Codefreq's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Deep Fritz]

UPDATE:

Glad to see you're taking my review seriously.

I PM'ed you so we can talk it over, if you like.

Original 4 Star Review:

"I'm curious about your thought process going into creating and releasing this piece. For example, Why is the title "Deep Fritz"? The description you have doesn't really say much about your intent.

Without that information I cannot give a review that properly follows my guidelines in the link below; I have to rely on my personal taste rather than judging how clearly your intent comes across.

I like the music, it's good for background music but it also has an extraterrestrial feel to it, like exploring an alien world in a video game.

Unfortunately I cannot provide much in the way of constructive criticism without the info I described. If you provide this info, I may update my review and change my rating.

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

IndustryStandard responds:

To be completely honest the name and description(as you probably noticed) were sort of just thrown together so i could put the song up. The name had a bit more thought put into it since it was the base name for the loops i mixed together, but the best explanation for why i gave them the name "Deep Fritz" is that it sounds like "deep freeze" and the soundscape was put together with a "cold and dark" feeling in mind. Fritz just sort of sounded right and made me smile lol.

I never know what to put in the descriptions because i feel pretentious writing them. Art is subjective, right? I feel like i'm telling people what to think before they've even listened (i havent followed the link you posted yet but i will, thanks for sharing it) because after reading my personal experience with the song, one can't help but think about it from that perspective at least in part.
Edit: I don't believe in control, and i think focussing too hard on intent can make people miss wonderfully unintended things, but i can see how intent is an important factor in determining the review score.

Or maybe i'm just pretentious and am trying to keep myself from saying too much so people don't find out ;p

I'll follow that link and work on my descriptions. Thanks!

[When It Just Doesn't Work]

UPDATE:

It's nice to see you added the lyrics.

Regarding your voice, it's not that the lyrics are unintelligible, they are just a bit buried in the mix.

I understand the tendency to hate on compression. I used to never compress my music. Now I realize a little compression goes a long way, especially if properly implemented. As it is, I stand by what I said about it being a little too quiet IMO.

As for the genre, I'd go with either Dance or Cinematic, since it has a slight Disco feel to it.

Just to clarify, my rating and review process for this song doesn't have anything to do with whether or not I like the song. It has much more to do with how clear the intent comes across in the music being reviewed. Check the link at the bottom of my review to see my post about my personal review criteria.

Original 3 star review:

"A couple of things to note:
The mixing could stand some compression/limiting and/or normalization to boost the volume
so the listener doesn't have to change the volume just for this song.

Normally instrument timing wouldn't be an issue except the piano is played so out of time in certain moments that it distracts from the intent of the song.

I would appreciate it if you wrote the lyrics in the description. it could help get the message across more clearly and make the piece more relatable.

I'm not sure why this was labeled Brit Pop, and would like to know why you chose that genre.

Overall, not bad.

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

maxxpump responds:

I normalised the track at -6dB when it was bounced down and I bought it back up to 0dB when i converted it to MP3. I personally think I may re-track the vocals when I get access to my studio again. I think the mix was off when the electric drums kicked in and i will be more mindful of the volume over the duration of the track.

Also the shaker threw me off with the piano part in the beginning, but I left it in to add some movement.

The lyrics have been added, sorry if you don't understand as I have a communication problem and am on sedatives to help with anxiety. I'm in no means a professional singer or professional musician. I occasionally get it right but sometimes I miss the mark. I hate compression, especially in software. I'm used to using my Behringer T1950 valve/tube compressor, but sadly don't have access to it.

I will look at changing the mix so it is more broader. But it always seems to sound better on other platforms than this one.

Thanks for the somewhat positive vibe. By the way what genre would you have put this in?

[Night at the beach]

I definitely feel like this music fits the environment of a night at a beach. Specifically a night partying at a beach, outdoors. The stylistic choice of vaguely synthwave-esque modern dance music helps provide that image.

The only thing is the ending is a bit abrupt and could stand some extra space for the instruments to fade out naturally.

Even still, great work! :)

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

TheVibeTheRythm responds:

Again, ty dude <33

[One step back]

Very dreamy piece. starting at about 1:21, there's a sense of intimacy. I hear this and I think about two lovers in a high floor of a hotel room looking over a sunset, until about 2:40, when night hits, and the scene continues at 3:14.

I realize this imagery may come across as esoteric, but the important thing is your description matches the song; it definitely makes me want to relax.

I just have a couple of notes. First, the mixing is a little quiet. I suggest using compression/limiting plugins and/or normalization to increase the volume. This is so the listener doesn't feel the need to change the volume specifically for this song and then change it back with other songs.

The only other thing is the genre of this song to me fits more with dreamy electronic music or a chill hip-hop beat rather than strictly classical music. I think it would be better if you changed the genre to fit better with your style of music. Metaphorically speaking, if you expected to get Diet Coke but got root beer, neither is necessarily bad but you didn't get what you expected. Likewise, If someone looked at the genre and saw "Classical" they might think orchestral music, which this isn't. It can affect the ratings people give you and may influence other's reviews of your work.

