Mattashi's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Innocence]

Beautiful work, did you record yourself live playing piano for this? I can hear little cracks and squeaks that are often left out in sampled instruments which I hate, it takes the realism a bit away. This works very well for what you described in the author comments. I haven't played the Last Of Us yet and I really want to (wish they did a PC release), So I looked up that video you mentioned with the giraffes, I think your track would fit perfectly in there! Very nice ambient piece,
another great composition from you :)
I'm pretty sure this will land somewhere in the top 3!

Phonometrologist responds:

Yes I did. The piano part is what came about first. Those cracks and squeaks is very much me when the hammer hits the strings, the sustain pedal hitting the wood, and from me moving on the piano bench... just improvising without anyone around to listen or disturb the trance that I was in. It was a quiet recording so the sounds on wood is a bit more noticeable.
Thank you for your sentiments

[Prelude to Destruction]

I was getting worried you weren't going to enter, I'm so glad you did! :)
My favorite part was where the staccato/slaps came in, I loved that! The mixing is awesome as well.
My only criticism would be the length of the song, really wish it was a bit longer because it's great.
Awesome work :D

Phonometrologist responds:

Yeah I was getting worried as well since I almost didn't make it. Glad you enjoyed as this was very fun to create. I think the part that you enjoyed the most is what makes this piece worthwhile to write. And that would be a valid criticism. This piece was primarily conceived because it serves as a prelude for another track that I probably won't be able to work on for another several months. The whole piano part is done, but I just would need to arrange/orchestrate the parts.

[Stormy Evening]

Very Beautiful work Samulis, really love the atmosphere you've created.
the instruments you chose go well with the storm.
I'm a sucker for Storm ambiences as well. Those raindrops falling along with that rumbling thunder, nature sure can sound beautiful :)

samulis responds:

It just so happens this storm also knocked out our power for two days, haha. Lucky I chose to record with field recorder and not plug-in interface! XD

[Erebus Falling]

What I really loved about this piece was the percussion work, good stuff!
I can definitely feel that inspiration from God of War like you mentioned.
The song on itself is good but I feel like you could have maybe added another section to it, maybe introduce a new instrument (maybe an eastern instrument?) to make it even more interesting.
Song is still great though, I like how you mixed it.
Good work man!

[The Hidden Temple]

Nice relaxing song! I think it could fit well for stage music as well. I'm getting a bit of a Banjo-Kazooie vibe from this xD probably from the Marimba :)
Good job!

TheOneAfromaster responds:

Much appreciated! The rimba is by far one of my favorite contributions to Banjo-Kazooie's OST. Guess I have Kirkhope to thank for that. Thanks again!

[Tale of a Genius [F&S]]

Don't worry too much about mixing man, I am the same like you. I don't even know what I'm doing most of the time I just try my best to make it sound "OK" to my ears but I try to keep my main focus on the composition. Even though I'm no expert myself I can tell you that I enjoyed listening to this, the mix sounds fine for me :) besides the inspiration you got from Nightmare Before Christmas for some reason I hear a bit of DK64, Banjo-Kazooie and maybe a bit of Final Fantasy? xD
Very nice work man!

Deemo-R responds:

Thanks so much Mattashi, it really means a lot to me! I've always been a firm believer in the "a strong composition trumps all" mentality, and I still am. At the end of the day, we're writing music, no matter how many additional aural processes it may go through. If you can't believe in the strength of your composition, not much is going to change that. I will always try to maintain a strong composition at the core of it all. I write a little every day! :D

That being said, I've also always understood that there are only benefits to be had from understanding mixing proper. I run into situations on the daily where my ears don't guide me in the direction I need to go, and I'm at a loss for how to get things sounding right. When you're dealing with an orchestra, like this piece, it's just so much easier to get things sounding right together because many libraries (even the modestly-priced ones) have been sampled so closely to something that is structured to be balanced in real life. The wide dynamic ranges and incredible variety of timbres that come with orchestral music also lend themselves to a much more minimalist mix. A lot of these libraries sound amazing right out of the box. I've been messing with my new copy of Requiem Pro, and I'm just amazed at how good it sounds the moment I write it into a piece (and boy do I love me some instant gratification). But when I experiment, I've run into so many walls in the past and halted so many songs that I think it's about time I learned a bit about the subject. At the very least, I need to know what these knobs do and what each tool was built for.

Beyond that, I'd just like to know, quite honestly. I have friends who study production, and they've always told me it was worth knowing. I'd love to have the ability to mix for bands, or to balance audio in film/game projects. I'm studying for all of those things. I love to learn new stuff about audio, and the kind of work that goes into a professional environment for it. At the end of the day, I think it can only help me (and a bit of personal satisfaction is involved, too).

Thanks for the review again! Grant Kirkhope is a pretty prominent influence in one of the other pieces I wrote for this set, so it's likely a bit of that dribbled into here. :3

[FD - Happily Ever After]

xD this is great! Like others mentioned before it does indeed have that Yoshi's Story feel to it. Even though those Kazoos sound a little out of tune I think it's cute and the melody on it's own is beautiful and perfect for an ending theme. Good stuff! :)

ForgottenDawn responds:

Oh man, when I first heard the kazoo ensemble I was dying. All those high-pitched strains, out of tune as well, they could make any melody sound really funny. :') Thanks for the comment!

[Stars, Coconuts and dinosaurs]

Whoa I must have missed this one, it's amazing what you did with the samples! They sound like completely new and unique. Congrats on 5th!

[A Folklore]

This is awesome Emid! A well deserved 2nd place :) I love the effects you did with the samples. Very catchy and nice work!

Emid responds:

Thanks man, really appreciate. Your entry was also awesome.

[Newfound Happiness]

I've never heard something from you in this kind of style and I gotta say I enjoyed this a lot! It sounds a bit haunting and sad in a way. The Cello spiccato that came later in the song sounds alright but at some parts it sounds a bit out of tune with the other instruments.
I hope you continue and write a few more like these in the future :D

DESHIEL responds:

I might. :) I entered this contest mainly to give myself a reason to make a music like this, because I was curious whether I can do it or not. My life goal is to be able to make brutal trailer music, but to do that you have to invest your time in many genres, so this was my try at conquering a yet another genre that I do not usualy do. :)

It's not perfect, but for me it is a proof that I can give a shot to next and better pieces. :)