shizeet's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Mushrooms by Sylvia Plath]

Intro

I like the feel of this piece, but the light instrumentation and effects sort of made me just feel like it was just an extended intro section. I was sort of expecting the "real" piece to start near the end, with fuller instrumentation and harmony as well as a clearer recital of the poem. I don't dislike it, but at the same time it feels like you are trying to cram too much words into the music - which really don't vary enough to express the full range of feelings in the poem in my opinion. Still, it's not a bad attempt; the song really has distinct sound, and the overall idea is has quite sme potential.

TomBanks responds:

Thanks for the review; I think that the song you're talking about would be a lot different than this one. I feel like I often stop at the point of greatest potential, and just look at what could be, instead of continuing - I feel like drawing this out, though, is unnecessary. Better to have a concentrated piece of what I want to put out there than to water it down with a stretched out structure and progression - plus, the music is meant to go with the poem, and once the poem is done - what, repeat it? The climax and end has happened, song done. I sort of like the way it turned out that the song is like a constant build up, an intro that doesn't let you down before it ends - catapults you into whatever you can. That's just the way it turned out - mabey this song is like a kid's drawing - nobody likes it but the kid, because it is his best expression of how he feels; this is my best attempt at expressing the way the poem made me feel, or how I felt then in my life - so when I hear it, I'm not just hearing it, but feeling my memories tied to it; so I'll always like to listen to this more than anyone else, because the language of this music is deeply personal to me.

[Half-Portal]

Pretty neat

I rather liked how you used to voice to set the tone and pace of the music, though I think you could've done even more with it. The samples were really interesting too, but the distortion felt overdone - in the later parts, the mix felt so full with the constant distortion that it started sounding static; I think a slower build-up or alternating occasionally with "lighter" sections would've made the impact better. Overall though, this was fun piece to listen to though! So yay!

AlphaNew responds:

Really good point, that was my miss, but I found it a couple of weeks after closing this as a project.

I guess I should have re-arranged that part or at least, applied a good quantity of equalization. Depending on the player I choose, there's I chance I cant even get to hear that part.

[DV= The Scrimmish]

I'm bad at naming stuff, sorry

But I guess I can comment on your piece. The 30 or so seconds were really cool, what with the eerie strings and bells and 3d panning sweeps. But after that it rather suddenly start sounding like essentially a classical piece with ambient instruments and stuff. Not that it's bad or anything, but it certainly my a drop from the anticipation built by the intro - and you pretty much never go back to that style again, leaving it sounding like almost like an fortunate accident. I'm almost inclined to suggest you drop the intro altogether because of the wide gap in between stylistically. But still, it's definitely my favorite part of this four and half-minute piece.

Deathkavaderva responds:

You know, you're completely right about the style change. I was essentially trying to compose a classical style piece with ambient timbres and you may have noticed I tried to tie it all up with the more sci fi sounds at the end. Ah well. Thanks for the comments:)

[Mortuary - Emperium]

So I hear...

Well, I can sort of hear the rhythmic flow of the song, but it's pretty hard to make it out tonally because of the recording quality (pretty much I could only hear the drums somewhat clearly). I do like the fact that you have these alternating faster and slower sections, though the transitions between them feel a bit abrupt. So yeah, some interesting stuff I guess, but that's about all I can make out, sorry.

Trinidex responds:

Thanks for your review :). Yup, it's kind of hard to make stuff out, it's all down to the way we recorded it I reckon.

[*DJ-P* 3X Loop]

Nice echo effect

Really like the echo effect you've got in here - adds character to the sound in a subtle way. The music itself in this case is pretty generic and short, but the "3-step" helps make it sound interesting. Now I guess the next step is to actually impliment this technique in a real piece of music?

DJ-Prodigy responds:

Indeed it is.

Thank you very much for your review!!!

*DJ-P*

[Enter The Dark]

Strange but not bad

I guess you were trying to go for dark feel for this one from the title? Well, I think you've got it partially - the dissonant chords and melodies do really give that sense of feeling unedgy. But I think the bright nature of the instruments sort of counteract that feeling, leaving it somewhere in between in the land of the strange? Hah, well, I don't know. But still, really original sounding - at parts, it almost felt like your were arranging parts from the Rite of Spring for techno haha. Good stuff.

DjThunderbass responds:

thanks man alot for your advice

[Stages of Death]

Interesting idea

I did kind sort of feel throughout the piece a sort of descension from heaven to purgatory, but I don't think hell was quite intense enough. It might've worked better if you made piece longer though and even more gradual, then near the hell stage your really increase the rate of change to create the sensation of literally being dragged into the depth of hell. I'm not sure what those little plucking sounds are supposed to represent, but if they are seeds of corruption, one good idea to top them off is for the hell stage, actually make the chord that you use enharmonic with them so as to symbolize their full fruition. But still, really interesting idea, and you do pull it off interestingly with only limited resources. Nice job.

TheReno responds:

Thanks. Im glad that you like it. As to the musical notes you hear. They are just further rep of the stage you are in. This was really my first time doing some of the things I did, so Im glad it worked out. The next song I make will be done with the same style and idea, from light to dark, but it will be much more gradual, 5 or six stages, easier transitions, and more insturments to boot.

[Stolen]

Conscientous

Nice to see something like this on NG once on in a while. The guitar has a nice progression, and the vocals are pretty decent. I'd expected a bit more emotion in a piece like this, but since it's a "school assignment" that you "had" to do, it's understandable if you don't really feel to into it. But still, it's a nice effort in any case.

am-WEE responds:

i only recorded it once, i should have done it again and practised it a bit more. i just wanted to hand it in!!
It may have been a bit emotional if i had tried to get it right a few times!
thanks for the comments.
=]

[An Empty Mind]

Empty Minded

It has a nice atmosphere, but you should probably expand this idea into a full piece. This loop has too much of an open ending to really feel looped, too. Try not to just rush a piece out and post it here as soon as you can - take some time and let things develop to the point where it really makes an impression. It would really be a waste for this piece to end in this form.

Bubbafett responds:

Thanks for the review. I was just fooling around - posting it was kind of a joke. Maybe I will expand on it. Also, the song wasn't supposed to have that moment of silence at the end before it looped - that's newgrounds doing.