Codefreq's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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 :)

[String Theory]

It's unusual for electronic music to have odd time signatures, so I think this is a bold move. :)

There is room for it to be a tad louder, but otherwise the mix is great and well balanced.

What inspired the name "String Theory"?

I'm not certain how this fits in with the "video game" genre in particular. It kind of throws my perspective off a bit.

Still, it's a fun and enjoyable listen. :)

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

iElectrocat responds:

Thank you for the feedback :)
The name "String Theory" comes from: In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. It describes how these strings propagate through space and interact with each other.
The way I composed this song made me think of that, and so I decided it'd be cool for that to be it's name.

I also just changed the genre to fusion. That makes more sense as an Electronic/Jazz/Fusion Combo :)

[Skerp - Shooter]

It sounds melancholy. The first part of the song is very powerful. I can imagine some people would be brought to tears from it. It certainly makes me feel sad just hearing it. It's kind of an abrupt ending, though. I wish it were longer and/or that it didn't cut off so suddenly.

The message gets across quite clearly, though.

Nice job. :)

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

Skerpp responds:

Thank you so much for the feedback!! Im so glad to hear that this track is so powerful and i was able to achive that goal. Im sorry about the ending as it could be longer and a stronger ending, thank you so much for the feedback and have a great week!!!!

[Black plague]

This piece almost has a fantasy-like quality to it with elements of seriousness. Unfortunately, I found that the mood didn't match the scenario in the description. It came across to me as determination rather than the bleak outcome stated in the scenario, particularly when the percussion kicks in.

If you aren't going to change the music to better fit the description, I'd suggest adding to and editing the scenario to make the song's message come through more clearly.

Technically speaking, It's well done, although I think you should increase the volume of the song via normalization. That way I don't have to change the volume just to listen to this song.

Still, I think you expressed yourself pretty effectively overall.

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

IndexatioN responds:

Thank you for your review. Yeah, I always had problems with making descriptions and titles to my works, so I'll be working on that

[imaim]

I could see this in a Pokemon-type game near a coast. It definitely feels like a beach-y vibe to it.

I think this should be longer and have more variety. As a loop, I found it gets annoying after hearing it several times in a row because of its length and repetition.

Overall, I think It's a pretty good start.

There's room for the mix to be a bit louder, too. I'd suggest using compression, limiting, and/or normalizing to increase the volume. The reasoning behind this is so the listener doesn't have to change the volume when listening to this specific piece.

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

ScottJacob responds:

Hey! Thank you for the feedback. I agree with everything you mentioned, i just intended to make a quick thing to put out for fun. I hear(no pun intended) you on making it louder. Gain staging is still a weak point im working to try and improve on. By the way i like your philosophy on giving critiques, i think it's an effective way to give feedback

[Spirit of the Oak Trees]

This is an interesting take on fantasy creatures in a forest, like you mentioned in your description.

The fast-paced percussion provides a manic energy to this piece. It's as if I'm in the forest, chasing something or someone very urgently, but without fear.

I think the description could be a bit misleading; when I think fantasy beings such as spirits, sprites, and faeries, I imagine something more peaceful than the tune you've got here.

Still, for the most part your point comes across pretty clearly.

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

oddfellowfloyd responds:

Thank you for the positive vibes! True! In my mind, I was seeing large, spellbinding, looming Oak trees that inspired fascination, and the lighter synths and atmospheres were representative of the peaceful and flighty aerie spirits and orbs of light... :)

[child of the woods]

Wow, this is powerful. Music like this doesn't come often. I'm floored. The lyrics and the music work perfectly together.

Technically, it's great, too. The music is quiet, but I think in this specific instance it highlights the small, yet strong and determined voices that the piece is about.

Truely amazing job! :D

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

Troisnyx responds:

Oh gosh, thank you for the kind words ;_; <3

This was a heart-wrencher to record and produce; I'm just grateful that it touches others similarly. I'm grateful that it has touched you this way, too.

[Search For The Chloroquine Crystal Cure]

It reminds me of Zelda and Pikmin in terms of spelunking in caves during the hot weather; that cozy and humid feeling. :)

I actually think the current mix is helpful for getting the RPG feeling across. The dynamics are very good as it is. Maybe it could be louder a little bit, but it may mess with the dynamics. Your choice.

It's interesting that you did this using live takes and no sequencers or computers. As a songwriter myself who uses the computer as an instrument, I find this to be as baffling as it is impressive.

Great job! :D

Midnights-Ocean responds:

Hey thanks so much! I always liked the music those old games used for caves. Yeah I think those quiet mid sections could do with a little boost here and there. Maybe next time I polish this, I'll do that. : )

[The Zatesee - Niagara Fury]

UPDATE:

Thank you for your clarification. Now I understand where you're coming from. It's not a bad song. I stand by what I said about it sounding "loop-oriented", but now I see that this was made for fun. You get bonus points for engineering your own loops rather than using stock loops.

Original Review of 2 stars:

"First and foremost, I'd like to see in the description your thought process when you made this. As it is, I have to judge by my own taste rather than judging by how effective I think your message and/or thoughts came across.

What's the story behind the name? Currently, it doesn't make much sense to me why you called this Niagara Falls.

I have a problem with how "loop-oriented" many of the sounds in this song are. I realize you said you made it in Garage Band for iOS. I get it, Garage Band is an easy-to-use tool to get your feet wet in music. That said, honestly, it really sounds like that's what you did. You need to put more effort into making your music your own instead of using what sounds like mostly built-in loops.

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

Ohmterra responds:

Thank you for you're comment.

The original story of this song was when I went to Niagara falls Canada, and decided to make a song while on my trip. The original, which is named "Falls" Is still on my account.

Around a couple months later I make Niagara Falls in the attempt to remaster the original. It took like 10 version before I was satisfied.

Now I make a song called Hraunfossar, and make it close as identical as I can. Someone suggested naming it to this song. I got the idea then to work on it, and actually make.

Now with looping. I made all of the sounds minus the drop kicks and topper. Other than that, everything is original to the song.

Again, Thank you for your comment,
-The Zatesee