thatbennyguy's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[XxX-Taranchula-XxX]

Erratic.

Hey dlxrevolution,

--Production--
The beat seemed very nicely put together assembly-wise. As for production, most parts, especially when the synth came in about the :30 part, sounded out of balance. The drums coming in at 0:50 were good, but not loud enough, really.

--Experience--
This is a glitchy paradise, sort of like dancehall but without the vocal samples. The beat was nice and refreshing, but it didn't really take me anywhere special. Mostly because places like 1:30 were out of sync and hard to listen to.

--Innovativity--
This is a nice genre to explore, because it lets you do whatever you want with whatever you want to do it with. It's good to reach out like this, but remember to keep the rest of the song as full as you do in other parts. This is most evident in the transition leading into 3:20

--Wow! Factor--
I didn't get really super-wowed, mostly because when I did start to get that sense of euphoria, I was interrupted by an out-of-groove sample or beat that ruined the whole experience. So I was kind of underwhelmed as I progressed.

--Personal Tilt--
I'm a little bit hesitant about this, because it's so similar to my own song "hey there innit" and I wondered why so many people gave me bad reviews. I think it's because when a song straddles the line between genres and don't sound super-professional, it just sounds like ambling thoughts taking the producer anywhere he pleases. Thanks for letting me listen.

--Production-- = 16/20
--Experience-- = 14/20
--Innovativity-- = 16/20
--Wow! Factor-- = 13/20
--Personal Tilt-- = 13/20

OVERALL SCORE: 72/100

Benjamin

--REVIEW REQUEST CLUB--

DiroNomer responds:

Thank you so much for this review. I enjoyed reading this as I see you put a lot of thought and effort into writing this.

I tried to focus more on the beat and how it progresses rather than the melody which explains why the whole entire song is not as busy as from 3:20 on. This song hasn't been getting a very good look and I could never come to understand why. This review has really helped me to get different ideas on song progression. Thanks

DLX

[Fucking with Hardstyle | SN]

Hard as hard.

Hey SessileNomad,

--Production--
I'd have to say, even though you say you haven't all done with the assembly of this song, it's still... rockin! :3 I like all the sounds you've used and you've done them to great effect. I really brings out a full sound. The fact that you made the hard noise in 3xosc is hard to believe but yet I have to. Don't tease me with that kind of stuff, OK? :P

--Experience--
This had several modes in it that keep your interest. The melody keeps changing, and the mood transforms as fast as you can think it would in a song like this. Most transitions are well done, and there's a huge 'bang' moment at 1:45-ish that surprised me.

--Innovativity--
This is new and different flavour that excites me. Your kick really has that edge that draws listeners to like your music. I would like to learn how to produce like this, but my own kicks tend to have no - well, kick. But yours do, and that makes this track bangin'! :3

--Wow! Factor--
What can I say? Many of the transitions are well placed, and many of them are just, "OK, let's take it slow now. Paaaads, yep. Let's go higher. OK, eff it, let's just go all out." I like your sense of knowing where to take the song.

--Personal Tilt--
I liked this, even if it wasn't polished how you would have wanted it to be. I see you've now abandoned it, which isn't really a shame because every track you produce is of this quality. Well done and thanks.

--Production-- = 19/20
--Experience-- = 16/20
--Innovativity-- = 18/20
--Wow! Factor-- = 18/20
--Personal Tilt-- = 17/20

OVERALL SCORE: 88/100

Benjamin

--REVIEW REQUEST CLUB--

SessileNomad responds:

it seems supersteph has a new competitor in the rrc

yeah that hard noise is 3xosc, honest to god

glad you like this track, pretty rare i make something like this

[Spectral Sojourner]

Flippin good.

Hey Birdinator99,

--Production--
Pretty fantastic synth you got going on there. I like the wobbles that occur in the main synth, and the wonderful pads that generate the emotion. The story goes along perfectly with it, but the main synth makes it sound like a cheesy 80's movie soundtrack, to be honest. (Which i LOVVVVE :3)

--Experience--
You are led thru the track with the feeling you are taking a journey of the meanest kind. I didn't see a ghost, but more of a futuristic scene with a rogue renegade walking down an empty street. The wind in his hear, he cocks his pistol and braces for anyone to come out to fight him. Epic.

