I downloaded and finally decided to come back and rave about how awesome it is! It reminds me a bit of both the soundtrack from the first StarWars and the soundtrack from that old N64 game Jet Force Gemini. Both were awesome soundtracks, and this piece is awesome as well.
You could always amp the volume in an external program like Audacity. Anyway, awesome work! Very different, very unique!
Okay, so I absolutely love this piece. I downloaded it off-hand while trolling the contest boards, and after a serious listen, I had to come back and review.
So why do I like it? I find this song absolutely clever, and fantastically inspiring. The intro does a amazing job of setting the mood, I love the interplay between the piano and harp. The first hints of the melody are tantalizing; it's like the hook of a good murder mystery, you have to keep going to see where the author takes it.
The track also has qualities in it that remind me a lot of Hans Zimmer works, it is very fluid and easy to listen to. The soundscape is also very well developed, and interestingly enough, this sounds just as pleasing on my cheesy laptop speakers as it does on Sennheisers (although it does sound better on the latter...). This is interesting to note, as it is rare that songs sound good no matter the hardware.
I also love the depth of this track, it can be listened to superficially as a sort of 'background music', or it can be intently focused on. When you choose to focus on it, you will continue to find layers that you never noticed before - it is a real treat. haha.
Although my favorite section is 3:28 onward, the different parts of this piece all complement each other. I also really enjoy the intro and outtro, but although all of the different parts would sound perfectly fine on their own, I think their product is more than the sum of their parts. Which goes back to the 'fantastically clever' bit from earlier.
Musical genius, if you ask me. I am glad I found this track, it is definitely a new favorite. Dashingly good show, sir :)
-Cameron
Thanks a ton for this great review! I love it when a listener has very clearly listened critically and attentively... and still really enjoyed the piece ;)
Cheers!
Digging the style
I do very much like the ambient style the song is written in. The low volume levels don't affect me negatively, in that it almost fits the style of the song (not to suggest that a tad of vol increase wont hurt).
I really hope you keep it up! I havn't seen much from you in the last year, and I do like your flavor of music.
Thanks! I pretty much gave up on Newgrounds for several reasons, though I'm still writing and will have my stuff up and running on Soundcloud soon.
Classic foot tapper!
Its a damn shame, another good song and you still dont have any reviews. Well, i decided that this track was definetely worthy of one so I decided to write one myself :)
As for the track in general, it was an absolutely epic dance song. I could immediately see this as a hard rave track to be blasted in some club somewhere. You even got all the elements right: a 4x4 bass drum and snare, a hard hitting bass line, and very simple leads and fills with alot of 'color' to them.
I will be honest though: I dont much like 1:35 on. The song loses alot of momentum when it just ends like that, and even though the beat comes back (kinda awkwardly I might add), I just dont like the whole transition in general. And not just the transition, but I dont much like the fill that follows it either (at 2:08), it just sounds completely out of place to me. Although I have trouble placing my finger on exactly what sounds wrong, it just seems to lack the whole 'kickass rave party' feeling.
Another minor complaint: The song can get a bit noisy at times, especially when you have a snare roll over all the highhats with such a heavy reverb :p
Idea: Maybe you could make the snares just a tad less strong on the higher frequencies? I think it would really help the 'listenability'.
I wish I could make the review longer, but there isnt much else to review (the song isnt particularly complicated and it doesnt variate much either). What is there though, I do very much like (minus that middle section of course). And again, you are very good with the effects (less obvious in this track, but still evident).
Keep up the good work man!
Main track - 8.5/10
Middle section (the part I dont like) 6/10
Overall - 8/10
Congrats man, and keep up the good work!
BTW: I actually uploaded some of my stuff now! ^^ Maybe I could get you to check it out?
-Cameron
Thoroughly enjoyed!
Alright! This is the best track Ive heard tonight, I gotta review :)
First : The synth bass doesnt keep the track from being classical ...but the beat in accordance with the ARRANGEMENT of the synth bass kinda does :P
Lets get to business:
Percussion:
Gets very old fast. Yes, you did switch up the bass drum a bit, but I still think it needs more variation in the beat department. As to the arrangement, it was a mainstream techno beat. Nothing to say there.
I did like that (insert name of w/e the hell that thing is at the end here) at 2:25. Nice touch :)
Strings:
Lol, I bet your string sample shipped with your program :)
Seriously man, if your gonna use a generic sample (like the one used in your strings), at least do something to disguise it! Make it your own! I hate it when people can recognize what VSTi or sample your using just by listening to it for a few seconds. So, a suggestion in 'originalization' (made that word up myself), is to make the strings brighter. Even the smallest change in the equalization can seriously improve a track. Bring in some of the higher frequencies (not too much though, dont wanna distract from the rest of the song ;) )!
Piano:
I really dont like pianos when they have a strong, noticeable echo on them, it makes them seem too artificial and reminds me that im not listening to a studio track (and rather to a track made by some artist in his spare time).
