Phonometrologist's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[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 :)

[There]

YEAH THIS IS COOL! I share the same sentiments as SoundChris-- Very fun to listen to.
I could name drop a couple of artists of what this reminds me but this is also quite refreshing. The glitches were done in great taste as well. I didn't get bored with this as I usually can within electronic dance music. Great work here!

garlagan responds:

oh thank you Phono!

[Arpegia]

This actually goes well along with reading and doing other various tasks. Wasn't creepy, but I was lulled by it that's for sure. The only thing I didn't care too much for was the piano sample. The percussion, effects, and melody are enjoyable.

Eagleon responds:

As soon as I get a job back, I'm saving for a piano and making a little recording setup, because I do know how to play... The keyboard I have has A3 dead, which is pretty limiting. Midi is sad all around, haha.

[A Night in the Attic]

This is my favorite piece that you've uploaded here mainly because it's touching into more of the darker sounds than you're accustomed to writing. Because it took a lot of you in writing this, I would like to encourage you to take all the time you need away from this style just so you can return to this way of writing later. You then should be able to build a tolerance and get deeper into it without it being a burden to you.

I find nothing wrong with this--great use of effects and glockenspiel, and I'll even defend the piano part. It works very well despite it being a bit bland for some. Peter is on to something when he mentions 80s, because with the effects, I'm reminded of Vangelis.

At minute four, it has become quite lighter in character and I can certainly hear your own style of writing that we all can associate you with, and that's a good thing. I like the spin you have on your compositions with these influential chord progressions.

Troisnyx responds:

I'm going through these reviews a year after it all happened... surely there has to be something *wrong* that caused me to be left out of the competition? I won't question these matters anymore.

[ghosts]

Well, its better than some pieces I've heard.
A little criticism:
Although the mix sounds great, it did get a bit repetitive around 1:29. However, the part after that really allowed my thoughts to drift. It serves a great accompaniment to my thoughts as if it was telling a story. I will be listening to this again and again when needing a deep meditation kind of piece.

Probably best to leave things unsaid...
;-) Thank you! So Good!

johnfn responds:

Thanks Phonometrologist. I was really sad to see you leave the competition... you actually had one of my favorite pieces.. Ah well. Thanks for the review.

[No Time Left]

Yes this is great--nice groove, synths, guitar part, and effects. Very inspirational.
Really can't offer you a long review as Jacob, Peter, and Luny has, but I do at least want to say that I enjoy this.
One thing I'll mention is that while I read your description prior to hearing this track upon its completion, I really expected more to "hit the fan" per say. It didn't get crazy where I thought warranted that kind of description for this piece. But this is still good nonetheless.

Chemiqals responds:

Haha yeah, I suppose that description may have been a bit a bit of a hyperbole! It was less about the intensity of the music and more about the tone for me. It's meant to be the background music DURING gameplay (at least that's what I had in mind while making it) so I didn't want it to get too crazy or dynamic lest it become a distraction to the player.

Haha, it's kind of silly that I'm defending it as if it's actually part of a game though. Guess that doesn't really hold up when it's just in my imagination! =P

[Loss]

This theme is what drives me to write via literature or in music.
I enjoyed the atmosphere that your strings were able to provide. Though, there needs to be more automation curves. For this piece, I get the sense that the strings should have a more of a slow attack/ legato sound. Perhaps some rubato. Nevertheless, I still think this is good and pleasing to my ears to listen to. The tempo is just right. The basses in the beginning could use some more non-chord tones that don't resolve as quickly especially for this kind of somber mood that you're going for. By the last minute of this piece, I can easily stop the analytical mode of thinking when listening and just allowing it to wash over me. I think perhaps I'm going to go back to this for inspiration.

Bardash responds:

Thank you very kindly for your review. I am both humbled and honored. I am hoping as I learn more about Fruity Loops to develop a more 'human' sound to my music. Having composed in Finale and Print Music for a great deal of my life, owning a program that I feel I am only using two percent of its potential, composing has become all the more overwhelming in the sense that I have a broader frontier now to explore. I just recently discovered how to increase the stereo effect by simply fiddling with a few knobs. Anyway, thank you again for your review. Your music serves as an inspiration to me.