EvilRaccoon's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[First Deep One Sighting]

This is astonishingly inspirational skit you have done! It's such a complement for you to imagine and be inspired to create a narrative from my music. If anything, it's the ultimate complement because you are using it the exact way I had hoped for it to be used, in a story based setting.

I love how you get into character and really go all out to make each feel like their own. Absolutely fantastic! I can't thank you enough for feeling driven by the track. it must have been a challenge to time your script with the audio, something I thought you did really well in.

Thank you so much! and keep up the great work! Fav'd and Followed!
:D

Tonash responds:

Thanks so much man! :)
It means a lot coming from you!

[Esperanza de la Vega]

A fantastic piece, it his such elegance and fluidity. This certainly doesn't feel the first time you've created Flamenco Guitar because it's just beyond unbelievable.

The melodies are fantastic and do a great job of connecting section to section. I found myself swaying to this throughout the numerous plays, never getting old, and still isn't as I write this. The playing of the guitar is extremely tight to genuine sound. Having that coupled with the wide sound I initially though you had recorded it until I read otherwise. I'm absolutely stunned, and I love the overall sound, it was a pleasure to listen to.

The composition was great, I love how you went in and out slowing down and speeding back up, but it was blatent nor obvious, or even in your face, it was almost impossible to spot, meaning your transitions from section to section was beyond superb. Sometimes I feel like a soloist instrument can't keep up with the grandness of collective force, but in hearing this you've proved significantly otherwise.

Superb SoundChris! One of my fav' pieces of the competition!

SoundChris responds:

Hey there peter - glad you liked the piece! I was always a big fan of spanish guitar music and after i had purchased gypsy from east west i just wanted to "use the force" :D Because i wanted to create that free feeling of accellerating and slowing down i had to ignore the grid and just compose by ear. I can recommend this procedure to get more realistic solo instrument performances, but it can kill your nerves totally! Nevertheless - just try this out - doesnt matter if with solo strings (violin / cello), singing, guitar, piano or whatever. Its just an interesting experience and can be very helpful for not to lose the reference to the natural way such instruments are performed. So thanks a lot man - your review is highly appreciated!

[Promises - skyood]

Competition aside, this is a beautiful piece.

5/5
+Fav

Personally I would love a backing orchestra, but me being me, i think an orchestra is what everything needs. :P Na, in all seriousness I love it. Reminds me of "Truman Sleeps Track from the score" Keep it up!

skyood responds:

I stopped trying to pull off orchestral music because:

1) I don't really have the right sounds for it, and have been frustrated in the past by the way the this limitation hurts what I consider to be a pretty good idea (see: Life, Ostinato and to a lesser degree Everlong Circles II)

2) I don't like, and aren't very good at, all the little detail mixing that is required with a big orchestra, and/or to make say strings (always the strings!) sound good. Mixing is definitely my weakness when it comes to this whole computer-based music deal.

Note: 1 and 2 could very well be related. Maybe what I have is good enough, I just don't know how to make it sound good enough. /shrug Also, it may have something to do with the fact that I've been fairly regularly playing synth doing pad sorts of sounds with a band, so I've started thinking that direction more.

Point is, I basically switched to using synths instead of ie a cello (See: Electric Nocturne).

Thank you for the encouragement. Listened to Truman Sleeps just now, and yes, it is eerily similar. Maybe my brain somehow reached back for when I saw The Truman Show last (in theatres, so how long ago was that)? But hey, accidentally sounds like something someone got paid a lot of money to make? I'll take it!

[GM - I'm coming 4 u (NGADM13)]

blimey! o_O Full of win!

InYourDreams responds:

Thanx man!! This means a lot to me, coming from you! You are an awesome musician! :)

[Fanfare of Death]

That was guys! Much more upbeat that I expected, full of adventure! Great work!

samulis responds:

OH MAH GERD I GOT A 5 FROM PETERSATERA!!!!!! Life = almost as complete as the time Bosa gave me a 5! (sorry)

For some reason, everyone finds this upbeat even though it's full of minor chords and dissonance... no idea. Thanks for listening. :)

[~SW~ Colorless]

Great sound. It's mysterious yet has a hint of romance and chaos. The piano sounds very pure too. I really like it! Great overall sound!

SkyeWint responds:

Oh hey, thanks! Glad you like it.

[Submerged]

WOA!!! 0_O
Superb!!! Had to scout you after this!

motakay responds:

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I noticed that you did that, I was not sure what it was but looked it up. And thank you very much for that! I checked out your songs as well, and your orchestral pieces are REALLY good!

[Colossal Assault]

Superb! Works greatly with the art!

Mattashi responds:

Thanks Peter!

[Doorbell After Midnight]

It's good, be aware not to follow into the repeat problem, where you have a good sounding section, and replay it again and again. Variety can be good, and will make a good sound stand out more.

Somewhat like the Main transformers track called "Bumblebee". The main theme only comes in at about 2:45 and finishes at 3:30ods. But the track is 4mins long. The rest creates a mood and build to the theme coming. Sometimes having that theme, effect or sound and building around it is a good way to go. If you want to go horror, the build up in Say the Psycho iconic theme is about 2mins in and only about 20 seconds long. Yet it's what everyone remembers.

Creating tension can also be enhanced by slowly increasing a tracks speed, or dropping in and out of tempo changes. Keep it up!

SourJovis responds:

True variety and build up can be important for a song. But this goes mainly for stand alone songs like singles or main themes. Not every song HAS to have it. Since so many songs have variety, to not have variety for a change is a form of variety in itself.

You're mot the first to compare this song to the Psycho iconic theme. It's because of the string harmonics isn't it? Believe it or not, but when I came up with the song I played it on piano. I had to get it out of my system so I turned it into a song I wanted to use for two purposes. 1 for a film I was making (unfortunately it was never finished, but I intend to remake it some day) 2 use it as introduction song for a demo album (that album is finished).

For the film it had to follow what happened on screen, so I was a bit tight up. It wouldn't be a main theme, just a short piece for tension. It does however contain a melody of a recurring theme. Not the high strings though, but the part of the clarinet and the tubular bells. And that part is very short relative to the entire song, and there is quite a long build up towards it. It's about a woman Juno (nicknamed the Waterbringeress) who decides to poison a doctor by giving her a glass of drugged water. The part with the clarinet and the bells is derived from Juno's theme song. I also uploaded that song. It's called Het Motief van de Waterbrengster, which means The Motif/Motive of the Water Bringeress. It's here on Newgrounds as well.

For the introduction of the album I thought it would fit because it reminded me of the intro song of the 2nd Gorillaz album Demon Days. I thought it be cool to have something a little like that.

So that's my defense. I agree with what you say though. I'll keep it in mind for any tension building song I make in the future. Especially if it's a main/iconic theme.

[Halo 4: Denied Revival]

Awesome!! Great stuff 'Zero!! The drop with the choirs are awesome!!

Enzer0 responds:

Shame the game was just alright :(