50Steaks's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Waterfall]

The first 2 minutes or so made me feel things I never felt before. This unmistakable determination, the minor key not oozing nostalgia or sadness but determination with the rhythmic piano cords. I really don’t know how to describe it. Something about the crazy time signatures during the intro section is so unique. That feeling went away a bit with the percussion and lyrics but was still present throughout. This is definitely a great song to listen to specifically in the mornings when you’re struggling to get out of bed and brush your teeth. Or when you’re in between classes in your dorm on campus and feel swamped with work and extracurriculars and 17 credits with multiple research projects as well as studying for the MCAT which you’re gonna take in like 4 months and you have barely made any progress. (Definitely not speaking from experience there btw).

You’ve earned yourself a follow.

[Sweet Memories]

The intro is really weird to me and doesn't represent the rest of the song very much; it gives a weak first impression fs. That guy just saying intro over and over is pretty funny though tbh. Honestly 0:40 is so groovy and it scratches an itch in my brain. I just think it needs a little more bass, that's it. Just something to fill the mix on the lower end. The bass comes in in the very next part, so it should've been there a little earlier imo. Same goes for 1:28, so instead of copy pasting adding that bass doing something would've been cool... aaand same goes for 2:32, and for basically the whole last third. I think you're starting to see the problem here. Nothing really changes! It's so groovy and a bop but something has to be added to keep it fresh or else you'll bore the audience as they listen. You just switch between A and B for the entire song it feels like until the outro.

This is a very unique song because of the sawtooth synth ostinato pattern that is not at all in key but still works because it adds texture to the whole song. The way it is mixed is honestly masterful. I just wish the song had a little more development because this has HUGE potential to be even more groovy! The voice lines fit super well btw which is rare for songs in general imo.

Best of luck next year!

music69012 responds:

thank you so much!
see ya next year!

[Patterns [NGADM Round 1]]

Before I review this, let me put out a disclaimer: I don't really listen to hardstyle bass songs all that much as to me they all sound fairly samey. With that being said, my POV for this review is to judge it compared to other songs of its genre that I have heard, and what this does to separate itself from the masses.
Quite the intense intro! Probably the loudest intro in this entire round. Sets the mood for sure! At 0:25 we get a melody with more creative usage of the hardstyle bass sound than a lot of other songs of this nature I have heard especially right at 0:31. The following section is more traditional, but then we hit the bridge which is probably my favorite part of the song. More melodic elements, those classic cinematic orchestral hits, polyrhythms, and it is overall just a treat to listen to.

Unfortunately 2:40 is the weakest part imo. The melodic elements go away completely and we're just left with pretty harsh synths, which makes me feel like the only point of this section was to assault your ears. A soft, smooth piano playing a more developed version of the main melody would've been a great way to both spice up the final chorus and the outro. Either way, thanks for coming out this year!

Raylectro responds:

I agree that 2:40 is quite weak, I never really put too much effort into that part :< my future works are gonna be so much better though, you can count on that, your insight into this song is detailed and simple to follow, I'll use your tips for future reference :)

[Aftertouch [NGUAC]]

The percussion is a little imbalanced at the intro, where that clicking thing is the loudest thing in the mix over the rest of the instruments for some reason. The clicking goes away and we enter a far superior section headed by what sounds like a koto and other obscure instruments. At 0:45-1:12 we get a very empty mix that repeats measures a bit too long in my opinion. Then the piece goes totally off the rails with a dubsteppy type thing that I don't think fits with the rest of the song at all. Honestly the best part is probably the very end with the soft koto and the smooth chords bringing us home with a jazzy feel to it that I wish was expanded on earlier, maybe doing that instead of the dubstep part.

Best of luck next year!

[D4 - Dimension IV]

The intro sets the stage incredibly well, a pattern I've noticed in this year's rock submissions. I feel like there is either too much compression or too much bass on the kick drums at 0:17 though as each hit covers up the rest of the mix in a way I'm not a fan of. Could just be the type of kick drum. A similar issue occurs at the next part as everything sidechains away at each kick drum.

Then we get slammed in the face with the epicness of 0:50 as I'm blown out of the room by the brief but heavy hitting guitars! This part is mixed perfectly 0 complaints here. The synth breakdown is also really cool and avoids the kick drum issues from earlier. 1:57 is really cool though I do wish it was played a little less or changed significantly when it comes back later instead of just adding one little riff. Cause some of the energy is lost with the slower pace of notes there. The bridge at 2:46 is a great way to evolve the intro as the song continues and the transition into the next part has to be my favorite moment.

Thanks for coming out this year, and I hope to see you come back for revenge!

D4W1LL13 responds:

dully noted! i appreciate your feedback! Thanks a ton for listening!

[PARTY HATZ! - Captain Obvious]

I am loving the chord progressions at the verses. It just oozes nostalgia from my childhood. Also, I'm finally old enough to get some of the lyrical references to that time period like "cross my heart and hope to die" being straight from 2012's One More Night!

