Quarl's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM - Here They Come!]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
wobwobrob, Here They Come! 9,7,9,10 (35/40)

Well, it seems we have some eccentric character select music for what looks like a curious bunch of playful rascals and bashful vagabonds. I can totally respect that "Saturday morning kids TV show" feeling you wanted to express. It's not terribly far off from what I initially visualized. Given the level of detail in the drawing, I might start by nitpicking mix qualities, the drums in particular are very lo-fi and uncharismatic. The rhythms are all very well written but as a percussionist myself, I'll commonly rib into people for drums that hit at a consistent velocity. Dynamic volume changes are one of the only ways you can convey emotion with atonal instruments such as drums. Once you master creating rhythms with good dynamic range, other more tonal instruments can also benefit from crescendos and decrescendos.

A few additional instrumentation ideas: fun slide whistles, vibraslaps, gongs, chimes, tambs, bells... with so much diversity in that cast of visual characters the song would have benefit from some diversity in your percussion instruments as well. I often fail to include where I find my samples in the commentary but percussive noises could be grabbed from YouTube videos with most people none the wiser. I'm not encouraging you to sample sounds illegally but with a little pitch bend or fidelity work, one could argue that you've made them fair use.

Panning data is something I bring up often but I'll add here that a complex and everchanging dynamic field is saturated with directional information. Panning data can surprise listeners with tones and textures that convey movement. You also make interesting space in your mix when an auxiliary sound or instrument introduces itself with an emphasis on left or right channel. There's a surprising amount of space you can create with good panning data, low bass frequencies typically mix best towards the center but anything else mid to high can be experimented with. An instrument can even express movement through space if you automate changes slowly, a slide whistle in particular can zoom across the room like a UFO.

The chaotic tempo changes were noticed, I loved that element a lot! The outro tone was beautiful. All in all you have a very strong piece, and there's not much more that could be said about it. Thank you for saying what you did in the artist's comments, I've been getting on people's cases for not gushing enough about their work. We're a creative community that thrives on exchanging ideas and the fact that you love AIM is a solid reminder for why I signed up to judge this year. You people all deserve real feedback, but the winner will probably be the user that can manage to leave us speechless. Your work made me smile uncontrollably but again, I'm leaning really into how flat and uncharacteristic those drums sound to justify taking off points. A little work into your dynamics and you'll be among those top composers constantly delivering unquestionably professional music. I'm happy to now be following you wobwobrob :3

wobwobrob responds:

What lovely feedback! AIM is such a cool contest and does so much to link us as a community. Thanks for you all your work towards what must surely be the best one yet!

[AIM - Thingamabob]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
MetalBlinga, Thingamabob 7,8,7,5 (27/40)

I looked at the art and was curious how you'd interpret that imagery. Since I'm a little more familiar with your work than many of the other artists in this contest I wasn't terribly concerned you'd be capable but the thought "how the fuck is he going to convey minimal imagery with maximum music" crossed my mind. After giving the track an initial listen I feel like "relevance to artwork" is going to be the hardest subject to address. Your work is very technical and interesting to listen to so you'll receive high marks on composition, structure, and production. I'm impressed with how much work you put into the percussion but given how you got this whole classic funk and jazz fusion jam session going on, I'm wishing you included some modulations to make the drums sound more alive as well. You have techy but repetitive drum patterns that get a little boring after a while. Modulating the volume knobs over time can give you the illusion that a drummer or drum machine is trying to be more emotive. Dynamic volume control is often a percussion instrument's only means to convey emotion. When all the hits happen at the same velocity over and over, I'm going to get a little sad after a while. Since I'm really hounding the drums, let's talk about additional perc you could have used! Bells, vibraslaps, chimes, ball whistles, tambs, egg shakers, güiro, wood blocks... I wish the percussion was as natural and comfortable as the other instruments you wrote with.

