ShangXian's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[basement 2 (full ep)]

Ok, yesterday I listened to the song to get an idea of its content but I wanted to wait to today to give a proper and honest feedback to this work. One thing that I don't understand is if this "full ep" should be a kind of mini album or a composition of different parts. When making something is always important asking "what do I want to convey with this piece?". I personally think that one of the differences between visual arts and music is that visual arts rely on static shapes whose dynamism is a combination of deception, illusion and artistic skill that give the vibe of movement and progression.

With music things are different, because you build a story in motion through notes, arrangements, mixing, instruments, vocals and so on. And this is why it's important for a musical piece to be consistent in what it aims at showing to the listener. Music is composed of many things such as rhythm, pitch, timbre, dynamics, texture, harmony, melody, tempo and form.

-rhythm is the most important element of music because it's its building block. It tells us when a sound should be played and how long it should last. It is what makes you want to tap your foot or dance along to a piece of music. It’s the underlying pulse that drives a song forward. All music, no matter what style, has some kind of rhythm. I can see in this piece a rudimental rhythm in each of these seven parts as I mentally classified them. Rhythm is the pattern of sounds and silences that occur over time. I can hear the pulse (the beat repeated in a regular pattern) but it's very minimalist and doesn't achieve that emotional building that keeps the listener engaged in moving some body parts to the rhythm. If I'm not mistaken at 03:41 I can hear 4/4 time signature. I can sense that the drums try to hit each quarter note beat throughout the song but the mixing element interferes a bit with the structure of the beat. You can see in the famous song Blinding Lights by The Weekend how the drums are able to create a pulse that instantly makes you want to tap your feet, clap and go with the flow. Here I see a much more drier rhythm.

-harmony is when two or more notes are played at the same time and is what makes music sound full and complete. It's extremely helpful at adding depth and context to a melody and can even completely change the mood of a song. Because of the lack of effective mixing I don't seem to perceive an incisive harmony to the structure of the songs (notably 00:05-00:27 and 00:37-01:53) and this leads to another weak point of your composition: texture.

-texture is basically how the music or sound is organized. Here I think to perceive a highly monophonic, thin texture. Each song seems characterized by one melody, or tune. Bach’s “Cello Suite No. 1” is a great example of monophonic texture, so it's not a bad thing per se but because both the title of the piece and the lack of a minimal description don't give a clear clue at what you are trying to convey with this piece, I struggle at fully appreciate this texture. At 06:36 the time signature seems breaking due to the attempt at adding variety but this breaks temporary the texture too, creating a less coherent musical piece.

The structure of some parts are very monothematic and even boring such as at 01:12 while the part at 00:37 has more rhythm and is more pleasant to listen to compared to the one I've just mentioned. At 01:49 the mix of drums and chords gets a bit confused, creating a slightly dissonant pattern that breaks the composition of the piece.

At 08:29 the music completely changes, breaking the flow of the preceding piece, and it gives me a strong gamelan vibe. I don't understand why the musical signature in this part completely changes in this orientalist-like vibe and I'm not using orientalist as a nice thing here because gamelan is the heavy use of hand-drums (i.e. kendang) and metallophones such as gendér barung, not to mention the use of gambang gangsa and gambang kayu. Gamelan is ruled by the céngkok pattern which dictates the pathet of the piece, here ofc I don't hear this because I don't think you know the musical theory of gamelan which is fine but maybe a bit more of study on its pattern and structures would have made it more nice to appreciate. Despite this I admit it's the only part I truly enjoyed of the composition because of its completely different nature, more folkloristic part and musically engaging tempo.

Because dynamics are kept at a very minimum due to the limited types of instruments used here, I can't sense much variety in the composition and the listener might be not interested at all at keeping listening such piece.
Dynamics are an important way to add interest and variety to a piece of music, and they can also be used to create a certain mood or feeling. Because of this the main mood that this song gives me is a lack of interest in effectively sending a concept or idea in the musical piece. If I had to compare this song to a colour, it would be a grey scale, minus the last part that resembles a gamelan (I would see that part as green).

High-hats as 06:36 add a nice vibrancy and variety to this part despite they last briefly. Nice job with them.

But I admit the thing that I really found annoying in this work were the constant silence breaks between each part (i.e. 00:27-00:37, 01:52-01:58 and so on), these were probably thought as way to create a transition between the parts but because the whole composition is not kept due to the many errors (lack of mixing or wrong mixing, minimal dynamics, dry rhythm, etc.) it's difficult to see a composite, organic, vibrating structure of the song. Plus these breaks interrupt the evolution of the song in the very moment it seems to be evolving into something interesting.

I know my comment might seem a bit harsh plus who am I to judge this way considering I'm not even a musician, just someone who loves music as vital part of their existence, but I was genuinely interested in listening your piece and give a honest feedback. I can see a potential for future works because the basics of musical theory seem grasped but I feel to give you these advice to better improve your experience as musician so more people will be invested in your works:

-don't use casual musical genres just to fill spaces, scroll down and you would have seen "Other-Experimental". Due to the nature of this piece that struggles to convey something effectively, I see it as an experimental piece and not Ambient. Ambient music emphasizes mood and texture over the traditional melodies and rhythms found in pop music or classical music. Ambient musicians often augment these synths with acoustic instruments and ambient sounds from nature. This piece "Reflections" made by ForgottenDawn superbly shows what I have said: https://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/1419061

-tags, tags and again tags. Use them to make your song easy to find. If you don't use them, people will never discover you since, thankfully, NG does not rely on algorithm but only on human force.

