Spadezer's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Elvenking’s Prayer]

This is an official NGADM '18 Round 1 Review:

This review is going to be quite different compared to my other reviews. Mostly because if I were to do it in that fashion, I wouldn't have found anything to critique on to correctly (take that as a compliment). I don't know if I could have said much other than the production is on point, the composition and structure fits not only your intent, but the lore of this as well, and you have an interesting sound design to use for this (more on that as later), and I could listen to this over and over without getting tired of your voice. So I'm going to need to revert to other methods.

So know I see that this song is formulated with Lord of the Rings lore. Fortunately I am a LOTR enthusiast, meaning while I'm not an expert in this subject by any means, I have had my fair share of homework to look into as I read through the trilogy and the Silmarillion for a LOTR class I took in college. Unfortunately I didn't pay that much attention to Thranduil as much as you did so I had to do a small bit of research…. Which I think you've outdone me on that too…

So now after watching a few LOTR scenes and songs, I've come back to listen to yours and the thing that sticks out the most is your choice of music. I bring this up because I know Tolkien was very keen on what music was like in his world. Similarly with the languages he used to portray different regions (for example middle earthen language was more harsh and violent while elven was more romantically Latin sounding). With all that being said I find it very interesting that you used what sounded like middle eastern elements used to portray Mirkwood sourced music.

After some other research I found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Depf1gKhBno
Now this song is not from Mirkwood, but it's still elvish and I would argue that the styles should be similar enough to know that while they would be different regions, they should still have the same elvish feel (btw, especially to bystanders reading this review, that's a really cool song).

Now depending on what part of you're song I listen to I feel like it could go both ways. You start off with a droning cello which I think is excellent. The root note also gives it a good Celtic drone as well which fits within the Tolkien universe. The vocal inflections and trills are perfect, but the key you use is what I question along with some of the instrument choices. The key your using I'm sounds like I'm guessing is a harmonic minor (again, based on some Youtube research, you're really stretching me with this one). In itself a great key for describing the mood you're trying to convey, but it misses getting the right feel of it being a Mirkwood elven song in my opinion (refer to previously linked video). I think this probably would have had a better effect if you picked more of a natural minor which I'm assuming that linked song is in.

As a smaller second point, the heavily reverb background instruments you have as a type of response to the lyric's call sounds middle eastern in a sense. Not the Irish strings or flutes I would expect for this type of song, but this is more of a continuation I feel of the previous paragraph.

So all of that to say I only really found one issue I could have with your song and it's that it doesn't have the right LOTR feel in certain spots, but I had to show you how much effort it took me to get to that conclusion and why I thought that. Aside from that, beautiful song and well made. I definitely appreciate hearing LOTR artwork since there's such a big rabbit hole to travel you could dive into, and I appreciate it so much.

Ending comments: It really sounds like the verse starting at 1:11 was really hard to sing. I thoroughly enjoy LOTR lore based music and this is a good example I think.

Score:

Total - 9.25
Production - 2
Sound Design - 1.5
Composition - 1.75
Structure - 2
Replay - 2

etherealwinds responds:

Hey hey!
Sorry for taking so long to respond to this - I meant to respond sooner but as I mentioned, I was travelling when I read it and intended to respond to it later. Meeting LSD was quite the distraction!

Thank you for putting the effort into reviewing my track so thoroughly and it's especially nice that you're familiar with the source of inspiration in so much depth! :) I'm happy you liked the technical musicality of the piece so much.

Yikes, I remember trying to read the Silmarillion and I really struggled with it. When I was writing the lyrics, luckily the Sindarin speaker that helped me with the translation also had a lot more knowledge of the lore than I did myself. In that sense, it comes in handy being a purist; something I can't really define myself as on any level!

In terms of how I went about deciding to compose in the way that I did, I didn't really think too much about referencing it back to the films' soundtracks and the specific locations. For me, I decided to focus on the mood of the piece; the darkness and the desperation, yet also the hope. I wanted to incorporate a sort of call and response to ignite a sense of interaction between Thranduil, the elves of Mirkwood and Legolas; I also wanted to carry that call and response element not only in the vocals but also in the instrumental to cut through the drone. I myself don't tend to think Irish strings or flutes when drawing on the darkness of the lore, but I would say that comes down to personal interpretation. I suppose it also depends on how you mix and compose those parts! I just felt the deep weaving performance of the stringed instrument really brought out the mysteriousness and darkness that perfectly conveyed the tone of the piece for me. It was really interesting to read your different interpretation as well! I'm happy someone managed to really get into the depths of the piece.