--Innovativity--
You're one with a knack for very nice chord structures and riffs, and know how to lead someone on a unique journey through music. I like the way things seem to fit within the genre of whatever you are composing.

--Wow! Factor--
I was amazed by the style of music that came my way when I heard this. Because most NGers want to be modern and hip-ish, there's not often you hear the makes of a good 80's classic. That's where everyone's going right now, isn't it? Retro?

--Personal Tilt--
I loved most of it, because it was creepy and epic, raising up emotion in you. Some chords felt out of place though, only because all the others seemed to fit perfectly. You are a man of great musical talent and I love you :3 Thanks for letting me listen.

--Production-- = 16/20
--Experience-- = 19/20
--Innovativity-- = 18/20
--Wow! Factor-- = 16/20
--Personal Tilt-- = 17/20

OVERALL SCORE: 86/100

Benjamin

--REVIEW REQUEST CLUB--

Birdinator99 responds:

I like to think that the story behind the music is just as if not more important than the music itself, so I thank you for noticing that.

I love the 80s as well :3

Glad to see I'm still pulling off good scores here -- thanks very much!

[An Indivisible Schism]

Loud and proud

Hey Kirbyfemur,

--Production--
I know from the past you are a man who is the master of mixing and mastering, so no need to point out your finesse in this area. The only thing I would want to point out is that this song has an unrelenting 'distorted' feel about it that can be irritating to the ears. The whole thing might warrant the softening of some slow pads, for a fuller and more beautiful sound.

--Experience--
It's definitely an unconventional beat for the most part, simply because chord progressions seem to meld into each other, for the middle of the song. Maybe things will become clearer with the addition of the finished percussion, but for the most part, for example the 2nd minute, I was hearing unordered cacophony and this may need to be fixed for less musically able listeners.

--Innovativity--
You like pushing the limit of how things are done, and trying new and unexpected things, but remember part of the genius of the composition process is not just making music that's fun to make, but also fun to hear.

--Wow! Factor--
Things are loud and distorted, but it doesn't have a sticking quality in the mind. A recurring motif or a catchy hook may be able to make this song more than forgettable, something to remember it by, instead of: "loud song".

--Personal Tilt--
I wasn't too impressed with this, but I realise that it's a WIP and most of the composition is pretty epic. The production needs a little tweaking and maybe fill it up a bit, but for the most part this is one step in the evolution of one of NG's most prolific artists that maybe went the wrong way. Thanks for letting me listen.

--Production-- = 13/20
--Experience-- = 11/20
--Innovativity-- = 11/20
--Wow! Factor-- = 10/20
--Personal Tilt-- = 9/20

OVERALL SCORE: 54/100
GRADE: [D+]

Benjamin

--REVIEW REQUEST CLUB--

Kirbyfemur responds:

I know i need more dynamics, but there wasn't anything out of order, there where just some beats that where in there for variation purposes, so that the beat wasn't to repetitive, but still consistent. As far as making music that's fun to both make and hear, the issue is i had fun making it and listening to it. I Can't just make songs merely the pleasure of others, that would make me a whore and just like everyone else who sticks to the overly simplistic beats/sounds/rhythms of most songs here on NG's and i don't want that. So i'm sorry that i can't please everyone, but i know along the way i'll find some people who do like my stuff. Thanks for your review :3

[Into The Eclipse]

Quite Excellent

hey FatKidWitAJetPak,

--Production--
Stellar. The voices fit well and the ambience of the airplane adds depth. You meld sounds together to form an atmosphere that is deep and meaningful. There is a good balance of frequencies here.

--Listenability--
Good ambient listening. This is nice and soothing music that just flows along without a sign of stopping. It's 8 minutes long, and only by 7 minutes does it seem to feel a drag. But that's a great achievement.

