S3C's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Hoops (Racism in the USA)]

With the short and full description and audio icon associated with this track I can't tell if your intentions for this piece is to convey hilarious stereotypical satire or to produce a genuine evocative soundscape. Either way, you succeed at both.

the main flaw of this piece is its too repetitive. the main pads could have a more varied harmonic progression. and the basketball FX are not very logical...there's too few dribbles between shots IMO, and I don't understand why a crowd cheers after the "oof" sound (shouldn't it be after a swish?). Consider putting slightly different amounts of reverb and alternate the panning between dribbles to make the FX more visual. Also, incorporating ambient background chatter, the sound of traffic, and the squeak of sneakers across the court would add another layer of diversity. and gunshots and police cars/emergency vehicles are needed to make this clip truly reminiscent of the trap of the hood. it's certainly good for what it is tho. great job with the ambient sounds.

[SR - Coffee Redux]

Pristine. I've had this on my computer for 4+ years.

SineRider responds:

thanks dude, I think this is one of my better older tunes... man I can't believe it's been four years since I made this :O

[Artisan Land]

You hit the nail on the head

I'm a HUGE fan of Copeland's score for the Spyro PSX games. The cartoony thematic material, light, eccentric drums, organ and mallet/bell percussion, ambient padding is very reminiscent of the music in the Spyro games. Definitely would fit perfectly with the soundtrack for Spyro 2-3 where Copeland expanded the instrumentation palette in his pieces. It could be a replacement for one of the home-world tracks in Spyro 3 (which I found to be lacking in energy).

The composition is perfect. Catchy, good use of repetition, and development and sequencing of patterns. To me it invokes feelings of playfulness, lightheartedness, and comic mischief (flame those sheep!) It even loops seamlessly. I love the meshing of the acoustic guitar and vibraphone melodies. The breakdown with the rotary B3 organ was awesome, and the rhythmic chord stabs after was a great touch leading back into the introduction. The bassline is funky and produces a great groove and the electric piano has some interesting riffing over the top. I like the varied and well layered shaker percussion lines.

DAT INSTRUMENTATION. Lovely rhodes piano, sweet ethnic percussion, nice bubbly synth bass, again DAT B3 ORGAN. The release on the vibraphones is perfectly modeled. And the background ambiance....not only does it sound authentic, it actually develops and changes along with the music!

The mixing/levels are very clear. All the instruments are well distinguishable, good use of stereo and panning, creates a good contrast. I also like how the piece isn't overly compressed and over-saturated in effects.

So I can't find anything wrong with this piece honestly, but I still give it a 9 because it doesnt exactly have that killer melody (like the frozen altars level) or an extra-exotic instrumentation (like Sheila's lair). Perhaps the section after the break could be extended an extra 8-16 bars to make it more symmetrical to the intro-first verse area; but like I mentioned above, since it loops into the intro unoticeably it doesnt really matter. It may be able to use more variation in overall dynamics. Another technique worth exploring (not necessarily in this piece) is simply transposing all your instruments up or down for a good 8 bars or so. Copeland would use this technique quite a bit in his Spyro tracks to elongate them while not actually changing much.

Very good job, I'm interesting in hearing more from you for sure!

Emma responds:

Thank you very much for your well-thought out response! I really appreciate the detailed critique :)! I think Copeland is a musical genius when it comes to simple pieces. I'm extremely fond of his use of metal and electric guitars, but, I highly doubt anyone could match his perfect usage of them in the songs. I may attempt more similar pieces (hopefully longer) in the future! I recently received Apple Logic Pro for Christmas, so once I get more used to it's interface - which is much different from FL Studio - I will make another attempt and hope you will critique that one as well!

Thanks again :)

- Emma

[Works in progress by SBB]

Thirded!

I am not lying when I say that I'm genuinely interested in EVERY one of these samples you posted...clip after clip, I was like "ahh gotta tell SBB he needs to complete this one", "oh wait, no definitely this one", "oh wow, this one needs to be finished too". All of them are very creative, stylistic and worth taking the time to finish. It's amazing how much you've blossomed into one of the premier european electronic musicians over the years right before our own very eyes :')

But I did have FAVORITES:

00:23
-Anything that use harmonic minor I for. I really like the drums and baseline. Sounds like an awesome intro to a good DnB song.

