octopus58's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Slicing Stars]

Sounds really spaced out and pretty! I like how relaxing this is and the instruments you used. All the little blips and percussion things amplify the pretty mood, and the bass is very well done too. I can kinda see the OoT inspiration with the lead instrument especially kind of sounding like an ocarina, but not at the same time. Just great work with this in general, keep it up!

dantonsgo responds:

Very pleased to hear. I returned to music for the first time after a two year-long crisis. At the beginning of 2022, I decided that my music is garbage. For a whole 2 years I tried to become better, sorted out different sounds, and finally something happened after a such long time. In times like these, words like this help a lot. Thank you!

[Isalick34 - Cornfield Fire]

I always think it's very admirable when people try to write a song in an odd time signature, because it can prove to be difficult to come up with a good melody. But it looks like you nailed that on the head and made a nice sounding one for sure! The song is really pretty and does resemble some kind of chaos to some extent, so I feel it is befitting to call it Cornfield Fire. My favorite part begins at around 1:52 with the fast arpeggio layered over the top of the melody. I would like to suggest maybe mixing a little better, as some instruments sound like they overpower other ones (in terms of being a bit too loud), and I'd also suggest adding in a little bit more variety as the song feels like it loops a bit sometimes. But I really think you did a great job, and I hope you keep making more tracks!!

Isalick33 responds:

Glad you like it, mixing is currently a weakness of mine that I'll have to be mindful of (I made one of the bass sounds a bit quieter to to reduce the clicking and overpowering), and I agree that the duration of the repetitions are a bit shorter and feel a bit more repetitive than some of my other recent tracks (especially the first half), but I'll try to make sure it's not too redundant going forward.

[Lost and Hound - OST]

Very thematically accurate! The song gives off this atmosphere of uncertainty, mysteriousness, but also this curious kind of hope (especially demonstrated by the piano imo). So it's not sad, and not necessarily happy, but hopeful and explorative mostly. Based on the description, sounds like you hit the spot! The orchestration is also very beautiful and cinematic. Amazing work as always, keep it coming!!

Irish-Soul responds:

Thanks for the thoughtful review! :)

[Peach Passion]

Loved the guitar on this :D
The progression is very nice and soothing, also kind of hopeful/emotional if that makes sense. The combo of instruments you chose really helped amplify the mood but also create a very nice unique atmosphere. Sounded like a mix of a bunch of genres which made it really cool to listen to. Great work, keep it coming!

ThermalLaser responds:

Thank you for your kind words! That's the feeling I was going for, so I'm glad you say that.
I really appreciate the review \m/

[[Belastet] ~ Blueberry Raid]

This sounds sick!! From the beginning, I instantly got reminded of Twilight Techno by Dimrain47 so that was a huge nostalgic throwback. Yet you still managed to make it sound very original and cool, dramatic even! I love the progression you made, and how you mixed a lot of different moods and feelings together (mostly different happy ones). The melody was also pretty dancy too, and the risers/drops were very well made. So in the end you end up having a track that sounds new and fresh, but also very reminiscent of 2000s techno dance. Great work, keep it coming!!

Belastet responds:

Wow thanks man. Honestly this song was really fun to make. And yeah, the first one sounds like Twilight Techno by Dimrain47 which is cool. Thanks for your feedback :)

[Waiting Here For You]

I'm pretty inexperienced with Garage Band so I thought it was just a program where you can put loops together. But this is clearly not that, and it's really cool! Since it's actually you playing guitar, the articulation is very well heard and you play very beautifully. Just a very nice little relaxing tune. Great work, keep it up!

irby responds:

Thank you very much! Believe it or not, this was all recorded from my iPhone microphone as it was connected to GarageBand. I'm surprised the recording quality of it. I'm happy you enjoyed the tune. I really dig getting to record some riffs I enjoy to play and sharing them with others. I plan on releasing some more stuff soon!

[Threads in the air]

Interesting groove you got going on here! It sounds spaced out and chill, but also packs a punch anyways especially with the more distorted instruments. It also has this kind of happy feeling to it as well. I love the way you mixed this so that all the important instruments pop out, and the bass/harmony really supported the melody throughout. Just awesome song in general, keep it coming!!

RonyBinary responds:

Thank you very much <3

[The Morality of a Crayfish]

Congrats on 50 tracks! And yeah this is interesting, because the song actually takes turns between being 7/4 and 8/4. But that gives it a bit more of a unique weird style that makes the song stand out more. While some of the instruments are calm, the melody and time signature provide a strange mysterious feeling at the same time. So it kind of feels like you are on the bottom of the ocean or something, or in some kind of depths, which I think really suits the title haha. I also really like the string instruments you put in to further emphasize this mystic mood you already got going. Great work, keep it up!

SirSandman0 responds:

Thanks for the feedback!

[Anti-Anhedonia]

This sounds like a very interesting combo of two styles I can think of; 2000s dance, and kind of rock-y. It's a very cool combo though! You get a hit of nostalgia while also getting to experience something that sounds completely unique and new. I like the melody, it was simple but nice, and all the instruments worked together very well too. Also a lot of interesting percussion choices as well that sound nice too! Great work, keep it coming :)

Daydream-Anatomy responds:

My influence is very rooted in 00s newgrounds audio portal and video game music. Thanks for the kind words. I fear it's dated a lot of times I upload, heh.

[When It Rains...]

It was really nice to listen to a long piece today. I like this for multiple reasons. For one, the progression isn't really cyclic, so it feels like we constantly get to delve into something new after every once in a bit. There's a good amount of time you get to hear each section before the song moves on, which makes it feel like an adventure. The mixing is very good, and I get to hear every instrument I feel like I'm supposed to hear distinctly. The synths you chose all work great together, and the effects you decided to use were very suitable for the mood/atmosphere you created. I also like the balance of more soft sections and more energy sections. Around 5:07, the rhythm change is pretty cool and refreshing as well. And most importantly, the melody throughout was very beautiful :)

Great work, keep it up!!

Akyut responds:

Thanks a ton!
Am a big fan of progressive metal/soundtracks both, and I like to take a similar approach when it comes to my track arrangement. Shoutouts to Ok Goodnight (seriously, check out 'the fox & the bird', is one of my favorite albums of all time.)

A little unconventional for synthwave/EDM, but I feel there's a lot of untapped potential regarding longer pieces in this space. Appreciate you giving your thoughts on this <3