--Genius--
I'm not sure what you mean by "most complicated", because I'm not an expert in this genre, but this is quite unique. You were right in that it spaced me out, but sometimes I didn't like what I heard, and I came out of the daze. But then I went back again :)

--Flair--
There is a nice feel to this, but I would have liked to hear some recurring motif here to remember this song by. There needs to be that memorable quality that I so admire in a song. I'm not sure about ambient music having this traditionally, but it's something that I would like to see.

--Tilt--
This is good ambient music that spaces you out. I mean, I didn't feel out of this world, but I felt very peaceful inside. Sometimes it can get monotonous, but I guess that's just one of the cons of the genre. It's also due to the fact I have a low attention span. But I was patient. Thanks for letting me listen!

--Production-- = 17/20
--Listenability-- = 15/20
--Genius-- = 14/20
--Flair-- = 14/20
--Tilt-- = 15/20
OVERALL SCORE: 75/100
VERDICT: Quite Excellent! [A-]

Benjamin

--REVIEW REQUEST CLUB--

FatKidWitAJetPak responds:

The one thing I really should work on is combining addicting tunes into the atmosphere that I have created. I need to add some sort of repeating beat / note structure. Thanks for the review :)

[Dat Beeshbawl (Dubstep)]

I wan dat beeshball (meatball?)

hey RetromanOMG,

--Production--
The sounds you use are pretty standard yet they release too quickly in my opinion. The vocal samples can get annoying after a while ("i want a beach ball!"). As an experiment in merging genres, however, it works surprisingly well, and starts to rock hard after the first minute.

--Listenability--
The beats are nice and refreshing, they change frequently. However, I feel like the vocal samples are thinly coating a same-ish beat. The problem with experiments is that they have the tendency to end up very unchanging, and lack vibrant newness. The listening experience starts off with our attention, but then loses it in a maze of confusion.

--Genius--
You use sounds to nice and interesting effect, esp. in the middle. But instead of drooping in the middle I felt this song drooped on either side, making for very uneven listening.

--Flair--
It's interesting and new, and I'll merit you for that. The vocal samples are quirky, and the track is banging. But I'm afraid it needs that 'wow' factor, that recurring motif for me to remember this song by. And it doesn't seem to make its mark unfortunately.

--Tilt--
Overall I found this song very technically correct, but I was unable to connect with the song or be entertained by it. That's why I found it difficult to write this review. The words didn't flow as nice as they usually do. But thanks for letting me listen.

--Production-- = 16/20
--Listenability-- = 12/20
--Genius-- = 15/20
--Flair-- = 15/20
--Tilt-- = 12/20
OVERALL SCORE: 70/100
VERDICT:

Benjamin

--REVIEW REQUEST CLUB--

RetromanOMG responds:

Same as with Jetpack's review, the main issue seems to be the vocals and their blending with the rest of the song. I could've done much more work with the percussion as well.

Ah well, I can always try again.

Oh, and the Beeshball thing. The speech is slurred in the source video, so "meatball" sounds like Beeshball. It's one of those forced meme things.

[.:Vesoul:.]

Grand

hey camoshark,

--Production--
It sounds like you've got an accordion and a unidentifiable brass instrument playing in the upper registers, and a repeated rhythmic guitar in the low registers. Sounds very nice and 'full'.

--Listenability--
The use of accordion brings a certain French feel about it, though it might not be. I'm not sure if you are French or not, I'll check. I'm not sure, but the guy's named Jacques, so he's probably French. Anyway, it's very nice to listen to, except that it may be a bit too busy. I'm not sure if that's choice of sound, but minor complaint.

--Genius--
The genius is very evident here, but probably because it's another person's composition. But still, you transcribed it all over again by yourself, so I guess it's yours now :P It's marvelous and has a wonderful jubilant and complex feel about it. It's very... risque? I'm not sure, but it brings feelings inside of me that are good to bear.