Forgetting about percussion for a minute, let's talk about some visual cues you could have taken from the art. The figure is standing in what looks like a posh residential city scape. There could be samples to convey setting such as traffic or foot steps, crowded spaces. A city, even at it's most relaxing, has a lot of ambient noises and sounds. The girl is clearly comfortable in shorts and looks happy, so it must be a good part of the city or a nice neighborhood. Your breezy and uplifting jazz might fit into the neighborhood well with some polite buskers quietly jamming. The sun seems to be setting so it wouldn't be too warm nor too cold. It's a nice time of day, your music would be a pleasant backdrop at this temperature. I see some birds in the picture which would add a natural element to the art that I'm not necessarily finding echoed in the music. I'm not calling for samples of birds cooing and cawing but something like that would have fit this setting nicely. The half step intervals and chromatic inventions don't always feel pleasant or natural, the notation is more showy than it needs to be to accomplish something that could have been said with less notes.

Please don't burn me for saying that, artists like Mozart and Thelonious Monk coined unapologetic levels of creative integrity when others tried inferring that there are notes in too great of quantity or even "wrong" sounding. A healthier music philosophy worth addressing is the classic jazz adage of “it’s the notes you don’t play that are as important as the ones that you do." The illustration artist conveyed an amazing setting and style using minimal elements and colors. I could argue that you also used a select few instruments to convey your ideas but the constant flourishing and evolution in that lead melody might have conveyed the wrong degree of complexity. Truthfully, I got worn-out listening to this on repeat. Take the "notes you don't play" adage to heart, even heavy hitting genres like dubstep need breathing room from time to time. Outside of an endurance one-hour club mix, every good EDM song has a gentle breakdown, intro, or outro. This work is unrelenting and complex and could benefit from a cooldown period of some kind. TEMPO CHANGES!! Life in a city doesn't always move at the same speed! Sometimes you stop to tie your shoe, read a magazine cover, or wait to cross a street. That calls for tempo changes and more variety in the rhythm section!

I need to stop to convey the fact that you really challenged yourself with the complexity of your music and I can hear it. I love what I'm hearing, but maybe my respect for you is why I'm hitting all these tough points. We can always do better, there's always room to improve but at some point I want to hear something that makes me speechless. Your goal should be to get Quarl to write a review with the least amount of words possible. That's a tough platitude to hit but identifying these things is the only way I can feel like I've justified the scores I'm handing out to my peers. Good luck with the other judges and live beautifully Metalblinga!

metalblinga responds:

Hey Quarl! Long time no see 😄
Man you really went all out on my submission haha. I really appreciate your detailed analysis and feedback 😊

Ah yes, the drums, I actually planned on doing more with that, but literally everything else in the song took up all of my time 😭

About the art, a lot of people in the comments mentioned the song was very reminiscent of games like persona, and they were very much on point with that observation. When I first saw the artwork, I thought, This looks like a really cool still-frame image from an rpg or visual novel. Like the kind of image that would show up during a dialogue scene with a character. And so my song became more of a character's soundtrack conveying their personality and mood rather than focusing on the ambience feel of the environment. I did consider the enviornment, I just didn't focus on it.
Also I focused on jazz because, one, I love jazz lol, and that's just the kind of vibe I got from her appearance, the color palette and even the background. And I deduced from her posture, that she has a very spunky personality, hence the upbeat and somewhat restless nature of the song.

When I made this, I was really tired of making "regular" songs so I made a llllot of questionable creative choices, and for the most part it was hella fun! Although I definitely wouldn't put this in my top 5 songs I ever made.
My plan was to make this for fun and then make a 2nd entry using a cyberpunk themed artwork. That way I could also make a song in the genre I'm most comfortable with (synthwave) and actually get mainstream listeners interested in it. But I kinda lost motivation for that, probly cuz of the Audio Tag Team contest being terribly managed and eventually cancelled, or I just got lazy idk.

