Atash's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Gene Gadget (Sonik & Sky)]

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! :-D

Glitchy chillaxin'-active (chillactive?) awesomeness. Also, what AyaNiikura said.

Also, sucker for pianos.

DreamEater responds:

Glad you dig it Atash, I Haven't heard from you in the longest bro!
Hope everything is gravy, and thanks for the review!

~Dj Sonik

[E-102 Gamma Theme (Dj Sonik)]

Wheeeeeee!

Short: Wheeeeeee!

Detail (includes tiny issues I have on semi-close listening):
0:29-0:31 :: I somehow really really really enjoyed that transition. Can't quite figure why.
0:39-0:40 :: My only problem. The background buzz feels kinda choppy, as if it were repeating a pattern that didn't quite fit end to end with itself or something along those lines. This occurs a few times, most notably again at 1:03 and, well, everywhere that it does that. When other stuff was playing, though, I didn't notice it the first cursory listen throughout the song, but afterwards I heard it occurring throughout the song. A suggestion: maybe vary that buzz a little more during those parts, kinda like what you do at (for example) around 0:48-0:55
0:50-0:55 + 1:12-1:18 + etc. :: those little machine noises are just the touches needed to make it feel like a sonic track from the original Sonic Adventure, especially the overworld environment. Subtle yet poignant.
~1:20 :: chillin', man, just chillin' :-)
2:33 :: Probably just a matter of style, but that little right-channel *shoomf* felt like 'too much'. Not really sure.

Overall: I have a love affair with piano sounds. This wins. Also, the little machine noise subtle touch things were *bwaahhhh!!! <3*

Optimistic score + download. :-)

DreamEater responds:

Thanks again for an awesome review Atash. i hope that one day i can earn a spot on your fave artist list/ fave song section here on NG.

glad you enjoyed the track bro!
~Dj Sonik

[Machines Die V.2 (Dj Sonik)]

Awesome niche work!

For what it's supposed to be (at least what I think it's supposed to be, the end decision I guess lies with TheWax >.< ), it's awesome (I'll just assume that the bass works; my choice of listening devices consists only of earphones and crappy lappy speakers at the moment). I'd have to really really nitpick to complain about anything (and even then, it wouldn't be a complaint, it'd be like a 'didja mean that?' sort of a thing), but I'm not qualified for that, so my usual verbosity is at a loss. :-P

5/5, 10/10, +1 download (I'm just going to say '- the usual -' from now on)

DreamEater responds:

haha thanks as always Atash
Much appreciated bro =]

~Dj Sonik

[Lost In Clear Blue V.2 (Sonik)]

Yay, it's a V2! (german rocket? :-P j/k)

Okay, first of all, I don't have my good speakers with me, so I'm listening to this out of my crappy laptop speakers. That effectively means I have no bass whatsoever (I'll probably put up another more complete comment when I get my hands on them again). Having said that, I'll try to limit my commentary to speed (which is in no shortage) and such. :-P

The song is definitely more crowded in general than the original with wildly higher energy. :-D

+ 0:00-0:13 + It's so glitchy and yet so lovely. Elated to see you did something about that somewhat annoying fall off the pad had in the original. :-D

= 0:13-0:15 = not too sure about this transition. On the one hand, it's growing on me (I pretty much both like and expect it now [three listens so far]), on the other hand, it feels too drastic a change to be seamless. The previous part is rapid fire chip-tune with glitchy sounds, and the next part is a (relatively) slow and smooth instrument flying solo for a few seconds. But, like I said, it's growing on me, so I'm not sure it's much of an issue.
EDIT: 8th time through, and I don't even notice it anymore. -.-'

+ 0:19-0:20 + Did you change the background that originally popped up around here? These particular drums definitely feel more... pregnant. :-D

++ 1:31 ++ the song broke off into something totally epic. Can't really define it, but, I personally enjoy parts where multi-layered songs suddenly become simple while still retaining the feel of the previous part. This transition hit me in the face with a brick (of awesomeness) on my first listen through.

