Coop's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[[OS] Madeleine's Theme]

Requeim?

A very poignant and quiet piece, that certainly highlights the more evocative and tearful emotions, within. The pace is good for this sort of tune and the fact that you've given us a melody that never really gets going is the one issue that I'd aim to tackle for improvement.

If it is to be some sort of eulogistic piece, I'd suggest that you focus on the lighter parts of the life of the person involved, since otherwise, it seems to become to emotionally heavy and it distracts from the fantastic piece of music that you've already given us.

Perhaps consider extending it towards 3 minutes, as I'm sure that there was something else to be said in the piece.

[Review Request Club]

ObsidianSnow responds:

Thanks for the input, Coop - the relationship between the pacing and the melody in this recording could, perhaps, be improved a little by adding some more. Lucky, because there is more - I just didn't use it here, although I may go back and extend this into something a little more substantial that includes the parts that were left out here.

Your review is much appreciated. Thanks, RRC.

[Fanfare d'Imperion]

Roman, with a touch of the orient

I see this piece as being the tale of what remains of a Roman Legion marching home from the front - the conditions of this march are unclear, they could be defeated, but they could also be victorious, such is the ambiguity of the piece. It could lead into a piece of mourning, as the troops finally pause for reflection on their slain brethren, or conversely to a piece of joy, as the empire expands, with these veterans returned from a long tour of duty, back to the motherland, where they will be treated with dignity and fealty by all of Rome.

I think that you've got a real talent for writing this sort of thing and with the addition of the flute, you have a sound that to me is very reminiscent of the oriental sounds, as per in games such as Dynasty Warriors, where similar fates have befallen armies over there. The balance is neat and the steady drum beat is almost a march pace, though I can see there is a great deal of symbolism in the work, as we listen carefully.

Good use of percussion and brass, though the use of the flute was a little questionable for me, perhaps because it conjured up imagery from elsewhere. It might just be me, though.

[Review Request Club]

samulis responds:

I'm suprised it has such a feel... I was actually thinking of an even older age when I wrote it... considering early Mesopotamian culture (e.g. Babylon, Sumer, etc.) with the addition of later ages to give a sort of 'evolution' feel. As you near the end (the middle bit when the snare comes in), you hit a more modern approach to music that could be symbolic of another change. The flute then comes in and ushers back that original theme.

Since many reviews mention a Romanesque or even Oriental theme, I'll look into theme oppirtunities.

Thanks for the review. :)
-Samulis

[Study, Pursuit, Escape]

Very creepy

Wow, this is just the sort of music that I associate with Halloween, where the start is creepy and the bassline only adds to the suspense.

After the initial suspense, the adition of the freaky thing in the middle, the pursuit begins in earnest. The additional pacing even has me typing faster and it seems more frantic, before the object of the chase seems to go into hiding and the pulse is given a chance to settle down again.

Certainly one piece of note, but I think that there is a more sinister twist that can be given to this, just for the time of year - the hunter catches the prey and as a result, a grisly murder scene plays out, when the prey is at the mercy of the hunter and if it decides to toy with it, or just finish it quickly, the whole piece could be used for something very scary as opposed to just suspenseful.

[Review Request Club]

Drony responds:

Thanks Coop! I kinda did go for the suspenseful aspect, the creepiness just kinda came as I went.

I appreciate your input :)

[Guardame Las Vacas]

Latin sounding guitar

The Latin sounds of the guitar work really well from the start and blending the woodwind in with it really does give a lovely mellow, yet passionate vibe to the piece. The shimmering sounds to welcome you in make me thing of a time gone by, possibly some sort of Medieval period, when they weren't busy killing one another.

I'm not a fan of the cymbal roles, as if you listen carefully, the first note gets cut off in its prime and the next one comes in. This is not how a cymbal being struck in the natural environment would sound.

The guitar solo is very nice and it bosses the piece, though I think that perhaps having the solo come along without the backing might be the best way forward.

[Review Request Club]

masheenH3ad responds:

Hello! Coop,

Thanks for giving a very intricate yet straight forward review. I am very pleased to know that you really take some of your time to review my work. All of your suggestions are written down and will be taken into my consideration.

Thank you very much!

[2011 Rabidsquirl Voice Demo]

Someone needs to hire you

Dammit, I really hate it when I hear the repertoires of good voice artists. Makes me seem so average. If I had the recording equipment, the wherewithal and the time, I'd show the industry... probably fuck all, but you know, a guy can dream, right?

