Quarl's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM - Sonarity]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
DiosselMusic, Sonarity: 8,8,10,7 (33/40)

I admire you for being honest about your thoughts and feelings in the author's comments. Too many people couldn't be bothered to write much and in one case, nothing at all. I was asked to judge for "emotion" and that's an element open to massive interpretation. When Johnny K. Guy introduced this contest back in 2013, community was a huge theme. A rule that was lost over the years but was integral to the original contest was "ask the artist if you can use their picture for the contest and make a song inspired by the picture." The point was to build bonds, connections, and social skills. The contest reached across the music portal and into the realm of the art portal for the first time resulting in a network of messages going back and forth across Newgrounds. These bonds helped build the integrity of our community. Dizzie's review was heart warming. I wish you had said a little more to how exactly the image and your music was thematically connected because I'm not sure I understand the connections but I'm respecting you for just having the bravery to make the statements that you did. It sounded like you actually reached out to Dizzie and got permission, THANK YOU <3

The mid-tier relevancy score kind of stems from that lack of certain inspirations. Theme music for a character can be hard to write, a couple of the other contestants nailed it. As a huge Junglist myself, when I hear Drum & Bass I immediately associate it with people and faces from the scene. EDM genres pulse with nostalgia of nightclubs, video games, and long-ass DJ sets. I'm not quick to remove DNB from that very specific scene and history. I'm seeing stars and mobiles in the illustration which I would have connected to the music via glittering chimes, gentle cymbal swells, and panning data... actually, I caught your creative use of panning data with those delayed piano patches. Effing beautiful patch Diossel <3

Sadly, sometimes it can feel like musicians are sticking to their strengths when they might have benefit from going a little outside their comfort zones. I know you're a Junglist and this track rocks but an image with some more futuristic architecture and space imagery might have played to your strengths better. I have a lot of respect for this song but I'm trying super hard to take everything into consideration so that I can say I judged this contest fairly. You did the artist serious justice, I just wish I could hear the connections to the illustration as well as Dizzie could. I gave you a few extra points in relevancy and emotion for that little bit of networking I saw.

Despite the somewhat low relevancy (imo) you made some awesome breaks if just a little old-school at this point in time. I'd love to hear you engineer some of your own drum kits. Between you and me, I have the Amen break tattooed as a sheet music band that wraps around my right forearm. It's a very romantic sound as far as I'm concerned but the world of DNB has moved on from namesake loops to snappy pitched up snare drums, multiple drum layers, and depressingly oppressive yet futuristic reese basses. Learning to engineer your own kits give you a unique style and energy to stand out from the pack. Liquid made a notable comeback in recent years. To get those techy unique sounds out of your drum kit: experiment. You always have to start out with good drum samples, I usually have a tiny layer of the amen break mixed into my snare drums but they exist only as a layer amongst many simultaneously or sometimes used individually as ghost snares. I typically have three snare layers that work together to make a big sound but on each layer on their own can be used individually from section to section. A nice crisp 909 snare is great for build ups. A snappy jazz drum or clap snare can be used for an intro or breakdown. Find some snare samples that layer nicely. You can do the same layering tricks for everything on the kit from bass drums to hi-hats, tambourines, and shakers. For an old school break it sounds fairly crisp and well mixed but I would love to hear a slightly more contemporary drum kit from you. It wouldn't have necessarily helped with those relevancy points but I'm using this technical data to inform my scores for "Composition/Structure" & "Production." For such a wonderfully written song I hated having to take off points for anything but I'm doing everything I can to be fair to everyone in this contest. Competitors were at a small disadvantage putting drum and bass in front of me because it's a genre I can nit-pick like no other.

I linked to the following YouTube video for one other composer. Though kind of low fidelity, the snares out of this YouTube video might help layer into your sounds? As a layer, the low fidelity aspect might get lost to the other sounds you use. The video might also demonstrate how special a unique drum sound is, Koan has some great snare drums:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUUx3GeZa_g

Maybe you'd have been better off muting the drums and making two separate versions of this track? An ambient song with these beautiful melodic elements might have vibed with the character better? She's fantastic, stars in her eyes and wings on her head. Drums are super aggressive but I'm not feeling that from the character at all. She's too sweet to roll hard into the club with rude bois, original nuttahs, and grove-riders. I'm so sorry, I'm only coming in here with an essay of feedback because I love what you're writing. We can always get stronger and compose new ideas. This track reminded me of "Run, Run, Run" by Russian DNB artist Receptor, that cat can write some techy DNB. Again, I'm highlighting an issue in that I know the genre and sound very well. You impressed me with great writing, please don't take any of this feedback as hurtful or rude. You knew it wasn't your best but I admire that honesty deeply. Thank you so much Dio <3 <3

DiosselMusic responds:

