Zechnition's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[bad ending]

Hello from the future. 0:48 is super good, and you are too <3

Aside from that:
- the 13/16 part is very very cool, but you could've transitioned into it better
- you had a few ear hurty chippy sounds around the climax. as a general rule of thumb, ear pain isn't good
- I wish you mixed / hid some sadder or more dissonant chords into your middle section. I love the sad sound but once the middle section starts the sad chords are gone and you make me wait too long to hear them again.
- 1:43 is a beautiful flourish that I want more of. It pulls at my heart. Turn this into a section

This was super good, but could still be better. Thanks for making it!

[The Rise Of Darkness]

Aaaa, I wanted these to be done a lot sooner, but at long last it's finally here:
Official VGMC'21 Review~!
======================

Hiya, it looks like this is your track intended for Fathomless Caverns, not “Extraterrestrial Life”. Let me know if that's wrong. Also, it's a bit unfortunate you only submitted one song for this prompt, but oh well, the review continues!

Right away, I like the atmosphere you're going for, with the very icy and brittle texture. Your mix is a bit busy at times, with long reverberations intersecting with other instruments. I would've liked it if your instruments each had their own space, in order to emphasize the interactions between their textures. One example is the bass pad you have at the bottom of your arrangement which clashes with your piano.

My biggest gripe is that you only have a single level of intensity throughout the entire song. Given the longer nature of your track, this gets tiring near the end. I would love to see more dynamics in your piece. There are tons of interesting things you could try out to mix up your dynamics, such as having a slow, quieter section with an icy timbre, or throwing in a transition to a section designed around waves of intensity.

A few smaller notes:
- I think the section around 2:52 feels a bit bland, as the main melody there is relatively uniform. I would've loved a melody that had some high energy & low energy moments, even if its just a little bit.
- Some of your synths feel a little flat. A small amount of layering instruments could add some nice details to them.
- Effects like 3:08 help to give the track momentum, however there's no progression leading up to this moment, and it doesn't lead to a very significant change, so I'm left a bit disappointed.
- I think the melodies in your piece could benefit from some more space, rather than trying to fill every moment with something. One example of this is your main melody around 1:43, which sounds somewhat directionless at times.
- I would've loved it if you came up with a more creative way to end your song than to simply fade out, such as reducing energy by transitioning to a more atmospheric texture, for example.

Despite my focus on all the negative aspects, there were a lot of things you did right, and I really liked how you approached this concept. Well done! I rate this song 1 endless cave.

ps: feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions (discord or ng) & we can chat more about your song!

X-ManOfficial responds:

Hello! Thanks for the review. I sent both songs. This one is for bottomless caves, and that one is for survival on an unknown planet. However, I didn't know how to process it then, and I would have been happy to update this track, adding spaces, equalization, etc. To it. If I understood the recommendations correctly, then there should be a similar ambient. But this is not accurate. As for the emotional plan, it was all planned. Yes, it can be tiring. Honestly, if I had released the track "Rogue" earlier, and edited it a little, then it would probably have been even more suitable. But alas, this will not happen.
OK, maybe we'll talk about it, but I can't say much about this work. :)

[a sharp intake of breath]

Aaaa, I wanted these to be done a lot sooner, but at long last it's finally here:
Official VGMC'21 Review~!
======================

It's a bit unfortunate you only submitted one song, but oh well, the review continues!

What you excel at the most here is creating very compelling melodies & textures, so you'd stand to gain a lot by working on your piece's structure. It's true that your transitions aren't perfect, however I'm not that bothered by them. Moreso, your piece never feels like it has a direction its moving in. Songs commonly make use of harmonic progressions that guide the listener and have quiet & strong sections, with all sorts of ways to transition between them. However, each of your sections feel like they either don't go anywhere, or hint that they'll go in a direction then don’t follow through. The transition at 1:19 is a good example of this.

I think your track doesn’t really take advantage of melodic progression, as it feels like a bunch of unrelated ideas, with some moments not really having a direction. I think with a bit of tweaking however, you could aim for the kind of purposeful aimlessness that c418 achieves in the various Minecraft OSTs. In many of his tracks, he'll design various harmonies progressions to trail off and for others to come back in. This would make it so that despite being extremely varied, the piece sounds cohesive and each of the sections flow into each other.