Its okay in certain parts though when its not so obvious, like in 0:34 - 0:47. But parts like 0:07 - 0:20 is just killing it for me. So, maybe you could turn it down, even if it was just for those 'strong' moments? If so, I think it would greatly improve the listenability of your tune :)
Panflute:
This made it for me and pretty much sealed your 9. I love the panflute :)
Even if you did use it as more of a fill... :/
(I was gonna give you an 8, but I thought it was a nice touch)
Overall:
Loved the track, I think it could do with a few minor improvements, but otherwise...
8.75 / 10
4/5
Side note: When I listened to this, you had one vote and it was a 2. I voted a five (just to see what it would do) and it instantly brought you up to a 4.17 ;)
Also: If you get the chance, check some of my stuff out. Im looking for reviews myself :)
-Cameron
Wow, i have to say this is the best reveiw ive ever had... (Due to its detail and length :P)
I have to say im impressed on how thoroughly (however thats spelt O_o) you analysed the track, i love reading long reveiws ^^
I made the piano fairly strong because i had it very weak at first and it made the track feel quite empty, so i raised its volume a little. I might lower it a bit, i dunno.
The strings did come with the program - but are in a format that i have no idea how to edit. They have a few filters on them but only one or two.
The piano had an echo because if its done well, then it can sound realistic, but i geuss i put it on a bit too strongly.
The percussion i admit did need a bit of work, although everything i did didnt sound to good. I geuss i just like that beat ^^
So, thankyou for taking the time to write a reveiw :)
Atypical for DnB
Okay, so overall this is a very nice track. I admire your use of vocals and the way you used them with the guitar to add an ethereal overtone to the track. I will warn you though, its this overtone combined with the really slow tempo (for a DnB track neway) that makes it seem (to me anyway) more of a hyped ambient track than a slow DnB track.
Drums:
The drums track were good, nothing impressive, but good. It confuses me though, it seems like nothing was really done to the drums to make them stand out above everything else. Thats half of why I dont think this track really fits the DnB genre well; in a DnB track, the drums tend to be the focal point of the song. In this track though, you can easily lose track of them among everything else and theres no real creativity in them that I can see.
And then theres the break. Now, ive never much liked breaks at all, but usually when you hear breaks in a song (especially a DnB) song, there is variety in them. I hear one break that you recycled throughout this entire song, and its monotony is starting to hurt my ears (even if you did chop it up towards the end). I would have liked to hear either other breaks in the song, or the abscence of the break altogether and the void filled with other drums (ethnic drums would be a good place to start, the vocals and guitar already suggest an ethnic track to begin with).
Bass:
It seems just a little bit melodic to my ears, and almost too constant. As the other main component in a DnB track, I would like to hear the bass play a more prominent part in the track as the drums complement, rather than alternating back and forth between two notes over and over again for the entirety of the song. Im wont deny that the bass was there, it just blended in to well, if you see what I mean.
Overall:
The track wasnt as hard hitting as I would have liked, and it seemed emphasis was placed on the wrong instruments for a DnB song, but it was otherwise a very good song. Also, I want to say something about your choice of title. I think a title like 'Damn Right!' would be more fitting for a high-energy, very heavy-hitting song, and definitely not any song with vocals in it like "We are here, and we wait for the sun to go down." :)
Maybe 'Twilight' would fit better?
To sum it up: Its a good song, just not a good DnB song. (I like it anyway though!)
As a DnB song : 7
As a song period : 9
So you get an 8
...But I 5'd neway :)
-Cameron
Whhoa. Now This is a review!
Vocals: I took the vocals from another song, so to match my tempo, I had two options - make them slower or almost 2 times faster (which sounded rediculous).
Drums: Maybe they don't stand out, but I certanly put a big effort in them. Must admit, however, that the amen break was shuffled too much and also I may put too much high-end to the drums (white noise + reversed cymbals).
Bass: I completely agree with you on this one. I was more focused on the sound of the bass rather than the automation.
Title: I did that to make more listens ;) Actually, at first it was called "See the Sun", but I got barely 7 listens total. The next day I re-uploaded it under "Damn Right!" and everything went smooth (kinda cheat, but hey, nobody's perfect :)).
I'd also like to add, that this is my 1st serious and finished dnb, so it's just natural that there are some holes.
Thank you for the enormous review. I really appreciate reviews where people have really something to say (like yours and the one below). Not just "Yor SongZ is sooooOO keWL"...
Probably your most listenable tune!
And my personal favorite out of all of your tracks. This one is completely devoid of anything that seems out of place, including any random major turnarounds or tangents mid-song.
My only major complaint:
The first six notes of the fill that drops at 0:48 seem off key. I cant really tell about teh next six notes, but they dont really offend if they are.
I like you used a more original bass, using instruments instead oof sidechains. Also, while the bass remains pretty much constant throughout the song, you did change it up a couple times (like at 1:01) keeping it interesting.
Only real complaint here is that the second bass instrument that you layered over the first (drops at 0:20) seems a bit overpowering and will drown out other instruments later on in the song.