I'm not going to take any of the comments in a bad way at all, I really appreciate the time you took to write a review on the song, I really enjoy getting feedback from another artist ^^
To be honest, I would have liked to work a little more on the song.
I know I didn't talk about the connection between the song and the art, I was really inspired by what the stars are in the drawing, sona's look makes you notice that they are like her wishes, shooting stars, maybe I went over it too much in my head and ended up adding the amen break lol, once I did there was no going back.
I didn't want to do a quiet song at first.
I wanted to do something moving, that could generate emotions or some kind of connection, which is super hard to do, but I always try.
I will keep in mind all the points you mention and try to improve as a junglist.
Thank you very much Quarl ^^

[The Amalgamate [AIM 2022]]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
TSRBand, The Amalgamate: 9,10,10,10

Space scenery usually lend itself to EDM elements and genres but you clearly reflected hard on the illustration via those lyrics. I had to open up the original illustration page to come across the phrase "amalgamate," I loved that you clearly weaved the other artist's words and inspirations into your own. I wouldn't have caught onto the lyrics with all that throat singing but you clearly wrote lyrics that endeared themselves to the original artist's intentions. The scene they painted and the words themefinland wrote were brutal. Full stop, I can't nit-pick your choices so far.

Given how harsh the competition for this contest is, I justified taking one point off of composition/structure for giving me maximum energy the entire time. I would have loved to hear a more progressive track with an intro, breakdown, or outro that reflected some of that sci-fi futuristic fidelity and atmosphere we hear in genres like dubstep. Don't take that comment the wrong way, for metal this fidelity is pro. To clarify, I'm a huge fan of David Maxim Micic, Chimp Spanner, Mushugga, Animals as Leaders, Chon and those guys really know how to make full use of instrumental diversity and fidelity to make atmospheric metal and inspired soundscapes. Though I don't anticipate you'd want to make use of synthesis to emulate the SFX of shooting stars, space craft, and organic creatures I figured you could have implied some added textures with creative guitar shoegaze. Gentle low volume finger tapping in the frets closest to the pick-ups could have given me a sense of sci-fi organic creatures communicating amongst themselves. Similarly a high pitch slide panned side-to-side could have emulated spacecraft movements seen in the image (like a theremin or sinewave). In all fairness, that throat singing could have been a nod to the amalgamate creatures but I wish you had said so. I'm doing my best to judge this contest fairly and I'm often forced to make a ton of conceptual connections without the aid of the artist sharing their feelings or intentions. Sharing more of your intentions probably wouldn't have affected your score as far as I'm concerned, this track is amazingly brutal but hey... couldn't have hurt with the other judges, right? So many users tried to let the music speak for itself, one user in particular wrote nothing at all. If another judge is biased against metal, they might not hear what I hear. Sometimes you got to defend your thesis with some good words.

All in all, this track is such an incredible show of force. I'm sorry for taking off that one point but that comes from a place of encouragement and fairness. You have a ton of skill and I made sure to promote this in the "front page suggestion thread" via the forums. It was too awesome to not promote some. I wish you included a little gear data because I love to know what people are using and playing with. I see you put that data on your main user page, thank you. I wish you nothing but positive adventures in the future, keep thrashing hard TSR <3

TSRBand responds:

Thanks so much for your kind and detailed comments! I'm happy you liked it :)

[AIM - Panorama Drone]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
CryNN, Panorama Drone: 9,9,9,9 (36/40)

YOU WENT FULL AMBIANCE? Bravery, courage, strength... these are words I am using to describe your audacity. In a world over saturated with high fidelity EDM drums, sexy rock and roll bands, and hip-hop rappers with gold teeth you so bravely took a very different approach this time. I used to pick on ambient to a degree as being a genre that lacks a hook. My sonic arts teacher at Alfred University slapped that out of me a decade ago but that kind of thinking is a serious issue within the world of music. Often times a musicians worst enemy is another musician that just doesn't like your genre or groove. Expanding tastes and growing influences builds a better artist and lets us become empathetic towards one another. Never hate on others in the world of music, even if they're a tragic asshole. Ego plays a big part in our lives, it can be very easy to suddenly become full of yourself and lash out at others. I've fallen into that in the past, maybe everyone does? Never let the rush of being on stage or in front of an audience go to your head. Never boast or brag about signing tracks to labels or publishing albums. Always be a positive force in the world of music, be the role model I wasn't at your age.