Once again, I'm sorry it took so long to get to this review and I hope it doesn't put you off putting as much effort into any future reviews - I really appreciated this one and I'll endeavour to respond promptly in the future! Have a wonderful day :)

[Gaero - Blood Haiku]

This is an official NGADM '18 Round 1 Review:

Beginning Comments: Pretty hopping dance/house song. Sounds pretty decent but here's the breakdown

Production and Mixing: So right from the beginning it's super heavy and fun with the bass, but it's for the most part clean. However, it seems like when the mix gets loud at 0:56 I feel like I'm overwhelmed by everything in the sub and bass range. There was so much of it that it took up the whole track and didn't allow for the rest of the instruments you have to have the atmoshpere they need. Aside from the loud points, the mixing overall was carefully done I thought, and you do good job of balancing when you're tying not to be all up in my face, but when it was loud I felt like it wasn't maintained as well. 2:23 felt like not only was the bass and kick loud, but then you managed to try to overlay a lead on already loud elements. I can tell by your waveforms up above that you were relying heavily on the compressor to try to keep everything from clipping instead of leaving a ceiling for sound and bringing up the levels with a multi band compressor or something. The mix wasn't bad, but it felt a little tiring to the ears.

Composition and Structure: It's simple and catchy. But in terms of the melodies or leads I was never felt captured by what was going on. I was more interesting in listening to the sound design of the chords and other background details since my attention waned a little bit. The dynamics were handled well so you show good skill there. Nothing much else to comment on though. Nothing bad.

Sound Design: Pretty decent sound choices. They fit the genre well and don't do a bad job setting the tone you're going for. They're nothing too spectacular, or rather there wasn't anything that wowed me but they create an atmoshpere I enjoy.

Ending Comments: A lot of the scoring for this is consistent across the categories. You know how to make a good song, but I never thought there was anything ever really good about this track. I didn't have many big issues with the song aside from some production things, but there was nothing that I felt was underselling the track aside from a slightly shallow composition. A good attempt though.

Score:

Total - 7.25
Production - 1.25
Sound Design - 1.5
Composition - 1.5
Structure - 1.5
Replay - 1.5

[stardust [NGADM Round 1]]

This is an Official NGADM '18 Round 1 Review:

Beginning Comments: A very unique song. It was like a melodic dance trance song. It was happy but not overbearingly so. A very intriguing style I don't hear very much of.

Production and Mixing: I was a little removed with the first gated chords. The gate was fine, but I felt it was almost so much that I couldn't hear the chords. It was to the point that the kick was almost overpowering while piercing the silence they were leaving behind. Other than that, the mix felt very clean (the best being example at 1:15). You added some nice details like the panned snare at 1:37 I thought was a really nice touch, and I really loved the ambience you threw in at 1:05. That in particular was a really nice touch.

Composition and Structure: I never got the sense of a melody but I hardly felt it was needed. There is some sort of melody here and there but it's so minor I'd call it a bit ambient. On the other hand there was so much percussion and dance style synths going on that I couldn't really call it that. It was really well pulled off. The only thing I would think about complaining about is the outro. I like the feel, but it's just a contrast of mood / theme compared to the rest of the track that I felt it wasn't needed. Kind of through me off too because it felt like you had another direction this song was going to go to, but then it went off the rails and ended in a sense. Aside from that, I liked the transitions and enjoyed the ride you were leading.

Sound Design: I really enjoyed what you used. Nothing felt out of place and everything you used created a unique flavor to add to the overall end product. The only thing I would question is the snare particularly at 1:47. It sounds fine everywhere else, but it's big, and a little dull and tinny compared to what I felt should have been used at that section.

Ending Comments: I had no problem putting this on repeat as I was writing the review. I think you were able to pull of something very original and unique, and did a decent job putting in elements to help develop the song.

Score:

Total - 8
Production - 1.5
Sound Design - 1.5
Composition - 2
Structure - 1.5
Replay - 1.5

N1NJA-Official responds:

Thanks! I appreciate the review.

[On Go]

This is an official NGADM '18 Round 1 Review

Beginning Comments: A song I think that fits your style, but also a good display of your skill. Something you should be proud of.

