Cyberdevil's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[GlitchBuddy / 13 / A200]

That 'what does it mean to be cool' answer! XD HELL YEAH!

Great answer on what makes a good community too. And on all things really; aspects of art and creativity too. You have an impressively thorough approach to all things you do @GlitchBuddy - setting the bar high on reviews too, which seems like a rare thing these days. Personally I have a hard time rating things honestly if I leave a review on something I want to show appreciation for, in part because it seems almost a norm to vote five on anything by a friend; especially one who's rated your work before. Give fives and get fives back... but then again it seems the intention with a score changes a bit between different types of content. For some content - made by user you know or no - the rating seems more a show of approval/engagement/appreciation, and nothing more's really required, whereas if you actually have some real feedback to share; critique can really further their work... it's easier to rate honestly. Props on keeping it real though always!

As for sometimes feeling like you have nothing to contribute with a review though: IMO every review's worth something, even if it's just simple affirmation, everyone likes to know their work's seen and appreciated too.

Great interview both of you; you seem like a genuine dude GlitchBuddy. Also shout-out @Picochu on filling in for Shok on this one, creative interpretation on that digital GB alterego! :D

Keep up the great stuff y'all.

-cd-

GlitchBuddy responds:

Thank you Cyberdevil, your kind words are very much appreciated.

What you say is funny, because in real life I'm usually the first one to half-ass things, lol. But there's just something about this website that makes me want to put my absolute best into everything I do on it, whether that's creating art or writing responses like this. I feel as if it makes a lot of difference when a creator puts time and effort into really making their stuff the best it can be, whether it's a piece of art, a forum post or a review.

As for what you said about rating things honestly, this is what I do for all submissions, even those made by friends. This may seem a bit mean to some, especially if the friends in question are leaving 5-star ratings on my own work, but I rate everyone with the same rating system I have in my head, and I only really give 5-star ratings to work that I find absolutely outstanding. Plus, in my opinion, if a friend has made a poor-quality piece of art then it's better to be honest with them and give them pointers on how they could improve.

But yeah, your words have really encouraged me, and I might start writing more reviews now. Glad to know you enjoyed the podcast.

[NG Dublin Meetup 2024 / 12 / A200]

Gotta love the enthusiasm in these! XD And the motivational outro, inspiring! Everyone's NG! Even if you haven't even been on NG before you're just gonna have to join up eventually - you're a Newgrounder already you just don't even know it yet!!!

Sounds like a challenging but also invigorating time over there. :) I didn't know you didn't drink alcoholic beverages man, should've asked a different question... though I did have the maybe best cappuccino I've ever had at an Orange Tree Bakery over there... though wait you didn't drink coffee either did you?! XD Aaa next time I'll have something more relevant to inquire... if there will be a next time.

Fun to see all these photos and doodles too (hey there's Chaz, the dope Dude I share a signature with!), and I'm so curious what's in that age-restricted one in particular. XD Great ep; glad you took that trip after all! Short but really fun Q&A sesh with this one.

Oh and the arts on another level with this one too! Nice work Shok.

-cd-

Aalasteir responds:

Yes, yes, I completely agree! Everyone on NG is passionate and enjoys at least one thing, which makes them 100% part of the community. You can be proud of being a Newgrounder because all it takes is a bit of interest!

I don't drink alcoholic beverages either, and I think you would have been a great chaperone. That's right, I also do not drink coffee. The age-restricted content is a giant penis with schmachma; the full image is on my Twitter. Who created it? I don't think I catched his name.

That was a mistake on my part. I should have made sure that I knew everyone's profile and brought business cards with my Newgrounds profile on them so people would know who I was. Including a picture of my face would have helped them recognize me. I'll add that to my checklist and hopefully remember it for next time.

It was my first time at a meetup, so I was definitely a bit unorganized and didn't think things through. Thank you so much; it's funny you share the signature with Chaz.

Shok's album cover is absolutely amazing, with all the detailed and vibrant colors. It’s so bright and full of happiness.

Yes, this one was short, which I feel provides a good perspective on just how much is said in the regular episodes. It's quite shocking!

[dreamscape]

The name reminds me of the NG audio icon Dreamscaper hmm, there's probably no relation but I can't help wonder. Subconscious homage? ;)

It is a dreamy piece... soft, soothing, a little hopeful, a little melancholy, hesitantly jolly...

