Jmagnum's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

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2019-12-04 09:50:57

Fantastic :) Whether you win or not (you will), you are a master pianist. I think you could end up being one of the best in the world if you keep going strong with it.

I also really like the competitions. Years ago, I submitted my "best" song. It did poorly. At that point I made the big step forward by actually purchasing proper software and began working towards creating quality sound. Since that first time, I've mostly submitted semi-experimental songs to get proper feedback. I've never even made it through any of the first knockout rounds for any competitions :S Each failure has been something that has pushed me further. One of my songs called "Bastard" was very well received and frontpaged on this website. That song was actually my response to a certain judge's HARSH criticisms. Basically my way of saying "fuck you". To my ears now, that song has some big flaws, but it is still one of my songs that I am most proud of.

Since then, I believe I have improved myself quite a bit. I still can't get through any knockout rounds, even with songs I viewed as great, but I'll keep trying and improving until I eventually make it through. I don't think I will have the success that you have, but there is something about these NG events that really helps people push forward with their art.

Without the NGUAC and NGADM, I would still be using FL Keys on a Trial version of FL Studio lol. It's all thanks to a random message I got from TaintedLogic in 2016, inviting me to the NGUAC. I view it as genuinely life-changing.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for the confidence you show with regards to this piece!

I feel like I am a fairly good pianist, but the more you learn about something, the more you realise how far you still have to go! I will continue learning on the piano, but I feel like I am a composer first, and pianist second. But, since my compositions require more and more complex playing techniques, I have no doubt I will continue learning ^___^

I'm happy to read about your passion towards the competitions! I used to lurk around Newgrounds for years without actually creating an account, before I even started playing the piano. But after I had been composing for a while, I wanted to find a place to share my work and listen to what other starting artists were up to. I then came across Step's music (Step, ofc, being one of the people who started the NGADM) on Newgrounds, through an animation competition that he had made a track for. I thought, "Wow, people on here can make such amazing music". Not long after, I was following the NGADM of 2013. I eventually created my own account, and started uploading my music on Newgrounds as well. Not long after, I involved myself in the community and took part in all kinds of events, some of them not even music related.

If you go back and listen to some of my first uploads, it's easy to see how far I have come since, and so much of that development is thanks to the NG community, and competitions like the NGADM.

I went back and listened to "Bastard". I can see why you like it so much! I also listened to one of your newer tracks :)
Don't be discouraged by not making it through many rounds. The music competitions on NG are tough! I remember that I didn't even get into the NGUAC one year, even though I would've been put in the "allstars" category at that point. Some other astounding musicians have fallen of at all kinds of different points during the NGADM too. Sometimes you meet the eventual winner in the first round, for instance. Life can also come in the way, as the competition is so long, and you need to be able to compose a new track every three weeks or so. That said, I wouldn't stop trying if you're motivated! I find that as I have developed, I have in the very least been able to get further in the competition for each year. Last year I got third, and this year I will get second place, in the least. If I'm lucky, I suppose I might win too. Basically, what I'm trying to say is, keep it up!

TaintedLogic is a prolific guy indeed. He always leaves proper reviews, and can send hundreds of messages when necessary (and not in a spammy way, ofc). I'm glad to hear that you appreciate these parts of the NG community as well! :DDD
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Possessed

2018-10-29 21:53:46

Enjoyed it. It loops really smoothly too :)

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hey thanks, we're glad you enjoyed it :D!

You're the Same

2018-10-16 04:20:10

This is extremely good

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you :D!

[ Thunderstruck ]

2018-06-28 20:36:56

Hey that's pretty good :) For your first time using FL Studio, you seem to have a really good handle on it. I've been using it for years and I doubt I could do any of this. I'm a bit of a caveman though.

I really like the part at 1:40 in particular

XSTEP-Compositions responds:

Thank you! I'm surprised you think that. I really doubt it though, I think you probably know a lot more than me. This is my first song after all. I appreciate your support!

As My Heart Beats (Remastered)

2018-04-29 01:31:52

This is a wonderful piece. I'm going through some stuff and this hit me hard

Bosa responds:

Thank you, I'm glad it can help you in some way.

Stay Out of the Tomb

2018-01-08 21:36:01

Sounds perfect :D

Bosa responds:

Thank you! :D

“Save the Galaxy One Last Time, Old Buddy?” : "With a Bang."

2017-08-23 10:56:16

That transition at 3:14 makes me cum. That's a smooth transition that I could only dream of accomplishing. The piano before that part sounds perfect too.

Honestly that whole part after that point makes me move my body. I keep listening to it and I'm still bobbing back and forth every time. I'm like an old guy bending his knees and calling it dancing.

I don't care much for the super dnb part, but that's irrelevant considering how much I enjoy the rest of the song.

You have a lot of sounds being used and you use them all well here. Everything is perfectly balanced.

W3R3W00F responds:

Míle buíochas leat as an léirmheas díograiseach :)

My advice, if you want it, is to avoid "block chords", modulate strings and brass sections rather than leave them static, experiment with soft and loud dynamics, be self-critical to watch out for monotony... it can feel like a long, drawn-out, philosophical process. However, the best way to get an idea of where to go is to listen to an idea in your head: Even if you never get exactly what's in there, just trying to aim for that--note for note, instrument for instrument, doing everything in your power to get there--is a great practice routine. This takes time: I started composing in about 2010 or so, and didn't really get what I would call "good" until, at earliest, 2013, but I'm not a frequent composer.

Also, try developing absolute pitch. :) I would say this is an essential tool: plus, it's a nerdy party trick. Pick out notes in songs you love, like the first note of "Astronomy" by Blue Öyster Cult. It's an 'E' note on the piano, and it plays perfectly in my mind, and has since childhood. But once I knew what that note was, I could compare it in my mind against what I was hearing elsewhere. I began picking out E notes wherever I heard them, whether an instrument or a train horn or whatever.
My favorite note is G, my favorite key is G Major: as a result, I can pick out both when I hear them, pretty much anywhere at all. I find myself dreaming in G Major a lot, so I can write down those chords and melodies when I wake up. Again, I was not born with this skill, I just... starting getting it over time.

Keep at it: listen to your head and soul, push yourself to unfamiliar territories, and YES, study music and music theory from home. :) Play chords to songs. See if you can pick out keys songs are in just by hearing them and comparing them to what you've heard before.

Drinking A Weed