LucidShadowDreamer's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Heartful]

Whoah!
Despite you seeming to like Garageband, I've got to say that this is an instant improvement of instrument quality. That' or you've simply produced it very well. It's just so chill and warm to listen to .(I now love that oxymoron-ish sentence I created, and will claim copyright). This sounds a bit unlike some of your other work, apart from the bass and percussion. The melodies are somehow different (even though it's possible to hear some of your style in it). The melodies are still great though, if not even better than usually! Especially between 0:51 and 1:27. Spendid compositional transition at 1:07 :O! Same thing at 1:24 (I don't know why this one reminds me of the Futurama opening o.O). It's the chords borrowed from another key which sound so sweet!

Another song week seems great. Although the quality may not be the best, it's fun to listen to. Especially for a guy like me, who values composition more than production (though it's a very important aspect as well).

The low volume? I have a similar issue with Cubase. Well, I could upload things with more volume, but there'd be lots of clipping. Still, there are people with much higher volume and no problems. I wonder if an external soundcard could fix this :/ Either way, I'll probably get one eventually.

LunacyEcho responds:

=> instrument quality =>

That's because I'm using Logic Pro! I haven't actually used Garageband since 'Birdland', I think. I still support it immensely, and I've got a few unfinished projects in it I might release after this is all over.

=> chill and warm © =>

Daaamn.

=> melodies =>

Don't you hate when people compliment you on your melodies after you've secretly stolen the airplane "fasten seat belts" jingle? Okay, fine. It's also from garlagan's 'Impulse'. But the thing is, 1-5-3 is such a catchy, simple melody that I'm quite angry that people in garlagan's comment box compliment him for it. It's not original! Just fly in an airplane and you'll realize! If I had a blog, I'd rant about this (although I have, like, ten defunct ones).

=> 1:07 =>

*looks around nervously*

(I just basically did what DuttonsaysHI does in every one of his songs and changed to the minor of the tonic for the final bar with emphasis on the 6th in the first half and 7th in the second. I even used the same transitional melody he always does. Shhhhhh.)

=> 1:24 =>

EVERYTHING reminds you of the Futurama opening. :D

=> composition over production =>

COMPOSITION MASTER RACE

=> clipping =>

See, I don't even know how to upload things at a higher volume WITH clipping. I'd be glad just to know what's wrong with it.

Thanks for the review, LSD! It's been a while, but maybe I'll be seeing a lot more of you this week. :)

[The Age of Aggression]

Great! You got your mountain dulcimer track done! No pennywhistle though, but that's okay ;p

Your voice is awesome, btw o.O It's unique (in a good way) and really interesting. If it sounds this good "dry" and with decent recording equipment, I can barely imagine how well this would sound if recorded and mixed with top class microphones in a suitable room. Is that you playing the dulcimer? It sounds so real, so I think it must be.

The melody you created is very nice as well. Amazing work; easy favorite! :3

Krichotomy responds:

I am honored by your praise.

My voice is definitely out of tune in places, and that starting note was awkward. (I should have toned it down with the volume envelope.) But I do really like my inflections through the piece.

After I got out of the shower, I realized that my voice was clear and my throat wasn't tight, so I decided to record the song right away. But it took so long to get the equipment set up and working that my throat was getting tight again. I don't know why it does that. My brother has the same problem. Due to that and a number of other symptoms, I suspect hyperthyroidism, but the doctors seem to think there's not a chance of that (due to blood test results).

But I digress. I haven't been playing pennywhistle much because there are apartment rooms all around me and I don't want to annoy the neighbors. I do have plans for a dulcimer solo track soon.

[Water from the Rock]

So, this is nice. I like the fact that you used Versilian Studios instruments, as I coincidentally just downloaded a bunch of them. Despite being free, I like the sound of many of them.

Interesting name you chose for this piece. Just listening to this, I would put it under cinematic and not under classical. It reminds me of many great background tracks in movies. That said, I understand why you put classical as the genre; in the end, it's not that important.
You've got a really clean sound going. The instruments are well balanced, and do not clash with one another.

