Jenni-Harry4eva3's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Imprisoned]

Perusing the ol' Newgrounds Drum & Bass to see what's been going on with some artists. Yours being the first I come across.

Very interesting approaches. You've certainly worked quite hard on this. Many subtle nuances to fill out the track. That "Ah" that is panned left helped to spice things up. Ambiance is placed very nicely in the middle. You're missing a bit of the low-ranges to the ambiance to add more of the "rumble" to the track, since the sub-bass lacks some of that warmth and meaty-ness.

Bassline is pretty well constructed, save for another underlying bassline to fit inbetween the sub (low) and the top layer high-fi grind (high). Always think in terms of the frequency spectrum and how much you can fill out. If you can cover the broad ranges: Low, Mid, and High, you'll start noticing that things will start sounding more "full" and more rounded.

Drum kit is also well-constructed, but... you're really missing out on many aspects of it. You've got the kick, you've got the snare, and the hi-hat (and a very quiet one panned far left for effect). It's missing a lot of the brightness of a real drum kit (hear me out here, because in the way I do things, and it's just my opinion, I always think of a real world setting when I compose my tracks), and while you've got a crash coming in every 4 bars, with it coming back on the 1, it does make for a good transition.

But, it doesn't hurt to round it out with a ride panned slightly left, a very low open hat/crash hitting along with the kick, a couple overheads... ya know what I mean? The kit does sound a little dry as well, so you could certainly throw in a reverb and give it some room to ring out.

All nit-picking out of love for the track aside, this is pretty good. You've got things down quite well.

-Regards,

J.P.

ChasingPresence responds:

Thanks for the well thought out review man! I will definitely use this advice and apply it to my later songs. Cheers!

[A Crusty Veteran of...]

So uh Quarl... Quarl quarl quarl?

But really, really really smoove moves. Loving the slow, progressive melodies with the quick one-shots and ping-pongy synths. Very experimental, and suits my tastebuds for sure. Ambiance fits in quite well, though would like some more mid-range thrown in there to fill it out some more. Just a little somethin' somethin' in the background to give the nice, mid-low rumble.

Regardless, well done, sir.

-J.P.

Quarl responds:

lol, a friend used to tell me that about this song actually. "It's missing something that just goes....AR$ERHRGRGRHGRHR."

I never really understood what he meant but I get it :p

[5o9- Casey]

Pretty nice, pretty nice.

As a rule of thumb, proper Drum & Bass structure is Intro: 64, Main: 64, Break: 32, Main: 64, Outro: 32. Just an FYI, but structure can be changed around, just as long as the bars add up to 256, which is your typical 5-6 minute Drum & Bass track. But hell, as we've seen from many artists, there are tracks that are from 2 minutes to 10. (Not a suggestion, an FYI.)

But, regardless of structure (something that will be fleshed out as you keep practicing with the genre), the track is pretty good. Reminds me of old skool jungle and liquid funk of the 90s.

I quite enjoy the intro pianos. Their delay times add a really good amount of depth and spaciousness to the track, although, it may be a bit much when one has to hear each key play out the duration of the delay. The thin drum kit the beginning seems like a good addition, but I was expecting more rhythm as the bass came in to join the party. It even dropped out so quickly that it left me no time to enjoy it's presence while it lasted.

Bass is pretty deep, but I want more sub. It seems like it's just hiding in the background there. But for this kind of track, it works pretty well.

The synth that follows up with the phase is pretty sweet. And the arp to accompany the synth certainly makes a great addition. But the build-up left me sort of indifferent. The drop has to hit you across the face. It needs to grab your attention. It's what allows you to make your melodic and harmonic statement to the world. The basic snare roll does the job, but it just doesn't seem enough to make one keep interest. It has to provide a "hook", so to speak, to pull in the attention of the listener.

Of course, the Amen break <3 Such a malleable break, and one of the most used breaks of the DnB community, and my most loved of them all, aside from the Think, Firefight, and Apache lol. Interesting that you used it in it's original form. This is more like Breakbeat/Breaks/IDM/Liquid fusion type of track, in the way you manipulate the break to fit with the track.

