AuralMuser's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[STT - Sunset Park Act 3 Cover]

Not sure why this only had two stars when I voted. No indication of plagiarism, it's not a straight rip of the game, the notes are all correct, and the tempo is the same. So what if it is 8-bit? Has a more Nintendo sound as opposed to the original Game Gear version, which I DID play. There are no problems here. Nothing new other than the instrumentation, but not every song needs to have something new. Good arrangement!

[Fusion Dragon (8 bit)]

A very nice rendition! For some reason, i kinda wish the main instrument and counter melody at the phrases like :12 were kinda switched, but it may actually sound worse, I dunno. The counter melody is just a more prominent and better instrument to me; this is all personal preference.

The only other part that seems like it could use some change is 1:13, where the bass is so low and only the melody plays that it feels both empty and hard to actually catch the bass's notes. I kinda wish the bass changed during that part, keeping the harmony and chords moving, but I don't think the original song did that then.

Other than that, great work. I love the way the counter melody creeps in at 1:09, really captures the original essence. I caught no wrong notes, the pace is great, I truly could visualize this being an 8-bit Golden Sun battle scene. Golden Sun was the first RPG I played where I really understood how the mechanics and numbers worked (was too young for that when I first played Pokemon). Love finding others who do as well.

chaoticmarin responds:

There's a very good chance I will give this song another whack sometime in th future~ I'm sure I can improve it! Perhaps I'll give some of your feedback a try while I'm at it, see how it sounds in realtime.

[Aboard the S.S. Anubis]

It's always a treat to encounter another Jet Force Gemini fan. Still one of my favorite games on the N64; and perhaps one of my favorite shooters I've ever played. The music is also one of my favorite soundtracks ever, and may be the best sounding to be heard on the N64.

I'll be honest, while the arrangement overall was great, there were little things that kept me from a full 5 stars. It felt lacking in bass or counter melody at times, like at :16. You fill in with more voices at :25, then drop away again for the following phrase. There were also a few times where I felt the melodies or instruments were ever so slightly off the tempo. Lastly, some points in the song lost the dramatic or stronger moments, like at 1:25; there is much more force and power in the original. While I know all sorts of liberties can be taken to make a piece your own, this one felt like it tried to recapture the power and instrumentation of the original, and so missing these elements brought it down slightly in my ears.

Do not misconstrue this review as angry or the piece a failure, though. I'm ecstatic you arranged it, and the piece still sounds like the S.S. Anubis, and the instrument choices are great. Little things just keep it from perfection. But this is pretty close, though. Good work.

[I've Never Called Myself]

I join the others in saying this sounds great and I want it to continue. I've always loved this piece since I heard it even before playing the game, and AFTER playing loved it even more for the context.

I like the instrumentation and how you break from the original's rhythms without changing the core of the song. Sometimes people change the rhythm or melody and it... messes up the feel, if you understand that. You do not; you manage to arrange it in a way that is unique yet retains the original's power, mood, and intensity. Glad you can do that. The transition into the main phrase at :28 and the brief extension at :10 are what I like about this arrangement.

Basically just finish this in the style you've already established and more than the four of us here will eat it up. Please please PLEASE complete this and earn more stars from me. I wanted to vote 4.5 to compel you to finish but it's just too good.

[MMZ4 Falling Down (8 bit)]

I always have loved this piece; such power and emotion contained in it, especially in the context of the game. Glad to hear it remixed by you. Guess my request pushed you to completing it, huh? :)

While it is not perfect, it is QUITE good, and I think you aren't giving yourself enough credit. My two areas where I feel it was lacking was the phrase at :27. The melody's pitch, while not wrong or dissonant, I wish was higher, to match the same notes as the original, and the harmony loses some of the energy and darkness too. Maybe I'm just being harsh here, but the phrase loses some of the original force.

The other part is the transition from 1:09 to 1:10. I think the key change you made further back left the original's key, which is fine, but then you return to the original's key at 1:10. So it was a bit disconcerting.

Other than that, great work! I know this was a tough one for you. The start and ending of the song have great energy and retain the original's desperation, and while the middle is a bit weaker it still stands strong. I would have liked more percussion but I think that is an 8-bit limitation that you are sticking with, so it's all good. Very enjoyable!

chaoticmarin responds:

I didn't realize just how close I was to getting a finished product out the door when I originally talked to you. You did however provoke me to revisit it and employing some of my new skills resulted in this. :P

I'm honestly not sure what to say about the key changes, because I ripped the midi directly from the games--And that part of the notes was unaltered except in pitch. The pitch was much lower in the ripped midi, so I had to manually shift the sample root to get a higher pitch out of my instruments. Perhaps I didn't shift it quite enough?

[Karco - Temple]

Simply Beautiful

Temple is tied with one other song here for my favorite Ambient music on Newgrounds, possibly ever. It's DJ Immune's 'Cave.'

I seriously have a hard time finding anything you could improve on in this piece. The melody is great, calm and relaxing, yet there is strength in the piece. Maybe it's the fact it is in a minor key, or the light drums that occasionally play. The piano is lovely, the guitar in the middle was a great choice for the mood and to complement the piano.

I would wonder what it would be like if you removed the wind sound effects, and just the music remained. But I love it so much as it is that I'm fine. The wind hurts nothing, it just adds to the ambient and relaxing atmosphere.

I would love if you made more music in this style, a calm ambient piece without drums driving the rhythm and little to no synths or pads. You've got me to download this piece; I'd love to download more. I'll check out more of what you've got later.

Thank you for this.

Karco responds:

Tied? His is better than mine, no contest. :P Glad you like both, though.

More music in this style is definitely to come sooner or later... the thing is, it comes when inspiration strikes me, not when I go, "Hey, I want to make a cool ambient song now. :D" Rest assured, when I DO submit more ambience to NG, you'll probably find it on the Weekly 1st spot just like last week... XD

Thank YOU for the review, glad you liked it, and you're welcome. :)