xxxZigZagxxx's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The End (Epilogue)]

0:00 Contemplative piano intro.
0:20 Affecting reverb.
0:28 Melancholy bass note.
0:46 Feels like you're stumbling a bit over these notes.
1:00 Atmospheric.
1:27 Feels a bit off time.
1:55 I just think that it should switch up a bit more.
2:04 I like those repeated notes.
Honestly, I'm going to skip forward just to see what happens.
2:28 Wait what happened there? Strange.
skipped through several points to
7:40 OK this feels different.
8:05 It all feels very improvised.
skipping through again
9:41 That note was pretty cool.
skipping through
13:43 Ok it's ending. You're doing like a Day In The Life thing where you have one note and you make it go louder and louder at the end.

Yeah OK. My thoughts. This was a very long meandering piece and I didn't take time to listen through it all, but what I did listen to, was very much the same. There wasn't much in the way of memorable motifs, and yes I realize that this is supposed to be a mood piece that tries to establish a certain melancholy, but there was nothing that I could latch onto throughout the entire thing. It just felt like a first improvisation, which only works if you're an absolute whiz on the piano. I can tell you're good at piano, but I am too (I've been playing for 10 years) and I think there needs to be a little bit more composition wise. Even if this is based on creating ambience and atmosphere there needs to be something other than a few meanderings on the keyboard with a little reverb and effects put on.

Aside from that, it wasn't anything especially offensive to my ears, but nothing really stuck either, and I get the feeling you could do better. 3/5 from me.

[Little girl and cellar door]

This is really moody and I like the piano VST you used. I like the melody. Cool stuff, man, cool beans :)

[Door Kicker]

0:00 From the beginning it sounds like a loop
0:10 Loops slapped on top of each other
0:18 It does sound groovy though but it feels like it's not custom
0:25 This melody isn't that catchy.
I'm starting to think that with the tags in this song, it's supposed to be a parody of this genre.
0:46 That tag is very loud.
0:55 Is there a limiter on master that is choking this track? It feels quite compressed.
1:13 I don't really feel like dancing. I mean, in a way, it's interesting.
1:30 I like this buildup.
1:33 OK that was a really nice buildup.
1:39 I wish that that swishing sound would stop.
1:48 OK THIS is really, really nice. I feel like grooving to this part.
1:58 The wubs are kind of playing around with 3rds, I think? It's very groovy.
2:08 I like this build up a lot.
2:20 OK This of this song is a lot better than the first part. A LOT better.
2:35 And there that annoying riff comes in again.
2:49 I get the feeling it's just the repetitious riff ruining the song
3:18 This all feels same-ish like it's going nowhere.
3:28 It would work if there was a more infectious riff, but this isn't that infectious.
3:40 Yeah it's better when the riff is gone.

The track is quite straightforward, there's a lot of loops but they work quite well with each other... at times. I think you get my notion right now that the main riff at the beginning and the end is the opposite of infectious to me, it's irritating. But the middle part was incredibly infectious and I could see myself dancing to that a lot. But judging from the inconsistency in the track (some parts amazing, other parts not so much) I'm going to give this 3/5. Not sure if, judging by the tags, this was ironic, but it did have its upsides, whether or not that was the case.

Cheers!

AliceMako responds:

Thanks for the in depth step by step review :3

Rather then hard limiting it's a combination of parallel compression in the mastering chain and setting the master bus compressor to an overactive state.

I'm somewhat confident the self deprecation or irony as you call it is completely lost on most of the audience who stub their nose at tracks i put serious blood, sweat and tears in anyway so i honestly don't see the harm in having fun for fun's sake every now and then.

If nobody cares, why should i?

[Open]

0:00 OK we're starting off with some nice chords, uplifting.
0:13 I can hear strings behind it. It's uplifting
0:25 I think the orchestral build up is a bit cheesy
0:34 That riff on top that repeats is quite good for building up, the filter automation that I think I'm hearing is pretty good for building up.
0:55 I feel like this is a soft build up, i hope the payoff is good
1:04 I think the payoff could have been more climactic here, the main synth feels a bit cheap like it was put through a simple Gross Beat pattern, but it's not exceptionally bad
1:37 Pretty great mixing here. I like the composition of the track, it feels professional
1:48 Oh. That's good. The crash delaying at every beat.
1:57 AH YES i like this synth a lot, especially the wobbles at the very last note of each phrase. It's very funky.
2:18 I don't know if this is different from the first, but I liked this payoff a lot more. It is more energetic perhaps than the first. Shame on me if it's essentially the same composition as the first drop
2:50 Soothing.

