Aisnon-A's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Pillars of Valo]

This is sensational, especially when considering the JRPG influence. It has that open, atmospheric effect with the while pulling off a particular tone with the melodies and instrumentation. You created that mystic mood superbly; this composition definitively nods at the JRPG style, even being a perfect candidate for inclusion in one.

DanJohansen responds:

JRPG's are part of my every day life so often I feel consumed by them and just want to join in on that way of expressing art, glad you enjoyed it man!

[Low End Of Town]

This is one attractive and forceful piece.

The texture to this song is fascinating. It has at once a rough (one that is not audible irritating, as if grating) and fluid feel. Coupled with your complex melodies and accompaniment, this captured my immediate interest. It oozes power and maintains the essence of this composition. The mood is strongly constructed as a result. The structure is an aid to that effect, since it incorporates soft and heavy phrases, balancing out the force behind your instrumentation. But if anything should be given notability, it is mastery of this piece. Tersely stated, it is sublime, and your explicit amount of effort made toward it shows.

Though I feel the percussion post-introduction could pop out just slightly. It almost seems as though it is competing for head space than harmonizing with the rest of voices.

Even with that "quirk" (I cannot even posit if that is even something to be considered in this particular composition), this is an overall success, amazing.

DrDocternator responds:

Thank you very much! I had a challenge involved at the start with the post introduction... i wanted to have the piano with the different drum beat to be at the start of the song (as they were the first patterns that i created) i then created the electronic synth patterns and missed out 4 bars deliberately. I then thought to myself; how can i transpose that drum beat to match up with the drum beat in the first verse in the deliberately missed space. I thought about changing the beat around but had no success so i thought of using a different electronic synth but i ended up going for an organ sounding instrument synth for the post intro and Vuala! that is how i created the post introduction! Thanks again for your feedback!:D

[Makai Core ~ Hokkai]

Being largely an experimental piece, you performed well!

The choir ahhs add much texture to this song. The attack on the actual sound patch, however, does not suite how you introduced them in the beginning of this piece well. The fade-in gave it an inappropriately rigid feel, whereas how you introduced the chimes were well-place, subtle, and a harbinger of the rest of the song's harmonious attitude. This is but a slight blemish and nothing over which someone should fret, especially since the introduction performed its intended function --- to demonstrate a particular sound under a given mood --- and transitioned to other parts effectively enough.

I like your choice of drums. They have simple yet interesting rhythm that ties the whole piece together, and based on your description, it is safe to assume that its use in this composition was experimental. You did a great job, provided that is the case, as the piece demonstrates several instances of creative transition. It is pleasing to know that you are learning (I am far from being a musical cognoscente, but at least I can say that). Because of that, your drum set could pop out a bit more, so that it is not drowned out by competing sound, which tended to happen when multiple instruments started to play, notably the chimes and the choir ahhs.

Speaking of which, your choice of chromatic instruments for this Touhou track were noteworthy. The chimes (music box?), I felt, captured the elegance of the original track; the choirs captured the tension; and the piano gave life, mood, and tone. As for percussion, the drums provided the energy needed to sustain the song, as if they were the ‘heartbeat.’ Though, from what I hear, a bass would complement the drum set. It would give it that extra depth to the song, making it sound fuller.
The actual structure of the song is geometric to say the least, which I generally find attractive. You did it in such a way that the sounds do not become monotonous, incorporating enough transitions and additions to the piece to preclude such an outcome. After the sudden break rendered by a snare, should something be considered, the progressions began to feel restrictive (not to say monotonous). A bit a variety in the accompaniment would reinforce the composition already present strength behind your sounds. You outdid yourself, in that regard, with the pianos and the chimes. They sound harmoniously incredible, and the note with which you ended the song would be ample enough to replace the extended drums at the very end, when everything is done playing save the set.

Overall, the piece has a lot of effort placed into it and shows well from the product. I would love to a see an updated version of this, because as it stands now, there is some remarkable potential to be tapped. It is good (actually, you made me interested in listening to more Fires of Hokkai), but it can become great, but I suppose the same could be said to anybody.

I am glad to have listened to such an intriguing piece.

Darknessbreaker responds:

Oh, a great Review. And it IS actually a review. Thank you very much for your statements. I dont know if ill update this song soon but i think its a good idea to start thinking about it now. And while working on the update at the time i decide to do it i will read your review since it is very very helpful. Thank you very very much again. I hope that youll like the updated version of this and the next song ill come up with ^^.

[Crimson Crisis]

You successfully captured the underlying power sensation behind the original Strawberry Crisis, and your use of souandfonts is fantastic. Additionally, your resolve to contribute to the fanbase only makes this composition more beautiful.

The simple structure and dynamic tension points manifest well, but the ending functions more as a disruption than an appropriate closing. Regardless, it sounds pleasant, so I suppose that does not matter much.

Nice work!

Darknessbreaker responds:

Thank you very very much! Very nice words of yours. :)
Ill try to think about different kinds of endings to use in my next try to arrange/remix something that didnt see much arranges/remixes. :)

[Unlax]

A short yet well-constructed loop. The melody and pacing definitely brings out the relaxed tone of the piece, and the repetition does well in perpetuating the establishment. There are enough distinguishable patterns to maintain interest and preclude monotony.

One potential concern, though, is the relativity high-pitched eighth notes played in the background (An example demonstrating what I mean is the sound that comes in at the 16 second mark) They sound nice, add texture, and provide momentum, but their timbre (or perhaps pitch?) seems to contrast considerably with the rest of the instruments and disrupt the natural mood.

The effect, however, is meager, as the mastery of the piece is high enough to submit such contrast as mere subjective understanding. Overall, great job!

BenTibbetts responds:

OK. Thanks for the detailed comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the music. :)

[Silent Tension]

Very immersive. The introduction was powerful and transitioned well into the the rest of the composition, which maintained the tension until the conclusion because of your dynamic yet controlled timbre. The end, though, could have probably been a technique other than a long, subtle fade-off, but it worked and sounded great nonetheless. A well-composed ambient song.

trixelbit responds:

Thanks alot for the review! The points you bring up are really good and I strongly agree with them. Looking back now, I kinda wish I did something more with the ending than just that slow decrescendo but I was trying to do a "fade into the void" type thing. Anyways, thanks for the good critique!