BenTibbetts's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[{Heim} A Storm in the Night]

My favorite of the three.

As the summary says: this is probably my favorite of your Nightfall triptych. I felt such excitement and foreboding listening to this movement. I listen to it most often of all your pieces. Something about the harmonies in this one just hint at something elusive, especially the incredible A major to F major for the last 30 seconds... it makes a brilliant final cadence to a very evocative piece. Really great work and I can tell you worked hard on this.

JeffHeim responds:

Hey, Ben!

Thanks for the kind review. I'm glad to see you're active on NG :D
It must be pretty cold all the way up in Maine...

[-Orr- Four Brave Champions]

Way to go!

Such a good track, David. My favorite part starts in the last 20 seconds and is reminiscent of James Bond soundtracks. It loops beautifully and not a second too long.

DavidOrr responds:

Hey Ben, great to see you on Newgrounds! Thanks for the review :)

[{Heim} Chorale in D Minor]

Beautiful

What a beautiful piece; I guess I missed this one. The sudden dynamic changes are so well-placed! And the ending, soft and an octave down in the same key, is effective. Yeah, write more.

JeffHeim responds:

haha thanks! will do :)

[Prelude]

Ab minor!

Hi. I think this makes a terrific little prelude. It's simple, sweet, and sad. The harmonies remind me of parts in the opera "Dido & Aeneas"; specifically, "Dido's Lament", which is near the very end.

I'm giving it an imperfect 8/10 because the ending didn't do much for me. Somehow it seemed that the moving 8th notes had already been over with and the piece was drawing to a close, and at that moment you chose to play them again and I thought by then I'd had enough of that motif. Maybe I could be convinced differently after hearing the whole piece, so... happy writing!

Pandaguru responds:

Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback. I will take your point about dragging the song on into account for future works.

[Halindir - Burden]

Gorgeous.

Gorgeous harmonies here, so smooth. It IS simple, but I don't mean that as a criticism. Rather, it's very touching. Especially the last minute, which just falls and falls in such a beautifully lilting way. Unfortunately it doesn't loop very well, that could be improved on. Also, I wonder if the melody starting at 1:09 could be put in another instrument so it doesn't blend in so much with the slow strings. Maybe a slightly bolder sound over the strings, like a solo horn or bassoon. Ending with positive: I'm downloading this track for sure. Solid 9/10.

Halindir responds:

Thank you very much for the comment BenjaminTibbetts. I will try out your advice on the melody at 1:09.

[~FP~ Slow Piece in C]

Hm. Sensitive.

What a little gem. I have mixed feelings about it. It reminds me a lot of some of Schumann's more subdued piano pieces, especially given the oddity that you didn't start in C major and didn't get around to it until 50 seconds in. The chord at 1:04, to me, sounds very out of place, suspension or not. The rest is wavering and wandering but in a kind of benign, beautiful way. So I have to recommend. Very enjoyable listening.

Funkypotat0 responds:

Nah, I can assure you the whole thing is in C major, although you may hear some parts as CM's companion key, A minor. Either way, it's pretty much the same.

And as for that suspended chord... I think it sounds quite appropriate for the mood; it blends the two portions together rather nicely, in my opinion. But of course, the composer is the ultimate bias here...

Anywho, thanks for the comment.

['''earthquake''']

cool.

Hey, it works. The ending is pretty delicate. I guess that could either mean that the earthquake wasn't very big or it was so big it killed everyone except some lonely piano player.

attemptedperfection responds:

yeah, the title was mostly related to the lyrics which were going to be in it, haha... but I decided I didn't like them and just uploaded it as an istrumental. :P

[Breaking the Day]

Interesting departure

This is an interesting track. It seems to draw from your techno and dance elements, but when limited to only a piano the repetition has a curious resignation. Actually, "resigned" pretty much describes the whole piece; there's almost a baroque-like stubbornness to it. Doesn't sound like the person beginning his day is especially happy this morning. :)

attemptedperfection responds:

I had completely forgotten about this one, haha... written back in my teen-angsty phase :P

[12-bar Glitch]

Mmm mmm.

Yeah. 10/10. So, a wonderful, awesome sound for a melody that first minute. This piece just makes me feel good. Objectively speaking, the last 30 seconds is a cool contrast. Subjectively speaking, the whole thing sounds like the computer just ate a particularly scrumptious chocolate bar. Oooooh yeah.

attemptedperfection responds:

I like that description very much, haha... kinda puts the song in a whole new light

[I can't think of a good title.]

Awesome.

You're right, I have to get this program. Those sounds are so perfectly, so purely electronic. Beautiful stuff. For me, this track was a good mix of changing feels at sensitively placed moments. Never got boring, never got old.

attemptedperfection responds:

and this is why I don't spend hundreds of dollars on Reason, haha...