Neon-Bard's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Lurkin' in the Jungle]

This is really well done! For a loop that sits at 16 seconds in length, I am impressed at how much atmosphere this has. Mystery, intrigue, adventure...these are some of the words that I think of when listening to this. I like how the flute accentuates that feeling of mystery. The percussion makes this loop quite catchy, too.

The claps take away from the song, but not in a jarring way. Actually, I'm not so sure - they both fit into the song, and they don't! Not a big deal either way though. Honestly, I think you could have made this a bit longer, while adding new instruments.

This could definitely make a good fit in an adventure game. Well done! :D

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thanks Neon-Bard!
I'm glad you like the atmosphere, as that, along with the rhythm, were what I was going for with this short loop :p
I like those words you're thinking of too, and I think they fit this piece too, or maybe it's the other way araound.

I don't really know whether this would be better should I leave the claps in there or not, but as they were there originally, I decided to leave them in :/

And of course I should've made this longer XD I get this a lot, as I've been making a lot of short loops lately. Mainy I do so because my time is quite limited, but I want to practise a lot of different things (and genres), as I'm not that used to DAWs in general either :p

Thanks again :3

[404]

This is a NGADM review.

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Wow! Now this is different from everything you guys have done so far. This must have been a blast to write, but I can only imagine how much of a pain it was to mix. There's just so much going on that I have to commend you on keeping everything tied together. Major kudos for the tight mix by the way! I really like the energy this track has. Every instrument jives with the next, creating a real blend of what a wild live performance would sound like. Another thing that I should note is that I appreciate how you gave each instrument the time to shine. The sax, drums, keyboard (etc.), all have their own little solo or portion where they just go crazy! Love that! That being said, I would have liked to hear more of an emphasis on the bass.

My biggest gripe lies with the composition. It seems kind of aimless at times (ex. 2:00 – 2:39), but I think the 'madhouse' aspect of it works in a strange way too. I feel as if there were too many ideas at play here that were stretched far too thin. That being said, the ideas and patterns that you guys incorporated were great. The 'false' sax was a little jarring, and I think it took away from the overall performance of the piece - but it did the job admirably. Lastly, and this is a small thing, the conclusion was cut just a hair short at 3:20, it would have been nice to hear the cymbal trail off for a few seconds more.

No matter how you look at it, this is impressive when you consider how much work you must have put into this piece. The organizing, the mixing, the perseverance, all of these are things that deserve a big thumbs up! Well done, indeed! :)

Score: 9/10

camoshark responds:

Hey Neon, thanks for the review!

"This must have been a blast to write, but I can only imagine how much of a pain it was to mix."

Yes to all of that, although I can't personally attest to Skye's trials with mixing, as I wouldn't dare touch it!

"Another thing that I should note is that I appreciate how you gave each instrument the time to shine. "

Thanks! It mostly kind of happened, but I hate giving the spotlight to only one instrument, and use the different instruments' textures to vary the mood on top of the notes themselves.

"That being said, I would have liked to hear more of an emphasis on the bass."

Yeah, the bass unfortunately got the short end of the stick on this track due to time, which is a real shame, because I had a LOT of plans for it (like a pretty solid solo during the weird ostinato around 2:00, but more on that later).

"It seems kind of aimless at times (ex. 2:00 – 2:39)" / " I feel as if there were too many ideas at play here that were stretched far too thin."

I think that was our main downfall in this match up, quite frankly. We just ran out of time before we could successfully bring it back home, and a lot of factors played against us at the last minute, which further pulled us back.

The aimless bit at 2:00 was supposed to integrate a guitar solo and parts of a bass solo, but Kor-Rune couldn't manage it in time due to crazy time constraints (aka 4 hours LOL). Sorry again, Nat!

"The 'false' sax was a little jarring, and I think it took away from the overall performance of the piece[...]"

Ehh, not really much more I could've done beyond extensive humanization, which was definitely out of the question. I agree that this pretty much kills the song straight-out, but not much can be done with that...

"Lastly, and this is a small thing, the conclusion was cut just a hair short at 3:20, it would have been nice to hear the cymbal trail off for a few seconds more."

DAMMIT SKYE YOU HAD ONE JOB.

"[Concluding statement]"

Ayy, thanks for the compliment, I'm happy you liked it even in its unpolished state! Hopefully we'll manage an actual version some day, in the near future.

Thanks for the review once again!

[redemption]

This is a NGADM review.