Production and Mixing: It's so clean at the beginning, and I can tell you pay special attention to your mixing. The only issue I had, which I didn't notice the first time around, the levels did seem to get a little tiring. Maybe the bass overall was a little bit much or the highs were a little too piercing. Not sure exactly what it was, but other than that I think this is well mixed and sounds like a finished product.

Composition and Structure: The beginning melody you use to build the theme is beautiful, and I think you build off of it nicely with your development. The only issue I had with the structure is that I was starting to think the first big section started to overstay its welcome about 15-30 seconds before you dropped the intensity down a bit. However, the change in dynamics are really nice.

Sound Design: I love your synths. The first synth you used for the intro reminded me of the Aquatic Ambiance song from Donkey Kong Country. Great nostalgia, but even without that in mind, it's such a cool sounding synth what you have. I like your very subtle use of rain at the beginning. Throughout the whole song you use some really interesting elements for background details. Those sound elements in the background may be off putting, but I enjoyed the details and helped with the tone of the piece. The other synths you use are a unique style to you because I know I've reviewed that style in previous chipscompos, but I never get enough of them either.

Ending Comments: I really didn't have many issues with your song. Which maybe as a judge that's not the best thing to say in a Deathmatch setting, but at least the few thoughts I could jot down could help with your improvement. Don't give up. Don't be too hard on yourself either. You're not going to make the best music if you think you're not good enough. Don't worry anything else aside from your music. Go On and enjoy the gift of sOnG…..or whatever.

Score:

Total - 8.75
Production - 1.75
Sound Design - 2
Composition - 2
Structure - 1.5
Replay - 1.5

Onefin responds:

ey spade

feel like your comment about the levels getting tiring and the comment about the drop section overstaying its welcome are tied together, probably has something to do with the fact that the whole thing is 9/8 swing which feels fast but the bars pass by really slowly

ooh aquatic ambiance, not entirely what i was going for but i do love me some david wise

i'm against you-know-who so i'm gonna have to pull myself together for the next three weeks :P i'm gonna try to take your advice to heart man thanks so much

also niiiice, i didn't think of putting "Go On" somewhere in the description, that's brilliant gg

[breaking glass]

This is an official NGADM '18 Round 1 Review:

Production and Mixing: Decent attempt overall, but I felt wanting more. The guitar introduced felt like it was too weak and the bass through the second half didn't fill out the bottom of the spectrum like I felt like it should have. I'm not saying it should be louder, because the mix is pretty good, but it just felt…..shallow. The percussion was quite solid.

Composition and Structure: The intro is really good. The strings and the piano have a really good sound to set the song with. The electronic synths are also introduced well. I feel like it runs out of steam part way through, and I feel like you started to notice that and rolled the song out to finish. The outro was good though (other than the fade out pet peeve, but that's personal preference). There's a lot of neat details you've added to add flavor and color to the song. I liked the interrupting bass stabs.

Sound Design: The filtered piano and strings at the beginning are ok for an introduction I think, but I love the plucked synth you bring in. And I love how it transitions to a more bass heavy synth. This is a really good mix of orchestral and synthetic elements. I had no issues with the choice of instruments. It has an Assassin's Creed feel at times. I'm most disappointed in the first guitar you introduce. By itself it falls flat. It adds a nice element when the mix is more full, but it's so empty by itself.

Ending comments: I dig this. It's a nice background piece in a good way. You've been able to incorporate electronic elements without being disruptive which makes this good study / background music. It carries a nice theme that develops through the song and I never felt that the song was long. Cool work.

Score:

Total - 7.25
Production - 1.5
Sound Design - 1.5
Composition - 1.25
Structure - 1.5
Replay - 1.5

Sequenced responds:

Yeah the guitar library I got isn't the greatest. #poormusicianlife

[A Naïve Admirer]

This is an Official NGADM '18 Round 1 Review:

Beginning Comments: It's a cute little piece that fits both the description and the style I would expect from you. It showcases your cinematic strengths and does a good job of putting the composition and structure first.

Production and Mixing: It didn't feel perfect but it was overall pretty good. It's about the balance I would expect for a piece like this, but I get the feeling that whatever had the lead was almost being overpowered by the background instruments. Other than maybe having slightly less low end in certain spots like at the 1:05 area, I never really was distracted by the mix.

