ForgottenDawn's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Sempiternal Rhapsody]

I've had the honor to hear the unfinished version of this track, which was already pretty good.
But this is a beast in its own right. What a way to end the year, eh? It feels somewhat nostalgic to me. It might be your style, as it reminds me of different video games and even anime, but even then, it does have a kind of quality that makes the experience more personal and relatable. I'd say it's a step in the right direction, composition-wise and musically. It's very melodic, but multiplexed, making it fairly unpredictable. Well, it is a rhapsody, after all. :)
May the new year bring more brilliant music like this one.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I'm glad to hear that the finished version is better than the almost finished one :D
I wanted to end the year with this composition. Partly, because I happened to finish it so close to the end of it anyway, but mostly, because it shows my effort to make sure I put out at least something good in terms of music, this year too (it's more dramatic if there's a turnaround just at the end, no?).
It's cool if it already sounds nostalgic!
Personally, I feel that this piece is a bit more classical than most of my compositions are, but there are definitely segments and portions where the anime and video game styles shine through, since those are pretty much the core of my piano playing (along with other OSTs, such as from movies).
I tend to have a thing for more melodic music, especially if it's a solo instrument. I also have a tendency to change around my compositions a lot, instead of repeating the same refrain two thousand times (sometimes, that really works though). I always try to return to the same themes though, so there is some repetition in here too. Most notable, is that the same melody and chords that are played in the beginning are returned to now and then, a fair amount of times (in different variations).
I hope the New Year will bring out a lot of gems in terms of your music as well! Thank you for your review :'3

[I Dream of the Future]

Aww, so sweet. It's bright and light-hearted, quite a refreshing change from what I usually listen to - generally somber and emotional tracks. Well done, mate.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I usually write darker or sadder songs, or in the very least songs that have somber undertones or something. But I wanted to write a bit of a hopeful one, even if it's not perfectly happy. I think it's reflected in the title too!

Thank youuu!

[Strike (The Time is Right)]

Nice sustains in the beginning, giving that sort of drama-scape. Though a well structured and dynamic track all-around, I find the choirs to be a bit lacking. They lack that kind of "oomph" that makes them feel more textural instead of contributing to the "wow" factor. They kinda flat-line a little.
But that's honestly a minor nitpick compared to the whole track which is, in my opinion, well arranged and mixed. :)

Enzer0 responds:

Thanks! It's the first time i've use the new choirs. I haven't mixed them too much; they are still quite basic. Thanks for the Review FD! :D

[12]

Huh, it's tolerable. Who'd a-thought.
I guess it almost sounds melodic to me compared to works like Schoenberg's.
I'm curious about your formula. I think it's fascinating sometimes how math can shape the way notes are arranged. I remember I once tried to apply fractal geometry to a track using a software.
It's cool stuff

LexRodent responds:

Thanks for listening man.
I kept notes at minimum on every line to avoid the inherent atonal mess dodecaphonic compositions tend to be. I did the matrix as some sort of "sudoku". I took a note as root and then assigned the grid random set of numbers from 1 to 11 (negative for horizontal, positive for vertical to get the inversions right) avoiding continuous values to calculate the amount of semitones on each interval. Math indeed can throw some interesting results on music. I'm not familiar with fractal math (just with the awesome figures it's graphic can show), I'm sure that sort of thing translated to music must be interesting.
I'm currently working on another math based track too. But this one is completely tonal, and it is based on ostinatos.