00:43
-Real creative. A bit reminiscent of snoballanthemonyshot if you remember that fellow. I really like the lo-fi drums and the jazz harmonies

00:57
-Nice man. Somewhat like the music in the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. It has a pop-oriented catchy beat, but packs lots of sophstication in the exotic drum choices. The song really got interesing when the vibrato lead line came in with the airy pads. The demented bassline is tight as hell

1:19
-Now this is where it's at. Probably my absolutely favorite of the bunch. Compositionally it's fairly minimal, but the groove fucking rocks and the bass is super smooth. I love the subtle hand percussion.

2:08
-Took listening to a few times until it climbed into my favorites amongst the others. The chord progression moves very nicely, nice contrast of color with the key changes. I especially enjoyed the guitar FX. Reminds me of a city underground or something.

3:05
-Probably my second favorite. This is some great jazz man. The bossa-latin style exemplifies your diversity in creating tunes. Sounds Pat-Metheney inspired. Enjoyable jazz chording, nice tasteful guitar soloing over the top of the progression. If I was to make a suggestion hear, I would roll off the tone some more on your guitar and make the string pads sound even more synthetic by layering it some and giving it a stronger chorusing effect. Maybe through in a shaker and conga percussion eventually. Even a flute contributing to the chordal texture would be sick.

3:36-Way to quirky and original of a piece to pass up. The lead reverby synths are COLD. I like how the tiny bells and dings contrast nicely with the big rolling bassline, as if something's brewing in a mad scientist's lab.

4:09-I love the formant synths. The melody flows really well. Drum lines are very well sequenced and sampled.

4:48-Reminds me of radiohead, with your synthesizing intuition worked in. Can't say it's exactly my style, but just as it cut out and the chords started strumming, I yearned for more.

6:00-Gotta throw a nice ballad in there. I think meshing these ideas with the ones in the first sample would work great together.

/Review

Buoy responds:

Your favorites are each one except three haha. This is awesome, you've given me quite a few ideas for some of the tunes. Thank you so very much

[Amazon Groove]

probably my favorite from you

I've had this track downloaded onto my MP3 player for quite some time, its a great interesting track with sweet southern america vibes :]

The melodic bamboo percussion of course is a great highlight of the track, I like the syncopated theme that's played on them. The overall feel is slightly reminiscent of Chrono Cross' OST, if youve ever played that game. The ocarina sounds sweet as well, and the two melodic lines develop great together. And of course, snazzy guitar lick. It's got a very crisp sound too.

The second section is awesome and has a cool cinematic element to it that probably fits quite well with that story :) You did a good job using the various articulation patches from the EW samples, great job sequencing the string and horn instruments, and the chord progression is colorful and interesting.

Now for my nitpicks & suggestions, because thats just what I do -_- Excuse me if I sound like I'm trying to impose, as my review style has irritated people in the past lol.

I probably would have mixed the track differently, maybe in the process making it sound muddy or flat lol. But I feel like the drums could be brought a little bit more to the front, specifically the snare. And since the ocarina is soft, quite instrument, I would try to give it a thick(er) reverb to make it stand out from the other instruments a touch more.

The interlude section feels sparce. Perhaps to fill in the void, include some more ambient samples, such as mild rainfall, a flowing river or waterfall, or even a delicate airy pad. Also, a call and response section to match the melody of the bamboo chimes in the interlude is worth considering, that is if it fits within the story.

Lastly, I think the piece would benefit if there was 1 or 2 more latin percussion instruments.

but its another awesome piece by you! i think i've got some inspiration to create something ethnic-influence now, thanks :)

sorohanro responds:

Thanks for review, really good points there :)

[Blue Monk - Backing Track]

awesome playing & arranging

I knew you rocked at guitars and trumpet, but I had no idea you played sax as well.

-I like your subtle variations and ornamentation around the melody
-The slower tempo, and laid back drum rhythms (nice panning with the samples btw) are great for soloing against
-I love your guitar playing. Nothing is forced, your articulation is soft and brisk, good voicing, etc. and I hear that you slightly go 'outside' of the basic I-IV-V chord structure. Any tips on making interesting guitar comping patterns? what you did here is very nice.

the only thing I would have done differently which I personally think would make it easier for soloists is start off with a count-in measure and then do a four bar intro with just the bass and drums, and maybe the accompaniment instruments, so the player can get a feel for the groove of the track before the melody kicks in.

anyways, great job, thanks for posting this!

sorohanro responds:

Thanks for the review.
I don't play sax, I made it with DSK SaxophoneZ, a free VSTi.
This particular theme have a I-IV-IV#5b trick, but I substitute also IV with II or I with VI sometimes.
Good point in a metronome count-in. Next tracks will have.

