Spadezer's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Staying with You]

This is an official NGADM '19 Review

Composition:
This piece felt intricate and masterful in terms of your playing and compositional ability. Listening to the song I could imagine a type of triumphant and joyful scene from a musical. It feels grand and celebratory mostly. The runs are well played and it feels also like a modern style of piano music.

Production and Sound Design:
I don’t have much to say about this. It's a solo piano, and it's sounded the same as your other piano pieces.

Structure:
Good use of energy dynamics. I also like the contrast of styles especially in the first 2 minutes. The first 40 seconds are really technical and even, and well contrasted by the swung and polyrhythmic section that followed. Then what you have as the most contrasting section of the whole piece between 1:00 and 2:11, which has a lot of emotion backed into it. Afterwards though I didn't feel like there was as much contrast or energy dynamics.

Emotion / Conclusion:
After listening to it a few times, what I kept feeling was that the song felt a little more on being technical than it is emotional. At the end of the song, what I take away from it was some well played runs more so than a theme I could latch on to. I still enjoyed it, and I could still pick out parts here and there that felt really genuine. You still did well on conveying the intended emotion, but it may have been lost a little bit

Composition: 9.5

Production: 8.5

Sound Design: 9

Structure: 8.5

Emotion: 8

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for the review!

I tried to put together everything I've learned from composing for this year's NGADM in this piece, without forcing anything of course. I'm glad that the 'triumphant' sound came through. I often write melancholic pieces. This time, I wanted to challenge myself to write something mostly positive. Perhaps this is why you felt it was less emotional overall, since it plays on very different emotions. For me, personally, I'm quite happy with the atmosphere.
The intro was a little bit inspired by some of the techniques used in Liszt's "La Campanella".

As for the production, I actually spent many hours trying to get the right sound for this piece. I used a piano I don't think I've used previously this year, and was a bit obsessed with getting the sound like I wanted it. I'm afraid that maybe I overproduced it a little bit though! I'll have to think about how to best achieve a good sound for solo piano pieces.

You're right in that I wanted to contrast some of the faster sections of the composition, with the slower parts after the one minute mark. I feel that it's the parts like that one that really 'make' the piece, since they provide a well needed break from everything that's going on. I tried to do something similar at 2:57 and a few other later points, but maybe I should've taken a slightly longer rest in those parts.

While I agree that there are many technical elements of the song, personally I feel like that was in an attempt to portray emotions and an atmosphere that I couldn't otherwise get across. But I understand how it can also feel like a bit much, and that maybe more focus should be put on clearer melodies. I like trying out different approaches though :)

Thank you for listening, and for diligently judging throughout the competition!

[Flow]

This is an official NGADM '19 Review

Composition:
Personally between you and LSD this round, you guys have had the more emotional writing. Compositionally this piece was really solid. Everything you did with how you controlled the main theme, and every other detail you added, really helped sell the atmosphere to the song. On top of that it did not feel like a cliché trailer piece IMO.

Production and Sound Design:
The balancing could be a little better I think, and particularly at the climax. It didn't feel solid and well rounded (and I think I notice some over compression happening too). And the earlier sections feel like they're too quiet. However, the sounds you picked and how you designed the reverse notes was really good. The first minute was purely delicious.

Structure:
I really liked the "flow" of the song. There's a really good contrast between the energy you at the beginning, and then the climax really opens up and becomes huge. Really adds to the dynamics of the song and I thoroughly enjoyed it

Emotion / Conclusion:
Good work, I look forward to hearing more from you.

Composition: 9.5

Production: 8

Sound Design: 9

Structure: 9.5

Emotion: 9

CloakedSoup responds:

Hey thanks for the review! :D This is another on of my entries that was kind of rushed out, so I'm definitely going to go back to rewrite/re-mix a bunch of stuff. Thanks for all the great advice though!

[Fulcrum]

This is an official NGADM '19 Review

Composition:
This does a really good job bringing on the right funk vibes. Everything just jives really well, and I really appreciate how you utilized the organ too. I like that you went for a big band approach, and I think it worked towards what you wanted to do. It wasn't necessarily apparent that the big band feel was there, but I like what you did

Production and Sound Design:
The mix didn't feel too solid. There were some aspects that you got right, like how you added in the organ, and I like whatever the lead is, but it's overall a bit too quiet. Also, like what SplatterDash mentioned, the Brass sounds like it's in a different space than what the rest of the instruments are in.