One thing's for sure, I had no idea I'd be getting a Quarl review 😳
I definitely would have spiced up the drums AND made a second entry if I knew that 😄

(pardon any typos, I'm a clumsy typer 😛)

[AIM-Tragedy]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
DigitalProdigy, Tragedy: 10,9,10,10 (39)

Good lord, you did the thing that many other users didn't do. You actually wrote up details for your creative inspirations and ideas. So many people lay down one or two sentences like "judge me" while missing the point that the judges are peers. We love to know what makes people tick. You can always benefit as an artist by having a little courage to indulge us with manifestos and feelings. It can feel lonely sometimes when no one takes notice of your ideas but it's not like you ever hurt yourself in competition by giving us things to think about. We also have to operate on "the honor system" in that we have no idea if people just took the easy route and chose work that compliments their style or genre. By indulging, you've taken away a little bit of my potential skepticism so here's a massive "thank you" for including all of that data.

The work itself is very strong and layered. The strings have a very human quality to them in how they trill and tremolo. I don't know anything about the "Chris Hein" sounds but sometimes all it takes is a good plug-in to really separate your work from your peers. When sticking to that live orchestral vibe, human qualities and sounds are a boon to emotion. The only instrument that sounds a little off is that vocal pad, it sounded a little digital with the envelopes but it's barely noticeable. You're getting an almost perfect score from me but there are aspects to the mix that I'll point out and consider. You had the space for a little bit more loudness and bass. The human feelings present in the art are massive, more percussive elements might have painted fuller feeling. The bass drums are what I wanted to hear some more of but they were sparse and far apart. You used mostly mid to high range sounds to paint with, a momentary cello at one point. I'm getting an amazing sense of depth and wonder from this piece but maybe some contemporary sub bass stabs with crescendos/decrescendos could have made it even more potent. Some more background pads or creeping sfx samples? The track has plenty of room for more elements... but I suppose sometimes less is more.

I'm really nit-picking that one point off your score. I might not be justifying it enough with this review but I hope your proud of your work. It was very well done. Great job DigitalProdigy! I hope you have a lovely day :3

DigitalProdigy responds:

Thank you so much for that well thought out and professional review. I always try to paint a picture with my music and sometimes I leave paint in their jars instead of on the canvas. I wanted to add more to the song, but didn't want to over crowd the composition. I agree with what You've about adding sub-bass, or even the loudness of the song, but ultimately I think I was a little afraid of changing the dynamics of the song, and then I said those same words you've said, sometimes less is more. I am proud of what I've accomplished with this song and where I was placed in the contest. It was fun to be a part of something special and to have join so many talented artists and musicians together, while we display our talents to the NG community. It was fun and I can't wait until next year so I can be a part of this special event again again thank so much for the review and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day

[Taking Out The Trash (AIM2022) Roberta]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
Trackers, Taking Out The Trash: 8,5,9,10 (32/40)

Lmao, getting a little old-school Prodigy break beat vibes from those evolving acid synth lines and subby basses. I love that you wrote up a little story to direct our attention as the track changes and evolves. Other users have done similar things in the past and though it can serve as a distraction, it still shows a level of awareness that other users seem to ignore. I went into judging this competition under the impression that relating the music to the art was most essential. This requirement can be a little subjective but by directing my attention with a story you've created a means for me to feel more engaged. I've gotten on other users cases for not writing enough, you went in the exact opposite direction which makes a huge statement.

If I'm going to take off points I'm going to most likely nit-pick production issues. Being a huge EDM nerd myself I'll wonder why you opted for using live drum kit samples and sounds. The drums are the most important element to any genre of EDM and this kind of drum choice comes across as amateurish. Some of the drums sound like Garageband samples and though emulating live drummers is a good production technique for certain sounds and genres, it really takes away from the over all composition and production quality that this could have aspired to. If you go listen to some Prodigy right now you might notice that the energy from the drums matches the energy of the surrounding track as well. Since I'm feeling generous I'll include some tips for producing powerful drum samples in EDM. Often, it just requires starting out with good samples but you can own the samples better by layering sounds to make new sounds. When you write EDM you can really engineer your drums to be unique and special. These drums sound like they belong to an 80s hair metal band. EDM production techniques have gotten so nuanced that people tend to forget the drums are the most important element. With individual drum layers you can bend the pitch of your mids or highs, toy with the fidelity of tones and textures, and develop a signature drum sound that belongs entirely to you. I can respect that the drum kit evolved a little during the track but I wasn't impressed with the over all "rock-and-roll drum sample" vibe. Layer in some punchy 909 snare samples, maybe some clap snares to help crescendo and decrescendo at times? You can make drum rolls entirely from a single snare drum getting pitch bent over time.

