CrabbWalker's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[A Long Night]

LSD at it again, with a very cool Jazz style. I've heard that Jazz is quite challenging, and I don't hear it that much on NG compared to other genres, so kudos!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

One again, you're quick to leave nice reviews :)
There is jazz here on there on Newgrounds, but you almost need to look for it to find it. Jazz is definitely not one of my stronger sides. I'm not sure that I'd call it more difficult at this point, depending on how you approach it. Then again, I've played in a Big Band, and I go to jazz bars quite often, so I hear a fair share of jazz. But in the end, like with every style, it just comes down to analyzing what makes the genre what it is, and go from there. I already use a lot of chords (complex ones too), in almost every piano piece that I make, so in that way, the difference with jazz is mostly the rhythm and style. I find dubstep to be a lot more challening XD
But I think that it differes for different people, depending on their background to music :)
Didn't mean to go on a weird rant there, but it kinda happened, hahha.
I really feel like composing something big now, but I kinda have projects to work on.... Ugh....
Thanks again!

[BRUCE: In the Dark]

This sounds like an extra soundtrack for Ghost in the Shell! Simplistic, but very effective. I would say my favorite part would be the first 2 minutes of it. Good stuff as usual, hardly miss any piece of work from you.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

"...hardly miss any piece of work from you."

=> I've noticed! Thanks a great deal for checking out so much of my stuff, and reviewing it too :D

You know, I've gotten several recommendations to watch Ghost in the Shell, so I should definitely do that. I'd agree that the first 2 minutes are the most interesting. Then again, as this is only BGM, it can be good that the second part is not too overtaking :)

[The Power of Passion]

Good stuff as usual, always a treat with every track you release!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thanks for the review, man, and thanks for reviewing so much of what I upload. I really appreciate it!

[Opera Of The Dead]

Nicely done! I'm not musically inclined, but I think it's different from the standard 4/4 time signature...is that 3/4 ? Anyways it's probably the best choice IMO, it gives it a more waltz-y spin to Halloween, as if we've just entered a Monster's Ball, and Ghouls and Ghosts are dancing! Good melody as well :D

Mattashi responds:

Yup your right! it's in 3/4 And I did indeed intend to make it a spooky waltz xD

[Allhelgona]

Your best work, in my opinion, tends to have this surreal feeling to them. You have a considerable amount of emotional intelligence to be able to elicit these feelings of purgatory through music- not giving us despair, but ferrying us through an endless wave of somber. This and Vos Postergum have a very strong sense of embodiment that I pedestal above all of your other work, simply because it just immediately bonds with you...the stronger I bond with a particular piece of music, the more poetic I get lol, so sorry for the more creative review. Entrancing track, cool minimalist work, and a lot of replay value!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I really love reading your reviews, as they are all very honest, and you have your own take on everything, so I can trust that your reviews are always unique. I consider myself to have quite a lot of emotional intelligence, not only when it comes to music, but in everyday life as well. I usually do my best to understand the people around me, and of course, also myself. I am sure that this shines through in my music, and I am happy that it does. Apart from melodies and chords, I often like to build up an atmosphere, like I did in this piece. Other than just piano solo compositions, this kind of a track goes back to the very roots of my style. I'm not sure if it can be heard, but even in more ambient tracks such as this, I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to details :p

It makes my day to hear that not only do you enjoy the music, but you connect to it. Thank you so much for letting me know in the form of such a nice review! :)

[Threnody for Innocence]

I have to go to school and work soon (a long 13 hour day) so I don't have an in depth description, but I want to let you guys know that you are like THE musicians of Newgrounds! You guys have an enormous body of work and talent that exponentially improves. I have one selfish request in particular...will you guys do a rendition of Chopin's Etude Op 10 no 12? It is my favorite piano piece that has a sweeping range of emotion and notes, sort of what I got from this particularly great piece. Awesome inspirations!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Wow, thank you so much for the nice review! And daymn o.O That sounds like quite the work day!!! I hope it went well, even though there are still some hours left.

"THE musicians of Newgrounds!"

Hahha XD That's a pretty awesome compliment. I'm totally blushing right now :3
If you think this is good, you should check out the tracks that inspired this (pretty sure you already did, but still)! Though we both are very attached to this track, I feel that both the tracks that inspired this are far superior. Especially "Return" stands alone in my eyes. Nothing quite gets to me like pure emotions.

As for Chopin's Etude Op 10 no 12, you overestimate my piano skills. It's a wonderful track, and I might think about it later. But at this point, it would take me at least a month, probably 2 or 3 to learn to play it even decently at full speed (if you look at the video by Valentina Lisitsa), meaning well enough to fix the rest of the mistakes with a computer without doing too much. I'd love to do it, but I lack the skill required at this current point in my life :D
But it could be a great track to practice for sure. I'll have to think about it, but don't expect anything!