Structure:
Like I mentioned earlier in the composition, it was a little unclear the direction you were kinda going, but what felt the weakest is that it was a similar energy dynamic throughout the whole song. However, it didn't keep me from enjoying the song a bit so it wasn't too bad.

Emotion / Conclusion:
I have a heart for funk style and jazz in general and I think you pulled it off pretty well. It felt as if there was some left to be desired, but I enjoyed it a bit

Composition: 9

Production: 8

Sound Design: 9

Structure: 8

Emotion: 8

vocaloutburst responds:

Again big thanks for these reviews!! I definitely felt like the mixing for this track wasn't what I wanted it to be at all. This track was honestly a great lesson in time management, I focused too much of my time on a few aspects of the song that ultimately didn't pay off and sacrificed time to create a good mix in the process. Happy to hear you still enjoyed it, definitely will touch this up in the future!

[Escaping Limbo]

This is an official NGADM '19 Review

Composition:
I'm not sure what needs to be said about this. There is no doubt the theme you were trying to create with this. I could probably guess what the topic was about without knowing of the description or the title. It's something that I could definitely place as your type of song, but it still felt fresh. All the work you've done with the main theme\motif is always present in each phrase, and so much of it worked towards bringing across the emotions you needed in the song.

Production and Sound Design:
The reversed notes are fantastic. It's also not just that you had reverse notes to make it unsettled, but you did a great job of blending them within the melody. To the point, even, that sometimes you can't tell when the actual notes end and the reverse notes took over the melody. I wouldn't have expected you to use sound fx in your music, but it also largely added to the imagery of the piece, and I never felt that it was a cheap attempt either.

Structure:
I bit of a longer one, but it was worth it. It was 8 minutes but it felt like 4. I really enjoyed how each section had a different variation of the same phrase, and each time it was well accepted.

Emotion / Conclusion:
Holy biscuits batman. This was probably one of the more emotional ones that you have made IMO. I welcomed it in, and left away with more than what I wanted.

Composition: 10

Production: 9

Sound Design: 9.5

Structure: 10

Emotion: 10

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for the review, and sorry for the late response!

It's nice to see that you feel like I was able to communicate the theme through this piece. You're probably right that there are some elements in this composition that are somewhat characteristic of my style. Even so, when I was composing, it also felt very different from anything I had made before. I suppose that is a good balance! I'm glad to hear that the recurrence of the different mofits is appreciated. In my opinion, the structure of this piece is really well thought out, as I had to justify the length by having every second and minute make sense as a part of the whole piece.

Seems like most people liked the reversed notes, which is good. It was fun to see that I wasn't the only person to make use of them during this round in particular. I used two different methods for reversing the notes; one simpler, one much more intricate. For the simpler version, I layered NIs Una Corda on top of the main piano, and played around with the "reverse" knob. For the more complicated version, I used an algorithm in Cubase to reverse the entire finished MIDI, exported the audio, imported it, and reversed the audio, and then moved it a little bit earlier than the actual piano sound, to create a kind of wave motion. Naturally, I didn't have this running the whole time; only where it fit the composition and the theme.

As for sound fx, it is something I don't often make use of indeed. But I felt it necessary and additive for this piece in particular. I'm glad you feel similarly!

Finally, I'm once again glad that the length wasn't an issue, and that the emotions were able to shine through. Thank you for the thorough review, and for the generous score!!

[endK - Funkadunk]

This is an official NGADM '19 Review

Composition:
You had me with your funky writing style. I can't get enough of the quick bouncy pianos, interjecting organs in just the right spots, tasteful brass, fast bass, and tons of other stuff. It captures a very energetic atmoshpere, but there's such masterful craft in using so many different instruments only having simultaneously short moments but working towards a cohesive melody. Not many people, particularly in this contest, can pull of seemingly chaotic writing in such a pleasing manner.

