Coop's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[In the Future!]

Drives well

It seems to be a good track overall, though I would query the repetitive nature, as this is a little much, even for Trance, to be honest.

You've got a good beat and you could stand to add a little more power to the bass, to give it that additional lift, when it strikes - the feeling that you chest is about to explode is about the level you are striving for when you're playing it at clubbing volumes.

It comes in well, with a short, but sweet introduction and the story of the tune is well underway. "Hello, I'm the main character of this track, don't forget about me!", it screams at me, as it drives through the rest of the piece. When we finally change from that repetitive melody, the bass section takes over nicely and when it comes back in a new costume, you've made a good attempt at variation, though not enough. Different instruments, or a different tune, neither of which is accomplished enough for me in that regard.

The modulation was nice and to see the change of key exploited well is a nice thing, though again with that change, there was something else that you needed - consider new phases, with additional different "dialogue" from the main synths, since they are the track and to give them something else to sing stops it from sounding like a chorus line from start to finish.

[Review Request Club]

Everratic responds:

Thankyou. This is a great review and I will work on this song sometime this week :)

[Tumble Towers2 theme]

Makes me want to play the game

I have no idea from the tune what the game is about, but it sounds like one of these games where you build towers really high, by dropping one block on top of the other and "hope for the best". If this is just the theme tune, then you can't be doing too badly, getting the piece to six and a half minutes long.

A good combination of synth guitar, combined with what almost sounds like real piano in some of the parts, though the overriding factor is that the synth guitar really makes me think of Sim City as far as that sound resonates with me.

You build it up nicely and the tune itself carries a nice cross section of moods, from melancholy, to happy.

I've really missed the days when games had theme tunes and the idea that you're bringing it back makes me exuberant with happiness. May others follow your shining example!

[Review Request Club]

eatmeatleet responds:

yeah, it's that kind of game. Thanks for all the praise man, peace :)

[Life (Bugg)]

Not what I'd call hip-hop

But what do I know? I think that the intro to the piece was a little quiet and it could have either been shortened or made slightly more imposing, to get a little more interest from the listeners, getting them into the track.

The vocal samples were a little sparse for me, loosely joining in with the rest of the track. I'm not suggesting actual lyrics for this piece, but the vocals could have been used to greater effect. Possibly a conversation over a radio, or something similar, in this instance.

The pace was good and while the bass wasn't as imposing as I thought it should have been, you've still come out with an above average track, which surprised and impressed me, to say the least.

Keep up the good work.

[Review Request Club]

BuggMusic responds:

No, it's definitely not hip-hop haha, but Newgrounds doesn't have as wide a range of genres as I would like. I'm considering reuploading without the vocals, they were just something I thought sounded alright while I was making it. As for the bass, I honestly wasn't going for anything too over the top, I feel as though anything more imposing would've made the track sound too heavy, but hey, you're the listener after all haha.

[Fluttersphere]

Strange Vocals

Hmm, this one is a very strange sounding piece, which has a very compelling sound of buildup, vocals and then the beat added along, almost as an afterthought, as you get with these sort of tunes.

Parts of the song seem a little repetitive, but with a little tweaking, these could be given enough variation to make the track less repetitive to the casual listener. The method of verse - chorus - verse should be followed, even in a tune without discernible lyrics that follow this pattern.

The piece can be turned into something truly fantastic, with little additional effort, but to try and force the issue could be damaging, so remember that fine tweaks only, may be necessary.

[Review Request Club]

TheBellmaker responds:

This was my first time using sliced (or more appropriately gutted) vocals like this and I wasn't sure how it would turn out.

Verse chorus verse unfortunately is something I cannot master. Imo its very hard to follow this pattern without being repetitive. Coupled with the fact that trance is a relatively mote repetitive genre in itself, I decided to go....free verse(?) or whatever it's called.

Yeah, I probably should have put more effort into variation, but for me the vocals were the novelty point of the song.

Thanks for the review!

[Project Star Fox 2.0]

Takes me back to Lylat Wars

Certainly a piece the evokes memories of that game from the past very well. I feel that there is much to raise a smile on my face from this, not least all of the memories of how god awful I used to be at such a game, but also for some good points:

The buildup is nicely understated, gradually building from the launch to the inevitable song of combat that accompanies this sort of game. I think that while it goes a little quiet in the middle, it certainly embodies the feeling that the game was about in the mid-90s. Perhaps though as a tune based around the original, you could shave this part, or populate it with a little more music, since it just seems too calm.

