Phonometrologist's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Jim's Theme - Piano]

Man this is superb! I prefer it this way, and I personally find it a bit of a challenge to transcribe a piano piece into another arrangement as opposed to starting to write with the instruments forthright. As others have said, "Smooth!" Quite right. It almost seems it started as an improv since your ideas just flow from one to another, but I'm sure you then polished it at some point during your writing process. Your musical intelligence really is high when it comes to freely writing these melodies and progressions. I personally don't improvise and it takes quite a bit of time for my ideas to be fleshed out properly. From the start of the piece, the bass line really hooks me in. Another tidbit, when I listen to the motif starting at .28, my thoughts turn to a Pixar movie.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Why hello there! It has been a while :)
I'm super excited to hear you enjoyed this! I actually had a really fun time composing this one. I did indeed polish it while making it, and like most of my piano tracks, it started as improv. Well, I added the intro later, actually, but the process started with me just playing around xD
While the piece is short, it has all the parts I wanted it to include, and it has as much structure as I feel it needs. I prefer it as solo piano as well :D

I strongly recommend improvising. I've done it on the piano before I even started to play actual songs! Needless to say, it didn't sound too great back then :p
But even if I don't have a very good pitch recognition (compared to how it should be right now), I tend to have a fairly adept understanding of which chords and melodies work together, etc. I think improvising, has given me a lot of freedom when it comes to playing. It's quite liberating not to limit oneself too much! My main rule is: "If it sounds good, and works; go for it!".

That said, I think it'll be a while before I learn to polish music to the extent that you can do it :)
Since this is so different from my usual style, I was surprised by how 'smooth' the composing process was as well. I don't write that distinct basslines all too often, but I guess I must've done it often enough to be able to work it into this piece, in the very least.

As for the Pixar feel, this was actually partially inspired by "You've Got a Friend In Me", which is featured in Toy Story. An even more obvious inspiration is Cait Sith's Theme, from Final Fantasy VII.
Other than that, I just did what I wanted based on my general feel of how jazz is, in general. I actively tried to use more than just one scale too, in order to practice that element as well.

Well, this response turned out to be a bit long!
Btw, I'm going to have more free time for almost half a year, than I normally would. If you happen to get some time at some point too, we could perhaps think of starting on that collab we talked about ages ago :)
Not for about a month at least though, since I still have a few projects to finish up. But I'm looking forward to working with you if you feel up to it at some point!

Thank you for the nice review, man! :DD

[Ever-Changing]

Awesome! Great movement and sounds-- inspiring to get up to in the morning.
The varying dynamics in this piece works so well.

zybor responds:

thanks :3

[The Dream (with vocals)]

I really dig this one. It has the right tone, i.e. the chord progression, melody, and vocals. It has everything it needs for a great intro, but what it desperately needs is the percussion to really jump out at me in the mix. It's too laid back within the rest of the music. I think it's really just the only thing it needs and it is quite a simple adjustment to increase the faders on that. Perhaps is what Lucid means for it sounding a bit flat. Trying increasing 10k in some of these percussive instruments too for some grit and see what happens... might be a fun experiment.

backwardecho responds:

Thank you for your thoughtful words and useful advice! This song might be a decade old, tossed on here more or less to present my vocals (and I was actually about to exchange it for something else but then LucidShadowDreamer kindly commented and I just couldn't after that lol)

I'll definitely take what you said to heart if I revisit this song, as I do plan to remix older material along with future projects, where I also seek to improve my elementary understanding of the mastering process :)

Thanks again!

[Neon]

This is nice. Definitely an enjoyable ride with the right rhythm, melody, and chord progressions. Good choices of mixing too.