Even without it being in the name, I would've thought of water while hearing this. Man, your use of the different instruments is impressive. Like the piano that in several parts is constrantly moving up and down in scales very softly in the distant background (I seem to be hearing it more in my right ear, but in a good way, not off balance). The occasional bass notes/ lower keys played are good too. The harp is playing very interesting melodies, which seem to be a bit dreamish, like it doesn't really know exactly where to go, but finds pleasant notes notes nonetheless. The effect might be caused by the fact that it doesn't always play the notes as stricly in rhythm as the bass and what I assume is the zither (at least in the beginning, as similar patterns are later played by what seems like an electronic bass sound of some kind, perhaps along with the zither, but I can barely hear it in that case) does in the background. Either way, great dynamic balancing.
Oh, and the flute is nice too.

The mood of the song is mostly positive to me, but I feel that it's in the way of something great waiting to happen. As many pieces, there could clearly be a story told with this as background music. Some things stay constant, like the rhythm and some of the instruments, while other things change. Now and then, there are (maybe not darker) different moods, which is clear from the first seconds of the piece already. I'm actually not entirely sure what mood I'm feeling the most though. The only thing I get in my head is some kind of "light in the darkness" feel. That is, this is the track I'd use if I were to show the growth of the first tree in an earlier very desert-like area. I also imagine a waterfall. Maybe it's the waterfall which is born from a "had been" dried river, which in turn makes it possible for life to grow on the place once again?
I don't know; that's just the image I get into my head for some reason :p

Anyway. A great piece; favorited.

Phonometrologist responds:

I'm not even sure where to begin in replying. Reviews like these are always significant to get for the encouragement to revel in one's thoughts as a music lover. A perspective like this from a listener is quite insightful for any composer because the composer knows what it took to get to the finished product and is too familiar in a way to be able to experience something for the first time as a listener would. And that is perhaps why it can be difficult to accurately describe a piece by its title. Though, because I gave its title before I finished the parts and arrangement, perhaps that dictated in a subconscious way to find water-like synths, and a free flowing harp over a more defined rhythm. The chord progression also is quite free as I didn't really box it in a set time-signature to tell me when to change chords. But that doesn't matter so much. I will say that your description is quite accurate in terms of the instrumentation.
Your last paragraph is something I like to see and give in any analysis of music. Not just the how, but the why we see and feel based on the vibrations that we perceive to be music. And just because I composed it does NOT make me anymore of an authority to dictate the reason to another. If we could project these kinds of moods and images to each individual merely using words, then why compose music? And how is it that the experience of one listener can be so different and similar to another? I think it depends on where the life and set of ears is listening from. Before I stray away too much from analyzing music and into the physiological aspect, I'll just say that we project vibrations to another because it is in each and every atom that vibrates within us. What crazy thing it is that us Humans can create such a thing--music-- a language heard and understood by any.
The light in the darkness, the growing of the first tree within a desert, and the waterfall from a dried-up river are all great analogies. I don't merely see these as descriptions of nature, but of individuals. It is the picture of what happens inside of us.
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." Isaiah 55:1
"but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:14
Thank you. Your review shows that you were able to handle this quite well. Even better than I might have.

[Something]

This is pretty cool! I like the interesting style(s). The transitions are great, and I like the way this explores different sections. Some with piano as the main intruments, and then more electric parts. The percussion is impeccable though! I love the drum solo at 0:25 :3
This is a perfect loop as well o.O

Great job ;)

UrnSudden responds:

Thanks, man :D
AH!
It's good to hear the transitions worked well, I pumped the most patterns I've ever put into fl studio in this one, and only with slight variation (for the most part) for what I'd hoped would add a bit more nuance than my other stuff.
I was definitely exploring different styles I could pull of in miscible fashion, and I'm glad that it worked--ya know, rather than oil and water, haha

[a summer memory]

Ooh! That's such a sweet piano sounds you've got! Sweet tunes as well :3

For being an improv, this is insanely good o.O!!! You've got a lot of cool stuff going on here; interesting modulations, a great melody (very original at that), and even chromatic bass lines. You used both the slightly darker and the lighter parts of the piano too, which I enjoy very much :D You didn't use the lowest keys that much, but they intend to get pretty muddy anyway :)

There aren't too many slips in this track either. I can hear a few places that probably didn't go as intended, but apart from that, this might as well be a composed song which had a lot of thought put into it. The atmostphere is just great...