The mix is pretty well done, though your overuse of reverb tends to muddy the mid frequencies. I would see if you could shorten the reverb, but delay the early reflections a bit more (somewhere between 60-100ms), to maintain the airy & open feeling. I also think you could use some more layering in general to give your flatter instruments more detail. This could also be automated in whatever DAW you use & abused to help control the energy of the track.

A few smaller notes:
- I like how your track introduces a lot of cool concepts that each paint a fitting mood for a massive open underground area.
- One of your track's main strengths is how well your instruments work together. I personally really like the guitar/strumstick sound at 2:12, as it has one of my favourite kinds of timbre. And then you layer it with the chords at 2:39, just wow.
- I like how you play around with stereo separation around ~0:58. However, I would've loved to for your mix to be wider in general. The bulk of your instruments sound close to the middle, with only the reverb dancing around the ears. 1:41 is a good example of this.
- Wow, that bendy bass at 1:13 sounds really nice, I wish you had developed it a bit more.

All in all, I really enjoyed it! I'd love to listen again if you're able to reorganize all your cool ideas in a more united way.

ps: feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions (discord or ng) & we can chat more about your song!

Anacet responds:

Thank you for your advice, I will be sure to work on it :)

[2 - Calendar - VGMC 2021]

Aaaa, I wanted these to be done a lot sooner, but at long last it's finally here:
Official VGMC'21 Review~!
======================

I really love your sound design if I didn't make it clear from your last piece. The crinkly sounds at 3:19 add a beautiful texture to the orchestra, and the resonant sounds around 0:18 set the tone well. Honestly, I could list off many more moments that sound similarly great.

I would have really loved if the piece had some percussion, but that's kind of a weird thing to request without any context. What's special about percussion? So specifically, this piece needs something to give it movement. It makes good use of very long and sustained sounds to make a detailed atmosphere, however that makes it difficult to feel what's happening at times, which makes following the piece challenging.

In addition, there are a few moments where I can't quite tell what's happening as you have a lot of instruments that clash. 1:22 is a good example of this, where the dissonance produced isn't very pleasant. I think you would get a much cooler dissonant effect by giving each instrument its own space in the mix and making better use of harmony. Orchestral mixing is really hard however, and I don't have deep expertise in this area, so I'd recommend doing some research as there are quite a few resources for learning. If you don't quite know where to look, a good place to start is watching the videos that Joel Dollie makes, as they've helped me a lot in the past.

For a game, this track is a bit full, with the main culprit being length. Long sustained periods with high loudness can make your ears tired quickly. I do like the moments which are intense & full, however during actual gameplay I'd love them to be in short bursts of about a bar. This would also help set the pace of the song.

I think you did a really good job at connecting the two pieces. They both give me the same feeling yet the second is evolved a bit. I also pick up a few melodic elements that sneak their way in. They aren't very easy to spot (which is okay, especially for this style of piece), however they still give the listener some intuition as to what's going on. It's debatable whether it’s a good thing, but this piece has a deathly similar feeling compared to your last one. I think in certain situations it's okay to have different tracks be very similar, however I would've loved a bit more of a spin on your last piece in this one.

Don't be too concerned though, just like your last track, this was a beautiful piece. Keep up the good work!

ps: feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions (discord or ng) & we can chat more about your song!

SnaresWorks responds:

thank you for both of the reviews ;) i definitely also feel like these songs could've used a bit more time in the oven, especially the mixes; i agree with a lot of the points you made, i also think the masters contributed to them being a bit harsh, i've had a bit of a rough time figuring out my masters

[1 - Advent - VGMC 2021]

Aaaa, I wanted these to be done a lot sooner, but at long last it's finally here:
Official VGMC'21 Review~!
======================

You did a really good job creating a shiny, yet terrifying atmosphere. I love how your textures are very full and dramatic; I would die to see an area in a Dark Souls game designed around this piece. The mood is especially fitting for the final area. However, the main attraction is your sound design. There are so many beautiful subtle details you introduce, such as the grainy sounds at 0:16 or the little bitcrushed crunch at 1:38, that all help build this very meticulous atmosphere.

