This is an NGADM Round 1 Review

--

Since I was already pretty familiar with your music before you even auditioned, for round 1 I was hoping to get some funk-electro hybrid from you, so you can imagine my surprise when I got a... funk-electro hybrid, haha. Not that I'm complaining; you're really good at that style and I really like it. This is very funky and fun to listen to, with interesting synth choices and some sweet production value.

But man, there are so many places this track could've gone to. It's monotonous and really didn't go very far beyond the main ideas and groove that you establish during the first quarter of the track. Even the break halfway through is just the intro with a few more sounds tacked on. I would've killed for a lead synth solo, some new sounds, or even some crazy stuff like a switch to swing tempo or a new time signature.

So yeah, in my opinion you played it too safe for this track, which is a shame because you've got so much good stuff going on here! Regardless of that opinion, this is still a ton of fun to listen to and a solid submission overall. Good work.

--

SCORE: 8.2/10

NGADM Review

I like the ideas in this track! It’s groovy and fun to listen to. The start of the song is pretty nice and the overall structure has nice and appropriate dynamics changes according to the melodic content. I feel that the structure of the song is very basic though. It’s not bad by any means, but it’s definitely nothing crazy. One thing I would have liked to hear is more diverse melodies. Diversity in your track is something that could be done all around. The melodies, the structure, the arrangement could all use a lot of changes. The track could be a lot more exciting and immersive if it had unique themes to listen to throughout it. The biggest tip I would give overall to make this better is to simply make it more diverse. I think you’ll hear a huge difference in your tracks!

6.5/10

-Ryan

I really liked the space you left yourself at the beginning for the impending epic climax. The chord progression and synths were really engaging and cool. You really show off your sense of rhythm at :55 with those funky and cool melodies! Great! It does seem a little minimalistic in a way, though. Could use some mid-range pads at :55, just to keep the texture a little more well-balanced. The progression is cool, though. This is a well-structured and smooth-flowing piece, if a little repetitive by the end. I also think the production quality of this piece is rather high, which is good. The ending was cool, too – almost ominous in a way. I suppose my main problem here is that you could’ve done a lot more with this. It has such a cool soundscape, and your sense of harmony is clearly on full display here. Why not really aim for some more melodic development, really take those killer synths into the stratosphere, you know? I’ll also say that the kick was a bit dry, although that’s a tiny detail. I suppose a more hard-hitting kick would’ve fit the pizzicato-y vibe of this piece better IMO. Still, nice work here, man! Keep it up. ;)

8.5/10

This review was written for the Newgrounds Audio Death Match 2015.

Great synths and great arrangement! Keep up the great work, I'm a fan of the saw on here!

It's about time I left a review on this track.

Your sound design rocks! The "funky bassline" is cool, the "destroyed piano sound" is cool (despite how terrible I would expect a "destroyed" piano to sound), the "crazy supersaw lead" is cool, the "arp thingy" is cool, IT'S ALL COOL

Your main melody is catchy! I love it! (Sorry for shortness, I can't think of anything to elaborate on)

One thing I'm noticing here that's really nice are your transitions. I say this because I really suck at transitions myself and here they're pretty well done! So good job!

Now for things I didn't like so much. Let's talk about repetition, shall we? I felt this track repeat the same thing many times over. Heck, even the second drop is the same as the first, just with the arp thingy added which you had already introduced anyway. And there's not much melodic variation or sound variation to make things interesting.

I would have liked the drops to have more of an impact. The drop sections are just kinda there, not really sticking out other than the fact that the lead is there. Not really what I would actually call a "drop". But you built up to it well! You just need the drop to be bigger overall, IMO.

Overall, this is a good track! Worthy of being in the NGADM, I'd say. 5/5, 9/10, good luck! :D