-title. Next time add a more convincing title because "basement" doesn't transmit anything besides images of darkness, closed spaces, domestic environment while here music give a more lively, open-spaced feeling especially 02:02, 04:42 and 08:29 which bring the listener to a forest, not a basement.

-description. Add a description about what brought you in the creation of the song, the feelings, emotions, symbolism, even shitposting, everything that shows that you cared about your own creation. Songs, just like videogames, videos, and artworks, are like children. They are made by us and it's our responsibility to care about them by taking care about each aspect, even the silliest.

-username. I know this might not have anything to do with the song itself, but it's important when it comes to promote yourself. How do you prefer your listeners and potential watchers remember you? A catchy name or a generic "user[INSERT NUMBERS HERE]? A catchy name gives a more lively feel to an account, you can sense life. A set of numbers gives an aloof feel and might make some people not get invested in your works (plus the other two things I mentioned such as description and tags).

-study, practice, ask for advice from more seasoned musicians. Do not isolate in your account, explore the Audio Portal, comment on people' stuff, fave, open threads in the audio forum: https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/forum/13

If you scroll down you will notice that people open audio threads, similarly to art threads but with musical pieces. Open one, ask for critiques and if you are open to them people will gladly help you.

I hope my humble opinions might be useful, good luck for everything and don't get discouraged if initially you will have to work a lot to get people invested in your works but in the long run it will pay off.

wallslugs responds:

thx for the review
i genuinly learned a lot

[FD - Lost]

Wow! Ho scoperto questo bellissimo pezzo grazie all'intervista che hai fatto con il grande @Aalasteir e che sto leggendo in questo momento. Wow, sono davvero senza parole per la bellezza di questo pezzo, che è entrato nella mia personale, mentale top 10 delle migliori canzoni di NG. Mi chiedo ancora perché non abbia ancora un Frontpage, considerando la bellezza ipnotizzante di un sentimento triste e malinconico che parla ai nostri cuori. Inoltre adoro la musica Ambient, in particolare la Dark Ambient, perché è uno di quei generi che mi fa davvero creare disegni dalla musica. È incantevole come il rumore di fondo si unisca agli accordi in una danza pentita ma emotivamente distaccata.

Ma questa canzone potrebbe anche rappresentare i resti di un Universo morente pronto a essere inghiottito dalla morte termodinamica. Vedo gli ultimi buchi neri, come dei giganti che assistono alla morte inevitabile, evaporare nella radiazione di Hawking (la radiazione del corpo nero rilasciata all'esterno dell'orizzonte degli eventi di un buco nero a causa di effetti quantistici). La radiazione di Hawking ridurrebbe la massa e l'energia rotazionale dei buchi neri e di conseguenza causerebbe l'evaporazione del buco nero. Per questo motivo, i buchi neri che non guadagnano massa attraverso altri mezzi dovrebbero restringersi e alla fine scomparire. Per tutti tranne i buchi neri più piccoli, ciò avviene estremamente lentamente. La temperatura della radiazione, chiamata temperatura di Hawking, è inversamente proporzionale alla massa del buco nero, quindi si prevede che i micro buchi neri siano emettitori di radiazioni più grandi rispetto ai buchi neri più grandi e dovrebbero dissiparsi più velocemente in base alla loro massa. Di conseguenza, se esistono piccoli buchi neri, come consentito dall'ipotesi dei buchi neri primordiali, dovrebbero perdere massa più rapidamente mentre si restringono, portando a un cataclisma finale di sola radiazione ad alta energia.

Fun fact: Erik Satie è riconosciuto come un importante precursore della musica ambient moderna.

Nonostante l'apparente mancanza di composizione, ritmo e/o melodia strutturata, la musica ambient è caratterizzata da strati e toni testuali che costruiscono la composizione, un diverso tipo di composizione; una composizione emotiva che ci parla e mostra il legame tra microcosmo e macrocosmo sotto forma di immagini visive perché in questo pezzo, ad esempio, possiamo vedere sia la nostra dimensione interiore sotto gli echi della perdita di tutto sia la sfera più grande e universale di un universo morente.

Nonostante tutto questo, tendo a vedere il sentimento della perdita più sotto la sfera universale che sotto la mia sfera personale. In realtà è un pezzo molto calmante, necessario per anime come la nostra, turbate dal mondo mondano. Una volta ho letto nella sezione commenti di YT di un video di Cryo Chambers un bellissimo commento che diceva più o meno: "l'arte disturberà i calmi e calmerà i turbati"

Penso che la musica ambient sia il genere che meglio si adatta a questo obiettivo e in questo momento questo brano mi calma davvero molto in un profondo senso di perdita malinconica e pensieri solitari che vagano nella mia mente come il vento in una notte nel deserto. La musica può sembrare semplice nella composizione, ma è in realtà profondamente complessa sotto la lente emotiva e le sue varie trame stratificate ci trasmettono una sensazione primordiale di introspezione. Il fatto che tu sia stato esposto a diversi generi che vanno dalla musica classica, jazz, soul, new age, rock alternativo, tra gli altri è ben incapsulato da questo lavoro, posso dirtelo.

