Step's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[We are now in orbit]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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While I don't think this is nearly as good as your Round 1 submission, this is some really neat stuff! Nice work, I'm impressed.

You know, you've got a really awesome habit of taking really little melodic motifs and developing them brilliantly throughout your track. I've never seen it done as well as you do it. That small melodic phrase at the beginning was pretty much the main melody of the whole track but it never got repetitive despite its length because you develop it so well and use it sparingly and resourcefully. And you've got plenty of other really interesting melodic elements such as the alternate melodies on the harp and the part at 4:11. You effortlessly juggle different melodies around to create something fantastically coherent and structured.

Your atmosphere is great too. As BrokenDeck mentioned, there's a very obvious eeriness and space-like atmosphere to this track that makes it so fun to listen to and incredibly easy to visualise something when listening to the music. Transitions were as smooth as ice and I loved both your outro and intro. Your outro wasn't anything special but it still worked well and your intro is just incredible man. I adore that intro. And all those reversed sounds you added gave a lot to the atmosphere. Cool mixing too, nice and clear.

Unfortunately, the primary problem here lies in the fact that your drums are absolutely awful. Sorry to point it out so bluntly but your drum line doesn't work at all. I'm talking about the one at 2:18 mainly. It's repetitive, easily gets annoying and your samples don't sound that nice at all (except that clap thing which comes in at 2:17... that sounds pretty awesome).

The drums were pretty dry and bland overall. I didn't mind the 4-on-the-floor beats but to be honest it's not that hard to mess those up haha. Some of your sounds are also pretty bland and unfitting, such as the sound that comes in at around 0:25. It just doesn't fit with the atmosphere as well as it could've. I was looking for more echoing and reverbed sounds and lush pads to compliment a song like this and I'm really confused why you went for a different approach with more dry, raw-sounding synths.

I'm glad you made it into the competition this year because you're seriously proving to be a worthy competitor. A few issues here and there make me lower your score but none of these aren't fix-able with a bit of work and they're not big enough to really ruin the track. Keep it up dude.

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SCORE:
8/10

RetromanOMG responds:

Thank you for your thoughts on this song. I understand that I could have made a better choice with the percussion, but I am glad that everything else worked from your perspective.

Well, back to work on Round 3, I guess.

[Get up n' Fight (NGADM)]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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Not bad at all. You're very good at making really fast-paced tracks, comparable to people like Dimrain47. And just like your Round 1 submission, this takes fast-paced to a whole new level, while still retaining a nostalgic and exciting video-game feeling.

Your melodies are nice. I'll admit I prefer your Round 1's composition (the main melody in that track is amazing), but here the melodies shine quite brightly too. Despite all of the notes being so quick, you create melodies that make sense and are enjoyable to listen to. The intro's melody was great and you repeated it again at the end, just like you did in your Round 1 submission, and again, it works out well and wraps everything up nicely.

Your sounds are good too. I absolutely adore how you threw in both metal and chiptune elements to make something that sounds so coherent and fun to listen to. I'm hearing some metal-style drums, a bass, guitars, and I'm also hearing an array of chiptune sounds. Chiptune and metal make an interesting combination (most genres make interesting combinations with metal now that I'm thinking about it) and when, on top of that, you make it work, you get kudos from me. Nice intro by the way. It gets right into the track, showcasing what you could call the main melody of the track. It works very well for a track in this style. Transitions were OK.

Unfortunately, I don't think this comes close to your Round 1 submission or audition in terms of quality. Your Round 1 submission trumps this in almost everything. That's not to say this isn't bad, since I'm still giving it a (relatively) high score, but it does feel like a bit of a disappointment. The melodies were good but nothing special or memorable unlike your Round 1 track's melodies. Your outro also isn't very good. While most of your transitions were decent, the one at 3:25 was far too sudden for a tempo change like that and the ending note was quite underpowered. That ending felt too tacked on overall.

Oh and this falls into the same trap that your Round 1 submission fell into. It doesn't change much at all and while it may be fun to listen to, it really gets tiring to listen to after a while, to the point that I had to turn my volume down just to finish this review. There are just so many things in there that get tiring. The guitar at 0:20 is horrible, its frequencies are so sharp like a sine wave that it just pierces through the listener's ears. The crazy fast drum rolls and quick tempo are only serving to worsen the overall experience. You need to change up your songs more man. This has so much potential but it offers what it has to offer in basically the first half of the track and by the time the listener gets to the second half it gets pretty tiring. The only little break was at 2:46. It needs more diversity!

