LunacyEcho's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Time to go home]

Listened to this song for an hour while bittersweetly reminiscing about my childhood. Thank you so much. :)

Azhthar responds:

Thank you so much, too! I´m so happy to read this comment!

[Winterscape]

The arpeggios... THEY BURN

Okay, I'm 100% sure i've hear 2:03 in one of your other songs before. Other than that (and the arpeggios), this song was great! 1:56 was such a good transition. Also, melodies that consist of one note repeated for a short amount of time can be very powerful imo, and I loved places like 0:37, 0:50, 1:06, 1:20, and wherever else you did that. It feels like it would've been even more powerful if you'd changed your dynamics when playing them, though!

There's a lot I could say about this piece, but it feels like you've covered all that already in your description. :P I'm also still amazed at your ability to retain so many compositions from so long ago. Anyways, great work! Beautiful artwork, too. Looking forward to more cool stuff in 2015!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hehheh, I knew they'd hurt your soul >;)

"Okay, I'm 100% sure i've hear 2:03 in one of your other songs before."

=>Try "Nothing New" (0:47). It's very similar, although not exactly the same. Also, I did that thing where a melody repeats itself later in this piece, so you can actually hear pretty much the same thing in a different key at 2:37 in this track :p

"1:56"

=> You think so? Cool! I always worried about that transition not working, as it changes key in such a weird way, and melody too. It's one of those things that either fails horribly or works fantastically :)

I too like melodies in which the same note is repeted. I rarely use them, which is a bit of a shame. I guess it's just not normally integrated into my composing style :/

I don't really know why, but I tend to cover several flaws in my descriptions o.O
I remember only about 10% of what I made to such an extent that I can still play it. Luckily, I've made a lot... Even more luckily, since losing a few important songs in the past, I always save the MIDI files, which makes learning compositions anew somewhat easy ;)

"Beautiful artwork"

=> LOL! I like the theme and concept, but I could personally draw it so much better XD

I'm working on a new piano piece at the moment. After that, I think I'll finish a piece on Cubase, after which I hope I'll create something interesting :p
Thanks a lot for your input :D

[Advance 4U]

Man, you just keep improving! Keep up the great work!

As usual, you have top-notch production. The instruments are all clear to the ear, and the sound effects are all great. The only thing I can say about it is that the high mids in the second chorus (1:49 onwards) are a bit cluttered; perhaps turning down the resonance would help? Either that, or EQ'ing some of them down a bit, as you could've used more low mids there.

Compositionally, you're doing pretty well. The melodies flowed pretty well, although they would get repetitive at times. The chord progression is catchy, but a bit overused. I'd love to see you explore your compositional side some more and try out different chords, seemingly unnatural melodies, and more progressive structures! I think that would help you most in improving as a musician.

The key change upwards was pretty fun. I definitely wasn't expecting it! The thing about a key change is that it gives the listener a bit of interest during a repetitive sequence. If a listener gets bored, it can be hard to draw them back in, but a key change can do the trick. I think yours was a bit short, since it feels like the listener's interest just returns to the song ("hey, I wasn't expecting that!"), but then the song ends shortly after. You could definitely expand on it!

You know what I want to hear from you next? Something sentimental and/or melodic. You normally create such amazing, happy, catchy, energetic stuff, but exploring a complete change of genre can definitely help you grow as an artist. In conclusion: great production, flowing melodies, interesting key change, try something new! Great work, and keep it up. :)

kinggrinyov5 responds:

Thank you very much Lunacy :P
A Great review as always!

[T-Logic - The Juggle]

If you've never listened to any of The Doors' music, you should definitely check them out. Not only do they have badass keys solos and raw rock music, but the lead singer was once arrested after kissing a fan backstage by a cop who didn't recognize him as the frontman of the band about to perform. (That's the one Doors fact I keep around with me in case I meet someone interested in them.)

This is pretty groovy! The bassline is awesome. I wish it had been brought out more! Normally, the clashing organ chords would be a bit jarring, but somehow, they just fit right in this piece. With the weird circus vibe, not only do they feel natural, they bring the other strange melodies out.

Loved the 1:20 transition. I'm realizing more and more how effective silence can be as a musical trope, and you used it really well here. I also really liked the solo drum beat playing at 0:10 and 1:45. I think you could've just started out with that drum beat, but the initial transition into was pretty interesting as well.

As for criticisms, I guess the chord at the end feels a bit unnecessary. Also, I kinda hoped the really groovy bass would carry on in some form into places like 0:33 and 2:24. It sort of just turned into quarter notes, and I dunno, but it feels like there's real potential for some nice bass groove there.

