ForgottenDawn's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM - Bellowers of Grief]

'Atmospheric' is what comes to mind upon hearing this piece. Definitely not an easy achievement with a purely digital orchestra and such subtle dynamics. I can tell that some smart choices were made here to avert muddying everything in reverb and still ensure that each layer carries enough presence and emotional punch in the mix, the lack of which is a rather common mistake. I had to relisten to this a number of times just to catch some tiny detail I may have missed in my previous runs. That's the mark of an intentional, controlled piece that is a joy to listen on both monitors and headphones. Jeremy Soule vibes all the way through, except that compared to the Skyrim soundtrack, I can actually hear every instrument crystal clear.

Everratic responds:

Thank you, this means a lot coming from you!

I actually like how some Skyrim songs have so many layers that it creates this large multi-timbral ensemble sound. I have no idea how to create that effect in a pleasing way.

[Deep Sinker]

It's been a while. Haven't heard your piano solos in years. I certainly missed the romanticism in your impromptu mood pieces—less of a technical show-off, and more like swashes of color, a painting in aural form. A dreamy piano, able to capture on its own the magic of an entire orchestra. And just like that, I snap back into reality as soon as the reverie ends.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hey, it's great to hear from you! I feel like you described my approach eerily well, although I might not describe it as nicely myself :'D
I've uploaded less as I've been (and will be) working on a mystery project for some time. I hope to try to do more on NG, as well. I'll make sure to check out some of your later work as well, as it has indeed been a while, and I miss your sound too :3

[AIM - Moments In Life]

Serene and pastoral. It makes me think of better times, complementing the inspirational art piece well. I'm happy you decided to finish this piece, as I heard a preview of your work and looked forward to hearing it fleshed out.

AceMantra responds:

Thanks, friend! I'm happy you enjoyed it. I had more ideas for this piece, but I left them out due to time, and deciding to make this last minute. I'm happy with it though.

Thanks for listening! :)

[Débonnaire Inc.]

Jazz'n'Bass, I'm digging it. It seems like we've come full circle in developing the genre: we started by sampling a drum break from a 60's R&B/Soul instrumental, branched out to include more chopped up drum breaks, textures and even jazz elements in the mid-90's, and now we're straight up slapping drum breaks to a jazz track. And the drummer isn't even in the wrong gig! 😂 Yeah, this is a fun track to listen to. I like the overall playfulness and even vaguely casino/big band vibe of the brass section. If the Cuphead and Ape Escape soundtracks had a baby, there's a chance it might have sounded like this. Just brilliant.

Daru925 responds:

Glad you liked it, i had similar "full circle" thoughts, when trying to create that classic dnb shuffle from scratch, and checking if the double bass can/should evoke a reese bass ahah^^
I had some childhoold warner bros cartoons in mind when composing, so the cuphead analogy isn't far off.
Yeah stacking 7th chords in the background gave that stereotype tuxedo big band foundation instantly^^ I know it's infinitely more complex than that, but for next time :D

[Vanitae]

I think it's an interesting interpretation of Gregorian chants, befitting more a cinematic score with Gregorian elements. This is, in fact, more complex and layered than what I would expect a Gregorian chant to sound like, which is usually monodic. The melody itself is quite beautiful and solemn—I don't find the chords cheesy at all, as some stylistic choices do add some interesting colors to otherwise dare I say predictable progressions. Case in point here at 0:43 (is that a Dmaj6/9?), and 01:07 followed by a gorgeous resolution. My verdict is that there's more than meets the eye, and I think this is a good example of a track that does just enough to make the storytelling feel more endearing than you would expect.

nyxl responds:

Thanks for your comment! I agree with what you wrote, Gregorian Chant is usually monodic, but I really like pretty chords. 0:43 is Dmaj7/9 indeed and 1:07 is Gmaj7/9 into Aadd9.

[▩harmonograph]

It bounces. It slaps. It funks. What more can you ask? I know precisely nothing about the genre except that it's a thing that exists in the universe, so my feedback is more of a first impression than any sort of analysis on the track. What I heard sounded fun to me with a certain degree of unpredictability to keep my ears engaged and interested. The funky bass line is certainly the highlight, for me; it's just really fun to listen to and I think it's also processed really well. For 1:06 there's certainly quite a lot to unpack and I think that in itself is an achievement.

xetto responds:

thanks for the kind words!

[Apartment 1987 (NGAIC LAYER 5)]

This is really cool. I don't think I've ever heard a synthwave track with such a long, cinematic intro until now. I like how it really takes its time to set the right tone and expectations for the second half. Even if the waveform ultimately spoils the track development, I kept asking myself where it's heading to, and I love that kind of anticipation. I don't have much to say on the synthwave part itself, as I think it sounds pretty good and very much in line with the genre. I was mostly engrossed by the intro and how I thought including some field recordings was a smart choice for this type of setup. I'd only be a little more careful with the mids at around 1:32 - 1:46; I think some taming would be nice here. Overall, awesome job!

CryNN responds:

I totally agree with your review. I shouldve made the automation more smooth and more flowy with the filtering. Thank you!

[Journey deep into the ijskast]

This sounds pretty authentic to me. The genre's accessibility allows for a wide variety of interpretations and stylistic approaches. For some, like in your entry, the 90's "MIDI-ness", the almost bare bone melodic and structural simplicity, and the DnD medieval fantasy vibe just adds to the charm. I, for one, love it.

SirSandman0 responds:

thanks!

[2049 AD - Home Appliances Uprising]

M O R T I S

"How many genres do you want in your track?" "Yes."
One of the most unique entries I've heard in this Layer. Just the concept of smart appliances rebelling against their owners is amusing enough on its own, then you just had to hit me with the sheer variety of the instrumentals. Really solid sound design work all the way through.

Daru925 responds:

"yes" haha^^
Thanks for listening, appreciate the kind words and feedback coming from a talented artist like you :)

[Blaze Of Beheaded Fungi]

The Cure - A Forest / Joy Division - Disorder flashbacks all over while listening. I love the driving pace of this. I think you've nailed the genre; it's such a fun piece to listen to. Production is also spot on, as it sounds convincingly 80's enough to me, down to the gated verb on the snare drum and overall thin and slightly trebly mix. The track just flew by as I was writing this, so I'm just gonna say that you did a really nice job putting all of these different elements together.

xZiriusX responds:

I haven't heard those songs in a long while actually, but I surely had my era when it was all i listened to hehe.