Step's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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.

[Flash/Audio Collab Submission]

Wow, you rock at making glitch music XD.

Very nice job on this, it sounds great. Usually I get bored listening to glitch music, but not when you make it :D.

There wasn't much of a melody here, but what there is right now sounds really good. I really enjoyed the instruments you used, along with the awesome glitchy sound effects. It's the first time I heard backverbing, and it honestly sounds so good with the vocal sample you used.

The transitions here were fine, especially how you introduced new instruments, and nothing felt too sudden or anything. Nice song structure, even for a small song, and it wasn't repetitive at all, but I guess you expect that from glitch songs. Very nice intro, vocals are usually great for starting up songs, but the ending felt as if it needed to continue. This does sound like a great intro to some epic song or something, as michelinman said.

The drums were introduced quite well with the ride cymbals, but the drums were a little too fast-paced (AmenBreak FTW :P) and unexpected after hearing the glitchy yet great intro.

In all, a good little song, and I enjoyed it. It's a little short, but I guess I can't blame you for that. Great song! Seriously, though, your songs are like glitch heaven or something :P. I dare you to make some Jazz XP.
9/10
5/5

-Review Request Club-

SessileNomad responds:

lol thats the second time ive been dared to make some jazz, i bet i could, but ide probly have to put a glitch influence in it for it to not get too boring, i think that would be fun

yeah as far as it being short, i wish i could make it longer, but collab rules say 30-45, plus i wanted it to end fairly sudenly, since it needs to blend with other songs to some degree, if i had it fall back down with outro vocals, i dont think it would blend too great

i thought there was a nice little melo going there, i probably could have written a more complex one for the glitch section, but whats done is done

indeed AmenBreak FTW!!

ill try to respond to the review as soon as i can, but school eats up a shitload of my time

peace out dude

Thx for reviewing

SessileNomad

[Cast From the Stars]

Yeah, definitely epic :D

Loved it. Really great job, it sounds great, and shows how hard you worked on it.

The melodies are really well done, and sound great, especially the guitar melody and the melody towards the end. The instruments were what really impressed me over here, they were so varied and awesome. The only instrument I didn't like was the one at 0:52, and also that part needs some more fullness to it with maybe some soft bass in the background or a kick drum every beat.

The transitions, as the other reviews said, were out of this world. The melodies fit so well with each other, and the reverse cymbals and drum rolls here were great. New instruments were introduced excellently, and everything flowed together nicely. The structure was great too, and this was so well varied too; it never got boring.

The intro was awesome, and the buildups from then on were great, and the ending wasn't too bad, but needs much more silence at the end of it since it felt like a badly looped loop as it is now, and maybe you could add some delay at the end or a lot of reverb, just something to fill in a bit of the silence at the end so it can feel more like an ending and not a sudden stop.

The drums were awesome, and quite varied too. Amazing drum samples which fit really well to the song. I like how you introduced them earlier around the song and making them never come in too suddenly or anything, which helped the flow of the song a lot.

In all, an above-average song which sounds really good; just some problems regarding the ending, and one of the instruments. Fix those, and you get a 10 from me (although it's too late now XP).
9/10
5/5 - and I might 5-bomb this a little because of the 0-bombing :\.
Download.

-Review Request Club-

Bracksta responds:

wow, another awesome review from the review request club! Thank you so much for the tips and great advice, peace

[[dj-Jo] Raving Zombies]

Whoa... here comes a long review ^^.

Whoa. One of the most powerful songs I ever heard on Newgrounds. Amazing job, you captured the essence of zombies XD.

The melodies sound all much more zombie-ish in a minor key, which is what you've done, so I can't complain. Very nice melodies in general. My only complaint over here is the piano at 0:36; it needed more fullness to it. I suggest adding accompaniament in the bass of the piano, and maybe some chords. It felt a little strange on its own. The instruments chosen were excellent for the name, especially the one that first appears at 0:17, which sounds a little like a piano (although it probably is). The melody you used there does feel slightly familiar, but it's really evil-sounding, and out of this world. Outworldly effects used here, as well. Did you find those zombie groans on the Internet or something? They sound so... real. All the other effects you used here were really good too, but what impressed me most were those awesome zombie groans. Melodies, effects and instruments are a big win in this song.

The transitions were amazing, especially those drum transitions. There were some very clever ways of introducing new instruments over here. Amazing song structure. There wasn't really a fixed chorus over here, but it still didn't feel random. Excellent variety too. The intro is the best intro I've ever heard, especially since it fits so well with the name. At first I thought 'Uh oh, a sudden saw synth at the beginning. Here comes a boring saw buildup -.-', but then the drums, effects and instruments came in so powerfully, I noticed I was wrong. Clever way to end it to. Usually I complain about endings that don't have a proper ending note to them, but not this one. The gun reload was a clever thing to do, and the gun shot and groan ended the song very well. It's good that you didn't add much silence to the end, it would've ruined the powerful and awesome feel of this song.

The drums were so good. Percussive hits, drum rolls, amazing beats, fantastic samples, great variety, perfect drums. They fit really well with the song too, and gave the song that powerful feel to it.

An almost flawless song. Just an annoying part at 0:36 which felt so weak compare to the power of the rest of the song, but apart from that, you've got a perfect song over here. A little short, but then again, so is the life span of zombies, so great job. Man, one more song like this, and you're going straight to my favourite artists list. Sorry for the long review, I like making them when I enjoy a song :P. Amazing job, keep it up! XD.
10/10
5/5
Download.

-Review Request Club-

dj-Jo responds:

Holly crap man!

This song is kinda old too XD.

Really glad you enjoyed and song.

I have a sequel song to this one too.

Its call Raving Egyptians
But I'm submitting that one to the Electronic EP #2

Wish me luck!

[The Outsiders]

Nice :)

Never heard trip-hop before, but now I get an awesome first impression ^^. Nice job :D.

The melodies were what impressed me quite a lot in this track. The instruments sounded very unique as well, but awesome at the same time. The bass was very catchy as well, and I enjoyed it. Nice melody at the beginning too. In general, the melodies and instruments sound like someone infiltrating a building or something, which is fine with me.

The transitions were great, and nothing felt wrong. Every melody flowed really well with the next. Nice song structure as well. I just think that this gets much too repetitive. Still, as you said to Fro, that's what the genre is about, I guess, so it isn't really your fault. Really awesome intro; it started the song up extremely well, and the key change before the end was epic. The fade fit quite well with this song too.

Really amazing drums. They got slightly repetitive in parts, but were just the right loudness, and could be heard clearly without messing up the song. Extremely good samples too, and the drum beats were nice as well. My only complaint was that throughout the song there was a sort of static-like noise which got quite annoying.

Overall, a really nice track, especially since it's your first try at a new genre. Keep up the awesome work, you could make a great trip-hop artist :D.
9/10
5/5

-Review Request Club-

LightKeeper responds:

Hey thanks a lot man. It's amazing what a little bit of delay can do for your tracks that's really what helped with the melodies. As for the static, it was probably the saws I used to counteract the rest of the "pretty" feeling of the song.

Thanks for the long review. :) Getting reviews like these are always nice.