ForgottenDawn's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Dream of a Robot]

Beeb boop
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This is how a robot would dream, have fun translating it. :3

It's an unusually happy track for Robot Day, reminding me of old stuff like Animusic, ever heard of that? Very synth-heavy and melodic stuff. No qualms about the mixing, I think it's pretty nice. It's nice to see such fierce competition this year :)

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Boop Beep
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I had fun translating, thanks! :3

Yeah, at first I was distraught when I noticed all the other tracks sounded much more heavily industrial and/or dubstep-ish. But I decided that it's fine, at least my track is a bit more unique :)
All the other tracks are great though, including yours! A lot of competition indeed.

If this is what you're talking about, then yeah, I've heard of it XD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyCIpKAIFyo

Good to hear the mixing seems fine.
Thanks a lot for the review!!

[Re-Booting]

It sounds as if F-Zero and Metroid had a baby and started making video game soundtracks. It's a nice theme, and the only thing I'd point out would be to not suffocate the synths so much. They sound as if they have trouble standing out compared to the kick drum and the bass frequencies, it's probably the limiter's fault if there's any. Good job either way!

DESHIEL responds:

I was aiming for a sound that is enjoyable to all possible audiences. :)

[~SW~ The Brain Cycle]

Hey there, good thing you're back!

I like this track. At times gentle, at times in-your-face, and I definitely enjoy the variety of moods you're offering. I only think the drums in the part after 1:00 could have been more synthesized and less hissing, with shorter, more straightforward samples. In fact, the sort of breakdown that follows is just perfect I think because those kind of cymbals blend really well with the atmosphere.

But hey, just nit-picking. You can definitely music again.
//FD

SkyeWint responds:

Hey there, yourself! Thought I'd leave a response here even though we're currently talking. Because why not. Nitpicks are just as fine as calling out big errors. :P They both help.

[CTSG4: Anniversary Edition]

It was a fun experiment, everyone did a fine job capturing a specific time in NG's history, so pats on our shoulder guys.

(Mich's part tho... ;3)

[No Smoking]

Slowdive, Codeine, Low, Red House Painters, My Bloody Valentine, all good music I've had a chance to discover over the years and I think this track is indeed a nice nod to all that '90s anti-grunge slowfest psychedelic pinkaboob jazz and what-not.

This is really nice and I enjoy the layered guitars making it all very sweet and gentle, but I can see Quarl's complaint here: you decided to put a fade-out during the song's atmospheric climax basically.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm no elitist when it comes to fade-outs or repetition or whatever other convention or musical trope, but I think here you could have added like an extra two bars, spiked the volume at the end a little bit, and then just left all the guitar + reverb tail. It's very '90s, and indeed a very logical conclusion to such a laid-back tune.

But hey mate, it's pure nit-picking. Keep making this stuff and now I'll get back to Low - Shame.

Cheers
//FD

[~SW~ Float]

Very interesting effort, indeed. It feels very lighthearted - at least to my ears - and it welcomes a wealth of different sounds and atmospheres, though the core remains the same throughout the whole ambiance. I'd say you have succeeded in creating an oneiric sound that feels as one, and the extensive mastering and mixing just shows you're perfectly capable of creating these worlds.

Even though it's mostly a textural track with a very melodic basis (a trademark of your creations), the slow progression I think gives slightly more meaning and a place for your mind to just get carried away without ever feeling distressed or "bored" by the relative repetition. As an experiment, it is very well thought and it just bursts with content.

My missing half star would be for the fact that there is some solid ground for experimenting with something going beyond this vision, like vocals (not necessarily sang vocals), various sound effects that could give your track a more enigmatic and mysterious feel - like blurring the line between dream and reality as soon as you wake up, you're struggling to make sense and regain consciousness, using unconventional instruments that may have peculiar timbral qualities as to give your track a "foreign but still familiar" kind of sensation. There are surely many ways to explore a soundscape and this is by no means an underdeveloped piece. It might be just me in the end, but that's my job mate: to be a dreamer in a world of shadows.

Overall, fantastic job
//FD

SkyeWint responds:

I AM SO UNHAPPY THAT I COULDN'T GET VOCALS WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT. :(

Since we talked on Skype, I'm just going to say "thanks".

[The Nightingale Order]

This is really good, and I absolutely love the dramatic build-up following 1:10. I think the highlights of this piece are easily the percussion work and the ever changing progression. It feels however a little hollow in terms of a climax and in fact I would have loved something really engaging - perhaps more brass-o-rama and strings - to occur after the ending, re-enstablishing thus the main melody. I also understand however that things got in the way for you, and that's why I'm confident of the fact you could have potentially made it even more astonishing and refined.
Well done in any case
//FD

LunyAlex responds:

Thank you very much, I appreciate it!

[Felling the Titans]

I like how this pieces progresses and builds up, as it's a cinematic output with a good degree of storytelling. It's quite a shame that it doesn't have a big orchestral sound and each instrument sounds rather dry compared to your titanic artwork of choice. I absolutely love the percussion work you've performed, as it gives plenty of pace and it really carries the track through its climax and logical conclusion. It's a really nice effort that whereas lacks in intensity it compensates with an engaging pace and dynamics.
//FD

Jay-Turner responds:

Thanks for your honest review! I'm glad you liked the percussion, I actually thought that was the most lacking part of the piece but it's good to have outside input. The general theme seems to be the lacking of intensity in the instruments so that's something I will have to consider in future, working towards that big orchestral sound.

[Boss Fight]

Well, it's an interesting piece, although I wished the whole ensemble being a little more dynamic in terms of audio compression and left some breathing space between each instrument because at the current state of things it sounds like a big cluster of sounds alternating with more other clusters.

It would probably also help if you gave your orchestra a more natural ambiance, like a concert hall or an auditorium, and you modulated your instruments with a bit more of vibrato and not just sustain notes that kinda fall flat after a little while.

As a final advice, you could try to humanize your instruments by playing with tempo automations and performing some slight changes in each note velocity and placement so that it gives your sound a less stiff, mechanized output. Overall, I enjoyed the structure and progression and it does give a battle-like atmosphere.

//FD

[The Wishing Tree]

Needless to say, this is really good. It reminded me of Princess Mononoke, already a masterpiece in its own right, you couldn't have brought any more justice to your artwork of choice.

I only wish the strings were just a little more airy and distant, perhaps with a bit more of reverb you could have really brought them to life. The part at around 1:40 feels a little cluttered due to the cellos overwhelming the mix a little and the guzheng doing its job as it should, but other than that, the overall mastering is quite professionally performed and every perceived "flaw" doesn't really detract from the experience.

Really great job
//FD

JosephAS1 responds:

Happy accidents! :D