Libby-Shimmz's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Back At It Again]

To Teqneek:

I love your cadence and flow over the beat and like that you decided to continue rapping over the beat drop-outs instead of stopping like I've heard some others do. Some of the ad-libs are hard to make out, but all in all this is a great track.

To Shak:

The reason I voted 8/10 was because the beat fades out earlier than intended. If you could fix that, I'll be putting this up on my next LP.

5/5
8/10

Teqneek responds:

Even with the extended beat link I sent you? Once I get your mix with the scratches and sampling applied, it'll be the finished version you hear on NG, YouTube, Bandcamp etc.

The latest link I sent you had an extra 30 or so seconds added at the end, which should be a good amount of time to work your magic and close out the track, right?

Aside from that, thanks man! It was a pleasure writing and recording over a CJ beat, and I'm sure we'll work together in the near future homie!

[Across the Ocean]

The track was ok at best.

It repeated too much in my opinion.

Since there's no snare, the track drags a whole lot.

Changing the melody up every 16 bars, as well as adding a hook every 32 bars would have been a good idea.

All in all;

3/5 6/10

DjSkyFall responds:

a lot of preference in your critique, but you're right on the melody, thank you for the review.

[Suede Seats]

Definite FlyLo vibe here Bou.

Not too long and not too short.

Great work.

5/5 10/10

BOULLIE responds:

thanks

[Cold Bruise]

Interesting vibes here Bou.

Feels almost like a burial track due to what sounds like a rimshot or woodblock being used in place of a Snare Drum.

Overall the track reminds me of old Flying Lotus circa 2006.

Is that a bong hit at 1:08?

Doesn't sound much like a groan.

Haha.

Almost reminds me of the opening seconds of Tool's Intolerance which is rumoured to use an extremely long bong hit sample.

All in all this is pretty good.

4/5 8/10

BOULLIE responds:

lol

it might be a bong hit

[Makosa]

I love the ideas you've got here.

The synths are very soothing and remind me of a lot of beatless ambient tunes along the lines of Autechre.

As far as critiques go, you really need to work on progression.

This track doesn't change up that much and it really bothers me because the sounds used are really fantastic.

Hip Hop is widely known as a very repetitive genre, but if you're going to be making instrumentals you'll need to incorporate changes every 8 bars or so to keep the listener interested, especially when the track you're making turns into a track longer than 3 minutes.

DJ Shadow, DJ Krush, The Avalanches & DJ Food are some good examples of Instrumental Hip Hop to look into.

I highly recommend you listen to a wide array of Instrumental Hip Hop (previously mentioned artists included) to get a feeling of what and what not to do when composing instrumentals.

All that aside though, I really like the Middle Eastern vibe the flute (A sampled one-shot, yes?) gives me.

Keep up the good work man.

4/5

8/10

Waidmann responds:

U right

[What I Cannot Be]

This is so chill.

The vocal reminds me a lot of Bonobo's early tunes.

That 'I will find you.' dialogue sample is from Liam Neeson's Taken isn't it?

It fits so well nonetheless.

Can't wait to hear your album.

Keep 'em coming man!

5/5

10/10

Waidmann responds:

yes it is :)

[Lost Causes]

This is dope shit man.

I hope you make it into the NGADM.

That synth is so burial-esque.

Did you make it yourself and then re-sample a melody you arranged or is it just a re-engineered sample?

Waidmann responds:

Re-engineered sample :)

[Beats Me![RMX]]

I dig the strings in this a lot.

The synth sounds are clean as hell too.

I wish you would have fleshed the track out a little more.

It's too short and doesn't really go anywhere like the original does.

I wish I could 5 this, but it's way too short in my humble opinion.

Great effort Deshy!

4/5

7/10

DESHIEL responds:

y thanks for the revie ;)

[Stay the $ame - J Stepp]

Your subject matter is dope.

Bringing back that old school shit.

I love it.

The beat is fire.

The female vocal sample is so damn dope.

What's the sample?

5/5

10/10

Jstep1990 responds:

for sure man thank you. i was going for that oldschool feel

[MI-6]

{This that live shit, The do or die Illadelph Jedi Mind shit, the hot shit}

For real though, I dig the shit out of this.

I don't really feel the trap drums, but I can overlook them because the sample chops are dope.

(Personally, I like to use Boom-Bap drum samples and cut-up Break-Beats.)

Great sample.

I fucking love that brass man.

5 / 9.5