ForgottenDawn's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[JustnotEnough]

Sometimes we don't need elaborate pieces to enjoy beauty within simplicity. Even though you claim to be a beginner, you have the potential of becoming a skilled artist given enough time and experience.

The composition is varied and enjoyable, but it is marred by a below-average production value and a general lack of cohesion between the various sections. The quality of the samples themselves don't constitute my verdict, although I would definitely look for a better hi-hat and a less edgy bass sound.

As a final note, it is not the picture itself that makes it a questionable choice, rather the relatively upbeat track you've composed inspired by the not-as-friendly picture.
//FD

bolisa responds:

Yeah you are right, the hi-hats and the bass are not that good. And its true. I AM a beginner. But thanks for saying that i have the potential of becoming a skilled artist given enough time and experience. I'll keep producing, and hopefully i'll get better. ;)

[Darkest Hour]

It's an interesting track, reminiscent of old adventure games, especially roguelikes and strategy games. It also oddly reminded me of Burzum in his electronic days, if you've ever heard of him.

Anyways, enough with the memorabilia. My only real complaint for this track is that it sounds quite loud to me, and I wish you had given to this piece a more dynamic range and a place for your ears to rest for a little while, possibly giving enough space for more atmosphere and instruments. It is important to give a fair amount of prominence to your instruments, especially if they tell a story, but it's also best to keep your sounds at a fair level so that one does not outshine the other. The drum hits, the crow sound effect, the flute-like instrument, they're all quite overpowering in the mix.
I enjoyed the composition overall, and it's a fairly evocative piece. Keep it up,
//FD

[Final Battle]

It definitely feels like a battle-driven song, enough for an intense action-packed scene from either a motion picture or a video game. It's pretty fitting of Madness after all.

I like the guitar riffs throughout the whole piece and how the basic layering is performed. Probably the master track suffers from compression issues that can be noticed if you take a closer look at the cymbals and hats. Becomes especially noticeable during the bigger transitions, even though overall, the song is still decently mastered.

The drums however feel rather weak compared to the much more prominent guitars which drive the melody to the point you wish you'd offer a little bit more than that, like a different chord progression or a new theme. What seemed to be a slight breakdown at around 1:50 could have been a good chance to throw in some more layered guitars, possibly bursting out into a solo in the next section.

It is still a nice effort that constitutes a refreshing change of pace from what I've heard from the contest so far.
//FD

[Crime FighterZ]

It is indeed an interesting and fun piece that could work in one of those "casino" stages in the Sonic franchise. What may lack in depth, it compensates with a catchy dance groove that stretches through the whole song. I enjoyed the somewhat varied structure of the piece as well as the melodic, bouncy vibes that it gives, although I wished it would offer something slightly beyond that formula.

Perhaps a more complex progression and the introduction of more sounds would have helped keeping this song fresh enough, without giving around pattern recycling too much. Background ambiances and synths can also create some interesting undertones. In fact, giving the listener the opportunity to "switch" between different layers of focus is a sign of great attention for detail, as well as definitely enhancing the experience because by then, you'd want to play it again just to hear a detail you missed.

Overall, good job
//FD

DuttonsaysHi responds:

Hey thanks for the helpful tips man! Yeah I totally agree with the repetition issue :c The original idea was to have vocals so I structured the song as such. I wanted to have some glitchy rap style vocals (something like Hideki Naganumas work) but that backfired since I couldn't find any fitting samples or anybody to work with.

I tried restructuring it by adding new segments but they all felt disjointed and out of place but I figured that would loose me some points so I tried playing it safe, I guess that backfired xD

Still thank you for the honest review! I 'll try more variation next time.

[Watching Cars Drift By]

While I'm quite the enthusiast when it comes to textural pieces and soundscapes, I must regretfully point out that your piece doesn't offer much in terms of expression and composition. Nine minutes of a single drone and sound effects of cars passing by may sound thrilling for the first two minutes but it makes you wish for more than that.

