Codefreq's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Melodramarama]

I don't sense any melodrama here, but I can definitely see the potential for an RPG battle soundtrack. It almost sounds like Custom Robo to me. :)

The track is also quite well mixed.

I suggest if you want the tone to be more exaggerated to fit with a theme of melodrama, you could exaggerate the arrangement to be more bombastic; Cheesy enough to be "so bad that it's good", if you will. Mind you, that is a delicate balance to strike. I personally think the song is good as is, and adding too much cheese could ruin the vibe of the song.

The only other suggestion I could make is, as the audio is submitted as a loop, that it doesn't resolve. If you are going to submit the piece a loop, as you currently have, it should cut off abruptly at the end in a way so it can smoothly loop over itself, rather than fading out.

Still, I think it's a cool piece with a cool title, too. More importantly, the idea is clearly expressed. Nice job. :)

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

MightyMuso responds:

Thanks for the feedback! Not sure what Custom Robo is but I will check it out. I say melodrama mainly because of the bridge. I initially thought it was a bit over the top to include that part but ended up really liking it. But I see your point. And I see what you mean by the loop, I thought that just meant the type of composition. Thank you!

[Anguish]

Interesting description. Unfortunately, I'm not getting any emotional resonance from this piece. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, except the emotion, both implied in the title and explicitly stated in the description, doesn't reflect the theme you are trying to present, IMO.

If you still want to modify this piece, I suggest you try different ideas experiment with more variation, such as different chords and/or additional fleshing out of the arrangement, like adding percussion/drums or pads or something. The monotony and repetitive nature of the piece, while it could be seen as reflective of the exhausting nature of encountering hurdles one after another, isn't enough to represent the negativity in your description and title.

The mixing is well done, and technically it's a good piece, I just think the writing could be tweaked. I hope you find my feedback helpful. :)

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

Kelpalots responds:

Not sure if I could tweak it since it's a 2006 track. But imo beforehand with all the suffering I had gone throughout my life, it sounded like ocean waves. But I also heard anguish in some of the parts to the track. And it had an anti feel to it.

[True Damage - GIANTS (ft. Becky G, Keke Palmer, SOYEON, DUCKWRTH, Thutmose) Teckmo X Remix]

UPDATE:

Thank you for clarifying.

I definitely know how hard it is to sync vocals up with a song where the tempo is different. I stand by what I said about it in my review, though.

Knowing your intent now, I think the "party" aspect comes through pretty well.

The only reason this doesn't get 5 stars from me aside from the editing issues is I feel I'd have to play League of Legends to get the full context, and I don't plan on playing the game any time soon.

Still, I think you did a good job with this, as far as what it seems you are going for. :)

Original 4 Star Review:

"Without knowing anything about League of Legends, I think this is an interesting take on the original song. The editing could be a little tighter; some of the timings of the voices are off. The party beat is an interesting juxtaposition to the melancholy melodies present in the piece.

Given that it's a remix, it's hard to give constructive feedback. Remixing is its own art form, and if done with enough of a spin on the original, can provide a whole new perspective on an established piece. With that in mind, What was your intent with remixing this? I'd like to see the answer to this in your author comments so I can get a better perspective.

I hope you find the feedback I do have to offer to be of use to you. :)

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

Teckmo-X responds:

League of Legends is an online multiplayer game where you play different champs with different skills and use items to beat your opponents. The point of the game is to get to the enemy base and destroy the nexus.

The song first came to mind when I thought about adding vocals to my music for the first time (well second time after a collab with @jimmypig. I wanted something more in the party route of things which is how the beat came to be. The song is simple yet constructive in many ways. The vocals were actually in sync except for the ending where it says " Sleeping Giants". Synchronizing vocals isn't easy even for an experienced beat maker so I'm actually proud I took time to make it. The rapping parts were actually harder to sync with the song. The other hard part was coming up with the bridge towards the chorus because one of the singers speaks spanish and I wanted to add that part but it was impossible to sync unless I chopped every single word she said and that was too much work to begin with.

The point of this remix was to challenge myself to try and incorporate vocals into my music which is one of the biggest challenges I face with music making as well as mixing and mastering.

[Into the complex]

This really effectively gives the feeling of sneaking around an old warehouse at night. Currently, I find no improvements necessary. Very well done. :)

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

Yqarus responds:

Thank you for another great review.
I really appreciate it. I tried my best to give the listener a certain feeling while focusing on every other sound in this little chaos.

[Stellar]

UPDATE:

I see in your reply you did add what the song felt like to you. I can see it as a cartoon theme for a space station, much like Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door or something.

You may think this is a small thing to add, but even something like what your piece reminds you of (in this case a space station), really helps me not just judge based on my taste, but judge based on how close the feel and vibe I get from the piece matches the feel and vibe you get from the piece.

Original 3 1/2 star review:

"I'm curious about the name, Stellar. Why did you call it that?

I think the volume could be made louder with some compression/limiting or normalization. that way the listener doesn't have to raise the volume for this specific song and then change it back when they switch to another song.

I think you should add a description of your thought process when writing this song. That way I can critique how clear I thought your intent came through rather than only how much I liked it.

