thatbennyguy's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[_A Walk In The Woods_]

Greasy basslines, riffs, and mindless drifting

Hey Birdinator99

--Production-
Decent for usual circumstances, but in view of your current requirements, breathtaking. I have heard a few of your tracks and they mostly focus on the composition side rather than mastering, am I correct? The assembly of the track is unique and special. You are a genius.

--Listenability-
In all truth, I find it hard to listen to your tracks because of their dryness. This track however is a delight in comparison. It feels like it just cruises along, probably because of the nice bassline. Cruising on the greasy track with some nice gat riffs and fried egg on the side. Blissful.

--Genius-
It's nice the vision you had in mind for this. I can taste it as I listen. Even as the guitar plays its haunting riff, can I hear the rain in the background? Or is it my imagination? Somehow I believe you put things in there for us not to notice, but to just wonder.

--Flair--
Your tune is different and nice, it uses special harmonies and unique enchanting solos to capture the heart of the listener. Ends abruptly, cruises gently, has a distinct voice. The only complaint I have in this department is that it does not remind me of a walk in the woods. It brings to mind sadness and disappointment at the end of the bed. If'n you know what I mean. Not that way. >:(

--Tilt-
This tilt makes me feel so relaxed while reviewing I just want to say whatever I like. Why am I even writing this review? You love making the music, I can tell. And I just drift along the tides of your melodic presence, or something. Thanks for letting me listen.

--Production-- = 9/10
--Listenability-- = 8/10
--Genius-- = 8/10
--Flair-- = 9/10
--Tilt-- = 7/10
Overall Score: 8.2/10
Rounded Score: 8/10

VERDICT: Excellent!

Benjamin

Birdinator99 responds:

Thanks for the big review!

Yes, I do focus on composition, but I am no genius haha. Sorry if it brings sadness to mind, but I'm glad it was relaxing.

I do love making music, but I'm also sorry that my other stuff is too dry :p

[Soul of the Beast]

Beautifully tender.

Hey gamekrazzypro,

--Production--
I am revelling in it. This has an amazing ambience about it. The whole reverb and decay thing adds an emotion unlike most... that of poignancy. Spot on here, not too complex, just keeping it simple.

--Listenability--
This is very nice and emotional to listen to. As ShatterTheSky22 has said, the repeating back part, and then the melody laid on top. The chord progression has that feeling of never repeating, which is a rare and beloved quality.

--Genius--
All I can say is... this is unlike anything I've ever heard by you before, you're going in a great direction bro! The whole thing moulds and meshes together wonderfully!

--Flair--
This has gamekrazzypro written all over it. It's a nice distinct flavour that is its own, and I love it. Very emotional, and unique sound.

--Tilt--
This was the emotion when I first heard your song: Shocked! Then slowly being lulled into this dream world: perfect title by the way! Congrats you have won my heart at last :3 Thanks for letting me listen

--Production-- = 9/10
--Listenability-- = 10/10
--Genius-- = 10/10
--Flair-- = 9/10
--Tilt-- = 9/10
OVERALL SCORE: 9.4/10
ROUNDED SCORE: 9/10

VERDICT: Near Perfect!

Benjamin

GamekrazzyProduction responds:

Thanks.... I will keep working at it... Need to get that perfect score from you. :D

[deepwood orchestra]

Different

Hi apilot,

--Production--
This is very interestingly done. Quirky, with a nice variety of sounds, and not always a certain pitch, obviously. It sounds a little bit tinny at least to my ears, but hey.

--Listenability--
I might get tired after some listens, but overall the brave direction that you take this in overrides this. It's nice experimental music. What is deepwood by the way?

--Genius--
The way you use these sounds just shows how you can meld quirky sounds together nicely. However I would have liked to see this song progress somewhere else. Quest-like.

--Flair--
This has a different vibe to it, unlike much of what I have listened to, especially on this site. It's very different and special to you.

--Tilt--
Refreshing, vibrant and juicy, 'deepwood orchestra' surpasses some of my expectations and leaves some hanging. But overall this is a brave step in a new direction for Pierre, and I'm happy that this happened. Thanks for letting me listen.

