papkee's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[~SW~ Thoughtspark]

that short description sums up most of my pieces tbh

I dig this thing. I'm not one for experimental drum n bass songs but this one kept me interested for sure. I'm not sure why, either. Everything was selected well and fit well, and it would go perfect in a video game. A few of the leads might've been a bit too harsh but overall I enjoyed it.

SkyeWint responds:

Heyo!

Glad you dig it, man! It was definitely an experiment for me, but it's... actually just one real theme. It's just one theme with a couple variations and a bunch of notes putting them together vaguely.

I agree some of the leads are a bit too harsh. I probably should have reigned in the high end - might do that and reupload it.

Thanks, man! :)

[It's a Girl]

A well-arranged track is what separates the amateurs from the professionals. This track is nothing short of amazing, as is expected from the likes of you.

Songs like this make me want to take the time to actually learn music theory, arrangement, and composition instead of just throwing things at the wall until they sound alright.

Stunning mixing, stunning samples, and just a really good song. It's going in my orchestral playlist for sure.

Bosa responds:

Thank you so much, Papkee! I really appreciate the encouragement and support.

Have a great week,
Jon

[The Journey Home]

Arrangement is absolutely stellar. I'd love to know what you're using right now for samples; those strings sound incredible.

The female vocals (which I'm assuming are live) mix perfectly into the song. If you're looking for nitpicks, the song seems to lack a bit of high end, especially on the higher strings that make them sound a bit muffled. Not bad by any means, but I noticed it.

Overall though, absolutely fantastic. Your brass and the flute at the beginning and the rolls of the timpani to the build-ups are all just stellar and I've listened to the song three times now. Great job as usual.

Bosa responds:

I was already aware of the muffled sound with the higher vins, and I honestly think it may be a problem with either the mp3 compression or perhaps I had the gain too low to pick up enough expression. I hate that it shows up in the music, but hopefully it won't stand out too much to other listeners.

I am using more session vocalists, so expect more of that in the future. I am happy that people still listen to my work here on Newgrounds.

[A Noble Girl]

The arrangement of those horns is just...mmmm. The big swell in the middle was amazingly satisfying, and overall it's right on par with your exceptional quality of work.

The one nitpick I have is that the percussion seemed rather shallow, while much of the other section's instruments had lush reverb. The percussion seemed dry comparatively.

Overall though, it was as stellar and beautiful as it was short and sweet.

Bosa responds:

I did not notice that about the percussion, as it was made in the same studio with the same reverb. It could be a technical difference, my mic positions, or just the sound of percussion ... I'm not sure what's going on there.

Anyway thank you for your observations. I hope to continue making music that inspires and motivates others.

[Tenebrarius]

Well fuck. Looks like you've got round one for sure.

Amazing mixing, amazing progression, amazing sound design, damn guys.

My absolute favorite part is that intro. It's brilliant and amazing and is probably what will win the track.

Good job and good luck!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for reviewing, papkee!

I wish I could share your certainty that this is the winning submission of our group. I think you still have a very reasonable chance of making it, and the same goes for the other contestants. Depends much on the judges, I feel.

I'm very lucky that I'm teaming up with a cinematic beast though! Otherwise, I'd have no chance of making it forward at all XD
If we do win this round, It's all thanks to the wonderful production (and composing!) by dem0lecule.

It feels great to hear that you enjoyed my music box intro :3
I was really unsure of how people would take it, as I quickly made that melody on the same day we finished the track :O
I always feel like I want to have at least something iconic in my tracks, so that people will remember them.

Good luck to you as well! In a week, we'll see how it goes :)

[#1 - We Take Over - NGADM]

I would say this really isn't house, but that doesn't mean it's any less of an enjoyable song.

The first thing that really surprised me about this song is that there's no kick whatsoever. I was expecting some big drumline to start at the drop, and while I was a bit dissappointed I have to say the lack of a defining bass kick beat actually adds to the song and makes it more enjoyable and engaging.

The song was mastered very well, and the composition itself is very solid.

I'm not good at giving long reviews, but I really like the song and good luck in round one!

FlaggedOnArrival responds:

I like to post my music everywhere and change things up a bit from time to time, I know it's not really house music, but there are a couple more house elements in it than others (all 4 or 5 elements) So I just threw it in this section because the traps, 808's, bass and melodies all kind of remind me of great house songs like Blow from Greg Gelis and Michelle Bradshaw, and Rodion Gordin feat. Dvines -- I'm Alive. (without the vocals and kick, of course)

Thanks for the great review papkee :) It truly is a breath of fresh air to read something that's not "o0o0ohhohoh i Liek it so good!" lol...

[Lai's Theme]

Wow. Great arrangement, great tonal transitions, and great contrast from small, light melodies to vast sweeping swells and back again.

The one, ONE thing that bugs me is that a select few of the areas have strange velocities to them. They sound like someone entered them into a DAW, not played them. Other than that one thing though, this piano arrangement is one of the best I've heard, even compared to some of the things I've heard from UC Berkley's concerts.

Great work as always. I really, desperately need to find great sounding piano samples like these. If only I had money.

Great work again, cheers.
-Patrick

Step responds:

Wow, thanks for the hugely encouraging review! The velocities thing is a very valid point, I don't put much thought into each individual velocity so sometimes they end up sounding slightly artificial.

Sorry for the late reply, Internet access is pretty unreliable at the moment! Thanks again for the review, made my day.

[On The Way!]

Very, VERY good composition here.

While I can tell your samples aren't of the highest quality (and neither are mine) the arrangement of this piece really compensates for that. It was mixed rather well, and the timing was all there.

Good job.

SpikeVallentine responds:

Really? Aw, you're just saying that! Thank you, though.

[Saharan Sunrise]

O.o this was not what I expected at all. And I like it!

I really like how you went almost exact-opposite of me. The vibe in the piece is fantastic. I'm loving the strings throughout. You've got a solid piece here, but the ending could've wound down a bit more before that big flourish. There are a few little nitpicks that don't deserve mentioning here but I love this track.