As it is, I think it's okay. It didn't wow me. I may have more constructive feedback if you add the description of your thought process and also explained your intent regarding the title,

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

Banana-head responds:

Damn, i wasnt expecting to get a proper review from this lol, thanks for the feedback!
So, there's no description because there isnt much thought i put into the song, i just did it this morning. I came up with the bass line while messing with my guitar, passed it to the PC and started adding more layers to it. I called it Stellar because i thought it sounded like a space video game soundtrack.
About the loudness, thats mainly because the program i use to make these songs is not a proper program for electronic music, its a music score program that plays a midi of the score you wrote, so im limited to what this program offers me but its the only thing i know how to use well, i really should start learning how to mess with midi on DAWs and VSTs to get better sounds.
Thanks again for the review!

[lobby]

Wow, how did you do this in only a few hours??

I wish you had something describing your thought process while making this loop. Otherwise, I'm going to have to rate it based on my taste rather than the clarity of your intent, which affects my score.

What's behind the name, "lobby"?

Personally, I like it. It's kind of funky, with a feeling of being in an underground secret lair, such as Jack II for the PS2 or Watchdogs II or something. It's quite unique.

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

FwWFW responds:

Woah thanks dude. I appreciate the time you spend on this review.

[Silence in Solitude]

To me this is a piece with a sense of calm memories, as well as a look back with regret. Equal parts optimism and acceptance of fate. IMO It doesn't necessarily express solitude specifically, but I can see why someone might think so.

I think you could raise the volume of the piece using normalization.

Other than that, I think It's really well expressed.

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

ToraXD001 responds:

Thanks for the review! I tried expressing solitude as best as I could think of at the time, but I believe that's the beauty of writing theses kinds of music; different people can have different interpretations of the same track. It's always great to hear others' thoughts on my music to see what they think of them. XD

[Heat of Passion]

UPDATE:

Thank you for your reply. I now have a clear insight to your thought process while making this song.

Listening to this the second time around, the sound definitely has a blanket of almost a depression-like quality in terms of mood. The notion of "power-through regardless" is there, in that the dance rhythm that becomes present toward the beginning of the piece and remains throughout is almost at odds with the melancholy melody. That rhythm seems to be the only thing holding the song together. Reminds me of many times I've operated on one cylinder or less.

It's well expressed, although I'm not sure if others would agree with my observations. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt with my current rating of 4 and 1/2 stars.

It's not easy to make someone feel something in music. This song makes me sad, especially when coupled with your explanation of your thought process.

My previous 3 star review:

"Your current description, and I quote:

"Another result of hours of effort that's just going to be ignored"

I'm not reviewing your piece based on the idea that you may be baiting for reviews. I'm doing it on my own accord.

With that out of the way, here's my review:

I'd like to see in your description what your thought process was when creating this piece.

I'm curious where the title came from.

My opinion; It's not a bad song. There's certainly some attempt at emotion to this, but it's unclear to me what it is. Unfortunately, without a description of your thought process, that's about all I can say, and it's not particularly useful.

My score might change if you provided more info, and you may get more helpful criticism, too.

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

NeighbourhoodVandal responds:

The track itself is the product of insomnia. At the time I was awake for 2 days, and the creation of the track took place between 11pm and 5am. I was hyperactive that night for no reason at all, so I just focused all of that energy into the one thing that I knew how to do.

I've been dealing with a lot recently and, composing is my way of self expression - the things I make are a direct reflection of how I'm feeling at the time I made them. With that being said, the 'emotional' part of the track is probably unclear because I had a *ton* of conflicting emotions at the time. I just knew that I had to persevere through them, despite the fact that it was not easy to do so.

This idea of pushing through the bad, and reaching completion, despite being at what feels like the lowest point of my life, is what probably lead to the title 'Heat of Passion'.

[Climax]

I have no idea about the artist or animation you made this piece for, so I'm going to review based on my criteria.

As it is right now, it's not bad. It's certainly carries the vibe of an urban turn-based fight sound.

I think you could go further with this concept and have the "fighting" vibe come through even more, which could fit the title better. Here are some of my suggestions:

1: You could use compression and/or limiting to increase the volume of the track so people don't have to change the volume for this specific song.

2: This could easily be looped into a video game soundtrack. However, if that were the case, I think the first half of the intro should be cut off. As it is, it takes a bit more time to get into the "fight" vibe, and that extra time could make it less engaging.

3: IMO since the title is Climax, this piece would benefit from some progressive increase in intensity. I think adding more layers of synths on top of what you've already got would potentially really help the piece's energy, especially if you keep building and building more instrumentation as the track goes on. Whether or not you resolve the piece depends on what you are going for.

Overall, I think this does a good job expressing the "battle" and "fight" vibes. I hope you found my feedback helpful. :)

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

FatdelxeGD responds:

1. I dont think it was the limiting, It was cause Logic has a Normalizer and it automatically turns it on when I export audio.

2. I agree with that one

3. I was trying to do something like that but I didn't have a lot of ideas at the time.


Thanks for the advice!

[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 :)