Step's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Cast From the Stars (Chill MX)]

Nice :D.

Really good job, I enjoyed it a lot. Still, you keep some of the mistakes you did from the old Cast from the Stars.

Some of the melodies are quite different to the original, and sound really good, especially the piano parts. I just think that, as Bluepulse said, it's missing something. You should add some more effects and reverb on some of the instruments. Give it some more of a space-like feeling to it. Still, the instruments are all great, especially that instrument playing along with the piano at the beginning.

The transitions are great, especially using the reverse cymbal thing to transit from one melody to another. Awesome structure too, and although this song is very long, it's not repetitive at all, and I understand how hard it is to do that. Nice intro too, but the ending is practically the same as the other one. It's a good ending, but definitely needs more silence after, like, say, 3 seconds at the least. Then, you could add a delay to the last note, or maybe you can do a quick fade the instrument that plays with the piano at the beginning. It feels too sudden as it is now.

The drums are awesome, and exellently varied, with one of the best drums samples I've heard in a while. A little simple at times, but in all they're really good percussion that fit nicely with the song.

Well, I can't say it's better than the original, and I can't say that it's worse. This one's slower and more laid back, while the other is faster and action-packed. It depends what you prefer. Still, you executed both of them very well, so great job :D.
9/10
5/5 - Zerobombers FTW :D!!... not.

-Review Request Club-

Bracksta responds:

wow thanks for the great review! right now i am doing a collab with gravy and he is mastering it also so i will see what he does and practice my EQ skills and lil thinks like you said. AND THANK YOU FOR OFFSETTING THE BOMBERS, lol. peace bro

[=NGA= Pound The Beat]

It sounds like a hard trance pro made this :[]

Honestly, this really sounds like professional hard trance. Man, you never cease to amaze :D.

The melodies are quite catchy, perfect for this genre, and I enjoyed them. I noticed a glitchy-like part at about 1:08 which sounded really cool as well. Nice instruments too, but what impressed me the most was the excellent use of sound effects. The vocals you added here fit so well too.

The transitions especially the ones with the effects and the voices were really good, and the melodies fit really well together. The structure here is good, and even though there aren't that many alternate melodies, the effects, voices, and drums stop it from becoming repetitive. Good intro, and the ending was awesome too, with a nice sounding effect.

The drums are perfect for hard trance, and I have nothing to complain about them. They have great beats to them as well, and never got repetitive.

All in all, this song is great, especially since it's your first hard trance. Keep up the good work :D.
10/10
5/5
Sorry, no download. I'm not a fan of hard trance :\.

-Review Request Club-

[[dj-Jo] She (Aftermath Mix)]

Another great track O.O

I didn't really listen to the original, and since I'm a lazy person too (Aren't we all...), I'm not gonna go listen to the original :P, but honestly, this is really good. You have a great chance on winning that contest, I'll give you that ;).

The melodies are amazing, but I suppose you didn't make them, so I can't credit you for them, but I can credit you for the instruments, and they are just awesome and fit so well together. I especially liked the piano parts you did here, they were epic.

The transitions were out of this world, especially the one at 4:56, but I can't expect any less from you when it comes to transitions :D. I liked the reverbed reverse cymbal and the drum rolls too, they were some of the best I've heard in a while. Good job on the structure too, and there were some really great buildups, especially the piano buildups, although I think you introduced some saw synth melodies a little too suddenly, so sometimes you should try and fade them in instead of let them come in so abruptly. Still, the variety here is great and the melodies never got repetitive or boring. Really amazing piano intro, with a nice buildup after, and the ending was great too. Piano endings don't usually come out that good, but this one did, and I enjoyed it.

The drums were excellent, with nice-sounding samples, and I liked how you used that drum hit for the final note of the ending. Still, you should vary your beats a little more when it comes to that kick. The drum beats here are excellently varied and never got boring, but I think using a kick every beat in almost every drum beat you have did get quite annoying. Also, I think the drums were a tad bit too soft, and the synths and piano sort of drowned them out. Other than those two defects, the drums were superb.

