Animith's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[NG Orchestration 09]

Highly emphatic.

Really like the start. I like the way you've not hurtled straight into playing the theme all the way through, and have rather taken the first part and developed the piece into something bigger than the theme itself.
The descending notes in the harmony were very well done; as a person below put, it creates quite a calming atmosphere, and the way you bring all the instruments in at around 0:16-0:26 was very nice. The first drum roll could have been louder, but the quiet after it was very emphatic.

What can be said about the buildup at 0:40-0:52...loved the guitar, just gave it even more of a tense aggression to it. This is one of the more rhythmic and intense competition entries I've heard for this contest, so far.

The strings at 1:30 were very energetic, the way you bring them into the theme also at 1:50 felt very romantic and epic. From 1:16 onwards, it really reminded me of the sort of music you'd hear in a movie trailer for something like the Dark Knight, which is odd because I've gotten Pirates of the Carribbean vibes from a fair few of the other pieces.

The ending is insane, in the good way. The cymbals at the 2:35 point could have been a little less frequent, but the break just after it, before the drums/double bass was again, very tense.
The ebbs and flow of instrumentation and dynamic were on point, it was a very engrossing and emotionally intense piece to listen to. Excellent work.

PGegen responds:

Thanks for the lengthy review. I'm glad you thought it sounded trailer-ish, since that was part of the vibe I was going for.

PGegen

[Spooky Tune]

Welcome to the AP

I like the melody, it is very spooky especially for a first submission. Not so sure about the instrument choice, to be picky.
Don't get me wrong, I think you're a pretty good singer, but I think doing a creepy tune with "noo-ne-noo"s is a bit of a mistake. I think adding lyrics and/or finding another way to sing/play this would not go amiss as an idea. But in general, I think you've got a pretty cool tune here, nicely done.

Jtec responds:

Thanks, I Will use that advice if I enter another submission!
Thanks!

[Ancient Discoveries]

Nicely done.

Not totally sure about the Harry Potter part of the characterisation, but I can really get the Mountain King idea of this. Definite Grieg vibes, throughout.

Not totally sure about the sound of the drum roll at 0:15, that could have standed to be a little more subtle. But that asides, the rest of the percussion in the 0:20-0:48 area and continuing further create an even more ominous feel accompanying the strings. Very nice stringwork, by the way; the melody is very clear, but haunting at the same time, and you use the pizzicato to tremendous effect.

The acceleration reminded me a lot of Grieg again, it was very well done. Melodically, the strings before 2:40 where the main tune comes in again were again, very haunting, but with an added tension to them, also.

The ending was also very good, I liked the abrupt silence before the final chord. Though the cello (I think) which bows the two notes at 3:40 doesn't seem quite right, sound-wise. Maybe because the dynamic of the instrument is negligible just before it, and then it just abruptly comes in with these two notes...I don't know why it isn't sitting right in my head, to be honest, which is a sure sign that I've just listened to the ending too many times.

Anyway: Evidently you've dived into Kontakt like a fish to water and it's achieved a very successful piece. I'd be interested to see what you'd accomplish once you know the software a little better. Excellent work.

SantaBro responds:

Heh, that characterisation was something I heard from a couple of buds who listened to it, I'm not sure where potter comes in either. I now realize I may have been subconsciously influenced by Grieg when I made this, I just went and listened to Mountain King again- the accelerando, lots of pizzicato, there is also a rhythmic figure in it that is very similar to the figure played by the pizz. cello in this piece.

Thanks for the great review and advice! I'm very glad you approve of it, I am in fact quite proud of this one. I'm really looking forward to get into Kontakt, this is mostly meddling with presets :)

[So Sweet of You]

Eerie.

Reviewing as I go:
Like the beginning, though I think the...I want to say string?...synth did overpower the melody a little too much, and was perhaps a little too loud again when the piano came in, I would have preferred it if it had dropped a few decibels by then. Or to have the piano louder. Anyway:
Addition of the bass is a nice touch, it's got a few unexcpected notes which add to the kind of mystery you've got in the piece.

I really like this piece in general, you've got some good ideas, but I think the more melodically interesting things (such as the piano) in general get drowned a little too much in the other synths and the bass.

The synth at 2:30ish was a little unexpected, perhaps too much so. But the very end when it cuts out again and just leaves the one synth worked reaaally well, which was the good kind of unexpected. This is a good piece, but I'm giving you a 7 to try and strongly encourage you to take another look at the levels of all the instruments ;). Very nice work, though.

[Forest Dream]

Interesting sounds

I like the starting synths, they do add a certain ambient feel from the start of the piece, and the addition of the cello also works in your favour.