With that commentary out of the way, onto the song itself. I can respect your pride in having not used any samples (atmospheric or otherwise) but they don't necessarily hurt dear. Another competitor managed to engineer a saw synth to sound distinctly like a racecar engine revving up. I love hearing what people can do with synthesis and I know you have chops. It's a relaxing image and equally relaxing track. I definitely like this song more than your other track "Dusk." It's a splash of wonderfully mixed sounds. I caught that evolving panning data. There's a car in the image and that might have been an excuse to use a sample of a car driving by, panned from one side to the other to illustrate movement? The clouds imply a little bit of wind and vapor. I can possibly relate the creative panning as an echo towards the swirling environmental elements I just mentioned: wind, clouds, and vapor. I wish you had said a little more about how the track reflects the art, you wrote a fair bit more for your other track. I'd have tossed you a perfect score for emotion had you realized that extra information could have helped you. I've been doing a lot of work for this contest trying to make the connections to the music that people presented. Many users failed to understand that music doesn't always speak for itself. Taking a few moments to say a little bit more about your work when you have the space for it can help toy with our emotions. I don't want to come across like a jerk that scores music unfairly so I take every aspect into account. Newgrounds is first and foremost a community of peers that are all doing their own little thing because they love doing it. I respect my peers deeply, even if it doesn't always come off that way. It's not fair that I can say so much about a person's song and many couldn't be bothered to write just a little. One person in particular wrote nothing and for a contest that primarily revolves around "inspiration" you can only help your case by bravely saying "THIS WORK OF ART INSPIRED ME DEEPLY." You could point out that the panning data was meant to reflect environmental visuals. Some instruments and techniques can reflect things like shooting stars or moving cars. Instead, many users left it up to us to make those conclusions and honestly it takes an idiot like me to make those kinds of conceptual connections. Don't risk it, say it. Make a manifesto that your best peers will acknowledge and compliment. Newgrounds has become a world wide community and you shouldn't miss an opportunity to communicate with it when you can. Some of us can read.

It can feel silly sometimes to write an essay, especially when people hit you with "tldr" but you're not writing your thoughts for those people. Write your thoughts and feelings for the people willing to read it, show pride in your work. My video professor at Alfred University always pushed us to blog and publish books as a means to have a voice as an artist. Personally, I don't like feeling like a webpage that people use to download music for free. I use the author's comments section to tax listeners with the fact that I'm a human with feelings. I don't like feeling used, so I use my voice to stand out where my music cannot. I use my writing to vent frustrations and voice concerns. You're not hurting yourself by saying a little more about your music and your ambitions. I'm a little torn on this track, it's still very good so I'm still giving you a solid score but do chew on what I've mentioned in this review. Never miss an opportunity to endear yourself to your listeners. They might not always want to know you more but you have the power to choose whether they do or they don't.

I got to keep plowing forwards with these reviews but I wish you the best. Regardless of outcome, I'm happy to hear this track and hope you have a wonderful day Cry <3

CryNN responds:

thank you for your kind words. ill try to compone the description more into tracks like this!
tysmtysmtysm

[AIM - Deep Dawn]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
SomeGuyMusic, Deep Dawn: 9,9,7,4

Next year will be very interesting, I've been hounding on competitors for not providing enough data in the author's comments to help direct the judging process. I often had to guess and make my own sad connections to the art. An original theme of the contest when it started in 2013 was building community. Rule #2 from the original 2013 rule set was "ask the artist if you can use their picture for the contest and make a song inspired by the picture." Though the contest dropped that rule I'm sitting over here judging songs and wishing that more users realized that the judges are peers. We have feelings and you can toy with those a little by mentioning your feelings, ideas, which instruments echoed elements to the illustrations, lyrics, anything. I love getting to know more about the artists, musicians, animators, and programmers that I'm surrounded by. Offering up those deeper conceptual ideas can add a degree of authenticity to the aspect of "inspiration." You can endear yourself to your peers by just saying a little more. This is a tough contest to judge and I take EVERYTHING into account to justify the scores I give people. Only took off one or two points for failing to help bridge connections, often music didn't speak for itself. Newgrounds has become a global community and artists need to realize the power their words can have in shaping this community, I want to "inspire" everyone to participate in it just a little bit more by not being afraid to post a manifesto or feelings. You can be more than just a webpage. You can be a role model, memorable, and layered.

There are some incredibly inspired tracks in this contest, you mostly used the author's comments to promote your own music on other platforms. I'm glad that I was asked to judge for "emotion" because I'm feeling a little annoyed writing up essay after essay to justify my scores only to notice that some artists couldn't be bothered to write anything at all. I actually appreciate it when artists and musicians have the self awareness to promote their other projects and websites, good job, but I could have used more insight into your creative process. You've left interpretation entirely up the listener and that's a little dangerous. I took off one or two emotional points for everyone that failed to share their feelings and inspirations but you're also losing an emotion point for keeping the track at one constant energy level for the majority of the time. Some more diversity would have played into crafting a more interesting song.