Overall, it's another awesome song from you. You definitely worked hard on this and it shows, since the outcome is fantastic. I've got nothing else to say except; GREAT JOB! :D.
10/10
5/5
Download.

-Review Request Club-

[[dj-Jo] Raving Egyptians DEMO]

You're going straight to my Fav Artists List ^^

Excellent song. Next time we'll be seeing this is in the Electronic EP #2, that's for sure. Great job XD.

What's really amazing about this song is the epic batch of melodies you have here. They sound very Egyptians-ish, and are really catchy. The're also really energetic, but still leave that ancient feel to it. I loved the melody at 0:11. The instruments don't sound that Egypt-like, although they sound very cool, but the melodies take care of that. It's the melodies that sound so great in this song. Nice use of effects too.

Transitions, as usual, were impossibly good, and excellent for an energetic song like this. I especially liked the transition at 0:36, and there was an awesome solo after too. This never got repetitive, but had a great structure. The intro was great, and it started the song very well, but the ending was too abrupt and sudden, although I guess that's because this is a demo.

The drums, although got slightly annoying since it had a kick every beat a lot of the time, were still awesome, and the samples were really good. Nice drum rolls which made good transitions, so in all, the drums were great too.

I usually write longer reviews than this, but I can't say much for this. It's a great song, and I'm sure it'll enter that Electronic EP #2. Keep up the great work :D.
10/10
5/5
Download.

-Review Request Club-

[Almany]

Nice, even for Classical :D

I never really liked Classical, although I did enjoy this one. Definitely fits in an RPG-ish village.

The melodies here were great, so you chose a good song to remix. The instruments here were excellent too, and had amazing quality. I wish I had samples like that :'(. The string melodies were the best in my opinion, and towards the end they got really epic. I think the woodwind needs a bit more importance though, since I barely heard it.

The transitions were great, as they usually are in classical songs like this, and all the melodies mashed up so well together. This song has an excellent structure too, and it was really well varied without getting too random either. The beginning was great, and there's nothing wrong with it, and the ending truly did sound grand. I just think that the final note was a little too loud. Apart from that, the ending is definitely one of the best endings I've heard on Newgrounds.

In all, it's an excellent song, which I enjoyed quite a bit, even though I hate Classical. You even got me to download it. Great job! :D
10/10
5/5
Download.

-Review Request Club-

DJ-Chilvan responds:

wow, thanx man! I'm glad I got your attention in classical! I'm happy u liked the ending, it's probably my favorite ending of mine. It sounds so 'Disney.' I'm glad at the reception of this song by ppl so far. It shows that classical really is my prominent genre. I just love working with all the possible harmonies in the song.
Thanx!

[Aliens_On_Earth [Box-Killa]]

Nice! :D

Really good job, it sounds as alien-ish as alien-ish can get XD.

There weren't many melodies, but what there are right now are OK, and sound quite unique. The instruments were fine, apart from Eurogate, which completely ruined the creepy feel of the song. You shouldn't really use presets, or even instruments that sound like them :P. The effects were obviously the main part of the song, and were extremely well done. The bass was fine, and sounds quite alien-ish.

The transitions were fine, and the song flowed very well without sounding strange or anything. The structure was OK, and it built up from very calm to a little more action-packed really well without getting repetitive. I loved the intro, it was great, but the ending still felt like it needed to continue. I think you should remove the last note entirely, and instead start some sort of reverse-cymbal effect going into a loud reverbed kick. An alarm starts sounding right after, which slowly fades away, and while its fading, there's an action packed drum beat in the background, and some alien-ish instrument playing a loud, fast melody, while doing some alien sound effects in the background; maybe some sci-fi explosions and laser-shots. I think it would indicate that the aliens suddenly start attacking, since the song as it is now just feels like the aliens are found, and are walking around looking harmless. In short, I think you should try and continue this. Yikes, long paragraph. D:

The drums did the job really well in this song. They didn't sound too action-packed or too simple, but fit awesomely with the alien feel of the song. Nice samples too.

