Codefreq's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Showtime!]

This sounds like a nighttime-city theme of some hidden gem released during the mascot platform game fad on the Genesis.

The thumbnail art for this piece is interesting, but I don't see how it fits the song.

The name "Showtime!" sounds more like the title screen than a level to me, though, rather than a level.

In light of that, I'd like to hear from you what your thought process was when you made this. If you provide the information not only would it help me understand better where you are coming from, but I can judge by how effective I thought your presentation was, rather than having to rely on my own taste. Also, it could affect the accuracy of my rating.

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

[Carefree]

UPDATE:

Thank you for clarifying. I think you nailed the vibe you were going for. The only thing that prevents it from getting 5 stars is the long silent space at the end and the thumbnail art you chose to be the piece. I can't say for sure if that artwork fits, so I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

Original 3 1/2 Star Review:

"It's interesting to me that you called this "Carefree" because I feel like this is the kind of music that would appear in Animal Crossing if Tom Nook was really into Hip-Hop. It's got a very "zen" feel to it. I'm curious what you were thinking?

I'm also wondering what your thought process was when you made this song. If you provide the information in your description, I might be able to provide more helpful feedback and it could affect my rating. I would base the piece off how well I thought your intent came through rather than how much I liked it.

Technically speaking, my only gripe is there's a solid 10 or so seconds at the end where it's just silence. I suggest trimming it a bit, maybe by about 5-8 seconds.

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

TheNewAge responds:

Yeah, I think you got it! I tried to make the song calm and zen but also with a positive vibe and mood. Most kawaii bass has huge saws and kinda focuses more on mashing together all the elements to make it super aggressive. What I did here was I sprinkled in a little bit of hip-hop and made it sweeter and calmer in general. My thought process while making the song was just making it sound similar to previous songs like decay, but to also add on some elements from a whole new genre which I wanted to explore. Thanks for the feedback. You can PM me if you have any more questions! I will also add something to the description about what the song is intended to be

[Asteroid]

UPDATE:

Thank you for clarifying. You nailed the vibe. Truth be told, I thought about Super Monkey Ball (The space levels) when I heard this. I didn't share it because I didn't know what you were going for. You did a great job clearly expressing the feeling of outer space. :)

Original 4 Star Review:

"I'd like to hear from you what your thought process was. Knowing that would change my feedback so it's more helpful; I'd base it off of how well I thought your intent came through as opposed to simply by my own taste. It could also affect the rating I give.

I'm curious about the title, "Asteroid". To me there is a vague sense of outer space, especially in the beginning, where it (kind of) fits the song. Still, I'd like to know what it meant to you.

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

TheTmusic responds:

The suggestion "Asteroid" came from a friend, I showed him the song and he says "This song sound like asteroid" and I thought, this is a fitting title because of the space-like sounds in the beginning. Also the main lead gives the feeling of flying through the endless emptiness of space.

I started this song in summer holidays 2019. I experimented with layering of different sounds. It starts sounding good so I decided to make this a full song, but as school starts, I didn't had time anymore to finish the song. In spring, during corona-holidays, I found this song in my project folder and decided to finish the song.

Hope I could help you

[Trapped Inside (Piano)]

I (kind of) get a Disney-esque vibe from this, like being trapped in a castle, if you will.

I'd like to know what you were thinking when you made this. If you share your thought process in your description, it would help me be able to provide better feedback and possibly a more accurate rating. The reason is this: Having your perspective would allow me to judge based on how well I thought your intent came through as opposed to how much I liked it.

I'm wondering why you chose the title you did?

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

DynamicZX responds:

Hello, thank you for listening!
The actual reason of this piano version is that it's made out of curiosity, to see what the original song sounds like with pianos.
The reason within the original song however, is to portray a feeling of being mentally trapped, not knowing where to go. The notes getting progressively higher is as a sign of screaming for help, but ended up only emitting noises, not even a voice can be heard.
Towards the end, (in an unreleased edit) the song suddenly turns into a bunch of noise, portraying that all of this "screaming for help an attention" is deemed useless.
I feel like the title is a bit unorthodox, or rather a bit not-good for a song that matters the most for me, but it might be just me.

[Drown in peach juice]

UPDATE:

Thank you for clarifying. It clears things up.