--Flair--
You know a lot of good music. I'm not sure whether this is because you study music, or because you love listening to it. Come to think of it, it's definitely both. You are a man who loves his music and I enjoy hearing your compositions because they test the ability of my understanding. And I've played the piano for 15+ years :3

--Tilt--
I enjoyed this, but because it was somebody else's composition, I can just say that you did a wonderful job of recreating. It was a pleasure to listen.0

--Production-- = 15/20
--Listenability-- = 17/20
--Genius-- = 20/20
--Flair-- = 19/20
--Tilt-- = 15/20
OVERALL SCORE: 86/100
VERDICT: NEAR PERFECT! [A]

Benjamin

--REVIEW REQUEST CLUB--

camoshark responds:

Hey Benny, thanks for the awesome review!

My computer crashedwhile doing this review, and I don't want to do it again, so I'll do it abriged if you don't mind. ^^'

Yeah, the unidentifiable brass instrument is actually a trombon, thought it's meant to represent Jacques Brel's voice, so I guess the instrument isn't really THAT important...

The french origin you spotted is correct, since that's the theme of the song, but Jacques Brel's actually Belge. As for me, I'm from the french speaking region of Canada, so I guess you're partially right, thought my people don't like being labeled French...

As for the rest, well I'm flattered! :P

Again, thanks for the awesome review, glad yo enjoyed!

P.S. 15 years? Are you semi-professional, or are you just doing this in your free-time?

Cheers,
Samuel Hébert

[Fat Joker-Redux]

Funny, but why? (and don't tell me ForNoReason)

hey ForNoReason,

--Production--
I like the music in the background. "Lights Out" is a good choice. The crisp texture of your voice seems like there's good quality miccing going on. But when you say "Let me just put some cake in that face of yours" then the music goes loud. It would be nice to have it not just cut in so hard as it does. (Not sure what else to say here)

--Listenability--
You use your voice well, but sometimes you overact, like when you say "CRAZIER" it kind of makes me cringe. But overall your reenactment of the joker's voice was great.

--Genius--
Your idea to swap the theme of the Joker from killing people to baking cakes was a good one. Trading knives for rolling pins and seriousness for hunger, it works surprisingly well.

--Flair--
It's new and nice, a good parody of a good film. You sort of sound like Owen Wilson. It's good that you could have taken this further, but you didn't. Because it's fine at that length.

--Tilt--
It's funny for sure, but I'm not sure whether it's worth submitting to the Review Request Club. Because, well, I mean, I don't know if it's worth the criticism that you'll receive. So I'm going to go ahead and say that it was funny, and that it's short, and it's nice. And that's about it. Thanks for letting me listen.

--Production-- = 17/20
--Listenability-- = 15/20
--Genius-- = 15/20
--Flair-- = 16/20
--Tilt-- = 16/20
OVERALL SCORE: 79/100
VERDICT:Quite Excellent! (A-)

Benjamin

--REVIEW REQUEST CLUB--

ForNoReason responds:

Really great review! This will help me out in future efforts! I appreciate your time as well.

[.:Dixieland Reborn:.]

Quite excellent

Hey camoshark

--Production--
The style is nice and quaint, if not full. It's very retro, back to the old days, like the 30's I think. And it has that nice charm to it, that endears you. The little trills of the piano to the brass instrumentals make it unique. So it's very beautiful and tiddly-winky, if you know what I mean.

--Listenability--
Some parts, especially the chorus, can be jolting, but the piano solos are nice and beautiful, like you said. The stabs sort of make my heart jump inside - not a good thing. I have a feeling your brass may be a bit loud, I'd love to hear louder piano... but hey. It's overall a nice jumpy beat.

--Genius--
Your musical genius is overwhelming. I don't know how you know what chords go well together when they aren't even in the same scale, but it works. I would like to study something about music theory, because my tunes don't even stand up musically.

--Flair--
You've got that special tune or motif that will stay with me after I've listened. Which is a good thing, something that most electronic music lacks. (If you call this electronic). For the most part, it's the chorus that'll be in the back of mind, plus the amazing piano riffs. I like the catchiness of it all, you get swept into the music. It's nice.

