Troisnyx's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Home (ABFH Remix Contest)]

This is an ABFH Remix Contest judge's review.

Oooooh, this right off the bat really made my hair stand on end. The whole thing felt so ethereal, from the very beginning. Those synths are on point, and the way you mixed those vocals... Sublime. I loved your keyboard work on this, and the synths on this, and how you built it up.

Then WHAM! 1:47 comes in. I'd probably have appreciated a little bit of a drop, but that desire fizzles out when I hear that really, really lovely chord progression.

3:00~ or thereabouts seems untouched, even though I know you added your own touches with the bass. Those bird samples feel so nice; they've made my spine tingle. It feels like a blend of 80s New Age music, and some of those choral bits that were uplifting in Katamari Damacy.

I'd noticed that you'd gone a long time without reintroducing the actual dance bits in the music, so yeah, you could've fooled me indeed. Light filtered percussion to slowly bring it back would have been well-placed here, in my mind, before 5:00 hits you like a truck right in the feels.

So many high highs, here, though I feel it could have been built up a bit more gradually (as far as percussion). The whole thing was ethereal and nice, but looking back, it felt quite abrupt in places. The whole mix certainly had a big part to play in how it felt, but so does the percussion in my mind -- however light, it could give a sense of progression, to either calm me or prepare me for something big. It needn't necessarily build up to the big moment in 5:00, either -- even keeping it calm before dropping would've worked. But what matters is that it'd have given me a sense of progression, something I kinda really miss about this whole piece.

All the very best for the competition!

[Phyrnna & Troisnyx - A Breeze From Home (Remix)]

This is an ABFH remix contest judge's review.

To begin, I'm not sure what to make of the drums kicking in like that without much else to back them up -- the guitar is pretty soft, and so is the voice, so the drums are overpowering. It seems as though the other things in that intro were left as-is.

Then, the synth kicks in, and the voice is retimed so that the swing in it disappears, and it feels quite juicy and nice. It really feels like a groove that I can get down to. When it tones back down at 1:42, it feels so in the pocket, with drums / bass / voice. I also enjoy your chord changes, and the little touches you've added.

2:47~ or thereabouts really sent a chill down my spine, in a very very good way. Mixing was on point, and that reverb was sooooo goood.

That ending is so soft and delicate. I enjoyed that piano. It was a nice way to bring to a close a mix with some really high highs.

Overall, there are so many excellent parts about this. Yet, a couple things to mention: first, I'm not sure if it's flowing as smoothly as it can. That intro is an indicator of that. Second, it does make me wonder if you're playing it safe. No harm in that, I guess -- it's just a thing that I'd wondered.

All the very best for the competition!

[Well I'll just leave]

This is an ABFH remix contest judge's review.

Right off the bat, I like your mangling of the voice / modification of its timing / that one sample use. Those, and your backing beat, give the song a melancholic feel, something that wrenches at my heart telling me that something is very wrong, and I am finding myself reaching out, wanting to find out what was wrong -- or what the story behind this remix is. The rapping sounds pretty depressive, a cherry on top of this cake. I am presuming that it's you doing that; I appreciated the personal touch.

Ending feels a bit abrupt. I'm not sure what to make of the reverb on the original voice; I think it really does work in some places -- not so sure about others. It feels quite spartan, which I suppose does the job at conveying the emotion behind this -- the loneliness, the upset. There is a temptation for me to want more, but I'm not sure if adding more would really add anything to the feeling you're trying to convey.

Overall, I think yours is one of the more imaginative entries in this contest.

All the very best for the competition!

DarkHorseOrchestra responds:

I was looking to flip the song on it's head for the remix and head in the opposite direction the original was going in haha

[A Breeze Far From Home]

This is an ABFH remix contest judge review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It felt bright, and cheerful, and happy all the way throughout. The chiptune was so well placed, even with the strings and other things that you borrowed from the original. The main chiptune melody was singable, too, and that was the hook that drew me in.

My only complaint would be that some of the other melodies just dart around almost aimlessly; it feels as though they're trying hard to fit into the song.

I have no complaints with the mixing; everything has its proper place in here.

All the very best for the competition!

[Felix Zophar - The Eternal Waves]

It starts pretty big and festive, then it gets ominous a bit. I love how quirky the melody is. It is off tone, but somehow works very well. Kinda reminds me of ethnic music, as well. That bass going with everything else is class, I love what you did with the progressions in large part as a result of it. (One of the risers towards the end makes it sound more hectic for some reason, but I know this to be a thing that sometimes happen with big room.)

Risers and things seem to be placed well. I can hear and feel why you're so proud of this -- well done.

FelixZophar responds:

Thank you XD

[A Hero Emerges]

I'd say the sounds do remind me of some really successful N64 games, but the melodies and the floating 3/4 timing actually remind me more of Ar tonelico than they do Zelda. (Some of Tyria's battle themes in Ar tonelico 3 feel very similar.)

Regardless -- it certainly brought about nostalgia, the kind that made me really smile from ear to ear. I like this a lot! Thank you for sharing this with me.

Hikari responds:

Thank you for your review! When I start a song with just chords I tend to make it a waltz for what ever reason.

[Spartiate]

J'adore les paroles, et surtout le debut -- ca me rappelle un peu Samos des jeux Jak & Daxter, une voix tres sage. En fait je n'ai aucune plainte, et je n'aime pas le rap normalement. Ici, pourtant, je ressens quelque chose qui vient du coeur.

Au fait, je peux aider a traduire les paroles pour tous ceux qui veulent ecouter et lire a la fois, si tu veux.

[Shotguns]

I was asked for feedback specifically on the guitar, so I'll do my best to provide it.

I like the lead you wrote. It's not prominent, though, until 1:05 or thereabouts, and when it is, it feels a little bit tinny.

1:47 onwards, too many slides IMHO.

I'm only a basic guitarist, but I speak knowing and regularly watching someone play lead guitar. Outside of there being too many slides close to each other, that sounds like a doable lead. It would probably need to match the feel of the song, though, and lead guitarists who want to complement a song would run into trouble. It feels too samey, is the first impression I'm getting with that lead guitar. The piece itself also feels pretty samey apart from a few parts where it dips down.

[Pulse Waves Are People Too (NGRMC)]

Well suited to be a level theme, and one that would make me thoroughly immersed. I wasn't sure what to think about your repeated chords but then the middle section came along, and it took my breath away.

I love your risers, your arps. Not sure I feel the rest of the piece the same way, except in sections. Listening to it as a standalone piece would be harder to me than, say, if I were playing a level in it with other sound effects and things.

Seriously consider joining Pixel Day in January next year -- I think you have what it takes to win!

[Programmed Sky (NGRMC Remix)]

The lead and echoing cymbals at the beginning kinda killed it for me. It gave me the vibe of a bad trap beat. As it progressed, I had reason to like the drums, when you brought in more than the kick. I had reason to like the ambience you created in the middle, with all those windchime-like sounds.

I'd have appreciated a bass line early on, something to ground the piece with. It does otherwise sound like something that someone can rap over, all throughout the piece.