Codefreq's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Downward Spiral Of Depression]

Interestingly, this piece sounds to me less like depression and more like a complex, dramatic, romantic kiss scene from a movie.

It has a sad vibe, sure, but that's not what came to my mind at first.

Considering depression can feel less like traditional sadness and more like a painfully numb, low energy struggle (speaking from my own experience, here) I think the saying "less is more" would apply here. What you did isn't necessarily wrong; I can't speak for everyone with depression. That said, I personally think it could be more powerful if you pulled both pulled back on the arrangement and, as an aside, made the song longer.

I'm giving this the rating of 2 1/2 stars not because I dislike it, you understand; I really like it. I'm rating it this way because I feel the message of a "downward spiral of depression" got lost. I want this piece to succeed because I think it has potential to. It just needs a lot of work to get there.

I hope this helps. :)

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

ConnorHeather responds:

Cool, thanks for your interesting and in depth review much appreciated!

[Into the Grid]

UPDATE:

Thank you for clarifying your intent in your response to my review. It seems you were indeed going for the vibe I described.

The only reason I didn't change my rating to 5 stars is because this piece doesn't seem like a soundtrack specifically for a rogue-like game on its own. I'd have to see the visual representation for it to click for me.

Apart from that, I stand by that you got the retro sythnwave-inspired futurism vibe really well nailed down. Good job. :)

Original 3 1/2 Star Review:

"First, you clearly put a lot of thought into the technical aspects of this song. That's undeniable given what you detailed in your description.

Second, be aware that in my reviews I'm less concerned with the technical aspects of arrangement, composition, and mixing on their own merits and more concerned with how all those elements fit together to present a feel or vibe that goes with the intent you have when you make the song.

Now, onto my review:

I think this presents a Synthwave-aesthetic-inspired sci-fi vibe quite well. It makes me think of almost a cyberpunk-type retro-futuristic city with neon lighting everywhere but through a nicer part of town.

That said, I don't think that's what you're going for if I read your description correctly, unless you're thinking of the old twin-stick arcade shooter, Robotron, in which case you did a pretty decent job with it. Since I'm just guessing, I'd like to hear more direct and concise input from you what vibe you were going for with this piece. Right now, it's hard to tell because your description meanders a lot and it makes it more difficult to parse what you are trying to do.

I hope you find this helpful. :)

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

Mik3l24 responds:

Sorry for a late reply, it was like 22 o'clock here in Poland when I've seen your review, way too late for me to write anything meaningful then.

I've noticed this discrepancy between the description of the game and the song itself too while writing it, but now that I'm thinking about it - I was going for the techno/synthwave vibe in terms of the music and a flashy, futuristic visual aesthetic from the beginning. I took inspiration from the soundtracks of PinOut, Tron and to a lesser extent - also Escape Goat, so… this song kinda met what I was going for.
In the first paragraph I more so rambled about my concepts for the story (and that's where the inspiration from HL1 lies) rather than the music or aesthetic. The reference to Nuclear Throne is about the general "arcade'y twin-stick shooter rougelike" gameplay structure, but now I realize that I want to make the visual style, and the game-feel much more like Hyper Light Drifter - which isn't even a rougelike. It still has quite a dark aesthetic, but combines that with some bright accent colors… which is also what I envisioned.
I think that it would make most sense to keep the beginning a bit more… brighter (not sure how to describe that), and only introduce darker, more distressing themes in the deeper parts of the Grid (the game world). This way we can keep this bright music and the dark story.
I hope that this cleared things up.

And… do you really think that I put thought into the technical aspects of this song? Huh. I've always found myself to be totally clueless and disorganized in these terms, always walking the thin line of intuition and trial and error. Well, it could be that I'm simply becoming more experienced in music making. Also, I just like over-explaining things.

[just wait a minute]

UPDATE:

Thank you for taking my review and suggestions seriously. :)

Now that I have a better idea of where you're coming from, I can safely say without question your intent comes through really clear. I have no more notes. 5 stars!

Original 4 Star Review:

"There's a couple of things this reminds me of: a loading screen for a sci-fi game like Tron 2.0 (2003) or some outer-space RPG, or, for some reason, Bioshock. I think the latter is because, to me, this piece has an underwater vibe. That's not a common thing to do, to give your piece an underwater vibe.

I'd love for any game I own to have this as a loading screen loop because it's perfect for that. Soothing and present but not annoying or overly catch to the point where it could irritate the player.

One suggestion I have for you is to change the submission format from "song" to "loop". I think it would fit the "loading screen" vibe more appropriately. If you do that, I also suggest fading out the end or not fading in the intro so it can loop more effectively.

One other thing; when clicking on this piece, I noticed the icon artwork looks very much like a fire decimated some area. I'm not sure that fits. I'd like to know why you chose that so I can get a better understanding, as well as provide a better review and maybe a more accurate rating.

