Rabid-Animals's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[El3ctr0 Maniac -DrX-]

Tense and trippy, an exhilarting listen.

Upon listening to the first few notes of this song, I visualized somebody like a spy crawling through an air duct to do whatever it is that spies do. That's what makes a good song for me, making me think, making it so that the music can entirely fill my mind.

At 1:53, the song seemed to slow down a little bit, or at least let up on the melody that had been carefully cultivated to that point. I've got to dock you for that, because it can kind of zap the listener out of the trance they can get into with this song. It was also near that point that the repetition of the song started to irk me. I think you could chop a minute or so off of the song and have a real triumph.

That being said, I think the beginning of the song is much better than the rest of it. Immediately, it hooks the listener. I wanted it to speed up; I wanted to hear pounding drums; I wanted to be bombarded by this song. I was a little disappointed when the song turned out to be mellower than I expected, but it's still really catchy. If I ever need spy music for a movie or game, I think I know where I'm going to.

Review Request Club

DavidRx responds:

now that u mention about the spy it rly comes 2 me O,o xD

as for the slowdown...i dident rly make it slowdown the first beat was 140 bpm as when it starts and it slowly steped up to 160 bpm... as i said on the ideas i tryed 2 put psy,tectonik,minimal...an it was my first try xD

the slow part was the tectonik part and i rly need 2 learn more and more so thx for the review :D

and yea infact i think it was kinda mellow on the expectations of the begining...but im still learning x3 so probably when i get better ill try a track that is somwhat close 2 this one :P

and yea u can count on me xD Thx

DrX out

[DiscoRay (WIP)]

A bit too disjointed for me.

The beginning of the song was catchy enough, but I waited to be hooked. Tiny notes with tiny backing beats didn't exactly draw me in. I was waiting for more serious instrumentation to hit. I realize that may not have been your intent, but the composition definitely could have done with more sounds.

There didn't seem to be a central melody-- just a couple bars oft repeated. Nearly 1:50 into the song, I felt like nothing had happened. I considered that I didn't hear much to hum. The sounds themselves were decent, but they weren't nearly as infectious as they could have been.

Another issue I had was that the song seemed to be falling apart at points. At about 1:25, where the same sounds are just repeated over and over, I thought the song was going to end, because I didn't realize that there was another minute and a half left. It just kept going, and then the song switched sounds; it was almost confusing for me.

You don't have a terrible piece on your hands, but I think you need to find more focus. Like I said, the song seemed disjointed. If you charged it up with more sounds (maybe even uptempo ones) and a more coherent melody, you'd have a real winner.

DavidRx responds:

haha

well the track was a wip...and i put it up 2 get the reviews on the current sound of it 2 add more 2 it and maybe cut some parts but i lost the file ;S

and yea i know lazy of me 2 put it up like this xD

but yea its rly empty at some parts and i dident put up much work on it at the time...i found some nice bass and just wanted 2 know if it was on track if any1 liked the aproach cuz it was kinda new 2 me xD

but in the end i lost the FLP. x.x

so i cudent fill the rest or change anything...

maybe ill try something like this again and FINISH IT XD

thx for the review :3

[At peace forever]

Tranquilly Contemplative

There's something to be said about the amount of beauty you created with improvisation. It seems as if you knew exactly what you were going to play, even minutes before you did. A certain darkness penetrates this piece, as if it were to be played over images of grieving attendees of a funeral, or a slow pan across a shot of a destroyed city. Something like this puts a different image in everyone's head, and I enjoy that.

Beauty and technical mastery aside, I thought there was just a little bit where the song lacked. Around 1:07, the rest and following Diminuendo seemed kind of weak, not that it wasn't part of the piece, but I would have liked just a couple more quarter notes thrown in, to keep the pace.

Throughout the song, the sparse silences served to intensify the enigmatic emotion that the music portrayed, but sometimes, the silence became a little overbearing. I realize that this is an improvisation, and the following may be difficult, but you had some very catchy and appealing phrases in the beginning, which I would liked to have heard repeated throughout the song, as a kind of theme.

Otherwise, this is a stand-up piece, something that can convey a range of emotions, and effectively at that. It's amazing what you created with just a piano.

[SMW Bowser Theme Remix]

An interesting variation on an old favorite.

This song struck me as kind of dark, which I found to be a welcome departure from the oft-trodden land of upbeat Level 1-1 remixes. There quite a bit of repetition, which I enjoyed as it kept the song together. You really could have gone overboard with effects and stuff, but you kept it clean and tasteful. In that respect, I award you a lot of points.

