Troisnyx's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[[Noiryx] - Hero's Call]

Mixing feels nice and so does the general feel of the piece, which I think you nailed quite well.

But it feels a tad too stereotypical to me. I - VI - III - VII is another progression that can be quite overused. Often, the way to make it our own is to make something, a melody line, a riff, a progression, a rhythm, something which we can say is made by *us* and not plausibly made by someone else. I've heard others along the same lines (especially Phyrnna's "Heroes' March"), which would ordinarily sound stereotypical, but it isn't, because of that identifying string melody.

TL;DR: Mixing and instrumentation seem to give me no trouble; it just feels a tad formulaic to me.

Noiryx responds:

Hey Troisynx! Yeah, you're bang on. It's one of the "magic" chord progressions as known in the music industry haha.

I wrote this piece in a day so I definitely opted for something quick and simple, however that was the goal of the piece, to be adaptable (Like bread, able to be matched with many different flavours). I probably spent more time on the production than the actual composition haha! :)

Thanks for taking the time to review!

[The Grand Arirang - Jessie Yun]

Never mind to me that the mix was muddy or that it was done in 10 hours; it is a gesture of love, and that is why I favourited it. Also, you gave that EWQL choir a bit and a bridle and tamed it decently, from what I can hear.

JessieYun responds:

Hey Troisnyx,
Thanks a lot for the comment! I guess I'll have to take a look if really sounds muddy again. And yeah, I had quite a hard time teaching my choir Korean, hahaha. Thanks for the fav!

[AIM - In space with no spacesuit (head explodes)]

Oof at the title ;_;

It does give me the feeling of being starved of oxygen, or struggling to get some -- but whether it happens in space, is another matter -- I can also see it happening underwater or in some microgravity lab which, due to a disaster, is starved of oxygen.

I like the sense of buildup, and those countermelodies you introduce round the minute mark -- I love how subtle but powerful they are. The sparse instrumentation certainly lends itself to images of very stark surroundings. It's short and sweet. Well done!

Albe responds:

Thank you troisnyx I'm really glad you liked it!!

[Pain Drain]

The piece feels quite surprisingly upbeat and cheerful, almost an antithesis to the artwork -- but perhaps, the artwork with its utilitarian buildings might belie a certain "forced" cheerfulness that's meant to be observed by people living there, I can't quite say.

There is so much with this piece that is on point, musically, even though it isn't my cup of tea per se. I love how you layered those instruments. I love the bounciness of the song, and of the lead synth. I love how saccharine it feels. And most of all, I love that you seamlessly blended so many musical devices together -- regular chords, pentatonic scales, all while keeping it within a trippy sort of feel. That is musical technical mastery to me. Well done.

Hyenaedon responds:

Thanks for the great review! I knew the relation between the song and the art was going to be kind of strange from the beginning, but like you said the song pretty much depicts a false sense of hope I suppose. I really went for the almost melancholy feel of the art.

I really tried to give it my all musically here, so i’m glad you noticed those things! Again, thanks for the thoughtful review ;)

[🌆 #2: Troisnyx]

Dear WillKMR, as of Monday, Soundskills is an official Makerspace. I've seen the new roster of things to do and it is an actual thing~

By the way, thanks for having me. I enjoyed the interview, and especially how candid you kept things. I look forward to hearing from you and the other artists you interview!

GroundsPatrol responds:

Yay for Soundskills!

Troisnyx, it was an absolute delight having you on. Cheers!

[Ecruteak Jazz (Piano Solo)]

I really enjoyed your playing. ^_^ I kinda like this jazz, the kind whose ragtime roots are really perceptible.

Will responds:

Aw thank you!

[A Life From Home (ABFH Remix)]

This is an ABFH remix contest judge's review.

Already, this sounds different and I really love those chords in the intro, and the grittiness that this thing brings. When the drums kick in, it sounds like a much heavier version of Take On Me, and then the heavy metal kicks in at 1:08 and it sounds like Led Zeppelin. Very, VERY nice. I love that guitar.

Drums could stand to be a tad more powerful; they feel quite weak in the mix. The groove is so nice and simple and good, though. It sounds as though you're using defaults...

2:09, I love that ambience there. I love the simplicity of 2:46 or thereabouts, and the feeling of this.

3:40, I love what you did with those vocals. It sounds like someone really about to lick that mic, to put it in PG-13 terms. How you brought them in, and out. I could actually visualise this being played on stage at that point.

