Coop's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Whispers of the Wind 3]

Excellent

Another triumph, this piece comes to the forefront of being mournful, pensive and mysterious. I think that the use of the harp in this piece just seems to add that certain depth of emotion to the presentation, while the strings carry the main flow.

I was impressed by how the whole tune comes together, though I could see opportunities for flutes, or other members of the woodwind section to get in on the act and add to the piece. Perhaps that's what I've come to expect as a portrayal of the wind, as that section of the orchestra could call that it's own speciality.

[Review Request Club]

Cimba responds:

Thanks for the review :)

[If I Could Choose]

Definately needs bass

Good writing - the lyrics are nice and the guitar is, though it sounds on that massive solo that the drummer doesn't always strike another drum with the cymbals - this always produces a poorer quality sound. Perhaps adding something else to those and you'll get a much better quality sound from that area.

Perhaps a second cymbal, instead would do the trick. It sounds like you're playing the cymbals on a keyboard and the note keeps cutting itself out as you press it again. Playing two of them would make the notes sound better and less fragmented.

Getting a bassist would certainly help, as at the moment, there's a higher pitched whine to it, which would be cut down by the addition of some lower octaves in there.

[Review Request Club]

ShanZE responds:

I'll try the tips you gave on the drumming, thank you! It's true that it gets a little buzzy at times. When I was recording bass to this song my battery for the bass ran out so I decided to record it some other time. Still haven't done it... Lazy me. I'll do it someday though. It's definately true what you say about the importance of the lower octaves and I actually have written some nice groovy bass riffs for this song that will even change the atmosphere of the song to something a little bit different.

[Distant Texture]

Mellow, uplifting

I love the way that everything just seems to come together with this track - all of the component parts just sing as they should, the piano seems to guide them through the transitions and it's a lovely tune all around.

I didn't give you a 10. Pout for me :P

I think that the reasoning behind the above statement is that there was a quieter part of the track at about 3-4 minutes and it could have used the occasional chord from the piano, just to add a little more attachment to the earlier parts of the track - you almost transitioned to a completely different track with it, so trying to keep the whole piece together is a much better production in the end.

[Review Request Club]

Sawdust responds:

Thanks, actually this isn't the real awesome version, I sort of redid it just when I submitted it, which explains how wierd it sounds.

[Power of the Piano]

Good name

I think that the title summed this piece up - there are few dance tracks that could sum up the power that the Piano has like this one.

I think that the only real thing this is lacking is a selection of vocal samples, just to help it progress. I think that you're one of the top 3 piano artists on this site and it's good to hear pieces like this coming through from you. Perhaps you could have had a slower piece of the piano, just to give the tempo a break and allow another facet of the piano's power to come through - dance doesn't always have to be at breakneck speed.

[Review Request Club]

Step responds:

Wow, that's a lot of compliments :D. Being in your opinion one of the top 3 piano artists on the site is a huge compliment for me, and although I think I'm far from it (compare to Reasoner, my piano melodies can be considered doodling...) your review's given me as much inspiration as a guy could ask for :D. You're totally right about adding some vocal samples; I really like transitions with well-timed vocal samples, and you're also right about adding that calm and slow piece, I might do that if I get the time. Thanks a lot for the great review!

[ISTW: Industrial Love]

Too repetitive

Don't get me wrong here, this is as good a start that you can make to a track as any, but the main issue that arises here is that it just sounds like the backing beat to a bigger project. Perhaps work on making it a little more integrated with something more in the melody stakes, so that it can carry it to the next level.

Good potential, but it needs to go somewhere else first.

[Review Request Club]

I-Saved-The-World responds:

Thanks for the review, it was meant as somewhat of a hardcore background beat :)

[Shine Cover (NO VOX)]

Not bad

Yeah, as I think most people will say to this - I could use some vocals being added to the piece, but at the end of the day, it's just something that can sound alright without.

The issue that you get with making a track without vocals, is that it can become a little repetitive in the end. Vocals can add such a dimension to the track that people don't notice that the tune actually changes so little, because the words change themselves. With the way that you've set the track up, it does cry for the lyrics, but I'm going to stop banging on about that now.

