xxxZigZagxxx's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[(Day1) Evolution]

Almost apocalyptic sounding

I like the jilted feeling of this song. It has an irregular rhythm, that creates some space in between beats. This is good "breather" space for the song.

And the bass is happily humming along there. I like the general feel of this piece. Also, at 1:30 when it changes the beat. That's pretty awesomely fantastic :) I like the growling noise that it makes. It's very scary.

Then, at 2:30, it goes to more hardcore stuff. And then it escalates from there. I like the rhythm change at 3:30. It brings it down a notch. The kicks are pretty booming, and it's awesome. I can see why this is one of your highest rated songs, because it's so balanced and easy to listen to. It rocks hard, too! :D Well done!

Good job
zigZag

RandomDanceOfHappy responds:

im thinking bout redoing the mastering and drums and go sample crazy more thin it already is

this was my atempt to mix hard core and dubstep do to the fact i started hardstyle hardcore thin started lerning dub step well nasty dub step XD
haha im glad you liked ^^

[xKore - Need you day 1 Re]

I can see what the guy below me means.

There's bass there, but it doesn't really hit. It just seems like you're not IN the sound, but you're just watching it from afar. Until about 0:40, and then you're into it. But the drums seem a bit weak and far away. Maybe it's just the way you've EQ'd the sample.

But yeah, I think what Antiskill means is that there's no stereotypical dubstepp-y bass going on there, like the WUBWUBWUB kind. But that doesn't make it good. Your song is good, but it just needs a bit of mastering, because it's not very... engaging at the moment.

I like the moment at 2:00 when you re-EQ the sample. Then at 2:10 you feel right at home again. It just feels like everything is less... present. Lacks presence a bit. But it's very good.

Thanks
ZigZag(Benny)

RandomDanceOfHappy responds:

yeaa i dident know where to put this in genres
the prob with this is i masterd it toooo much
drums yeaaa
bass is so strong that in order to keep the highs i had to drop mid and low bass
witch is where most the drums sat
i have ulternet renderings (less bass) and more drums
if you want a better masterd one that has less bass i can upload it!

[(Day1) all the way down!]

I like the sample very much.

It interests me, and it is done very well. And then at 0:33 that synth comes. It just ROCKS MY SOCKS OFF. There's no way that that bass is from earth. And then MOAR BASS at 0:45. But it doesn't rock my socks off as much. But it's not the total. Then 1:10 comes. And it's FANTASTIC.

MOAR BASS.

Ok, just a pinch of bass.

We would like some more bass.

Just a little shake of bass.

Yep.

Benny(ZigZag)

RandomDanceOfHappy responds:

no no no nooo morreee bass!

first drop is like this has like no bass o.o
second was inted to be a little anti climatic!
and its like oh wtf sad face thin bam :D bass! :3
bigist prob i had is where do i go after that D: cos that bit was maid from complet randomness

[(Day1) LavenderTown *ReMi]

Cool & nostalgic!

The main synth was really well done, and it came in quite nicely, and there were very cool glitches throughout. The hi-hat may be a bit too harsh on the ears, but the rest was fine.

You've remixed the song quite finely my friend, glitches and all. I notice there's some panning thing going on at about the 1:00 mark. I like the glitches that happen at 1:10, because they're quite mellow, but also very pronounced.

I would have liked a change of general melody somewhere, because it was getting quite grating on the ears after a while. I know that repetition is difficult to overcome, but it's worth it in the end.

Overall great glitchy song that may benefit from some mastering and variation. Good on ya!

Benny (ZigZag)

RandomDanceOfHappy responds:

yeaaa it is a a rather rapetative i dident wanna change from the origanal song to much :D
ive spent more time on the bass thin anything in this song . hi hats a little to strong ya XD i dident notice till now thanks :D

[S.U.I.A-The High Life]

Pumpin'.

Upon first impression, this is a very funky song, complete with syncopated guitars and rolling synths, and a pumpin' drum track. When the vocals come in, I am suddenly hit with how awesomely this track is produced. It has the feel of relaxing back on the sofa on a Saturday morning-afternoon, just chillin'.

The synth that rolls over the top is a very nice one, adding a nice touch. The point at 1:15 where it drops, and then comes back in, is executed quite well. I enjoy the overall feel of the song, it's very punchy and groovy at the same time.

The moment at about 2:15 when it switches to a different beat is well-transitioned, as if descending into the underground lab where the mutants are being bred in unsafe conditions. At 2:46 when everything fades out, and comes back in, is pretty sublime, in all truth.