Breakdown into the next section was pretty smooth. Nice snare delay to end the previous section, and same snare roll into delay used to signify progression into the next section after the appearance of the thin drum kit. Some pretty cool lead stabs you have there to accentuate the main melody of the track.

As the track approaches the outro phase, there just doesn't seem to be enough variation. The same elements used, but the same patterns also used. I was hoping for a different change of pace from the breakdown onward, just to throw it off the rocker, and then bring it back to its original form. It certainly would have helped out. But regardless, it acts as a formal restatement of the the main verse. I'd say, job well done.

Practice makes perfect. This is certainly a step up from your previous tracks. Love where the style is going. Keep rolling with it!

-JP

Killa5o9 responds:

Yo thanks for the info JP, I'll keep this in mind!

[5o9- I'm Back]

Gotta say, mate. F'ckin' BAWS. Taking those skilzors of yours to new heights I see. I'm certainly enjoying this track quite thoroughly!

Honestly? No qualms really. Sounds pretty good!

Great job!

Killa5o9 responds:

Seems like years of work finally payed off! Glad I impressed you, IZK. Here's to a new age in music for me!

[Liquid Power]

Standard NG Reaction.

Surely, this is not one of those. I'm always one for first attempts. Especially when the track is of the liquid variety.

Let's listen to this a couple times...

I shall say, I'm glad you know your Drum & Bass. Many times I explore the DnB audio portal and... majority doesn't really sound anything like it. You have the basic beats and breaks.

The intro is extremely smooth. That entrancing melodic line acts as a great hook. The hi-hats could do with a volumetric rise, as they do come in quite quick.

Also, as they follow the break, they could use some variation to their velocities. Having it continue at the same level of volume doesn't offer much. Especially with a track like this that sounds extremely organic, it would help if the hats were side-chained or had changes in velocity.

Kick is a bit lacking in power. It sounds like the usual bassdrum, which is fine. But you could add another sample that has a bit more 'thump' to it. As for the snare, it's a bit muddy, and I mean muddy in terms of its frequencies. Has all the lows, and the mids, but it needs a nice bright pop to it so it can stand out more.

But for this type of track, it actually works well. I prefer the harder type of kit, but this is completely fine.

Bassline is super creamy. Love the modulation of the LFO. Not over-powering, and not too underrated. Acts a great filler for the lows.

The pads sound quite nice, but something about the chord structure is giving it a bit of issue with the amplitudes. At some points it sounds louder than it is, and others it sounds fine. Might want to sort that out. You could manipulate the envelope of the synth you're using so that the attack is a bit slower, the release a lot longer, and the hold a tad shorter and decay quicker.

You have great melodic fillers and FX. I applaud you for making the track have superior amounts of depth and spaciousness.

Have to say, that vox... just fits superbly well.

Overall? A very good first attempt. You have the basics down, and that I say awesome. I hope to see some improvement! I'll be keeping an eye on you.

-Jandré París

Directinput responds:

Thanks for the great review! Really appreciate it :D

[dramala]

An interesting first attempt.

Perusing the ol' DnB section here, and I find this. I will say, for a first attempt, at least you have the style in mind, and understand how Drum and Bass sounds like, and is supposed to sound like (in terms of the beat), as for the melodic themes, they're up to interpretation.

But, now that you have the focus of how it 'sounds' like, now you must develop your style and your focus of genre, if not a wide range of them to incorporate into your style and songs. Once that's done, then you can focus on the actual mix.

But that's besides the point and for future reference. Onto the now:

This track is... interesting. Super heavy bass drum with a flimsy snare (to be frank) and some over-shadowed hats. There's the basis for the drum kit, for sure, You have that at least.

The melodic lines are quite cool, I think. They mostly drive the song forward, with the raging Low-Fi Bass sort of chiming in every now and then. Good accompaniment, old chap. Not much else besides these few things that make up your song.

I will say, the end is.. random XD. I would have rather heard this loop than hear something very out of place occurring at the end of the track, but it adds some flair and flavor though!

For a first attempt, a job well done. I'll keep my eye on you.

~IZK

(P.S. - This is better than my first attempt, believe me.)

