Phonometrologist's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Aim - Predictable]

This is bizarrely alluring to me. I didn't mind the lack of melody here because I enjoyed listening to the hypnosis of the drums.

Nue22 responds:

Congrats on front page :)

[AIM - Unstoppable]

The tone, rhythm, melodies, and mix are spot-on. I think you got a good sense of writing in these categories. However, as a stand alone piece (if not meant to be for a background piece in a game) it lacks in structure. As of now, this works great for a song if it had lyrics, but I expect a more interesting harmonic change/chord progression without it. By the end of any piece, a listener would need to get a sense of some kind of message that you're wishing to project in your music. Without lyrics, it makes it a bit more challenging to communicate what it is that you want to convey as this requires a bit more variety in "color," tone, tension/resolve, and interplay between melody and harmony. Sure, it's meant to go with the art piece that you have selected, but one still needs to hear the story you have in mind when you see this piece of art. Because after all, if we had ten people writing a piece of music for this artwork, it would all sound different. We need to know what you feel and what you want us to feel or think by hearing what you perceive this artwork to be. Otherwise, it becomes merely an exercise which will be less impactful/memorable for a listener. Unless a mindless, dance piece is the goal, which also isn't a bad thing as it certainly inspires in me to move along to it.
All that being said, it is a good piece. I'm merely offering certain advice in what I think would improve, not only the piece, but what would make this more impactful and an interesting experience for the listener. You could also simply throw my words away too--I'd respect that.

TIMETRAVL responds:

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.
Atually i was trying to make a mindless dance piece, usually my tracks have more variety to them, but with this one i just wanted to make something heavy that just makes you want to bump your head to the song. When i saw the artwork, I immediately had hotline miami in my head, what i tried to make was something that could play in some hm level with the only purpose to build up adrenaline. I'm sure i could have varied it more, I even experimented with some more breaks but in the end I just didn't feel it. But thank for letting me know what you think of this, it's always good to know how others react to my music.

[AIM - Dusk of Eternal Night]

I hear what you're going for. Your main role as a composer seemed to be primarily focused on story-telling. Unfortunately to do everything yourself means to write something compositionally interesting while also keeping a nice "sound design" and arrangement that could sound more appealing while not clashing with other instruments. The mixing suffers here along with the arrangement, but the energy and the note choices are fine. I admire your energy, and I can follow the melodic train-of-thought in this piece. Keep on writing. I do enjoy bits and pieces of it for what it is.

Verdusk responds:

I appreciate the encouragement!

It's true that I've so far mostly focused on the notes of each part more than the mixing. I've still got some things to learn on how to better use the software I'm using (LMMS)

[AIM - It's Not You, She's Dead]

For whatever it's worth, I really enjoy the tone of this track and the rhythmic variety of the synths. I personally don't mind that the drums aren't mixed over the top of everything.

Reptiore responds:

You'll likely prefer the finalized version. I rushed this due to time restrictions/other projects/work. I just wanted to take part in another Newgrounds event, it had been awhile. Thanks though, I will surely upload a final version some day when I have the time. Heck, it may even make it onto the EP thingy I am doing.

[AIM - Staring Down The Barrels]

Was just skimming through the list of submissions, and just had to sign in to comment. I enjoyed the intro quite a bit, and haven't gotten bored as I typically do with this kind of genre. You kept the timbre of the piece and the arrangement interesting enough throughout to keep my interest. It would provide a great background loop of a map/level of a game. At first, I thought about my day playing UT99, but then I started to hear a possible M83 influence in your work. I dig it.

CreoMusic responds:

Thanks, you touch exactly the points that I was trying to make: creating a song that has enough detail and variation to not get too boring, but still retains an overall mood and rythm to make it easy to digest and fit in the background of a video game. Very glad to read that you felt the same way about it!

[Doswidanja Rodina]

Where have you been?
In regards to your Orchestral Mixing topic, and after hearing this, I must say that you're your own biggest critic. Of course you are, because you hear the finer intricacies that went into creating this. At least your ears have a bit of realism and know there could be some improvement in regards to mix. For my taste, the best part comes from 2:00 to the end in terms of mixing. Love the mix there.
There's just moments where some of the instruments don't seem to be quite as balanced as the other instruments from the beginning.
Regardless I think a lot of mixing does come from personal taste combined with what kind of sound you're going for. Anyway my input isn't based on experience but rather from someone that enjoys listening to "real" orchestration, classical, and all kinds of recordings in regards to the orchestra. Just a fan, and I too would like to learn. So, though, I might hear the gap, I wouldn't be so ignorant to think I have any answers to close that gap between good and great. I also like textures over realism sometimes if its in good taste. Overall, I love your writing.