--Tilt--
You've got a nice touch to creating music. Your flair is evident, and your musical knowledge abounds. The piano solo, I must say again, is exquisite. A lot of your sounds may sound a bit dry, like mine often do, but that's hard to fix when you're using artificial instruments. Overall great composition and good theme. Thanks for letting me listen!

--Production-- = 15/20
--Listenability-- = 16/20
--Genius-- = 20/20
--Flair-- = 17/20
--Tilt-- = 15/20
OVERALL SCORE: 83/100
VERDICT: Quite Excellent! (A-)

Benjamin

camoshark responds:

Thanks for the overwhelmingly awesome review!

I know reviewing audio is your thing, I've checked your other reviews and it seems you've spotted the facets that need to be checked while reviewing an audio. I'll keep my eye on these points from now on, thanks to you!

I've had some difficulties at certain spots deciphering what you meant, but maybe that's because my english's getting a bit rusty... Places like "The little trills of the piano to the brass instrumentals make it unique" and "The stabs sort of make my heart jump inside" I still can't get the proper meaning! :)

As for the piece itself, where to begin with?

-You got it, it's from the 30's, thought Dixieland music can go back as far as 1890!

-As for the EQing, it's hard doing any with a notation software like I'm using, in wich I write sheet music that is then played by the computer. I've still managed to learn a thing or two into getting better sound quality since I recored this song, so I'll try to EQ it better if I ever record this again.

-As for the genius, well let's just say I've been studying theory since I was 7, so I've got quite a bit of experience to back me up when I compose. I also like to make my pieces as challenging as it's enjoyable, so I use every bit of knowledge I have.
Also, I'm a musician myself, playing trumpet, piano and latin percussions, so I'm capable of writing in knowledge of physical restraints and such.
And lastly, I'm studying composition at school, thought that doesn't say much on the song you've reviewed since it was made before that!

Thanks again for the massive review, hope to see more of your reviews, as they're always welcomed, even if they're negative!

Cheers,
Samuel Hébert

[Tagumpay! (Victory!)]

Victorious riffs, needs more stabs, rockin'!

Hey masheenH3ad

--Production-
Textured, rockin' stuff. The track starts off quietly and concisely, then wrenches out into all-out guns-blasting riff melodies. The texture of the song, as you suggested, is difficult and complex. However, it does not bring to mind action packed movies but rather emotional breakdowns.

--Listenability--
Nice riffs, good accompaniments, and clever switches in progression render this a mostly easy listen. It's just the drudgery of staying in the same position, that it grows old quick. For an action packed movie there needs to be slow orchestration to contrast with the high rocking parts.

--Genius--
Some nice progressions a minute in, riffs are perfect, drums need to be a bit louder. This lacks space somewhat, and it draws tired after 4 minutes. Some stabs would be much recommended, to vary the rhythm somewhat. But otherwise cleverly assembled.

--Flair--
Simple, different, unconventional. This difference may alienate viewers or listeners for the fact of its unrelenting pace never ceasing. The harmonising guitars about 2 minutes in sound amazing, needs some sort of refrain or quiet break half way through though.

--Tilt--
A very victorious-sounding track, jubilant and rockin' in the many ways possible. What it needs is poignancy, something that is difficult to generate. I think you did a good job. Thanks for letting me listen.

--Production-- = 17/20
--Listenability-- = 14/20
--Genius-- = 15/20
--Flair-- = 13/20
--Tilt-- = 14/20

Overall Score = 73/100 (B+)

VERDICT: Getting Great!

Benjamin

masheenH3ad responds:

Hey! Benjamin,

Thanks for giving some of you precious time to listen, and give my track an awesome and straight to the point review. All points are stated and It enabled me to see my work in a different angle. As an NG audio artist that wants to improve every single day, I must admit it is very essential and I want to let you know how grateful I am. Thank you very much!