The overall work is very strong but I have to nit-pick everything about the work submitted to the contest and my issue with the drums will be a huge hit to your score. EDM drums have gotten so unique and powerful that I'm left feeling like this one missing element is too important to ignore. Listen to some professional drum and bass or some dubstep and try to emulate those drum tones and textures via new samples, layering, and fidelity tools. You're clearly a strong producer but I know we can always be better. I hope that your proud of your work and that I will hear from you again in the future, the EDM scene needs more breakbeat producers pumping out quality tunes.

Trackers responds:

Thanks for taking the time! If I am brutally honest about the choice of kit... I just have never programmed a 'real kit' before. I was having some fun pretending I'd even be capable of playing something like that for real. I'm a big fan of The Prodigy, I'm also old ;), I know exactly what you mean. I just got caught up in the fun of playing with a new toy. Thanks again for volunteering to Judge!

[AIM - Mystery]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
TenodiBoris, Mystery : 8,7,4,1 (20/40)

I took a look at the art before listening to the music and said "oh shit." We're really left to interpret how the art relates to the music and that has the potential to lead to a little disappointment. You took a huge risk by using an abstract, psychedelic, arguably meaningless visual. I'm not getting a lot of structure from the art so when I heard the drum kit I kind of sighed and said "damn." I'm an old drummer and though I love some driving percussion it just didn't fit in with the art you chose. I can acknowledge the work you put into the track, you have some very strong ideas but you should pick a visual next time that really conveys a time, place, feeling, or setting. This track won't manage to stand out from other tracks in the competition and I'm at risk of forgetting about it when compared to some of the other presentations. I feel like you really challenged yourself in some respects such as structure and length, but given how important the art is for this competition you shot yourself in the foot a little.

I want to apologize because so far, this is the harshest review I've written. I mean no harm by it, sometimes we need to hear a little constructive criticism to help guide our creative aspirations. Hopefully I'll hear more from you in the future, I love getting to know the community better. You're a part of our community so never be afraid to share a little bit about yourself and your intentions. It can really help a judge better understand the work if you mention what makes you tick, what you were aiming for, or how you felt personally. You have the space to write a manifesto. Good luck with the other judges, regardless of my review this was a pleasurable track to listen to, if a little strange. Have a wonderful day Tenodi!

TenodiBoris responds:

Thank you for the review :)

[AIM 2022 - should i...?]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
Yoshiii343, should i...?: 8,8,8,8 (32/40)

I've been looking forward to judging your tracks Yosh, they really manage to stand out via style and genre. Admittedly, I have a small bias for droning Indy. The genre might be a little vague to the other judges but having grown up during that period when "Indy rock" was most prolific this sound and style manages to take me back in time. A little Explosions In The Sky and a little Sunny Day Real Estate. I really wish there was some kind of drum line such as a 16th note snare rhythm that crescendos and decrescendos but I'm not certain a driving drum line would benefit the relevance to the art. You managed to make a very contemplative work that lacks a little structure. Interestingly, the art also seems to lack certain structure and depth. I'm very pleased that you took a challenging piece of art and gave it a piece of music that also makes me think.

The only color in the art is a red figure, I think your music could have used a "red figure" of sorts to stand out from the relatively colorless zone of contemplation. Maybe you could have included some orchestral percussion swells to help give your song some colorful climaxes? Some gentle brushed cymbal hits, swells, and orchestral bass drums would have bled nicely into the music to help transition your guitar patterns. That's just a suggestion, you have a very strong piece of work here and it reminds me about why I love hearing from you every now and again. I doubt anyone else in this contest will sound like you.

