octopus58's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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 :)

[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. :)

[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!

[Ragtime Piano | SMB2 USA Overworld Theme]

Very nice rendition of this song on a rag time piano :D
I always like how tacky it sounds, and I like the little flairs you added that aren't in the original but fit the instrument super well. Keep it up!

anthonyragus responds:

Eyyy, thank you so much dude! I appreciate your remarks about the small decorations; I went for character and merriment, rather than ease of playing. Keyscape's wing tack piano is so much fun. I used it for my cover of Bob-omb Battlefield from SM64 as well.

[1up]

So much energy! This song sounds super energetic and very uplifting, and the melody is beautiful and changes a lot to keep it varied. Also all the different phases are crazy! You jump to different kinds of bass and percussion, and keep things super interesting from beginning to end. I hope you do well in the contest because this sounds really good. Awesome work, keep it up!!

SazzyBoi responds:

Thank youuu mate thanks for the support! Hope i can go to more but always with somewhat low-profile because all producers in this contest are really good and they have their own style!

[Mighty Ducky Marvin]

While not all the instruments are chiptune-y (especially that whacky trumpet at the end lol) it does definitely give off that feeling, and sounds like a pretty cool videogame song! You had very interesting melodies throughout, as well as very good backing melodies and harmony. It made the song sound very exciting and fun, and constantly spiced things up! Great work, keep it coming :D

Scareev responds:

damnnn i loved your feedback!!! indeed i didn't used a lot of chiptune-y instruments for this tracks, since i was using more of the "soundfonts" of the internet xd, that gave a more 64bit vibe, thank you so much bro!!

[translucent!]

Very creative decisions in this song, I really like it! The chords were definitely unusual to what I'm used to, but they not only gave the song a lot of character, but also this colorful wide and varied feeling. The bass and percussion were well mixed into the song, and the different rises and layers help keep the song varied and not stagnant. And the guitar sounded awesome too! Great work, keep it up :D

xetto responds:

thanks a lot!

[Initial Assault]

Sounded pretty intense! Kind of as if a heavy battle is dawning, or hordes of enemies are coming. The progression of the track really helps convey a small story as well as the atmosphere; tense and gloomy. The percussion you gave this song fits very well with the style but also does a great job at maintaining the energy/action of the track where it's needed. Great work, keep it up!

zTempest responds:

Great analysis of the track. I actually did have a horde of enemies in mind when creating the piece, so you pretty much described the vision I had during the production process.

Thank you for your inspiring feedback :)