JDawg00100 responds:

Thank you for the review! I'm glad you liked it

[Tribute to Detektivbyrån - Re-recording]

This is a fun piece. I like the finger work in the right hand in regards to the rhythm. The chord progression is nice as well, but the chords are so fleeting that it is as if it conveys a mind wandering. Did this start as an improv? I say this only because I would have liked a more linear train of thought regarding the chords leading up to the 38 second mark. It's a bit translucent regarding your chord choices that it's hard to really grasp a single idea for very long. I think it's great that you're able to play a piece from a couple years ago as if you just wrote a day ago. Quite a remarkable memory.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

The aim was definitely to make it a fun piece, at the time. I remember selecting some kind of polysynth instrument on my keyboard, and just thinking about the band's style, and I started creating it. I made the entire peice in one go, from start to finish, without thinking too much about the progression I wouldn't really say that much improvisation was involved, since I had a surprpsingly clear idea of what I wanted to do. Every now and then I guess composers get lucky, ~inspired~ this way. I occasionally make songs where I simply start composing at some point, and then just roll with it; I even wrote a blog post about this style of composing long ago (not going to link it because it's old and bad, haha).

There are so many different ways to compose, and to think about composing. Right now, I'm working on a piece where the ending was finished long before the middle sections. In fact, there are still a few parts to clean up. It'll be my best solo piano piece of the year, for certain (I hope I manage to finish it this year; I am almost finished. I just need to be able to play it well too, which is turning out to be more difficult with my newer and more advanced compositions).

So long side-notes aside, the reason this reminds you of an improvisation, is probably because I created it in order from start to finish, and simply quit when I decided I was done. I don't remember on what timescale I did it anymore, but I'm guessing it probably only took an hour or so.
That said, I think the piece stays true to the theme throughout, and there is even some hidden repetition in there. I think I could've easily made this into a full-length (whatever that even means in regards to music, but I mean a 3-4 minutes long) piece, only repeating the chord patterns and melodies that are already in there. But alas, I did not. Well, I guess I don't necessarily regret it.

I did have to relearn the piece! Surprisingly, I remembered most of it since I find the melody to be pretty catchy, and most of the chord choices simply make sense with that in mind (adding to that, the arrangement doesn't really change around all too much). But I think I spent some 10-15 minutes refreshing my memory using the old MIDI file, before I was able to play this piece from start to finish again.

[Mad, Mad, Mad]

Masterfully done. My judging perspective was weighted mostly on originality, purpose, and drive. I mean if we were to try to quantitively analyze something metaphysically such as music, I might as well just flat out say that it is merely my opinion and taste. And I find this piece to stand out the most in terms of originality and drive. What a very fun piece. All the transitions are refreshing to listen to. Your vocals are smooth, and the band is really moving. Yes, your vocals could be mixed a little better for clarity, and I would like the drums to be more of its own than merely mimicking the rest of the instruments, but these really don't hinder more enjoyment of listening to this piece. Oh and the lyrics are great too. Since your song writing is spot on, I think one thing you could think about growing in is in your production. I would like to hear your vocals stacked and panned more, and by being more experimental/creative in how you would arrange these parts.

FinnMK responds:

Thanks for the comments and tips!

[Heros Legacy]

I'm not judging your group so I figured it's alright if I can give you an early review.
Loved your audition piece, and because of that and this track, you're my new favorite. I look forward to see what you come up with. For this piece, it has all the cliches of a built-up, but because of your superb production and arrangement, I just can't help but enjoy it immensely. I wish there were more of a melodic climax and conclusion along with more variation in harmony. However, this is the only thing I find lacking (for what I have only heard so far of your work), and because you do everything else so well, I am sure this won't be such a hard feat to accomplish. It's really not that big of a gap, though, to get to that point. You seem to have a good ear for a tasteful mix in production and arrangement. I'm just searching for what that voice is in you, so I can strictly identify your music and where no one can mistakenly attribute someone else to writing it. Good/fun piece nonetheless.

Enzer0 responds:

Damn great review! First off, im greally happy you enjoyed the piece. I'm happy that it's good enough for you to enjoy naturally and totally agree with you on the anticlimatic front. It could have some sort of finisher: I tried to accomplish this with something melodical and adrenaline fuelled, but no matter what i did - it just never worked.

The cliche feel is actually how I make my tracks, I like having those sort of tracks you'd hear in a screenplay/film/tv. Where it doesn't stand out too much because it's more about the atmosphere.

And to finish up, I get you on the - yet to be a theme of what makes my music me. I hope that i'll find it in time. Until then, your support is the way forward! Thank you so much.