Composition and Structure: Obviously where this song shines. The story is well illustrated from your description to the point where I could almost picture the images. Quick aside: one of the coolest parts is 1:38-1:46. There's a lot of details going on, like the shameless use of the triangle everywhere, how the brass have a quick interjection at 3:10, all of the layers that combine within each part whether they're bass or 2-3 beat staccatos, there's a lot to pick apart and digest. The more I listen to it, the more I enjoy it.

Sound Design: I'm really enjoying what you've used for each voice / instrument, and you really embellish that violin solo VST without shame, and it works well. However, everything you use sounds wonderful. I never was never detracted by anything sounding out of place or fake. The only, only, complaint I could make is that the piano sounds a little too muffled.

Ending Comments: Out of everyone I hear at Newgrounds or through previous relationships, you've consistently been the strongest waltz composer, and this is no exception.

Score:

Total - 8.25
Production - 1.25
Sound Design - 1.5
Composition - 2
Structure - 2
Replay - 1.5

[Quixotic (Original Mix)]

This is an official NGADM '18 Round 1 Review:

Beginning Comments: Nice and heavy. I song I would definitely expect to hear in this contest and one I'm fond of critiquing.

Production and Mixing: The details are well organized at the beginning. The filter automation and percussive elements are pretty nice. Then there's the first big open section, and it sounds like it's a loud mix that relied too much on a compressor to keep it in check. Every time the kick comes in it sounds distorted. Maybe if you focused more on sidechaining it would have been a little cleaner. Aside from the poor mastering, the mix itself sounds decent. It's well balanced for the type of heavy song this is, and there are some nice production qualities happening. If you focused more on keeping volumes in check and then raising the volume of the song later with something like a multi band compressor, this would have been really rocking.

Composition and Structure: Good intro, and I really like how you built into the first drop. In terms of composition, this is actually pretty detailed in spite of it being a heavy drum and bass / dubstep song. Usually I expect these songs in this contest to be a bit basic / simple to make way for the sound design of the synths involved (which isn't a bad thing), but you have this chalked full of details. And the transitions between styles and rhythm changes are well polished. Every section is a fresh new development that always felt based on the original intent of the song. Great work. I'm not sure if I completely agree with how you ended the song by doing sudden recaps of each style you used, but it was interesting and unusual, so I give you that. The more I listened to it, the more I was becoming okay with it.

Sound Design: Like I mentioned earlier, songs in this genre usually let the composition be simple for the sake of sound design, but really is definitely not an example of that case. I was never really wowed by the choice of sounds or synths, but there was a good effort I think. You did a good job of picking ones that worked, and actually a lot of the stuff you introduced at the beginning were pretty cool. It's fun listening to what you're doing in the background too. There's a lot of carefully placed details that give this song a lot of flavor and good tone.

Ending Comments: I'm sad the production quality got in the way of me enjoying this as much as I could. There's a lot of brilliance happening here. It's chalked full of interesting details and ideas, and the execution was pretty good actually. Clean up the mix a little and you've got a pretty solid song. I enjoyed it though and I think this was pretty good.

Score:

Total - 7.25
Production - 1
Sound Design - 1.5
Composition - 2
Structure - 1.5
Replay - 1.25

KaixoMusic responds:

Thanks! I don't know what u mean with the mastering cuz it's fine imo... It's loud, but I don't hear any distortion at the kick. And any distortion that you do hear was put on it with a waveshaper to make the kick sharper and punchier. Which sounds okay imo...

The type of mastering varies per genre in the EDM world, and I am going for the heavy style mastering, if you listen to Muzzy - In The Night for example, that track is mastered very loudly. So I guess it's all taste...

Edit: The sidechain is just a volume automation and did the job correctly.

[Condensation]

This is an official NGADM '18 Round 1 Review

Beginning comments: I enjoyed it. I like the theme of the piece and I think it fits your description for the most part too. But on to the breakdown.

Production and Mixing: The beginning is nice, but I'm not fond of the percussion hits in the 0:30 section. I can't tell if the low snare is competing frequencies with something else or if the reverb is feeding in on itself too much. Actually in general I feel like this song is a little too heavy on reverb. I say that because there weren't many points that I felt everything was given their space to breath. Instead it felt more like elements were trying to be heard more than working in the space they naturally fall in. Aside from that, the balancing was decent for the most part, and overall the sound was managed well for the tone of the peace.

