Jiimaan's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[In Remembrance]

NGADM Round 4 Review

In Remembrance

Ideas: 4/5
You have many good ideas, but I feel you lack unity in them. Your intention is good, but I don't hear it very clearly in the music. Great harmony, though... audacious at times.

Interpretation: 4/5
Overall good execution; ESQL samples, I guess? You used them well anyway. I think these transitions (1:51 / 3:55) are rushed; you could very well use a ritenuto, and you need not to rush your cymbals; at 3:55, the strings enter slightly in advance, being intentional or not, it undermines greatly your transition.

Listening: 3/5
Again, I feel that you composed small sketches and stiched them together. But, I believe it would be great as an in between mvt for something bigger, but it currently feels like we miss a part of it - like you're saying something before and after, and yet we listeners have no clue what it could be, making it impossible to fully appreciate you piece. That, to me, is your biggest flaw.

Mixing&Technical Stuff: 4/5
This is generally well mixed, but some of your crash cymbal sounds sound kinda weak and do not seem to have the appropriate dynamic - or the sample isn't right, perhaps. Anyway, this also diminishes the effect of your transitions.

Total: 15/20 - 7.5/10

Slow rubato piece like this are tough, and I give you credit for doing it - wich is better than what I could do; but I felt unsatisfied by some structural elements.

jiimaan

BlazingDragon responds:

Very helpful comments, especially concerning the cymbals and transitions. I can understand why you'd say this sounds like ideas stitched together, and in a way it was. Each sections represents a different event in my life, and in that sense, they are thematically quite different. But all of these events resolved around death, so I tried to at least keep a similar emotional thread running through them all. I think that I should have found some motifs to employ across sections to build more unity.

Anywho, thank you for the comments!

[Fly me to Blue]

NGADM Round 4 Review

Fly me to Blue

Ideas: 4/5
Very good ideas here (like many good ideas)...but you have that cool brass idea in the begining and it doesn't come back, wich is disappointing.

Interpretation: 4/5
You definitely know what you are doing, and are a great guitarist (and your bass is tasty).
Vocals sound great when you are surrounded by instruments; you have a nice jazz voice, but it sounds weak when you're exposed, so be careful with that. Also, the drummer I am thinks your drum parts are great, so kudos.

Listening: 5/5
I was entertained by this from begining to end. Never feels long or like you stretch too much.
And very good solos.

Mixing&Technical Stuff: 4/5
Hm...weird things happen to your song's space throughout your your voice moving in the pan, and such. Just watch out when you use different takes to make sure they sound like one. Even though I like them, I find your drums too prominent in the mix, I would have liked them a little more discreet. And I need to mention your nice use of effects here, really carries out that spacey mood.

Total: 17/20 - 8.5/10

Great piece overall. But I would certainly enjoy more of this excellent balafon.

jiimaan

Kor-Rune responds:

Thanks Jiimaan! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yeah, the chorus has really loud drums and a lot of vocal takes are on bad channels with shitty pans I wanted to solve later. I'm a super shitty singer so I have to do heaps of takes, but with deadlines, I have to deal with the bad takes and compensate with guitar solos LOL

You're right, I would've liked more brass too c: I just didn't get camoshark my track fast enough so he could work on it with his buds. oops

Thanks for noticing the bass <: I thought it might not be present enough in the mix to matter.

Thanks for the review!

[The Rise of Carthage]

Hey!

I liked it overall...
great work with symbolism here, that definitely is your song's strong point...

something bugs me with your horns parts...
I listened to the loop for like ten minutes, and still can't pinpoint exactly what bugs me with them...
maybe if you used more dynamics, I don't know...

damn I can't find it...so I won't take points off for it...

anyways... I also appreciated that all instruments used were kind of historical (percussions, lyra, and horns) and could have been heard in these days...

great work overall...sorry I can't find that detail...

peace

jiimaan

samulis responds:

Thanks for the review, I don't know why I didn't see this earlier. I am glad you liked the piece... the horn part could be a bit louder I think.

[Game Smooth Loop 1]

Hey there!

I like it a lot:

it's simple, effective, and loops perfectly.

bass part is like the coolest ever: no show off in here...

drums are also cool...ezdrummer you say? never tried this one...sounds good...

I would've wanted to have something longer, with more variations,
beacause hear you can clearly hear that you have gotten
all you could out of those thirty seconds and two chords progression....

but hey...i guess you aware of all that, so I'll just cheer you for this great loop...

peace

jiimaan

sorohanro responds:

Thanks for the review.
It was just a fast test to see if I remember how to use FL after several years of working exclusively in Mu.Lab.
Got my ezdrummer from Sweetwaters at half price or less, bought most of the expansions. It's a good choice for the price :)