There was room in the mix for that missing element, that "red figure." I've suggested using samples to some of the other contestants, samples that can help tie the listener to the scene. There is water flowing under a bridge, possibly car traffic moving by, a sidewalk that could host the pitter patter of foot steps. You wrote a very romantic piece of work but you could make it a little more memorable by including atmospheric sounds and ideas. It hurts a little to notice this kind of stuff in other people's work because it took me such a long time to learn it myself. Without solid ties to the scenery of the art work, we're left to judge entirely via how we interpreted the connection. Take away some of that ambiguity with scenic samples or recordings. Good luck swaying the other judges, I really do like this one.

(An afterthought I came to at the time I posted this review, I wish I gave you one extra point for relevancy. I feel like the red figure listening to this again, contemplating my choices and actions. This song is so lovely.)

[AIM 2022 | Siberg - The Journey]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
Siberg, The Journey: 8,8,5,10 (31/40)

A smart piece of art to choose for some downtempo minimal house. The song is moody and drones which really works for the setting in the pixel art. Boring highway drives can get me listening to music I wouldn't normally listen to and admittedly I have a few house tracks in my highway driving mixes. To be honest with you the song is a little boring but so is driving across the country at night hence my high relevancy score.

Despite the positive qualities I can pick up on, I'm just not very impressed when it comes to down-tempo minimal house, artists like Sequenced can fight me. You could have toyed more with your panning data to make the track a little more engaging. Panning an instrument can give off illusions of volume and movement. A sound that's panned will give off the impression that it's a little louder and can be turned down to make more room in the field for other instruments, tones, and samples. Panning will also literally create space on the opposite side of the field. You can engage listeners more when you have tones introduced from unexpected directions. Though you perfectly managed to convey the feelings of the art, boring might not have been the best outcome. There's a lot of standout talent in this competition that got me out of my chair and drooling. Additional panning data might have grabbed my attention some more by emulating the motion of passing cars on a highway.

Though I'm not taking off points for the next bit, I'm going to say that I'm really hounding people this year for not writing more about their work, their creative process, and their feelings. We are a community of nutty artists and content creators. We learn from each other and overtime become familiar with each other's ticks, drives, and desires. I love this community a lot, even though it can sometimes get slightly petty or combative. We're like a family that bickers around the dinner table once a year. Having the courage to say a little bit more about yourself and your work can endear you to others. Regardless of that, thank you for your participation. This is the first time I'm taking notice of you and your work. I only have one "token-house-friend" on Newgrounds but you could teach the rest of us how to love the genre as much as he did for me.

Siberg responds:

Thanks for the words. I agree with you on many of your points. So, I'll elaborate on a bit of my process for this track because I agree more people on this platform should talk about their creative processes and I honestly never do that. Partially because I still consider myself an apprentice level producer even with 10 years of FL Studio knowledge in my head.

This track was made in 4 hours. I think I started with the "wow wow woooow" and added reverb and stuff. I thought it was cool so I decided to make something around that. Next, I added the backing synth chord layer to give it some life. Then, the beats and the bass. I usually try to get the sidechaining done once I decide on a kick and bass. It's a chore at this point since I've done it so many times and I try to work quickly so I don't lose the next idea in my head.

The kick is actually the very first kick in 'Tame Impala - Borderline'. All I did was turn up the bass, lower the highs and cut the tail. Also, the ambient sounds throughout the track (you can hear at the 1st and 8th bar for reference) are actually the vocals to 'Circa Survive - Frozen Creek' with a long attack reverb on it which gives you a unique pad effect. I was gonna put vocals in there but I usually shy away from the idea, but not before adding some and messing around for a bit. That about sums it up. The track is boring. :) If using these samples are against the rules, then I guess I just dug my own grave. RIPBOZO

Plug-ins / VSTs:
Bass - DCO-106
Chords - Sylenth1
Intro Synth - Sylenth 1
Lead Synth - Repro-1
Wow Wow Wow - "Cymatics - SYNTH Motion - C"

[AIM - Storytellers Tale]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
Azurenite: Storytellers Tale 10,10,10,10 (40)

You missed an apostrophe. "Storyteller's" is possessive and deserves a comma, -50 points.