There's a slow build with the percussion too, and pauses. The instrumentation's just perfect. The mix balanced and wide. Nothing's ever in the way of anything else, and the sound overall rich and vibrant despite the softness...

This was nice. Thoroughly soothing tune, no more no less.

I mean that in a good way yes.

-cd-

[Fart Boy - The Beating of my Fart]

The idea itself lmao. XD The quick glitch effects on the fart noises were masterful too, some of the mix here's surprisingly intricate or an idea like this... though of course that's a part of what makes it great too. Epic pop song + totally ludicrous concept contrast.

The vocal samples work well, the guitars are bangin', the instrumental overall is great.

Vocals... feel a bit saturated/bassy and auto-tune heavy though. They're neither as clear nor as natural as would seem ideal for them to really match the instrumentation. Be that due to recording equipment or how it's all mixed, hard to tell, they work but could sound so much better! You hit the right notes otherwise it seems. The singing itself is solid.

Awesome idea. Almost awesome execution of it. :)

-cd-

[[phntmnz] romhack]

Atmospheric... though the volume of sound seems to grow almost to the point of clipping for a bit. Maybe over. Frequency range doesn't seem to fully come across at the peaks of loudness.

Overall I like the vibe here though. It's glitchy, digital; spacey in a strange and futuristic kind of way... I can see it working well as part of a soundtrack too.

Nice work.

-cd-

[greggs sausage roll]

Confusing is the name, but the melody actually is a jamming!

This wasn't bad at all... the arrangement's solid, though the actual sound of the instruments feels very FL Studio like. The electric guitar especially doesn't really have that 'life' you expect a guitar to have, with a variable range and distortion - it's always the same throughout.

Work a bit more on instrument tones and production overall and you've got something really good going here I think!

Percussion may be a bit flat and simple too, but IMO the electric guitar feels like the most important focus in getting this to really sound 'alive'.

Good track overall! Good melody. Good atmosphere too.

-cd-

[Reflections]

It definitely does not stop!!! XD Until it does but... loops easy enough. Either it stops or it starts over forever and ever!

I like the vocal effects, especially the oOoOoOh bits, very transient and atmospheric... the rest of the track's a bit too fast for me I think, even though there's an appreciative continuity to the background layers, so you have both that faster foreground action and the continuous; atmospheric backing that goes on throughout...

The composition's great though, production quality clear and airy too, nicely done!

-cd-

[Geekum - Spooky]

Seems a bit more beautiful than spooky to me this one, though do like the vibe!

The 'ooh' type bass that kicks in towards the end was a cool effect too, good variation.

Production quality's on point too; this'd be a great beat to ride over! Good stuff.

-cd-

[Junglejazz Temple]

So jazzy! So rich and vibrant. Somewhat monotone after a while though NGL! Like it's intended to be a beat more so than a standalone song. An instrumental backing for something more; something that keeps it progressing even when the beat stays the same. Apart from the initial build with the intro it feels like it's pretty much all the same loop all the way through...

It's hella rich though. Love the sound. Little repetitive as is.

-cd-

bananam69 responds:

ur exactly correct, this was originally made to an intrumental/backing track for vocals. good ears man

[Sand in Bazarsopolis]

For a while this reminds me of a Blink 182 song. :) Just briefly, the 0:41 part...

Otherwise it really has an airy, exotic kind of vibe to it. Mysterious sometimes. Slow and atmospheric, but not ominous... the percussion really provides a good backing, both the more standard set and the tribal, djembe-like ones in back... they really adapt to the music overall. Never too much. Good transitions. Good beginning, good end.

The melody itself never grows stale either, it keeps evolving, yet keeps the red thread throughout...

It feels a bit short, would've liked it to go longer, but then again I really like how it turned out too. The atmosphere here's special... you can almost smell the sand, the warm dust and glimmer of a distant sun... it builds the setting well. And the groove's dynamic and rich.

Nice work.

-cd-

DaxCamdaxian responds:

I thought a lot about how to give that feeling of being in a bazaar walking through the sand.

I imagine that those who play this tune are characterized with their turbans, their rough cloth garments wrapped between their arms, covering part of their face, and their rustic instruments made of carved wood, and in the middle of them, a punk drummer.

Thanks for giving it a listen :)