- 2:35-3:28 - Almost a full minute of that Star-Trekkish-laser-shooting-sound coming on and off in the background. IMO, it'd have been far nicer if you were a bit more selective about how you used it. Given the fast pace of the song and how relatively slow the laser-shooting-sound is, the different pacings of the sound sort of began to grind in my head after a while. Also, I think you use two different sounds for that laser-ish sound... Dunno if it's pitch or volume or both, but the second one that ever plays during this time interval gets -particularly- annoying. As a side note, the sparse previous uses of the sound were okay IMO.

+ 4:16-4:23 + For the wildly high energy of the song, I think you chose the right outro. :-D

- 4:24-end - It's almost 10 seconds of borderline silence...

= Overall = It's so crowded!! Uber high energy everywhere and some pretty nice chip-tune awesome interspersed all about. My one major major problem with this song over the previous version is that laser-shooting sound going off constantly for a straight minute.

5/5, 9.5/10 (rounds to a 10/10 :-P), +1 download (as soon as I switch to my linux boot).

DreamEater responds:

dude, i love you for your awesomely long reviews xD
thanks always for listening Atash man
you're a bad-ass

~Dj Sonik

[Mountain Flowers - F-777]

Screw cliches: it's epic

The problem with me reviewing any one of your songs is that I respect you too much as an artist and am afraid of saying something wrong. :-P Well, here goes...

High energy, upbeat feel, and begging to be glowstringed to - I love this! I listened through each transition and had to consciously attempt to remember the previous section of the song to actually recognize that there was a transition. Despite me feeling inadequate due to such a trifle, it goes to show just how smoothly they went by, flowing seamlessly. As usual, your synth instruments and individual sections of the song are exquisite... Keeping the 4-floor dance beat alive by non-drum/bass instruments (e.g. piano!) in some of the low(er) energy portions was awesome, it made the interruptions to the relative calm by the bass (e.g. 2:11-2:13) very warmly welcomed by my ears (my coherence is breaking down -.-' ).

Obligatory nitpicking:
Anyway, the only quality issue I have is, and this might just be my computer screwing up on me, that there are a few microscopic hiccups (and -maybe- a style issue - but that's always subjective). Sooo... Between 1:47 and 1:48 (also within a second of 2:15): there's a very very tiny hiccup of sorts in the lead synth (I heard it on the first time through but thought it was my imagination; it's almost imperceptible). I'm going to make a wild guess and say (despite a hunch that I'm wrong) that there's a momentary cancellation of the waveform by the piano... Either that, or my sound card isn't good enough at keeping channels separated. -.-' Also, in those two sections, the piano in the background that's keeping the beat feels sort of forced (esp. beats 7 and 8 counting off from the first piano key hit per pattern), like its just barely overdriven or is barely clashing somehow or -barely- *something* (I dunno - just a subjective observation, I'm not sure if it even matters; its sound has grown on me nicely ever since the third time through).

Irregardless of those nigh irrelevant minutia, this song was awesome. I'm not going to say that it's your best (not because it isn't: it's because I can't compare songs to each other particularly well, esp. when they're all so good), but I -am- going to say that it's -exquisite- and... bah, screw cliches: it's epic. :-D

By the way, where'd the title 'Mountain Flowers' come from...?

5/5, 10/10, and +1 download (thou hast been fav'd for a long time already). May this song be raved to wherever it's heard. :-D

[Snapdragon]

A fitting title

"Snapdragons endure cool weather and are widely planted for winter flower colors in mild-winter areas." ~ quoth HowStuffWorks. com.

