MrBellington's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Pendragon Legacy]

Hi there, broadly enjoyable piece of music. Definitely has that sort of medieval vibe going for it, and I could even hear it in a video-game. The ocarina melody is lovely, and well-orchestrated with appropriate grace notes, and I wish the main body of the track had riffed off that a bit more. It wanders through some kind-of-nice ideas, never becoming unappealing but never latching onto you in quite the same way the beginning (and end) do with that quite nice female choir and ocarina.

I think this track loses a couple of points on the production side, the middle of the track could definitely do with a neater mix. I would've personally had a bit more weighty bass presence, and more crucially filled out the sound more, it's a little empty.

Good effort none-the-less and I enjoyed it, looking forward to more.

ChronoNomad responds:

Thanks for the in-depth review, MrBellington. I appreciate your feedback and candor regarding the music. While I certainly see what you mean about a lack of bass presence, it really didn't fit with the theme and overall vision that I had for this piece. Parts of this are meant to represent music on the move; instruments that can be played while traveling or upon the field of battle, and to that end there aren't a lot of deep instruments that fit the bill. And while I love many-layered orchestral compositions, I always intended this to possess a simpler sort of less-is-more approach.

Anyway, I'm glad that you enjoyed it, and there's plenty more music in my repertoire for your perusal. Thanks again!

[The Return]

Hiya. I had a listen to your piece, here's some thoughts:

I think I could see what you were going for. The general 'sound' was nice enough, the composition is coherent, there's no terrible mistakes, but this piece is severely let down by weak progressions. There was nothing in there that I could really latch onto. Your tags say 'movie', and 'climax', so I need to be feeling the tension and then the release, the emotions. Suck me in! What is your music trying to evoke or say? What is the idea behind it?

Other issues with this track include a lack of dynamic range. It's all at the same volume, same tempo, same instrumentation. Specific example: you never let up on the rather overpowering bass, so the track never feels like it has a chance to breathe, and neither does the bass have any impact. A rather simple beginner's technique: if you're repeating a phrase, play it once with the bass-line on celli and then on its second airing double it with the double basses. It immediately gives that second repetition some more impact. Example 2: both your violin arrangements and french horn arrangements for the most part are the same rhythms again and again. Whatever about the notes, the lack of rhythmic dynamism makes the whole track feel very stodgy, lethargic and contributes to the feeling of there not really being a flowing idea and rather just 'bits'.

I think it goes without saying that perhaps with meatier samples it might've had some more impact and energy, but I personally I am at my wit's end with compositions that try to cover up weak writing with powerful samples! So I'd focus more on improving your writing, and finding your own voice than hoping an expensive sample library will turn it into Zimmer.

Keep practising, writing and uploading on here! Good luck with your future compositions.

Bitca responds:

I really appreciate you taken the time to review this work, and honestly. I actually couldn't agree with you more. It is repetitive, lacks direction and kind of falls flat in the end.

I was in a bit of a rush to just send out a sample of what I could do in a short time rather than focusing on creating a great composition. As for my writing, definitely needs improvement. I do, however, feel that when I really put my all into it I can create something remarkable.

If you've got the time check out my older track "In Search of Alice" - it has more of a journey to it.
http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/224961

[New Moon]

Takes someone brave to write in CMaj!

I thought it was basically pleasant, but was lacking a strong central idea to tie it together. It kind of wandered a bit, hitting some basically pleasant chords, but never quite forming that satisfying whole. When I listen to cinematic music, I'm listening for some kind of idea, something that connects me to a scene, an emotion, a character, a place. It might be something to consider. Good look with your future work.

Fuzzy-L0g1c responds:

Thank you. This is very helpful. :)

[Premientor - WindWielder (W/Dr]

Hi there. I would echo the sentiments of the review below with regards the intro, it does go on a bit long, it needs something else to catch the audience interest. Your drum writing is pretty good, but the mix is a little empty in parts. I think with the flab trimmed and a fuller orchestral section it could be a pretty cool little piece. Best of luck.

