ZipZipper's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Dead skin]

Hmmm...your instrumental setup and mixing leads me to think that this song is about to drop the bass somewhere and evolve into a horroresque electronica smashthing. I'm not hearing it so much as horror background lol. In fact, I think this idea would work great with a nice beat, since you already included a few synths and that bassline. If you really want to go for a horror background, I would suggest removing that bassline first of all, and going for a quieter mix overall; not so rough with the pizzicato strings and piano, but instead have them whisper. Though I'm sure someone could use this for the purpose you intended, I think it's a little ambiguous in its direction; is it trying to be scary or is it trying to make scary sound cool? I think you've got a good start here...it just needs to expand!

UserSigon responds:

Nah you're tot right. I was just bored of the usual 4/4 kick but, well surprise, turns out I can't do something without a bass or a kick. It's also too long for a loop I think.
And yeah I think I should have went for the "make scary sound cool" route :D
Thanks :p

[Tetris A Cappella]

Yaaaaaasss!!!! A lot of nice variation here, especially in terms of tempo. The effect of your distorted low notes has a very catchy bass quality. I wish you continued on with this waaaay more though. I mean...even if it meant writing your own countertheme, since the initial one would be tiring to hash out for eternity. And at first, I wasn't sure if I agreed with your panning choices, but after repeating this several times I get it. Great work, just stop being such a tease!

raggd46 responds:

Ha thank you so much! Yeah this was a quick one I bashed out so didnt spend too much time on fleshing it out, maybe I will come back to it and add a bit more :)

[Mechanical Control]

Very cool! Really sets an atmosphere for a factory level. The way you develop the themes and instruments keeps it moving like a machine. I think the mix is good, especially if someone would want to use this in any content. The loop seems fine too, a plus for the former stuff mentioned. This is a really balanced track, in my opinion; there's a lot about this that's really catchy, but sets up something more. Nice job!

ILG924 responds:

Thanks ZipZipper, I'm glad you liked it. I really like your mixes so it's good knowing you thought this one was alright. A sub wouldn't work well at the place I'm living at, so I can't really tell when my bassy sounds are too bassy. I still cut quite a bit of bass out of this song just to be safe

[Amplified]

Your creativity here is very subtle, yet powerful. The small section of 3/4 you get into before the organ is introduced was a nice surprise. The chord progressions, to me, sounds both extremely familiar and totally original. Now, I'm personally not really into guitars at all, but the way you weave them through these semi-unorthodox progressions really hits with me, so I'm not educated enough to understand how real they sound. I think they fit nice with the genre especially anyways; where instruments don't have to be fully convincing. This piece has some real video game character to it; would work very well as a final battle theme. Nice work here!

ILG924 responds:

Thank you, that means a lot coming from someone as creative and talented as you. I know I won't get a 100% convincing sound from software, but I'm glad you think the guitars fit nicely in this. I guess that's one of the benefits of this genre of music, real instruments are just a bonus.

Also, I don't know if you heard my last song, but all the interesting effects in your music influenced the bit crush effect I used in that song. I really like your compositions

[Tick Tack]

How come the two of you...ugh...you guys always know what to do to make me cry + giggle. The atmospheric approach here was a great choice. It was quite representative of my family Christmas this year with an underlying, brooding dysfunction. Your harmonies were really cool, especially how you had that exceptionally perfect contrast in the beginning between cheery and uneasy. And great balance overall...I wish I could do atmospheric tracks like you dooooooo *sits on floor and twitches*

Azhthar responds:

Sorry for that... I have the feeling that christmas often gets this feeling. I hope it´s better now! I´m also a bit exhausted from the last days. Actually I really think your tracks have an awesome atmosphere! I hide behide these stupid orchestral samples here I guess. You make an epic atmospheric track just by singing all choral voices... I also really don´t like the middle part in the track here anymore. When I made it I thought: cool... loud... spooky... chromatic tuba... but at the end it´s just clichee which doesn´t fit to the rest of the atmosphere, anymore.

[Hectic Bells]

Wtf this is a cute mash-up fxck I love you.

[.:{Crystals}:.]

So if there's no vocals already on this, that one background pad sounds like overtone singing...or I guess that's because I'm hearing through laptop speakers :(

Yeah, very >ethereal< hehueheuhuehehuh. Also very depressing yay. It does sound like the backing track for someone, like EthWinds, to sing over. Whichhh...I think is its downfall because there's nothing strongly telling me to go this way or that; there's just ambient whooshing and a recurring piano motif. I mean yeah, it's definitely written in the vein of them receivers of this gift, but I think the track is missing them literally looool. Perhaps that can also be construed into its strength. I enjoy the occasional pluckedy flowyness with the harp and the overall desolate nature in contrast to the Merry in Merry Christmas.

larrynachos responds:

huheuehueheuHHEUEHEUEHEUEHUEH

I definitely feel you. Most of my music is either really epic and over-the-top, or just really simple, with just a few instruments and an accompanying pad/soundscape. I can't seem to find a happy medium that satisfies everyone. Regardless, I'm wholeheartedly satisfied with this song. It's beautiful, sad, and complete. Merry Christmas ZZ :) Thanks for the review!