The return to the combat sounds seems fantastic and this part should dominate the piece, though with the calm in the middle, it feels as if it doesn't. For research, I'd consider the soundtrack to the original Transformers cartoon movie, as some of the work by Vince DiCola should help for synths and balance.

[Review Request Club]

Rinileki14 responds:

Thanks!!!

[Newgrounds T-Shirt Commer]

Only if the tank's real!

A nice little demo here, with a very well written script and added sound effects for the added levels of realism thrown in for good measure. I like it.

What I don't like is that the voiceover seems rushed - slow the pace down just a little. Take some time to calm yourself down before recording and if you're not entirely satisfied with the result, do it again. Perfection is a way of life and perfect is a legitimate goal in something like this. Take all day, just get the speed right.

If I were to say you did one thing wrong with the editing process, you didn't have the "NG T-Shirt appears" part done over Endless Handbag Loop, as that's exactly the music I'd have over my Newgrounds T-Shirt advert.

I'd also love to see someone animate it, possibly with someone ripping the piss out of Tom in a funny, but playful manner, if possible.

[Review Request Club]

NeutralObjections responds:

Thanks for the review Coop! I wouldn't mind if someone tried to animate this either.

[Chieftain of the Desert]

Poor man's VG Theme

Hmm, a little more detailed than 8-Bit and possibly even 16-bit, but this sound smacks of not enough being available to you, with the instrumental selection and almost that you've tried to crack the Video Game sound, but haven't dived into the same 8-Bit theme that everyone else seems to go for.

With the buzz word being detail, you're caught with a track that either has too much, or not enough detail, with the sound being almost primitive and the variation lacking in any major way, even with the solo, I feel almost cheated by listening to it...

If you were to do anything with the track, my main suggestion would be that you focus on adding more length to the track, thus allowing for more variation. The you can concentrate on isolating the individual flaws of the instruments and hopefully getting them exchanged for better sounds.

[Review Request Club]

[Stargenx - Love's Embrace]

Nice and warming

I love the ascension of this piece, as it climbs up from almost the doldrums of the sadness and grief of what-ifs and wherefores, to the one thing, the one person who could possibly matter most - one's true love.

The piano tends towards poignant over joyous and I feel that while the piece is itself a little short, there is certainly a chance to take it further and stretch out the feelings, as these seem to have been explored greatly over a short space of time. Give the listener time to reminisce, before consoling them with the tender arms of one's lover.

This is particularly poignant for me, as I feel it sums up the kind of year that I've had and the way that I'm looking forward to a new year and how this could give me a more fulfilling 366 days, than this last year has. Enough babble, on with the music itself.

The piano is a very strong and versatile instrument, with which I would entrust more of a role (difficult on a solo, I'll grant you!), but perhaps it needs to try and sing both the joy and sorrow to higher peaks and lower troughs, just to emphasise the feelings on show.

Either that, or I've read it wrong...

[Review Request Club]

Stargenx responds:

Thanks for the review! I'm happy that I adequately captured your year. Captured mine too, haha.

[Throatvoid]

Nice ambience

Perhaps a calm cave, with a few growths of crystals here and there, just barely indicating something else perhaps existing there, as the light plays across the facets of these natural formations.

I think that the piece is too short - needing about another 2-3 minutes, to make it a decent ambience, as it's supposed to suck you in and keep you there, for the benefit of incidental listeners, who pay attention to the story, but the background music is supposed to enhance their experience.

With a name like throatvoid, have the party just wandered into the mouth of a long-sleeping troll, unaware that the fire they have lit is on his tongue and that he is a few moments away from awakening? Perhaps that is the message - the sense of foreboding...

[Review Request Club]

[A Hero's Soul]

Moving

A great piece - one that can evoke such a powerful emotion is one's very soul. I love the way that it builds up to something heroic, muscular and poised, yet calms down to something which could be interpreted as the calm he fights for - the quieter life, with a wife and family.

The plethora of scenes that play through my head as this piece unfolds is simply breathtaking. I'd certainly recommend that someone try to make sense of my ramblings and get this made into a flash movie, or something that really takes the essence of the piece on from here, since that's what it deserves, to gain you exposure for your awesome work.

How would I alter it? Perhaps a darker (lower) part of the track somewhere in the middle, as there should be symbolism that not all of a hero's actions are truly heroic - after all, most heroes in the world I think of kill for a living, let's not beat around the bush here. Given that everything else seems to have found a way, I don't think you've done a bad job at all. Keep it up!

[Review Request Club]

Jabicho responds:

Thanks so much Coop! your review means a lot, and it would be so cool to see a flash movie about this piece. Take care, and thanks again!