I just have a few general concerns. Firstly, Andrew kinda hit the nail on the head mixing wise, as it can be hard at times to hear the drums during the choruses. Maybe this is just me but I think the lyrics at these parts are just a little bit cheesy and generic. More melodies would be nice in general, maybe somehow incorporating this hypothetical B melody into the second chorus to bring some variety to the second half of the song. I also think the chords at the choruses are, like the lyrics, ultimately pretty bland and generic, which was probably done to match the time period (I'm thinking OMFG and LMFAO here) but there comes a point where you dont want to repeat the same mistakes early 2010s music made for the sake of the theme! I already think the verses pay homage enough.

Despite all this, the emotional beats of the song resonated enough to make this song shine, and I'm looking forward to see what you have in store!

[Roulette (NGADM Entry)]

I'm vibing with the intro! It's so danceable lol. Sets a great foundation for the rest of the song with the jazzy chords and the smooth percussion. Everything up to 1:14 is so good in my opinion!

But then 1:14 hits and something is lost that you had before: the grooviness kinda dissipates here and I'm not exactly sure why. It might be because that earlier rhythm disappears until 1:44 which I like, but then we get another transition with a riser before the actual chorus comes back? It feels like the flow of the song is just totally lost between 1:14 and 2:10 tbh. Every section feels very distinct and the transitions between them are pretty sudden in my opinion. The flow comes back at 2:10 and then the outro feels like it should've occurred like at 1:14 with that synth under it instead of whatever happened there.

Mixing wise as well I feel like the strings are too quiet at 2:29 and there should be another instrument there to support them so they aren't alone in the mix like that. The main synth at the choruses are very juicily mixed which is why this probably got the FP regardless of its structural issues. Also there's like this army voice going on that I think should just be removed completely because it is a little distracting and doesn't fit that well. Idk maybe that voice is just omnipresent at casinos, I wouldn't know as I've never been. But yeah anyways thanks for coming out! I look forward to what you'll have in store next year as this has huge potential.

HG-HL responds:

I really appreciate the super in depth feedback! I’m looking forward to next year :)

[Rain]

The intro is extremely unique, and probably my favorite part as it definitely sets the stage for the rest. I just have a few structure related issues with this one that hurt the song a bit: the first would be that some parts (i.e. 0:18-1:10 and 1:27-2:19) lack an actual melody. The main melody takes over a minute to kick in, and when it comes back after the bridge, it's basically a copy paste of 1:10 until 2:53 to be honest. After that, we get a new melody which is nice and brings a lot of flair to the ending but it doesn't quite make up for the repetitiveness of the rest of the track unfortunately. This isn't helped by the fadeout ending that just repeats the intro over and over.

Mixing wise though I have very few complaints. All the different voices, percussion, etc. sit very well in the mix and don't cover each other up which is my main thing with mixing. Snares are very audible etc. The chord progression, while probably not unique on its own, is done in a unique way in this song that brings it a lot of personality despite my earlier complaints.

Thanks for coming out to NGADM! I hope to see you again next year >:)

[Tabula Rasa]

The intro is very cinematic and immersive, though the few seconds of silence at the beginning is an interesting choice. Unfortunately, though I know it was meant to create contrast, I feel like the middle section could use a little more going on as right now it sounds very empty, especially considering how short this track is. The last third of the piece is a more developed version of the intro, though I wish it did go a little further volume wise rather than playing it safe at a similar dynamic level. It ultimately made it feel a little cut short, like there could've been way more development that we never got to see.

But production wise this is really solid. I have very few complaints on that front as it is very balanced, though perhaps not quite loud enough as the piece progresses. Maybe it would be better if I knew what the title meant, lol. Just looked it up and it means "blank slate" like how we are all born with no knowledge but quickly pick up information through our senses and experiences. So I change my earlier sentiment on the silence at the beginning as it probably holds that artistic meaning. Should definitely be looking up more Latin titles from now on lmao. Either way, thanks for coming out and I am excited to see what you have in store for round 2!

[memory_tape_07_2003.wav NGADM Submission]

Honestly, this is phenomenal. I think I gave this the highest score out of all of the round 1 submissions because it really did blow me away. The fade in in the intro sets the stage perfectly as you are instantly transported to a world much like the one depicted in the image. I can imagine myself in a long lost memory walking through a forest, with the beeps and boops giving off a computery vibe. Then we transition into the middle quieter section with some distant voices that again, increase immersion, though the transition is perhaps a little too sudden. Then back to more of the glorious intro as you hear tape sounds this time, bringing home the title of the song. Porter robinson is a name I recognize because of his old song "sad machine" that was given a remix by Ardor for GD many years ago that blew up a bit. But if this is inspired by his more recent work, then I'll definitely have to rediscover him.

The only major flaw I can think of is the outro with the weird robot voice that I don't think fits very well to be honest. But mixing and sound design wise this is one of the greatest songs I have ever heard on NG, and so a high score reflects that. Of all the submissions, this is the one that whisked me away the most, and that is saying something because we had a very VERY competitive lineup this year. I am honestly THRILLED to see what you have in store for the next round. Best of luck!

CorruptModule responds:

Id highly recommend Porter’s album nurture and he's also has a new album out and a tour going on. But mainly nurture is where i drew inspiration. Thanks for the review and im glad you enjoyed it ill try my best to work more on this style as well. 👍