[The Hunt]

I really enjoyed how this piece was put together. It *is* a bit short, but the mix is really clean and neat, great filling of the soundscape - some good brass writing, those raspy trombones are particularly delicious. Great stuff.

[Nocturne nr.5 in C-sharp minor]

Really enjoyable piece of music.

newhansen responds:

Thanks alot! ;)

[Break Through the Night]

Hiya. This was a basically enjoyable piece of music and implemented a lot of the modern action/drama cinematic tropes coherently - quick string ostinati, simple pop-chord progressions, rock percs. So decent stuff there. However, it didn't really do much beyond that for me.

There wasn't really an idea in there that grabbed me, that made me feel like... "okay, here we go, this is the character, this is what they're all about". It was all a bit callow and sparse. It felt a bit more like a sketch for a track than a fully-fledged piece. It needed a bit more zest, a bit more punch, something to elevate it above what we've heard before.

What it needed to grab me was some development. You're trying to tell me a story, give me some points of tension and release. Throw it into another key! Surprise me! For example, you missed a golden opportunity at 0:57 to develop your piece - insert a B-section or whatnot. When it pauses and goes into that long building string, I really felt it was going to change direction, but it carried on in exactly the same vein and tone and missed an opportunity to make an impact. It was the same staccato notes, the same key, the same instruments, the same dynamics at a point where I feel it needed something different. To take me, the listener, to another place. As a result, the ending feels unsatisfying because we haven't been on a journey, we've gone from musical point A, to point A, without visiting any other stops.

All said however, it isn't a bad track at all and I hope this review is taken in the spirit of self-improvement. Good luck with future compositions.

LunyAlex responds:

It is very much taken in the spirit of self-improvement. I appreciate the feedback and am glad that I feel I understand all of it.

I think I somewhat rushed it because I wasn't coming up with anything compelling, which is a horrible habit of mine (I like an idea, I am unable to make it evolve, but I patch it up and upload it somewhere anyway instead of keeping it for a more inspired writing session).

But yea, definitely not trying to excuse myself. Thanks again for the advice and critique! Very useful in giving a more long term perspective.

[Awe]

Hiya, I think you got the basic style down, but I think there's some things you could do to broadly improve it. Arrangement-wise: while it has some appealing chord movements here and there, it kind of wanders around a little bit aimlessly, particularly from 1 minute onwards until maybe 2 and half minutes, you run the danger of boring people a bit. I was going to rate it a bit higher but ended up lowering it as it went on because it didn't feel like it took me anywhere. Take me on a journey! Suck me into the world you're writing about.

You describe it as 'dramatic', but it is only superficially so. Drama is emotions, it is conflict and resolution, it is decisions, it is desperation, hope... and your music needs to take you to those places. Make you feel those things. I think your track was all at the same volume, there wasn't much in the way of dynamics, and I think it made it difficult to appreciate the better ideas in there. You need to vary it up, have softer passages, so the loud ones make an impact. I also think the mix was a bit muddled and needed more depth - a better bass presence.

I hope the review is taken in the spirit of self-improvement. Good luck with your work in the future!

[Downstream]

Hi there. I don't think something has to sound 'epic' to be 'cinematic'. Although I now associate the word 'epic' with 'bland' rather than cinematic.

Your music does have the correct constructs to work for parts of a modern day video-game for example, and if you were going for that, you've achieved it. It is pleasant enough to listen to and competently-mixed. Definitely not dislikeable. But that said, as a piece of music in and of itself, it doesn't really have an emotional impact on me. It has no emotional punch, that 'little something' that really gives you that gut wrenching moment, the bit that pulls on your heart strings. Perhaps if you'd strayed a bit from the pop music progressions, and hit a different chord that makes you go 'oh', something to surprise. Of course, a piano playing pop chords *does* work for a lot of people, so if you enjoy doing that sound and know your audience then that's cool too. This is just my opinion. Your mixing is generally fine, and spread generously across the spectrum, so kudos on the production aspect.

Good luck with your future work.