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I'm almost speechless. Seriously, this is beautiful man. The way you introduce the synth along with the piano is mesmerizing, and the interplay between the two sounds so warm. Your transitions are more than fantastic. They flow like water, the way the instruments overlap and blend without issue. There was only one time where I felt that you should have been more careful, and that was at 5:45. The fade was a bit early, but that's not a big issue. Anyway, for a track that's nearly 7 minutes long, you have added quite a bit of variety to keep things interesting. There are breaks just where they need to be, and the instruments (the strings for instance) rise to action again when needed. Oh, and ethereal's voice sounds right at home in this track; I would love to hear more collaborations by you guys. You conclude the track as you introduced it – with that beautiful piano. It's remarkably relaxing. I almost want the song to keep going on...

I only have one small gripe, which I share with the others: the drums sound a bit cut and paste. However, I think they fit the song perfectly, with excellent pacing, and they were just the right volume as to not interfere with the other instruments. What else is there to say? You did a wonderful job, it's as simple as that.

You are one talented fellow. Keep at it, my friend! :D

Score: 9.8/10

johnfn responds:

Wow, that is a really nice review. Thank you. I will keep at it just as soon as I regain my sanity...

[There]

This is a NGADM review.

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This is AMAZING, garlagan! Introstalge said it best I think: this sounds like Madeon! The very moment that things kicked in at 0:18, I was hooked! Right away we have quality sound production, effects, and a smooth beat – and if a song can grab the attention of its listener quickly like this track does, that's just icing on the cake. There's quite a bit of variety in this track. Something that hurts a lot of house-based songs is the lack of variety, which this track does not suffer at all. You change things up often with new patterns and sounds, so things never grow stale. By the way, the singing is wicked! Really impressive vocal work on your part man.

As others have said, the glitching gets out of hand at times. I liked it for the first half of the track, but then it gets a bit old...not too old that it gets annoying though. The outro is a little generic sounding, but sounds great regardless. Other than those small nitpicks, I have nothing else to say. This is just plain fun to listen to, and it really fills me with energy while listening!

Much like MetalRenard, I had to change my scoring method up for this round. Be proud of this track, it's awesome! A favourite of mine. Keep it up garlagan! :D

Score: 9.6/10

garlagan responds:

Thanks a lot Neon-Bard!
Sounds like Madeon?! NOICE. Regarding production value he's just too ahead of everyone though. But yes some chords and especially in the chorus there are similarities to his style. Glad you and Introstalge noticed it!
Agreed on the glitching getting kind of boring. Got like carried away with it. And agreed on the outro too. Wanted to have something that falls perfectly into the genre, that typical repetitive bars thing. Didn't have time to make it interesting, unfortunately.
Thanks again! Glad you liked the singing by the way!

[Baby Mario Medley]

Beautiful work Ryan! The introduction is just magical - it really brings me back to my childhood. Speaking of which, the entire track has that feeling of childhood innocence and rambunctiousness. This is really indicative of all of those great Yoshi's Island tracks that are captured in this piece. Your transitions are quite seamless! They flow with a great pace that keeps things interesting. The percussion is exciting, the strings and brass are heartwarming, and the piano really does the job.

The drums are a tad dry starting at 1:09, but in some ways that's very fitting and it's hardly noticeable because of the tight mixing job. The strings, as a whole, are quite digital sounding (mostly the solo violin)...but that's on Symphonic Orchestra; the execution is wonderful. Other than those small nitpicks, this is great.

Really, really, really good job man! :)

stunkel responds:

Thanks man! I never really thought about how the entire track is child-like innocence, rowdyness... I'll have to keep that in mind because it definitely fits! And the drums being too dry I realized that only recently... The drums were actually too wet before... and to the point where so I took off a bunch of the reverb from it, I guess I did a little too much! I think where you mentioned it starts it shows the most, it started to sound really muddy in the entire mix so I took it off of everything. And yeah the solo violin can sound a bit digital at times... There are certain aspects where I think I made it sound like it was bowing which i was quite happy with, but other times I definitely agree with you.

Thanks for the review man :D

[Brawnzer's Brawl]

DMO, this is really impressive! I love the melody work that you have going on here. Really catchy! The guitar sets the perfect flow for the rest of the instruments, while the synth that comes in at 0:30, and onward is a nice touch. The synth does sound a bit too much like a preset, though that's not really an issue and more of a preference deal.

Your percussion is well implemented, though I think the orchestra chimes could be brought out in the mix a bit more (as they seem slightly buried behind the drums and guitar). The same could be said about the piano towards the end of the song (2:18). Speaking of the climax, well done (I like how it loops)! The overall mix is great, though some instruments, such as the strings, seem a bit muddy at times.

