Jakey-San's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Claudius]

absolutely astounding! out of all the pieces in round 1, this is the one that I keep coming back to. this is a super solid composition, and the climax is well-deserved. hearing Bosa's powerhouse intro going into Samulis' soft touch is always my favorite part to listen to. as the other guys mentioned below, the difference in sample quality is like night and day, but I personally think that adds to the appeal of the piece, conveying a sense of "call & response." overall, a very successful group effort, and I can't wait to hear what you guys have in store for round 2!

[Supercollide]

absolutely incredible! even though I could never do jazz to save my life, I still love listening to it. my band directors from my high school days would totally geek out to this track. excellent work!

[Dreamyard]

holy teats! this is f*cking EPIC! I'm a huge fan of progressive rock, and you really nailed it! I'm still kinda new to NG, and this is my first time hearing of you. holy f*ck I am blown away! the chord progressions and structure are pleasantly unpredictable. the mixing, and even instrument tones are great (pretty much the way I like my own rock tones to sound like). also, you're a phenomenal guitar player! so technically gifted, yet with a fresh approach. you're gonna be huge someday, if you're not already! it's not a surprise that you won the ADM last year. best of luck to you in the future rounds!

Kor-Rune responds:

Thanks man! I'm not a fan of cutting my mids but sometimes I feel like I should. :<

Thanks for the good wishes and nice review!

[Promises - skyood]

awesomeness, my friend! very charming and atmospheric. love those synth sounds you got going on. the message is rightfully subtle, letting the chord progressions and dynamics tell the story. my only complaint (and this is merely a matter of preference, so take this with a grain of salt) is that the piano tone sounds a bit too bright and thin. maybe a chopping off of some of the high-end frequencies, as well as a little bit of compression to bring out those lower velocities, would be something to consider trying out in the future. but other than that, this is super solid!

skyood responds:

Mixing/mastering is definitely my weakness. In fact, I bumped some high on the piano parts *up* so for fear of them getting buried under the synth. So it could very much be not so much that I need to change something so much as I need to not touch it in the first place. :P

The progression and dynamics are what I like about it most, too. Thanks for the kind words!

[[IV]Shadow-Stealing Girl]

wonderful piece! I love your rhythmic style, as well as your string dynamics and soundscapes. I could totally hear this in a Japanese action/thriller film. I think the timing of the horn melody is a little off? I can't quite tell if that's what you were going for or not. but overall, I'm super impressed! between you and PeterSatera, this is quite a match up! =)

[Everlong Circles II]

this is a great piece! I wish it could have been longer, but I assume that the running length serves a purpose. the dynamics are there, and so is the great ending. you've utilized those two great songs and made them your own, in a good way (especially Foo Fighters; I'm a big Foos fan, and I'm *usually* critical on FF covers). I agree with Ewige though; that this piece would really shine through higher-quality samples, but the composition itself outshines the poor sample quality. that's a surefire sign of talent! =)

skyood responds:

Yeah, listening back to this little guy is part of what made me stop trying to do symphonic pieces, lol. Just can't pull it off very well with what I have.

And yes, you are correct, the running length was requested that long, just long enough for a walk down the aisle.

Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated!

[Departure]

wow this is excellent! the chord voicings are absolutely spectacular, and I love the trade off between instruments that provide variation in color. the mixing is great as well.

I can definitely see a tearful goodbye and/or death scene with this piece. everything from the first note, to the build up, to the finale, are all perfect. I find it hard to believe that you don't write intimate pieces that often. one of many reminders that I myself have a LOT to learn!

[Hayao the Swordman]

I'm immediately hooked right from the first ten seconds! the composition is very mature and lightyears ahead of lots of other orchestral composers here on NG. rhythmically unique and beautiful chord voicings, as well as the progressions. definitely has a Yasunori Mitsuda vibe, and even a touch of Joe Hisaishi. I'm surprised that you were able to make Edirol sound this good, which is a testament to the fact that you definitely deserve the need for better samples! ^_^

[Eventails]

absolutely beautiful! not sure why you got knocked for dynamics. for what the composition called for, your sense of touch was spot-on!

may I have your permission to cover this someday? =)

Troisnyx responds:

By all means <3 I would love to hear the covered version.

[The Adventurer]

holy cow! this is great stuff! nice use of the EW libraries too ^_^

Step responds:

Thank you! Your stuff is *fantastic* by the way!