00:00
00:00
Newgrounds Background Image Theme

Picknell just joined the crew!

We need you on the team, too.

Support Newgrounds and get tons of perks for just $2.99!

Create a Free Account and then..

Become a Supporter!

AIM - Fox Dreams

Share

Author Comments

Been waiting all year for this contest to conjure up some dark ambient horror soundscape type thing, but then I saw the rules for this event and decided to take this on a little bit differently! I remembered this fox piece by Aba1 that I saw a while ago, which upon re-looking at, made me think of gentle strummed acoustic guitar and stuff. Added more as I went along and ended up with this song.


Update 5/12- Adjusted reverb, bassline and a couple other things


Cool artist you should check out: aba1.newgrounds.com/

Art I was inspired by: https://www.newgrounds.com/art/view/aba1/winter-fox


iu_301789_6788030.png

Log in / sign up to vote & review!

This is very enjoyable! I especially like the use of percussion and the organ. If possible (I know it's difficult if you're using free/cheap instruments), I suggest working to improve the realism of your virtual performances. That would take the song to the next level.

Petrol4brains responds:

Really glad you liked it! You’re right, the guitar definitely has potential to sound more dynamic, I ignored some features it has for the sake of simplicity but I’ll try to dig in deeper next time I use it!

The instruments, for the most part, work in connection to the artwork. My particular favourite was the choice of acoustic guitar - it's a good choice for creating a sense of comfort and homeliness.

My biggest issues with the track come from its composition and the way the instruments are executed. I think a lot of the pieces are there - you have a good approach in terms of which instruments would work with this sound design, but they feel so uniform that it breaks the flow of the music. Additionally, the composition's chord progression does feel like it can work to create a sense of atmosphere that works with the art, but the accompaniment surrounding the guitar melody is so even that it comes across as clockwork and, as a result, makes the piece a tedious listen.

Having more sense of phrasing, I think, could have helped with the sound design. Little adjustments to the velocity, not so large to be extremely drastic, would have helped create a more dynamic arrangement. I also think that the guitar chords, particularly for the melody, could have had more release to them. Just hearing them play so "perfectly" feels unnatural and takes away from the atmosphere the piece is trying to convey.

I also believe that the composition, particularly the accompaniment, could have benefitted from more rhythmic movement in the bassline. It's not necessarily that there needed to be more notes, but rather consideration as to how the notes are played - when they are held for a bit longer versus played slightly faster, maybe there's some play between syncopation and even notes that hit the strong beats rather than ALL the notes hitting the quarter notes of the metre.

Overall, I think this entry has the right idea of where it's headed, and I think with more detail to the momentum of the composition and phrasing, it could be quite a lovely piece. I do want to mention that I love the section at 3:32, where the bells come in. Their slightly off-pitch sound gives off a wintery charm and I think that was a good way to bring the piece to a close.

Petrol4brains responds:

Thanks, you’ve surely given me a lot to think about and focus on!

I like the combination of the chill guitars and groovy percussion. The melodic content is really cute, and the piece has a smooth flow too. At around :25, I think the organ could've been a bit more legato - the short breaks between notes disrupt the flow a bit. By :53, though, that problem solves itself. I really like the bells/chimes at 1:30, and the rest of the sound design too for that matter. I think my biggest complaint here is probably that the piece could've felt a little more dynamic. I know it's supposed to be chill, but the riffs got a little repetitive by the end. The modulation at 2:55 was certainly a step in the right direction, but they're still the same riffs, just transposed. Overall, really strong work with the melodies, rhythmic content, production, and structuring. Also fits the art perfectly. Keep at it, Petrol4brains! ^^

Using the RuneScape sound fonts? Haha.

Some of the bass notes don’t fit with the chord progression.

Add a bit of reverb. It will help fill out the space in between your guitar notes.

Petrol4brains responds:

You caught me on that bass line! Wasn’t sure if it was super noticeable, but I’ll look into it. Thanks!

Credits & Info

Listens
917
Faves:
2
Votes
12
Score
4.22 / 5.00

Uploaded
May 2, 2021
2:42 PM EDT
Genre
General Rock
File Info
Song
9.3 MB
4 min 3 sec

Licensing Terms

Please contact me if you would like to use this in a project. We can discuss the details.