Great song! There's a very different mood here than in most songs, which I enjoy very much. Good work, and have a great 2015! :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJQwnAhXnBk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iSXrZYhJt4

TaintedLogic responds:

Ahh, thanks so much, LunacyEcho! :D I'm glad you like the bassline. It was one of the first riffs I made for the song, but it didn't really fit well with where I wanted the song to go, so I only used it in the intro and re-intro. XD I should've tried to incorporate it more, though, I agree. Glad you liked those chords too. ;) So many people are commenting on the transitions as well! Thanks! Yeah, the chord at the end was a bit lazy...I just felt it needed a quiet and somewhat eerie ending for some reason. That initial drum transition at :10 was the first riff I wrote for the piece, and it really helped me tie this piece together, so I'm glad you liked it! :D Thanks so much again, LE! Happy new year! :)

[A Dream From the Past]

Hey, cool! Really nice medieval-style ambience here. I really wish I could pull that off with my music. :D

Hm... I've noticed that a thing you do a lot is transitioning quickly to different note speeds. For example, at 0:15, you jump from eighth notes to sixteenth notes in 6/8 (I think - my music theory is far inferior to yours). Do you think there's a way of making that transition better? Right now, transitions like those feel a bit jarring to me.

That's about all the light criticism I can make about your composition. Everything else is great! The multi-tonality of the harpsichord makes ascending and descending notes like 0:58 sound so awesome. I can't imagine what you could do if you got your hands on some good samples. :)

Happy new year! May 2015 be even more productive for you than this one.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

You wish you could pull that off? Well you could; easily. Just use a harpsichord, and place some notes ;)
You've already created a lot of great stuff, so the composing shouldn't be that difficult XD

I actually intended to make that transition pretty rough at 0:15, but maybe it didn't work as well as I wanted it to :p You could make it more smooth if you wanted to. And I am pretty darn sure that I have no music theory knowledge at all compared to you, and all the other musicians on this site :)

I'm glad you liked the rest! I'm not sure if you remember, but I actually sent you a version of this piece with only the harpsichord like half a year ago :'D

"The multi-tonality of the harpsichord makes ascending and descending notes like 0:58 sound so awesome"

=> I like that part too!! It's kinda unrealistic, but I dig the sound nonetheless :)

Oh I'd like to see what all musicians here could do with awesome samples :3

I hope you have a great 2015 as well >:D!!!

[Boss X]

5 stars for your first song in a year to have capital letters in its title. You just can't do endings, can you? :D

If you think this isn't release-worthy, you should definitely think again. I wonder what other amazing music you're hiding from us?

johnfn responds:

Well... I started it and then on random day's I'd open it up and tinker on it. By the end I did think it was pretty good, though it's hard to be sure (overexposure), but I was also thinking it needed a bit of polishing up. Also, the fadeout ending totally isn't my fault. See: dead laptop. ;.;

I don't think I have too many other mind blowing pieces out there. Definitely 0 right now while the laptop is gone. But when (if) it gets back? You never knoOoOoOow...

P.S. WHAT DO THE CAPITAL LETTERS MEAN? DO THEY EVEN HAVE A MEANING? WHY AM I ONLY USING CAPS NOW??? NO SERIOUSLY WHY IS CAPS LOCK STUCK ON MY COMPUTER?

[Xmas Memories]

Christmas the 24th?! HERESY!

Sorry I haven't been reviewing your stuff much, man. Your army experience is finally over! Awesome! This song sounds great. Your tempo's gotten so much better. And I know it's you playing, but for some reason, at 2:53, those staccatos just feel like they lack realism. :P (strange; that's normally the thing you'd say for me)

Did you edit the left hand at 3:44 and some of the other interesting triplets/sixteenths? They seem too smooth to be human. And were those arpeggios as 4:12 really you? You're definitely well on your way to becoming one of the most talented pianists on Newgrounds.

The ending's a bit cheesy (then again, what do I know), but at least it works really well. :) There were also a few mistakes I noticed towards the end, but the barrage of notes was so beautiful it didn't matter. Anyways, great work overall! Very good rendition of your older work. Can't wait to hear more now that you've exited the army! :D

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Well... Christmas originates from a pagan holiday :p

Don't worry about not reviewing much of my latest stuff, as my latest songs have been pretty crappy :D They should get better from now on. I'm planning on releasing some of my very best (in my own opinion) piano compositions, as soon as I get decent recordings of them ;)
That, as well as make tons of new music!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally.

You know, I think I actually have managed to evolve some as a pianist despite playing a lot less while in the army. Odd. Now that that's over though (and I have a LOT of free time), I hope I can work some real magic on my piano XD!!

It's odd that 2:53 sounds like it lacks realism to you, I can't really hear it :/
That said, it's the most odd part of this composition, and not totally unlike Scareludium, for some reason o.O

"Did you edit the left hand at 3:44 and some of the other interesting triplets/sixteenths?"

=> Nope, I didn't edit anything around 3:44. The only thing I remember doing close to that was at 3:58, where I did indeed edit the part slightly, to make it smoother. (those five fast hits with the left hand didn't go fully as planned, although they could've been left unedited. If you try to, you might even hear a slight difference between the left hand at 3:58 and the notes at 4:00, as they are the same, but 4:00 is unedited).