I know what you mean with not going crazy with this improv :p I also tend to do a lot of wacky stuff when palying without recording XD

Anyway. Awesome improv johnfn. I ejoyed it a lot, so I favorited it ;)

johnfn responds:

To be entirely honest, I did make a few small post-adjustments. Anyway thanks LSD! I'm a big fan of your piano stuff as well... I did try to make it a bit more music-theoretically interesting, glad you caught on to that... :)

[Wind Requiem - Chill Mix]

Oh yeah. The music in both Chrono trigger and Chrono Cross is awesome. I haven't heard all of it yet, but some of my favorites include "600 AD" and "People Imprisoned by Destiny". I'm biased though, as this is mostly due to the awesome transcriptions (into sheet music and MIDI files) by kLuTz. They get progressively more difficult, so they were great songs to play when I started out learning the piano :3

Anyway, back to this song. Holy crap the production is good! That whistle sound is amazing O.O
Although the intruments are much higher quality, this track really brings back all the retro rpg feelings.

All the synths are nice, and I love the bass you used. The percussion fits in well too.
I don't really have anything to complain about, just wanted to let you know you've done a great job ;)

ChronoNomad responds:

There's even some Chrono Cross note progression thrown in for good measure! It seems fitting since the worlds overlap in a very literal way, and it sounds just as good in practice as it did within my mind's eye. Mind's...ear?

I'm glad to hear that the retro vibe still manages to come through, and thank you for leaving a review! I appreciate all of it, and you can drop by any ol' time. It's always a pleasure, Lucid. :D

[Gone (For Now)]

Whoop Whoop. You managed to make something that doesn't really feel that Lunacy Echo-y. Hau u do dis?

Anywho. This isn't really my favorite genre. That said, I think you did a splendid job. The percussion is very interesting o.O The bass is good, even if it starts of being pretty basic and is a pretty repetitive.

The production however, I'd say is top notch! I love the effects on that piano (Is it based on a synth vst? If not, you did an even better job. It sounds like a tremolo effect to me [although it could be a heavily modified vibrato]. I like how there isn't too much of it; just enough) :D

My favorite part is the one that starts at 2:26, as it sounds so mysterious :)

Either way. Great job! This is not an easy genre imo XD

LunacyEcho responds:

=> doesn't really feel that LunacyEcho-y =>

Great! :D I was trying really hard to try out a lot of new things for this one. I think the chord progression and the way it's used at 1:02 is pretty 'me', but I did try a bunch of different effects and techniques to do stuff this time.

=> bass repetitive =>

Yeah, what'cha gonna do? I bet it'll sound better when my friend adds his vocals to it.

=> piano =>

Actually, it's a custom sound! It's a piano layered on a pad, with an auto-filter set to 1/16t. Half the time spent making this song was just experimenting with different effects like that. :P

=> 2:26 =>

I've always found breakdowns pretty awkward to make. Glad you liked it!

=> not an easy genre =>

Good thing I had a model song to guide me through, no?

Thanks a lot for the review! :)

[They took my nose]

Where's my head! D': ?!?!?!?
Well. At least I've got a nose.

DESHIEL responds:

I WILL TAKE EVRITING! LEAVE NOTHYNG!

[Hope]

Whoah, I had somhow missed this earlier o.O
I need not say any other words than "immensly beautiful".
Gotta love broove too.

Phonometrologist responds:

Hey Shadow, I'm glad you enjoyed--it has been a very therapeutic piece for me in the past.