La musica ambient si nutre di generi diversi e questo è uno degli aspetti che la rendono davvero bella ai miei occhi e alle mie orecchie. Continuo ad avere la pelle d'oca ascoltando questa perla che potrebbe essere una traccia con un film di fantascienza. Continua così!

Un'ultima cosa che quella canzone mi ricorda molto: memento mori. Questa canzone è un promemoria dell'inarrestabile marcia del tempo che ci sta lentamente guidando tutti verso l'inevitabile morte termodinamica. Nonostante tutto non mi sento turbata.

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English translation:

Wow! I discovered this beautiful piece thanks to the interview you had with the great @Aalasteir and that I am reading right now. Wow, I am truly speechless by the beauty of this piece, that has entered in my personal, mental top 10 list of best NG songs. I still wonder why it hasn't been frontpaged yet considering the mesmerizing beauty of a sad, melancholic feeling that is speaking to our hearts. Plus I adore Ambient music, especially Dark Ambient music, because it it's one of those genres that truly makes me create things out of music. It's enchanting how the background noise comes along in a remorseful yet emotionally detached dance with the chords.

But this song could also be the remnants of a dying Universe ready to be engulfed by the thermodynamic death. I can see last black holes, liked giants who witness the inevitable death, evaporating into the Hawking radiation (the black body radiation released outside a black hole's event horizon due to quantum effects ). Hawking radiation would reduce the mass and rotational energy of black holes and consequently cause black hole evaporation. Because of this, black holes that do not gain mass through other means are expected to shrink and ultimately vanish. For all except the smallest black holes, this happens extremely slowly. The radiation temperature, called Hawking temperature, is inversely proportional to the black hole's mass, so micro black holes are predicted to be larger emitters of radiation than larger black holes and should dissipate faster per their mass. Consequently, if small black holes exist, as permitted by the hypothesis of primordial black holes, they ought to lose mass more rapidly as they shrink, leading to a final cataclysm of high energy radiation alone.

Fun fact: Erik Satie is acknowledged as an important precursor to modern ambient music.

Despite the apparent lack of composition, beat, and/or structured melody, Ambient music is characterized by textural layers and tones that build the composition, a different type of composition; an emotional composition that speaks to us and shows the link between microcosm and macrocosm in the shape of visual imagery because in this piece, for example, we can both see our inner dimension under the echoes of losing everything and the bigger, universal sphere of a dying Universe.

Despite all of this, I tend to see the sentiment of loss more under the universal sphere rather than mine. It's actually a very calming piece, necessary for souls like ours, disturbed by the mundane world. I once read under the YT comment section of a video of Cryo Chambers a beautiful comment that roughly said: "art shall disturb the calm ones, and calm the disturbed ones"

I think Ambient music is the genre that best suits this goal and right now this piece truly calms me a lot in a deep sense of melancholic loss and solitary thoughts that roam in my mind like the wind of a desert night. The music may sound simple in composition, but it's actually deeply complex under the emotional lens and its varied layered textures that bring us a primordial feeling of introspection. The fact that you were exposed to different genres ranging from classical music, jazz, soul, new age, alternative rock, amongst others is well encapsulated by this work, I can tell you.

Ambient music feeds on different genres and this is one of the aspects that make it truly beautiful to my eyes and ears. I keep having goosebumps listening to this gem which could be a track featuring a sci-fi movie. Keep it up!

One last thing that song strongly reminds me of: memento mori. This song is a reminder of the unstoppable marching of time that is slowly guiding us all towards the inevitable thermodynamic death. Despite everything, I don't feel disturbed.

ForgottenDawn responds:

Cheers, thanks again for your glowing review. 🙏

[ςгץรՇคɭɭยร שเ๒гคภร (Vibrant Crystal)]

This song sounds extremely intriguing, starting from the name that is "Crystallus Vibrans"

I am reading the other part of the corrupted text and it can be converted as:

שเ๒гคภՇ ςгץรՇคɭ'ร ร๏ภﻮ ฬคร คɭՇєгє๔ เภ Շђє ภค๓є คภ๔ ๓єɭ๏๔ץ קг๏ςєรร, เ ภєє๔ ђєɭק!
Vibrant Crystal's song was altered in the name and melody process, I need help!

The other text feels extremely Latin to my eyes:

ภ๏שค ɭ๏ςค ๓ยՇค๒๏ ยՇ ɭย๒єՇ, ςคг๓เภค ợยคєςยภợยє ợยคє ש๏ɭ๏ รเ ɭย๒єՇ ς๏ภשєгՇค๓ єﻮ๏ ๓ยรเςєภ ๓คאเ๓є ς๏ггย๓קค๓
ร๏ɭยร ợยเ ๔єรςเ๔เՇ ς๏ггเ๔๏ ๔คՇ๏ ςคภՇย ς๏ภςєรร๏ שเ ๓єค, Շย๓ ๔є๓ย๓ єг๏ קєгŦєςՇยร.