--Production-- = 8/10
--Listenability-- = 6/10
--Genius-- = 8/10
--Flair-- = 10/10
--Tilt-- = 6/10
OVERALL SCORE = 7.6/10
ROUNDED SCORE = 8/10

VERDICT: QUITE EXCELLENT!

Benjamin

Apilot responds:

lol! SWEET

and what do you mean a new direction for pierre? do you enjoy my other music because i am unaware that i have fans.

[Story Of Life - DubAudio]

Tear me up just to bring me down

Hey darthduba,

--Production--
Is quite nice. Nice synth pads oozing in and out of the structure, giving it that gluey feeling. Creates suspense, but unfortunately renders some of the track... well... boring. (tbh soz lol)

--Listenability--
It is very nice on the ears though. Little build ups to nice slow beats that just stroll along with not a hi-hat in sight. Trippy, to say the least. Yet again, you need to improve on making it interesting for such a slow song as this.

--Genius--
There's lots of nice ornaments here that give it very quirky and clever touches, but nothing too extraordinary to make me say "ooh". Or "wow", for that matter. But maybe that wasn't what you had in mind.

--Flair--
One very unique quality is that you build it up just to tear it back down again. What I mean by this is that you do all the swooshes typical of leading into a nice loud chorus, and then you hold it back. This creates a special kind of poignancy. However I would like to hear a nice repeating motif to instill in the memory.

--Tilt--
So this was tedious, slightly, tbh. Sorry about the frank review, it's atmospheric, and you get the message along well, but you fail to provide many lasting motifs to remember by. All in all, nice but forgettable music. Thanks for letting me listen.

--Production-- = 9/10
--Listenability-- = 8/10
--Genius-- = 5/10
--Flair-- = 7/10
--Tilt-- = 4/10
OVERALL SCORE = 6.6/10
ROUNDED SCORE = 7/10

VERDICT = GETTING GOOD!

Benjamin

darthduba responds:

Probably the most constructive review I've ever had.

[Beyond Imagination - Zorbia]

So-So!

Hey Zorbia

--Production--
Surprisingly good. There is no fancy build-up swooshes or whatever they call them, which has its pros and cons. Unfortunately, this means it is hard to feel the song build up, and it feels like some parts are very empty.

--Listenability--
This is a nice tune, yet slightly repetitious. I noticed that small exhale in one of the silent breaks (0:29-0:32). The hi-hat is nice, but it seems very computerised and almost distracting. The guitar sound is nice, in the VG spirit.

--Genius--
This is good fare, however it isn't all imaginative and fresh, most of it is just changes in accompaniment, and it suffers from no real continuity. The pads that came in 0:20-ish are nice fillers.

--Flair--
This is different, but it's definitely lacking some sort of 'wow' factor. Also, the repetition may get on the gamer's nerves.

--Tilt--
There are moments that really shine, such as the introduction of new insturments etc. However, some instruments feel too computerised, even for the video game-y feel. Thanks for letting me listen

--Production-- = 6/10
--Listenability-- = 7/10
--Genius-- = 5/10
--Flair-- = 4/10
--Tilt-- = 5/10
OVERALL SCORE: 5.4/10
ROUNDED SCORE: 5/10
VOTE: 2/5

VERDICT: So-So!

Benjamin

Zorbia responds:

Wow thanks loads! This is a great review, especially as I only put in on here yesterday! Thanks loads for splitting it up into sections so I could see what needed work on the most.

If I could rate reviews, this would have 10 :P.

[In Spite of 1984]

Wow Han.

Hi Han Raut, a.k.a PrEmoEffect ;) It was a pleasure reviewing your submission last time, "Unfortunate Truth", which remains on the top of my favourites list to this day. Let's see if "In Spite of 1984" keeps the bar high, or even improves the standard. :)

--Production--
What I like about your last song is that was always so crisp and fresh. This is no different. Everything's been made for maximum loudness, and it just fills the ears. You have that professional touch. Sometimes pads are too loud, but that's minor.