They indeed make a good transitional, evocative ambiance if put in a more complex context with some actual melody and music. Here it's just like what the nature of drones is about: a blurred line between sound and music, that behaves as either of the two according to the listener's focus.
//FD

[Spacewalk]

It's a nice melodic track, nothing extraordinary but pleasant enough for a spacewalk, if that's ever going to happen in the future.

Terrible puns aside, I like the electronic atmosphere you gave to the piece while giving enough space for more organic instruments to join in without detracting from the experience. Maybe the lead synth is a bit too "edgy" for such a spacey track while everything else stays quite smooth and mellow throughout. The structure allows little variety, with the slight transition at 1:40 that feels quite refreshing but it doesn't save the piece from being quite repetitive overall.

It's a good effort that neither shines nor fails in its intent of providing an uplifting groovy ambiance for a mind trip to the heavens and beyond.
//FD

[The Journey]

Well, I think there's still quite some work to be done here, without regurgitating what has already been said.

I don't want to sound harsh because I figured you're probably just starting or you have good ideas but you need to find the right combination of factors that ultimately constitutes an elaborate piece. In fact I'm not even expecting something overly complex, but I can barely find something here that hints at a coherent structure and progression, let alone an inspiring melody.

My suggestion is to play around some more with the instruments you have, trying chords, layering different melodies and sounds that together form a pleasant harmonic context and experience. There are many ways you can start a song, and there's no best solution to a problem. I'm sure the concept of "Madness" can be expressed in myriads of ways, but I think you should focus more on the basic aspects of composition and try to bring your track more solidity and depth.

//FD

[Gray...]

I find this piece to be a little more coherent than your previous effort. It sounds like a lullaby that has yet to find its child, for its strength doesn't lie in being experimental but it sounds "intimate", as if it's whispering through your ears. I'm a bit unsure at what you wanted to achieve with the change at 1:30, as I feel it is slightly out of place in a generally tranquil context, despite the dark lyrics.

I would have loved if the guitar had a bit more of atmosphere, giving it a distant, out-of-reach feel, like something you wish you'd approach in times of depression but you don't have yet the strength to raise yourself from the ground and fight for your dreams.
//FD

[Cthulhu]

Cthulhu's elevator could probably use this track as a background while planning world domination. Jokes aside, I like the general groove you gave with your guitars that sound pretty retro and if you wish mildly psychedelic. I didn't like how transitions between the main groove and the middle section of the song were handled here, as the different chords overlapped creating an unpleasant sound. It's quite a pity because the song itself had an interesting flow which also had enough potential to become a more elaborated, layered track even Cthulhu would love chilling to. Adding more guitar patterns, mixing acoustic and electric, guitar pads, the possibilities are endless.
But no matter, keep it up and good playing.
//FD

[Glitch,Blues.Baby!]

It's an interesting track, I'll give you that. Jazzy, lounge-like vibes meet modern electronic music. I absolutely love the glitched drums throughout the whole track with those rare dubstep bass wobbles here and there, and I think the fusion-oriented sound overall seems to work in this context.

I must however point out a couple of flaws, such as the general mix being a little too over compressed and loud that doesn't give much rest to your ears, and I definitely would have loved a more dynamic track speaking of mastering. The vocal samples while fitting, they suffer from the aforementioned problem and they sound a little too prominent compared to even the drums. The piano does its job quite decently although it doesn't really offer much in terms of composition and atmosphere. Smoothing the transitions could have also helped making this song more flowing and organic, perhaps by adding some sound effects and glitching them out, playing with stereo panning and bitcrushing. Just suggestions for the future.

Keep on experimenting with this idea, as I'm looking forward to hearing more.
//FD

YouriX responds:

Thank you very for the indepth review. You gave some very usefull information. Mixing was always a weak point of mine. But i am working on it. Thanks again for the wonderfull review and hope to see you review my work again in the future!