Those arpegios at 4:12 were most definitely me. They are at a really easy spot though, and in an easy key to play them (mostly black keys). I did edit the volume a bit at 4:12 (to make it louder), but in hindsight that was a clear mistake. It made the part sound worse. Noob mistake :p
The arpeggio at 4:14 was a bit more difficult as it so quickly had to transition into my normal left hand motion thingy, but practice makes perfect, no?

There are too many skilled pianists on Newgrounds for me to become one of the top. I lack dicipline, which is the biggest issue. That, and the desire. I am the kind of pianist who spends enough time learning what I want to learn, but no more. If I wanted to become a master pianist, I should practice scales 6 hours each day... I'm more of the composing/arranging kind, but thanks for the compliment nonetheless!!! :D

The ending is definitely cheesy - despite the mistakes - and a bit too extreme for your normal christmas song, but I like it the way it is :D (not the very last part in this recording though... Brr...).
I think the 'barrage of notes' combined with the reverb makes it sound like the composition is a lot smoother than it actually is.

Thanks a lot for being there for me as a trusted reviewer, supporter and friend! Planning on doing some new stuff yourself soon :D?

PS. If one looks closely, one might notice that I'm in a writing mood today. The evidence is that both the description and this reply are pretty darn ridiculously long B)

[Ancient Resentment]

Nice. Great mood! As usual, you have some really awesome, feeling-invoking chord progressions. Still can't believe you have the capacity to memorize them, even if you spend an hour and a half on them!

Unusually for you, the instruments you use here feel like they lack a bit of your usual punch. Also, rhythmic variation! Triplets get boring.

As for the guy below me, i have no idea why he did that because a.) you're allowed to use other melodies as long as you rearrange them, and b.) you're not supposed to zero-star stuff like that. I suggest reporting him.

Great song! The army is slowly coming to an end...

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thanks, as usual, for reviewing even this kind of old crap XD

Well, the memorizing part is mostly subconscious, which makes it a lot easier. As for the chord progressions, I think they actually are pretty cool, but this is a really short song and still the chords are a bit repetitive :'D

I definitely agree that the intruments lack punchiness! Maybe I was subconsciously trying to stay calm while recording while my neighbor definitely wasn't (that, or poor intrument choice :p).

As for the guy below me, I don't have the heart to report him, as he gave D-Pression a 5 star review ;)

Still, I agree that that review sucks and is totally unnecessary...
Maybe he had a bad day?

4 DAYS LEFT!!!! LEFT FO(U)R (D)E(A)TH(YS)!!!

[Petrichor]

For your next song, focus on your melodies as much as you can. Try creating a really really awesome chord progression and some really really awesome melodies that sound professional-grade. Screw VSTs, mixing, mastering, backgrounds, etc. Just compose the sexiest melodies you can muster. Do it!

For this one, the effects that came in around 1:40 are super nice. You're getting really good at those. Maybe try creating your own drum beats if you don't want to do the melody thing?

adieuwinter responds:

It's hard :/

But yes, I will!

Also, all the drum beats are all my own haha

[These Days]

These melodies are awesome! :D

I've always loved melodies that jump around a lot, and this one has some very, very beautiful ones. The first synth that came in had a really smooth sound (and when paired with the second synth, sounded amazing as well), and that chromatic exit made me laugh. :P

Your second synth sounded nice, but I think it might fit your style better if it was a bit smoother. I wish I could offer a better suggestion, but I'm not entirely sure what the terminology is and don't want to screw you over. :P Less pulse-y, I guess?

You should do more electronic stuff! You've got melodic composition down pat, so once you improve your instrumentation a bit (drums, synths, etc), your music could become even more awesome than it already is.

Great song!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thanks! :D

I like melodies that jump around too :p
I once again wasn't even intending on making anything this weekend, but a sudden thought struck me. I was thinking of the kind of music that is popular in the clubs these days, with all the drops and catchy leads and such, and figured I'd probably be able to make something as good or better if I really wanted to (not with this song, but in general o.O). I mean... Four simple chords and a melody + some production? = Simple :p

Thus, I used one of the most common chord progressions ever XD
I think electronic music is a great thing for me to practice as well, as it'd increase my skills in the three fields of composing I need to improve the most; percussion, instrumentation, and mixing :D
Melodies and chords I think I have a pretty good grip on...

The thing about that chromatic exit for that lead though, is that it's not actually chromatic :p It's just so fast that it kinda sounds like it is :3
It's cust a simple descending C chord with an added D (Cadd9, basically).

You might be right about that second synth. I just used the first, best preset I found in the alchemy player VSTi :) (This whole track consists of presets from that VST plugin...)

Thanks for the review :'D!