A good script - did you take it from various pieces that you've done, are doing, or just write them, because you've got a good imagination? I think that some of them are made better by the additions of sound effects, music and other effects, but what I'd like to really know is what equipment you have for this and what program / programmes you're using to give this the professional touch.

Still, I really do hope that someone gives you a chance and you'll make good progress in this line of work soon.

[Review Request Club]

Rabidssquirrel responds:

Thanks much for the review!

As for the script, I stood infront of my mic and tried to think of any type of voice I could do. Once I figured out a voice I could do, I would either freestyle something or quickly jot something down to read off of. Did a long recording and picked and chose what I thought would be great. Some lines are mine, some are old audition lines or from parts I've already filled.

As for equipment:
MXL 990 Condensor Microphone - $60
A.R.T. Studio Preamp - $30
Wires that connect them - About $25

Not really that expensive of a set up for the quality that comes about. :) For mixing, I used Soundtrack Pro, which was mostly unnecessary as it could have been done in audacity. As for the effects and music, I just looked for royalty free SFX and tracks. I always use Freesound.org for SFX. <3 them. And royalty free music you can find on Newgrounds, or from a simple google search. One of my favorites is Freeplaymusic.com :)

Thanks a bunch for the review!

[A Bowl of Spaghetti]

Spaghetti Western!

Something that I certainly see a group of horsemen riding into town - kind of in the vein of the Knights of Cydonia video, if ever you've seen it. Throw in a little messing with the track, to modernise it, like Moby did with the James Bond Theme and you end up with a nice presentation.

It's a little short and I'd consider making something more out of the whistled section, throwing in a few more notes, with a compliment from the bells as some sort of solo, to give more support to the origins of the track.

The only other change I'd have made would be not to include the beat so early - keep it sounding Western for a short while longer and then fade something in, to blend it all together.

[Review Request Club]

Rampant responds:

Knights of Cydonia... I'd probably recognize it if I heard it, but I can't quite remember it off the top of my head. And, of course, who doesn't like updated versions of the James Bond theme?

I'm glad that you and others think it's too short - usually that's a good sign that people want more! - and if I return to this track, I'll probably add more bells, because you can't have too many bells, right? Along with expanding the dubstep elements, and maybe changing up the mixing a bit.

Thanks for the review,
- James

[KKS - Contact]

2112?

I like the fact that there may be an homage in some way, shape of form to Rush's iconic album and seven part song that defined the band's rightful place in rock immortality.

Anyway, moving on to your piece, the hissing noise seems to pose a slight problem, though i would suggest that a little tweak is made, to either change this to a sound of waves, or tone it down ever such a little, so that it doesn't conflict so much with the music itself.

I'd have considered doing some vocals with the piece, perhaps a little narration and giving a little something else for the listener to get their ears around.

The ending was not what I expected it - I pictured something more joyous and perhaps a little more celebratory than you gave us - quietening down and just not really giving us all that much to listen to. To be honest, the majority of the last part was practically silence, so it served little purpose, except to elongate the piece. Coming is peace should not be with such a sense of nothing - there would either be trepidation (fear of not being accepted), or celebration (let both races live in harmony), to give impetus to the piece.

[Review Request Club]

KKSlider60 responds:

I welcome every possible interpretation, as it's a way for me to expand a concept and build up another one in a similar way, with hopefully some improvements. I've actually heard Rush's Cygnus X-1 some while ago, and I frankly didn't like it that much even if that was considered avantgarde for the time it was released. I instead liked better The Villa Strangiato, the instrumental track. I've learned that "progressive" doesn't always mean "better".

But my main inspirations still lie in 70's and 80's Ambient/Electronic works, like Tangerine Dream and many many more. If you want to perform vocals or narration on this track, feel free to do it, I'd be quite honored. :D

About the ending, that was only my interpretation of a concept translated into sonic texture, or atmosphere. I tried to emphasize that sense of eerie and charming wonder, you're landing in a whole new world with different kinds of vegetation, realities, fauna. I imagined this scene: you're slowly descending through the various layers of atmosphere, and then you delicately hit the ground; now, the astronauts hit the floor of the new world, take a few steps and they freeze in silent awe and contemplation. I wanted to emphasize this exact feeling, the contemplation of nature, may it be terrestrial or extraterrestrial, and I thought that only a textural, meditative ambiance can help setting the right mindset. Meanwhile, a strange-looking creature timidly pops out from some tall "trees" and stares at the astronaut... The rest of the story... well, it's up to you if you want to continue it, because for me it's already over. :)

Anyway, many thanks for your review and insight. Glad you enjoyed it :D
KKS

[Ironesque Valley]

Slow start

Don't get me wrong, this is an awesome piece, but it took that long to get going, that I seriously thought I was falling asleep. You could save maybe 2 minutes in the early going and not a lot of the track would be lost.

