SourJovis's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Depth Quest]

Not bad. I like how lively it sounds. Very interesting and not like something I hear a lot.

The song could use more build up. The break at 1:30 is quite nice for example. I wish this song had more parts like that. Other than that it doesn't really have a lot of contrasting segments. It retains about the same energy throughout. I know this is an experimental song and it shouldn't have a pop song structure, but a bit more variety in quieter and louder parts would make this more interesting to listen to. It quickly loses my attention like this.

For an experimental song you choice of instruments isn't that unique. They sound like presets to me, that any random beginner musician would choose. That's the opposite of what you want right? Mixing wise it sounds very dry. Especially the drums. As if you've picked a few presets that already had some effects on them and you did very little to adjust the sounds to make them sit well in the mix. It sounds very computurish this way. With so many people with no music skill or talent being able to make music on a computer these days, you risk being labeled an amateur. So I advice you to be really clear and specific in your own personal style and sound.

I think you could go either 2 ways from here. Program your music like you do now, but make it even dryer, with less effects to emphasize it's computer music and it's a deliberate choice. Or make the sounds more refined and professionally mixed, and play the instruments manually so it becomes more like a minimal experimental jazz style. Either way is fine, as long as the listener is convinced you know what your doing.

I like it when there's a strange rhythm and all of the instruments emphasize it, instead of each doing it's own thing. I think you should focus a bit more on that, because sometimes I hear it, sometimes I don't.

Experimental music is difficult both to create as well as to judge. I think it only works if the musician can convince the audience he/she really knows what he/she's doing, instead of just playing whatever because it's experimental. For that you really need to find your own sound.

Keep working on it!

[SNES - Mountains]

I like the percussion and the bird(?) sound effects. Makes this sound more unique and lifts it to another level. Other than that it's good as usual. Relaxing and pleasant sounding. Yet, it has a certain drive, that you expect from a mountain terrain in a snes game. Like the music reflects the heroes' determination to keep on climbing if you know what I mean.

Alyxandr responds:

Thank you! I really appreciate your detailed comments. :>

[Chrome Plated]

Great song. I like the 80's feel and dark atmosphere. The kind of music I like.

[-Improvised Ambush- [TAWBS OST]]

great song. Very punchy, sharp and energetic sounding. Exactly how I like chip tunes.

Btw: congrats on getting second place for Pixelday 2019. The competition was fierce and your placing was well deserved.

Preds responds:

Thank you! I appreciate it. Im soooo happy that I ended up un second! Yas!

[[SNES] Tunnels of the Forgotten Gods]

So both this song and your earlier song "[SNES] Underground Jungle" are based on the same song? Maybe I haven't listened to them well enough, but I can't believe how different you made them sound. I like this one best I must say. It sounds less "computery" if you know what I mean. The other one sounds good if you like chiptune. This one simply sounds good. It sounds more like a song you may hear outside of a computer game as well. I like how despite of that, you can still hear the familiar snes sounds. I hope I'm making sense.

Alyxandr responds:

OH, I forgot to update the description! I'll change that quick. It's based off of Hunter's song "Ramestunnels".

Anyway, thank you!! I'm glad you like this one so much! This is the song that went through the most revisions in the game project so far and was more challenging to complete overall. Hunter compared it to Stickerbrush Symphony from Donkey Kong Country!

[[SNES] Boss]

Cool song. Well chosen sounds. The short high pitched snares are interesting in combination with the long low pitched snares. Nice blend of styles.

Alyxandr responds:

Thank you!!

[Gallop at the Jolly Ranch [game music, looped]]

Good thing you didn't resist making something, or we would've really missed out. Now I've read your description it does indeed sound like a horse galloping, because of the rhythm, that sounds a bit like the way the legs move. And I don't just mean the percussion with rhythm. It works well as a loop. Get's better the longer you listen to it, and you hear different things each time. It has a nice spontaneous improvised sound that makes it stay interesting despite it actually staying the same with each play. Somehow you just don't notice. Really helps this song loop.

BenTibbetts responds:

Thanks! I appreciate your attentive listening, glad you enjoyed it.

[[SNES] Undertown]

Nice song. What's it about. Sounds a bit dark, but not scary, because of the higher notes that sound happy. Makes me think you're underground and hear segments from what's above ground. The higher notes you hear are parts of the song Abyss right. Come to think of it; that's a bit of a scary title for a song that's that relaxed and happy. You made this song for the game by Terrat Nuh right? I read something like that on Patreon. Makes me wonder what the game is about.

Alyxandr responds:

That's an imaginative take on the music! I'm happy that you are able to imagine a world with just the music and title alone. The dark parts of the song signify the danger of Undertown and the light parts represent the main character's hopeful drive to persevere!

And yes, the melody of Undertown shares a subtle leitmotif from Abyss! I'm shocked you found that! I believe Undertown is the area right next to the abyss area, so I wanted to make it feel like you're venturing out into unknown territory.

I think Terrat Nuh is his nickname or screen name. His real name is Hunter Hatfield. I don't know much about the game besides the bare minimum. "13" is a metroidvania game with SNES-style visuals that takes place in the caves of an alien planet. The game is very early in development right now; so early that I'm delightfully surprised I'm even making music this early on.

Thank you for the 5 stars too! ^_^

[The Wizard's Grimoire]

Good song. I read the description while I was listening, and you can really hear what each part is about once you know it. I like how the song tells a story, If you don't read the description the song may tell a different story. Which is also nice. The sound allows for different interpretations. Maybe it's just me, but when I hear chiptune, I always start to wonder what instruments would be used if it weren't chiptune. This song can go multiple directions in that regard. It could be symphonic. Could be pop. Could be instrumental or it could be sung. The sound it has right now is also very pleasant by itself, so it's not like it would become better with different instruments, but that's just me wondering. I actually just like how you can have a lot of different stories with the same song.

ChronoNomad responds:

Many thanks, SourJovis! Interestingly enough, although I've listed out my own ideas for the song, I had rather hoped that some would simply let their own imaginations run wild to tell a unique and varied story. That's part of the fun, after all! Music is wonderfully subjective that way.

The past couple of years especially, my Pixel Day goal has been to create a track that embraces a number of genres...besides the obvious Chiptune, of course. Classic Fantasy RPG themes, but with a twist. Your review has made me feel like this has been a success, and ultimately makes the whole endeavor worthwhile.

So many tales could be told through such a soundtrack. So many songs could be sung. The imagination truly is a miraculous thing, and I thank you very much for listening.

[[SNES] Abyss]

Great song. The snes sounds make it feel very familiar and nostalgic, but the fact it's 16-bit doesn't take away from the quality at all. Only few composers manage to have that effect on me. David Wise being one of those few.

Alyxandr responds:

That's incredibly flattering, thank you!!! Having modern tools at your disposal rather than coding music makes the process MUCH simpler and straightforward.

David Wise in particular had to jump through a lot of hurdles to create the music that he did for Super Nintendo. Nerdwriter did a video essay on Aquatic Ambiance from Donkey Kong Country. In that essay, he explained how Wise meticulously cut and sampled a droning filter sweep in order to adapt it to SNES hardware. Something like that can be done in a few simple clicks these days, but back then required David Wise five weeks of work to pull off.