In all, it sounds really awesome and unique. Just take away that Eurogate and instead use a different instrument, and then I'd have nothing to complain about. You really should continue it :D.
9/10
5/5

-Review Request Club-

Box-Killa responds:

Yea ive already been hammered about using what people think is eurogate, which it isnt but it sounds similar. Meh i may or may not change it. It could have gone on for longer, if my inspiration didnt end. I struggled to compose anything just before you get to where the euro gate kicks in.

thanks for the reivew:D And the long 1 at that.

[Noisy - Lifehouse: Beacon]

You rock :D.

This song is amazing. I really don't know why, but something in this song made me really enjoy it. Whatever, this song is fanastic. Anyway, onto the review...

The melodies are so awesome, and one of the parts of the song that I enjoyed the most. I especially liked the melody that first appeared at around 1:20, and the piano that followed after was just great. The bass here was quite catchy too, and well varied. Excellent and definitely non-generic instruments too, especially the one at the beginning, and the saw pads. My only complaint over here is that the piano is just a little too hard-tuned for ambient. Other than that, melodies and instruments are what make this song so awesome.

When it comes to the transitions, this song is great. All the instruments were introduced quite well, and the melodies flowed so excellently with the song. The structure of this song is very good too, and this is so varied too. Superb intro too, it seems to represent the lifehouse beacon slowly spinning around, lighting up its surroundings, but the ending was really the worst problem of this song, since it was a fade ending, and fade endings rarely work with songs. First, you should remove the fade ending from about 2:56 onwards, play the solo you did from 1:20 to 1:33 except with some simpe drums and a soft saw pad playing long notes in the background, and then repeat the last note of that solo you did one last time except a little longer and with a reverbed kick. It should do the trick :).

The drums, although they had excellent samples and a decent drum beat to them, were too repetitive. Try and introduce some altenate drum beats somewhere, like maybe a kick-ride or a kick every beat and a hi-hat every half-beat. Just some break from the main drum beat which doesn't mean taking the drums out entirely.

To summarize, I extremely enjoyed this song, it's excellent, with just the small defects of the fade ending, hard-tuned piano and repetitive drums. The advantages definitely overcome the disadvantages, so all in all, this song is great! :D. Oh, and if you have any time, would you mind reviewing my track, 'Windows Wars'?
10/10
5/5
Download.

-Review Request Club-

INoisy responds:

Wow, you have no idea how cool and helpful long, thought-out reviews are. Hugs. ;D A lot of people have been saying that the piano's a little harsh for the song, and I'm thinkin' I agree, and that's something I need to change.

I really like your suggestions for the outro, and after thinking about it seems like a normal ending would be best, rather than a fade out ending. That's something I'm planning on fixing too. (:

The drums are actually the same throughout the ENTIRE SONG, which was just a result of me wanting to just get this out there as soon as possible. That's on the list too, hahaha, needless to say.

Thank you so much for your kind words and constructive criticism. It's very helpful. (: I'll definitely check out your track, cheers!

[My Savior (Dance Remix)]

Yep, you definitely worked hard on this.

Wow, I've never heard of the original, but the original has to be really good to be as good as this, IMO. Your best work, and one of the better songs I've heard in quite a while.

This song has some really good melodies, and there are so many different sounds playing together and sounding so well. Harmony here is awesome. The instruments were excellent, especially the amazing choir voice, although they're slightly on the generic side, especially the one that plays the arpeggio-ish melody in the background, which I've heard similar quite a few times. I liked the effects you used here, especially the cool sound effect you first used at 1:05. I just think that the rythms of the notes at around 4:20 were a little too complex and I lost track of the song in that solo, since there wasn't really anything to keep the rythm of the song like a kick every beat or something, if you get what I mean; well, unless that's how it is in the original.

