Jakey-San's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Mystic's Shore]

you already know my opinion on this song, but I figured I'd review anyway. I'm in absolute awe of the sheer magic you've conjured up here. it's one thing to have a canvas full of interesting colors, harmonies, melodies, etc. but the way these elements speak to each other evokes such a blissful mood beyond rationale. your lyrics are pure poetry (+100 points for incorporating Mandarin), and your singing isn't half bad either. =P

what I'm impressed with the most is that your blending of styles is conveyed with honesty, rather than just mixing it up for the sake of mixing it up. the Asian/zen-like elements are present, but in context with your signature "etherealwinds" sound.

keep it up, good sir! I'm confident that your next piece will be even better than this one! ;-)

etherealwinds responds:

Thank you Jacob and once again, thank you for pointing me in the direction of some amazing VSTs for my piece after this. Really appreciate it! <3

[Asperges Me]

is satanbrain on drugs?? THIS SONG IS BRILLIANT, and beyond the confines of genre-labeling. with the right production quality, it could be a masterpiece! you had me reduced to tears by the time the epic build up came around. =*)

the chord progressions flow perfectly, and I LOVE the piano part (especially that right-hand melody at 3:14). vocals are shaky at some points, but that's not a deal-breaker for me at all, especially since your harmonies at the build up and climax are GORGEOUS. there's really not that much I can pick apart, because this is one of those pieces that merit such emotional impact that a technical critique is completely irrelevant.

pardon me for coming to this so late; I'm cycling through last year's NGADM submissions for research (now I'm sad that you didn't get to do it this year) and realizing what I've been lacking in my own submissions. so thank you for the inspiration! ^_^

Troisnyx responds:

On that note, Jacob, I'm attempting to get a better version of this into my debut album. The strings still need polishing as far as I am aware, and any help on that front will be appreciated. If you go onto my Bandcamp (music store), the current version of this song is in my single, Terre des Hommes Libres.

I'm just grateful that this song has really touched you so much. I am still clinging onto the message of the song because that is what has carried me through last year, and I need it to carry me through this year...

[Mote Prime]

O_O did you really do this in only 3 days?!

I hate you... yet I love you at the same time. you're a real force to be reckoned with, my friend! the atmospheres you create are always next-level status, and the compositions... just wow! you truly are ahead of this time, and I wish the best of luck to you in the future rounds!

stay gold, you time traveler! ;-)

Kor-Rune responds:

Thank you! I only sequence the drums, everything else is performed in takes and a lot of these chord progressions are fairly simple, so it doesn't take long to put something together. Thank you for the kind words!

[This is Not the End]

wonderful! a very nice atmosphere, and amazing piano work. as Kor-Rune said, the piano could have had a warmer tone, but that's not really a deal-breaker for me at all. I noticed you've been pouting about lacking the expensive orchestral libraries and stuff. but this piece proves that you're doing perfectly fine without them! keep it up, my friend. I hope you get really far in the NGADM. =)

ChronoNomad responds:

Thanks a lot, Jake! I'm not sure I'd quite admit to pouting over my lack of pricey orchestral suites, but gazing wistfully in their general direction with the occasional sigh? Oh my goodness, yes! Nevertheless, I am very fortunate to have been able to pick up FL Studio this year (farewell, my previous DAW!), and am quite happy with the SoundFonts and scant VSTs that I currently have at my disposal. The rest will come in time. In the interim, I am overjoyed by such fantastic feedback and just to be in this competition!

Being up against the exceedingly talented etherealwinds in this round shadows my NGADM future with doubt, but regardless of the outcome I can be confident that I gave it my all. It's been a truly fun and educational experience, and I simply don't want it to end! ^_^

[Agnos]

welp, Kor-Rune took the words right outta my mouth, lol.

but man, this is absolutely beautiful! so... ethereal (pun intended) ^_^

also, a very wonderfully mixed track! easily a 10/10 from me.

etherealwinds responds:

Thank you so much Jacob, I really loved your track also!! ^ ^

[Memories of a Forgotten Land]

stellar piece of work, my friend! that violin performance got me teary-eyed, haha. also, it was well-mixed with the sampled strings. however, there were a couple moments where the sample programming fell flat, and distracted me a little bit from the solo performance. I think there could have been room for more instrumentation, especially in the latter half when the piece builds up. other than those little things, this is definitely top-notch. one of my favorites by far!

MichaelJ responds:

I completely agree. I need to start using more instruments. Thank you for the great review!

[inside the machine]

this is the second piece in round 2 that made me get up and dance! haha seriously though, I love this. the structure flows well, and the production is super solid. I don't know much about this genre, but this song reminds me of Ronald Jenkees' music (love that dude!). I feel it could also work in a classic Sonic game, haha! great work, and I wish you the best of luck in round 2!

johnfn responds:

Haha great! :D Yeah I think NGADM is cool because it gives us exposure to genres outside of our comfort zone - like I don't listen to much cinematic/classical, but I get blasted with it when I browse NGADM pieces :-) Thanks for the review! I've never heard of Ronald Jenkees before but I started listening to one of his songs and he rocks!