ForgottenDawn's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Tenebrarius]

Some really nice tune there, it's a good take at the hybrid/cinematic style.
That cello legato is easily the most haunting element in the track, almost breathtaking.

Keep improving and evolve. I'd love to hear more from you two.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thanks a lot! We ended up making something very different from our previous collab, and I'm happy that we did.

You can thank dem0lecule for that cello, as I had nothing to do with it ;)
He is a cello magician. A cellogician.

We will definitely do our best in the future too!

[Sanctuary of the Fallen Empire]

It shows promise as a new beginning.

The choice of those slightly detuned choirs gives an eerie, dissonant feel which contrasts the generally peaceful and laid-back ambiance. Could it be the "fallen" side of the sanctuary? They otherwise give a sacred, almost ancient undertone to the composition. I'm not sure if this contrast was sought on purpose or not, it's something I'd be more careful for your next Ambient piece sound design-wise.

It also has a nice structure. I think it could easily fit in a video game, since it has that potential of being looped virtually endlessly. The last thing I would point out is that Ambient music rarely employs edgy sounds, usually derived from EDM nowadays, and instead generally opts for mellower tones. It's not a rule but usually such pieces tend to emphasize the atmosphere and mood of the soundscape by exploiting each element's timbral qualities.

It's why Ambient tends to sound like a joke when it isn't, it actually implies a profound knowledge of each sound you have. Ambient music lets you dig further into the sound by exploiting the generally tempo-less (or otherwise really slow) nature of the style itself. If there is a melodic component, it's usually a slow evolution. I'd suggest you to keep exploring more sounds, more interesting ambiances and train on how to bring subtlety in your future works. It will be a rewarding experience in the end. ;)

//FD

Noisysundae responds:

I see there's several flaws in it yet you still gave it a 5. Many thanks. ;w;

The choirs (especially the bass choirs at the start) were intended but the opposite atmosphere wasn't. I don't have any experience in making ambient but I do like listening to them a lot. Frankly, my nature is making fast music like DnB or hardcore and this is all new for me.

Yes, I was going to make it a loop but ended up giving it an ending for the purpose of my visualizers on Youtube. I prefer uploading the same version on all site. In those timbres, I did that because many people commented on my older stuff that they lack some frequencies so I tried to find instruments to fill those gaps. Anyway, I'm definitely going to find more new sounds.
Thanks again for taking your time writing this long. I'm very grateful. :)

[Automaton]

I agree, kinda wish we had more time for this little gig but hey, who's complaining? We still get great music :) And your short tracks makes no exception.

Happy Robot Day!

steampianist responds:

yeah it seems everyone is busy on something so far all the tracks for robotday ive listened to lasts for only 2 min.

[The Dream of a Robot]

Beeb boop
01101001 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01110010 01101111 01100010 01101111 01110100 00100000 01100100 01100001 01111001

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
01001001 00100000 01110100 01101111 01101111 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 00100000 01110010 01101111 01100010 01101111 01110100 00100000 01100100 01100001 01111001 00100000 00111011 00101001

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".