A second minor complaint in this general category is that the bass drum appears to me to start at a frequency that is a little too high. A gently-applied 2 pole lowpass filter should help clean this up.
Just a request, I thing this song would be much more impressive if you had developed the drums more. I would have liked to see a snare drop in eventually (1:15 would be a great spot), and some variation in the highhat (like an addition of a closed one) would be a very nice touch to keeping the drums fresh (they seem a bit stagnant to me).
Another minor complaint: The ending could be more exciting, right now the song just kinda... ends :\
Overall, you got something good here. Work on that third fill, master it up a bit, and add some variation and this track would be pretty damn hot :)
7.5/10
4/10 (even though I voted five =] )
-Cameron
Has potential, but needs a good bit of work.
This one was confusing, im not completely sure where to start.
Overall:
I like the intro, and the lead that drops at 0:12 is very mainstream techno-ish, but the fill that comes in (rather abruptly, I must say) at 0:38 seems off key with the first lead. From there, it seems to progress into a sort of 'noise', which is greatly accelerated by the guitar synth and the robotic modem-ish sound that drops soon after. It seems to start to clean itself up around 1:25, soon to make an abrupt change-of-direction (almost characteristic of your tracks lol ) when the guitar returns at 2:05. And from then on when the original lead returns (rather off key) at 2:39, it re-begins its progression back into 'noise'.
I will note that I do like the clap-ish sound that drops at 0:25, it keeps the beat kinda fresh for me
Suggestions:
-Add a low pass filter to the guitar, it seems to have too much of the higher frequencies, which further compounds the 'noise' issue.
-Create a soundscape. If you give the fills different pans, it will help alleviate the fighting between the instuments (what is primarily responsible for making the song sound noisy), and at the same time accentuate the actual leads (many times I had no idea what the leads were).
-Play the leads on a different octave from any of the rest of the instruments currently playing. This will also help the lead stand out more.
-Figure out a general direction for the song and stick to it. (It almost sounds like the song is wandering)
Summary:
Give this track a good cleaning up and you might have something nice!
Let me know when you do and ill be happy to review it again :)
Hope this was helpful...
-Cameron
Lol! A hybrid, very nice!
I have to give you props, I dont think ive heard but one other attempt at giving techno a caribbean flavor. Points for originality :)
The intro was interesting, but I am not quite sure it fits the song. At least it does flow, sort of...
The hard techno bass drum made the song seem like it was about to be a dance song for a second until the steel drums dropped.
Side note : Its almost like all your songs have a rediculous case of an identity crisis! Like I can get down with the whole hybrid techno-with-flavor thing, but at 1:15 (and 1:57) this otherworldly space pad drops out of nowhere that seems like it belongs more in an ambient space-themed track than anything else.
But points cuz when I heard it I literally busted out laughing :)
This song also seems empty, like it needs more meat to it. A bandaid solution to this might be to add a slight (keyword: slight!) reverb to the steel drums to make them sound more 'roomy', but I would still suggest something more substantial be done later to the song to fix this.
Also, mastering could seriously help a track like this in all aspects. I cant suggest anything to you as far as mastering goes because the list would be too long, but I would place most emphasis on creating a soundscape (the song seems completely devoid of one).
And lastly, this track could also benefit from some knowledge in scales.
Its a good idea, it just needs alot of work. So you get a seven :)
Seemed Promising.
Judging from the name of your track, the bells seem like they were supposed to be the centerpiece of your track, but they completely ruin it for me. Ironically, I actually found them to be the worst part of your track. (This hurts me to say because I really like bells too.)
First, they sound completely flat and off key, and not just slightly flat or off, but as if you tried to make them as flat and off as you could. Second, they sound absolutely cheap, so I would suggest either replacing them with a multisampled bell or a synth to improve the dynamics. (The best kinds of synths for bell sounds seem to be FM synths, so find yourself something like Vivaldi or Ganymed.)
The song seems random and confused, like it has no clue which direction it wants to go in. The first 0 - 1:16 sounds like its going to be a fear-instilling, hyped, sort of dark track that might be fitting for a fight with a final boss or something (ignoring the mood-killing bells, of course) but then from then on it sounds like noise, like I seriously cant even catagorize the rest of the song. But as if that wasnt enough, it returns to the original starting theme at 3:12 into the song. Its almost like my little sister who will decide to paint her room, try every color under the rainbow, and then decide she liked the original color best.
So enough with the wrong, some suggestions:
-A better bell sample
-Finding a general song direction and maintaining it throughout the song (0:56 to 1:16 seems like a good place to start)
-Maybe learning a bit about music theory? (Particularly scales, it might help you get those bells to fit your song better)
-A longer envelope sustain time on the chorus-type instrument that drops around 1:04 (Every time you change notes, you can hear a pop. This should stop that.)
Other than that, just keep trying. Minus the bell sequence, I did actually like the general mood of the first minute of the track. Build on that and you could have something hot, but I would suggest you nix almost everything after that first minute and fifteen seconds.
Age 31, Male
*Still getting one*
South Granville High
North Carolina, USA
Joined on 1/27/08
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