Thanks for writing a review and for the five stars, even if you were short on time :)

[Facing the Foe]

Wooooow. Maan. Let me tell you, and sorry if it's just a bias...the beginning 10 seconds had so much pent up energy and power, especially with that organ and (harpsichord I think) that afterwards, all of the sweeet intricate percussion work, and just the overall soothing complex orchestrated score was overshadowed. Again, maybe this is just me nitpicking, but man, did I experience quite a mood shift after those first 10 seconds. If I just listen to the piece without the first 10 seconds, it's a very well thought out, and amazing piece deserving of all 5 stars. The first 10 seconds also deserves 5 stars...but together? I'm not quite sure. I wonder what other guys who are more musically inclined think of this piece? Otherwise, keep making art!

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

You, I have seen you reviewing everything lately (especially on some of the latest art)! Wonderful job :D

I totally get your point with the beginning. But it also makes me happy in one sense, because that means the true vibe of this track shines through as what it's supposed to feel like. You see, the first 10 seconds feel like they build up for a boss battle. But this is actually a more light, normal battle theme ;)
The 10 first second bother me more because they're distracting, than because they'd be too good XD

I think that parts like 0:53-1:16, and 1:33 through 1:56 are actually waaay better, because of their pure melodic/harmonic and compositional value. So the first 10 seconds kinda give you a distorted image of the true feel of the track. Give it a few more listens, and I'm sure you'll learn to enjoy the other parts as well ;)

But don't worry, this is a loop! So the first 10 seconds show up every 3 and a half minutes!
That said, it's quite a fun distraction, those first 10 seconds. The first time the track plays, it's a powerful introduction, and every other time, it's like to become a sort of wake up call grabbing the attention of the listener, which is actually okay in a battle track, which is not supposed to be only relaxing. It depends more on where you're going with the design, I think. Even if this works as a stand alone track, nothing shows how well a video game track works better than it being featured in an actual video game ;)

Are you making good progress on Nami: Espisode 2?

Thanks a lot for the nice review :3

[Damned Night]

I'm imagining a creature called Equinox that uses moonlight to create a miniature Sun that he absorbs into his iris...he then proceeds to blast rapid solar flares at you, like radioactive lashes that spawn light flashes upon searing the space of oxygen it contacts! Upon your defeat, with it's right hand, it gives respect to the Greek God Helios, and with the left, praise to the Greek God Morpheus. Tremble upon a structure that wants nothing more than to deify itself through Earthly conquest. With the Earth under it's control, shall it laser through the Earth's armor, and harvest enough heat energy to move the moon to eclipse the Earth into total darkness. He will then summon Morpheus to serve the populous an eternal slumber, while fighting for deification against Helios and his Sun, versus Equinox and his moon.

DanJohansen responds:

That is one epic description of doom from hell with a touch of laser penetrating power my friend! Glad you dig it, it was a blast to make and a blast to see you get such vivid imagery out of it. Sweetness! ROCK ON!

[Giants Kingdom]

Giants Kingdom sounds like an awesome title for a solo album, but I can't picture this with giants walking because they move soo slow to this upbeat, awesome music lol. It's more heart pacing than ominous IMO. The Harpsichord was nice throughout this piece, more specfically near the ending. Im not music-term inclined, but that guitar solo was a charm. Also this is weird, but this reminds me of Jeff Loomis's Zero Phase album 4 some reason lol. Tags FTW. Another bang job, mate.

DanJohansen responds:

Awesome review my friend, Giants Kingdom is actually a title I am considering for this album, cool that you thought of it too. Imagine the giants stomping to the start riff that repeats, then you envision the stone spiders run amock during the faster parts :D

Thanks for the review man!

[Improv on Eternity]

Played some games over this improv. You have amazing skill, I only listened to about 20 minutes of it, but between the 5-10 min mark is my favorite personally. 8:47- 9:00 was the best, I could listen to those slightly shifting chords all day! Then it transitioned to some of your earlier works, all in all a good mix. Question, how much of this was off the top, and how much of it was taken from previous works? Will be interesting to know :D

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you, CrabbWalker! I've listened to this three times or so now, and I've got a hard time telling which is my favorite part :/

Oh, only 2 parts were knowingly based on previous ideas. Not the parts you'd think either: 13:20-13:32 (That may still turn into a battle theme intro some time in the future), and the short riff at 61:08-61:15 which I continue to try developing further on for some time (fully imrpovised).

All the rest is off the top of my head, so basically everything except a few minutes if you count the whole time the riff is being developed upon. I accidetally played both short snippets of other people's stuff, and some of my older work, but usuall only a couple of seconds here and there, before I realized and intentionally changed it to something else.

And oh, the very first chord is planned, so the frist 3 seconds were planned too XD