ZipZipper's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Ecosystem]

I definitely agree with more percussion at that 1:22 point. Amazing melodies and integration of instruments and styles. Definitely has the sound one thinks of when they hear the word ecosystem; a tropical plate with mallets and congas. The piece remained around that idea of like...the Amazon rainforest predominantly. It broke away a bit with the little soloing of the guitar, the bassoon standing out sometimes, and a very faint didgeridoo. I mean, there's more than one kind of ecosystem that isn't the typical tropical scene. I think it would have been very interesting to have a huge, obvious mood change to swamps, deserts, polar regions, or whatever. Then again, you do also note the harmony of things, which is perfectly implemented here. So in a creative sense, I think things could have been different; perhaps an unharmony in terms of moods. But musically, there's nothing really upsetting. Great work!

Step responds:

Wow, thanks for such a detailed review! It's so great to get constructive criticism.

"I definitely agree with more percussion at that 1:22 point."

Good. Considering you agree with it as well, it's clearly something I should definitely consider.

"Amazing melodies and integration of instruments and styles."

That's really great to know. Before this I was doing lots of remixes. I made a whole 8-minute medley of Monster Hunter Tri remixes, an Okami remix and four Metroid remixes so I was afraid that I lost my ability to make entirely original melodies haha. Good to know I can still make good-sounding original stuff after doing so many remixes.

"Definitely has the sound one thinks of when they hear the word ecosystem; a tropical plate with mallets and congas. The piece remained around that idea of like...the Amazon rainforest predominantly."

That's certainly what I was going for!

"It broke away a bit with the little soloing of the guitar, the bassoon standing out sometimes, and a very faint didgeridoo. I mean, there's more than one kind of ecosystem that isn't the typical tropical scene."

Yeah, as I said I wanted to make it diverse, so I threw in stuff like the guitar... and the bassoon to an extent. You almost never hear bassoons in orchestral music here on Newgrounds. It's such a shame, it has a lovely sound. Although I admit, with it being my first time using a bassoon in one of my tracks, I found it pretty hard to get it to fit right.

"I think it would have been very interesting to have a huge, obvious mood change to swamps, deserts, polar regions, or whatever. Then again, you do also note the harmony of things, which is perfectly implemented here. So in a creative sense, I think things could have been different; perhaps an unharmony in terms of moods. But musically, there's nothing really upsetting. Great work!"

Thanks! Yeah I thought of adding a mood change... but the thing about that is that adding mood changes require lots and lots of development and hard work, and this is for a project where I might not have time to take on such an ambitious task of throwing in a mood change.

Although believe it or not I did try and add a mood change in one of my earlier versions of this track. Download this:
http://www.mediafire.com/?9n72tamktmy2umf

It's basically the same up till 1:10 but at 1:10 I threw in a more eerie, mystical mood change. However, I didn't like how it was coming along and almost everyone who heard it said it just doesn't fit and broke the momentum of the track, so I scrapped the whole thing haha. I am a fan of mood changes though; looking back I wish I had more time to make one.

Thanks again for the fantastic review dude!

[!-Passage-!]

I just started dancing really gayly to this. It at first reminded me of Super Monkey Ball 2 music. But the chimes and the dubstep quality halfway through gave it a little extra oomph to sound different. Wow...I really like this. I think the strings around 2:00 were a little off-putitng, but that's about it. I mean, maybe the mix of the main synth could be toned down a little, but blasting it in my face is also great (that's what she said). Anyways, really cool song here! The pauses were added in accordingly and breakdowns were awesome. Fantastic song!

Atundra responds:

Wow thankyou for the beautiful review!! :)

[Punkmetalguy31 Voice Demo]

Can I just say that I love that voice at 0:22. Anyways, what a versatile set of voices. At 1:04 I thought of Nylocke, Dragon of Superhero Greetings! (especially the way you said "greetings") That can only mean you are destined for greatness. Such a plethora of voices is quite enviable...quite...

But yeah...great stuff here!

CallumBowen responds:

thank you :D I had others planned but I did not have much time. I will be doing more very soon ;)

[Journey Through My Mind]

I definitely like how this is split into different parts, like the different environments in a real journey. That opening part got me pumped, it sounded like the introduction to a really epic DnB action soundtrack...and then it wasn't, which was both a pleasant surprise and also a disappointing one. This journey through your mind sounds like a mess, and I mean that more in a good way than a bad way; it's artful. The dissonance and blatant differences in all of the melodies express how chaotic it must be in there. Sometimes the piano part, and especially that string sting, seemed out of place amongst a predominantly synth-based song. Other than that everything else is pretty cool, especially the beat and that beginning part. Nice work!

Athanatos responds:

I liked the way you explained everything, and I'll keep all that in mind while creating the 'Part 2'.

[Sixteen Tons]

Excellent! Your voice is nice for an a cappella swing like this. The only thing I think was iffy was that the background aahhing was existing in the same space as the lyrics, which lost what you were saying. Maybe if the lyrical parts were panned closer to the front, it would be more understandable. And to be nit-pickedy, there's some coming in issues with tempo, but whatever. I like the ending and the harmonies are soulful. Great work!

SonicWombat responds:

Thanks, I appreciate the constructive criticism. |:)

[The Summer Stroll]

If you say it's a DVD menu screen songish thing, shouldn't it loop? Especially with something so short. The instrumentation is cool, and the reverb on it is nice. The melody itself is strolling and calm. I was envisioning a heavier string line; something to back up the cello so it doesn't sound as empty. That would make it perfect. I think the biggest thing lacking is just the idea itself could be longer and looped. In the department of instrumentation, yeah there could be more parts added, like chimes, pizzicato strings, a soft French horn. But, the simplicity of this instrumentation is actually quite captivating too. Overall, it just needs further expansion or the ability to loop cleanly. Hope this was helpful in some way and good work!

WingoWinston responds:

Just noticed it says "No HTML, por favor." when I reply to reviews haha.

Well the piece isn't complete yet which is why I haven't looped it yet. I just wanted some quick feedback - which you have so graciously done - and then I'd get back to work on it. The cello is a little hollow, this song was partially a test for my new EWQL samples. I suppose I can use more now :P

Cheers

[Hidden Door]

I'm LOVING the atmosphere of this. It's so extremely interesting. The idea is just so good that I really really wish it would go on into a full blown song, whether it be electronic, alternative pop, or epic soundtrack. Because this sounds like a captivating introduction into a really cool piece and this is probably the first time I've ever truly wanted a concise song to be taken further; usually short and sweet tracks are suitable for me. The mystery behind the hidden door is silently screaming in this piece and I'm just so anxious to know what's on the other side! Either way, this is wonderful work. Instrumentation is unique as well as the mystical melodies, tied with the subtle beat makes this song perfect. GREAT job! I am sincerely impressed whether you choose to expand this or not.

DesoloZ responds:

I made more like this ull just have to look for them, they are named after dreams and astral projections and other names

[Toucan - Semi-Crisis]

Ahhh. This reminds me of the music in Brave Fencer Musashi and also the music in a random Yu-Gi-Oh video game for GameCube that I enjoyed once upon a time...both are rather old things. And your song here has captured the genuine warmness I felt in both. This piece has so much nostalgia in it. I wish soundtrack instrumentation was more simple and innocent like this. The whimsical anxiety of a child constructing ideas in an unstable imagination. It's perfect for the game it's in; it helps you concentrate while also making you nervous. Excellent work here!

SilentTakedown responds:

Thanks a lot!