Score: 10

"After 3+ months... [6]"

submission: Mass Effect

date: June 24, 2008

Your groovy track is finally being used by a submission (the new game submitted just now, today... Elliptic). Congrats on that (it's how I found the song, anyway). Oh, and I just gave it a 5 vote, which should balance out the previous reviewer's 0 (he shoulda come back the next day and hit 5 at that point to balance it himself! #;-}>)... JSYK.

I saw the title was Mass Effect over at that submission just now, so I wanted to see if it had anything to do with the game, and sure enough. I just got a new PC this month, and so I've been playing a lot of the games I missed, such as Halo and Doom 3 and Bioshock, over the past few years... I'll be getting Orange Box for my birthday next week, and finally Mass Effect is the last must-have game on my list, from what I've read about it. But since it just came out on PC like a month ago, it's still top-priced, so I'll have to wait awhile for it to drop a bit.

Still, this song being inspired by the game... serves as yet more mouth-watering anticipation-causing teasing for me in addition to all the reviews I've read. #;-}> Thanks for that.

Very nice atmospheric techno... kinda has a "slowed down drum 'n' bass" feel to it, really. I dig the beat a lot, the bass... the synths overlaid on top after many measures are decent (though the piano parts shine much more, even with everything that makes the song... dropping out to leave just the aural background + piano overlay), but it's really the beat 'n' groove that make this one... leading up to that soft ending. I'd love to hear piano like that WITH accompanying beats, in a way that "works," if that makes any sense.

Score: 10

"Bright, energetic simplicity [5]"

submission: {Sunlight}

date: June 21, 2008

Just heard this song on a new flash just submitted to the portal. The flash was crap but the song was great. When I saw it was from the audio portal, I had to come and see... er... have a listen, rather.

I haven't reviewed anything in the audio portal in years, but I don't want to lose track of this beaut, so here I am.

The title of the song, Sunlight, reminds me of Starlight by Muse, and this song's actual feel... is kinda like a techno rendition of the feel of that rock song. Upbeat, happy, but with a slight tinge of wistfulness or longing or nostalgia.

As others have said, the strings 'n' synths are great. The thumping four to the floor beat is fine, but I'd love to hear kinda a nu-skool breaks/breakbeat trance version of this. When the beats drop out and the music soars into the breakdown, I think about some Hybrid-esque beats kicking in instead... and it makes me smile (like Beachcoma by Hybrid, from their first album, Wide Angle).

So what I'm saying is, this is great, but I'd love to hear a more intricate drum version, too. #;-}> Well done. I've not heard better tone or mood from an audio portal techno song since the golden days of ParagonX9.

Score: 10

"Vocal noodling TO THE MAX"

submission: Nonsense

date: December 14, 2004

Loved it. Great stuff. SUBMIT MORE AUDIO, IOI8!

Was that a "cock-a-doodle-doo" in there before the breakdown? Heh. Greatness.

Score: 8

"Can't give this one a huge clarity score"

submission: Ironic

date: March 31, 2004

But I think it would really work well in certain flashes. Might not be the easiest listen on its own, but I can think of a few situations in which it'd make a good backdrop to the action on screen. Perhaps playing while a coked-up zombie roams the graveyard in search of cookies and bimbos?

Score: 10

"Damn straight it's our favorite!"

submission: Nightfall

date: August 30, 2003

Hey man. #;-}> Been to the audio portal before, but never reviewed anything until I popped in to review TheLT earlier. Figured I'd drop by your place, too.

I love that your songs have such variety within them, and all of them are so different in terms of specifics. In Nightfall, the crystalline synths stand out as the signature sound, but the balance of all the harsher elements with them is what makes it more than just a pretty melody. Nice hard intro into the breakdown where the aforementioned synths are introduced briefly, but it's when they continue on as the drumroll brings back the bass and beat. Nice nice NICE!

Score: 9

"Found your music through a movie featuring this"

submission: A simple prog-trance loop

date: August 30, 2003

Strangely, BTW, that movie credits "Full-on trance loop," not the one it should, that being this prog-trance loop... I guess the author got the ID wrong. I've enjoyed all of your clips, though, especially this one (duh!), the aforementioned other trance loop, Astrals-13, Subways, and Arturia Modular System.

Anyway, despite this loop being only 7 seconds long, it manages to effect a really cool feel. Kinda laid-back trancey yum yum whoa, that's the best I can describe it. #;-}> The synth is just perfectly luscious, the drums are nothing too special, but they go well with the groove of the bassline. The textures all meld well, forming one hell of a snickers bar of a trance loop.

If you haven't heard it used, check out the entry that uses it (Dis-illusioned Pirate). Somehow, it just seems to perfectly fit a wacky little flash about a demented pirate who won't stop insisting a futuristic cruiseship is his pirate ship, and to hell with anyone who tells him otherwise!

You're my first audio portal review because of this tiny little 7 second loop. Whee. #;-}>