The transitions were very nicely done, especially that effect you used which switched from one melody to another really well, and the snare rolls here were very cool. The song stucture is great too, and there were some very good buildups in this song. The variety over here was quite good too, but some parts did get a little old too, as INoisy said, so you should give more variety of effects and maybe some changes in the automation, more instruments and some more variety in the drums, since right now the melodies are quite varied.

The intro was great, and starting it with the arpeggio-ish melody was nice. Great buildup from then on was fantastic. It's the ending that bothered me a little. I liked the effect that you ended it with, but it needs more of an ending note to it. You could try and end it with the choir voices, the effect you used, maybe a reverbed kick drum and some other instrument you used here with a proper endng note while doing a quick fade of the arpeggio melody.

The drums were quite nice, and had some nice samples to them that fit perfectly for the Dance genre. I think that they were repetitive though, so varying them more would fix the small repetitiveness problem that this song has. Also, you should do a quick drum buildup at around 0:24 to indicate that the drums are starting, just so that they don't come in too suddenly.

In all, it's surely one of your best songs, and sounds great. Just some small defects here and there, but it's a great track overall. I'd give you a 10, but I feel cruel today, so I'll give you a 9 because of those small problems :P. Oh well, in general, superb job, keep up the good work :D... Oops... I overdid this review. D:
9/10
5/5
Download.

-Review Request Club-

DJ-Chilvan responds:

Wow! Nice review! I'm glad you really liked the song. BTW, if you wanna hear the original, just go to my audio page, it's there. I'm very proud of my harmonies in this one, maybe not the best IMO ('Don't Lead Me Astray' is my personal favorite) but they are still pretty sweet. I wish i could respond as long as your review but it's kinda impossible =P. I will take your advices and apply them to my future projects.
Thanx!

["WhatWouldYouCall It"]

Nice :D

Quite a good job on this, it's getting better and better from the older versions.

The melodies here are quite unique and cool-sounding. I suggest some plucked instrument in some parts giving more of a melody to the long notes you already have over here. The instruments here are unique as well, and in all, this song sounds really original. Nice sonar-ish effect in the background.

Transitions were OK, especially the ones with the drums, but I think you should remove the part at about 0:26-0:27 so that you could make the drum beat repeat itself twice, not three times, and it might sound better. Nice structure for ambient, and this isn't that repetitive either, so it didn't get boring to listen to.
Nice intro, it started the song up extremely well, but the ending was too strange or abrupt. I think that instead you should end it with a crash cymbal and the note you used at 0:28, or maybe try out a fade and see if that works.

The drums were one of the best parts of this song; they were very well varied, and had good drum beats along with excellent samples. Drums are a win.

Overall, it's a good song, with just a few defects here and there. Sorry I couldn't think of a name... Still, good job on this :D. Oh and to the person below me who wrote the three words that best describe himself in his review, that is one of the most useless reviews I've seen -.-.
9/10
5/5

-Review Request Club-

ImdoG responds:

lol you kno i read this like seven times over since youposted it, then just now realizing, after reading it again, that I DIDNT REPLY!!

Very much appreciated. I know something you should check out. Check this out,

http://www.youtube.com/user/DavidMeSh ow

Watch.... hell watch them all. This guy is very talented and Inspirational.Lost in Space is Amazing btw. And its not like there arent just as talented ppl out there. This guy is different because he's just being himself. Hes not trying to be some awesome musician with tons of adoring fans. He just does what he loves and it just so conveniently happens that it is awesome and he does have tons of fans. im not going to rant on anymore. He has a lot of work that i can find a deep appreciation in, thats all. Thanks for the review again. And when lifes gets a little less crazy, im going to pump out my next piece of work, Or finish it rather.

lol another thing, i hope you get around to reading this sooner then later.