Cyberdevil's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Worst Mistake]

The lyrics are great, the flow's good for the most part (gets a bit out of line around 1:55 and onwards) but the music feels overly soft somehow. I like the melody, but the piano is so far in the background it doesn't have that much impact on the track, feels it should enforce the rhyme and not just hide in the shadows of time. The beat stopping for the hooks; piano growing louder is nice, but how about a change of melody at that same time? IMO it grows a bit monotone. Unless that monotony is supposed to be symbolic to the content then it'd be useful variation.

I notice there's a lot of hissing - maybe try to annunciate the S's less? Overall it's an intense track; a messily metaphoric fluency that kinda never reaches the moment of truth and clarity you expect, just fades away, something you can really 'get down' to. :P Nice work!

-cd-

[I'm Sane feat. Rudy V and Jack]

That video was awesome, cookie monster cameo and everything. :D I'm not here to review that part though, as for the music:

The music itself was great, I like the jazzy touch it has to it, and a steady oldskool beat to back it up. I feel the rap could be more fluent though. It starts great, but some parts of the following verses and hook don't really flow as well as they could, I particularly notice the 'only in death you see what I've done'... it's all about building lines with (audibly, doesn't really need to be exact) equal amounts of syllables to create a steady rhythm, between lines as well as within lines if you voice them in chunks, like you do in the hook - but you probably know that. A concrete way to fix that line, maybe add a will before the you? That way the three parts of the line are all the same length and you don't need to drag the middle part out. Tiny details...

Some parts of the verse could be clearer, I'm listening a few times to that 'ball and chain' part but just can't hear what you say before that. Lyrics would be nice at this point! :) Overall it's great, I like the flow, the music, the choice of words (creatively unique) and everything, but maybe polish the lines a bit or practice the flow some more? I know it's harder than it seems to sound truly fluent. Keep it going!

-cd-

[Flicker Out]

This was a really nice track. I was expecting a longer build-up at the beginning when the beat starts, but the music just kicks in right away! After that point it doesn't progress quite as quickly, but the pace feels right. The twist to exotic and Asian around 0:30 is interesting, and when the voices combine with that it's an almost otherwordly experience. Coincidentally I also got the hypnotizing swirl transition to accompany the music for that phase... just perfect. :D

The shift from strings (wonder what instrument that is? balalaika? mandolin? sitar?) to overall ambiance around 2:30 is probably my favorite part. I like the shuffling beat that kicks in at this stage too. I'd like to provide more feedback but I just like listening to this, can't think of anything I'd want changed. Except for maybe the genre, I understand this could be used for hiphop, but without a verse for it it seems like an entirely different one, at least until the shuffling beat towards the end.

Wonder if the voices are all you? They fade in and out quite nicely. Nice work!

-cd-

joshlul responds:

Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it.
As for the shift from strings, that particular one is a mandolin, and the similar instrument throughout most of the track besides that is a baglamas.
I went with hip hop because I thought it resembled some trip hop artists I know, and because of the dependence on the sub bass to carry the track.
The voices are a mixture of samples of "Pilentze Pee" an often sampled bulgarian chant that can also be heard in songs such as VAST's Touched and Jason Derulo's Breathing, and a reversed and chopped sample of the studio acapella of Lisa Miskovsky's Still Alive.

[Club Amaranthus]

Four days isn't that long, you don't want to know the lengths I go procrastinating with some things. O_o It's a cool track btw, I like the start and the end best, when the bouncy beat that's playing for most of the track stops I realize... that part was actually a little annoying, maybe because it never shifts tone, it's always the same. overall good listen; keep it going!

-cd-

[Pops Frenzy OST1]

This has got a classy arcade feel to it. Smooth, creative, happy, energetic... and it's a perfect loop too. Nice work!

-cd-

[Pops Frenzy OST2]

This is definitely my favorite of the two Pops Frenzy tracks. It's got such a catchy happy laid back style somehow, I just like the melody, energetic yet not too exaggerated in any way. That baseline... I think it reminds me of Smells Like Teen Spirit a bit. Really nice work!

-cd-

GameBalance responds:

Hahaha! It also gives me some feelings that reminds of Smells Like Teen Spirit, but I had no any intention for that XD

[Rectangular Clouds (wip)]

The title fits the track perfectly, it's cloudy, dull, oppressing and monotone somehow. Like a day sitting indoors, you don't feel like going out, you don't feel like doing anything, the world's out of touch, clouds drift and yet like a drifter you pass them by. It's not an incredibly varied piece, but it portrays that theme perfectly. Great background music!

-cd-

Xenophaje responds:

That's not the vision it gave me but I can sort of see it as that. Actually that vision with this could go in a flash anime of some sort maybe. I don't know. I like variance when I make things. repetition only sounds good of its done right which I don't think I can do it right but I've never given in that much effort so who knows. Background music was all it felt like which is part of the reason I branded it as video game music. Thanks for the review.

[Boating day]

It starts of low and slow, bu builds up quickly. I like the rhythm, somewhat psychedelic, funky... and when that wooden drum kicks in it gets a tropical sound too. I don't really picture any boats while I listen to this, it feels more like a train ride, or a car ride, some form of voyage but not one of waves. Well at least not until the wavy sounds around 4:18 start popping into the picture, that's quite the interesting stream. Nice song!

-cd-

[Rejoice!InTheResurrection]

Jesus and His resurrection might be an inspiring thought to some people, but as a purpose-searcher with somewhat different finds that note doesn't really hit. :) It does sound like a resurrection though, mysterious, melancholy, dark... and then with that sudden spark of magic and melody, a miracle, a vision, a meal of nutrition in a starving world.

I really like the atmosphere it brings, both uplifting and sad somehow. Sublime work!

-cd-

SoulSecure responds:

Well, I do cry during worship.

Thank you for your kind words!