The piece seems to be split into a few movements - I like that as well, as 2112, by Rush is the same. The one thing I would say to you on this is that the "breaks" just seem to drag on a little and it does detract from the whole image that the piece has.

I'm trying to picture what I might see in some sort of piece backed by this sort of ambience. The set of Logan's Run maybe, but without so much of a crowd. Perhaps an observation dome, where someone is gazing out into space, in search of inspiration, or a lost ship, approaching port.

I'd love to see someone with the balls to take this on, as you've given it the thought to make a piece like this and the only limitation I can see is that the size of the piece might mean that the movements have to be separated out, to give the piece a chance of some graphical accomplishment.

[Review Request Club]

FatKidWitAJetPak responds:

Haha, I think that falling asleep thing is a good thing :P

I do understand how the size can be shortened or at least split into different tracks, but I feel that this track simply explains my entire depressional bipolar like attitude during my first semester in college. Simply put, I want to make this a musical form of fact, a history if you would, of my depression. I want to compose what I felt. Thanks for the review!

[Kazmo/DLN - Neon (Sonik E]

Well composed

Nice and calm, for a tune that I seriously thought at first impressions was going to build up and blow my freaking head off. I love the subtle use of the piano and the way that you incorporate the bass with everything else, to make this tune what it is.

Normally, I'd have said that 7 minutes is too long for a piece of this genre, but no, it works so well and I can't see how I would change the piece myself. The beat is consistent and even when it loops, it fits together well, with only a slight subtle change. Would it be too much to blend the two together, rather than giving a discernible start / end to the track? Perhaps vocals would be the way forward, but not much, lest you spoil the ambience.

[Review Request Club]

DreamEater responds:

Whoa, thanks so much for the review Coop! I'm really glad you enjoyed my work! :D

Most Progressive-House today seems to be all about wrenching around with the ugliest sounds you can find... until you come out with something kinda listenable; I can definitely understand why you expected to have your head blown off. lol

The whole idea of this edit was to do quite the opposite though. I really wanted to nail a nice, pure, and almost angelic sound with this one. I completely agree vocals are a definite way forward for this track, but probably nothing too track dominating. I miss the days when trance and progressive was about listening to beautiful music/ Doing lightshows. So I really strive to consolidate my sound, and start to re-inspire a generation. :D

thanks again for the awesome review my friend. I can't wait to read the next one!

~Dj Sonik

[~SW~ Depth Charge WIP]

tranquil, yet pulsating

I know that's an ambivalent tag line that I've given the review, but bear with me. The ambience that you've given the piece really does have a certain tranquillity about it, where you feel like relaxing and seeing the whole piece has this about it sets it up well.

The pulsating part comes from the slow, steady beat that you imparted to the piece in the early going and stayed along with toward the end of the piece.

As we start, it's only seagull calls short of being a beach scene. The beat hits you and in spite of that, the electronica that you use just seems to relax everything about it, allowing the beat to trace its own path through the music.

Losing the bass in the middle of the piece, you end up with more calm and serenity than the later middle section gives you when the beat returns. I could see this being the sort of tune that you use to keep you calm in a high stress job situation.

Moving toward the end, the part where you seemed to fade the bass out was unexpected and it almost calms the track down a little, as if it needed it a little, just before putting the track to bed. Should you consider ending with the waves as they were at the start? This would help to loop the piece.

I think you could possibly stand to reduce the length of the piece ever so slightly and if you did, it would have to be done very carefully, just to prevent anything of real beauty and substance from being lost. Finally, I'd say the genre that you were after is Ambience, as this is something that could be used by so many people for various projects.

[Review Request Club]

SkyeWint responds:

Hello. The review name makes perfect sense to me, I see what you mean. :P

The intro actually does have a seagull call, it's right about when it fades out and the music starts playing.

For the ending, as I've said in responses to other reviews, I'll be making everything go down and quiet down before having a dull "explosion" under everything (likely to be thunder with a thud before it).

As for reducing the length... this is actually going to be longer. :P I was going to put in the third section right after this, you can hear the start of it at the end. Then I would have it go into the "chorus" (A section), followed by a miniature B section (ambient bit) to go down and end it.

Thanks for your review!