This song encompasses the high life superbly, with soaring synth lines, etc., and funky voice tracks. Did you record that yourself? If so, you have got a good voice. But it's probably sampled, which is good too.

Keep it up!

Benjamin

superuberinsaneausm responds:

thanks for the review im glad you liked it!, i sampled a song for the most part, most of the vocals and guitars are samples.

[Friday Daze]

Hey dude! Long time!

This is really nice! You've really honed your production skills a whole lot, haven't you? I have kinda, too. But this is just amazing :)

There is definitely a LOT going on in this piece. I reckon you could benefit from maybe toning it down a little bit... just a little. It's very danceable music. It's got moody chords with a dash of crazy! :)

The drums are fairly constant, and can get grating after a lengthy listen, but they are very funky and well-mixed. I like the point at 2:05 where it goes into HARD bass :) And then 2:18 it calms down quite a lot, provide a calmer more serene atmosphere. The sample at the end is very refreshing! :) I wanted to hear more of the end and less of the beginning to be honest. It felt like it was going somewhere! :)

More of this, dude! :D

patrickliberty responds:

hay thanks a lot for the kind words, it really means a lot to me... i'll keep up my work- i'll even make it better >:-)

[Trap Star]

It sounds quite good

A little bit bland, if anything. Bring in some drums or something perhaps? I don't know. But it's a good start for a melody.

ZigZag

[Hunger Pains (Demo) Durea]

I wish I could sample like this!

One day I hope to be as good as you Dureagon!

The piano is ambient, the flow smooth, the snare popping, and the hi-hat in its place. I like the jazz chords. The repeating guitar is a staple that holds it together.

You're a true DJ!

[Hype the Core (Silv3Ster Mix)]

Glitches, Dissonance, Noise and Excitement

DJ Silv3Ster, an 18-year-old Hardcore artist from Kamloops, B.C., released a track remix "Hype the Core" on the 13th of August. Our first impression was with his WIP "Hyperactive", which was pacey and frantic, nice, if not a little cheesy. This is a more mature single, which he had "crazy fun" with, a UK Hardcore gem, which he insists is completely different to hardstyle.

BEAUTY IN ART:
"Hype the Core" is polished in presentation, like the polishing of a black oxford shoe on a sunny Saturday morning at the barber shop. At turns flurrying and hardcore, Silv3Ster goes for a happy hardcore mood, much like the dizzying frenzy of a rave, complete with samples of cheering fans and ambient noise. Complete with glitchy voice samples and fantastic swelling dynamics, the song's noisy texture transports the listener into "partying realm". That said, much of the song can get over-repetitive, with disjointed piano solos and a very noisy high-end, which makes it hard to hear the definition of the mix.

SKILL AND TECHNIQUE:
Comparison to other UK hardcore is difficult, because I have not included the genre as a group in my music diet. However, it sounds very typical of such a genre, with a steady and booming hard kick. The recent "Whistle Blow" was a more ambient and experimental piece, with dissonant far-away sounds and cloudy reverbs drifting off into the cloudy night. "Anger Has A Place" was an interesting Frenchcore track: a lot faster; a lot harder. So Silv3Ster's compositions on the whole revolve around this intense, fast theme, which, although it may be hard on impact, may lack some subtlety. Not to say that subtlety is unimportant in this genre.

INHERENT MEANING:
The track creates an intense emotion of hardcore partying, bouncing on the floor with a crowd of others at the rate of 190 bpm. It certainly appeals to the ear, and also seems to tip its hat to other works of the genre. However, the swelling dynamics, much like the swelling depths of the sea, seem to wash over me with little effect other than the occasional euphoria. Music that makes a statement, but could be developed further.

UNIQUENESS:
I don't think that this hasn't been done before, but what has been done before has been done well. It is unique in the way that it is disarming, but this can somewhat distract from the piece. What can have inherent meaning to some can come off as somewhat gimmicky to others.

FULFILLED INTENT:
"Hype the Core" succeeds in hyping up the core target of listening, the hardcore fans themselves. The intent is to ramp up the user, which I felt somewhat rising up in my spirit. However, this didn't deepen my understanding on UK Hardcore, it didn't tell me what you were trying to achieve. It didn't make me think, it just brought me along for the ride. I'm looking for music that appeals to my spirit as well as my brain. But that might just be a personal preference.

Benjamin

Dj-GST responds:

Oh wow hahaha, it's like you're narrating my life :D

I'll just reply too...
INHERENT MEANING:
Yeah, I made this track with the view of a rave in mind, and it's 165 bpm, Anger Has A Place was 190 bpm though haha.

Thanks for the detailed review man! I really enjoyed reading this.

-3S-