Phonometrologist's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Warriors Of The Sky]

Was just sitting at work listening to this thing. I like your idea in how you looped this. Percussion sounds great and combined with the chords and phrasing, it really moves. I'd say it would have fit well with the game given the description you provided. Just wanted to say that I enjoyed this one.

Mattashi responds:

Thank you Phonometrologist, I'm happy you enjoyed it :)

[i can see you now]

Just stopping by to say while I hear some signature johnfn parts going on, I'm starting to hear some new approaches very subtly. Enjoyed this one. You sure know how to hit the right spots with your melodies.

johnfn responds:

Thanks. Indeed, I am thinking about new approaches... I am working on better sounding instruments. Also, better sounding drums. So yeah, just better sounding stuff. :P

[The Gore Show]

OH i was really diggin it--wishing it was a bit longer.
Great combination of sounds you got going here. It seems to want to keep building up to something more.

Chemiqals responds:

Haha, thanks! I haven't decided if I want to use this as an intro for a song/ep or just add onto this itself. Definitely want to do more with it though. Glad you enjoyed what's there! =P

[Dreams of the Dead]

So my first thoughts is that this is pretty chill. Good background music in a sense and I’m currently working right now—administrative stuff.
Usually I don’t like leaving comments while I’m at work, but I felt compelled to say two things.
One is that I enjoyed this piece in a way that I first mentioned here, but the second is that by the way the composition is made, it sounds like an improvisation.
To me, as a personal taste, the chords along with the melodic notes stacked on top of them sound a bit bland to me. This is fine if the desired effect for the listener is to digest this lightly and quickly without having to savor each bite. Music is like cooking, and non-chord tones is what gives it some added flavor. And for a solo-piano composition, it is even more essential that this would help define you as an artist where people can begin to recognize your works apart from others.
That being said, the rhythm in the melody along with the arpeggios are strong, and the chord progression at 2:20 is great to listen to.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thanks for the giving review, Phonometrologist! :D

I'm not at all surprised that this sounds like an improvisation to you. Actually, several piano pieces I've made sound improvised. The reason behind this is probably that the main idea behind many of my songs have originally been improvised. If I've improvised something I like, sometimes I remember it and continue by developing the idea into a whole song. Not only that, but many of my compositions lack real thought behind them; that is, I don't think too much about the structure or development of the piece or so on. I simply play :p
I you want to make a perfect piece that pleases everybody, this is usually not the way to go (nor do I always do so, of course, but when it comes to this piece I'm sure I did). I feel that this allows for a lot of pure emotion enter into pieces though, just like in improvisations :)

I understand what you mean with the somewhat bland sound too.

I'm glad you still liked the song though, and the chord progression at 2:20 (although I should do something about the clipping, now that I listen to this again). :)

[Limbic Syndrome]

Okay I have to admit that at 1:20, that drop was great to listen to. Just what this piece needed when I started to have doubts, but man this is good. Caught me off guard.

UrnSudden responds:

Thank you!
I'm glad it had that effect~ I suppose it's misleading to say this is my first try at dubstep, I've definitely TRIED it before, but this is the first time I really got the sound I wanted out of it, and to hear that the drop (my biggest mishap with previous attempts) was good is wonderful, Thanks again :D

[The Goldberg Variations]

You tease... I guess I'll just have to finish listening on soundcloud.
I will say this that you seem to have a gentle touch as if you're careful over the notes you play in most all your pieces. This suits you well here. You thinking about doing all 30?

newhansen responds:

Hahaha! I'm sorry to do just the preview. Just don't want to release them yet. I'm not going to play all 30 at the moment. Just some classical songs I like, and mainly appeared in the Hannibal series. Thanks for listening, Phonometrologist!

[Bounce]

Here I am returning the favor, and since you decided to leave a comment on a piece that you're not accustomed to listening to, I'll attempt to do the same by offering some thoughts on a style that I don't really listen to myself.
And I really don't know what to say lol.
You can understand why when I tell you that you could certainly go darker with your music and I don't think you would have to do so by sacrificing any of the "fun" factor of the piece either. The motif in the beginning is interesting enough, and this piece certainly has the groove to get people moving. Even as it returns at 1:32, it sounds great to hear. The only gripe I have about the piece is the simplicity in the rhythm and the rest of the parts, but maybe that was precisely what you were going for, I am not sure. At 2:23 I expected a little bit more clashing sounds and multi-timbre instruments going on at once. Overall, it is a decent piece for sure. I'm just looking for that part that really brings some kind of closure as in that clarity in meaning with all the different parts.

AskSteve responds:

Yeah I just went for simplicity in this piece. I had a few different versions before i set my mind on this that were more rhythmically advance and had a ton more variation, but i really just couldn't go with it. It's definitely a 4 on the floor kind of beat where the bass dominates and makes people want to jump. Because producing music is what i want to do with my life, im just really trying to appeal to the audience i have for now, while still being able to do what I want with my music. once i have a bigger fanbase, and some success. then i can start branching out into more experimental tunes while still sticking to the roots in some way. Thanks for the review though. Im definitely going to look into that super experimental style of music your writing and try to see if i can incorporate some of it's uniqueness into something people can really dance to. At 2:23 where you were hoping for a little more variation.. it'll come soon enough. im working on a new sound to replace that and add a more subsonic feel to it, but im not good enough with sound design yet to just bang it out in an hour. Once i have that sound down, ill be sure to let you know. Again thanks for the review.

[white wax]

This is quite interesting to listen to on loop. The way it ends abruptly makes sense to listen to this again from the beginning. I like the atmosphere-- simple and effective

[redemption]

The vocals are a nice touch...yup the little you said about this piece is accurate. Very chill and great to listen to--smooth synths and chord progressions. Not much I really want to say, but I figured I should let you know that I really enjoyed this one at the very least. I have no idea why the background voices of children fit so well with this. By the end of this, this piece has a bit of mysteriousness to it and I'm left with wonder.

johnfn responds:

I just love ambient background noises in pieces, and happy children work great! I think it tinges the piece with nostalgia :)

I added a lil more to the descrption. I'm always rushing when I fill those things out... haha

Glad you liked it :)