Nova loca mutabo ut lubet, carmina quaecunque quae volo si lubet convertam eio musicen maxime corruptam
solus qui gescigit corrigo gato cantu concesso vi mea, tum gemum ego perfectus

I know not everything is totally perfect in the conversion but if I still remember my rusty Latin the text roughly translated is (the cat is the only part that didn't fully convince me but yeah):

"I will change new places as you please, I will convert any songs I want, if you wish, to that most corrupted music.
Only he who has done it corrects the cat, the song granted by my power, then I will be perfect."

I love how the initial notes seem to caress the ears of the listeners in an almost hypnotic manner, it seems I am accompanied in a deep cave that is about to change the fibers of my very being. I like the corrupted voice that can be heard at 00:15 that speaks in an unknown language. She seems a divine being welcoming you.

I like the fast-paced yet not aggressive rhythm, I like how the high-hat in the first part of the song begin to build up the structure of the song and how the composition fully unfolds after being introduced by the high-hats at 00:54. The tonal middle sequence and the underlying accompanying melodies help to keep focus on the mental journey this song gives. This song stimulates me with synesthesia so I see these notes in a purple-violet hues of serpentine ray lights that surround me inside this cave where crystal grows.

I always love these 4/4 time signatures and how the kick drums flow harmoniously with the middle tonal sequence because it creates a fast-paced rhythm that is never too quick nor anxiety-inducing, quite the opposite: it relaxes a lot with these tunes. I like the deep and punchy nature of these kick drums. The downbeats goes very well with the open hi-hat signals of the upbeat. It's a nice combination that creates harmony and a geometric sense of equilibrium. I also like how the build-up, occurring at the midpoint of the song, is followed by the breakdown that help to focus on the melody. The result is a sensation of tension and release with a floating, euphoric quality. I can notice how these build-ups and breakdowns are also typically longer and more melodic than in other forms of EDM.

This is one of trance pieces where I hear vocals, are those feminine vocals? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I like how the vocals enhance the melody with singing that lends an ethereal quality to the song. Nice use of bass too, I like how it provides a backbone for the rest of the track to shine. Really great job as always^^

The evolving melodic phrases can be noticed by focusing on the overall visual imagery which is done in major key and this creates an uplifting and positive feeling. Like I said, this song hypnotizes me and relaxes me at the same time while making me dance in an energetic manner. The fast, repeating patterns synth lines add melodic movement to the lead melody.

I really enjoyed this track! I hope to have translated in an approximately corrected way the Latin text of the description. The title of the song is also in the English name but translated from the Latin, "corrupted" name. Keep it up!

VariableGR responds:

Indeed you discover many things!
Yes it is a female voice and thank you very much for listening to the details
S...o........t...h....f ...n...a ..t .g
Soon you might be the one to find the name of the song I'm going to give away. S
.f..f.......j......e....t...y...u........f,....j......u
..u.u.....j.j...j.....j..j.g..f......... f. .h .d. ..g ..t

Dude help!....d..d d.e .ff ..c.....h.h.h.h.h..e..e.e.e.e.e.e..r..p..p.o.k.j.j..

[FD - Alternate Past]

Wow, è bellissimo questo brano che ho scoperto grazie alla collab NG Mall Music Collab: Closing Time che sto tutt'ora finendo di ascoltare. Questo è uno dei brani che adoro di più dell'album anche se è difficile per me scegliere quello che amo di più in assoluto dato che siete stati tutti eccelsi dal primo all'ultimo.

Nel frattempo ne approfitto per condividere i miei pensieri su questo capolavoro che mi ha dato la pelle d'oca dall'inizio alla fine. Le note hanno un non so che di acquatico (00:33) e nostalgico al tempo stesso. Le sonorità stesse danno un forte vibe di wanderlust che nutre il sentimento di anemoia come anche il tag suggerisce. Respiriamo la stessa aria, sentiamo lo stesso sangue nelle nostre vene eppure sperimentiamo mondi completamente differenti grazie al magico potere dell'arte, in questo caso un brano musicale breve ma che in realtà si estende fino ai confini dell'eternità nel tempo e nello spazio.

L'immaginario visivo della composizione è un mix di malinconia e solitudine ma non in senso negativo anzi. Questi sono quei momenti in cui è fisiologica la necessità di isolarsi e riflettere, ma anche di connettersi con se stessi per poi connettersi al mondo stesso. L'immagine nella descrizione è minimale e liminale al tempo stesso, ma anche il brano è liminale nelle sue note, nei suoi ritmi lenti e costruiti con passi appena accennati.

Lo trovo un brano altamente commovente, uno dei più belli di tutta Newgrounds tra quelli che ho ascoltato finora e rientra appieno titolo nella mia classifica mentale dei 10 brani musicali più belli di NG. Adoro crogiolarmi in questo sentimento che m'ispira il brano, è così bello, rilassante e ti accarezza il cuore come una madre accarezza il proprio figlio.