Just kidding, this is delightful to listen to. Something the other judges might not know is that traditional Japanese music is very fluid, sometimes lacking rhythm completely (I actually did share this factoid with them via Discord). I was told in college that flute players divided time not with time signatures but with the length of their breaths which is a very abstract, beautiful, and human way to divide time. You not only did justice to the art but you managed to do justice to the culture and style of traditional music. This work sounds alive and Zen-like. I feel like I'm sitting down in a Japanese café drinking tea and the players are here with me. I have a lot of music to review but I'm thankful that you produced something which is in my opinion "perfect" so that I can give you a subtle nod and continue about my way. Continue with your expert music making aspirations, keep writing powerful tunes, and meter this compliment so that it doesn't affect your ego.

(I notice that you signed up with Newgrounds not terribly long ago, don't be afraid to share more of yourself with words! The space to write authors comments is a place where we can get to know your thought process and inspirations. I'm really gonna hound on people in this comp for not sharing more about their inner workings because this is a tough competition to judge. I have a lot of music to listen to and I like to absorb as much data as possible so I have a sense that I'm giving top scores to artists that have the drive to become the best version of themselves possible. We are a community of like-minded enthusiasts and artistic renegades and we like to know each other better. Offering up some info into what you were feeling or thinking can sway some of us into understanding your intentions better, we often get hooked on learning from each other. You had a lot to say with your music but don't always expect the work to speak for itself.)

[AIM - Battle of Ships]

Quarl AIM 2022 Review
Composition/Structure (0-10), Production (0-10), Emotion (0-10), Relevance to Artwork (0-10)
JinZ Battle Of Ships: 10,8,10,10 (38/40)

Stop making me bop to this, I'm trying to compare how this song relates back to the art and the listenability/complexity is making me hella biased. Good work on making a track so wonderfully engaging and energetic.

I'm gonna nit pick the mix a little, it looks like you maxed out your sound field but the track is sounding a little flat for some reason. I might recommend experimenting with your panning data. Sounds that are panned give off the illusion that they are a little louder and panning will free up room on the other side of the field for other tones and textures. Dynamic changes to stereo data can make a track become more engaging for the listener. Panning also emulates "movement," which is a powerful tool a lot of producers never take advantage of. This track kicks so much ass, I just wish the mix down was perfect. I won't take off too many points for the mix but this is one of my genres and I'd love to hear you do it at 110%. I'm also getting on some people's case for not writing enough, Newgrounds is a community that feeds back into itself, sometimes we're like a family that argues. After spending decades of my life on this website I've come to appreciate knowing more about people that come through here. Use this creative space to develop a manifesto of sorts. Your kind to include your age on your profile, I've worked with a lot of prodigies here that went on to do impressive things. I believe you'll do very well with a metered anticipation of your future. FYI, there's almost no money in music but you can still pursue your dreams and find satisfaction with your work regardless of outcome. I'd be very satisfied with this amazing work of sound design if it was my own.

I'm not taking off massive points for the mix/panning because the art chosen is legit hi-class pixel art. The music is almost too good for the art but the fact that it's animated is playing into a deceptive degree of complexity. You did honor to the artist with work that makes me wish this was a steam game I could purchase and play. Though the mix sounds a little flat, there's still plenty of room for ambient sfx if this was playing in the background of a video game. That space is where I'd sneak in classic retro 8-bit chips and blips, panned to emulate their location on the screen. At the moment of scoring this, I feel you have exceptionally accomplished the task of the contest. Each judge will approach the subs in their own way but know that I loved this, and it was a treat to listen to. Top tier work.

An additional footnote I'm adding at the time of posting this review, don't be afraid to write more about your creative process, what specifically inspired you, and how it relates to the visual. Tagging your equipment is beneficial, this is a community of peers that often loves and rewards data. You don't have to write as much as I do but I take notice when people include their feelings. Often it feels like no one is listening or paying attention but when they do, holy shit it feels good. I hope you have a wonderful day JinZ, salud!

JinZ responds:

Tysm for this feedback
I think youre right, i should elaborate what was going on before i release a track xD