For a first minimal track, this is great and kudos for not making it monotonous. Why hasn't anyone else reviewed this? Well, it looks like I have to do so...
Sound design: I really like the theramin effect that was used throughout the entire song, along with the wind, lead, and percussion. Speaking of which, it isn't often that the low and high toms are heard in electronic music these days; That was really novel. Oh, and you made that vinyl pop sound good.
Composition: For something minimal, I really like how it gradually built up. While I'm usually into songs that are a bit faster and a whole lot more intense; I also enjoy slower music as long as it is done well. Of course, what made this shine was the melodies that kicked in at the 2:10 mark. They represented the darker, more sullen tone that you were aiming for perfectly. Why isn't this rated higher?
Other: Not much else to say.
The Good:
-Original
-Nice percussion variety for a minimal track.
-Good sound design
-Nice composition
-Nice atmosphere
-Good Rhythm
The bad:
-Nothing really
Overall: A ten from me would be most appropriate. (5/5)
Thank you so much for your review! To be perfectly honest, some of sound effects such as the vinyl pop were completely unintentional, as they were likely by-products of my software and I didn't have much knowledge on how to get rid of them. But, if you enjoy them, then it is a good thing! While I appreciate that you like the melodies, I think that this song's best part was the climax that came in around the 5:00 mark, when the updated melody and clap came in. Anyway, thanks for the review and I hope you'll check out some of my other works!
Ok, maybe it's just Hard trance due to that meaty beat, but it's definitely a winner in my book. This is one of your best songs so far, and I'll explain why...
Sound Design: I already mentioned that powerful kick used, so commenting on that would be redundant. Of course, the clap and hi hat were also beefy, but not to the point of drowning out the kick. The synths were well-programmed and had a sound akin to Goa, which is good thing since I'm a fan of that and Psytrance. In addition, you made a good use of a soundbyte without it being too dominant throughout the whole song.
Composition: While I dislike the three-and-a-half second delay at the very beginning of this song; you have some very nice melodies going on here. The lead was appealing and the arrangement had a nice sense of flow to go with that rhythm. It's always great to hear actual melodies in electronic music unless they sound like shit.
Other: It takes a delicate hand to mix two or so genres of music together and have something cool; anyone else would have done a crappy job.
The Good:
-Original
-Great melodies
-Nice combination of styles
-Excellent sound
-Judicious use of a soundbyte.
The Bad:
-The very short delay at the very beginning was a bit jarring.
Overall: DJ Harlock, you have made another great trance song to grace NG. Here's another ten and have you considered making a tutorial on DnB or any Deep genre? (5/5)
I should consider it, thanks Seraph. I'm sure you've seen over the years I definitely have my own little Deep Vibe nitch going on, and I should give some insight on helping expand others in their style :)
I have to admit, this has got to be one of the most deranged songs that I have ever listened to. However, this isn't so much Techno as it is Dark, Psychedelic, Tech Drum & Bass. Also, I saw a few of your paintings on your site and was wondering if you have ever thought about submitting them here?
Sound design: A lot of people will be put off by the intro to this song, but for an experiment it's pretty badass! You managed to recreate the kind of imagery that a freaky hallucination would incur with that kind of synth. Were you influenced by a bunch of Darkstep songs?
Composition: This really shows that you not only have the skills, but the creativity to go with them. It bothers me that nobody has even considered using your music in their creations. I even plugged your music. This may not be symphony in terms of meloides, but what you did with that bassline was pretty cool.
Other: Also worth noting is the use of automation on the drums, which added to the dark tone.
The Good:
-Original
-Excellent sound
-Clever use of soundbytes
-Nice automation
-The melodies at the end were enjoyable
The Bad:
-Not really techno
-I think you overdid the noise at the very beginning.
Well damn, thank you! Sorry I'm extremely late on responding, I haven't been around on newgrounds in a while now. I just sort of uploaded these and ran away, haha.
Yeah, I'm not so sure about genre at all. The options on this site seem extremely limited and I wasn't sure what to consider this. I don't really think about genres, or really anything specifically at all when I make my music.
Thank you so much, though! I may actually participate and upload some things here once more. Also, I think it's funny that everyone seems to generally favor that end melody. I'm making some more stuff right now with that sort of idea in mind.
The greatest Aggrotech song NG has ever gotten so far.
Why is it that nobody on here has considered collaborating with you? This is definitely better than what's on MTV and VH1, and much darker than most Industrial Metal/Electronica on here. However, I'm not a lyricist, so I can't really comment on the song's lyrics, but you did include them so people can sing along.
Vocals: It's not common to hear songs with lyrics on NG considering that Druox and Hania Lee have a near-duopoly on that. I have to admit, you are good singer and the vocal effects are excellent without being over done. Speaking of Druox, maybe you and him ought to collaborate on a song or two.