I think one quality your piece is missing out on is dynamics. The loudness and timbre of your soundscape feels mostly the same from ~1:20 onwards, which makes it difficult to pick out the changes, despite the fact the sound does evolve. This makes the texture a bit tolling on the ears, and also ends up wearing out the shiny concept near the end, making it feel a bit mundane. One thing I would have loved to see would be if you had interleaved short, softer sections of the "resonant bells" from the intro (or other new instruments / textures if you want!) into the stronger sections, such as around 2:50, in order to give these stronger sections more power via contrast. You want your sections to be like little waves where the lulls help build the peaks to be stronger and stronger, as opposed to a single wave where you can't really feel the moment to moment changes and eventually end up somewhere new.

As I said before, I really like the resonant bell sounds in the first section, however they feel a bit too piercing such that they're a bit painful. I think a bit of compression with a very light threshold to ease the edge would do wonders here. Aside from that, the mixing feels really good; I don't hear any instruments clashing or fighting for space.

All in all this is an awesome piece, I'd give it a rating of 3 crystal pillars!

ps: feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions (discord or ng) & we can chat more about your song!

SnaresWorks responds:

thank you for your review, i also felt like the song was a bit dull at times, and you are right; best course of action wouldve been to create tension in waves :')

[Unfathomable]

Aaaa, I wanted these to be done a lot sooner, but at long last it's finally here:
Official VGMC'21 Review~!
======================

I like how you approached the prompt unlike many of the others: exactly as I was originally envisioning. I don't think this is sign of lack of creativity however, as your actual piece was very unique (in a good way!). And you get extra points in my heart for giving your song lots of lore ♡.

Since you have both your pieces here, I've included both reviews ^-^

For your first piece you start by creating a very full, yet minimal atmosphere, then transition to more urgency and danger. I really like the passage from 0:58 to ~1:05, however I don't really like the sound design that the bass pulses transition into afterwards. It feels like you cut all the interesting high-mid frequency details, leaving just the flat bass. There are all sorts of different techniques you could use in this situation to describe an alien environment, such as playing with stereo separation & panning, or layering some other instruments over / under the bass. When you're not really sure what sounds you want, it's a good idea to compare against other existing songs. Given the concept you chose, I would recommend listening to the Made in Abyss OST by Kevin Penkin, as it has very similar vibes. I think there is a lot you could learn by studying what you personally think does or doesn't work in it.

I don't think I mentioned it enough, but there are a lot of small details that I really enjoy, such as the clicks at 1:17 that speed up & slow down. In addition, your details which are pivotal to the atmosphere (such as at 0:35) take too long to enter. I would've liked to hear some of those beautiful details as early as 0:11.

You present a very cool idea with 1:37 by combining static noise, dissonant chords, and that rough but loud "cave sound" around 1:39, that I wish you developed further, or at least spent more time building up to. As it stands, your piece's intensity peaks nearly without warning around 1:37, then loses steam in the rest of the section. Even the section around 2:20 feels like its impact isn't as strong as it could've been.

Finally, your mix could use some small touch-ups as well. For example, the piano in the first & last section is much too quiet.

=============

First off, I like how your second piece is thematically connected to your first. They definitely feel like they're depicting the same world, as they are both comprised of a similar arrangement. I also like how the initial melody from your first piece, which appears to represent the mysterious / uncertain aspect of the environment comes back later in the second piece.

The mixing of your second piece is also very similar to your first, in that the piano is much too quiet and you have a bit of clashing at moments, such as at 3:31. In addition, I think a bit of sidechain on the kick to give it some more space amid the low frequency airy texture would give the track more punch. Also, the subtle bass sound starting at 3:20 feels like it comes out of nowhere, as if it isn't connected to the rest of the piece. If you could change the rest of the instruments to acknowledge the effect that the bass has on the piece, it would make it feel more at home.

But listening again, wow, what is that percussion? I don't think I've heard this kind of percussion accented in such a way, yet the sound design feels really good and fits the atmosphere perfectly. It could probably be a bit crunchier as it's missing some high frequency details, but just a little bit.

