mutty99's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Glass-cutter]

-Official NGUAC 2020 Tryouts Review-

I like how this track, despite being referred as Hip Hop - Modern, has those synthwav-ish deep sounds, which give a nice atmosphere. Despite the great usage of pads, the mix is a bit unbalanced: for example, in the section at 0:16 the bass volume is a little too high, and at 1:07 that Tom/Percussion you used has a strange distortion, and it covers too much the other instruments and effects. There is a lack of room too, maybe stereo-panning one or two instruments could help the piece flow better (By stereo-pan, i mean duplicating the sound of an instrument and putting one channel 100% panned to the left, the other 100% panned to the right. It's a helpful technique, i suggest trying it out). Apart from those technical details, the song is pretty solid and with a stable structure. Just a little more polishing, and it'd have been even better.

Originality: 1/2
Composition: 1.5/2
Structure: 2/2
Tecnicity: 0.5/2
Impact: 1.5/2

Total: 6.5/10

ChroPh0re responds:

Thank you so much for the honest review! It's nice to hear a structured review and hear specifics on what can be improved. On the note of the tom/distorted kick, what do you think could have helped the other instruments to stand out? Sidechaining, less bass, less distortion, cuts to the midrange, etc.?

[In The Tigers Den]

F U N K Y

[child of the woods]

-Official NGUAC 2020 Tryouts Review-

This was one of the most complex submissions i scored for this round.
The concept wasn't easy at all to execute in a long musical piece such as this, and i think you've chosen the right instruments + the right usage and position for them, making a solid basic overall structure; the eqs are carefully processed too.
The only big issue i have with this track is the solo voice part of the vocal section: even if the text is well written and the pitches are all spot on, they are processed in a way that i'm not fully fond of, and there were some little off-tune notes too, especially in the beginning. The sections 2:57-4:17 and 5:45-7:05 back up and give a huge rise to the score: they are the best sections in the entire track, and the most effective in terms of "concept communication".
Overall, you did a pretty good job, standing out well from the other contestants, i give you props for that! I want to see you going all out in the next rounds, so give it your best shot =)

Originality: 2/2
Composition: 2/2
Structure: 2/2
Tecnicity: 1/2
Impact: 1.5/2

Total: 8.5/10

Troisnyx responds:

Ah, thank you so much for the review! 💖

I find that this track has something that polarises listeners: if it's not the wavering child's voice, it's the distortion. If it's not that, it's how depressing this track is. All in all, though, I'm grateful to hear that your experience of this has been largely positive. 😁

[Corkscrew - Hazard]

-Official NGUAC 2020 Tryouts Review-

Hey there, glad to see you attempting at this contest again =)
Your audition piece is pretty ambitious, with an aggressive and complex rhythm: i really like the drop at 1:00, nicely done. It's the part that shows best how much you've improved. There are a pair of things i'd have done differently though: first, at 0:15 i'd have given a little lowpass/volume filter to the saw segments which come one 4-quarterbeat section yes, one no. They are not badly done, i just would have imagined that section better with those saws coming in a less abrupt way. Last, at 2:30 the second drop begins with a rhythmic section again, then at 2:47 it switched with a breakbeat part. I'd have switched those two parts to make the transition less anticlimatic and improve the flow a little bit; also, the mix
overall volume could have been a bit louder. Apart from those little complaints, mastering and sound selections are both flawless; this is without a doubt one beast of an entry. Keep it up like that and you'll get far in this competition! =)

Originality: 2/2
Composition: 2/2
Structure: 1.75/2
Tecnicity: 1.75/2
Impact: 2/2

Total: 9.5/10

ItzCorkscrew responds:

Thank u very much! <3 <3 I'm so glad u liked it, I'll keep working hard to make more interesting sounds! :D

[Astedroid - Refresh [Dachipan Release!]]

-Official NGUAC 2020 Tryouts Review-

The track flows nicely, and the mix is overall enjoyable. However, there are a couple of moments where you could have polished better your mix: at 1:04, when the lowpass ends, the melody begins its loop again without any kind of fades or transitional elements; for me it was a small letdown before the build-up at 1:17. Also at 3:50, the second drop ends, a last section follows, then another drop begins at 4:04. I don't understand why you made this compositional choice, as it confuses the listener quite a bit: maybe a bridge with different harmonic content could have worked better. Despite those two complaints, the sound is spot on and you overall did a good job. Keep it up!

Originality: 1.5/2
Composition: 1/2
Structure: 1/2
Tecnicity: 2/2
Impact: 2/2

Total: 7.5/10

Astedroid responds:

" Also at 3:50, the second drop ends, a last section follows, then another drop begins at 4:04. I don't understand why you made this compositional choice, as it confuses the listener quite a bit: maybe a bridge with different harmonic content could have worked better."

That part was meant to be a quick break before the last "afterdrop" Also to give little freedom

[4AM]

-Official NGUAC 2020 Tryouts Review-

This is an incredibly good submission: the track flows nicely, and the mix is polished very well. Submitting trance music like this is pretty daring, yet you managed to create a simple melody without being repetitive or boring, and that's a really good thing.
The sounds you've chosen are great too, and you nailed both the drop and the build-up in the second half of the track, the hardest and most crucial parts to get right.
Overall, your track is one of the most solid i've heard yet, and it's the one i had thought the most about its final score, mainly because of what the community might think. I'll say this, just in case: i take my job as a judge really seriously, and i only give this score to tracks that i 100% enjoyed and that i haven't found issues into. I'll leave other reviews later on, so you guys can see how i deal with a few other submissions.

Originality: 2/2
Composition: 2/2
Structure: 2/2
Tecnicity: 2/2
Impact: 2/2

Total: 10/10

I look forward to see you in the next round, best of luck! =)

[Crimes Across The Moon]

Stunning, original and enjoyable piece of music. Well done! =)

[This Game RmX off v]

Emotional and nailed to its very core. Awesome job sir! =)

[嵐 (ARASHI)]

Excellent work! =)