I also hawked on people for not making use of atmospheric sounds and samples to transport listeners into the scene. The image implies a lot of nature. I can imagine hearing birds and rain. I've pointed to nature documentaries and 1 hour meditation YouTube videos as a decent source for atmospheric samples. Though it's questionably unethical, the judges for this competition and Newgrounds audio mods won't care or hold it against you so long as the sample doesn't become the primary focus of the track. Citing and giving credit back to a particular sample in the author's comments also keeps you honest and we understand that. We're your peers and this is a very forgiving contest. Though copywritten samples can be troublesome, we on the judge panel know it's still a creative tool and you could use it sparingly/justifiably. Not everyone can afford a field recorder and a trip to the ocean to record the sounds of waves crashing, many composers on Newgrounds are young or broke. You could also try to synthesize SFX as an alternative if sampling feels too risky. Another competitor managed to produce very accurate racecar engine noises via a sawtooth synth. You can make rain and wind from a little white noise. A simple sinewave synth with pitch bends and reverb can emulate water droplets.

I hope this was helpful in some way, I'm sorry if you don't understand the point I was trying to make in regards to using the author's comments section to your advantage. I go a little overboard when it comes to feedback but I think I've unintentionally highlighted the simple fact that it's fairly easy to take a little extra time to stand out for your peers. This is a review you might remember for a little while because I'm trying to get you to think. Some of my professors at Alfred University tried to stress the importance of writing blogs or publishing books. As an artist, you can always have a voice outside of your craft and that makes you a more accessible person, skilled in defending a thesis or work of art. The critique process was a huge part of receiving my BFA and there were times when I needed to defend more conceptual work. There will be times when you have to explain yourself. Music doesn't always speak for itself, especially in a contest like this. I wish you the best. Do have a good day Mr. SomeGuyMusic, and I hope to see some more from you in the future :D

SomeGuyMusic responds:

I will definitely keep this in mind for next time and I definitely see your point! The knowledge you've gave me with this review is nothing short of gold that will carry through not just a competition but through some aspects of my music production journey! Thank you so much! I can promise you, everything from me will always improve!

[AIM - Lowlands Scrapyard]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
Everratic, Lowlands Scrapyard: 10,10,10,10

Very lovely orchestrations and elements. Providing me with info in the author's comments was a common point I levied at users who failed to make an effort to write much. That one element can guide judges and listeners to the musician's inspirations possibly not apparent via the music alone. Music doesn't always speak for itself (though my favorite tracks did), it's always worth sharing your thoughts or feelings for the users that are willing to engage with it. This is a community first and foremost that rewards honest engagement. The track was also good enough that I couldn't really be bothered to wait until the end of the track to give you a perfect score for emotion. The orchestral transitions were lovely, chimes and cymbal swells well used. Even a little gentle synth play midway. This is an expertly done soundscape the relies on many traditional elements, very professional and commercial.

I asked many other users to make use of atmospheric samples to echo back to the illustrations. That storm at 2:16 was very subtle. I looked at the image again and there is a hint of rainfall. That illuminated ending gives way as if a storm is gently passing. The intro might have benefit from some running water SFX but I actually thought I heard water drops on my first listen. After going back and really listening for it I realized it was a percussive instrument. This track implied a lot with very little. I suppose I could nitpick the mix being a little quiet but despite that tiny waveform the instruments manage to be full and lush. You orchestral people and your paradoxically small wave shapes are an enigma to us hardstyle EDM losers.

Out of 92 tracks I reviewed, you are the 6th and final perfect score. I had hoped the other judges were little more critical to make up for my friendly scores to avoid a short list of perfect 40s. I wish you the best and encourage you to listen to the other submissions. This contest is always a blast because I get the opportunity to get to know Newgrounds musicians a little better. Though I recognized your name in my score sheet I'm giving everyone the same critical eye but I couldn't take off any points for this without feeling overly critical. It would have hurt me to do so. Have a wonderful day Ever <3

Everratic responds:

Thank you so much for the detailed review and for being a judge! It was a fun event and I enjoyed listening to many of the submissions - there were indeed many excellent ones this year.

[AIM - Girl With A Knife]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
ChromaCee, Girl With A Knife: 9,10,8,10

Thank you for providing some relative data in the author's comments. Since one of the key elements of the contest is "inspiration," providing key data only helps an artist's cause via communicating conceptual ideas not easily conveyed to the listeners via the music. I'm taking everything into account for fairness and too many users didn't write much or in one or two cases, anything at all. Judging for "inspiration" is often subjective but having a manifesto helps direct attention. The image itself isn't terribly inspiring but recording percussion with knives suited the character well, I wouldn't have notice that without your statements. That squishy climax sample at 2:59 implies a viscous stab wound. You did a really good job with very simple elements. The production was very well done, creative, and fun. The reason I mentioned that the image isn't very inspiring is because someone less familiar with Nene might not understand the character well enough to connect the knives.

