Score: 9

"Mellow, uplifting"

submission: Distant Texture

date: December 1, 2009

I love the way that everything just seems to come together with this track - all of the component parts just sing as they should, the piano seems to guide them through the transitions and it's a lovely tune all around.

I didn't give you a 10. Pout for me :P

I think that the reasoning behind the above statement is that there was a quieter part of the track at about 3-4 minutes and it could have used the occasional chord from the piano, just to add a little more attachment to the earlier parts of the track - you almost transitioned to a completely different track with it, so trying to keep the whole piece together is a much better production in the end.

[Review Request Club]

Score: 9

"Good name"

submission: Power of the Piano

date: November 30, 2009

I think that the title summed this piece up - there are few dance tracks that could sum up the power that the Piano has like this one.

I think that the only real thing this is lacking is a selection of vocal samples, just to help it progress. I think that you're one of the top 3 piano artists on this site and it's good to hear pieces like this coming through from you. Perhaps you could have had a slower piece of the piano, just to give the tempo a break and allow another facet of the piano's power to come through - dance doesn't always have to be at breakneck speed.

[Review Request Club]

Score: 8

"Good work"

submission: SN/ Spirits of the Fifth Floor

date: November 30, 2009

A well constructed piece, that comes together with a nice melody, carried along by a pulsing beat. Perhaps a little on the short side, but not bad at all.

If it had been looped, the length issues could be dealt with in on fell swoop, leaving only issues with perhaps the fact that it's quite a 'flat' piece that lacks in dimensions - you could perhaps use more instruments to give a bigger impression, perhaps coupled with a solo, to add more body, or something similar. I think that it's not one of your best, but that said, you've still produced something of a standard that most artists on NG would kill to achieve.

[Review Request Club]

Score: 7

"Not bad"

submission: Shine Cover (NO VOX)

date: November 29, 2009

Yeah, as I think most people will say to this - I could use some vocals being added to the piece, but at the end of the day, it's just something that can sound alright without.

The issue that you get with making a track without vocals, is that it can become a little repetitive in the end. Vocals can add such a dimension to the track that people don't notice that the tune actually changes so little, because the words change themselves. With the way that you've set the track up, it does cry for the lyrics, but I'm going to stop banging on about that now.

I think that there's a quality to the guitar, where it almost whines, that I've not really heard too much of before - it might be beneficial to limit that just a little, so that you don't end up with a poor sounding piece, as some people might mistake it as unintentional feedback, while I appreciate that it's intended - perhaps it just needs to me moderated a little more and it would give the track more control over everything else going on in the track.

The drums sometimes get a little carried away, as if they're trying to play a faster number than the other instruments. Based off Nirvana perhaps? Is this symbolic of Dave Grohl's struggles against Cobain and the struggles that he had to make himself heard in that band.

[Review Request Club]

Score: 8

"Not sure about the fade out."

submission: -Zestify-

date: November 29, 2009

A nice little track that has a good amount of driving beat, especially after the start which sounded a little barren and short of bass. I like the way that you integrated the two parts of the tune and gathered it all together into a piece that compliments both of the two components.

The only thing I would have considered is more of a solo along the way, since it does become a little repetitive after a short while, which is a shame. Taking that out of context, with some sort of bass solo would have been brilliant, just giving a new dimension to the piece and giving it the legs to go further.

I'm still not sure about the fade out at the end of the track - perhaps you could sort out some sort of call back to the start of the piece, making it loop and go from there?

[Review Request Club]

Score: 8

"A little 'jolly' for the Joker"

submission: The Fat Joker

date: November 27, 2009

I like this piece - it's well written and a nicely developed parody of Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight. I do have to say that your impression isn't that spectacular though - it sounds too jolly and not nearly dark enough. When Ledger does it, he sounds deep and almost troubled by what has gone on. With the way that this pans out, it's more of a story that he could be telling someone in a bar, as opposed to being ready to beat someone to death with a rolling pin.

I could certainly see someone using this as a flash backing, but perhaps they will do something more with it and it won't sound so off, when the accompany it with some quality animation. It just didn't seem quite right for me.

Not that I'm trying to take away from the quality of recording, or the actual strength of the production, it just could have used a little more to sound right in my eyes.

[Review Request Club]

Score: 8

"An interesting combination"

submission: Lost Entity (Dance Remix)

date: November 22, 2009

I'm not sure about classical crossovers - I've seen them butchered too many times before to be a massive fan of this sort of music, but this one seems to be one of the better ones.

I think where it falls down is that you start off with the piano - one of the most dominant instruments ever created, then you head to keyboards and from there, the piano is drowned out in a sea of artificial sounds, beats, rhythms and synths. What you need is something that the piano can shine through with, while not taking out the synths themselves. Let the piano come through and it will pay its way, giving you a much better sounding track.

The pace is good and the beat is powerful, so these are positive points for your piece. Slightly more work is required on the rest, but you've getting there.

[Review Request Club]

Score: 8

"Wall-E remixed :P"

submission: Messy robot Repair

date: November 22, 2009

Hmm, it's not bad - there's a few components to this track that don't seem to bear much relevance to the rest of the piece, but other than that, it's a good sounding piece.

The introduction seems to get forgotten, as the second sound that you come along with (synths) doesn't sound anything like them, so kind of falls off the end, without anything to tie it in.

From then, the track seems to gather itself and some momentum, which you use to good effect, making a recovery. It could be a little longer - try something with that intro, then add something else to the end and you'll make some good progress.

[Review Request Club]

Score: 9

"Surprisingly creepy"

submission: Broken out of a Window

date: November 22, 2009

I've never known suspense and industrial go together well - then again, I think you're the first person I've ever seen try it :P

The first half of the track does indeed deal with the suspense and then there seems to come a sort of release, as whoever was caught up in this old factory (some sort of industrial / horror metaphor here, I think) comes out the morning after and sees the sun rise in a fully working industrial district of town.

I think that it's a good track, but I wasn't sure about the ending - it stuttered too much on the slow down, so that method doesn't really work. An abrupt stop would be a better way to deal with this, I think.

[Review Request Club]

Score: 9

"Nice work"

submission: -)S(- Live Out Loud!

date: November 22, 2009

I think that this is a pretty good piece, that's got all of the elements of a good song, though I would appreciate hearing a little more bass to carry the track forward. It's a good start with the drums, but it sounds too far away, almost as if they are being played within a cave. A little additional bass is added when the melody cuts in, but it's not enough. Just the occasional pumping beat would have given this track a perfect 10 from me, but it wasn't to be.

Good length, good variation. It was almost a shame that the same equalisation issue happened with the counter melody that you put in at about the 1m 30 marker. still, these two parts should go head to head and see what makes for a better part of the track. Having them face off in the middle is a sneaky way of doing more work, without doing all that much else ;)

[Review Request Club]