Questo brano mi parla a livello spirituale in un modo fortemente relatable per spiriti come me ma penso per tutti coloro che vogliono per un attimo rifugiarsi nel mondo delle idee, o semplicemente fare dell'escapismo. Il mondo creato dal sentimento di anemoia è si andato e se il passato è un paese straniero, noi ne siamo i suoi turisti ma forse è meglio avere l'atteggiamento del viaggiatore che assapora per davvero l'essenza del viaggio seppur mentale, immaginario e immaginifico. Abbiamo bisogno alle volte di rifugiarci in confini definiti dalla liminalità al fine di evitare lo scorrere ansioso del tempo in un'epoca nevrotica quale quella che viviamo oggi.

Sto riascoltando il brano più e più volte, non voglio abbandonare questo mondo, è troppo bello. Se potessi votare 10 e altre volte 10 invece di 5 stelle, lo farei per altre 10 volte. Bellissimo oltre ogni immaginazione, bravissimo!

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English translation:

Wow, this song is beautiful, I discovered it thanks to the NG Mall Music Collab: Closing Time that I'm still finishing listening to. This is one of the songs that I love the most on the album, even if it's difficult for me to choose the one that I love the most since you were all excellent from the first to the last.

In the meantime I take this opportunity to share my thoughts on this masterpiece that gave me goosebumps from start to finish. The notes have something aquatic (00:33) and nostalgic at the same time. The sounds themselves give a strong vibe of wanderlust that feeds the feeling of anemoia as the tag also suggests. We breathe the same air, we feel the same blood in our veins and yet we experience completely different worlds thanks to the magical power of art, in this case a short piece of music that actually extends itself to the boundaries of eternity in time and space.

The visual imagery of the composition is a mix of melancholy and solitude but not in a negative sense, quite the opposite. These are those moments in which it is physiological to have the need to isolate oneself and reflect, but also to connect with oneself and then connect to the universe itself. The image in the description is minimal and liminal at the same time, but the song is also liminal in its notes, in its slow rhythms and built with steps that are barely pressed.

I find it a highly moving song, one of the most beautiful of all Newgrounds among those I have listened to so far and it fully fits into my mental top 10 of the most beautiful musical pieces of NG. I love basking in this feeling that this song inspires in me, it is so beautiful, relaxing and caresses your heart like a mother caresses her child.

This song speaks to me on a spiritual level in a way that is highly relatable to spirits like me but I think to all those who want to take refuge for a moment in the World of Ideas, or simply experience some escapism. The world created by the feeling of anemoia is now gone and if the past is a foreign country, we are its tourists but perhaps it is better to have the spirit of the traveler who truly savors the essence of the journey even if it is mental, imaginary and imaginative. We need sometimes to take refuge in boundaries defined by liminality in order to avoid the anxious rush of time in a neurotic era such as the one we live in today.

I'm listening to the song over and over again, I don't want to leave this world, it's too beautiful. If I could vote 10 and then 10 instead of 5 stars, I would do it 10 more times. Beautiful beyond imagination, kudos!

ForgottenDawn responds:

Thank you so much for your kind words! 🙏

[-Midnight Vibrancies-]

It's interesting to notice how the low-register rumblings at the beginning introduce the song instead of a well-defined root note. It creates a sense of mystery elongated by the part from 00:29 to 00:59 then the tonal part that gets repeated from 01:13 adds a bit of a more enriched musical hue. The mixing is good and give a nice vibe of the mysterious atmospheres that night can bring even though the bass instruments get a bit murky probably because they were EQed too. Maybe it's just me but the chords of the downbeats can be barely heard around 01:10 and on, but besides this I can hear pretty clearly all other instruments.

I like the how the low-end sounds so rumbly, it enhances the feel of the night, nice job with the vibrancy of 00:16 and how it gets enriched starting from the 29th second. I enjoyed the mid-range synth at 00:58 because adds a little of dynamism and spice. The melodies and composition are a bit simple but this is probably due to the will to show the more slow-paced nature night has compared to the day (at least from the perspective of a diurnal animal like the human being) where people usually sleep or enjoy a more calm moment of the day.

But I admit the main melody that starts at 00:58 is quite catchy and I like it a lot, it's one of my favourite parts. The reason why I gave 3.5 and not 4 is mainly due to the lack of variety of the melodies and composition but I understand as I stated above. I can see the nature highly experimental of this EQ piece and you moved your first steps in this territory. I can see the potential for great EQ pieces in this musical work though.

The overall visual imagery is a mix of dance and relaxation: night is a period of the day where people usually rest but others prefer to enjoy it by dancing in the right places so I can see both of elements here. Sadly I know jack shit about EQ so I can't give you any solid advice in improving them and avoiding making them sound a bit muddy (especially in the mid part of the song) but besides this the rest is very solid and enjoyable.