SoundChris responds:

Hey there friend!
Well i have been quite busy lately and wasnt very active on NG. Combining a fulltime lawyer job with the parttime composer job and the care for my father (who is stil hanging on which is almost a miracle) is very energy-sapping.
Well the thing with mixing always is that you just never get it the way you wanted it to sound because there is no listening standard like thx or dolby :D If you would know that everyone would have the same equipment for listening to your tracks mixing would be a simple task. But because everyone has other possibilities its quite a pain in the a... If something sounds very strong on my bose system and the yamaha h7 monitors and also on my sennheiser headphones and finally also in my bmw and i am totally convinced that NOW it is really well mixed i visite some friends. And once they play it on their hifi music systems it suddenly sounds shitty ... :D *NOOOOOOO!!!???!!!*

I guess you know that problem. But i stil think that there has to be some kind of tricks to make it sound well on most of the speakers out there. I just have no idea how to do it. Also i believe that mixing a piece needs fresh ears. And if you composed for a lot of hours you just listen to the track totally differently as someone who listens to it from the customers point of view.

I am really glad you like the mix. Like i said - i always find this a hard task and i am always thinking i would struggle here.

Thanks for your kindness good sir!

[Limbo]

Well well, all is well... I really don't know what to say. There are a lot of neat things going on here for me... a lot of subtleties that I appreciate for example just the fact that you decided to loop this even after 6 minutes gives me a chuckle. The piano chords in the beginning and end really flow nicely. This piece is very dynamic. I admire your ability to just sit at the piano, improvise, and create works with such rich chords in a very short amount of time. I tend to have to sit with a particular piece for a while to figure out what the music is trying to tell me and what direction it's telling me to take. I'm not a very good listener but I'm learning.
I think I know which piece of mine you took as inspiration. I hear that Major Seventh chord and its cool that you resolve it in a way that is unique to you, e.g. at 4:16. I hear hints of Return, but this is a joy to listen to because it's only sips here and there while you have created something completely original. Love your string work to reinforce the piano. Maybe muddy at times but I don't care. The sound works great to wash over you to create an emotional response. I absolutely love that string effect at 3:25... I'm not even sure what it's called. That was a great decision. Overall, without going into detail, this would be considered a great cinematic piece in a retro style. At 4:23 I think of Tron, and in other moments such as in 6:02 I hear Clair de Lune.
Thank you for such honor.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

"I really don't know what to say."

=> You said all the right things ;)

As the name of the track is "Limbo", I think it's very important that it loops. It gives the piece some extra symbolic value :D
Now, whether the listener wants to listen again (if they even make it through the track once), is up to them :p

I'm glad to hear that the piece is dynamic, as that is what I went for.

As for coming up with chords quickly, it's a learned ability. I've always been lucky enough to know what sound I want, in most cases. I guess that I am good at listening to what the music wants to tell me, when I channel it through me. But these past years, actually finding that sound on the piano has become a faster process. I don't actually have a good sense of pitch, but it's getting better! I think that chords, melodies and atmospheres are my three most prominent strenghts in music.

Yeah, "Return" has definitely been a big inspiration, not only for this track, but for what music is to me, in general. I find myself returning to that track quite a lot. More than once a month, I'd say for sure (Lol, like 50 of the listens on that track are probably mine).

4:16 is indeed a good catch! It's a bit too close, actually, but I'm glad that's okay :)

I don't know what the string effect is called either. The funny thing is that the entire climax of the piece would look very bad as sheet music. Because the piano is completely separate from the world of rhythm and tempo, and the strings have to follow. But I was too lazy not to quantize them, as that would've taken forever. So instead I tried to trick the listener through dynamics, and by the sheer speed. But if you try to count the rhythm, you'll find that you lose it almost immediately every time!

I can see your references to Tron and Clair de Lune. Good catch!

You're welcome, and thank you ;)

[Please Wake Up]

ahh yeah I can dig it! A kind of somber mood is always something i look/listen for in music...Thanks for providing it

[FD - Miserere Mei]

This is a neat experience... love it! Right up the alley of some of Penderecki's choir work but with a dash of cinema and 80s retro

ForgottenDawn responds:

Hey, thanks! I'll have to check that out ;)

[scalar waves theory and experiments]

This was very intriguing for me to listen to. Enjoyed every step of the way

SlaughterClub responds:

good stuff glad you Liked my friend