She literally begs Pico to kill her in the original Pico's school. How she became a reoccurring Newgrounds character after dying in the 90's always confused me a little but she's a fun if incredibly flawed character known for over-reacting. I kind of identify with her manic energy a little bit, I often emotionally crash much as she does.

With the popularity of KawaiiSprite's music in FnF, I'm surprised you didn't use some pitched up female vocals or vocoder. This would have been a good character to include a voice actor or some other form of reference to Nene. The knives aren't enough, imo. She is after all very human and the track could use a little more of her humanity. The track is dark and moody but Nene is a tragic character that FEELS immensely. You could have toyed with my emotions a little bit more with manic orchestral breakdowns or melodic switch ups. This affected both the "composition/Structure" and my "emotion" scores. Even though I think there is more you could have done with this you still made an otherwise wonderful character theme. I'm nitpicking the lack of diversity only to be fair to the other contestants. Not many competitors tried to make theme music for characters. The first half of the judging process involving the other 92 contestants felt like mostly chiptune music with pixel art, diverging from that is sometimes refreshing. 37/40 is still an awesome score.

In any case, I'm happy to have come across this, have a wonderful day Cee. I hate having to nitpick little things like I did for your track but you are far from the only person I've apologized to while writing up my reviews. Judging contests is emotionally draining but at least I'm better aware of the community and I was happy to come across a name I recognized. The late submissions to the contest seem to have a higher ratio of users that I recognize and compared to the users that submitted material on day one or day two, these later tracks feel a little more authentic and inspired. You made good work bae <3

[Beware - AIM]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
Spadezer, Beware: 10,10,10,10

I would expect an old regular to understand the value of the author's comments. Thanks for providing your thought process, lyrics, and equipment. Since I don't need to waste my time needlessly analyzing how this song connects to the art I can quickly hand out top scores for emotion and relevancy. Working the song title into the lyrics via acrostic poem was sassy. My fiance could hear the song despite the fact that I was wearing headphones and he made a connection to the Gorillaz. For certain this is a fun track and it exudes commercial professionalism.

I actually filled out my score sheet with a perfect 40/40 before I finished listening to it, only song to nab that. I'm trying to keep perfect scores rare but the production was through the roof. I can't nit-pick anything. You're on track for getting the shortest review out of everyone but I thank you for saving me the time and energy. The previous review I wrote was six paragraphs long, mostly sharing production techniques. This was such a pleasure to start my day with, thank you so much Spade and I wish you the best.

(This is an additional footnote I'm adding at time of posting my review because it's not fair that I gave everyone else like 8 paragraphs and you only got two. If you want me to be critical I suppose I could wait outside your window every day and every night, waiting for you to forget to brush your teeth so that I can punch out your window and say "FUCK YOU, YELLOW TEETH HAVING MOFO. ALWAYS BRUSH YOUR TEETH TWICE A DAY AND FLOSS," but I'm not sure how helpful that would be in regards to your music. You wrote something special and I hope you feel proud of your work. gg)

Spadezer responds:

A Gorillaz connection is new. I'm really glad you enjoyed it, and I'm deeply honored by your compliments. I'm glad to hear that you think I have a professional sound.

I don't think you need to punch out my window. My cat would not appreciate that

[AIM - Neo-Noir Nights]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
LuckyDee, Neo-Noir Nights: 8,5,10,10 (33/40)

I'm going to open up my review by pointing out something silly. You went with futuristic Japanese Zen garden vibes but I'm feeling like the image more closely resembles Nordic culture with that big tree of life emanating in the center and golden circles radiating over the canopy. In Norse mythology, life takes the shape of a circle. When one generation dies the next will take it's place for eternity. MINUS FORTY POINTS, CULTURAL FAIL D:< oh wait there's Japanese font in the image... this is awkward... you win this time Lucky but I'm watching you.

You can keep your points for now as I write up my review. It's a 100% bona fide inspired piece of music. There were two other competitors that went with a Japanese illustration and evoked that culture's instruments. Whether they realized it or not, I studied a little music history while at University and came across the fact that Eastern music was counted differently. Most people are familiar with bars and time signatures but traditional Japanese music was rubato as fuck, players would emotively express themselves free from time restrictions minus a discernable pulse. It's why that culture of music has an impromptu style. A measure played on traditional Japanese flute is counted in how long the player takes between breaths. Or so my music appreciation teacher told the Uni class so many years ago, she could have been high for all I know. Half of my art professors were high like 50% of the time. I might have liked to hear an ambient section that takes full advantage of those traditional rhythmic elements, lacking true rhythmic pulse. For the most part the song hits at the same energy level for the majority of the time. A good drum and bass song gives listeners a little time to rest and DJs a time to switch up or drop samples. I might recommend listening to Noisia's Moonway Renegade to hear how they really play with that energy the track over. They take long segments to build up atmosphere and creatively slow down the drums to a hip-hop esque down-tempo kung-fu break.

