This is a NGADM Round 2 Review.

First, a breakdown of my score:
Production: 25/30 (Above Average)
Composition: 27/30 (Great)
Instrumentation: 12/15 (Above Average)
Originality: 8.5/10 (Above Average)
Interest/Emotion: 10/15 (Average)

Total Score: 82.5/100 or 8.25/10 or 4 stars (Above Average)
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The Good:
- The piece really works as a whole, each element fits well together.
- Really nailed the style with some nice modern twists that fit well.
- Nice use of dynamics to keep listener interest- remember, in VGM, the original stuff had to be listenable for long periods of time!
- Effort was VERY CLEAR. I loved all the fine detail work that went into making everything really flow and groove nicely.

The Not-So-Good:
- I felt the piece was too long. Get in, explore your ideas, get out. It slightly overstayed its welcome imho, even with the calm part around 3:10.
- The ending was rough, but acceptable. There's not much canon on how to end a VGM song, as most VGM pieces by their nature had to loop, but one can assume traditional techniques and cadences can apply.
- The track as a whole is not super memorable. This may not have been your intent, but again, drawing from VGM canon, you may want to consider using a memorable main melody/motif that is "singable" or "hummable" and "catchy".

Keep Compos(ed/ing)!
-Samulis

ngadm round 2 review

got that new wave vgm vibe down! almost sounds like something you'd hear on telefuture records. suffers from kinda messy mixing, that super round 4-floor kick doesn't cut through like it should, lots of lost energy there. generally there's just not enough separation of instruments, either through EQ or panning. especially during those big buildups like 2:10-2:20. cutting the reverb off of some (maybe all?) instruments at these points will really help tighten things up i think.

generally good instrument choice though, a bit on the cheesy side but fitting. would've liked less brightness in the main chords in exchange for a super twangy bass sound. the percussion is particularly nice, good mix of vintage sounds with some modern glitchy flair. would've liked a more solid melodic theme, but the solos are good enough to carry the track. loved that last breakdown, real nice breath of fresh air, but i'd prefer it to end there instead of running through the repeat of the middle build up.

overall it's a great improvement on your round 1 track and a really solid effort with minor flaws. good job!

8.2

This is great! I don't have much to say, except for "Good job!" ;)
Favorited :)

This is an NGADM Round 2 Review.

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Another round, another charming VGM tune! You know, contrary to what garlagan said in his review, I don't quite think your style is very original, but in a way that's what I love about it. You've nailed a style that's not done to death in modern times and is still very familiar and nostalgia-inducing, and like in your Round 1 track, it gives this loads of charm and enjoyability. Most of this is coming in the sounds you use, which, while sounding a little harsh at times, synergise SO well with each other. The acid bass, the delayed hypersaw, the laser sound effects, the synth brass, the chimes, the vibrato, the snare-heavy drum patterns... at the risk of sounding like Apple, it just WORKS.

Now that group stages are over I'm able to directly compare competitors with their opponents, and I feel like it's especially viable to do so with you and garlagan since I think it's an easily comparable matchup where each submission has noticeable faults and strengths. In the composition department, I have to admit I think yours takes the cake by a bit. The melodies all sound inspired like in your audition and are structured wonderfully. Your rhythms are probably my favourite aspect of the composition though. You accentuate your rhythms with loads of drum hits and it's just a blast to listen to.

My only issue is kind of similar to the one I had in your Round 1 track. It's the mix. Due to the fact that the frequencies often clash in the lower half of the spectrum, it again gets a little ear-stressing. I don't think the problem is NEARLY as present here because, to my delight, you took my advice and added more dynamic sections, like 1:15 and 3:12. Still, you need to work on making the mix less muddy and cluttered! This is what's giving garlagan an edge, and in a genre where production is so important, I'm afraid it's enough of an edge for me to give him a higher score!

Anyway, the mix isn't bad by any means. It's just a little muddy during the busier sections. Whatever the case, I am starting to get really partial to your music! Good job with this.

SCORE: 8.6/10

Very groovy. Love the progression. Not much to say that hasn't already been said, so I'll keep to saying this is great and Good luck! :3