[Back To The Fifties]

great concepts!

this is quite an original track (although I feel to see the contact with the Bluegrass genre?) Cuzone, good chord progressions, love the old school upright bass.

Like the last track I reviewed, this could use some more work on the transitions but overall feels more full and flows smoother. However, some of the sounds could be upgraded while still retaining a 50s feel. The piano could be traded in for a more authentic sounds like FL keys and a GM standard. I would slap some reverb on it, slightly bandpass perhaps to give it a more 'old' feel, and vary the velocities to attain a more realistic sound. The strings (sytrus) could also be layered with a soundfont to get a fresher sound, which I think would all pair better with the bass and opening drum sounds. Listening through for a second time, sounds like you did- but one more string patch wouldnt hurt. I'd ditch the clean samples that come in later in the track and use the ones in the opening throughout. consider giving them some compression and slight distortion to bring them forward, perhaps gradually laying off the "radio" EQ/effects as the song moves forward)

The rhythmic feel other than bass (which seems to be a sample, even :/) is quite boring- The piano chords and strings hit on the strong beats in the same predictable pattern throughout the entire song. Use syncopation and don't be afraid to ditch the block chord structure.

The tape stop that came in at 1:15 was a good idea, but seemed forced. I would play more with this and don't feel like you have to go straight back into the main premise of the song. The drums could also utilize cymbals to highlight transitions and different sections. I would keep the drums flowing throughout.

The chords and piano melody, sampled bass, and lo-fi drums are definitely keepers. A saxophone or another blown instrument to play sustained notes would also be a nice addition. The composition of the song was solid, but new samples IMO are strongly suggested. Keep up the originality and meshing of different stylistic elements.

Cuzone responds:

So much blahblahblah! I didn't hire you. You don't have to tell me what to do. Don't tell me what to do. If I did all those things YOU suggested, this would have been YOUR song, not mine!

FL Keys is the worst piano sound in the planet. Goes to show how much you know.

PS: Thanks for liking, uh, portions of the song.
PPS: The bluegrass thing was a mistake, but I've just fixed it. Thanks (honestly!) for warning me about that.
PPPS: It wasn't Cuzone who wrote this. It says so on the description! Where it says "Love, Timraband".

[Shankar]

much more listenable

this track has some interesting instruments and a more enjoyable structure. ethnic influenced music is my fav.

Like some users have mentioned below, this track is quite repetitive and IMO is lacking developed riffs. I have a feeling that most if not all of this is premade loops slapped together from mixcraft or magix or something. i havent heard them before so it would be unfair to automatically deduct points for it. However, the problem with this is a lack of a developed melody liked mentioned above, the drums also have few variations and there is a lack of transitioning. For example, the leadup to the part around 1:25 was competely unanticipated and awkward, and the simple 2 note motif doesnt hold up much on its own. 3:28 was a decent transition, as you had some harmony going on with the instruments and carried over the drums to the next section.

I recommend you chop the samples and reorganize the rhythms, possibly create a more variated melody theme from the indian instruments you have, or create one from scratch with a soundfont/synth/samplepack or whatnot. You might want to look into DSK indian instruments.

The rhythms on the tablas and other percussion parts are quite entertaining and create a good synergy when flowing together. I'd try to find a tabla soundfont and recreate the rhythms so you actually have control over the riffs. I'd like to hear some pitch/baya slap tones and faster rhythms during transitions. Also, a lot of classical Indian music is in 8/4 opposed to 4/4, if you're familiar with time signatures that might be something to consider if you were to re-compose this or something similar.

In addition to constructing a melody, the track feels a bit empty- some droney ambience like a resonant tambura or lush pad could work great as some interesting filler. This would also fill the emptiness during the (currently) rough transitions.

As for mixing, the samples sound crisp and wide. I'd pan the shakers to the left or right more and place the short string parts in opposite directions.

Otherwise, great choice of instruments, cool riffs. The digeridoo and synth are also ideas worth noting. Good job.

Keep up this style man, you have the right ingredients it just needs some more fleshing out and substance to make the perfect audible curry mix.

Cuzone responds:

So much blahblahblah! If it's repetitive, if it lacks riffs, that's not your problem. If it lacks a developed melody, that's not up to you to decide. I am not going to reorganize any rhythms. And of course I am familiar with time signatures, what the hell do you take me for?