Thank you for taking the time to write what you did. I've been analyzing author's comments in this contest to better understand artist's intentions and inspirations. It feels a little silly that I can write so much about people's music but they seemingly couldn't be bothered to share anything themselves. Newgrounds is a community of nutty-creative renegades and outcasts. I was asked to judge emotion and having a better sense of the people behind the accounts helps me feel like I'm making the right decisions. This contest is too often left up to interpretation but I fall back on one of the original goals of the contest which was to encourage us all to reach out and get to know one another. I'm giving you solid points for emotion and relevance because you didn't risk letting the music speak for itself. A manifesto is a powerful tool to manipulate my feelings while I'm forced to sit here, taking in the sounds.

I can however take points off for the other categories. It's always dangerous to put Drum & Bass in front of me because I can really nit-pick the mixdown of my own genre. I can appreciate a lot of what I hear from the perspective of a fellow Junglist but the drum samples are a little pale compared to what's popular these days. That was a relatively tiny drum kit for a genre that prides itself on over compressed drums and tight fidelity. You're layering an adorably snappy ghost snare but without the power from the main snare drum to drive things the two snare drums fight for my attention. The most powerful element from the drum kit was the hi-hat, a sound that usually get's a little panning bias and is turned down considerably. When a sound get's panned it creates the illusion that it is louder than it actually is so you can then turn it down a little. That makes room in the mix two ways, the opposite side of the field will have more space but you also turned levels down. Win-win. While bass tones are best mixed towards the center, thinner sounds can bias left or right and find happy little homes to balance each other. Masterful panning takes a lot of practice but it's such a powerful tool and too often underused. Feel free to take notes from the pros, listen to their music and compare it to yours and try to get that fidelity they so effortlessly drivel out constantly.

The genre of Drum & Bass has gone through many evolutions but I somehow doubt this is what it will sound like in the far future. You went with classic clean jazz guitars commonly heard in liquid of earlier decades and I commend you for taking the time to use them. They had a romantic sound but could have benefit from fidelity tools, a little compression, some more pan bias + balancing. I'd have hit that futuristic vibe with timeless sinewaves. A simple sinewave can take so many shapes and grooves. They have long been used in the world of cinematography via theremins to evoke mysterious aliens and UFOs. Any program with a sine wave synth can emulate an ear test with some pan strobes. A sound that gently tickles one ear then the other activates the brain to start trying to locate where the sound is coming from. I assume the future will feature music in much higher definition than surround sound but I've always found surround kind of gimmicky tbh when you can do so much with only two channels. So many people don't make full use of that stereo field. Pan like it's the future Dee. Pan like it's the year 5000, get brave with those stereo locations!

That saw synth jarringly hits full blast at 00:27. There are ways to introduce those kinds of instruments casually. I slap automation lanes onto my volume knobs to slowly crescendo instruments into the action a measure or two early. You can simultaneously play with the pitch bend wheel to slowly "rise" the sound into play. In fact, these kinds of synths are commonly called risers, I assume because they warm up the listener and elevate the energy from section to section. I want to take this moment to apologize, the next critique is very specific and a little unfair. I've been listening to DNB for a long time and the classic reese saw-synth reminds me of a world before 9/11. The 90s were a time when Junglists could wreck a dance floor with that synth. It doesn't necessarily hit the same in 2023 but maybe slap a distortion unit on it? Follow that up with a graphic EQ to boost and cut key frequencies into a compressor. Then you slap a filter of some kind on the signal and play with the freq/res knobs. Use automation lanes to tell the filter what to do and suddenly that cheese-reese becomes a nuero bass. I'm sorry I used the phrase "cheese-reese," that was hurtful and uncalled for but I did warn you of danger when putting DNB in front of me. I mentioned Noisia's Moonway Renegade earlier but that songs a really great example of just how much can be done with a simple sawtooth reese synth after modulating it. Automation is power. Go look it up while realizing that most sources like YouTube will diminish the audio quality some. I bought that track in 2008 like a very simple Noisia whore.

I had a chance to loop this song many times while writing this review. Do understand that I loved what I listened to. There is so much great music in this contest that I'm really taking everything into account. You wrote wonderful melodies and rhythms. Just because the snares didn't pop, and some of the elements are dated, I still liked the offbeat accents and moods. A good ghost snare rhythm can carry the track. Salutations Lucky and may you have a wonderful rest of your day!

