octopus58's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Rift Dimension]

Great instrumentation! It definitely sounded very metal and there was a ton of intensity, but it also sounded very cinematic and synthy. It made for a really cool combo! I really love how you articulated the guitars and the general energy you put into this track, and the effects you added really helped emphasize the space and atmosphere of the song. The synths you chose for melody were also especially cool. Keep up the amazing work!!

DanJohansen responds:

Thanks man, that I shall! Fun fact: a lot of the synths on melodies are played with synth sounds on guitar :D

[Legends of the Black Sea]

Damn 43 Kontakt instances? I have a powerful computer but I feel like it would crap itself if I tried to run a project like that haha

This sounds really good though! Very well written cinematic piece and amazing usage of strings. I feel strings in cinematic pieces are so important because they can build up both emotion and action at the same time with how you articulate them. And in your case, your usage was very well executed. The other instruments really helped contribute to the action and sometimes even magical-ness of the song if that makes sense. And the drums really helped set the rhythm in a clear and exciting way. Amazing song, and good luck in the contest! Keep up the great work :D

GDRyuHayabusa1988 responds:

Thanks, I appreciate it!
I guess some of my future projects will have even more Kontakt libraries :)

[Paroxysm]

This was a fun song to listen to :)
It gave me old techno/trance feelings with a mix of keygen style which I really dig! The melody was really interesting too, and I absolutely love the part that came in at around 01:35 it was so beautiful! The layering of instruments was really well done, and the progression carried the song from start to beginning perfectly. I almost wish it was longer haha. Amazing work, keep it up!!!

[Deep Dungeon]

Interesting track! The mood was really strange, both happy and hopeful, but also kind of uncertain and dark at times. But that's what makes your song unique! The instruments were really cool, and I liked your fast paced percussion. At some points, for some reason, this music reminded me of Kirby 64 music (especially at parts like 1:07)? I dunno if intentional but just a funny thing I felt haha. Also about the desc you wrote, you should never give up on your ambitions! No matter how busy life gets, you will always have time to follow your dreams :)

But yeah great song, really digging the atmosphere you made! Keep up the awesome work :D

[Depths of the Capital]

Very good orchestration, and atmosphere in general. The song sounds desolate and spacious, and as if there is something evil lurking around the corner. It's also such a gentle song that you could make this loop endlessly in some game overworld of some dungeon and it wouldn't phase me at all. The strings were really well done to tug at the emotional side of the song, and the percussion gives a great punch of slow action. I think you did really well on this! Keep up the great work :D

[Hopes & Dances]

You have some really interesting textures in this song! It does sound like synthwave but with maybe something extra? I can't explain but it definitely sounds unusual (in a good way). The progression is slow but makes it feel like a car ride on a highway deep into the night. The piano was also a really cool and unusual addition to a synthwave like track. Great work, keep it up!

CrazyKryz13 responds:

Thanks!

[Vista Sounds - Timeous]

Sounds really pretty and glittery, I love it! I am always quick to notice when the song has different phases, and in your case it's very varied and keeps the song interesting throughout. The energy is also very well maintained and makes the song fun and exciting to listen to. I really like how you make different instruments come in at different parts and combine to make the melody and the secondary melody, it sounds like a big electronic choir almost haha. But yeah this song is awesome, keep up the great work!

Vista-Sound13 responds:

I appreciate you taking the time to write a long yet satisfying review of my work. I would also agree that this piece is fun to listen to lol. :)

[Envious]

All the parts you added are so interesting, they all have great melodies that fit together with the ongoing theme of the song! I like how it feels classical in genre kinda with maybe slightly more of a cinematic twist, and the mood/atmosphere is established very well through your use of the instruments. It sounds kind of angry and nervous which fits the title perfectly I think. The only thing I would suggest is tweaking the mastering/mixing, as sometimes the instruments would sound too loud and overpower everything else (when the melodic strings come in for example, there's a loud noticeable difference). But don't let that discourage you, the song is really cool, and I think you executed it very well! Keep up the great work :D

[Hestillion, the Incense]

Really good intro, and at 00:48 it begins to sound really dramatic! I love how the song just keeps building suspense over time, it sounds like a souls like song to me again but with its own unique flavor! The strings were super well done here on all different kinds of ranges, and the percussion was picked perfectly too. All the other instruments you added fit just right and come in exactly when it feels like they're needed. And lastly, all the phases are super well put together! 03:05's phase is a great way to wrap up the song. Amazing job once again, keep it up!!

Dutonic responds:

Thank you!

[Mongkut Club]

That was a really good beat! I really liked the chops and how hard they felt, and the chops you chose to combine together sounded really cool too! My favorite part was from 00:20 - 01:02 as it sounded the most intense, but the part before was a great intro, and the parts after sounded really impactful too. Great work, keep it up!

meltsteelbeams responds:

Yo mad preesh, however I did forget to add one last loop towards the breakdown which I'll fix in a bit. Glad you enjoyed!