[...and the Rain couldn´t save her]

I'm a sucker for Ambient tracks, I just love how the intro feels so cinematic and booming. I hear explosions in the background, as if a full-scale war is being fought between God knows what factions, with what ideologies and lives at stake. The strings are nice, maybe with a little bit of extra reverb they would have worked just fine for this track, though I understand if you probably didn't want to abuse it.
Pretty swell composition, I like it

Azhthar responds:

Hey! Thanks a lot!! It´s good to hear that the music can generate some pictures ;) I thought about more reverb, on the strings, too, but I was afraid to drown them.... I liked your submission, too! Good idea to include the vocals ;)

[Force of Life]

Pretty swell use of that Maverick piano. It's a pity the percussion sounds a little bit over the place and it generally feels like it should have been polished some more. However, given the circumstances, it's nice you've even managed to land a full track. I like the concept of choices, I think it's a fascinating theme that can be further expanded on.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thanks, man! This is actually the Grandeur, and for various reasons, in the later parts, it's mixed with Piano One. I had to stereo-widen the piano, as well as EQ it to fit in the mix. But even so, some important frequencies were missing. In the project, I used the wav file of the exported solo grandeur, and I didn't want to add The Maverick, as it's quite demanding on the laptop, and I couldn't afford potential technical difficulties considering the amount of time I could use to work. So I added Piano One to fill out the frequency stuff I wanted instead, which ended up creating a bit of a honky tonk-ish sound, haha. But I didn't have time to fix that, so I rolled with it xD

I agree 100% about the percussion. But once again, it's indeed limited because of the time I had to work on it (maybe 10 minutes, heh)... It sounded empty without them, so even if they sound sub-par, I decided to leave them in and move on.

I like that concept too! It's a very direct approach, and creates a rather free feel. I literally just went with whatever idea first came to mind, with no regrets, and no taksies backsies xD

Thanks for the review! I'll check your stuff out once I get back home, in approc a week ^ ^

[Coming of Age]

A little late for the bus, but I'm glad I listened to this medley now.
Very enjoyable, classic Step quality so why I am even commenting, and a great tribute to the Zelda series... which is... in my games I have yet to play list. Particularly OoT and MM. Yeah, don't judge.
So, the thing I like the most out of this piece isn't just how organic it sounds, it's how it progresses. It's very dynamic, which is kind of expected given Zelda's celtic-like vibes, but I think you two have hit the nail compared to the concept behind this piece.
What else can I say other than great job? Oh yeah, great job guys. :)
//FD

Step responds:

You call that late? My response is nearly two months late @_@. Sorry about that!

Hey I haven't played OoT and MM either. I played Twilight Princess and had a blast, and I also have Wind Waker HD that I haven't gotten around to playing yet. Definitely a great franchise with an amazing soundtrack.

The biggest relief is that you enjoy its progression. It's always hard to nail that balance between telling a story and having it musically "sensible", if you get what I mean.

Anyhow, thank you for dropping by mate, and thanks for the review!

[Cinnamon (E.I.T.B)]

Jazzy house, that's some pretty neat combo. ;o
I think that hi-hat sound gets a little tiring after a while, but I definitely dig that chord progression and acoustic bass line, that's some classy sound right there. When it transitions to a more trap-like sound, it's still classy enough to maintain a cool atmosphere throughout.
Overall, I think it's a nice addition to the Underground roster of tracks. ;)

DeadlyAlchemy responds:

My combos are 1hunna all the time :P
I'm thinking of changing that hi hat sound too, so I'll probably make amendments to it before the final one is submitted.
It means a lot to hear that from a representative of the better Underground society :D

[The Tongue Is A Fire]

I like the chill ambiance you've created along with the breathy vocals.
Your previous entry wasn't too shabby, but I'm glad you've decided to submit this track instead.
It's a nice addition to the Underground roster, well done. ;)

SoulSecure responds:

If I'm honest, I don't really like that other song. Couldn't figure out what to do with it.

[Thrash Can]

Good old thrash, it's quite uncommon here. I like the riffing, pretty old school, but that's what makes it charming in my opinion. It would be nice if we could collab sometimes :)
I have a lot of Metal ideas and a live guitarist would make it even better!
This however was enjoyable, keep it up

TSRBand responds:

Thanks for the review, glad you liked it! I might be open to collaboration, it depends on how complicated your ideas are and if I can find the time. Feel free to send me a PM with more details :)