconds I would have really liked to hear some variation, whether rhytmic, melodic or textural. And because I can hear the potential in this I'm going to criticize it to the best of my abilities.

In my opinion, the same accents over and over again get repetitive, so I would have tried doing something with the violin/viola that's at the top of the mix. There is so much that could be done to make it interesting, even in 35 seconds. Expected accents could be left out, or it could switch roles with the bass/cello on some notes. I would have expected more tension, leading to a more significant release.

However, I believe you wanted to add some melody instead at ~00:20, which would be fine, but why is it in the background? It is overwhelmed by what should be its accompaniment. In this situation I would have expected a change in dynamics to bring that melody to focus! One can barely hear it as it is now.

But let's move from the bad to the good. Out of the individual instruments, I'm amazed by the bass. Especially in the beginning, before ~20, it brings much needed variation to the rhythm and gives a feeling of movement.

In general, I think you have a very good foundation for an orchestral piece. And that is also why I cannot give it a 10/10. It is very good for a first try, I get the impression that you know your music theory. And I look forward to hearing your 2nd attempt!

Lithorph responds:

Thanks for your awesome review, ill take everything in and do my best on my next attempt :)

[Dream of being best]

Good

I have to say that I don't usually like slow beginnings with only the strings playing slow chords. But it is common, and for a good reason. I imagine it would work very well as some kind of transition in movies.

When the drums kick in, that's when shit gets real. Their contrast gives the chords a whole different meaning. The melody starts playing, and it all starts to make sense. Intensity increases as a choir, which I realize has been in the background all the time, brings on the forte. They sing with all their hearts (sounds a bit synthy though), the whole song has been a buildup to this. And it's great. It even sounds as if a viola takes over playing the melody, that alone makes this worth a 10/10.

Then, suddenly, it's gone. And it feels unresolved to me. But, I realize that the song is exactly what you wrote it would be. You express both the feeling of being best and the hard work behind it very well. Honestly, I haven't heard all the NAC submissions yet, but in contrast to the couple I've heard, this one seems to expresses complex emotions flawlessly. It feels like it's on a different level, not written for the NAC.

I hope you win.

Cleverhill responds:

First of all, I was a bit moved by you review - I'm glad and proud such words can describe my work/composing.
Weither I win or not, doesn't really matter. I never thought I would make it to top 8, and if I succeed express emotions through music, I feel like I've already won!
Thank you for your review!

- Dan Cleverhill

[The Robot Top 100]

What am I listening to?

I'm sorry, but it sounds like the song has been rammed through a myriad of bitcrushers, thrown off a cliff, catapulted into space, lodged into a meteor, and jammed back down through the atmosphere before reaching my ears. There must be something wrong with my Internet connection.

You can rest assured that I would never make fun of your composing skills, I would instead question the mixing. What is the point of all the lo-fi clutter?
I know there must have been some thought behind this, but I don't understand it. I hear what could be a great concept, hidden beneath layers of disturbing distorsion.

Because I don't understand it, I'm rating it mostly by my personal taste and I feel generous giving it 3 stars. Perhaps I'd give it a higher score if it was part of a greater picture that would make more sense. After all, it does provoke both thoughts and emotions and it does not physically hurt my ears (other "songs" have).

CCCAGENTCHARLES responds:

YOUR JUST SAD BECAUSE EVERYONE THINK IM CUTE

[Photolytic Corrosion]

Ready, set, GO!

This is the kind of music that makes me think positively about the fact that I'm sitting at home, in front of my computer, on Valentine's Day.
I can imagine this being in a racing game, in fact, I'm imagining that non-stop right now. It makes the adrenalin flow and the heart beat faster.
Great job!

Psy-nigma responds:

Valentines is spent with music for me too lol. Its a part of my life and just shows you how much the world becomes a better place with harmonies of sound.

Thanks for the review!

[Rustic Runes]

(This is a bad summary for) an awesome track

This is really one of the best best tracks I've heard on Newgrounds.
It's got an awesome ostinato, and the atmosphere it creates is beyond the limits of my vocabulary. Just like music's supposed to be, it cannot be explained, only experienced.

Psy-nigma responds:

Thanks for the review!

comments like these keep me fueled to continue working with music.

See you around!

[Carly Comando-Everyday (Remix)]

I'm in love

I just recently wrote a review on you first submitted piece saying it was one of the best things I've heard on the portal... well, this one is probably even better.
You Sir, have great skills.

viion responds:

:P Make ya mind up lol, glad you enjoyed it, I'll try do more like the 2 songs for a good fan =)

[Geno's Underwood {Psy-nigma}]

This song is too good for me to review =P

You have a great song here. Unlike many remixes I've heard, it never gets boring, and it manages to maintain the sort of mystical feeling, or spirit, of the original song. I cannot imagine, but I understand, the amount of time that must have been spent on this.
If I were to break this song down I'd say it consists of around 10 parts. This is a crude assumption, not to be taken as a fact. Each of those parts contains a significant change to the progress of the song (I won't go deeper into this though).
What is interesting here is that the melody generally stays the same. It is everything else that changes and keeps the song varied. There are many changes in synths, effects, drums, dynamics, and stuff that I cannot express properly due to an improperly developed vocabulary.
There is one significant exception to this though, namely an flawless guitar part that slowly builds up and explodes into a breathtaking ad lib (at least that's the feeling it gives me). If someone for some unfair reason would have any thoughts about this song being repetitive, they would probably HAVE to change their mind at this part.
There is one last thing I would like to mention, not that I have mentioned much, but I would really like to say that the transitions are superb. Those parts I mentions, you won't notice them unless you focus on listening for them. All the changes that are made throughout the song feel very natural.
Simply said, if you let your guard down and just listen to this, it will carry you away. That is also why I find it difficult to write a review for this, I don't want to analyze this song, I just want to listen to it; over and over again. But I promised I would, so there it is =D

Psy-nigma responds:

Thanks BloodyN00b,
I really apreciate the time you spent writing a very thoughtful and natural review about the flow of the song and how it keeps the hype and motivation in the listener to be pulled into the arrangement. The song inspires even me after I have worked on it to continue to try and bring that kind of energy into the other songs that I write.

Sounds are essential to music. but so is the construction. It is important to consider both when working on a song. If the beat soundz awesome and the melody is just as awesome and soundly the beat and the melody work together. Thats when you have a song. and that is what people want to listen to something that rythmically entertains the ear.