LuckyDee responds:

Wow, thanks for the extensive analysis! I won't argue your points either, I'm by no means an expert when it comes to DNB - I do enjoy listening to it from time to time, but never did a deep dive into it to figure out the basic production techniques - nor do I know the first thing about traditional Japanese music, so I'm bloddy intrigued by the picture you paint of it. Like I wrote in the description, all I was looking for was to release some music again, and I'm grateful for the AIM to help me along here. And all the better if I can get some people to dig it along the way. Thanks again, thrilled by the effort you cared to put in <3

[AIM - Anamnesis]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
JoMoMusic, Anamnesis: 10,7,6,1 (24/40)

I'll get right into pointing out that you missed an opportunity to connect to my emotions via the author's comments. I scrolled back up my review file to make sure I didn't write the same thing twice but you missed two opportunities to direct my attention to what may have inspired you. I tend to honor artists to some degree when they force me to understand them. I was asked to judge "emotion" and I'm taking everything into account to meter fairness. Rule #2 of the original AIM in 2013 was to ask artists personally for their permission to use their illustrations. It was a rule intended to get artists communicating with each other to build bonds. Though that rule disappeared over the years, I still feel like community is an important element to this contest. I'm encouraging everyone to write a little more from now on if only to endear yourselves to your peers. I enjoyed judging this year's submissions and am now far more familiar with the diversity in the audio community at this point in time. Never be afraid to drop a manifesto or a few key sentences to provide us some insight into what inspired you in case the music didn't speak for itself.

I'm not sure how the rock'n'roll sounds alluded back to the art. The guitar melodies twinkled a little and the figure appears to be reaching out for something shiny but that's the only connection I can honestly make. You could have said something about timeless Greek architecture in the illustration, I see a white pillar. Classic rock music has a certain timelessness to it I think? This is why you never leave it up to the judges to make connections to the art on their own. Very few composers seem to understand that the main theme of the contest "inspiration" is subjective and if the music doesn't speak for itself then you are best served sharing your thoughts and feelings. I love getting to know the community better. You've been lurking since 2007 and this feels like my first time noticing you. Give me more to remember you by so I can feel an emotional attachment to your work (which emotion was something I was asked to judge and I take artists feelings into account to help nit-pick such an intense competition of music sharks.) Your words can authenticate "inspirations."

I took a couple points off production and I'm pointing to the drums. Though crisp drums are a feature commonly associated with EDM genres there are plenty of metal and rock composers that mix drums powerfully as well. That was a very gentle kick, possibly alluding to the softness of clouds in the art but I'm just spit balling an idea that you could have highlighted in the author's comments. The snare is equally low energy. If you're not going to write a song that clearly and perfectly reflects the illustration than I'd hope you could mix everything perfectly to make up points with production. I'm not sure if you make use of sidechaining, it's a post recording technique that let's you control the levels of instruments using the levels from another instrument. Bass drums are often used as the signal to control levels, a bass drum can tell other instruments like pads and basses to make room by getting momentarily out of the way. Sidechaining is a very powerful tool regardless of genre, it should never be over looked in the studio.

I'm not sure I'm hearing much panning data. Since I like to harp on drums I'll focus on how you can pan them up a little to help make room in the mix and make everything a little crisper. When you pan a sound you create the illusion that the sound is louder than it actually is so you can then turn it down a little. Panning also frees up a little space on the opposite side of the stereo field. Panning creates space but it also emulates space. Though you want to powerfully mix the kick and snare drums to the middle to glue everything together other auxiliary percussion like hi-hats, tambourines, bells, shakers, and cymbals can bias to a side. Imagine the way a drum kit is spread out. A drum roll or fill can move across the field. Pan the first tom a little, keep the second tom in the middle, then toss the final tom to the opposite side of the first. Suddenly a drum fill can create the illusion of space and movement. It breaks up the static monotony of mixing everything to the center and makes for a more interesting mix. Panning professionally takes practice and experimentation but finding good homes for all of your sounds is a masterclass balancing act. Remember, bass tones towards the center for structure, everything else can be toyed with until you find a perfect home for everything.

I don't like handing out low scores, I try my best to justify what I've given people. Do understand that I can hear a lot of talent and potential in your work. You wrote a wonderful piece of music. I hope this comes across as helpful and not upsetting. You've been lurking here for too many years to risk not having a voice with your peers. It can feel silly sharing your thoughts and feelings when you just want to make music but there is a community here that would love to have some more of you. This was an opportunity for me to get to know the community better and so many people wrote next to nothing. I hope to see some more of your work in the future JoMo, don't be invisible :3

[Amiss]

LucidShadowDreamer, Amiss: 10,9,10,9 (38/40)

I didn't even realize you snuck into this contest, who let you in LSD? Was is Annette? I'll let it swing this time BUT I'M KEEPING AN EYE ON YOU, DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING. I haven't even listened to your song yet as per when I wrote this. I noticed your name on the score sheet, got excited, and skipped ahead to write this initial paragraph. I hope you enjoyed it.