Anyway, overall I think this was a bit of a disappointment. Compared to Verse on Fire and Pixelated Rainbow, I'm afraid it falls short of impressive. However it's still a great track on its own and showcases your fantastic talent in this genre.

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SCORE: 7.5/10

[Sinking Island]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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Damn, this is some interesting stuff right here. It certainly goes outside the box and offers something new while still retaining an enjoyable experience. Nice work!

The composition is impressive. Even in your Round 1 submission, your composition was pretty awesome, and it's showing again here in Round 2. Even though your composition does have its own issues, you have a knack of making melodies that grab your attention and are instantly likeable. And I really like how that melody at 0:39 is repeated occasionally in the track, with one of its rhythms being highlighted by drum hits at parts like 0:55. It's a great melody with a fun rhythm and works well with the drums.

Your instrumentation is pretty good. You've got some decent chiptune-like sounds in there that give a good first impression. Your drums are fairly punchy and fit pretty well, although they aren't anything special. Your EQing is pretty good too. On top of all that, you've got a great introduction which I'll admit is one of my favourites this round. The ending however, is terrible. Sorry man, it's just too abrupt; you play quick notes and then out of nowhere you play the root chord. It's just not right.

The largest issue I have with this track is the fact that unfortunately this can get tiring to listen to after a while. You very rarely allow any other instrument to carry the main melody and it's almost always played by that high-pitched saxophone-like instrument. The part where that instrument exits in the middle of the song is highly welcomed but even then, that part isn't anything special, and soon afterwards the main instrument comes back in. What doesn't help is that you've got some fairly repetitive drums, melodies that have inherently quick notes and a very excessive amount of delay/reverb that just jumbles everything up.

Speaking of which, your mixing unfortunately still needs work. Your mixing isn't bad, since you've got some good EQing, but the first order of business is to tone down on the delay/reverb since it's making one part blur into the next. I'd also suggest throwing some more bass tones into that mix because right now other than a bit of a bass thump from the kick, we're left with a pretty understated low end. That being said, I love your filter automation.

So, recap; work on your mixing, your ending and the fact that this gets tiring to listen to. Despite that, this is still enjoyable, gives a good first impression and as is the case in Round 1 you showcase some really catchy and likeable composition.

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SCORE:
7/10

[Children's Overture]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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Damn this is some good stuff. And here I was thinking you were just able to make piano-oriented music. Fantastic work.

Starting off, you've got some amazing composition. I'll admit some of the compositional choices you had were pretty generic and typical for this genre but regardless your composition is fantastic and flows incredibly well. And it's so dynamic! I love your intro with those really light woodwind staccato notes and the easing in of those strings. Wonderful buildups, and I love your idea of repeating an intro's melody at 0:35 with all those wonderful supporting harmonies on the double bass, high strings and percussion. Beautiful flute passage at 1:06, and I love the majestic feeling of the brass that comes afterwards.

This track actually has lots of production value. The instruments are all very realistic and sound fantastic. To add to that, you even went out of your way to make them sound realistic with varying note velocities and humanisation, which really worked. AND you added those little things like the flute trill at 1:18 and the tremolo on the strings at 1:39. Your mix is also quite clear and you have great transitions. It sounds like you have a fair amount of experience in this genre even if you say it's relatively new for you.

That being said, upon analysis I can tell that this is a little rough on the edges. The mixing unfortunately leaves room for improvement. It's clear in general but especially in parts like 0:35 it starts to lose in clarity, probably due to the lower mid section drowning out a lot of the track. There are other mixing quirks like the percussion that badly needs a boost in volume and the ending having a pretty pathetic excuse for an orchestral hit. Working on volume levels and EQing will help give the percussion and the hits the power they deserve and make everything clearer.

To add to that, unfortunately this feels underdeveloped, undoubtedly due to it being short. You were right on making it a 5-minute epic because I think that would work very well for this kind of track but right now it's not even 2 minutes long and the compositional ideas you've brought forward really don't have that much time to sink in. That, and the outro that starts at 1:37 feels very premature and forced. It's a shame you didn't have time because there are some great ideas in here and you're really talented at orchestral.

Overall, you've got some great ideas here and you execute them very well. I'm sure if you had more time and/or managed your time a little better you would've certainly been able to impress a lot more!

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SCORE:
8/10

[Descent (MSB)]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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Dude, you're really aiming to impress for this competition. Every track of yours has pristine production, great sounds... it's all so well-made. It's hard finding anything wrong with them.