Production and Sound Design:
In order for this style to really hit home you needed a strong mix and capitalize on blending well, and this is no exception. This sounds just like a professional product that I could here in places like streaming services or, better yet, I keep seeing images of a couple childhood games flashing in the front of my mind when this plays. The only thing that I might think about changing is that maybe it sounds a little dry overall, but it honestly adds to the character of the song in a positive way so I'm not sure in the end.

Structure:
I was bouncing the whole time. It was well cohesive and never really felt interrupted, but they energy dynamic was a little shallow in my prospective. I wouldn't say that I was ever bored of the song, but I feel like it didn't really explore the concept to it's fullest potential. There only really felt like two major themes, and the only time you really explored it differently was a short section at 1:30. Again, I enjoyed it a lot, but this aspect probably would have made it feel more special throughout the whole song.

Emotion / Conclusion:
Superb. I loved it. Super bouncy, super fun, and very well done.

Composition: 10

Production: 9

Sound Design: 10

Structure: 8

Emotion: 9

endKmusic responds:

I'm really glad that you liked it that much!
Thanks for all the nice words.
Since I tend to use huge load of reverb in my songs in general, with this one I wanted to try quite the opposite so it could sound somewhat firm. Would've been a totally different song if it wasn't like that.
Thanks once more Spadezer!

[Plümmet]

This is an official NGADM '19 Review

Composition:
Beautiful piano work at the beginning and instantly sets the tone for the piece. There's a lot of really intricate accents and annotations happening with everything at the beginning and sounds super delicious. I love the experimentation you guys did, because it really makes this stand out and sounds fresh. This still sounds familiarly like a 1f1n1ty song, but it's not a repeat. Like for example, using the chord at 1:09. Totally unexpected and didn't need to use it again, but then you go into 1:20 just throwing chords around and changing up the structure a lot to make it feel really floaty and unguided, but in a good way.

Production and Sound Design:
Everything felt a true presence with a gentle but firm impression. The piano and strings at the beginning set a good tone for how this whole song feels. Warm, and inviting, but everything felt really solid and defined into where they needed to be. And then you brought in some bells and synths to make it feel really bright and light. Even the bass supports the bottom in a somewhat lighthearted but solid foundation. I really like which percussion you chose. To be nitpicky, I only wish that the kick in the 2:12 section had a little more defined top end.

Structure:
Again, I can't get enough of that intro. It makes me jealous of wanting to be able to produce something like that. It brings in so much emotion. There's great use of motifs happening in the background everywhere, but I most enjoyed how the middle section of the song is a reversed / rewind progression of the beginning that flows so well. I did have a small issue with 2:50 to about 3:20. By itself it's a fine section, but in the context of what it's surrounding it I wish it had carried more energy. Maybe taking a few synths or sounds up an octave would get it right. It still compliments the song, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't feel super huge and climatic, but that could also be my tendencies to why I like super huge melodic dubstep songs which is a little different compared to this.

Emotion / Conclusion:
I want to collab with you guys, so that possibly some of this rubs off on me

Composition: 10

Production: 9

Sound Design: 9

Structure: 9

Emotion: 9

tailspun responds:

nice!!! immensely helpful, tysm ( :

[Affliction]

This is an official NGADM '19 Review

Composition:
The riffs are nice and heavy, and you get nice grooves going that really gets my head banging. I wasn't anything super complex, which is ok, but I felt like for a NGADM contest setting you could have tried a little more (I am keeping in mind though that this sounds like a recording and the guitar work is super clean). I also kinda say that because it feels like it's left open areas where vocals could work, which gives it this sense of that there's more potential you could have tapped into, but ended up feeling a little reserved. I really like 2:22 - 2:58 though. Nice contrast with the rest of the song.

Production and Sound Design:
I'm really liking how this sounds. You have the right sound for this, but I think there's some cleaning up you could do. The kick is nice and thumpy, but the whole drumset I wish had a little more punch in the mix. The guitars are cool and remind me a little bit of Amon Amarth, but I think some of the low frequencies might be fighting with the bass a little. The balancing is pretty decent though, and I can imagine this as a finished product and really something I would be proud of showing to friends. I just don't think it's something I would expect to hear on the radio.