Really enjoyed listening to this track, keep it up! :D

Deemo-R responds:

Hey Neon, thanks for the review in the midst of the whole NGADM business going on! Much appreciated!

You're right about the synth being a preset... I actually rarely ever toy with my synth libraries, haha. I tend to always just leaf through my list until one comes up that I like in the mix. I'll actually take your word and start fiddling about with them, though. It's certainly one of the things that makes them so versatile. :P

I'm actually surprised to hear that the overall mix is at least distinguishable. This was hopefully the last song that I'll do without proper studio monitors, so I mainly stuck to careful panning and volume (with some cookie-cutter EQ on the guitars to create some distinction). I tried to keep the instrumentation low enough to avoid a mixing nightmare, but the chimes were definitely still a testament to my inexperience. I actually had them louder before, but they were kind of harsh, thin, and rather unpleasant. I ended up drowning them in reverb and just taking back the volume. It wasn't an educated decision, by any means. I kind of just gave up. xP

Thanks so much for the insight, I'll keep working to make my tracks cleaner and even more entertaining! :D

[A Night in the Attic]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review

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Well, Trois, this was one of my favourites of the round. The atmosphere is rich, yet perfectly simple and quite creepy in a wonderful way. The glockenspiel is the star of this track, in my opinion. The way it bounces around in that toy-like fashion is marvellous (especially towards the end of the song). Your vocals are both haunting and enchanting, great work creating that two-fold feeling. Due to your voice, I can honestly say that I felt completely immersed in that dark attic with stitched-up teddy bears, and bent, broken action figures watching me from the corner of an old toy box. If there was any one thing about this track that I appreciated above all else, it was how you transitioned the song from a feeling of eeriness to that of wonder and awe starting at 3:56. I felt the execution was just right! It gave me a feeling of relief and nostalgia, like the toys were angry and upset at first, but then they became benevolent through a spark of life.

The piano sounded a little cliché at times, but I thought it made a great fit into the song at the same time. The mix could use work, but that doesn't mean it's bad. Certain instruments sounded quite muddled, the piano being the biggest offender. I also feel like your voice needed a bigger spotlight! Trois, you have a great voice, and it would have shined a lot brighter if it was brought up in volume and into the foreground, so to speak. Also, as much as I loved the glock, it was a tad loud at times. Nothing too serious, but something to be mindful of since it can become too sharp if played too hard.

Loved this song, you did an excellent job. I'm really looking forward to your next piece! :)

Score: 8.75/10

Troisnyx responds:

I wish you had a next piece to look forward to considering the context of this one... I am revisiting it one year on and it still pains me that I cannot give any better.

[Memoirs of an Old Dreamer]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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This is a really captivating piece Jay. I think you did an excellent job with the execution of the theme, especially when you consider your wise choice of instruments. The harp/brass combo was a nice way to introduce the track, while the strings provide that foundation of emotion that sits at the heart of the song. There's definitely a memorable quality to your theme; I found myself humming the portion from 1:23 – 1:36 after I had listened to the song. The transition at 1:51 is well placed, but the cymbal here could be a little louder as it sits just below most of the other instruments. By the way, I enjoyed how you implemented the woodwinds to give off that enchanting story-like quality. Well done!

The overall mix could use some work. The strings, I found, were not as warm and pronounced as they could have been. The brass suffers from this as well as the choirs. The conclusion of the song was a little bland, and I feel it could have gone in a very different direction. It simply fades and then cuts out immediately. I understand that this fits well with the idea of the man passing away, but musically it doesn't quite work...mostly because it trails off from such a wonderful section to abruptness.

I appreciate the description you wrote for the song, it definitely added a great deal of depth to the overall theme of the song. Keep it up my friend! :)

Score: 8.25/10

Jay-Turner responds:

Thank you! It is flattering that you remembered my theme. I see what you mean about the cymbal. I generally feel that it is quite poorly mixed overall.

I agree very much with the sound of the instruments. I was really trying to push a sound that my VSTs weren't really capable of and I think that was a poor decision on my part (When I could have stuck to what I know sounds good in my library, I guess a contest isn't the best time to experiment, d'oh!).

Thank you for the encouragement and an honest review!