By the way I listened to your YT video about how you used to sound in 2023 and I can tell you that you overall improved a lot with both mixing and using the right instruments, not to mention the storytelling in your compositions, so I am more than sure that you will improve even more and you will master EQ in no time! Keep it up ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

Yeah, this is my true first time using EQ, I used eq on the drums and bass, I was very new to the eq topic lol. Thanks for ur honesty!

[-Port Force-]

The more I listen to it, the more I love it. If I had to sum this track up it would be: drum fest. I love the different types of drums and percussions used here to make a very vivid, bright and lively rhythm that well represents a port. A port is a place full of activity, movement and trades and this track embodies very well the spirit.

The beginning is simply lovely as it gives me strong 90s videogame vibes and I can some voices in the distance. I love so much the sound of the drum set, especially the tom tom at 00:15, 02:17 and how it becomes more aggressive around 00:42. This aggressiveness is not negative, quite the opposite since it helps to give a fast, quick, rapid and brisk pace. I like that the mixing is simple but effective in giving a clear, cristalline image of the harbour.

I've heard the English horn in the three main parts of the song (initial, middle and outro). The only thing I would like to point out is that the horn is not that incisive in its sound as it should be, it's almost as a background sound. Other than this I liked hearing it since I personally think it's a very underrated double-reed woodwind instrument compared to other instruments of the same class. One of strong points of English horn is that the strength of the register is more balanced across range, with tempered weight focused lower, notes below written Middle D speak easier, making it capable of more dynamic control and nuances (things that could have taken advantage of in writing the story of this musical piece imho). But I understand that it was difficult making it reading from the description.

If in future you manage to reach complete control in making English horn sounds you will have a powerful instrument (pun intended, yes I know XD) to make more musical nuances that will make the entire composition even more enriched in sounds, textures and timbers.

Still I love this piece very much and because its visual imagery is full of optimism and gives me mental images of a sunny, cloudless harbor this is why I gave it 5 stars and not 4. I loved the overall atmosphere and vibe and this is one of my favourite piece of yours. It's a happy and cheerful rhythmic pattern, i like it. Keep it up!

Creeperforce24 responds:

Thanks! I appreciate the honesty! I’ve only started making music really, been doing this for what, 2-3 years? Maybe going on 4

[-Christmas in Basylton-]

First classical piece I hear here on Newgrounds and I already like the overall vibe it gives me. I like the introduction of strings, hi-hats beginning at 00:29 that gradually introduce the main theme evolving around the main notes at the beginning. The initial part (the first 28 seconds) gives me the vibe of a Disney movie introducing a snow-covered forest, whose animals slowly approach things while remaining alert. The staccato (or staccato-like) notes heard in the first part of the musical piece give the impression of quick steps or a faster, more fluent rhythm and give development to the narrative rhythm of the composition.

Even looking at the song's graph I noticed two pauses that introduce the other two chapters (01:00-01:17 and 01:52-01:59 approximately). They seem like two interesting breaks that allow the listener to assimilate what was heard in the previous chapter. I call them chapters but they are still parts of a continuous and dynamic unicum. It's just my mental way of dividing the song better. Unlike other songs of yours where the orchestral element acts as an enrichment in the musical structure, here the orchestra is the main protagonist compared to the video game elements that characterize your musical trait. Honestly I like this, even if the drums are not very powerful as in other musical pieces (I can hear the hi-hats better), having a variation in terms of genre does not hurt and allows you to explore things that perhaps are used marginally.

The visual imagery is highly melodic, enchanted, almost fairy-like, at times even solemn in certain points (the staccato or similar staccato at 31 seconds, the second pause at 01:37 for example). Throughout the song there is a mix of calm, enchantment, relaxation and curiosity (especially at the beginning). I also like the birds in the background that echo throughout the forest. This is a personal taste of mine but maybe a legato or more legato-like style in the second part of the song would have made it even more fluid, dynamic and smooth. Around 02:21 I certainly hear the strings getting very close to what is a legato and that part (one of my favourite of the composition) gives a very contemplative vibe since Christmas period is not just (and shouldn't be) about presents, but about company, reflection on past actions and attempt to improve as persons.

Another part that I love is the one around 01:37 (the descending string line), it's very calming, melodic and contemplative. It gives the solemn vibe this song develops in the second half of its structure, at least imho. The song fits very nicely the spirit of the period and as I mentioned above it gives me the vibe of a snow-covered forest whose animals interact with each other in an enchanted environment where magical creatures make sure everyone is serene and happy.

Nice job, I really enjoyed it!

Creeperforce24 responds:

Thanks for your honesty! I always try and improve my works!

[I want you miss]

Ooooooohhhh a great song with such cool collaboration by the great ADR3-N. There are many elements that I love about this piece, starting from the overall mood and visual imagery the combination of notes, beats and rapping that revolve around these feelings of melancholy, reflection and contemplation.

I freaking love the percussive vocal delivery of rhymed poetic speech as consciousness-raising expression of the overall melancholic vibe and contemplative mood of the main vocal signature. I love very much how the vocals (both the main and secondary vocals) enrich the overall musical structure and become music themselves, underscoring their role in shaping the values and promoting empowerment and consciousness-raising through this music. It sounds like a love song but to me it also gives me the vibes of an inner struggle song to fight for what the person, who is experiencing these feelings, believes. There is a mix of disillusionment, struggle and sadness conveyed by the main vocals and the root notes on which the whole scale unfolds around them.

