bassfiddlejones's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Everything is Broken]

This is an NGADM Round 4 Review.

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What I liked:
-This was funky!
-I dig the glitches (for the most part)
-You use some really neat effects.
-Cool mix of realistic and synthetic sounds.

What could have been better:
-Some glitches felt a little out of place.
-Could have used more melodic variation
-Even with the glitches it started to get a little repetitive
-It sounds a little disjointed all together.

This was a pretty cool piece, and I enjoyed it a lot. I think that incorporating a new melody/chord progression would help make this stand out more. Great job!

Score: 8.6/10

[Ascension]

This is an NGADM Round 4 Review.

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What I liked:
-The atmosphere in this piece is wonderful.
-Excellent chordage.
-Lyrics are thoughtfully written.
-Your voice is amazing!
-The small orchestral interlude is nice.

What could have been better:
-The vocals could have benefitted from some de-essing.
-A little heavy on the reverb overall, but I understand that’s part of what gives it that “heavenly” kind of feel.
-The piano sound is very nice, but I feel like it could have been a little grittier based on the vocal style. It’s almost too soft and warm.

Overall this is a fantastic piece. While it lacks some of the “awe” factor of your previous pieces, it makes up for it with its beautiful simplicity and atmosphere. An excellent job!

Score: 9.3/10

headphoamz responds:

Thank you sir BFJ! Lovely comments and I am happy you enjoyed. ^_^

[Mystic's Shore]

This is an NGADM Round 4 Review.

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What I liked:
-Atmosphere is fantastic.
-I really love the instrumental stuff going on the background.
-The lyrics, especially the English ones, are thoughtfully crafted and skillfully written. I’m very impressed by them.
-The fact that you sing in a language you’re not familiar with is impressive as well.

What could have been better:
-The vocals are far too loud in the mix. They stand out considerably to me, I would have liked to see them integrated a little better.
-Sounds like you could use a de-esser at times, or less compression.
-The ending wasn’t bad, but I felt like it was a little out of place from the rest of the piece.

Overall this is an excellent piece that sets a wonderful mood. Great job!

Score: 9/10

etherealwinds responds:

Thanks for the review and the kind words and critique alike. In my fifth submission, I've certainly paid a lot more attention on the levels of my vocals and of course a de-esser on my splosives! I also worked hard to make it so that the song didn't have any parts that seemed detached from the rest. I'm very thankful for your advice!

[footsteps]

This is an NGADM Round 4 Review.

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This round is full of surprises!

What I liked:
-This is a very emotional piece, it’s nice to see a different side of johnfn!
-This song definitely tells a story, especially with the total change of mood in the second and third sections.
-That ending is beautiful. It also reminds me of Zelda.

What could have been better:
-The piano sound you have isn't bad by any means, but it still isn't totally organic.
-The piano arpeggios after 3:10 sound programmed rather than performed in a piece that is otherwise very fluid and natural, so they stick out a bit to me.
-The instrument you use at 4:29 sounds very out of place(oboe?), but the melody is wonderful.

A fantastic piece, quite unexpected! I really enjoyed listening. Keep up the great work!

Score: 9.2/10

johnfn responds:

Thanks man! I actually agree with practically everything here. You pay good attention to detail to realize those arps are programmed in, because they were, even though almost nothing else was.

I'm not sure what to do about the piano though. It's practically the best one I have. The only way I can imagine to improve it would be to record myself playing on a live piano. But honestly that's way out of my price range (which is essentially $0). If you have any suggestions for improving realism without breaking the bank let me know in a PM or something.

Btw 4:29 is a french horn! Last minute inspiration. I agree it sticks out but I'm not sure how to fix that. :/

Glad I can surprise you guys! Here's hoping I have at least one more surprise left in me ;-)

[the traveller]

This is an NGADM Round 3 Review.

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What I liked:
-I love the melody and chords you use in the beginning! The orchestration brings me right back to Final Fantasy for some reason, which is great.
-Love that bass around 3:30. (in fact that whole section is awesome).
-It was really cool that you switched to DnB halfway through, didn't expect that!

What could have been better:
-The initial chord progression was a used a little too long.
-It feels like after a really cool opening that things sort of die down in the midsection. It felt incomplete to me.
-I didn't much like the ending, but you trolled skye, so it's ok.

Overall this is a really interesting piece, and I very much enjoyed listening to it. You always put out great work!

Score: 9/10

johnfn responds:

Yeah the whole song should have just been that bit at 3:30, that was really the best part. The section after that was quite boring :D

IDK if it's possible to use a chord progression too long, I think what you mean is that it lacks sufficient variation to make it continue to be interesting? I could understand that.

Thanks for the review.

[Real Life Absurdities]

This is an NGADM Round 3 Review.

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So much going on here!

What I liked:
-Extremely creative piece.
-This is actually a very short piece, but you've packed so much in here that it feels much longer!
-Love the marimba!
-Both the intro and outro were constructed and executed well. Not many pieces can say that.
-Great transitions!
-Excellent use of percussion.

What could have been better:
-I didn't really like the electric bass sound.
-I feel like the trumpet was a little overused - would have liked to see the melody pass to some other instruments more often.

You never cease to put out fantastic work, and I'm greatly impressed. As always, an excellent composition.

Score: 9.2/10

steampianist responds:

Thanks for the review!

Other judges complained about the length but you actualy gave some positive feedback on it
I really wanted to do a short piece that packs a punch. So i really appreciate this feedback. Thank you

[Whiteout]

This is an NGADM Round 3 Review.

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What I liked:
-Neat atmosphere.
-I liked where you were going with the melody using the bells.

What could have been better:
-The piece is too short - you have an A and B section only.
-I wasn't quite fond of your choice for the main lead.
-The loop isn't quite seamless.

While I can see this working as music for a snow level in a game, it doesn't seem to hold it's own as nicely as a standalone piece. There is hardly any development here, and it feels like it was all put together very quickly. I believe you're capable of much more than this!

Score: 6.8/10

SourJovis responds:

You are the first to notice the intro has the same chord progression and melody as the break. Well spotted. Most people don't seem to hear that. It took more time than you'd think. Length of a song doesn't equal time spend on it. Neither does it equal quality. The Mona Lisa wasn't da Vinci's largest painting, yet by many it's considered his best work. I returned to this song a lot to perfect it, and try to fix some issues. Therefore I can safely say I'm not capable of more than this. Sorry about that. I don't believe anyone could make this song better. Not to sound too arrogant. But if someone else made the song, and they thought they did a better job, it would just be a different song, and not at all what I personally had in mind, because this is the song, and it's exactly what I had in mind. What about the main lead did you not like? The instrument or the melody? I personally like both. The melody is simple, which accentuates the coldness, yet has something unique, which keeps it interesting. At least that's my take on it. I went for synthetic instruments, because I wanted to give it a retro (video game) feel. Also I think synthetic instruments sound colder than acoustic ones. The lead reminds me of a hobo, without sounding like a fake hobo. The same goes for the other instruments. I think you can hear the song could be played with woodwinds, glockenspiel, high hats (or triangle) and perhaps a base drum or timpani, but it doesn't sound too much as if the synthesizers try to imitate these instruments, because it works better this way. But again, that's my opinion. The loop isn't seamless that's true. My only regret about the song is I couldn't find a solution to that problem. Suggestions are welcome. Thanks for reminding me not to upload this kind of music to a contest.