damifortune's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM 2023 - Psychedelic Landscape]

(disclaimer: AIM judge review here! these are just my opinions and thoughts, you can take from them whatever you like! music is subjective and all that. <3)

this is definitely a groovy loop you have constructed, and it's got some of that haze i would associate with psychedelia. in particular i felt like the intro before most of the parts come in was a fitting sound for a very abstract piece of art, and i would've liked to hear more of that. the rhythm of everything else is cool, and i even dig that the drumkit makes the song lean more towards psych-rock, but i could envision the "full section" w/ drums and piano being like, the climax of the piece, and more contemplative noodling taking up the rest. the artwork you chose is very freeform, and your music could reflect that in its structure. another way this piece could go beyond its core loop repetition would be to cut away after doing the big section for a while and start something new with a new progression and idea, slowly building back up and eventually bring back your original cool thing. what you have is really neat, now the beauty of the thing is to flesh it out and build around it!

Reddrad responds:

i made this a while back. back then, i probably wouldn't be able to understand this review, but now i feel like i do. maybe i'll make a VIP version in the future. this was my first music competition. hell, AIM 2024 is always a thing. probably

[THE YEAR 2000 - 2023 AIM Submission]

(disclaimer: AIM judge review here! these are just my opinions and thoughts, you can take from them whatever you like! music is subjective and all that. <3)

holy crap, i love this! i'm really picking up the urban youthful vibes of soundtracks like Jet Set Radio or The World Ends With You, and that's the exact sort of flashy style that comes across to me in the artwork you chose. this would make a killer theme for this character, i just know it. a match made in heaven. all the individual parts of your tune are solid, the mix is really clean, the sections develop and flow organically... i really don't have much to offer in the way of criticism here. you nailed the style. i'm especially a fan of the acid synth bass and the handful of little cutaway "pauses" for dramatic effect. brilliant work.

TeffyD responds:

Thank you for your review, I appreciate it!

[Infinity]

(disclaimer: AIM judge review here! these are just my opinions and thoughts, you can take from them whatever you like! music is subjective and all that. <3)

the vibe of the intro is perfect; just the right amount of space between everything to really give that sense of deep isolation in greyscale. conversely, the more fleshed-out piano part that follows is a little too busy in comparison. it could perhaps be led up to and prepared for, but i think much more time in "contemplative open space" would be necessary, along with more of a gradual build into that part (perhaps using some of the cool textural sounds you have on display in the latter portion of the song). one thing that i also think would REALLY help it feel organic would be for it to not be at a straight tempo, and when multiple notes hit at the same time, for them to be spaced out a bit; being both at tempo and quantized to the grid makes the part feel very robotic when it ought to breathe like a human. if it were me, i would put a lot more space between most of those chord changes in the process (this is doubly useful to counteract the heavy bleeding of the huge reverb), and really emphasize the flow of the melodic lines, giving them direction, crescendo and decrescendo, tension and release. if you happen to have the ability to liveplay it either via recording or midi, that'd be the best option, but it can be carefully sequenced too

Arponax responds:

Yeah i still have alot to learn when it comes to minimalistic and atmos stuff, its not really my main thing, kinda wanted to come out of my comfort zone with this one. unfortunately i dont really have a way to record stuff by hand, yet, ill learn instruments tho :D

thanks tho, ill take these suggestions in count when ill be making similar tracks in future.

[AIM23 - Kubarium]

(disclaimer: AIM judge review here! these are just my opinions and thoughts, you can take from them whatever you like! music is subjective and all that. <3)

i like when the drums kick into full gear about halfway through the song and then the rhythmic chord pad joins in; there's a good progression to the song in this way. the filtered noise in the background and the string ensemble sound acting as bass here give me a bit of that "expansive" feeling that i sense in the artwork you chose, but on the other hand the melody and accompaniment feel comparably intimate. i realize one of the voting categories here is "emotion" which you have leaned into here but i think i expect to hear more of a vast digital world in your piece than what i get; maybe the acoustic-ish snare and hat don't help, nor the up-front beat throughout. some more ambience, texture, distant arpeggios, for example might help give that feeling i get in the art.

artwork relevance aside though, you've got a really comfy little tune on your hands, and that melody is liable to get stuck in my head.

Dynamic0 responds:

Thanks for review!

[AIM - Environments 2D]

(disclaimer: AIM judge review here! these are just my opinions and thoughts, you can take from them whatever you like! music is subjective and all that. <3)

i'm definitely picking up the urban night vibe from the jazzy blend of rhodes, electric bass, drumset and synths! i love all the hazy, psychedelic effects on your synth leads, organ and pads too. there's a certain laid-back quality to the whole thing, the solos feel leisurely, there's some nice space inbetween many of the lines. and there's even some good development as the song goes on, with the final section + solo having the most intensity.

interestingly i think it's worth mentioning that, despite how vibrant, detailed and inviting the artwork of this city is, there's not a single person in sight. you did a good job of capturing that specific feeling of "vista of a city night ripe with opportunity, but without the hustle and bustle of a crowded street".

i could see there being some more compression on the drums so that they punch through the mix a little more, especially when things get more full like when the big synth pads hit in the last section. there are times where the reverb effects feel just a little muddy as well, mostly when we get both brass and other leads going at the same time. with just a little more focus on the key elements you want to emphasize, it could come across more coherently and confidently; but i say this because there's a lot to love about what all you've written here : )

Cresince responds:

Thank you for your insight!

I do agree with your mixing critiques as I listen back to my song, thank you for pointing out those specifics to me!

[Facing the Storm (AIM2023)]

(disclaimer: AIM judge review here! these are just my opinions and thoughts, you can take from them whatever you like! music is subjective and all that. <3)

wow, super cinematic! the core drones of the buzzy synth and strings hold this together very nicely. i like the ambient textures that come in to support, and the full movie action scene drum moments. the narrative arc of the song gets enormous in the last minute and a half! i like how it's paced for sure.

something about the four-on-the-floor beat of the last section strikes me as a bit inorganic; i wonder if maybe some more of the previous rhythms could've remained while still developing into the "big banger" climax that you've got. it's really cool, but the transition is a bit sudden and harsh compared to how fluidly the rest of the piece ebbs and flows.

i definitely feel the foreboding, consuming darkness of the artwork you chose within the ambience of this track, and i get the sense that when the drums start kicking into full gear, shit is really hitting the fan involving that giant ethereal hand...!

Arponax responds:

Thanks im glad you liked it :D

the four on floor at the end is kinda because i couldnt help myself XD the whole song ive been telling myself to just make cinematic piece without normal drums (using only taikos), but as you can hear the urge was eay too big XD
if its too sudden, not sure maybe there could be more silence treatment or introducing everything a bit more fluidly as you said but i kinda like these sudden impacts and changes, maybe its just my thing tho :D

thanks for feedback i appreciate.