--Listenability--
This is definitely nice to listen to. You've got a lovely kick sound going on there, and it just grooves steadily throughout. Some parts however sound like the pads or something are too overwhelming such as 2:30 which is a shame.

--Genius--
Not as groundbreaking as your last single (hehe) but it's still good. The good thing about Unfortunate Truth was that it sounded unlike anything I've ever heard before, but this seems more like standard fare. It just seemed to droop in quality at the end. But you did well.

--Flair--
This reminds me that no-one makes music like you on this site. You're on a whole different level. Although I felt that this trumped most NG competition, I know you can do better. I have high expectations of you, and you mostly fulfil them ;)

--Tilt--
I <3 U. SRS. This is great music, no matter in what shape or form it comes. Again, not as groundbreaking as Unfortunate Truth, but amazing nevertheless. You're great. :) Thanks for letting me listen. My pleasure :)

--Production-- = 10/10
--Listenability-- = 9/10
--Genius-- = 9/10
--Flair-- = 9/10
--Tilt-- = 9/10
OVERALL SCORE: 9.2/10
ROUNDED SCORE: 9/10
VOTE: 5/5

VERDICT: Near Perfect!

Benjamin

PrEmoEffect responds:

Again, thank you for the amazing reviews. You put your heart out, and it's extremely helpful.

I think the excessively loud pad comes from sloppy side chaining on my part. It's true, it does take away from the power since the lead synths are not proportionally loud enough.

Haha, I'll give you the secret for the kick though: layering. Layer a couple of kicks together. I know, it sounds trivial... but it's not. I take a kick with a nice high end, and shorten the attack. Then I take a kick with a good overall sound, and play it with the other kick. Then there's the tail of the kick, which creates a very nice subtle effect. To do that, I add another kick, and keep only the decay, playing the beginning of the decay sound at the start of the other kick samples.

I wrote this song when I was in a slight low, so it has a slow pace to it. I think, when I wrote Unfortunate Truth, I had more shifting emotions, since I wrote it over a longer period of time ;). I Guess it helps to have a track, and just leave it for a while before working on it again.

[songtitleuntitledREMIX]

TitlereviewuntitledREMIX

--Production--
The assembly of this beat is nice. It is pleasing to the ears but perhaps lacks high frequency? Too much bass? Just sounds a little muffled. Otherwise... diggin' the drums, dude!

--Listenability--
I like listening to this. It's got melody to this. It also has an interesting chord progression... and some nice synths that blend into it and don't get repetitive. A lot of my songs suffer from repetition but you balance things out well.

--Genius--
The moods are handled well, going from all out funkaay beat to suspenseful 'mystery film noir' bass and then just hopping right into the funk again. However, in some parts it just feels like my right ear is being assaulted... maybe more instruments to the left? It's not too noticeable though.

--Flair--
This is quite interesting, it's not groundbreaking stuff, but it's well done in the places where it counts. There's the same chord progression over and over again, and although there is variation, the tune does get a little annoying after a while. Just a little.

--Tilt--
I liked this overall. But it was lacking that "wow" factor I guess, it was nice though. Thanks for letting me listen.

--Production-- = 8/10
--Listenability-- = 7/10
--Genius-- = 7/10
--Flair-- = 6/10
--Tilt-- = 7/10
Overall Score = 7.0/10
Vote 3/5

Verdict: Getting Good!

Benjamin

tehslaphappy responds:

Thanks, still new to this Fruity Loops thing. I appreciate this review as well.

[Jazz Duet no. 2]

Better than the other one! :)

Hi samulis.
Hi guys

--Listenability--
Wow. I actually really liked this one. Because it's actually making a melody this time :) If some drums were with you guys as well, it would be awesome :D

--Genius--
This time round you guys are actually respond to each other's tunes a LOT better since you know the basic flow of what you guys are doing. This is why is actually quite nice to listen to :)

--Flair--
O.K. I've never heard anything like this before so I'm not the one to judge on flair. Except that maybe it's not as accessible as most other music. But perhaps that's not what you were going for, was it?

