I agree with some of the reviews, only partially though. Maybe it is just my own preference but those supersaws or whatever their called seem perfect to me. Although the drop does change the style of the song a bit too much with the heavy bass to the point where it kinda seems out of place.
I don't know for sure, i'm not a professional, just my opinion on it :P
Reviews for "Asau"
Onefin responds:
Thanks for the review! I do tend to write style changes in my pieces, but I try to make the transitions as clear as possible for those changes. Of course, writing said transitions is never easy, and they're always destined to be jarring to some ears out there.
This song is freaking awesome! I am a huge supporter of your songs. I really wish I could download this song though. ;)
Onefin responds:
Hey Byron! DLs will be available when NGAUC ends :)
Strange, I just had a reviewer named Kyron :/
I just recently found your music, and I think a lot of it is pretty good. One thing I can't help but notice is that you criticize shorter reviews for being short and often times vague. You should keep in mind that not everyone has the time or the knowledge to write in-depth reviews. I would understand more if the reviews were negative, as they wouldn't be telling you what you did to get such a bad review, but these people are telling you that they love your music and that in their eyes it's perfect. Also remember that they are taking time out of their day to applaud you, so I wouldn't be so hasty to leave a negative reply.
Now, with that out of the way, it's time we get on to the review.
The beginning of the song is very atmospheric and calm, and it doesn't build up too quickly. I feel like it maintains the perfect pace for it to constantly have something new without overwhelming the listener with too many things at once. The only part I really have a problem with is the drop. The style changes quite quickly, especially at the pace the track was going at the beginning. Also, the drums seem a bit quiet and could be brought to the front of the mix more. The supersaws are a bit loud too, but that's just more of my personal preference. Otherwise, the drop is pretty good. At 3:30, there were a couple of instruments or harmonies that I thought got buried a bit, which isn't a mixing or mastering issue, but it's something a small volume boost could easily fix. Once again, this is mostly preference. Overall, this is a pretty solid track. Keep up the great work!
(One last thing to note; This is more of a melodic dubstep track than it is a house track. It has a house tempo, but everything about this says melodic dubstep. You might want to change it just so people don't get confused. Just a suggestion though...)
Onefin responds:
Hey, Kyron! Thanks for the in-depth review!
I don't criticize people for taking time out of their day for leaving short reviews. I am completely, totally thankful for every single review I get without having to ask. But I DO have a problem when I post my track in the R4R thread, asking for a review, and get something really short and vague. If that person gave me a one-liner, should he deserve any real criticism on his track? All he's done is effortlessly shoved my track out of the way in favor of his. It's essentially the equivalent of saying "Oh, your track is nice HERE'S SOMETHING I MADE [link] TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK AND THAT YOU LOVE IT". And that, in my opinion, is kinda disgusting.
The style changes too quickly? I wrote a build to get it to flow better - faster and louder drums, more pumped-up melodic lines, bigger and fatter chords, etc. The beginning was the more chill part, but the build before the drop was intended to lead into it. Maybe it didn't work quite like I had hoped? What could I do to fix it?
I tried to bring the drums forward, but I had to be wary of mud and clipping. I didn't want to make things TOO loud, otherwise bad stuff would happen. There's already clipping in the piece, too, if you noticed. And the supersaws are probably loud because I was told to make them louder :P
Melodic dubstep? I mean, I guess there are wubs, but I don't think bongos are a part of melodic dubstep :/ eh, I'll consider it.
Thanks once again for the review! I ALWAYS appreciate responses when they aren't done selfishly! :D
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Onefin responds:
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I'm not responsible for judging your piece in the competition, but I like this track a lot. The mood is quirky yet blissful. The melodies are so amazingly cathartic. I might've liked the drums to have a bit more presence during the chorus, but that's basically my only mixing complaint. The instrumentation here is nice. I especially like the percussion at around 2 minutes in. This track is really spacey and atmospheric. Sometimes I feel like it changes moods a little too fast, like the relatively sudden infusion of energy at 2:33, but overall it's a really fun piece. I think you could've brought out those awesome descending harmonies at 3:30 more. Overall, this piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing. Excellent use of harmony and texture. The ambiguous ending works well here too. Nice work! ;D
Onefin responds:
Hey, TL! Thanks a million for dropping by! Glad you liked it!
"Quirky" doesn't have the exact connotation I was looking for, but close enough. That was the goal!
I tried to give the drums more presence, but it seems it wasn't enough. :/ Eh, at least it lets the melodies ring through the space.
Aurgentin below me said the bongos at 2:00 are "awkward" XD I guess that really is just a personal pet peeve for him
Let's see, 2:33... oh yes, that part. I tried to do a sort of callback to the beginning to sort of guide the listener as to where the track would go next so that the energy didn't hit so hard, and I also did a slow tempo boost there. Maybe if the tempo ramped back up more quickly, it would have been less sudden. Take notes, me.
Yeah, I do love that melody at 3:30. Bring it out more? I thought that's why I wrote 3:45, but I guess not :/ How could I have done that? Maybe I could have had more layers backing it, but more layers means more mud... hm
Harmony and texture are two things I love and use a lot! :D
Ambiguous ending? Not quite was I was going for, but I guess that's what ambiguous means, right?
One last time, thanks so much for the review! It means a lot coming from a pro like you! I'll be sure to keep these words in mind in the future!