Ceevro's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Clairvoyant OST]

Stellar work as always, dude! Glad I could contribute a bit! If you need me for any more stuff, you know where I am!

Step responds:

Awesome, I appreciate that! I'll definitely hit you up next time I need something.

Thanks for dropping by, man!

[}| rUbB3r J()|-| |\| |\| `/ |{]

Thoughts while listening:

Well...it definitely sounds like a rap beat. Not really sold on the switch-up that 0:50. Beat dies...sounds out-of-tempo. I can see it being used as a breakdown, but not as a full section. Like the change around 1:40. Smooth. REALLY sudden ending.

Thoughts after listening:

Some good things:

-I like the dissonant sound.
-Your quiet end-section feels really chill...

Some improvements:

-This feels like 3 different songs slapped together. Could work, with the right lyrics, but unfortunately you have none at the moment.
-The overall beat lacks complexity and subtlety. There is a lot of room to make the music interesting, and if you're going to have so many repeats, you have to make them distinct if you want it to work as a stand-alone track without lyrics.

Overall, this track has the potential to be a good starting point. It's got a style, certainly, and you could put a lot of really good raps to it. Even so, it is lacking in variety. It feels like you got three loops, and set each to repeat 20 times. I would recommend that you flesh this out more, and resubmit it. Gimme something to bite into!

2/5, R4R

-Ceevro

PS - Don't get discouraged! You've got a good idea here! It just needs more work!

HerbWelch responds:

Thanks man, I'm just starting out so any thoughts are appreciated as long as their constructive; I'll keep your advice under consideration. I'll review a song of yours in return.

[Ghost in the Machine]

Thoughts while listening:

YAY! Another actual guitarist! And...uh...some weird sounds. Not sure what to make of this. Something Floydian about it. I really wanna kill the bit-crushed guitar. Some nice soloing there. Great blues sound to it. Very relaxed. Total silence at 2 minutes...almost 20 seconds of it...bit much...outro needs some volume.

Thoughts after listening:

Some good stuff:

-The song had some gorgeous bluesy moments in it, very reminiscent of early Pink Floyd
-You clearly either have some skill with a guitar, or have found some really nice samples. Either way, Ceevro approves of all acoustics!
-Great atmosphere here. I have an affinity for the melancholy, and this is wonderful in that respect.

Some improvements:

-The bitcrushed guitar is jarring. Try swapping it out with some light distortion and see if that doesn't sound better.
-20 seconds of complete silence can cause the listener to lose interest. I'd recommend putting...well...ANYTHING in there. Use some more experimental sounds, or even a low bass hum to make sure the listener knows you're still on stage!
-Check your levels. The total package here is extremely quiet. If you've got a 'normalize volume' thing happening, turn it off, so that it doesn't turn everything down to accommodate your loudest sound. You may also look at adding compression on your master track to pull everything to a more listenable volume.
-I really want some vocals in this. I know, I know, I really love instrumentals. But the atmosphere could be opened up a little more with even a couple lines of sung poetry. Give it some consideration.

Overall, this was an enjoyable listen. I'm not sold on some of the experimental sounds that seem...just...stuck in there because you could. Every sound should add something to the track, not distract attention away from it, as a rule of thumb.

3.5/5 R4R

-Ceevro

AlbertAnderson responds:

thanks

[Dawnfrost]

Thoughts while listening:

Sort of a flat pad on the start. Love the complex percs. Lead line is too loud compared to the mix. Nice mixup at 1:14...perhaps the low sound would be better as an electric guitar with lots of distortion. The violin sound stays in too long...like a harmonic feedback.

Thoughts after listening:

Some good things:

-Interesting atmosphere.
-Crisp motif that stays with the song throughout.
-Love that switchup! Keeps it interesting.

Needs Improvement:

-Mix is off. You need to balance your levels a bit better. The lead line is so loud it drowns out the rhythm section.
-I want sharper instrumentation where you say it switches to 'bite.' Try something with a quicker attack and more harmonics. I'd use electric guitar, but that's only my preference.

Overall:

Solid piece! I love hearing complexities in a mix, and you've got them to spare here!

8/10

-Ceevro, R4R

Hallow responds:

I see what you mean by flat - the pad playing the chords isn't that interesting, I agree.
(Sadly, the percs were just me messing around with a preset...)
I did notice that the high pad was a bit too loud, but that was only after I had exported it from FL, and you know how demos work...
The same pad was the one causing the feedback. I didn't really notice it that much at first, and again, I couldn't change it (I don't currently know how, either, but I would probably be able to figure it out with some fiddling around).

I'm glad you like the mixup. I used the word "bite" because I was trying to be clever (did it work?), but I see what you mean about sharper instrumentation. The one thing is, it wouldn't matter - every single note played by that pad is a slide :P
However, since I've only just started with electronic music, I didn't really consider using guitar (or any other instrument that exists physically) - that would be interesting. This time, though, I was going for a sort of dubstep sound and experimenting, but having fiddled with a few other presets to no avail, finding this one was a bonus.

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm glad you liked it!

[Chip 'n' Swing]

Huh. Well, would you look at that! I'm clearly not big on the electronic varieties of music, preferring to play live instruments myself...but the composition here is wonderful! You've got an excellent swing to the beat, interesting change-ups, sweet solos, key changes, floating airy sections, and almost a dirty casino feel to the close-out!

This is some seriously cool music! Respect!

Yahtzei responds:

Thanks a lot! :) I'm glad you enjoyed it ^^ and yeah, I usually make quite simple loops for video game BGM, but I had to make something that stands up on its own here that can hold the listener's attention without a game attached to it. Well, it seemed to hold your attention, so I'm happy :D

[Jewel]

Excellent work on this! And dagnabbit...I was planning to do my next track in 5/4...looks like you sorta beat me to it!

Kor-Rune responds:

AWWWE DARLIN PLS DO IT I WANT MORE TASTY FIVES IN THE WORLD

[Moon spirit]

Man, I'm not usually a Dub-kinda-guy, but this is mixing at its' finest! I love all the effort you've clearly put in with your percussion...that must've taken some serious time!

All the best in the comp!

EdKempeper responds:

Thank you very much !
Yes, it takes me some time to make this song.

[Oak - Funkerbot (RD2015)]

Fuz-NUCK! Man, this beat rulz on so many different levels! Sweet work, man!

Oakwood responds:

Great to hear man! :)

[Ghardium Saga]

Well made, my friend! Mad props! I'm not usually one for computer instruments, but you've obviously spent the time and effort to make something in depth, and with real meaning here!

DanJohansen responds:

Thanks a ton man! I have loads of respect for computer instruments after having heard all the FF soundtracks, Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, Breath of Fire OST's, most of Hitoshi Sakimoto's work. And other video game music. But I know where you come from, glad you enjoyed it anyways! Thanks for the awesome review man!