I also really like the atmosphere, though it is a bit muted. I mentioned this briefly before, but I think if you added some more high frequency details it would bring the track to life! Your use of static as both percussion, melody, and atmosphere confounds me. I don't know why it sounds so good, but it does. I suspect it has something to do with adding a second layer to the percussion? However, it is missing something little. I think a more melodic & crunchy static would fit the piece better.

Finally, I think your melody that starts at 3:22 could use some more space or syncopation, as it feels a bit directionless as it runs on. For example, modifying it to complement the drums would emphasize the direction the song is moving in.

In general, both tracks were good enough to be thrown right into a game, yet still have the potential to be so much more! I rate both of these tracks 1 unfriendly creature who just wants some piece and quiet.

ps: feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions (discord or ng) & we can chat more about your song!

[The Forgotten Circus]

Aaaa, I wanted these to be done a lot sooner, but at long last it's finally here:
Official VGMC'21 Review~!
======================

Since you have both your pieces here, I've included both reviews ^-^

I have to say I really like your interpretation of the prompt. For your first piece, the initial progression is quite evocative, and does a great job at conveying the setting of a carnival, yet with eerie composition. As the piece progresses the layers of chords give a very ghostly vibe, that the harmony enforces with a positive connotation. I'd love it if you developed the idea of a "ghostly atmosphere" that you allude to here a bit further.

Your section at 2:24 sounds great and is one of my favourite parts. I think your initial "carnival melody" that plays underneath this part doesn't fit the mood however, as the viola melody is much slower. I like that you pull the pipe organ backwards in the mix to give the viola more room, but it would be extra nice if the melody changed a bit to reflect the change in pace. Aligning the percussion with the ups and downs of the viola melody might also help make the section more coherent.

Your percussion is mixed relatively well, and it fits the piece too. I specifically like the addition of the timbre of what sounds like a tambourine. Your kick is a bit too compressed, which makes it feel unrealistic and flat. A bit too powerful for this mood; I suspect something with more dynamic range would fit your arrangement better.

Also, your strings at 1:53 are too subtle. I didn't hear them the first few times, but they are a nice harmonic addition. Bringing them further forwards in the mix would sound great!

Finally, one of my smaller, more nitpicky gripes is the length of the track. Your concept starts feeling a bit worn out near the end, which likely has to do with the fact that you're stretching out just a few ideas into too large of a space. This could be solved in many different ways, such as by adding some contrasting textures, or just shortening the length of the piece. However, I consider this somewhat minor.

=============

For your second piece, I like how its theme contrasts with the first one. It satisfies my yearning for the ghostly vibe to be developed more (although I still maintain the last piece would benefit from focusing more on this vibe). The intro is the coolest sounding, where I really like the nice ethereal sounds that have lots of detail to them, at 4:38 for example. You also include more of these sounds like at 8:11, which is awesome. Your ghostly pads at 6:37 sound really well done too. They feel very unstable, yet polished.

I particularly liked how your harmonies progressed in this piece, and how they conveyed unsettling and mysterious feelings. However, I think your melodies would benefit from a little more syncopation, as their uniformness clashes with your mood at times. Emphasizing off beats & breaking patterns help make things feel innately unsettling.

I also think your choice of percussion wasn't very fitting, as the reverb-clap didn't feel particularly ethereal or ghostly yet was positioned at the front of the mix as it drove the piece's momentum.

Aside from the few small things I mentioned, your pieces would feel right at home in a game's OST. I rate them both 13 unworldly spirits!

ps: feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions (discord or ng) & we can chat more about your song!

[In The Depths]

Aaaa, I wanted these to be done a lot sooner, but at long last it's finally here:
Official VGMC'21 Review~!
======================

It's a bit unfortunate you only submitted one song, but oh well, the review continues! I like your sound design, and how you integrate chiptune sounds.

I don't think this track would be very fitting for an atmospheric game, *except* during a boss battle in which it would absolutely rock! That being said, I think you could add even more to this track by including some more atmospheric moments. Not just to make the game a more cohesive experience (which it would help with a lot), but to add a sense of contrast. 3:26 is a well placed pause as it hits as my ears are getting tired, however it doesn't help quite enough. When mixing, you want to be the most careful with high frequency information as it sounds the loudest to our ears, which causes fatigue faster. A few possible things you could do in this situation would be to either transition to a related, yet new arrangement of instruments that are easier on the ears (less sustained for example), or have a short atmospheric interlude.