Sound design: You have also done a splendid job on getting that evil tone with the synths and percussion. It's also worth noting that you made good use of hardcore/gabber-style distortion on the kick.
Composition: The composition on this piece is just badass and the lyrics were well-incorporated into the song. It's not easy making melodies and harmonies for a genre that's nasty and ominous. I think that you have the ear of a composer considering that you've done quite a few classical songs.
Other: Nothing else needs to be said.
What I liked about this:
-Original
-Well sung
-Excellent sound
-The lyrics were well-integrated
-Excellent composition
What I didn't like:
-Nothing really
Overall: Lich Lord, I think a ten from me would be most appropriate. (5/5)
Thank you very much for listening to my music and for writing out your wonderful review! I had quite abit of fun when I was making this track, making ARP's in Omnisphere and warping them with a Vocoder and Distortion and making my Supersaw lead(s) clean but nasty at the same time in Gladiator.
I am always up for pumping out new material and collaborating with anyone who is interested so I might have to get in contact with wither of the two people you have mentioned and organise something :)
I think you got something interesting here though it's not pure ambient, but still great.
Sound Design: Interesting take on the whole Industrial Ambient fusion genre. While the drum beat prevents this from being a pure Ambient track; what you did with those are pretty good. Oh, and clever use of sidechaining for the soundscapes. I think you got that dark sound down to a T.
Composition: It was obvious you weren't aiming for something melody driven considering this genre, but your use of effects compensated for it.
Other: I can see this being used in either a game or a movie and know some people who can use your musical talent. (ex: lilg)
It's too bad you never got to finish that cartoon or Out of this World 2 because this is pretty catchy. If you still have the .fla files to those, I suggest that you finish them. In addition to being a great director, you're also a great composer. (Though this is just one song)
Sound design: The percussion, piano, and trumpets were well-done considering the context of this song. Has anyone told you that you have the ear for sound design? (Besides myself of course.)
Composition: Your melodies were excellent, and I liked how it changed from tense to subtle and back. To be honest, I don't get to review music very often, but I do know good music when I hear it.
Other: The only gripe with this is that it ends a bit too early at 1:24. I mean there's nine seconds of needless silence that should have been cut, but it's your song not mine.
[+]
-Original
-Well-composed
-Great instruments
-Nice use of contrast
-Reasonable file size
[-]
-Ends earlier than one would expect.
Overall: Curt, how would you like a ten from a fellow longtime NG member? (5/5)
I see this was given a long time ago :) thanks very much for the review, it's inspiring to me.
How'd you know my name? ;)
The song ended prematurely and isn't complete, I don't know why I posted it unfinished? I think I just just though "better done than good" haha Thanks again, means a lot. :)
I usually don't review voice demos, but this is fantastic. It's surprising that nobody has asked you to voice act in their cartoons. With that being said...
The acting is really professional sounding, and sometimes funny. It may not be up to par with Mel Blanc, but this is good stuff regardless. You should consider "selling" yourself a bit considering your skills. In addition, while the voice range may not be as varied, they're diverse enough to keep it from being monotonous. This makes me wonder why people don't take the time to search for overlooked talent such as yourself and Crystal-Jawz. As for the aforementioned humor, it was somewhat funny, but felt rather dry at times.
The Good:
-Original
-Great voice acting
-Decent range
-Mildly amusing
Thanks so much for the thoughtful feedback! I truly appreciate it. This kind of constructive criticism helps me understand my strengths and weaknesses (just like a super hero). The humor is subjective, as always, but I'm very flattered you think highly of what talent I may have.
I have started "selling" myself, in fact. I've signed up on a few VO sites this week and have been auditioning for multiple gigs. I'm willing to do free work for Newgrounds members if the projects are right (For example: I'm not going to be doing vocal work for something that was put together for shitz and gigglez).
Thanks again and hope you feel free to poke around and check out my other material.
I usually don't review the latest music on here, but you have something that has potential brilliance. Allow me to explain...
Instrumentation: Your sound design is definitely befitting for the title you chose. The synths had a nice, ominous tone and your drums are also good.
Composition: Not bad for an audio cue, but it could have used a bit more in the melody department. Oh, and your drum patterns are more akin to Breaks and hip-hop than trance.
Other: This is the kind of song that should be used in numerous submissions on here. Most people on the Audio Portal put too little thought into song versatility, but what do I know?
The Good:
-Original
-Good sound design
-Versatile
-Reasonable filesize
-Catchy
The Bad:
-Feels more like downtempo breaks than trance
-Could have used a bit more melodic variety
I wanted to get this off of my chest, but this felt more like jungle than trance. However, that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Seeing that no one else has reviewed this, I'll fill that void.
Instrumentation: You have something that definitely feels like a legitimate psytrance song, mixed with a jungle-style breakbeat at 1:38. Also worth noting is the use of a music box and wood block at the middle of the song. Oh, and the guitar used was badass!