[When Day is Night]

You needed to express some emotions, and sometimes we need to feel emotions. Music is the great facilitator for that especially when one feels callous. Just laying in bed now listening to this on loop wondering what you've been up to. There are times that your piano pieces tend to be a bit of mystery exactly of what the notes are telling me. Or maybe its me in another wavelength that I have to tune my ears for to decipher meaning. It could be the fact that at moments the piano sounds triumphant only to suddenly change to a more somber moment like in 1:12-1:20. Even in the contrast between heavy bass notes at 1:38 dissipating to the eventual lightheartedness at 2:00. I think what's happening is it's like the stream of consciousness in the brain made visible/audible through the piano. Your fingers are like a musical polygraph. Isn't it obvious that this is about a flurry of mixed emotions (perhaps even about love) and not knowing how to sort it all in the mind and heart? Why else would one turn to the music anyway, but the notes reflect that as well.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for checking by and writing this review; it made my day when I read it, as it's so accurate. You've always managed to interpret music very well :3

It's a shame. I actually like this little composition. But the production is way off, simply because I recorded the midi on my synth instead of on my electronic piano. So the dynamics sound way off to me, at many a point. I'm glad that you manage to see through all that though! :D

The way I feel, it's very rare that you ever feel only a single emotion at the same time. usually, it's some kind of mixture, I think. So when I play or write a piece, I rarely make it only sad, or only happy, or only whatever. I play it like I feel it. That is also why I love chords such as Major 7 ones, as they can feel both happy, and sad at the same time. If you count the three first notes from the left on a piano, you get a major chord. If you count the three first notes from the right, you get a minor one (the opposite is true for a minor chord, with a normal 7!). In addition, a lot depends on the timing and the volume levels of the notes, quite clearly. And I don't know the scientific theory behind it, but somehow that ambiguity shines through the chords.

"Isn't it obvious that..."

Apparently it is, at least to someone with such a good vision (and hearing) as you, when it comes to these things. Even if music is free for anyone to interpret in their own way, and it can be nice to hear those thoughts, it's also a great feeling when someone sees right through the music, and has an interpretation similar to the composer's.

Thank you for listening, and for leaving a well thought out, and a well written review!

P.S. I don't want to pressure you, but I would love to hear some new stuff from you. If you have the time, maybe you'd like to enter the A.I.M. or the NGAUC again this year? Or just write something for the sake of it. Just saying, a lot of people would enjoy listening to what else you have in store for us ;D

[Je crains le jour]

This sound you're able to create really draws me in-- sobering. I like the lyrics as well. That chord at 2:01, which lasts only seconds, really is interesting-- a sliver of light.

[Piano Quartet No.1]

I admire the realism in this as is sounds like I'm listening to live musicians as apposed to midi-- much respect. The melodic and harmonic content is expansive enough to really allow me to set into a nice/cozy atmosphere. Because you throw so many notes at us in a short amount of time, it does end up making me alert in my attempt to follow the phrasing.
My one gripe is that you don't allow enough spacing in between phrases. I just want it to breath a little more, for example between 1:05 and 1:06. Please don't rush the musical thoughts because this really is enjoyable to listen to. My mind isn't quite keeping up in processing what I'm hearing to really follow the dialogue between the instruments. Unless of course the conversation is meant to sound like what a family would have while at a security check-in trying to catch a plane that takes off in ten minutes.

SoundChris responds:

Thanks a lot man! Well - as for the realism i am not sure today if i would do it the same way i did when i created the piece. I am not happy with the vibrato and also with the mix. The midpart is unfinished (when the more choral style passage appears). Thats where my system didnt get it anymore. I think i really should rewrite it from the beginning to bring things in order.

Well - that there are so many notes has got a reason: Its meant to be a allegro / presto thing to test out how the vstis would sound like in these situations. But i am also more a fan of lyrical and slow stuff. Btw - if you like lyrical and more adagio style pieces i recommend listening to adam hochstatters demos for storm choir II by Strezov Sampling and his demo for Berlin Strings - First Chairs:

https://soundcloud.com/adamhochstatter/the-darkness-calls-us-official-strezov-sampling-storm-choir-ii-demo

https://soundcloud.com/adamhochstatter/sets/ou-must-choose-offical-demo-for-orchestral-tools-the-berlin-strings-first-chairs

Btw - great guy and a great composer - especially for emotional and intimate pieces.