Doumaaa responds:

Wow, man.. what a review. I think you summed it all up pretty nicely and I'm not really sure if I disagree with anything. This was really made like in an hour or two when I was bored and wanted to try something different than just recording vocals and guitars. I'm not really sure I'll be making a lot of dnb things but I'll definitely try some more in the future cause I like the drum and bass type of beat.

Calling the end "random" is quite fitting :D. I think I might try some dnb with vocals in the future.. that would be cool..

Well thanks mate for this worthy review and I'll definitely check out some of your stuff. I already heard something and it sounded great.

Cheers!

[moon rays (drum code mix)]

A Liquid-y, DnB-y, IDM-y piece, for sure.

Quite appreciative of the meshing of various genres to create an intricate and complex piece.

I do quite enjoy the mass amount of drum hits you incorporate and how you play around with it to create some swingin' and jumpy beats. The lack sub-bass is made up with low-fi automated pads and very atmospheric sounds in the background, as well as that very deep bass drum you play with.

A bit of a complaint: the pad on the extreme left and the other on the right tends to be a bit tough on the ol' ears there. I understand that you're trying to create a spacious range to give the song some depth, but the constant LFO automation becomes a tad annoying as well as painful. I would suggest instead of having both pan'd to extremes for the balance, have them move around. That way, it would seem as if the listener would be moving from place to place and section to section.

Love the melodic theme at 3:00. Nicely done combining the delay of the melody with the automated bass-line. Tricky tricky ;)

At some points, would seem that the song kind of jumps for a good second or so, if not for just a moment, and it threw me off a little and made me lose the rhythm. (Not sure if that was intended or if that's something that's happening in my browser ooor what.) Happens quite noticeably at 0:29.

Besides what was notice, this a very interesting piece. Love the complexity. Very varied in all aspects. The mix sounds very fresh, clear and shiny like the moon rays that inspired you to make this track :)

Well done.

~IZK

oddfellowfloyd responds:

Wow, thank you for the awesome constructive critique! :) I can tweak the panning a bit and see if that helps, as I wasn't wanting 'painful', hehe! I also always mix in-production with my DJ'ing (Sony MDR-V700) headphones to hear what it sounds like, as another perspective. Perhaps a small dip in volume would solve the roughness?

That tiny 0:29 'jump' doesn't happen to me, hmm. O.o
But again, thank you for that thoughtful review, mate! :)

Peace,
~Justin

[Smooth Criminal RMX]

Feel DAT POWA, SON!

I BE JAMMIN TO DIS ALL MOFCKIN' DAY. OMFG.

But seriously, pretty sweet ragin' bassline there. Snare needs to slam through the bass though, and the kick has to have that piercing quality so that you can hear it hit through despite your huuuuuuuuuuge reese there.

Suggest gettin' an 808 kick, add the kick you have in there, and probably a hard electro kick. If it's not loud enough, route the track it's mixed in into another track to boost the signal, and compress it.

Same idea can be applied to the snare. Although for the snare, it's missing a few mids here and there, so that might be able to fill it out some more. I can definitely hear the low punch it's giving, so it makes it just audible enough to hear it come through.

Hats are hat and they are shweeeeeet. Definitely diggin' the ghosts as well. Rockin'.

Nice choon. Props!

~IZK

SteakJohnson responds:

CHYEAH! I agree with all criticismms, all drum hits must be SLAMMIN. thanks for the review!

[Grinachi Contest]

Very nice.

I've been looking for a few songs to review, and I must say that this one caught my attention. I am a big fanatic of Liquid, and I would say that this would best represent some of the best Liquid artists out there (i.e. Random Movement, Commix, Logistics, London Elecktricity, etc). Let's get on the review, shall we?

~Rewind~
Alright. From the intro, I can tell that you've spent a good amount of time achieve your effects for your drums. The vocal splicing and stuttering is very well done. The atmosphere in the background is place very well, and your use of wind chimes make very good transitions.

As it progresses into your next section, the vocal effects take it to a whole other level. The sub bass is place so well in the mix, it just brings all of the elements together. I was hoping for a bit of change in the drums. They had fit very well in the intro, but for your next section, it should have been a bit more present. Adding some harder kicks, and a lighter snare would have helped it even more. As it stands, it wasn't offering much.