I am glad you like the song, but, again, I didn't hire you and I do not want you to tell me what to do.

PS: if Americans play samba in 4/4, I can make Indian music like that as well. And "if you're familiar with time signatures" is a very asshole-ish way of trying to sound better than me. You're not. Shut up.

[Redwood's Furnace]

ooh,, this is swellll

this is a great piece of music with tons of fresh and fun elements.
it's got a lighthearted, cartoony feel but a sophisticated instrumentation and real catchy groove to make for some great electro-funk (if you can call it that).
I love the muted trumpet (?) paired with the brass chords, the smooth rhodes keys, vibraphones, boomy bass, and processed beats and vocal samples.
Sure, their could be more subtle changes in the chord progressions and the main melody, but the sequencing of the individual riffs were masterful and flowing throughout. Any more drastic developments and I'm not sure how well this would work for a menu/selection theme.
If that was what you were going for that is- I definetly think this would work perfectly during a scene with rotating cars, selecting various funky paint schemes and off-the-wall special powerups.
Aside from that, I can't think of any criticisms for this track. Great, crisp and clean mixing as well, and LOTS of energy to get the user pumped up for the race ahead!
I have to ask out of curiosity- how much of this track is made with loops and how much of the riffs are programmed? It doesnt matter either way as the sounds you incorporated were put together very creatively. Keep up the style and stay original!
I should probably use more line breaks lol

SHADOWFOX2 responds:

Whoa time to sit down by the fireside for this review :]
Electro-funk eh? Never heard that one before, but considering what it is, I can't disagree!
Sunspot and Redwood were both made for a game in which you customize your vehicle in some...sort of a menu!
But you're right, I didn't want too much action and dynamics in mood or else it would defeat the settings I wanted to convey.

I agree with you again, along with cazok and Ozzy, I should've put more into it, but I was drawin' blanks.
I really did mean to change up those vocal samples I really did!
I also had more planned out for this thing, but the idea wasn't complete and the deadline was rolling up; I didn't want the game to go with just one track!
The track was already 3:30 long, so I took what I had and stopped and didn't touch it again.
Who knows, this track may go through a revision in the future if I remake some tracks.

Programming...
Eventually all of them loop, as if they didn't you'd be guessing forever what mood was intended for this piece.
You pretty much hit the nail on the head with the "processed beat" and vocal samples.

-The main kick, snare/hi-hats/cymbals, ePiano, strings, bells, scratches and snap/claps was me just using raw samples and filtering accordingly from scratch

+The acoustic bass, mute trumpet, regular trumpets and violins was me taking the samples and slicing them up and changing pitch so they sound like they belong, which to me is the most difficult and time consuming, but is rewarding when done right :]

*Last but not least, the vocals and filler percussion had to have been the two that I spent the least time on. I basically spaced, sped or slowed down the sample so it would go along with the rest of the music and fill the cracks.
I've also found out that vocals go GREAT with music who'da thought eh?

BREAKSWHONEEDSBREAKSNONOTMENOBRAKESHE RESCREECH............................
..
Thanks for your very thoughtful review S3C I appreciate it :]

[Prince and Pendulum]

8 bit?

nope, this does not relate to 8-bit in anyway. whether it's happy or sad is irrelevant as 8-bit mainly refers to the technical characteristics of samplers and synths reminiscent of NES days or earlier. Google "chiptune" to hear something 8bit in a more pure form.

As for the track, you've got some interesting to sounds to work with and the effects are nice (although I have a feeling this might be an amalgamation of Garageband or Mixcraft stock loops) but unfortunately the song has no substance or direction. I would bring in some thick drums to match the phasey percussion and include a bassline as the lower end in this track is absent. Then workout out a song structure to flesh out the piece and put your sounds to use.

keep trying!!

demsis responds:

Oh really? In this case, that means I have no idea what 8-bit really is. I assumed 8-bit, was just retro, lowered quality of synths. turns out I was wrong.

As for the track, Yes - I did you garage band. But I only used a loop for the airy-scraping beat-oid thing, and thats it.
I kind of tried to keep all the notes above bass. I wanted it that way. Anyway. I'm just disappointed in myself now... Gosh I don't know whats happening with me, but my scores just keep getting lower. soon I'll quit music. just like I quit animation. couldn't even finish the first one. Sigh.

I... I just don't know why everyone else is better than me.
Sorry, Thanks for the... uh, help.