Mattashi's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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

[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!

[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. :)

[Costa Concordia]

Whoa this is amazing man! I love how you used the samples, would have never even guessed that you used those samples you listed (except for the harp maybe in the intro)
Sounds so dark and full of mystery, very nice work!

Phonometrologist responds:

Thanks mate! I honestly decided to stay away from writing a beautiful, melodic piece because of your submission. I've returned to yours so many times and I'm even listening to it now as it's just so fun to listen to. You inspired me to leave that alone and go for dark. I don't think Samulis would be as so impressed since he probably could identify his own work.

[Fantasiamaailma]

Holy shiiiiit, this is awesome you guys! This deserves to be in the top 3, hell even first place!
There's so much going on in this piece it's insane. If this were ever used as title music I think it would take me a long while to finally decide and press "start" to play xD
My favorite section was the part starting around 2:24 when the song starts to pick up a bit it sounds so Adventurous and Fantasy-like, love the piano sounds definitely like Lucid's work :) and then with the strings staccato and the choir that sounds like dem0lecule xD I love the blending of your styles together.
This is really beautiful work, makes me want to do a colab with you guys!
I don't know what else to say since I can't give you guys any criticism, loved every bit of it.
TAKE TEH DAMN TROPHY ALREADY xD

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hooooly shit those are some awesome compliments (｡◕‿‿◕｡); totally blushing while reading this, and I'm sure dem0lecule was happy too. It's a shame that only one of us can reply to reviews :p

There sure is a lot going on here. We were thinking of making it even longer, but I'm going on a two week long vacation to Cyprus tomorrow, so we figured we should probably finish it up before that XD

Basically, the beginning of the track is a bit simpler/smaller, so that a player could choose to start the game if they wanted to, and the rest of the piece is there more as a surprise reward for those who wait and listen, I guess :D (That is what I would think if I was a developer for a game that'd use this track).

2:24 is really where the track picks up its pace (literally, as the tempo increases to 160 bpm). But who would've thought that I had 0% to do with that specific piano part XD
Apart from some of the obvious parts, like the solo piano intro that is of my making, and the percussion that is clearly dem0lecules, it can be difficult to tell who did what (for example, I made parts of the choir too). But dem0lecule stood for all the intruments and mixing in the end, because he is both better at that than me, and has far better intruments.

We both think it was an amazing experience to collaborate, and we'll definitely do it again. It really opened up some new possibilities for the both of us :D

"This is really beautiful work, makes me want to do a collab with you guys!"

=> OMG yes. That'd be like the most amazing thing ever o.O!!

Thank you a lot for the extremely positive and nice review. It means the world coming from you :D
I'm still sure you'll be in the top 3. We would be lying if we didn't admit that we were greatly inspired to work harder when we heard the greatness of your track ;)

Thank you and good luck, Mattashi! :3

[Time Slows Down]

This is really awesome johnfn! I like the mix, every instrument sounds clean and clear and the melodies are so fun and catchy to listen to :)
I was a bit disappointed to hear a fade out at the end, it feels like the song should be a bit longer imo.
Very nice work man, keep 'em coming :D

johnfn responds:

Thanks Mattashi! Once I read that it was better to leave your listener wanting more than to make them annoyed that the song is too long... though I don't always stick to that advice... hehe ^_^