[~SW~ Magnet Subway]

Fantastic work, Skye. The introduction starts out in a beautiful ambient way, with the subway background sounds adding a lot of depth to the synth you bring in at 0:08. I just have to say that coming out of the gate, your transitions are brilliant. Also, due to your inhuman attention to detail, they are even more impressive. The best transition, in my opinion, is the one at 1:44. Man, I think I had to go back and listen to that (at least) a half dozen times. You really have a knack for creating really relaxing, rich atmospheres. Again, like your last track, the atmosphere here is awesome. I can definitely hear the johnfn inspiration. Continuing on, I thought the guitar at 1:09 (and then again at 3:29) was a great touch. In fact, I would have liked to hear more of it! The main synth you use, has an almost jazzy quality about it – very catchy! Those pad swells near the end that you use occasionally use are quite something, too (2:36, 2:42 and 2:49 as examples). I liked how you phased everything back during the outro (while keeping the detail heavy), very fitting in my opinion.

I'm not going to bother talking too much about the 'clutter' towards the end, you've heard all about it. Those drums need to be tamed haha! Anyway, I will reiterate what Step said though, going from such a crisp sound to something that sounds blurred was a bit disappointing. The plucked synth sounded odd (yet fitting) during the portion between 2:23 – 2:36. As strange as it sounds, they worked, but there was something about how it sounded that threw off the main synth. I would have left the plucks out...but that's purely a subjective thought on my part, of course.

Once again, you've created a great track. Let's see what you cook up for next round. :)

Score: 8.75/10

SkyeWint responds:

Hi!

Transitions are one of my biggest pet peeves, it'd be a bit odd if I didn't give way too much attention to detail in them. ;)

The guitar was an idea I had while writing the keyboard solo at 1:09, and it ended up turning into one of the main themes, lol. Go figure.

The impact of each new chord wouldn't have really worked without that pluck sound, unfortunately. :( It was a bitch to mix though, and that probably was what threw off the mix the most. The drums at 2:10-2:36 were actually intended to sound overcompressed - there's something about the overcompression of the high-hat when you make it choppy from the kick which sounds really cool IMO - it appears in a lot of metal music. Can definitely see why you'd want the drums to be tamed.

The plucks at 2:23 were an idea I had to keep the energy going in that section - I guess I can see why it might have thrown you off, though.

I made the main synth from scratch! :D That one doing all the arps and a solo right before 1:44! Yay, yay.

Got something from the other side of the field for this next round. <3 Get ready!

[The Abyss]

This is an NGADM Round 1 Review:

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First off...just holy wow! This is incredible! Fantastic production, excellent composition, a very disturbing but amazing theme, that almost sinks its fangs into you! You are incredibly skilled and very detail-oriented, no doubt about that my friend. I took note of the quote by Nietzsche; it's quite haunting isn't it? Much like this song, in fact. You carefully craft these chilling motifs with the tension of the strings rising and falling, while the woodwinds remind us, in whispers, that something is amiss! Wonderful! The swells of the orchestra (such as at 1:25) are really something. The gongs are placed perfectly, no question about it. They really add to the creepy atmosphere. I think atmosphere is the key word here. You build the atmosphere in this track remarkably. I should also mention that this track forces introspection, in a way. Music that makes you look inside yourself is always good in my books! :)

There were really only two things that bothered me about this track to be honest. The overall progression and development of the song, and the conclusion. There were a lot of moments during the course of the song where I felt that there was a great deal of emptiness. I absolutely love the idea of this representing the darkness of the void, the abyss. However, points such as 0:40 – 0:55 were quite stark and almost barren (though at the same time there was some exquisite detail going on just beyond the background) and the silence begged to awaken with more life. Such was my conflict though. I both love the idea of silence and adding more terror and wonder through the expressive moments of the woodwinds, strings and brass. The conclusion was very, very, very abrupt. The short climax with the orchestra was great at 2:32, but short. The brass trailing off into silence didn't quite sit well with me as I felt there was more that was to come afterwards. It sort of snapped me out of the enchantment the song had over me. Essentially, the conclusion was a bit of a disappointment. That doesn't make it bad though, no way at all! I liked it, but I think it could have been developed more, you know?

This is a very impressive track Damien, you have a new fan! I am really looking forward to your next piece of music. Keep it up man! :D

Score: 7.5/10

DamienFleisch responds:

Well my next piece may very well be revisions to this one ;D

It seems you and Samulis took some similar issues with it and I offered some details about them in my response (above) to him. Not that they will change anything, but they offer some insight into why it came out the way it did. Anywho, I'm glad to know that overall you did enjoy the track, and appreciate you taking the time to review it. No doubt, I'll be back next year :D