Jacob's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Pedal#10]

I really like the sound, here! Production could use a lot of work, but the noises are really cool. If this were mixed better, I'd listen to it on repeat for sure.

[Smoking Flutes]

Excellent choice of sample! I would've chopped the sample differently at 00:18, so that it only changes to the higher pitch on the offbeat, rather than sliding up after an eighth note like it does the first time. I think it would help it groove.

The beat is very easy to listen to, as well! The hat is a little sharp on the ears, so I wouldn't mind adding a bit of lo-fi degradation to it. A ride cymbal could be added in for a little extra movement, too. But I like what you've got here.

This is a hip-hop/dance combo, by the way. Adult Swim vibes.

Nice work!

Williamarch responds:

Thanks for the feedback! I'll take your tips into consideration next time. I guess it's only natural for me to make a hip-hop/dance track. It's basically the two genres I usually make. Thanks again!

[Cartoonily Evilish]

Loved the bass at the tail end! Really completed the mood you were creating.
This is very fitting for a comical villain. One who takes themselves very seriously, but whose idea of villainous acts revolves around a vaudevillian scheme. Nothing too heinous, but which serves as communication of disdain for the success and admiration attributed to the hero that they envy. Childishly maniacal, but full of whimsical hubris.

[F**k you]

Love the groove of the bass! The vocal samples are nicely chosen and verbed, as well. Would have liked more stereo quality in those placed in the center, though.
Percussion could have also been a little more active, and I wouldn't mind the hat swinging from right to left in the stereo field.

Second drop, same as the first.
Glitching the sound used at 2:37 would have been welcome, as a means of variation. Raising the octave of the "yo" sample at that point would also be an easy way of increasing the urgency of the track.

Excellent work here, loved listening.

JessRotela responds:

thank you very much for the tips, I like to see how people take time to analyze my songs, greetings

[Talurre - Snowflake Dance]

Epic!

Always love water in my bass. Is that done with a peak filter? I've never really known.

Great sound design from head to toe. Just enough elements to build what you're looking for, placed nicely and specifically. I can tell that you're not spending more time than you need to be, but taking enough to make every moment unique. Much respect and appreciation, there.

I was going to comment on a lack of width in the stereo aspects of the track, but I see you were saving that for the drops. Beautiful glitching.

I would have liked for the drops (the second in particular) to ramp up on their second leg. Raising the octave and adding more energy to the hats would be particularly useful.

I also wouldn't mind more specificity regarding the story that you're telling here. Being as dramatic as this is, it functions as the sound backing an experience. What is happening? What brought us here? What is it building to, and how will that be resolved? What emotions arise during this confrontation, and why? There seems to be a lot of conflict, but I don't have a clear image of between whom it takes place, nor do the clashes (drops) significantly ramp up from beginning to end, giving me little sense of resolution or direction when they transition to a new section. Why did the clash end? Was someone knocked back or down? The sections leading up to the drops tell a better story, so I can get somewhat of an idea of how we lead back into the conflict. But then it's just glitches, until they stop. I want there to be, at the least, a moment when the drop clearly climaxes (perhaps drawing out the synth for one long whine, for instance) to provide some resolution.

Just my thoughts!
Excellent work as always. I very much enjoy the ear candy.

[Kid Projekt - Skill (feat. Row Skino) [Explicit]]

Very nice! Professional as always.

The beat is very well glued together. Very large, very powerful.

I immediately wanted more energy in the vocals. Sonically, they're nice - but they felt a bit forced and insincere. Some extra oomf in areas you'd like us to pay more attention to would be great, as well as more fluctuation in pitch. Extra breath, a little bit of soft palate grind here and there. The reference pitch doesn't seem to activate your resonators in a way that really pushes the message, so I didn't get the chills that I think this song could activate.

As previously mentioned, the beat is epic. That said, it spends most of its time at the same level of energy. I'd like to hear some more rising and falling. Sometimes quickly (a short HPF sweep into a quick drop, or some glitches), sometimes slowly (rising pitch and accumulating elements to back up an important string of phrases).

In any case, you've done great work as always. Keep it up! I'll be following along.

[T-Logic - Panko]

Always down for something weird.

Very interesting sonic layout in the intro! Warm and calm, but troubled and dissonant. Like a small toy robot, waking up in the night. Low on power, making its way back to its box. Could be a cool game, actually.

The harpsichord sample is a very nice addition, and the quick glitching was a great choice. The synth that occupied the center at the same time could have been a bit less dry, hot, and forward, but I liked what you did with it.

The guitar around 1:14 clashes with everything else, and I'm not sure what sort of image it conjured in my head. The bass and percussion were cool, though. I would have liked this part to be more mellifluous, setting up for the dissonance coming up at 2:05. It would have felt more like a journey, and less like constant struggle. Like things were going well, until another obstacle were encountered. But maybe the whole section being a bit off makes 2:35 more rewarding.

All in all, a very interesting experiment! I really enjoy the space you've set up here, and I would love to hear you create something more intentional with the elements you've discovered from this. If you ever decide to come back to it (or have interest passing it to me or another artist), I think this has a lot of potential, and I would not at all mind hearing more tracks in this vein.

TaintedLogic responds:

Thanks for the detailed review, Jacob! I really appreciate the imagery of the toy robot, and I'm glad you got enough out of it to form a vivid picture. I agree that I should've thought more about the structure and sound design in places. I'd be glad to share the FLP file with you. Feel free to PM me your email address. Thanks again for the review! ^_^

[I Tried For Years]

Oi, YES man! Love it. I'll check out the rest of the EP, tonight!

[Fresh Air]

Immediately had my eyes closing and my head bobbing and swaying. There's a lot of raw emotion in this track, which I've noticed is a theme in your work.

I think a big aspect of the repetitiveness is that you're not done feeling something yet. Remember, though, that the listener can often relate. There's a reason that repetition is so popular in so many genres right now. It isn't a negative trait, if you're just letting something play itself out fully. Plus, in a glitchy and moving track like this, it works really well. By delighting the ears, and by weaving different elements in and out, you create something that breathes, and it's perfectly okay to give it some time to do so.

Those chords are wonderful, that vocal sample is crying out to me, and that that synth with the quick slides really reels it all back in. The beat is hard, too. Great work, man.

[Beluga Whale Tale]

Such an epic gaming theme, man! You really created a journey, here, and I feel the track igniting my synapses like a sparkler on the fourth of July.
Amazing work. I love it.