bassfiddlejones's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[T-Logic - Softscape]

TL! I enjoyed your track, it gave me a "Stranger Things" soundtrack sort of feel. I think the A/B/A/B sort of progression could have benefit from a nice C section somewhere in there. It was an honor to fight with you in Round 1!

TaintedLogic responds:

Thanks for the kind words, BFJ! I agree about the structuring - I could've done more with it. I'm unfamiliar with the Stranger Things OST, but I imagine the first 15 seconds or so at least fit the mood. XD Thanks again for the review! Good luck in Round 2. ^_^

[You're the Same]

Solid work LSD. Congrats on getting the highest score this round! Your production quality and musicianship has gone up significantly since the last time I've been around NG. You will be a force in this competition for sure!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you! It means a fair deal coming from you :)
I'm glad that my progress is noticable, since I've kept on doing my best to improve in the musical field, alongside my studies. Who knows, perhaps we (along with someone else) will end up in the finals together. Best of luck to you and Josh!

[The Carpenter of Post Town (Onefin Remix)]

I'm really digging the sound design you have going on here. It's a nice stereo mix, and there's a lot to keep you interested. While this takes awhile to get started, it does homage to the original with your percussive elements. I think this is all about atmosphere, and you do a good job creating it! I really like the ritardando, it was pulled off well.

A few points to consider: The piece cuts off without letting the last note decay. Also, the ending/parts of this piece feel a little bit repetitive to me, but that's also the nature of the song that you decided to remix, so I can't fault you too much for that. I like what you have going on here man! You can definitely use the skills that you're working on in this song for a wide variety of applications. Keep up the good work!

Onefin responds:

Finally someone reviews! I was starting to get concerned.
Thanks for the review. Now for a response

Sound design --> Does it count as sound design when all the synths are presets and half of the percussion samples are taken straight out of my limited library of sounds?
Stereo --> I worked super hard on that. The problem with my headphones is that stereo is really hard to hear. A sound has to be panned pretty much all the way to the left/right for me to distinctly hear it. Maybe that's why it's hard for me to hear the difference phase delay makes. :/
Long intro --> I tried to divide the track evenly between the four big sections of my remix, but I still see where you're going at. If you regard the first two sections (which is pretty much the first half) as an intro, it can seem long.
Good atmosphere --> My question for you is what you thought the atmosphere I created so well actually was :P
Good rit --> Tempo envelope, 120 to 60, 1 measure, smooth stairs curve, etc
Cut ending --> Gosh dang it. I just noticed that and now I feel sad because I'm notorious for pointing it out in other people's songs. :(
Repetitive ending --> I tried to mix it up a bit with the bongo line (does that exist) and the delayed arp thingy, but maybe it wasn't enough?

So anyway, thanks for the review! I appreciate it. :D

[~SW~ Annar]

Good sir, I do believe I owe you a review.

You start things off pretty nicely with an interesting drum track. Sounds a little chaotic but has enough consistency to move the piece forward, at least for an intro. Drum sounds you're getting are good, they're mixed well for sure. What is the beginning of this piece, 12/8?

The synth you use as the underlying chordal basis for your melodic stuff sounds a little muddy to me, and a tad out of place. Also, while this piece has a main melody that weaves in and out, it doesn't feel coherent to me. Part of a good melodic structure, to me at least, is something that you can hum when you're done. That usually means that it has a repeatable rhythmic element to it. You sort of took the prog-ish route here with your approach to the melody and drums. While that can be impressive for a time, it becomes difficult for the listener after awhile. Also, as an aside, that last synth note at 1:43 sounds way too loud.

I really like the idea of the guitar solo, but the patch used just isn't doing it for me. I've always had this bias against midi guitars though, something about them just feels misplaced. What you have written hear doesn't sound playable, though I don't think you were going for a realistic sound. That said, this section gives piece a little bit of what I think it lacks - an aural break for the listener to recoup. The relentless drum/lead combo you have going on is cool for a little while, but without some kind of relief it becomes a little bit cumbersome. Even still, you have the arps running in the background to give it the running sort of chaotic sense you employ in the beginning of the piece. This adds a little bit of consistency but I think it detracts from the break you expect to hear (it still sounds kind of busy). The strings in the background here are really nice. I think you could do a lot more with this section.

This is an interesting track. There are a few things I think that could use some work. Firstly, I think this thing needs a heavy section that's a little bit more melodic and less chaotic (bring in your main melody and move from off-beat drums to something a little more driving). Don't think of this as something negative, think of it as emphasizing your point to the listener. Additionally, I would nix the guitar patch for something else, but that's personal taste for me.