Ok, now I'm listening to your music. Haunting and beautiful, colorful. Despite such a small waveform you got some really loud elements and I love that. Many users gave me tiny mixdowns but at max volume this hits my ears pleasantly. Not too loud but not so quiet that I can't make out the finer details on a cell phone. I suppose these mix elements are a side effect from the one instrument you chose to write with. Your melody stylings stand out powerfully, a strength of yours I'm familiar with. I reviewed one of your songs a while back and critiqued your use of synths which are not a strength of yours but I'm always happy to hear people go outside their comfort zone. I didn't feel like this song ventured too far from that comfort zone of yours, this might have been a wonderful track to practice some gentle synth patches and evolving panning data. Dammed if you do damned if you don't, right?

The clouds in the image could imply the movement of wind. That tree is either beat red because it's a Japanese maple or it's fall. Dampness is common in the fall, the water colors makes the road look damp. The instrument patch you used almost sounds like windchimes. You have the orchestral chops to make use of chimes but you didn't. Cymbal swells could have been used to gently crescendo into transitions evoking wind and light. With panning data, those swells could have implied ghostly movements or vapor. The image uses light and shadow very well, gentle bass drums could have darkened the mix up a little to echo the potency of the darker colors. You left it up to the melodies to do all the work of creating all the contrast A VERY BOLD DECISION LSD. WHO LET YOU INTO THIS CONTEST? THIS IS WHY I DON'T TRUST YOU. GOING ALL EXPERIMENTAL FOR A CONTEST YOU COULD HAVE STUCK TO YOUR GUNS AND OWNED. This is why I love you. The competition this year is steep, and I'm trying to be fair to everyone. I hounded other competitors in reviews to write more about their work. You were very brave to say "my personal interpretation of the artwork differs somewhat from the creator's" because I feel like that showed a small flaw. You didn't perfectly embody the spirit of the original illustration despite doing it some serious love and justice. A church bell would have fit the scene well because we have headstones and even one with a cross. The artist aimed to make an illustration that showed "letting go of a loved one's loss," and she spoke of happiness. The sparse but brooding mood your dissonant notes created was odd in comparison. Though the artist was trying to illustrate a positive scene the melodies you used created feelings of unease or lingering. I honor your bravery to make a contradictory statement in the author's comments, so many people chose to say nothing of substance or value. One or two persons mentioned nothing at all. You got my emotion points for toying with me.

I'm sorry I'm not handing you a perfect score but I'm trying my hardest to keep those rare to be fair to everyone. This contest has been a small nightmare to judge because I impetuously decided that I would leave everyone a personalized review like this. You're still one of my favorites Lucid, I wish you the best and may you have a wonderful day <3

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Firstly, I wish to apologise for the delayed response. I try to reply to every review, but when someone has put so much effort in to writing one, I also want to sit down and properly take time to respond. It’s been a while since someone took such time to really put their interpretation of my work into words, so I must thank you for that; it’s nice to feel heard.

As you say, nowadays I feel more like a shadow that lurks in the darkness of Newgrounds, only to share a dream here and there (perhaps for contests or events), so one has to remain lucid or my work will pass by unnoticed.

As for the waveform, I’m guessing that many people master the tracks to -0.1 db, or perhaps even 0. I believe the NG player waveform visual might exponentially grow the closer you get to 0. I master my tracks at -1db, since this better circumvents issues with certain playback devices, and I find achieves enough loudness. These are just some thoughts I haven’t really tested too thoroughly, however! Naturally, it tends to be easier to mix a single instrument.

You caught me trying to stay within my comfort-zone. Well, rather, I chose to stay close to it whilst still experimenting with something I found novel and worthwhile. The methodology brings the Zone of Proximal Development to mind. The main reason I didn’t dare venture too far is because I was travelling, and in Portugal I had no access to Cubase. This meant I had to use FL studio which didn’t require that dongle I forgot back in Finland :p

I see that my (admittedly only slight) worry of people not really ‘getting’ my choices were unfounded with you as a judge. It was nice to mentally listen to the edits you verbally added to the piece! A good reminder that there is never really a complete song, as a single addition or retraction could completely change it, and one could argue for eons which choice is superior.

Whilst there might be some peace in death, I find it is rarely surrounded by merely one emotion. The whole array of feeling might be present in differing degree, for different people. All of this is difficult to understand, even more so to convey. This piece is my attempt to come at least one step closer to conveying that complexity, still falling far short, of course.

Never be sorry for not giving a perfect score! Always give what you feel is right <3

You wished me a wonderful day, but as I am so late in responding, I must wish that you have had a great month (precisely, in fact), and that you on top of that will have a great day.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!