Composition and Structure: The plucked synths are combined well with the piano. I like the theme you introduce in the first big section at 0:48 and actually I wish it developed a little bit more before you moved on. I liked it a bit and I felt it was cut off. I you reintroduce it which is good, but I still feel like it didn't have enough room to develop. In general I like the hopeful feel and relaxing nature of the song, and there is okay use of dynamics, although some of their effectiveness was overpowered by the mixing but that doesn't influence the composition. The structure was decent for the song. It's not in a sense a logical song structure, or maybe common is a better word, which I say bravo to. You could have developed it a little better I think, but I'm pretty okay with what you have here actually.

Sound Design: Uh, I don't think rain and thunderstorms are condensation, but I digress (I see the point you're trying to make in the description so it works in that sense). I'm not as fond of the percussion where it's quiet, but you make up for that with the drumset utilized in the louder sections. The synths you picked were smooth and helped center the tone of the piece you were looking for. No big complaints here.

Ending Comments: Really a relaxing piece that I think captures the atmosphere that you were looking for. One nice touch I forgot to mention, I can tell the bass VST you're using isn't a high quality one, but you utilize it in a good manner which doesn't really make it obvious. Otherwise, neat song.

Score:

Total - 7
Production - 1.25
Sound Design - 1.25
Composition - 1.5
Structure - 1.5
Replay - 1.5

ColinMuir responds:

Thank you for your time Spadezer. Dang i wish i had a bass haha.

[32 North 120 East]

This is an official NGADM '18 Round 1 Review:

Production and Mixing: The intro is well managed. Very careful dynamics and good attention to details and letting them flourish in the space they need. Very good mixing and you did a good job of using the volume of everything to emphasize the tone you made. However, I think I hear some clipping at 2:51. Only real big issue. Other than that, it sounds like a professionally finished product.

Composition and Structure: I like that intro. Very serene and sets the tone very well. Around 2:15 I was hoping that it developed a little more in the dynamics, but hearing the climax towards the end I think was worth the wait. It never feels very huge, but it did not lack in depth. Which, by the way, that's an excellent climax. They way it wraps up the development of the piece, and adds a great lasting impression for the listener to end with. It's strictly beautiful.

Sound Design: Oh man this is lovely. Everything sounds great and real. I hardly ever felt anything was out of place or was distracting. Every element shared in the same atmosphere and well distanced.

Ending comments: Thank you

Score:

Total - 9.25
Production - 1.75
Sound Design - 1.75
Composition - 2
Structure - 1.5
Replay - 2

[Origins]

This is an official NGADM '18 Round 1 Review:

Beginning Comments: Boots and cats!!! I joke, but that is a pretty heavy intro. A very hoppin' tune and easy to digest.

Production and Mixing: You did a good job of managing all of the frequencies, but you do get some frequency competition between the piano and the lead synth(s). You do a good job of making it loud without it being piercing or overcrowded. You made sure that everything had the space it needed to flourish and sounds like a finished product.

Composition and Structure: Very simple composition. Very structure quarter and eighth note tunes. Definitely makes it a memorable tune, but there isn't much interesting to listen to outside of the gated pads, the repeated melody, and simple percussion. You do have a big dance feel, but I think it's just a tad too simple. Very stereotypical dance in every aspect, including the dynamics structure. Not inherently a bad thing but it's not original.

Sound Design: The snare/claps at 0:38 are a little too thin. I can tell you wanted to wait until the drop to fill out the percussion, but it felt too shallow leading up to that point. What is the click/plucking at 02:30? It's distracting and a bit comical. Other than those complaints, you picked very genre appropriate synths. I liked the sound and they create a good dance feel.

Ending Comments: It wasn't spectacular, and my argument is due to the fact that it's nothing quite that original. Don't get me wrong, this is good work. You have good production value and trust me when I say I enjoyed it (and I'm still bobbing my head to it as I'm typing after it's ended). Music that's easy to digest is quite enjoyable if it's well produced, and you can ruin even a great song by mixing it poorly or by letting it clip. However, for a NGADM setting I fear it may have lacked taking some risks to push yourself into making a Deathmatch contending piece.

Score:

Total - 7
Production - 2
Sound Design - 1.75
Composition - 0.75
Structure - 1
Replay - 1.5