Sorry for the nitpicks, but I know you like to get specific with your reviews so I thought I'd return with the same attention to detail. This really is a neat piece and it has a lot going for it. You didn't use too many instruments here which helps with mixing clarity, and it helps for each instrument to shine. The mix is good for sure, I don't get the sense that anything is overpowering in the regard to EQ and placement. You also do a great job getting a good drum sound. The problem I have with it is a little more basic and might sound base to you, but when I'm finished I don't have the sense of "man, I want to listen to that again" - it's more the sense of "ah, my ears can rest a little bit now". Intellectually and theoretically I'm interested in this song, but it's a little bit too non-stop melodically and rhythmically to conjure up a high replay value, for me at least. I think that you can keep the spirit of what you're going for here and still accomplish that. For instance, your previous track "Thurm ins_wa_" I find myself going back to and listening to from time to time, and it definitely employs some of the same elements you have here, the difference being you know when to hit the brakes. (Also the consistent bass in that track helps pull it together)

I hope this was at least mildly helpful/coherent, and that it helps you in the future when writing. I know songs aren't supposed to be all about the listener, but these are just some thoughts from the listener's perspective!

SkyeWint responds:

Yaaaaay review!

Absolutely!

This song was more oriented towards the musicians interested in the technical amount of it, which is definitely why this piece didn't continue on in the contest IMO.

I can understand about it feeling busy. That makes sense. I don't like this piece quite as much as my other ones either, tbh. Oh well.

I can't disagree with anything you've said, so I don't have much to say. Thanks!

[Past, Meet Present]

Dude, this is sick. Especially loved the part at 1:30. You've got some amazing production quality and some insane shredding skills. Let us collab and melt faces together sometime soon :D

[BVYS N GVRLZ]

So, admittedly electronic music is not my forte, though I can appreciate good stuff when I hear it. There are a lot of things I like about this track. Solid, catchy melodies, funky bass line, excellent production, wonderful outside-the-box chords at times, with little hints of 6/4 and things like that. Getting a serious Dirty Loops vibe from this, which is a wonderful thing. I'd actually love to play bass for a tune like this (funk bass is kind of my thing, despite the nature of most of my submitted tracks). I'm digging it man. The only thing negative I can really say is that I'm not a huge fan of the voices, but even that's not really a big deal. Good work man, great production!

midimachine responds:

yesssss dirty loops is the shit. cheers!

[Be my Dude, Mario - Super! POLISHED]

Things I liked:

-Catchy beat. I enjoy the bones of what's there.
-Overall atmosphere - I like where you're going with this, though the direction could be a little more clear.

Things that could be better:
-It's a bit repetitive, I'd recommend adding some other section with a different chord progression and a clear melody to change things up.
-I get what you were going for with the vocals, but the execution is a bit lacking. Intonation/mixing issues to be looked at.
-The whole mix is very bass heavy, in a way that distorts the rest of the song.
-The loop is a little bit rough - I would try to smooth out the transition.

You've definitely got something you can work with here - don't be afraid to try out some new sounds and head in different directions! Even little things like rotating in new drum sounds throughout a song can add a lot. Best of luck!

[Penguin Blues]

As a fellow double bassist, I really appreciate the live instruments you have here! This is a really cool piece, and you've got some neat things going on.

What I liked:
-The grungy texture is really great, and it captures that old dive bar kind of feel.
-Love the blues harp!
-The overall impression this gives is nice - very cool.

What could have been better:
-While the finger snaps are nice, I would really love to see some percussion in this, but I understand there can be limitations as far as instrumentation goes.
-You really should set this up as a loop instead of fading it out, I could see this working really well for some games.
-I get that this is the blues, but it is a bit repetitive. As a stand alone piece, it needs something else to give it a little more diversity.

This is a really great piece overall! I really like what you did here. I'd love to see you take these elements and craft them further. Take the style and run with it!

[the fight]

This is an NGADM Round 6 review.

--

What I liked:
-The reverb really sets the mood for the piece.
-I like how the bass sits in the mix.
-The drums around 2:11 work really well.
-I feel like this belongs in a Sonic game somewhere, which is awesome.

What could have been better:
-I know this is 8-bit, but the drums in the beginning actually sound a little out of place compared to the rest of the synths you use.
-The ending is a little underwhelming considering the awesomeness that came before it.

This is an excellent piece. I'm really impressed, and you've got some sweet composing skills! Congrats on taking the win, and I will take you up on both a beer AND a coffee if I'm ever in San Francisco (yes, I read your textwall)

Score: 9.2/10

johnfn responds:

What impresses me most is that you read my wall of text :)

Thank you for the review! And I am totally down whenever you are. Just let me know~