I've also noticed the presence of these two vocals, the main one and the secondary one (like I nicknamed it, sorry in case it's not correct) which acts as a supporting structure for the main vocal, almost as if this secondary vocal were a support for the main voice. I really like the different timbres of the two voices: we have the main voice with this more aggressive and energetic timbre, typical of young people, while the supporting voice, let's call it that, is that of an adult man and is much calmer, goes to slower rhythms and has a deeper timbre. It is interesting to note how the main voice initially starts shy, almost scared and hesitant (pay attention to how he says "I want you that...") but then begins the attack that will be maintained throughout the song because we see the internal pain manifest itself abruptly.

When he says "soul aching" you can really feel the visual imagery of a landscape of emotional desolation. If I had to mentally imagine it, it would be a wasteland where gray tones dominate, with tall, dried-up trees, but that second voice and the accompanying base note seem to give glimmers of hope. A bit like rays of sunshine cutting through the clouds. I also like the cover of this album (who did it? I really love it), the different shades of grey hues, black and white give the idea of the world of emotions and sentiments is not black or white but a huge greyscale in which each scale has greyscales. The man's face seems to be divided into a thousand monochromatic fragments, a schizophrenia in the literal sense of a mind cut between a thousand emotions. The main voice also transmits these sensations to me. I noticed that the main voice almost seems to take courage in speaking about his emotions and pains at the moment in which the secondary voice begins (00:20). I really get the feeling that this voice is like an inner guide, or if we wanted to use Freudian terminology, a sort of Super Ego that instead of clipping the wings of the Id, accompanies it in a respectful way of its needs. The Id, let's remember, always wants to satisfy its desires.

The secondary voice almost acts as a counterpoint to the destructive energy of the first voice, it almost seems to me like a wise man who guides towards the final goal: inner peace (or at least that's what the lyrics convey to me towards the end, a sense of peace or balance). In fact, it is always heard underneath as a sustained vocal signature. I love this voice because it gives me goosebumps in a positive sense, it is beautiful and solemn and gives a sense of solemnity to the song. The frontpage is more than deserved, you both did an amazing job!

I also love how clear and crystalline vocals are. The voices themselves seem like musical instruments to me while the music is only an accompaniment in building the general mood. I really loved it! I wish I could re-rate it over and over^^
Keep it up!

ADR3-N responds:

I just got the chance to read this after a few weeks of hiatus. I wanted to say thank you so much! I don't think I've ever got such a glowing review of my vocals, ever, and I've always been ashamed of them because people confuse me with a man pretty regularly. I'm just a girl with a deep voice, haha.

But don't feel bad about that. I'm starting to embrace it.

So, both vocals are me. The contrast in delivery was deliberate, and I appreciate that it got the message across!

[-Wildflowers 2-]

Another great piece of music to enjoy to the fullest. I also wanted to listen to the song linked in the description to see the differences and changes made to the song. I admit that in the first song I like how it starts but I noticed a much more simplified style. There is acoustic clarity but the percussions are not so incisive in giving a more decisive rhythm. They sound thin compared to this version. The drum solo at the end of the first song add a nice andante rhythm on the end.

After re-listening to this song I can see the improvement and changes that make this song really enjoyable. I think one of its strong points is the VGM orchestral. I can see how the compression, equalizers and mixing combine together in a very harmonious and enriched sound array, congrats! Nice use of the hi-hats at 00:28 which give a nice pause between the two segments of the first half of the song and then the staccato strings at 00:30 can be fully appreciated.

Fun fact about staccato (but I think you already know): staccato has been described by theorists and has appeared in music since at least 1676.

I just love the faster attack these staccato strings give to the composition because they help to build the structure of the song and revolve around root notes. Correct me if I am wrong but at 00:57 I could hear a beautiful Sakuhachi flute. I don't know if it has been added to add colour to the sound or give a more exotic vibe. Either way I love it, since I was little I was always fascinated by this flue I discovered when listening to Enigma. I can hear the flue at 02:37 despite being very low in volume since the outro wants to give a sense of distance and separation from the place. It's not a negative feeling this separation feel, quite the opposite. It's a feeling of peace and serenity.

The whole song has a this relaxing vibe enriched with more vibrant and lively notes in the first half as if it were a flowery field. I like the passerine birds chirps that give this sense of peace and unity with nature. I also like the presence of long and continuous notes of legato strings in the second half of the song. Nice transition from note to note with no intervening silence in the legato sequence. If staccato gives me the feeling of flowers blooming in the field in such quick and rapid explosion of life, legato makes me more contemplative and relaxed. Maybe a quick fade at the end of this legato sequence would have enhanced a more dream-like vibe but it's perfectly fine this way too.

