Codefreq's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Album - Empty (Full Experience)]

I'm going to review this song-by-song, lyrics notwithstanding.

1: Slight Infracture: The mixing here is incredible. I really feel the bass, though it isn't overpowering. On a personal taste level, this is the first trap-based song I actually like. It's very dreamy. It's a good way to start the album. 5 stars

2: Touch Of Madness: This is similar to the last track in terms of vibe. That is, until you get to the loud parts with all the dissonant synths. The feeling of a descent into madness comes through nicely. 4 1/2 Stars

3: Transition: The flow from the previous track is a tad jarring, but is surprisingly smooth given the key change. It's almost trance-y in vibe; the minimalist instrumentation for this song is vast and expansive and atmospheric. 5 Stars

4: (0.eb) Chill: This is also a big and expansive track. It's in a way peaceful and hopeful and uplifting. To me, it also make me think of being underwater. Kudos for being one of the only songs I've heard to provide this imagery. 5 Stars

5: (0.eb) Chill - Erin Phoenix Remix: Not sure why you placed this directly after the original version instead of at the end ofm the album like most do; nothing you state in the album's description says anything about it. Nonetheless, the fidelity took a real hit here. It's out of place compared to the rest of the songs on the album. It does have an intersting vibe later in the song, almost in a noir-like lo-fi tone. Not sure if that was your intent, though, given this is a remix. 3 stars

6: Empty: The transition between the previous song and this one is quite smooth and almost seamless. It has a vibe of being an rogue hacker in a futuristic city, almost like Deus Ex: Human Revolution from way back when. About halfway through the bass is so strong it gives me a very strong feeling of an "ear hug." At first it's nice, but by the last quarter of the song it gave me some listening fatigue. 4 Stars

7: A Long Drive: Once the song gets going, the vibe present in the title starts to show a bit, but it's vague at best. Synthwave as a genre is generally good at presenting retro-futuristic driving on a long road by the city and/or coastline. There's definitely elements of that in here, but as it is I'm not getting a clear enough vision of that feeling. I wish there was something more constructive I could say, but unfortunately, this has to be left to you. 4 stars

8: Electraophante - NoStereo Remix: The drums in the first part are subdued more in this song than most others. It's quite a nice break from the aggression of some of the previous tracks, which as I've mentioned, can cause ear fatigue. I'm curious if this is a cover, given that it states a remix by you on the same album you create. It does make for a good last song, though. That said, I'm not sure the purpose of the down-pitching at the end. It kind of curbs my enthusiasm for it. 3 1/2 stars

Album Overall: There's quite a bit of variety here. It gets bonus points for that. The mixing of each song is different per song, and nothing in your description says anything about why this is the case. Not knowing if you did this on purpose, I think there could be more consistency among the tracks in terms of the way the tracks are mixed. Despite the criticisms I have, I'd for sure listen to this again. It's quite a journey. 4 1/2 stars

I'd like to know your thought process while making the album, as well as what each of the names mean relative to the songs, and the album title; None of the titles make sense to me with regard to the song.

I hope the feedback I provided is useful to you. :)

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

NoStereo responds:

Thank you very much for your review, there is a lot of very valid criticism here. I'll attempt to break down my own thoughts and answer some of your questions.

I think a few questions could be answered by this is a debut album, I wanted to showcase a wide variety of music I make. I was/am also still learning daily about my craft, and mastering is one thing I am only really getting a firm grasp on now, after the album is sadly already out. That's one of the joys of creating something though, letting it stand and serve as a reminder of your past.

Slight Infracture and a touch of madness were made back in 2015 which is when I was determined to make an album. Unfortunately I had some bad things happen to me between then and now that really held me back from that goal.

Infracture is a combination of infraction and fracture. Something done wrong that caused a break, touch of madness is the followup to that same idea.

Transition was meant to be jarring, to indicate that things have changed. It has something dark yet hopeful about it, is change a good thing?

Chill was a milestone for me and is what inspired me to continue the album after 5 years. It's actually a remix of another song I did, which I now consider to be a WIP to chill. Unfortunately if you are looking for meaning to both versions on the album there isn't much other than I am proud of them. I thought that putting the remix after would provide a stark antithesis to what the album appears to be on the surface, sitting in the middle. Should it have come after the original, not sure, but I feel like it fits the progression I was going for.

Empty is a tricky one, the song itself alludes to my past with the lyrics. Abuse and trauma that left me feeling empty. there is some fun stuff in the song I snuck in, but as a whole the song is a dark representation of my mental state and masochistic desires. The name empty extends to the whole album in this way. Each song is devoid of true substance in ways, but as snippets of my life and who I am portray what I am, empty.

A long drive is an escape, it takes elements from the previous song and takes them into a new direction. A frantic drive to another place far away.

Electraophante was added to the album "last minute" It struck me as a good send off to the album which I felt was missing something. It's a remix of another artists song yes (with full permission I must add), quite a departure from it, a completely new look on the song. It represents a place I am, or was at, at the time. The down pitching is meant to "ruin" the song. Similarly to how my situation appears to be getting ruined.

Sorry if my description got a little to real. But there is deep meaning to me in my music, which is hard to portray without lyrics. The album is a bit of a hodgepodge in terms of mixing, I'm planning on having my next EP be a more consistent experience, aided by some new knowledge in mastering I learned ofc, after I released my album lol.

Again thank you very much for your wonderful review. If you want to talk more, feel free to DM me :)

[ufo party time]

This piece sounds like it's straight out of Retro City Rampage. Come to think of it, I wish that game had aliens in it, so this music could be used. ;)

The song itself fits the description and title quite well.

I do think it could be louder, with the help of compression and limiting and/or normalizing.