What I think I liked most about this track is the fact that despite having its generic elements in it, such as the very very typical beat, the transition from 1:33 - 1:48, some typical sounds like that house pad thing that first shows up in the background at 1:04, etc... you use them right and execute them very skilfully. You make them work really well like they're supposed to.

On top of that, despite all these clearly mainstream and generic elements, this still offers a fairly unique listening experience. Unlike most people who use these generic elements simply because they're uncreative and want to add something to their track which they know will sound decent, you actually do creative stuff with this track, and so it ends up sounding pretty unique!

You've also got great production, as is the case in both your Round 1 and your audition piece. There was one aspect of the production I didn't quite like but I'll mention that later on. Basically your production is brilliant. Everything is so clear and each sound is mixed very well. This is seriously a professional-quality mix, I swear. You put in tonnes of pretty small details here and there that make this track just ear-candy to listen to, such as all those occasional breaks and that little disco-like hit at 2:08/2:16. Great sounds too, and on a smaller note, you've got a good intro and outro too!

My primary issue with this track is most likely personal preference but anyway... There just seems to be too much over-compression man. This seems mastered to be thrown on the radio or something, rather than for actual listening, since it's brickwalled nastily. Sure, there are no audible clipping noises or compression issues (which is the mark of brilliant mastering skills) but despite that everything is so over-compressed and loud that I've got to turn my volume down just to hear this track at the right volume. More than that, it makes everything just blare out so much, especially the lead synths (which could be where BrokenDeck is coming from on the lead synth being too present). It just makes this pretty tiring to listen to after a while.

Overall, I'm very impressed with this. I docked half a point for the over-compression which was most likely intentional anyway, and even then it's probably just me. This is profession-quality music and I can't wait to hear what you cook up for Round 3!

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SCORE:
9.5/10

GrantBowtie responds:

Wow thank you so much for such an in-depth review and it's so awesome that you liked it so much!

[-conclusion-]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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You've got an awesome habit of making these really long and good songs with a tonne of energy in them. And 8 hours? Damn, something like this'd take me at least 20!

What I liked in this track would be that you've actually got some really good ideas here, both melodic and structural. You communicate them very very well with the fantastically skilful production one can expect from you as well, and the cool sounds you've used are just icing to the cake. You've just developed your own unique style so much that I seriously think one of the genres in the genre listings should be 'Waterflame'. I can't really throw this into any genre (except maybe Video Game) because you throw in many different elements, and best of all, these actually fit with each other.

Never have I heard orchestral elements fitting so well with such clear trance-like elements. Your orchestral sounds weren't out of this world in terms of realism but you've got good enough mixing for me to let that slide. The strings sounded great (although perhaps a bit too heavy in the lower mids which sounds quite clear at parts like 2:42) and I like your use of orchestral cymbals in particular. You used them like crazy but they didn't get annoying. Your flute could've sounded better if it was a bit brighter and breathier, though. By the way, I love your breakbeat.

That said, this song has some issues scattering about that really lower your score. For starters, despite being original and going for a trance/orchestral hybrid like this (which I admit you did very well) you've got some compositional ideas that are very unoriginal. I'm saying this mainly because you use an incredibly overused chord progression which makes all of the trance melodies you have sound cheesy and like I've heard them before.

On top of that... this sounds kinda rushed. I'm not saying that because you said it only took eight hours but I honestly think it sounds rushed. The mix here just doesn't seem as polished as it was in your Round 1 submission. I mean it's still better than average, but in a lot of parts it sounds pretty unclear (especially when the orchestral samples are playing). The woodwind especially is underpowered and drowned out. Also, the ending is very abrupt and unfitting. It was a good approach but executed poorly.

Overall, this is a very energetic and enjoyable track. It feels pretty rushed and not as polished and intricate as your Round 1 submission but nevertheless it's a considerably badass piece of work!

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SCORE:
8/10

Waterflame responds:

Thank you for all the kind words and the constructive criticim! this really helps me get a prespective over the song, and i see the errors bright as day. i feel im learning so fast this year :D and ill definatly take this advice seriously. thank you for the great review!

[Child of the Trough NGADM]

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review. When I wrote this review it was before you added vocals so I'm judging this on the old version.

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Before I start I'll say that mixing and melody-wise I think you managed to trump your Round 1 submission. You're a fantastic composer man, you write great melodies like it's nothing haha. Sounds great.