I think that there's a quality to the guitar, where it almost whines, that I've not really heard too much of before - it might be beneficial to limit that just a little, so that you don't end up with a poor sounding piece, as some people might mistake it as unintentional feedback, while I appreciate that it's intended - perhaps it just needs to me moderated a little more and it would give the track more control over everything else going on in the track.

The drums sometimes get a little carried away, as if they're trying to play a faster number than the other instruments. Based off Nirvana perhaps? Is this symbolic of Dave Grohl's struggles against Cobain and the struggles that he had to make himself heard in that band.

[Review Request Club]

Kirbyfemur responds:

The vocal part will come in time, when i get better equipment for the recording of the instruments and some time to record the vocals.

The drum part was just me wanting to give it a bit more variety and more movement, so it may have ended up sounding a bit strange.

The guitar part will be fixed like i said once i get better equipment lol.

Thanks for the review!

[-Zestify-]

Not sure about the fade out.

A nice little track that has a good amount of driving beat, especially after the start which sounded a little barren and short of bass. I like the way that you integrated the two parts of the tune and gathered it all together into a piece that compliments both of the two components.

The only thing I would have considered is more of a solo along the way, since it does become a little repetitive after a short while, which is a shame. Taking that out of context, with some sort of bass solo would have been brilliant, just giving a new dimension to the piece and giving it the legs to go further.

I'm still not sure about the fade out at the end of the track - perhaps you could sort out some sort of call back to the start of the piece, making it loop and go from there?

[Review Request Club]

Liam3003 responds:

Repetitive seems to be my thing ;)
As I mentioned below im currently changing the song "-Set In Motion-" according to the clubs reviews. I would like to perhaps change this song in the near future, taking into account everything that has been said here ;)
Thanks for the review, I hope you get the chance to hear my changed version soon.

[The Fat Joker]

A little 'jolly' for the Joker

I like this piece - it's well written and a nicely developed parody of Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight. I do have to say that your impression isn't that spectacular though - it sounds too jolly and not nearly dark enough. When Ledger does it, he sounds deep and almost troubled by what has gone on. With the way that this pans out, it's more of a story that he could be telling someone in a bar, as opposed to being ready to beat someone to death with a rolling pin.

I could certainly see someone using this as a flash backing, but perhaps they will do something more with it and it won't sound so off, when the accompany it with some quality animation. It just didn't seem quite right for me.

Not that I'm trying to take away from the quality of recording, or the actual strength of the production, it just could have used a little more to sound right in my eyes.

[Review Request Club]

ForNoReason responds:

I understand what you are saying. Thank you.

[Lost Entity (Dance Remix)]

An interesting combination

I'm not sure about classical crossovers - I've seen them butchered too many times before to be a massive fan of this sort of music, but this one seems to be one of the better ones.

I think where it falls down is that you start off with the piano - one of the most dominant instruments ever created, then you head to keyboards and from there, the piano is drowned out in a sea of artificial sounds, beats, rhythms and synths. What you need is something that the piano can shine through with, while not taking out the synths themselves. Let the piano come through and it will pay its way, giving you a much better sounding track.

The pace is good and the beat is powerful, so these are positive points for your piece. Slightly more work is required on the rest, but you've getting there.

[Review Request Club]

DJ-Chilvan responds:

Thanks for the review =). I was wondering where you've been, since usually you review right before or after Haggard =P. Well, this song was meant to be more synth-like than classical, but I can see exactly where you're coming from. I actually got a very great idea from your review; in a future synth project, I will have a very nice piano harmony running through the whole track, and it will never get repetitive. Wow. That would be soo dank =D. Thanks!

[Messy robot Repair]

Wall-E remixed :P

Hmm, it's not bad - there's a few components to this track that don't seem to bear much relevance to the rest of the piece, but other than that, it's a good sounding piece.

The introduction seems to get forgotten, as the second sound that you come along with (synths) doesn't sound anything like them, so kind of falls off the end, without anything to tie it in.

From then, the track seems to gather itself and some momentum, which you use to good effect, making a recovery. It could be a little longer - try something with that intro, then add something else to the end and you'll make some good progress.

[Review Request Club]

Sawdust responds:

Thanks man, and I find it peculiar how you tied this with Wall-E, I mean, seriously, Wall-E's score is WAAAAY better than this and has a completely different feel, but I'm flattered that you think that way. Thanks.