Also, I think if you cut off the end of the piece in the right place, you could change this into a loop. Given the retro video game vibe, having the file-info be "loop" instead of "song" would do your piece a good service.

I hope you found this feedback helpful. :)

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

[Rager- Skyhook]

UPDATE:

I see you've created a description. It's quite detailed, and an interesting read. Nice! :)

With that in mind, I think It nails the popularized style well. It takes me back to the days when I'd play Call Of Duty online. It's nice to have that atmospheric break in the middle because without it, the piece is fatiguing to listen to.

Overall, I think you did a great job making an accurate homage to that era of Dubstep. :)

Original 4 Star Review:

"First off, This piece needs a description so I can see your thought process and judge the piece on how well I feel you expressed your message. Otherwise, I have to go by my personal taste.

Until the description gets updated, I will do that. I like the song. It's got a nice melodic quality to it. Not sure if it fits with the title, but it's a pretty fun and energetic listen.

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806"

Rager57 responds:

I’ve updated the description. Keep in mind that this track is several months old, so my memory of making the track is a bit less clear now.

[Spring Time]

The instrumentation does feel like a Spring walk in a safe suburban neighborhood. To me there's a hopeful quality to it.

I think you could make the volume louder with compression and limiting plugins. That way no one has to raise the volume for this track and lower it when they listen to something else. It's more convenient that way. That said, a light touch may be all that is necessary. The dynamics, as they are now, are well done.

It's a nice listen as it is, though I wish it were longer.

Your message is clearly expressed. Good job. :)

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

SharkwithSideburns responds:

Hey thanks for the feedback! :D I just used this song to test out this piano I got as a plug in, but it was definitely a really fun song to work on. I'll be sure to work on it a bit more :))

[If you don't think about it - instrumental]

I have a few problems with this piece. First off, It sounds like everything is mono rather than stereo or even pseudo-stereo. This gets in the way of your intention to make a spacious sound with your recording.

If you are going to make a recording that sounds spacious, there are many ways to do so. For example, you could double-track at least one of the instruments and pan each recording left and right; you could pan certain instruments that aren't double-tracked, fully or partially, in either direction. You could use stereo reverb, sound-doubling, or stereo delay plugins, and you may want to use multiple plugins like those at the same time.

What's the story behind the name? Right now, it's unclear what it means, and to me the shoe doesn't fit.

As the recording is now, some of the instruments blur into each other. I can barely hear the harmonica, if that's what it is. You may want to tweak it.

I can see some potential here to make a pretty and spacious song, but the production falls flat.

Even still, it makes for a pleasant piece to listen to.

I hope you found this information helpful. :)

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

Bitbeak responds:

Really appreciate the time you took to say all that. Never tried to intentionally mix something in stereo but I'm definitely gonna play around with it on future projects :)

[Cabin Fever]

There's a clear sense of tension throughout this piece. I think your expression of restlessness is expressed well, although I think it would be more effective if you framed this as a loop and cut off the trailing notes. It may improve the sense of restlessness and the repetition and claustrophobia that comes with cabin fever.

I also recommend normalizing the piece and maybe adding some compression so it's loud enough that the listener doesn't have to change the volume specifically for this song.

I hope you find the feedback helpful. :)

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

[Aint it Fine]

I like this. There's a sense of optimism in the song, matching the title and comments.

The description, as I see it, is optimistic, saying "hopefully this is the last month of the lockdown from COVID-19". That doesn't mean someone may take it out of context and treat it like it's pessimistic, like it says, "I sure hope this is the last month we'll all be alive". Sarcastic or not, the description is a bit ambiguous and I suggest clarifying what you mean to avoid confusion.

I think on a technical level you could make it louder with normalization and/or compression/limiting.

Overall, I think you were effective at expressing your message and vibe. Good job. :)

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

[choccy]

The first quarter of the song is beautiful, yet melancholy. It's powerful.

The song's vibe gets more hopeful as the song goes on. It's effective at acknowledging the pain while also saying that it is possible to move on.

I think your expression is effective. I'm curious about the name. What does choccy mean?

I do wish the song was longer and didn't end abruptly. Given the subject matter, I recommend ending the song on an unresolved note. If done well, this can be very compelling. The reality is, no one knows what the future will hold. Leaving the song on an unresolved note could reflect that. As it is, the sudden stop at the end makes the song feel less deliberate and more unfinished.

I hope you find my feedback useful. :)

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

vidu3k333 responds:

thank you for the very constructive and in depth feedback for a track i've made for april fools. the name "choccy" comes from a dumb meme in 2016 and it meant "chocolate". this track is mainly just me experimenting with harmonies and bassline so i'm glad that you enjoyed it :)

[Drift]

I can definitely get lost in this song.

Not quite sure about the genre title, though. It doesn't sound like Synthwave to me. It's dreamy, though.

I think this song has some room to get louder, whether by normalization or by compression/limiting plugins.

The name fits. I feel like I'm drifting on water in the summer.

Overall, I think you did a good job communicating your ideas.

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806

[That Doesn't Happen Here Demo V]

First off, to help with the volume of the file, there are compression and limiter plugins out there that, with some practice, are useful in making the song louder in a balanced way. You could also use normalization to max out the volume without such tools, but compression/limiting are more useful.

Second, it's useful to put your thought process during creation of this piece into the description so I can assess how effectively I feel you got your message across. Otherwise I have to resort to simply judging the piece with my own personal taste.

Personally, I like the song. I'm curious about the title though. What does it mean? The "II" is also interesting. Is this a new version or part II of a series?

More info about how I review music here: https://codefreq.newgrounds.com/news/post/1089806