Original 3 1/2 Star Review:

"I'm curious about what your thought process was when you made this piece. Knowing that information could help me provide better feedback as well as a more accurate rating. I'd also be better able to judge based on how well I thought your intent came through, rather than just judging by my own taste.

That said, I do like the piece. at 2:08 onward I get a real stoner-metal/desert rock vibe.

A couple of things to think about:

The title is quite interesting. Why did you choose that?

Also, the thumbnail artwork you provided for this piece is cool, but I don't quite see how it fits the vibe of the song. I'd like to hear your input on this as well.

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

ORI-TAGGART responds:

Thank you for critiquing and I'm glad you enjoyed the track!

As for my thought process, I was generally just having fun making this. I was streaming and tried making something a bit all over the place. After listening to the final product back and forth I analysed the vibe and picked the first song name that came at the top of my head. Also, I would be lying by saying that there was a deeper meaning for chosing that cover. I simply thought it was cool.

Again thank you for the constructive criticism! It is much appreciated and I hope you had a nice day!

- Ori

[Our Time Here is Running Out]

For such a dire and urgent concept the music you provide is awfully relaxed. I think it would be beneficial to you if you added some tension into the piece. My suggestion for a starting point is to adjust the speed so it's faster, even if you change nothing else.

Also, on a technical level, your mix is a bit on the quiet side. You may want to increase the volume, either by normalizing or using compression/limiting or both. Right now, I have to raise the volume for this piece and lower it when I finish listening to it. That's inconvenient to the listener.

I hope you find this helpful. :)

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

Crimsonskies455 responds:

I know fuck all about mastering so that is probably something I should look into. Thank you for your kind yet constructive words.

[AlieN - Sadness (Melodic Dubstep)]

UPDATE:

Thank you for clarifying.

I stand by what I said about the feeling of sadness being overblown at a certain point. However, I realize this is your personal expression of sadness that may be different than what my idea would be, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on this one.

Oh, and the thumbnail artwork you chose makes more sense now that I know that it's the album cover.

Overall, nice job. :)

Original 3 1/2 Star Review:

"This definitely carries some sadness. The rain FX helped. This definitely feels melancholy until the part where the more contemporary dance song comes in at 1:36. Then the sad vibe gets blown up to the point where it's almost a caricature of itself. That may sound harsh, but the reality is when I got to that point it took me out of feeling immersed.

I'd like to hear from you what your thought process was when you made this in your description. It would help me get a better understanding of where you were coming from, which could lead to better feedback and a more accurate rating. Otherwise I have to rely on my own taste rather than how well I thought your intent came through.

By the way, out of curiosity, why did you pick the thumbnail artwork you did for this song?

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

AlienNinjaGD responds:

thanks a lot! thats a helpful review! so about the process of working, i was just kinda depressed these days and wanted to make something just like that. i composed the chords and from then all sound design ideas came to my head. about the thumbnail, thats the cover art for the ep made by my friend Bliss2K whose instagram link u can find in the description by clicking on his name.

[Freezy Zazy]

This trap-like beat has a video game tinge to it. That synth loop starting at about 19-20 seconds in really reminds me of GBA-era pokemon.

What were you going for? Was there anything beyond trying to make a more modern beat?

I'm curious about the title, "Freezy Zazy". Interesting choice. What's behind that?

Also, the thumbnail artwork is intriguing. Why did you pick it?

Just some things to think about. I hope it helps. :)

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

Czyszy responds:

The guy on the thumbnail is Magiera - one of my biggest influences.

[Afterglow]

If I just listen to the song on its own, it doesn't fit the "nighttime New Year beach party" vibe. However, If I imagine the scene of a romantic kiss around a beach-side bonfire, fireworks, bright lights, and dancing to this song played live, it fits perfectly.

I think that's the reason I won't give this 5 stars; a lot is left to the listener's imagination. I think the biggest issues that gets in the way of the vibe you are going for is the mixing and the instrumentation. When I think beach party I think big sound to match the environment, and based on that I don't think you went far enough.

Still, I think overall you did a nice job with this.

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

[Jungle Level]

There's a lot of motion in this piece. It sounds almost like a reimagining of something like Contra. The problem for me is it's not super clear on the "jungle" vibe. I think of more a beach level or a metropolis level rather than a jungle level.

Still, there is some sense of a jungle theme; it's not completely absent.

I will say this piece loops really well.

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