I've noticed a bit of muddy sounds where more instruments enter the mix during the first staccato sequence but then again the staccato manages to take the lead and make things a bit more homogenous in terms of mixing, at least in my opinion. Once again a hi-hat break at 01:21 and then again at 01:35 as if they were some kind of clap markers for sub-chapters of the story told in the song. This is at least what I think, I am not an expert in anything. I just like to mentally break things and see details they can offer me^^

Compared to the first song posted in the description, this one has a more strong atmospheric vibe around it. I can sense the feel of nature and this is helped by the presence of bird calls and piano notes at the end that almost sound like delicate like raindrops wetting the ground in the late afternoon after an intense hot day in summer or late spring.

I think there is still room for improvement when it comes to audio elements, hence my 4.5 star rating and not a full 5 but overall the song is very solid and enjoyable. I commend you and your improvement, keep it up. You have lots of talent!

Creeperforce24 responds:

I can see the critiques! There was one song I made called Stranded where I basically based the song after the shakuhachi flute lol! I actually found this sample and just liked it, without even realizing how people might actually react to hearing it due to nostalgia. I also know who enigma is, great band!

[-Velocity-]

Ok, finally I can review this work after listening to it over and over and taking a look at the artists who inspired you and now after listening several of their works I can definitely see the inspiration and how you managed to capture the vibe of early 2000s techno sphere. When listening to a song, to me it's always important to catch the overall emotions and visual imagery a song gives.

Unlike a visual art piece where everything is crystallized in a static image whose time is more static, an audio piece is dynamic in time not only because it has a specific length but it also makes the listener spend their time into listening to it. I prefer a more active listening preceded by a more passive listening that allows me to grasp some initial features of the song. I like the mysterious vibe the song gives at the beginning, this mood is then built during the song in the first half and combines with the vibe of a journey through an unknown world. I love the aquatic vibe the drop-like sounds that can be heard in 00:11 enhance the mysterious vibe of this new world that is being discovered.

But the song is not aquatic because if we listen carefully starting from the twelfth second we can hear the future synth riff that will be fully introduced around 00:52 that adds a more windy vibe to the composition and fully embrace the idea of velocity like the title says. This synth riff reminds me of the rotor blades of a helicopter, maybe a futuristic helicopter but still a means of air transport. We can hear this riff in its power at 05:00. I like the use of this ostinato or insistence if we want to translate in English, even the drop-like sounds initially heard at 52 second gets repeated over and over.

A trait I love about techno is the use of an important rule of music theory, consonance, and its break into dissonance and repetition to make sure the sound is correct to the ear of the listener. I like how in the song the riff and combination of notes are repeated over and over again, giving the vibe we are moving fast along with the song while exploring this imaginary world. The "squelching” sounds and deep basslines of these repeated notes make the song really enjoyable and contemplative at the same time. It's almost hypnotizing especially in the last part of the song (around 06:47) where the listener feels united with the world he/she/they have experienced.

The synth at 00:52 takes a nice lead in speeding up the pace of the song and its rhythm. I think it's the part where it best shows the "velocity" element of the song. I also love the orchestral part that starts at 01:32 which enhances a slight sense of despair and hope at the same time with this transported touch. It also serves as an accompaniment that builds the backbone of the song, giving it a sweeter flavor. Yeah I sometimes describe things in terms of synesthesia because I have synesthesia, mostly visual, so don't worry if I use strange terms^^

I like the slow but constant crescendo we experience in the first half of the song where we are introduced to this world or experience. To me this song was an experience because it allowed me to see my own art under a different perspective. When I was mentally vivisecting it to break down its individual parts I noticed how visual art and music, although both organisms composed of various parts that come together harmoniously or even disharmoniously, differ in how they are structured. Music has something more in my humble opinion. Music is a pulsating organism that lives on components that breathe over time, visual art is a compact structure made of structural elements also designed to deceive the mind in giving the sense of three-dimensionality in its being a still image.

Don't get me wrong, I love both arts. I just noticed this and while I was listening to this piece, in my mind were visualizing my own draws and I structurally compared them to the aspect and external look of this piece and the techno pieces of the artists you mentioned in the description. A song breathes between crescendo, decrescendo, signatures, breaks, lead notes and this song shows all of this very well.

I've noticed a slight abrupt break at 03:39 that introduces a small break before getting into the second half of the song, I don't know if it was intentional or not but it's been interesting to notice that. It's very interesting the mid break at 03:50 because it introduces a breakdown with its minimal section that gradually build tension and a more energetic rhythm starting from 04:06 to become fully dynamic around 04:32. The individual riffs are repeated through the song, making it very enjoyable, maybe a bit of variation in the riffs but that's just a personal opinion that doesn't really matter because even this way the riffs are quite enjoyable.

The mixing is well-polished and the overall psychedelic vibe given by the more trance elements of the song (it combines three genres after all, reading the tags) makes everything very enjoyable and helps the mind to relax in a fast but not anxious pace. Overall superb job! I truly wish it gets frontpaged and when I will be supporter again I want to feature this for the Takeover Tuesday. It really deserves it, keep it up, CF24!

Creeperforce24 responds:

Damn that’s a long reply! But hey, thank you so much!
Yeah my music doesn’t get frontpaged much, which sucks cause it sometimes have me questioning my own skills as a musician. And thanks for the “future feature” XD.