The-Cupbearer's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Pumpkin Frog]

Fantastic work here! This track has a lot of personality. I can tell you're an artist with a well-developed style. I really like the warbly nature of the melody and the eccentric time signature. Will be checking out more of your stuff for sure.

[Universe]

Good mixing here. I think you've nailed the synthwave feel pretty good, so I'd recommend reclassifying it under that genre rather than "ambient". I kind of wish there was more to the melody, though. Right now, it doesn't feel like this track has a lot to distinguish it from other synthwave songs.

[Halloween Madness]

I like the use of Theremin. This is a very silly-feeling track that would be right at home in a lighthearted horror-themed level in a platformer. The only thing I really recommend is to work on more playful and colorful melodies. These instruments are dying to be used in an eccentric way.

[Grey Skies, Sour Wind]

This is a good track with a good sense of balancing. The percussion acts as a nice counterpoint to the main melody, which I find sufficiently playful within the given confines. It reminds me a little of Aphex Twin's early work, though not nearly as noisy.

Also, nice pumpkins.

BusanBlack responds:

Thanks mate!
Yeah I was feeling those 90s/00s music era vibes.
Also I'm proud of my pumpkins! But then the squirrels ate them and shredded them to bits :(
RIP

[Merzard x Mistls - Unequals]

Really nice sound here. The synths you've used are very smooth to the ears, like a heavy mist. I'm not personally the biggest fan of the drum break down in the latter part, but that's more of a personal taste sort of thing. I think you done good with this piece.

[Double Lovin']

Really liking the sound of that guitar riff in this track. Very good rhythm and space. I guess personally I would have liked if it had been more adventurous with its melody, but it's still good as is.

[Zodiac]

I think this sounds appropriately epic, and it's a good effort. That said, there are a few issues I've noted:
1 - The instruments don't always harmonize very well. This is particularly noticeable at the start of the track.
2 - The song kind of starts abruptly, with little buildup. Makes me feel like I'm coming in halfway through the first act rather than at the beginning.
3 - During the louder parts, the song gets pretty distorted. I feel like it's been limited a bit too heavily. You might want to try more natural forms of volume control if you don't want that effect. It doesn't sound intentional to me.
4 - The song seems to end abruptly and in a way that doesn't really match the rest of it.
5 - This doesn't feel like an Ambient song to me. Perhaps it would have been better classified as "Dance".

Anyway, just my thoughts. Please continue developing your style.

RealJosh responds:

Finally, someone who can give some actually decent feedback. Thank you for your advice!

[Autumn Decorations]

This is a really good little ditty here. I was particularly drawn in when the strings came in about halfway through. This is a very well-balanced piece that makes good use of pauses and rhythm. Very professional. Only thing I would want would be a more expressive melody to give the piece more of a personality. Right now, it'd work fantastic as a background track, though.

[Ephemeral Season]

It has a very slow and methodical progression. At first I felt like the choice of notes kind of clashed in places, but the more I listened, the more natural it felt. I think you have a good composition here, and I'd be interested to see what else you would come up with in future. Mind if I follow your page?