Oh hey that's a cool song.
This was cool and I approve
-Edit
Lol sounds good. I'll bring some colored pencils XD
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Oh hey that's a cool song.
This was cool and I approve
-Edit
Lol sounds good. I'll bring some colored pencils XD
I wanna do the whole damn song!! wanna help me color? :c
fantastic plot twist
Not Mr Snuggles DX
Cool game
cool game
Thank you for the timely review.
Honestly, I can't get enough of the game over screen
spadezer wtf u werent following me until 18 minutes ago thats right im calling you out right here bro
Absolutely spooktacular!
The song has a retro PS1 style to it. It brings across dark and unsettling vibes, which is very adequate for a scenario in which the protagonist is on edge and cautious. I think the ambient route is a good choice especially for a game setting since it's something that doesn’t' have a clearly defined end point and would make it easier to loop. Musically, I appreciate that even in an ambient style, it's not a dormant song. Compositionally it's rather busy, which helps put forward the unsettling and creepy vibes this is trying to go for. The choices of synths and percussion samples feel raw and simple, which I think bring across a retro style. However, the mix could benefit from some EQ work since the high frequencies are a bit piercing. It also doesn't help that you have long cutoff style synths happening (or it might be heavy reverb sounds). With the long cutoff synth playing a lot of notes quickly, the pitches collide and make the mix sound busy. It is a good choice if you don't want the notes to have a clear beginning and end, which add to the unsettling nature of the song, but with the state this mix is in currently it comes across as an effect that isn't clean. It won't feel as refined. That's really the only critique I have though. I see that you have some gameplay video linked in the description, and the song works very well with the game/visuals you've got. I'd say this is a pretty good work. It's a little weird, but for not hearing you before I think this shows some decent talent.
Thank you! My goal was to create something that both matched the theme I chose while also matching gameplay from an actual game, this is just something I do primarily as someone who composes a lot of music for games. If I can visualize it playing in the game it's much easier for me. I went with Hark the Ghoul because it fit the PS1 / Retro Dungeon Crawler vibe I take a lot of influence from.
A lot of my stuff is really weird, lmao. I'm a trained Jazz musician who really really enjoys sound design as much as composing, so a lot of my tracks come off as unusual in the realm of things like mixing and EQ and even composition. The general melody here just being the same scale with some twist and turns really helps the pads and little chimes act as the bits and pieces a player experiencing gameplay would pick up on. You'd hear it on loop over and over and by design lose track of the drums, the bells, sometimes the pads, but those arps are always there.
I think I actually under worked the mix here. I used the PSReverb plugin on a lot of the channels but then halfway through switched to a convolution reverb. I wanted the higher frequencies to chirp like they would on the Ps1 soundcard and old TV speakers, but I didn't really go back and smush out the spikes in the higher registry.
I'm really glad you enjoy it, I hope it encourages you to check out some of my other stuff. I primarily use NG as a place to dump mp3s I'm not really doing anything with, so stuff here tends to be a lot more unusual lol.
I really like the organic orchestral instruments combined with the synths. You blend them really nicely. The synth reminds me of the DKC's Aquatic Ambience music for the underwater level. You have a really good intro. You have a nice soft motif that you've introduced with the synth, and the strings and drums compliment the main theme softly. You also transition to your second section starting at 1:48 nicely. The mixing holds it back a little bit. The bass is boomy and makes the mix feel crowded like the compressor is being pushed. And I can tell the issue lies mostly with the bass you have since when this section transitions around the 2:42 section when the bass is only playing a note and ringing out, the balance sounds nicer. I think the other part that's contributing to the bass's boomy feel is that it only feels kinda like a synth in the sense that it's only low pitches and doesn't emphasis the higher harmonics. I can tell they're there because I can hear the plucking like sound of the bass, but it's not well defined. Drums could be louder so they sound closer to the front. The third section starting at 3:13 Sounds a lot different compared to the rest of the song to the point that it makes me think that you're treating this is song as 3 different songs for the three scenarios of the challenge. This section reminds me of an older Street Fighter game. By itself, this section comes across as high energy and definitely has final boss energy. The sound choice is good, but the mixing holds it back, similar to what's happening in the second section. The mix feels crowded and could benefit by making sure that you're leaving headroom before pushing your compressor. The lead synth you have is a great choice and I like how it soars in the mix, but it could use a little refinement. It sounds a tad dry and under processed. Just a touch of reverb would help it out a lot.
All in all, aside from my critiques I like what you have. I like to see when people are experimenting with uncommon time signatures, and none of yours felt unnatural. Not the easiest thing to do. Honestly your piece as a well-crafted feel to it. The soft intro has a really nice touch, and the 2:42 section compliments it nicely. I think this is a good display of raw talent, but just needs some practice and refinement.
Thanks Spadezer! I'll have to remake this at some point and implement your suggestions. Thanks for the review, means a lot.
Very cowabunga energy
It’s totally radiskull!
This is a mood
I really like the colors and the glitching-like effect you have going on.
Pop... Pop
Do you like dubs? Do you like Wubs? I've got them in SPADES! Sprinkled in is some actual melodic content so you don't think I'm a hype junkie
Age 34, Male
Engineer
Michigan, USA
Joined on 1/15/11