Structure:
You have a good strong intro that sets a nice tone for the song, and you really keep to using that beginning motif periodically through the song, and I like how it progresses. What you're trying out with different ideas makes it flow really nice and I think you pulled them off really well

Emotion / Conclusion:
I like metal and this is really solid. I think there could be a little work left to make it pop, but I still think you should be proud of this.

Composition: 7

Production: 8

Sound Design: 8

Structure: 9

Emotion: 8

JDawg00100 responds:

Thank you for the detailed review! I appreciate the kind words and critiques. The funny thing about this years NGADM is I wasn't planning on joining. But I haven't been making music anymore at all. Signing up was a way to force myself to get back into it, and I even bought ggd drums so I was pretty much starting all the way over. So I'm pretty proud of myself, even though I feel like I still have a ways to go. :)

[Interlude For The Day]

This is an official NGADM '19 Review

Composition:
I'm really digging this jazzy feel you got going on. Super intricate chord work and really compliments the melody you have going for this. You had me hooked in at 0:20, which set a great tone for the rest of the song, and I ate up what you were doing. There was really good moments were it was a steady beat, but every moment had a nice jazzy fresh take going on and led me along for the whole ride. No complaints from me.

Production and Sound Design:
Super clean mixing. Everything fit really nicely and complimented the composition really well. If anything I feel like the piano should be mixed more to the high end, but really it's only a preference thing because it fits great even the way it is. You do a really nice job of managing the energy through the mixing and balancing too

Structure:
Oh man this needs to be longer. Like I mentioned earlier, there's really great dynamics happening with the energy, and it all has really nice flow. But this song is begging to have more progression.

Emotion / Conclusion:
Really light, but fresh style. It's not unfamiliar, but like I've said I can't get enough of this.

Composition: 9

Production: 9

Sound Design: 10

Structure: 7

Emotion: 9

vocaloutburst responds:

Thanks a bunch for the review! Definitely wanted to make it a bit longer but I was running out of time, I'll probably (hopefully) extend and finish it sometime soon!

[Lost Joy]

This is an official NGADM '19 Review

Composition:
Don't ever let me stop you from making waltzes. Making this a piano piece was a really cool different take on what you normally do, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This had a nice fresh take and there was some great emotion behind it. I really enjoyed having it play on repeat and pick up a new thing here and there. Never got tired of listening to this.

Production and Sound Design:
Not much to work with here since it's mostly a piano and fiddle. However, it sounds nicely polished and realistic. Instantly through me into the environment you were working in.

Structure:
Ugh this needs to be longer. Especially since you added the fiddle into it, that alone gave it the feeling of a lot more potential to develop. This had good flow and I was really enjoying how it developed.

Emotion / Conclusion:
It felt more like a waltz-like Bach piece than an Everratic piece. Lots of emotion and the potential for some serious good composition like you were already displaying in this. I'm super proud to have heard this.

Composition: 9

Production: 8

Sound Design: 9

Structure: 8

Emotion: 10

Everratic responds:

Don't worry, I'll continue composing in 3/4, but you're right in that I shouldn't get too comfortable with one particular style.

I wish I could have made this longer, but my fingers were hurting too much :(

Saying my music reminds you of Bach's is a great compliment.

Thank you for the review!

[Sanctum]

This is an official NGADM '19 Review

Composition:
You've already won me over just to the fact it's some good clean rock lol. I like seeing it in this contest, but you're also doing it right. It wasn't much that was super complex IMO, but the performance was really clean and tight.

Production and Sound Design:
A lot of what I feel makes or breaks a mix with rock I feel is the drums, and you've got them down. They're crisp and thumpy, and oh so delicious. Maybe the only thing I'd tweak is something like the splash you're using in the 2:58 section. I really like the sound of the guitars that you're using. They sound really professional and dialed in

Structure:
I feel like this is the weakest part of the song. Mostly because it felt like a rock ballad that was missing an overall lead or vocals on top of the composition. However there's some really nice and notable sections, like 1:15 and 2:58 where you get it right.

Emotion / Conclusion:
I really enjoyed listening to this. It struck right where it needed to on most cases and sounded really good doing it. I feel like there could have been more, but I think more rock song should sound like this in NGADM.

Composition: 9

Production: 9

Sound Design: 9

Structure: 7

Emotion: 8

JDawg00100 responds:

Thank you for the detailed review :)