Overall this song is quite well mixed if a little uneventful. The synth in the second build up is a lot more interesting than the first, which made the payoff make a lot more sense. It's very happy dance music, which generally with these types of song I would feel like I get a sickening feeling from how sweet it is, but thankfully this song more teeters on the less sickening side of the spectrum by providing some actually decent melodies. I would have liked to hear more hype in the song than easy listening, but for what it aims to be, it succeeds on most points.

DJStriden responds:

Indeed :) You are incredibly perceptive.

[THE TRUTH 2]

Is the track yours behind the voice? If so, it's actually pretty well done. The distortion helps the track and the wubs are pretty nice. :)

dadark1ord responds:

Trademarked dark1ord kit I use

http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/612846

[XBOX vs PS4]

I liked this, it was pretty funny, the way that you generated the voices :) It's actually pretty well mixed.

[REALLY]

this is impeccably mastered, good mic and EQ'ing

the beat just bumps along super well. you're next on the big come up :)

you'll be noticed soon :)

TazPrimo responds:

Much Love ZigZag...U da homie foreal

[+-[Faerie Lullaby]+-]

This is absolutely heavenly. Absolutely heavenly.

LadyArsenic responds:

^__^ Oh thank you so much. <3

[Eterna Comedia]

0:00 Has a lot of piercing highs. It's a really nice melody though. Like the melodies and harmonies you're using. There's a kind of flanger in there which "creeps" it up. It's a pretty tune.
0:32 Ouch. That hurts a little to be honest. The highs are a bit crunchy for me, but then again I'm pretty sensitive to the timbre of the bell in general. So adjust according to your taste.
1:02 The melody is nice though. And I'm liking those chords underneath by what I'm guessing is the tgsf21x? Either way it's a nice little memorial piece that I think holds great significance to you in particular.

If anything I would EQ the bell to make it less sharp. Other than that it's beautifully composed and brings feelings. I could imagine swelling strings even coming in later on, just holding the chords underneath. It'd hold a lot of that together.

Great job, btw.

LexRodent responds:

Thanks a lot for your feedback man, I'll check the EQ on the tracks and the compressor as well to lower the high frequencies, and try your idea of adding some strings or maybe a cello.

[The Heartwarming Harlot]

0:00 That kick is very bassy.
0:10 Not sure if I'm a huge fan of that melody line...
0:18 It sounds a bit like a horse galloping beat.
0:30 It sounds unique for sure.
0:35 OK let's see where this goes.
0:43 I do like the drum programming here but generally all the intricacies get lost under all dat bass.
0:57 That strings hovering under. It's quite passive aggressive.
1:08 Ooh. Strange. Interesting.
1:23 OK
1:28 The riff is quite repetitious though
1:35 Yeah it's getting stuck in my head though and that previous statement wasn't to say things weren't progressing because they are only ever so slowly
1:55 OK change soon pls this is getting annoying
2:01 OK that sidechained strings. Brings an interesting thing to it.
2:15 Yep you're right it's getting a bit more solemn. Hopefully it goes full solemn soon
2:27 It is pretty solemn. Still harsh and quick, but solemnity creeps in.
2:40 Yeah i like the strings by themselves sorry, the kick is too overwhelming
2:51 done

OK it was nice and interesting but perhaps your kick is too bassy. But I do like the sidechaining in the strings and other instruments. It's unique and original, but I don't really like the melody that much and it gets repetitive and even annoying just when it gets to the end. Perhaps change it up a little. Otherwise good, mostly well produced. The bass sometimes drowns all the other frequencies out. But it's inventive and new and cool anyway.

Thanks for letting me listen.

MelkorMorgoth responds:

Wow...um...that was pretty obsessive of you. Thank you very much indeed! I recommend you to turn your speakers or headphones up, as this was put together on quite loud headphones. In short words: This is meant to be played loudly.
About your opinion on melodies: Well, melodies are percieved very individually.
About the repetetive nature of the song: It's techno. Go figure. I took repetition as a stylistic measure to let people hear the individual lines and voices and better let them hear the timbres. Also it becomes kind of meditative. Just think of the bassdrum as a strong heartbeat which is kind of the purpose of a 4 on the floor bass.
Now, thanks for your honest opinion of neatly ordered epic length. I appreciate it and thank you, dear ZigZag, for listening.