I hope this helps. :)

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

TheVibeTheRythm responds:

Okay thank you very much, this really helps. If you have any more suggestions or something, feel free to contact me. <3

[Blitz Loop]

I have a couple of things to note:

I'm curious about the title. Where did the name "Blitz loop" or simply "Blitz" come from?

It sounds petty, but if you intend this to be a loop, I suggest cutting off the silence at the end and change the submission type from "song" to "loop."

It's mixed well. the sounds come through clearly and nothing is particularly buried in the mix.

Overall, it's a fun listen. Given your description, that seems to be all you were going for. If you were trying to achieve something specific, please clarify that.

I hope you find my feedback helpful.

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

TheGoldenProof responds:

I don't really want to expose the sources of inspiration publicly but I can PM you the specifics behind the name. The song isn't meant to be a loop. I've always had trouble naming my songs, but for the first time I actually had the name for this song before I finished. Basically, I heard it somewhere with very little context and I couldn't stop thinking about what the "Blitz Loop" might be in some futuristic world and I started feeling very inspired. Like I said, this song changed a lot from what it originally was, and it doesn't quite fit the name as much as what I started with.

I guess there was multiple things I was trying to achieve, but ultimately I was just doing what sounded the best. This doesn't really sound much like the song I wanted to create when I first started, but I still tried to improve on various things, such as drum beats (which I know almost nothing about creating) and finding that "something" that it feels like my songs are missing (I always feel like my songs are missing something. I can't figure out what it is. I always feel like my songs just sound empty. I think in the most general terms, I don't actually know what makes good music good.)

Thank you for your feedback. It's helped me to think a lot deeper about my music and what I need to do to improve.

[Berlin]

UPDATE:

Thank you for adding the description.

The positive carefree vibe you put into this piece comes through really well. The music really sounds like a good time. It makes me want to go to this “A MAZE” festival.

Great job! :)

Original 4 star review:

“I wish you explained your thought process in the description for this piece. For example, why call the song "Berlin"? what inspired this song? What are you trying to do in creating and releasing this song?

Without answering these questions, I'm forced to go by my subjective opinion and the amount of constructive criticism I can provide becomes limited.

My opinion is that I like it. I think it sounds either utopian or anime-inspired. Unfortunately, that's all I can say about it while the submission is in its current state.

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

GrizzlyCogs responds:

Thanks for your comment, i added a short description :)

[Tranquility]

The description matches the vibe of the song very well. I feel like this could be playing in the background of a Japanese botanical garden.

The only thing I'd suggest is using some compression/limiting and/or normalizing to increase the volume enough so that the listener doesn't have to change the volume when going to and from listening to this song.

Overall, great job!

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

SharkwithSideburns responds:

Hey thank you for your response! It means a lot, I'm still learning how to balance the noises in terms of loudness so this really helps :) I appreciate the feedback!

[Extra Terrestrial]

To keep my review and rating as helpful as possible, they are going to be based on my criteria for review which you'll find by following the link at the bottom of this review. You should know, though that, subjectively speaking, I think this is one killer dance tune. :D

Anyway:

I think the mixing is very impressive.

I wish you talked more about what was going through your head when you created this as well as when you came back to it. Knowing what your intent was helps me give you more constructive feedback.

For example, Why pick the title, "Extra Terrestrial"? Nothing this song presented to me says it involves aliens or is a particularly alien piece. Without your perspective to clarify your intent, it's difficult to provide helpful feedback.

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

Ultimatepalmtree3 responds:

Thanks for the review, glad you like the track! I’m not really sure what bought me back to this after so long. I guess I wanted a challenge, wanted to see the difference of how far I’ve come maybe?

I was also terrible with titles; it was chosen because I made it on Halloween, so aliens, spooky etc. Terrible I know XD But I decided to keep it for now until I come back to this track.

Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it!

[Luminous]

Not sure what happened with the upload, technically. The waveform doesn't match the song at all. That's not a knock against your song, It's just strange. I'd recommend replacing the audio file in this project just in case.

Anyway, here's my review:

First, I'm curious about your thought process, both behind the name and behind the song itself. Without your perspective, I can't give much in the way of constructive criticism.

Subjectively, I think this song is pretty good. It's a bit repetitive and ends without resolve, which
I'm not personally into.

I'm afraid that's all I can say unless you give a bit more perspective. If you do that, I may be able to help further and possibly change my rating.

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

HellFighterEDM responds:

I'm not sure what happened to the waveform either, it seems to happen to me sometimes.

I usually just make songs every once in a while, it's kinda like a side thing but I don't think that should matter in your review since I appreciate criticism and would like to improve. Naming my songs is probably the part I struggle the most with, I'm not sure how I'd rate myself on this song in that aspect and I did struggle a bit coming up with an ending which, I'll be honest, I'm still not really happy with.

But anyways, thanks for the review!