Composition: This is the kind of stuff that is flash game material. Those melodies were energetic and appealing to the ears, like a conscious experiment done right. It seems that you have the ear for composing music, but from 4:02 onward sounded like a missed opportunity. I mean, it's just rain from that moment to the end. What happened? Run out of motivation and/or ambition?
Other: Not much else aside from being legitimately original and creative. By the way, I think you Audio Portal/SoundCloud/Bandcamp/Beatport guys ought to take a cue from Cheshyre and Zach Striefel by teaming up with various (Flash) animators/programmers on here.
What I liked about this:
-Original
-Excellent instrumentation
-Very melodic
-Versatile
-Clever mix between four on the floor and jungle-style breakbeat.
What I didn't like:
-Unfinished
-Felt more like jungle than trance
Overall: This needs both a nine and to be used in a shit load of submissions. (4.5/5)
Oh, thanks! Sorry about the late response. I don't really hang out on Newgrounds much anymore. I saw you sent me a message so I thought I might as well check out the review. About the icon, I guess I'll add one now.
I should probably get on here more as it is a nice portal to display my music to other people. Welp. Thanks for the review. It would be lovely to here more from you in the future. :D
I think you have the chance of winning Bosa's contest.
Seriously, it's surprising that not enough people turn to you for their music needs. Hell, I even suggested you to other NG members such as Doomhammr and Hyptosis. I can go on and on, but that would be meaningless. In other words, I'll cut to the chase...
Instrumentation: You sure know your VSTs well enough to find out what works and what doesn't. To be honest, I haven't played Assassin's Creed, but can tell that there's similarities between your work and UBI Soft's. They have struck a nice balance between intense and subtle.
Composition: To elaborate on that last sentence, it takes a delicate hand to make such sharp contrasts work with each other; anyone else would have screwed up. I loved what you did with the first half of this song, which had a very nice atmosphere. The second half was also brilliant considering that the first half could be considered a build-up.
Other: Nothing else worth mentioning aside from the fact that you have also great mastering and EQ skills to boot. By the way, Have you considered making a tutorial on FL Studio akin to what Steven Polley and Nav did?
The Good:
-Original
-Clever use of contrasts
-Excellent composition
-Great instrument variety
-Versatile
The Bad:
-Nothing really
Overall: Stephan, here's a ten from me and here's hoping that more people consider turning to you for their music needs.
"I think you have the chance of winning Bosa's contest."
Wow man you really think so? I've never even placed in any contest before so if I do I'll probably burst with happiness or something. But I doubt I will, dem0lecule and samulis and deadlyfishes and Buoy and WizMystery and other amazing musicians are also taking part. D:
"Seriously, it's surprising that not enough people turn to you for their music needs. Hell, I even suggested you to other NG members such as Doomhammr and Hyptosis. I can go on and on, but that would be meaningless. In other words, I'll cut to the chase..."
Wow, thanks for recommending me. That's really appreciated.
"Instrumentation: You sure know your VSTs well enough to find out what works and what doesn't. To be honest, I haven't played Assassin's Creed, but can tell that there's similarities between your work and UBI Soft's. They have struck a nice balance between intense and subtle."
That's great; Omnisphere is very new for me but surprisingly I adapted pretty quickly to it. I also used some of my favourite instruments from all of my East/West libraries too, like the duduk and mid-eastern string section.
"Composition: To elaborate on that last sentence, it takes a delicate hand to make such sharp contrasts work with each other; anyone else would have screwed up. I loved what you did with the first half of this song, which had a very nice atmosphere. The second half was also brilliant considering that the first half could be considered a build-up."
Thank goodness to that, I am really not that good at contrasts. I think the transitions between soft and powerful also need some work, but... yeah there are a lot of loose ends I haven't tied up yet.
"Nothing else worth mentioning aside from the fact that you have also great mastering and EQ skills to boot. By the way, Have you considered making a tutorial on FL Studio akin to what Steven Polley and Nav did?"
Haha, I actually did, years ago. I didn't actually finish it, but I made this little tutorial with a friend of mine for a school project we had to do where we had to make a site with HTML. It was actually coming out pretty well! No idea where that is now though haha.
That same friend and I are, in a few months, going to teach some 11-year old kids at school on how to make music with FL Studio though. It isn't exactly making a tutorial, but hey it's something.
"Stephan, here's a ten from me and here's hoping that more people consider turning to you for their music needs."
Thanks so much for the review. Hopefully if they do turn to me for music, I wouldn't be so swamped with Maths homework haha.
>Green Rain< 
Civilized - DJ Harlock 
Hyperspatial 
LICH-Yewland 
Dark ambient project 
Michael Scott Demo 2 
Darkness 
Crimson Night 