I'm not too sure about the suddenness of the transition between the synth and cello to the timpani and strings at 0:15, I think that could stand to be a little less abrupt. But that aside, I do like the second section; the melody and harmonies do serve to make it feel quite ethereal. The ending also works very well-I'm not sure whether the accompaniment under the synth is plucked strings or just short notes, but either way, it works.

It's a very interesting piece; as the person below said, this would fit nicely into a flash. And as the person below also said, if you did extend this a little more it would be very interesting to see what else you could do.

[Marionette In Bbm]

How has this gotten no reviews?!?

It's crazy that this hasn't gotten any reviews yet. But anyway:

The beginning is mesmerising, your use of harmony is a little unorthodox, but that does wonders for the general mystery of the piece. The repetition of the first motif is highly effective, I love how it seamlessly goes into an idea of a simpler melody for a few seconds after the one minute mark, before returning to the original kind of idea. It's the good kind of repetition; the type that doesn't bore you, but instead makes you want to listen on to see what little change is going to be made next.

I don't know quite why I like 1:34 to 1:42, but it did cause me to stop it and listen to that part again. The bass notes around the 1:50 mark were a little messy, but the return to the motif at 2:02 was very well executed-giving the piece an even darker feel. The effects after the last chord were also unexpected, but fitted very well, as if it was reaching another level of abstract mystery.

Very nicely done. I hope you get more of the written recognition this piece deserves in due course.

[FFVII: Those Who Fight-Strings]

Solid effort

Should be first said--I love this song on piano, I think it's a brilliant piece.
When I saw the title I was skeptical as to how you'd manage to make this work, but I'm glad to say I'm not disappointed. I really like the way you've mixed the pizzicato and bowing of the strings; you've managed to maintain the original essence of the piece while giving your own twist to it. Very nicely done.

[Epic Winds]

Interesting title

The first twelve seconds felt a little messy--I think the effect you were going for was deliberate, and it almost works, but doesn't quite. But that might just be me.

I like the melody, it's nice and clear. The string entry at 0:45ish was very good, but the change at 0:56 was too abrupt in my head. It felt like the track had skipped thirty seconds of transition or something. But then it went back to the original idea about a minute later....I don't know what to say, the middle section felt too random.

The synth you add into the piano and strings is a good touch, it's not piercing or overtly invasive of the melody. Though I wish the very end note didn't have the bass or drums added to it.

I think you've got a lot of good ideas here, and you obviously have a good grasp of how to write something very interesting to listen to. The middle bit threw me a little, but in general this was a really good effort.

codbarley responds:

Wow i wish i got reviews like this for all my songs! :) you should listen to my others.

[Hyann Library]

Very mysterious.

As you're already aware of it I won't spend an age griping about it, but I agree with you about the harp sound.

The tempo is fine, it probably is that you've heard this a lot of times.

The section that has just the bass and harp does begin to feel too sparse after a while, even with the second harp line added in. Though the entry of the instruments at 2:04 is brilliant, I wish the harp would drop an octave or something, it gets a little too piercing at the higher parts and I'm not convinced it's just the sound.
2:59 is sublime; I wish there was more of a buildup than a timpani roll, though, because the string passage is very emotionally written. But the really high strings could probably use being played an octave lower as well, just to give it even more of a lush thickness.

How everything drops out save the one instrument at 3:54ish is very nice, though having a little more reverb on the instruments being removed would have been nice just to make it seem less abrupt.

After that attempt at critique--I think you've got some very good ideas here; I love your melody and harmony work and your general skills at arranging the instruments. The flute solo does also work very well, if I haven't mentioned that already. I could see this working very well in a ominous setting in an RPG. Two off of ten, simply to try and encourage you to fix that harp sound, which is the one thing that threw me off majorly in this piece. Very nice work, overall.

Mirak responds:

Thank you SOOOOO much for your critique.

I do understand how the harp really affects the overall feeling, so i'm going to try to change it for another instrument, seeing as the harp has been present in most in-depth critiques such as this i believe the part could do better with something like a concert piano instead of harp.

I'm going to try and fix some of the things that went wrong, and then i'll change files.

EDIT: I updated it, this time with piano. Enjoy. :D

[Arenadd's First Flight]

Nicely done

The first twenty seconds or so with just the brass sounds seemed a little too sparse to me, but how it changes at 0:20 more than makes up for it.
The strings there are really nice, you really get a feeling of a change of pace, as if something is really taking flight.
The piano and strings is also very well done, but when the (I want to say woodwind?) comes in at 1:30ish, I'm thrown off a bit, but when the strings and brass get louder and overtake that a bit more, I can see the effect you were going for, and it does work!
Nice ending, too.
All in all, it was very enjoyable to listen to. 5/5, 10/10.