Xuvero's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[No Sweat]

This sounds like my crossfit workouts, from back when I used to do crossfit workouts. So, this bass is typical of brazilian EDM? I didn't know that, I always thought people used basslines like that in the rest of the world as well. It does feel pretty genuine.

The mixing is quite nice and it pleased me very much, the transitions are also very well done and straightforward. The mastering is OK, but it could be better.

HighKing responds:

Thanks, first of all! Brazilian bass is just a genre though :D, made all over the world. I'm happy you liked the track, and I have to agree, I am no master of mastering.

[Mystical Shenanigans]

This shenanigans are very shenaniganated!

This is actually quite good, I like how it is a bit progressive, with stuff just coming in and building a very nice vibe. It sounds like something that could play in a cutscene of Final Fantasy.

There are two things I think that could be better, but one is just nitpicking. First off, I think some portions get a bit of an overlay, not much tho. Second, I think you could have made this a loop, this song sounds very loopable and I actually was expecting it near the end.

ninjamuffin99 responds:

Thanks! I think this may be an older version of the song, where I didn't mix stuff as well and some stuff is too loud and whatnot. IDK I just had it on a USB stick lol. Hopefully I'll be able to update this song with the good version (if it exists lol)

[Possessed]

Oh yeah, that's some good groove. Good thing this is a loop, this way I don't need to get back up to make it play again.

The jazz style of this song makes it feel a lot like a common-place, but it has some nice touches that make it feel quite unique. Jordi's vocals are quite original and refreshing, as one would naturally expect a baritone singer on something like this.

The instrumentals feel like an american jazz song with traces of latin influence. The sax is captivating and the drums build a very nice and compelling rhythm. I also liked the bass, but I think it could have been highlighted a bit during the mastering.

These last two songs make me wonder what this game would be like.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hey there!
Yeah, it's a loop since it was originally intended for use in the Darktober game jam on itch.io :p
I thought of making an even smoother loop that you don't even notice, but I opted for the short synth solo instead, since I felt that it's cute :)

Jordi's vocals fit this piece so well indeed! He's got a great range, a unique voice, and quite the talent, after all :DDD
As for the style, I find that even when I try to incorporate inspired elements from somewhere else, I still want it to reflect my style, and be new in some way too. Jordi tends to feel similarly!

Good catch on that slight Latin influence ;)
It's actually precisely a mix of mostly good ol' American jazz, with a few other touches (as well as our own take on it).
Ahh yes. It's difficult to have "the perfect amount" of bass in a piece, since it sounds so different depending on what you're listening with (bad headphones, good headphones, laptop speakers, a proper monitor, etc. :p)

Thanks for the review, and for listening!!

[Astral Projections]

I'm not an expert in ragtime, but I'd say you got the essence of it very well.

The syncopations which are characteristic of ragtime give the song quite a happy feel, but the chords brrak that with some eerieness. To say it simply, I think the song has a great unsettling feeling.

I love it when you two work together, the result is always great.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I agree that Jordi captured the most important elements of ragtime in this piece, while keeping it simple and to the point. It's actually really fun to play!

I'm glad that people are catching on to the contrast between the more happy and the more eery aspects of the piece.
Thanks for listening once again, and of course, for leaving your thoughts ^____^

[Dont Lick Me Dude]

My favourite part is when someone walks in and you need to explain why you're talking about licking.

I'd suppose you're high, but you only had fits of laughter at the end, so I don't think you were. I know I did laugh some.

FrankNice responds:

I just had a beer, but thanks a lot for the review and the listen!

[Mek Dem Jong]

This is actuall nice, maybe you could expand on this and do some mastering, and you would have a nice song in your hands.

Czyszy responds:

Thanks. TBH I'm actually kinda terrible at mastering.

[Felix Zophar - Force Nation (Extended Version)]

This song is cool, it really delivers a very nice vibe and the transitions feel pretty natural.

I just think that, at some parts, the mastering could have been a bit better. But it's a really fine piece.

FelixZophar responds:

I have no idea how to master...

[Från ett frö]

This song is beautiful, indeed it is quite different from your other ones, but I found it interesting how it is still possible to find some characteristics of your style in it.

I kept thinking this song could work well in a play. With it's several "ups and downs" it would nearly do for a complete medley. I actually think it would only need work for extending it, if you wished to use it for that.

I guess I could say the audio gets a bit messy during the more chaotic parts (very little). But since this was recorded on a live piano in a living room, it would be stupid to complain of that. Actually, taking that into consideration, the quality of the audio is exceptional.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you very much for your lovely thoughts on the piece!
I think I retain elements of my style in all of my music, whether I try to or not. Especially in piano pieces, when it's a performance too.

I see what you mean about using the piece in a play! I think I'll leave it as what it is though, simply because I feel I've done what I wanted to do with it :D

This is recorded with my electric piano indeed, and the MIDI file was used with the sound of "The Maverick", which is a VST Piano. For this Xmas, I'm looking to add a new piano sound to my collection, and I'm hoping it'll give my piano music an even greater quality. Thanks again for the review!

[Mourning My Memories]

This is really unorthodox, when I read the title I was expeting something like a mournful and dark song. What I get is a song that explores a much different feeling. It is something that I can relate to, an emotion I've felt before. But at the same time it is so specific that I don't know what it is.

To be able to capture such an specific feel and turn it into music is really an amazing feat, I am (as I usually get when listening to your music) amazed.

It is not something common now, to see someone that can play a piano and make it feel so solid. To take a single instrument and play something that one could genuinely say it's a complete song is a rare skill. You choose to do so in a hard instrument, one that is infamous for being played solo, but in which is hard to do so. This song is great, played by a great musician.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Wow, thanks for writing such a thoughtful review! It's really the greatest compliment to hear that my music can express such complex feelings to someone.

Composing on the piano has always felt natural to me. It's kind of like a blank canvas, since it allows for a lot of freedom. That said, I've also noticed my compositional skills improving over time. I think once an instrument becomes an extension of one's self (similarly to technology, like phones), one is able to compose and play on it in ever more impactful ways.

Creating music on the computer is nice too, but one risks losing the "performance" element. Thanks again for listening!!!

[Allowed to Dream Reality]

When I listen to music like this I feel like going back to composing and playing. I keep listening and I imagine your composing process. Reminds me of quiet afternoons, starting off with A small idea and improvising for hours, letting myself sift in the sound of my own music, then after just picking the best parts. (I guess I just gave you confirmation of your good work: you got me all mellow and nostalgic there).

This composition is really good, it is indeed quite expressive, it conveys some emotion and it flows through some different moods. I think that perhaps a tense moment could have worked well with said flow, but it wasn't necessary, without it the song got mellow and relaxing.

These were some interesting scales and chord progressions you choosed, they don't feel either happy or sad, more like a water paint between them. Some notes seemed to have fallen out of harmony, but I had the sensation that it was intentional.

Overall it is a very good work that was done here, this song has it's way to bring me some memories.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

It's always nice to hear whenever my music manages to inspire someone, if even a little. Thank you for that!
My composing process differes between different pieces, but you definitely laid the process for this one out quite accurately :D!!

I generally try to convey emotions, atmospheres or other similar things through most of my music. For this one, I wanted to do something that sounds very different, but is still easily digestable for the listener. I didn't want any type of climax or added tensity in this one indeed. It's supposed to reflect a continuous, almost dreamlike mindset :)

The chords I chose are indeed somewhere between happy and sad. I think of it as almost a happy kind of confusion, where you don't really know exactly to think. Kind of like when something so surprising happens, you don't even know whether you're still in reality.

Thank you for this very uplifting review :D!!!