However much I may be stretching the fact, ParagonX9 suggested a fitting and proper name. :-D

I enjoyed the full length of the track - it was chill, as promised, and is well worth the download. I love the way you transformed Rose at Twilight (playing the two one after another and side by side is an interesting listen...) into this. The plucky guitar rather than strummy (word?) one, the downplayed orchestral elements... Wheeee! *puts on playlist*

10/10, 5/5, +1 download, +1 artist fave'd :-D

[Walking on Clouds]

Enjoyable

I like this. :-D

The ringy lead (xylephone-esque?) gives it a very airy feeling. The deep bass you already have in the background is just enough bass for the song. Add anymore, and I don't think it'll have as light a feel to it as it does at the moment (although, that always depends on how you add it - I'm no savant).

0:19-0:20 ~ The way the deep bass entered felt minutely abrupt (but ignorable if being casually listened to)... the re-entrance at 1:02, though, was not as abrupt due to its earlier usage (said so that in case you decide to change the 0:19-0:20 section, you may leave 1:02 alone :-D ).

Also, again about that really low bass; it seems to get somewhat annoying when done on every beat by end of the first two minutes... I don't know what to say about it beyond that it feels unpolished. I apologize for my inability to suggest anything constructive...

1:30-1:34 ~ Yay high energy transition!

To be quite honest, had it not been for the title, I might have imagined anything from a shallow water dive to a solar system trek... even so, now that I have seen the word 'cloud', I can't get the image of a bottomless sky out of my head. Great job!

10/10, 5/5, and contrary to what d4nce4life said, it's worth a DL :-D

Varnik responds:

Loved this Review, it is very constructive and very helpful and I will keep everything in mind. Also your song was pretty good =D

Thanks for the review.

[Syphonmax 2009 (Edit)]

Awesome

This is pretty awesome-tastic. :-D

I have a tiny issue with the end, though - it's really really abrupt. The final note, although a good one to end on, felt like it deserved some time to settle in before the song finished (it actually felt like the song's ending cut off the final note). I dunno, maybe give it a little bit more empty space (end the song a half second after the note finishes decaying, perhaps? Again, I dunno >.< ).

Other than that, totally awesome awesome awesome awesome flawless awesome.

5/5, 10/10, +1 download, fave'd :-D

syphonmax responds:

Thanks dude ^_^

[Lost in Clear Blue]

Wheeeeeeee - I wanna go sky-swimmin' in muzac!!!

Sounds like 8-bit went ahead to meet drum-n-bass. Might I say that it reminds me of Megaman somewhat? :-D (except... it's more like old school Sonic... except, not... except... *cough* I dunno...)

The parts where the... piano (?) is playing notes right in line with the beat stands out in a nice way amongst the more... elfish (proper descriptor?) leads. '<3' to that. :-D

0:14 kind of... stands out. Although I can appreciate the way you framed the music at the beginning and end with that same pad, the build-up in the pad's tone in the beginning sort of... I don't know, personally it felt anti-climactic the first time I listened to it (third time around I got used to it though). Also, the ending felt kind of tense... Could you maybe make the pad rise in tone a little more noticeably before it falls off? (( Again: totally ignorable personal opinion on really really really minor parts of the song ))

Other than those tiny tiny tiny thingers, it's totally seamless awesome-sauce boom boom synth piano pad WHIZZAWONG epic (stream of consciousness much :-P ).

10/10, 5/5, +1 download... +1 faved artist :-D

DreamEater responds:

now that... is what i call a fcking review xD
i totally hear you on the beginning pads near the first bridge
i have a couple other versions of this song with other corrections, but i'm not sure if i want to add them in or leave it the way it is ya know.
i've gotten so used to the idea of "this is how this song sounds" in my head
so at this point changing it would just be like making a new song =[

thanks so much for your review/fave/10/5/dl
i hope you enjoy everything else i've written just as much =]
~Dj Sonik

[His World Dance]

Awesome - but some more clarity pleaseee

Awesome remix... but... I dunno - it just seems like there's a problem with the clarity? ~1:20 the strings come in, but it's like they're feeling the full impact of a reverb from the bass. When there are very few instruments, it's perfectly clear... Did you limit the number of sound channels when you made this? Or something?

Like, it's epic and awesome, but is there any way to fix the clarity of the instruments?

Or was that intentional O_o ?