X3LL3N's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[(NGADM Round 2) Paralellism]

Reminds me of the Yakuza OST's :D

[Overclocked Chip [NGADM + NGUAC 2024]]

Okay so, I absolutely love complextro. It's one of my favourite genres along with japanese hardcore and this track is really scratching my itch.

Amazing sound design, production and composition, I'm legit jealous of your skills :')

I only have 2 complaints here :

The first one is that I feel like 2:15 is too empty. I assume this is supposed to be a semi-fakeout without being one, but personally I think it needed more elements in that scenario.

The second is a very small one, I think the outro could have had some sweeps before the glitch ending.

Very rhythm gamey, me likey !

Please upload it on Soundcloud so I can listen to it on the go xD

Edit : While listening to it, it reminded me of Muse Dash. I checked and saw you participated in their contest as well, it makes so much sense now lol

[Equivocal]

So for context, the entry I judged right before was also a piano piece (by lucidshadowdreamer no less), so theoritically, not the best of songs to follow up on as you have to live up to the standards they set.

Honestly ? You freaking nailed it !

The piano sounds really clean and I'm in love with the melodies and the mood you were going for.

It's super charming and I feel like there's a piece of storytelling that inspired you which you're hiding from us x)

A piece of criticism I often give to solo instrument tracks is that I feel it lacks elements (ear candies, instruments, etc...)
In this case, not only do I think it's not the case, I'm actually glad it doesn't have any more !

With that said, there's a huge issue with the song...

It only lasts 3 and a half minutes.

How could you do this to me, I want moooooooooooooore

This is legitimately one of the rare ADM pieces I'd put on my Soundcloud playlist (and for context, it happened just twice in 3 years).

I don't think I ever rated an entry so high, especially a solo instrument one. Legit been listening to it for 40 minutes <3

Solacitude responds:

When someone connects with one of my compositions, it gives quite a good feeling, a little bit like being understood, that I expressed something that other minds can catch and appropriate for themselves. When a musician connects it comes with a bit of a bonus for the confidence.

There is a lot of personal baggage that might flow into every composition, a little reflection of different elements of my life, past, thoughts and feelings, personal and about the world. I try to connect to the subconscious to gather ideas when I compose, so there might be lots of things flowing into it, that might be hidden even from me!

I was thinking of the odds going for piano solo as pretty low, but I thought no matter what the contests are perfect to get an idea of how I sound to people, get to know if my music is worth sharing. The results up to now are beyond any expectations!

I'm already very satisfied with all the feedbacks, help I've got to fix mixing issues, listening to great composers, and meeting many very skilled and talented people who share the same passion for music. I won't lie though, getting further in the NGADM would be an awesome addon to the list! :)

Being compared to a talented pianist such as LSD means a lot to me! He's among the best, if not the best I listened to on NG! Then the highest rating ever, listening to it for 40 minutes, and 1 of 2 pieces you'd add on playlist in 3 years is kind of making me blush! No seriously I don't know what to say but thank you very much! It must be one of the most encouraging comments I received! It's truly heartwarming! ❤

[A Silent Mist]

I often find piano songs very hit or miss, as I'm usually left to want more in terms of instrumentation.

I think in your case, the limits actually contribute to the charm of the song as it lets the AMAZING composition work shine through, it really adds to the emotion.

I have one single issue with the track, and as you can probably guess, it's the vocals.

They sound truly beautiful (I'm vibing so much rn), but I feel like they are introduced too suddenly and loudly (which caught me offguard).

I believe adding a slight reverse reverb tail before introducing them would fix the issue for me.
I also think that the vocals peak a bit too high in volume in some places, and that a little delay here and there at the end of a section could make it even better (though this is personal taste).

Very happy with this !

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for reviewing!

I think all genres have the potential to be great, or to be boring. I've heard plenty of really exciting metal songs, but also my fair share of "this again" tracks. I think because the piano is such a common and easily approachable instrument, one hears a lot of these samey songs on YouTube, Spotify etc. which perhaps don't have so much thought or effort behind them. Perhaps that is why you often feel like you're left wanting more! I do believe that if one really utilises the range of the keys and knows how to keep a piece dynamic, solo piano stuff can truly shine ^____^
I know you know this, as you already said as much in your review, it's just something I've been thinking about recently :P

Yup, I think your advice is on point regarding the vocals. I basically never record any, so whilst I did take the time to do so properly, I think I am a little bit lacking in experience when it comes to avoiding the issues you mentioned. Because I don't record vocals often, I'm also less experienced in mixing them (yet). I'll bear your advice in mind for next time :O!

Thank you for all the kind words :D

[Pirates Interrupted My Dearest Boy's Performance - NGADM]

I didn't know what to expect after the first seconds of dialogue, but damn did this end up so unique and fun !

The instrumentation is really on point and I quite like the melodies.

I feel like the vocals are somewhat low-quality render-wise, but that adds a somewhat "cheesy" charm to the song in my honest opinion.

The storytelling was a pretty fun surprise !

If I had to nitpick, I'd say the mix could be a bit better, but mainly that a little more narration around the 2 minute mark would really hit the spot :D

[what if i actually put 100% effort into a song]

That's very cool !

[Thalassophobia]

Oh hey, another Roblox composer on Newgrounds lol

[Charmer]

Joey... YOU ARE THE CHARMER !!!

[iFeature, N.SIX, Hookington, & Hyp3rL3ss - until we fade]

This is so cool :D

[[IV2] Xtrullor - Kidnap]

Damn, so you really did complete the OST :D
Great work !