Did I mention that I really liked the bubble sound effects at the beginning? They do a great job at setting the mood, but then we don't hear them again. :( Sound effects are super powerful tools when you're designing a texture (or even a drum sample) since it enable you to make them full without being loud, or to just add cool details. In addition to a lack of atmospheric moments, your texture is also somewhat flat, aside from that nice chiptune synth that makes up your lead. I think you could definitely add some more sparkle by subtly layering instruments and samples into your mix.

I also think that your mixing could be improved in general. One example of this is your choir at 3:24 which clashes with the chippy melody, making the high end sound very washed & static-y. Playing around with some EQ & multiband compressors here to nullify the clashing and clear up the high end would likely result in some immediate improvements.

I spent a lot of the review talking about ways to improve, but in general this was really well put together! Who knows what you'll be able to do 200 songs later?

ps: feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions (discord or ng) & we can chat more about your song!

[Crystal Will]

Aaaa, I wanted these to be done a lot sooner, but at long last it's finally here:
Official VGMC'21 Review~!
======================

I like the change in pace between this song and the first one as it really emphasizes the difficulty of the level, or even the apparent confidence of the player! Especially the intro. I also love how you use the same chiptune ambience (rising sound effect at 0:03) in both pieces, then put a different spin on it the second time. It does a great job connecting the two. The melody at 1:21 is an awesome moment and fits perfectly with the song. Actually, I would have loved if you could've given it some more accompaniment, as it feels a bit buried beneath the percussion (albeit just a small amount). Letting the rest of the arrangement at that moment acknowledge it would add more to the effect.

As for mixing, I notice you have a similar problem to your first song where the instruments often clash with each other and fight for space in the mix. 0:14 is a good example, though it's not quite as pronounced this time. This kind of mixing is a difficult thing to get just right, so I'd generally recommend comparing against a few well mastered reference songs & watching a few videos on the insides & outs of all your tools (multiband compressors, sidechain, etc).

Lastly, I also notice that the lead piano's level isn't as high as it should be around 0:16, though that's really just a small detail.

Again, really great job. Most of my concerns were minor, though there is always lots to improve on in hindsight. I rate it 175 strawberries!

ps: feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions (discord or ng) & we can chat more about your song!

[Geosylvania]

Aaaa, I wanted these to be done a lot sooner, but at long last it's finally here:
Official VGMC'21 Review~!
======================

I'll keep my mention of other pieces short, however I really love Lena Raine's Celeste OST, and I would be quite surprised if you didn't take any inspiration from it. Just a little forewarning that I'm gonna be a bit biased. Anyways, back to the review!

I like how you bring your interpretation of the prompt to life, choosing something shiny and sparkly, rather than dark and damp. Your arrangement does a great job at representing the environment. I don't have the exact vocabulary to elaborate too much, but the composition of your piece is very well done. Movements like 0:50 and 1:04 and show that your harmonic progressions are able to move the emotion of the piece in just the right direction, and your melodies merge seamlessly with the percussion, without getting old too quickly.

I think your piano is a bit too far forward in the mix at times. 1:28 is a good example. I would've loved if it left some more room for the other sounds and instruments because they’re what add together to create the detailed texture that makes the piece feel special. The chiptune chords in the background around 2:20 sound covered by the rest of the arrangement. This section is a bit messy in terms of the mix. I think playing with some eq & compressors until you hit a nice midground where all the instruments are working together rather than fighting would go a long way. I can hear it in my mind and it sounds beautiful! Honestly, all the instruments you chose for this section work together in such a pretty way. Also, I'm being a bit nitpicky here, but your percussion is a little covered around 3:20. I love around 2:48 when its easier to feel it drive the movement of the piece.

Most of your transitions feel really good, except for one or two which could've been pulled off nicer. Take 2:40 for example, where the blip is a bit too short, and the instruments are much too quiet after the transition. Though 2:45 is just beautiful. I’m sure you could get them to both sound equally great.

Nice job sticking with this project for 2 months, it was really worth it!

ps: feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions (discord or ng) & we can chat more about your song!