4:38 could have done with a quick, but much-needed drum fill because that feel just changed from Led Zeppelin to heavy! Take On Me again.

5:20, blast beats were a nice touch, but the weakness of the drums in the mix did underwhelm it.

There is so much I love about this remix. How different it feels. How I can imagine it being performed live, and the kind of energy that this brings, an energy that I have found rather hard to come by.

All the best in the competition!

djt820 responds:

First of all, I'm just glad you dug it haha. Secondly, you're definitely right about the drums; makes me wish I had more time on this to really refine the beats/mix.

Yeah, around 3:40 is my favorite section. This is the part that started the whole second draft. Glad you got the sensual feeling of it all.

Well, there wouldn't be energy in the piece if your vocals didn't match up to it and that's what made this song so fun and challenging to make. I hope I did it justice. Thanks for putting it all together! I hope it's not the last time we combine forces.

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

This is an ABFH remix contest judge's review.

That intro sounded like Vangelis, ooooh! And that guitar, gosh, it's leaps and bounds over the original. The key change on the vox makes it sound more youthful, childlike.

Those little touches on the piano, and those Vangelis synths, have really sent shivers down my spine. I hear subtle touches of bass every so often. I am with NekoMika when she says that some bits remind her of FF; that piano certainly does give a Final Fantasy vibe. Only complaint is that the voice does get drowned out.

That solo violin melody, and those strings, all provide a nice sense of buildup. There's also those choir pads, too. They give it a more angelic vibe.

3:35 caused my jaw to drop. I rarely do that. Well done. And the way you reintroduced the instruments was equally good.

4:10, I'm not sure about the bassline there. Drums also sound a bit synthetic there, but nice rhythm nonetheless. Certainly felt rousing, though I'd probably want them to be humanised a bit more, or for a better drum sample to be used.

That ending was on point.

I appreciate that you went for a very angelic feel and that you played around with something new for what you normally do -- and I think you did quite well, notwithstanding the couple downsides I mentioned.

All the best for the competition!

SplatterDash responds:

Hey Troisnyx! Thank you so much for judging and hosting the contest. It especially means a lot that you were able to make a really amazing song for us to work off of, and a game that puts it in a fitting context (I mean come on, cats can put anything in context lol).

The vox, as amazing as they were, were probably my most challenging aspect as I put them together with everything else in mastering. Layering them together was alright, but when the instruments came in, especially at the end, I've noticed the voices are drowned out as well. Fiddling with them, though, usually led to one (or both) of two things: 1) the track wouldn't be as big and powerful, and/or 2) the track would start clipping (a big problem at around 4:34). I had to go for what I could, unless I wanted to turn stuff down or compress the living daylights out of it.

I listened multiple times to 4:10 again, but I couldn't find anything wonky about the bassline. The thing that I think may have been the issue was the fact that on every instrument during the final big part, one or two octaves of each followed the main vox. It ended up being a small detail, and it kinda didn't work since it only comes out some of the time, but it's a small detail that I was willing to test around. Speaking of tests, the drum - I kinda wanted to record the drum on an actual snare, but the only snare I have access to is one that is a six-year-old drum set snare with a questionable mic. Still, I think I may try it out the next time I need a real-sounding snare - or a real-sounding drum kit, for that matter.

Really glad that you enjoyed this! I actually took the time to listen to a few Vangelis songs while writing this, the beginning actually kinda does sound like something they would make lol. Thanks again for hosting the competition, I really enjoy the original and I probably never would have found out about it or its game without this great competition :D

[A Breeze from Home (more weed ? Remix)]

This is an ABFH remix contest judge's review.

Right off the bat, the mix feels so tonally on point, though I had to turn the volume on my cans down to be able to hear it without it hurting me. The bass, the synths, the occasional "huehuehue" laugh, they feel quite nice, very Phy.

There are bits of syncopation in 1:44~ or thereabouts, which feel quite playful. I think, from there until the end it feels so playful. Then, finally, it mellows down... and then ends unsettlingly. Creepy. Pretty effective, in my mind.

This thing feels almost like a creepypasta game's soundtrack, but not quite. That "huehuehue" laugh, that gunshot, that ending, all do suggest it and I like it, and the parts that were not creepy were lulling me into this false sense of security. You did a fine job, in my mind. My only complaint is that it's a massive wall of sound that I need to turn down.

All the best in the competition!

moreweed responds:

thanks alot ^^ hue hue hue