Phonometrologist's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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

[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.

[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!