--Tilt--
I still think that it's a bit over the place as an actual song, but judging it as a stage in the evolution of your comprehension of music, I can say you've succeeded. Thanks for letting me listen.

--Production--: xx/10
--Listenability--: 8/10
--Genius--: 7/10
--Flair--: 10/10
--Tilt--: 6/10
Overall score: 7.8/10
Rounded Score: 8/10
Vote 4/5

Verdict: Quite Excellent!

Benjamin

samulis responds:

Thanks for the review once again. :)

The goal of the piece, as with the other recordings, was experimentation. We decided to do a more upbeat jazzy piece (compared to Jazz Duet no. 1). Although we did not make the best chords or such, I do feel it was a neat piece and agree that was pretty neat to listen to (prob. because the melody was found so often).

[RebornX - Spirit Valley]

Spookay!

--Production--
It was nicely produced, a lot of reeverb and freeky FX to choose from... like a buffet of loveliness.

--Listenability--
Nice to listen to... very ambient music mostly :) I like the sirens in the background... makes me take the headphones off and wonder, "Where's the Ambulance?"

--Genius--
There's a certain amount of good melody in this, but sometimes it just feels jilted, as if tons of melodies were put on each other without thought. But that doesn't really matter anymore in techno so: =P.

--Flair--
This is interesting, new and vibrant, however it lacks some form of originality in the form of coherent chords rather than the repeating 4. The bass is also quite standard. I think I've even used that one once before (or maybe 10 times)

--Tilt--
I like this, but only because it's well produced. If it wasn't well produced it would be pretty darn crazy to listen to, simply because most of what techno is is good production. I'd like to hear some nice interesting chord progressions next time, maybe? Maybe I'm judging, but I like those! Thanks for letting me listen.

--Production-- = 8/10
--Listenability-- = 7/10
--Genius-- = 7/10
--Flair-- = 6/10
--Tilt-- = 7/10
Overall Score: 7/10
Vote: 3/5

Verdict: Getting Good!

Benjamin

RebornX responds:

thanx for ur constructive critism!

i will definately work on the points u mentioned :D

[[hydra] Untitled Demo 2]

Let's wait for those vocals

Hi MattReeves

--Production--
The beat is quite nicely assembled, except the sections as of yet seem to be disjointed and not really connected, so it seems there's not much suspense, except for when the vocals might be added. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

--Listenability--
In its present state, it is just listenable and that's it. Which isn't a bad thing, it's a thing which most songs lack even in their finished format. I would like to hear what it sounds like when the vocals are added, so I guess this teaser has done its job.

--Genius--
The chord progressions and riffs keep the listener interested, but maybe you could put some clever solos in there perhaps? I do not like the way it rocks at 3:17 though, because it seems to be devoid of tune, this might be the screaming part? You can tell I'm not a man for heavy metal, but I'm trying :P

--Flair--
This is unique, it's yours, you put some interesting touches in there, but overall it just sounds sort of same-ish to me. Not talking about the variation within the song, but it just sounds the same as what most heavy metal sounds like (at least to my un-friendly ears :))

--Tilt--
Maybe I need to be a heavy metal fan to enjoy this more, but I like the soft music. It''s something new, keeps me on my toes, and I thank you for letting me listen. Ciao!

--Production--: 6/10
--Listenability--: 6/10
--Genius--: 6/10
--Flair--: 8/10
--Tilt--: 6/10
Overall Score: 6.2/10
Rounded Score: 6/10
Vote 3/5

Verdict: Slightly better than average!

Benjamin

MattReeves responds:

Thanks man. I appreciate it. But yeah, if you don't like the part around 3:17, then that tells me you definitely aren't part of the crowd I'm trying to draw with this song. However, I try and make my songs appeal to more than just the metal crowd, and it seems parts of this song were successful as such. As for the "same-ish" part, any metalhead would probably be able to tell you that this isn't a typical metal song. I avoid typicality in any way possible. And this song is actually the odd-ball of the group. Nevertheless, thank you for taking time to type out your thoughts. Perhaps you would find some of my other songs more appropriate for your tastes.