Jakey-San's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Guardian of the Skies (ft. Troisnyx)]

This is fantastic! You're getting better and better with each track you release.

JessieYun responds:

Hey Jakey-San,
Thank you very much for the comment, really means a lot!

[The Secret of Satera Prime]

This is really cool! Sounds like a few of us ventured out of our comfort zones in this round. How did you do the robot voice? I must know!

Good luck to both you and Peter; this is gonna be a close one.

SoundChris responds:

Thanks a lot Jake for your kind words - glad you enjoyed it! I used and layered 2 vocoders from NI´s Razor for Reaktor 5 to create the robo sounds and had lots of fun fooling around with them ;)

Robotic greetings,

your Cybord of trust

[Sunset Highwave]

Woah yeah! Sounds like a rematch between Van Damme and Bolo Yeung. I really like Chris's track too, so I can't pick a favorite in this battle. Good luck to the both of you.

[Deceived by Demise]

Wowza! In just the past couple of years I've been hearing a massive evolution in your writing and production style, and I think this track even further solidifies how much you absolutely own at the hybrid/orchestral/cinematic soundscape. I first listened as a standalone piece and was already impressed, then I listened in context with the images and synopsis provided for the contest and was blown away. There's an epic story conveyed throughout the highs and lows, as your sense of tension and release seamlessly weaves through the mixture of orchestra and sound design, creating a vivid image of a future world ravaged by nature. Each section of the piece plays a role in your world-building, and compliment each other like two lovers discovering their amazing chemistry. Your production quality is MASSIVE, and honestly I wish I could get my tunes to sound as huge as yours. Much love and respect.

[Whispers of Remembrance]

Beautiful! Funny enough that artwork was one of my final choices to inspire me for last year's AIM, though I went with another ErrorCell piece and then never finished my song in time for the deadline.

Anywho, I think you pulled it off better than I could have, so my hat's off to you. Good luck in the contest!

ChronoNomad responds:

Thank you very much for the review, Jacob! I'm not surprised in the least that this image would be an inspiration to others, and there have been several other ErrorCell-inspired songs submitted to this year's AIM, including a brand new one today. It's too bad that yours missed last year's deadline. Was it still completed regardless? I would love to hear it sometime.

That is very kind of you to say! I tip my own hat to you for such a generous compliment, and I shall endeavor to do my best.

[Mist]

Very nice! The composition is epic and beautiful. The programming on the strings could use some improvement, but it doesn't detract from the overall mood. I like that you utilized the soft dynamics of the piano, which is something that lots of people overlook. Also, the main melody reminds me of Aaron Zigman's score to The Notebook.

[Survival of the Hungriest]

Dude, way to throw the hammer down. This track is epic as fuck! Although it sounds more like a large-scale apocalyptic scenario, rather than a slasher film. But an apocalypse sounds much cooler, so take it as a compliment. ;-)

[No Time Left]

Not much I can say that's already been said by the other guys. You've got a great production, and a great atmosphere as a starting point. But that's kind of where this piece stays: a starting point. Now considering you're relatively new to the cinematic approach, and that you said this was more of an underscore than a dramatic scene, you've got the right idea. But because it's a mood of propulsion or a driving force as you mentioned, there's lots of room for it to evolve without it becoming an epic dynamic statement.

Perhaps a key change, or maybe just adding onto the 4-chord progression you've got going on; you could turn it into 6 or 8 chords as the track progresses, adding tension before shit hits the fan. Also, you could try piling on more heavy-handed instrumentation, such as a string bed and/or staccato buildup, as well as more percussion. With underscores, the goal is to play with the emotions and keep things interesting without having to go over-the-top.

I hope to hear more of this though; you're off to a great start!

Chemiqals responds:

Thank for for the helpful feedback Jacob! I really appreciate it! I'll be sure to remember this when working on tracks in the future! =)

[Oceans Wide]

Oh man, how did I miss this one? Lovely as always; I can recognize your sound from a mile away! Quite possibly your best work in terms of composition and singing performance. The production is still a little dodgy, but you're definitely showing signs of improvement. All the best in the tournament!

[Tree of Life]

Woah

etherealwinds responds:

Back at'cha :]