The break down is nicely done. Plenty of subtle percussion hits and bass hits playing it through quite quickly. Lots of variation is added, and it's well composed. Plenty of melodies to keep the listener interested. Some of them seem a bit static as it's played. A few note changes, and you've got yourself some more variation.

And it comes to the outro, again with those drums. Forgiven of course. The elements surrounding it just seem to pick up the slack for it's lack of representation and presence within the song itself. Again, those vocals well spliced and stuttered. A nice outro. A perfect re-statement of the introduction.

All-in-all, a great job. It does seem like there should be some more added to it, but I'm pretty sure as it is, it sounds quite good. Lot's of nit-picking (I know, but it's out of love for the song), but it's done very well. No complaints about the mix. It sounds excellent to me. I'll be looking out for you. Keep it up.

~[IZK]

SHADOWFOX2 responds:

2 years later and still getting reviews
Good to see another fan of good ol' Liquid DnB!

So you don't like the drums eh?
I agree, I probably could've done a a better job with 'em
80% of my time into this track went to making that guy's voice sound good haha
The rest of it went into the diversity of everything but the drums because they weren't really the driving force of the track, but something to fall back on when you got lost 'cause this track is pretty
busy in the main sections.

I like the way you said "re-statement of the introduction"
I had always thought of it as the "chorus" of the track, like that one part of familiarity in songs that musicians always fall back to.
I had sort of considered this as a song since it actually has verses and whatnot

I thought my essay days were over!
Very impressive review, your thoughts are very much appreciated [and very similar to mine!]
This was from early 2008 though, if I were to remake this now...

[No SOS]

Ah. Awesome.

Yet another artist who appreciates Liquid as much as I do :) Never conform to what's in the NG portal. ('cause we all know that Liquid goes beyond the levels of Darkstep and Hard DnB any day. [Not saying that I don't appreciate Darkstep / Hard DnB for what it is, I just prefer Liquid myself.] There's just something spiritually inspiring about Liquid...) Anyhow, enough of my ramblings. On to the song. From start to finished!

*Rewind*
Very nice little crash you have at the intro there. The kicks are very quick to start things off, and at this point, I know where it's going. Basses are places very nicely in the mix and the patterns are awesome. That little mod you have there fits very well.

The strings/pads are put quite well in the background. And as it slides up and drops into your main verse, those little string plucks (I'm assuming pianos?) just take it to another world.

I must say that your kit is lacking a lot, in terms of punch and presence. (And I'd know. I've been making Liquid for quite a while.) The snare is quite full in your mid-low / mids, but there's no highs. You can add a bit to it so that it can stand out. Maybe filling out those highs with another snare would do it.

As for your kick... I can just barely make it out in the mix. It's that silent (Honestly). Filling out more of those lows will definitely add some presence. You've got your low-mids there, but you need a bass-drum attached to it so you can give it some extra thump when you kick releases.

Not much picky-ness on the hats, because I can make them out just fine. Although, just a bit of volume added to it can bring it out some more.

The other kit you have playing as it breaks down is very nice. Just what I'd expect when I listen to a breakdown: a minimalistic emulation of your first kit :)

Now, let's talk about those sliding basses (the one's that slide down). It does sort of get to me a little bit. It adds a lot to the track, but I think you can tone it down just a tiny bit. (Plus, adding some highs to them would help. They need a bit of colour.)

Interesting outro. I think it could have done without the sliding basses right there. (Or at least a replacement with a sliding sub-bass downward. I think that would have done it more justice.)

Conclusion
----------------
A very nicely made track. A bit lacking in your initial drum kit, so some beefing up would definitely give them more of a presence in your track. Those sliding basses could use with a bit of toning down, but not too much. (That or a replacement with a sub-bass sliding downward.) Your percussions in the background are well placed. So, no complaints about that. Besides these things, everything is in place, and it flows very nicely :) A great job. Keep it goin', yeah? I'll be lookin' out for you.

~[IZK]

fergyanimated responds:

gah, i agree with everything you say there to do with the kits. My folder of samples is terrible, i dont have any good snares at all :(
But im with you, liquid is wicked :)