What I was missing, however, was a massive finish. I wanted the song to build and build, which it did to a certain extent and then speed up and come crashing down, ending the song on an impressive, powerful note. What we end up with strikes me as kind of weak. I understand it's a loop, and the end works well enough, but I think there's a bit of room for improvement.

All that being said, I think you did a tremendous, incredibly creative job. The percussion was very cool, and you brought a very modern sound to the music. It perfectly complemented the stings-sounding bit at 0:41. Great job!

Anthouse21 responds:

Great review man very helpful thanks! I rarely go back and fix any mistakes on old work because of frustration, i end up making a whole new song. So u will probably see a part 2 to this and it wont be a loop. Thanks for the advice it always makes things clearer hearing it from the outside in!!!

[Air Balloons.]

Light as Air!

I love this upbeat style. I arrived at this page because I wanted to listen to the high quality version of the song after hearing it in "Balloon Boy Adventures," and I immediately downloaded it. Not only is the song easy to listen to, it just brings out a certain happiness in me. I have a huge affinity for video game music, and this has the right mix of originality and inspiration from the old stuff.

What I found most intriguing about the piece was the mildly abrupt change in style halfway through the song. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, it's just that I liked the first part more. I think each would work well as an individual loop. That being said, I did like the second part, and the contrast that it provides makes it easy to listen to the whole thing over and over.

I can't say that the segue between parts was excellent, so I had to dock just one point for that. It's no big deal, really. All in all, I think this very easy listening, and I'm really glad that it's free.

NeoDeadlyRave responds:

Thanks a lot for a long and actual review for my song! Yeah I could say that its a first that I'll have a change in the middle of my song like that. Thank you for pointing out about the change in my song and giving me a good idea of what I could do in the future! I'll be sure to work on that and hopefully hear from you again from my other songs!

[Fulfillment Part 1]

Thrilling!

What I enjoyed most about this production was the progression. Slowly, it builds upon itself, adding effects, and strengthening the mood. The music becomes engrossing, pulling the listener closer and forcing him or her to let the sounds fill their mind. This is the part that I really found interesting; this music would fit well in all kinds of movies and games. Spy missions, covert operations, interrogations and other tense situations would be beautifully complemented by this song.

The only real criticism I can offer is that the climax of the song didn't really live up to my expectations. I expected a powerful crescendo, and a crashing melody, to provide a kind of closure to the listener. While I did hear a little bit of this throughout the song, it would have been better at the finish.

Anyway, I really liked it.

[[DJP] SM64 File Select Remix]

Always a fan of Mario!

This was a lot of fun to listen to. I think there were some very clever nuances to the song, which complemented the catchy beat through the entire composition. Have you one-upped (excuse the pun) the original? Perhaps, but you've definitely managed to create something unique with this song. I think that even without a background of gaming (for the listener), this would be quite enjoyable.

That's the key to music, getting closer and closer to universal appeal. Some people say it's selling out; I think that in your own style, you managed to transcend a lot of the barriers that isolate taste. Simply, this is a fantastic song, and you should be proud.

DJPureSuffer responds:

I get what ya mean. I try to find those universally enjoyed harmonies very often. Im glad to have you think that this song fits into that caliber ^_^ thanks for the review! :D

[Ice Cream Man!]

Fantastic!

I did not expect to find this kind of quality when I read the lyrics, but I'm ecstatic to say that the whole piece comes off really well. I like the instrumentation, though it is simple; I don't think that a thousand layers of effects and drum beats would help, so it says something about your ability that you knew exactly how much to add.

The lyrics are hilarious, as just about everyone has pointed out. I think they're really clever, and they're catchy (which may or may not be a good thing). I think you've done an excellent job in staying true to your influences, which are obvious from this song. Keep making brilliant stuff like this; you'll be a hero!

[hand held panorama]

Relaxed.

This is very easy to listen to, but I'm afraid it's a tad too repetitive. It's not until more than two minutes in that another layer of instrumentation begins. Other than that, the slowness and calming sound is really an accomplishment.

bedsidetable2 responds:

:(. well, its not that repetitive its if u listen to all the bass and stuff it becomes different. anyway thanx

[Strange Game song]

Strange is right!

It starts off slow, and then picks up. I like that. The layers of instrumentation added really form a powerhouse effect in the end. I don't mean that it rocks and blows my speakers out while melting my face, but it definitely sounds kind of creepy. I like that. It would work well in a suspense scene.

moorua responds:

thanks!! :)