Great job! :)

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

baryiscool responds:

so indepth !!

i will put it on loop and update the song so it fades out so it can be looped !!

also i made the CD fire because it is hot right now and i'm sweating .. no other reason
i could also change that to more of a blue background

if you read this then that means i have prob changed it <3
thanks for the review though

[BlighterProductions - Pulsar]

I think you really nailed the "outer space" feeling. Some parts feel like exploration, while others, like the more active parts, make me think of space combat. As far as Drum & Bass goes, it's not super energetic but I think that plays out in your favor because the synth pads in particular give enough space within the song (no pun intended) to both give a sense of scale and reflect exploration and wonder. The percussion also gives a sense of action. I think of a Star-Trek-like battle scene near a pulsar when I hear this.

Not sure if that's exactly what you were going for so I'll give you benefit of the doubt, but the sound of the song really matches the concept and title. Very nice work.

I'm curious, what were you going for?

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

BlighterProductions responds:

I tried a little bit stepping out of my comfort zone this time (since most of my recent music was very ambient) and I kind of started to miss the energy in my music. Trying out of the box first, but soon figuring out things that befitted really well with the song (like the alternative melodies playing through each other, which I believe to have resulted in my best work) and that manifested over time into what we will now know today as “Pulsar”.

I’m very satisfied with the results overall, and trust me, I am not easily satisfied with something. Thanks for the review. 😉

Also, I’ll make a music video for YouTube very soon.

[Moments Of Our Youth]

I can kind of see myself reminisce about the past with nostalgia. The audio in the beginning is quite immersive. However, I think the louder parts with the percussion is not what I was expecting when I read the title. It takes me out of the experience because those parts, the percussion in particular, are very in-your-face. I was expecting something a little more subdued and maybe dreamier.

In a situation like this, I think it would be beneficial for you to explain your thought process regarding this piece. If you talk about your decisions it may help me give better feedback and a more accurate rating.

Nonetheless, I hope you find this helpful. :)

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

shlowmo responds:

Thanks for the comment! Yeah the percussion is pretty in your face. I guess when I was making the track I was in the mindset of "make the drums kick hard" not realizing it could drown out the rest of the sound. Also doesn't help I didn't use a reference track for master.

[Uncharted Waters]

As far as conveying an underwater theme, this really does a great job of putting me in an underwater-themed arcade game where I am operating an underwater mech or a submarine in a side-scrolling shoot-em-up.

As far as that goes, this piece works. I only won't give it 5 stars because I know nothing about Warframe or the character from it, "Hydroid", thus I don't have enough background to say how accurate the representation of Hydroid and their abilities are. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

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

shadowsoflight777 responds:

Thanks for the review! I appreciate the thought that you put into your review process, and I'm glad you enjoyed the track - the vibe you got was what I was hoping for with this one.

[Want To Change]

I can appreciate the idea of trying to sound like a genre you like. It's frustrating when you can't get the sound to be like what you are trying to emulate.

I don't think it sounds strictly like Dubstep, but I'll say this: Like in voice acting, an inaccurate impression can lead to something really cool and unique. I believe that's what you did here. Nice work. :)

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

Quarl responds:

Music is much the same as other arts. Painting is a good example. You can always do your own thing but if you want to really improve as a painter, experimentation will only get you so far. If you want to paint photorealistically you study the techniques other painters use instead of trying to reinvent the wheel. You study classic masters. If you want to paint landscapes you'll watch Bob Ross videos while emulating.

I'm not doing anything unique here but I'm in love with your kind words Code Freq. Thanks dove :)

[Silent killer '88]

UPDATE:

I appreciate your response, thank you. :)

In terms of the title, It's good that you clarified. It sheds a little bit of light on what you're trying to do.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on this one. Without seeing what the story is, I can't say whether or not I think it fits.

Original 4-Star Review

"This piece is definitely eerie and creepy, like something out of the 3D Legend of Zelda games. I will say I'm not sure why you picked the title. Silent Killer works, but why the '88?

It loops seamlessly, which is nice.

I think you could go further with the instrumentation. Right now it's kind of minimal. If that's what you are going for, that's fine, but there's no indication that that is the case. My suggestion is that you add some additional creepy sounds here and there. They don't have to be in-your-face, but even subtle textures and note dissonance could enhance what you already have and make it even creepier. Think Metroid Prime 1-3, for example.

I hope you find this review helpful. :)

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

BlighterProductions responds:

The ‘88 is a reference to the year that a fictional character I made up called “Testificate 517” started to manifest itself in the year 1988. I’m currently working on the story but I wrote the music on purpose like this because I think it is relevant to such a story.

But thanks for yet another very helpful review. You’re the kind of people that need to make the comments.

[Airborne]

UPDATE:

First, I apologize for the mistake link at the bottom of my review. I fixed it now so it links to my review guidelines.

Second, thank you for clarifying. I'm not against just making stuff for fun without much thought. It's one of many approaches people have. I'm only trying to encourage the idea of making intentional decisions rather than random ones. From my experience, making decisions with intent is more likely to lead to a cohesive and focused piece than not really knowing what you are doing within the creation of a piece.

I hope that clears things up. :)

Original 4 Star Review:

"I think it would be in your best interest if you provided info on what your thought process was going into the creation of this piece. That would help me provide better feedback and maybe a more accurate rating. That, and I wouldn't have to base my review solely on my own taste in music.

For example, why pick the title, "Airborne"?

That said, I think this is a good piece. Nothing about it wowed me. The mix is good, though.

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

PresetUser responds:

Ok i try to explain a little better what i actually did there.