You've got a tonne of wacky composition here man and it all sounds incredible. I'm hearing many different influences, such as jazz throughout various parts of the track, funk at 2:01, lounge music at 2:39, blues at 3:29, metal at 4:33, etc... This makes for an incredibly diverse experience that never ever becomes in the slightest bit monotonous or uninteresting. Every time I hear this track I hear a new song section I wasn't paying attention to as much in previous listens. It's long but keeps the interest maintained the whole time. Fantastic work.

On top of that, this track has plenty of amazing production value and feels extremely sophisticated both production and composition-wise. First off, your guitar playing is amazing and everything is perfectly on time and pitch. On top of that, you've got loads of amazing harmonies and everything fits wonderfully with each other. Everything is crystal clear in the mix and you make good use of the entire frequency spectrum. I absolutely adore some of the melodies like the melodies at 2:18 and 3:29.

Unfortunately, I find this track a disappointment from your Round 1 track for one primary reason; this lacks a direction. As much as I enjoyed the diversity, there are no recurring motifs or themes. The song just switches from one song section to another without any distinguishable form of approach. I mean one second it's playing one style, the next it turns into a totally different and seemingly unrelated section. And none of the sections really have anything to do with each other.

The transitions are on the whole good, don't get me wrong. A lot of your transitions are extremely commendable since you switch from one genre to another in an almost entirely natural way. That's not my problem though. The track just doesn't feel united. Chemicals had similar changes in style but it felt more united because it wasn't to the extent that this is, and that track also had vocals that really helped bring the whole track together, while this is lacking vocals. I'm not saying the fact that it's lacking vocals is a problem, I'm saying that maybe vocals will help tie everything together. That, and some recurring motifs.

Anyway, that's about it. Fantastic work, you're a seriously incredibly musician. If this track had more of a direction and felt more unified then I would've probably given this full marks!

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SCORE:
9/10

Kor-Rune responds:

Thank you for your review! I DEFINITELY agree with how scatter-brained and random this track was! I was frustrated writing it because I know multiple genres can share a similar theme. A band like Haken is one I take a lot of influence from, and they can dance around metal, jazz, rock, and polka like nothing, all while keeping similar themes. They also like to go off the wall, but they keep their integrity about the heart of the song. As Skye said, it's more of a technical display.

The vocals on it right now suck, so I'll probably do more later. But for now, it's about the next track for NGADM, fuck. XD

[Midnight Lights {7x}]

This is your NGADM Round 2 Review.

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Yeah I can hear the effort in this. It's an entirely different genre than your Round 1 submission and it still sounds like you've got experience in this genre. Massive kudos for that, I always respect an artist that can do different genres!

Sorry to start the review like this but I really wanted to point out that the saxophone is just so good. Honestly, when I was discussing this track with the other judges on Skype they said "oh look, a saxophone in a drum'n'bass track" and I was like "pffhahahaha I must hear thi-whoa cool". It's really good, I'd say it's pretty much the defining characteristic of this track. It also plays some really cool melodies too, which brings me to my next point...

You've got some good composition here. Like I said, fantastic sax solos, and I like your pad chords. Cool bell-like synth, and that main synth with the cutoff LFO or whatever on it was nice. You've got some good sounds and effects, like the filter automation at 1:29 and the sweeps. Also, good mixing. Tight mixing on the drums (they're too loud but more on that later) and overall you have a great, clear mix and good mastering too. This is all really well-made, you're a talented composer and it shows in this piece of work.

However, I have complaints. Biggest complaint would be that there isn't really much sound processing going on here. Sure, you've got some nice effects but you're not really showing off any kind of technical prowess since sweeps are pretty standard in electronic music, and so is filter automation/LFO. You don't really do much with the effects even though the effects you have right now are great. I would've loved to hear some glitching on the drums, different kinds of effects like pitch-bent effects, maybe some more organic hat lines, and more sounds in general...

...You don't really go anywhere with your sound set and stick with a pretty limited sound set. Throw in some more sounds! It'll diversify the experience to hear different sounds come in like some bassier pads, arps... anything really. Your lack of sounds made for a pretty empty mix that seems entirely overshadowed by the beat which is just too loud and stands out too much compared to everything else. The song also gets pretty repetitive. The latter half of the tracks need more different-sounding sections and new stuff to maintain interest.

All in all, what you've got here is impressive. Just work on that repetition and throw in some more interesting stuff in there!

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SCORE:
7.5/10

EbonHawk7X responds:

Your reviews are without doubt some of the best and most constructive criticism I have ever received. Like with each of the other judges reviews I've learned much more about my own compositions from your sharp ears and stellar advice. While improving, I'll be certain to keep each of these teachings in mind so as to one day become as skilled as many others who have entered this competition. Thank you again!