[Cold Worlds]

Y'know...the first time I laid eyes on you, it was on Deep Within The Coal Mine and I enjoyed that piece a lot/still listen to it. That's really amazing you got to write for an art exhibition. Though I do enjoy experimental soundscape music, I can't say this was entirely in my interest lol. BUTT, I have rhythm prejudice, so seemingly free-flowing music is hard for me to catch. I'm actually wondering how you made this sound so natural here though you say it's a mockup...and I guess there's A LOT of different noises happening that makes me also wonder what was used in the live performance. Anyways bye.

Azhthar responds:

Hey! Thanks a lot! I´m happy that somebody also appreciates my more experimental music (I wasn´t really sure to post it here at all...). For the instruments: Main instrument is a bass flute. The one I took for the mockup is from Xsample (the only instrument I got from them). Their sample libraries are quite old and don´t have many round robins, etc. But... they sound quite good, have nearly all contemporary articulations and the instrument libraries are relatively cheap compared to other libraries with a comparable sound. So all the air noises, flutter tongues, slap tongues (the percussive like flute noises) and seccos are made with this. Other noises include bowed splash and ride cymbals including arco tremolos and a single crotales cymbal in B. The brushed drum set is from the free brushed kit for kontakt from Soniccouture (it also included the scratches on the cymbals with the brushes). If you are looking for a free brushed drum kit, you should definitely check this one out because it sounds amazing... I think that´s it basically.

They wanted to make some recordings in the next weeks. So it is possible that I´ll get a real recording soon and I guess I will replace the file with the original recording then... There are even some more articulations I didn´t have in any library. And yep, it was really amazing that I got the chance to write for that exhibition and I was also quite excited at the concert. I was studying contemporary music at a university close to the place where I live beside my job in the last year and this was mainly a student project. So probably not a big thing for people who do this regularely but it was a big thing for me because I never got the chance to write something which is indeed played by professional musicians and also will be recorded...

[Chuckles likes children]

DGASHJDGASHJDGHASDGHSJGJHADHJGHJSADHJGHJSAGHJDGASHJ!!!!!!!!

OMG I'M HAVING SO MUCHHH FUNNN!!!!! Though I clicked this through the Review for Review thread, that would be unfair of me to rob someone else of the opportunity to have as much fun as I'm having. I haaattteee youuuuu omg clown everything very happy much fun times! Okay...let me hit replay and be more rational about things now...

First of all, what the Hell that squeaky toy percussive is delightful. I love how it's played with and variated so effortlessly. You have a lot of instrumental changes that keeps this constantly fresh in my mind. Additions and subtractions of noises everywhere. Also, your harmonic progressions do have some unexpected changes occasionally, which I love, especially when you turned that major merry-go-round section into minor with just a slight shift. What can I say...what CAN'T I say? This is my favorite everything right now. Omg, how inspiring!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3

*waits for others to review so I can creepily stare at them*

Azhthar responds:

Wow!!! Thanks!! That´s so awesome and means a lot to me! I´m really glad you like it. Yep. that major change worked surprisingly well. Otherwise I have to regret the harmonies are not that complex... I used mainly three chords and transposed them. The instrumental changes and to make the transitions work was actually quite some effort... For the squeaks I had the idea to let them move in space like the clown was running around but then I liked it like it is and it was already quite full... Thanks a lot again! This one took me quite some time and it´s incredibly awesome to hear from this from you!

[Frightful Kingdom]

!!!!!!!! A spooky waltz!!!!! By order of my discriminations, I love this piece immediately from the time signature alone. Now...the instrument choice is great for the season. You got the gothic style village aura presented well through all the sounds. I was reminded just a little bit of Nightwish, but the thing they have that's missing here is a vocal part lol. And that's one in the same with melody; there wasn't an obvious lyrical part leading me through. It was just a harmonic progression being repeated constantly. In fact, it seemed like half of the piece was almost exactly copied and pasted to create the last half of the song; a waltzing chord progression can only keep attention for so long! I suppose that's the only big thing I can comment on...the rest was pretty relatable. There were definite sections to the piece, some I think could have been a little less wordy; shorter and more concise. Anyways, I still think this is a cool little dancing song for howling/yelling incoherently at the moon with. Good work!

Wolfrain64 responds:

Thanks for the review!
You're right, I should've focused more on the melody.
I just noticed that I could perfectly loop the song, but I guess is too late for that (?)