ChronoNomad's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[AIM - The Dragon War]

You know, I'm totally in work mode here, trying to get through all these great AIM submissions, and you've forced me to come to a complete stop. This track is gorgeous, and quite simply blew me away. So much so that I had to take the time to leave this review.

What's kind of funny is that, in that very first choir section, I was actually feeling a bit underwhelmed right out of the gate. It wasn't that the voice sounded bad or anything like that, no...quite the opposite. I guess I'd have to say that the timing feels kind of inorganic when it first comes in. And as I listen again, I still feel that the first 11 seconds or so just don't sound right. The choir notes are "sung" too fast, some end or change too quickly, and they lack a certain sense of realism. In a way, that almost makes it sounds like an afterthought when compared to the staccato string harmonies. But you know what? That's my only real criticism.

In those first few seconds, as I examined the waveform to see what my immediate future held in store, I could see that things were going to blow up in a big way, and it was that very tension that drew me in. Suffice to say, my anticipation was well rewarded! This is an exceedingly rich and full orchestral track, and whether you consider it good, bad, or something in between, that's what I've ultimately come to expect from your tracks.

Honestly, I have very little else to critique regarding this track. Your instrument choices are excellent, the mix comes together beautifully, and your mastering is quite solid, overall. This is also one of a handful of tracks that I really feel matches the artwork and expresses the grander ideas therein. In my opinion, you have truly brought home that artistic marriage of illustration and music, and I easily tell that you were inspired by the visuals.

As a singer, there's a very natural sense when it comes to how notes should be sung, and that's really what needs to be kept in mind when dealing with this kind of choir. Making it sound real, organic...that's the hard part. Admittedly, it's much more difficult to create a choir solo than a background layer of choir harmony. After that first handful of seconds in the track, with all the other layers to back it up, the rest of the choir sounds just lovely, switching from a more soloist style to layered harmony, and back. But hey, if I didn't give you something to chew on, I'd be remiss in my job.

Thanks for the epic audio journey, CloakedSoup! Best of luck in all you do.

CloakedSoup responds:

Oooohhh. You're gonna make me cry! <3 It's nice to know that my track connected with you so much, because it's always been my goal to do so! Getting the solo vocal library I have to sound realistic has been quite the challenge. I still have a ways to go with mixing vocals and MIDI programming with voice stuff in general, but I'm super happy you enjoyed the piece! I'm looking forward to posting more music in the future as I continue to strive to improve!

[Love the Night]

Such a gorgeous solo piano piece, Lucid. You switch so effortlessly from the more delicate sound to the fuller and deeper chords, and back again.

As always, for an improvisational session, the overall quality is impressive. There were only a few discordant notes from start to finish, and your skillful playing helps to maneuver the mind's eye beyond those brief moments and on into the next.

Even when the music stops, it continues to reverberate within. A very emotional piece, and clearly inspired by your trip to Iceland. Welcome home! I'm glad to hear that you had such a fantastic trip, my friend. I very much enjoyed your playing, and am feeling thoroughly relaxed. :)

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Aww, thank you Chrono! ^___^

It felt very different to play this improv, than my usual ones, since this was recorded on my stage keyboard (a synth, basically), instead of on my electric piano. I think it was refreshing, in a way!

Yeah, I'm always prone to make a few mistakes when improvising, but I don't usually mind them, as they add to the fleeting moment :3

I enjoyed my trip indeed! In fact, it was an indescribable experience :D
I think I must've taken like 2000 pictures and 100 short videos xD
Thanks for the support, I hope you're doing well!!

[Shaft]

This is some pretty nice Deep House you've cranked out here, Hallow. But while most of the percussive elements are spot on, the more melodic content is more or less being, well...shafted. Interestingly enough, this reminds me a bit of the DKC2 Swamp Theme with its deep bassy undertones and ethnic percussion. Check that out, and you'll see an example of how ear-catching melodies can be added to break through the otherwise very repetitious nature of the House style.

Okay, so like I said, the drums are generally awesome. The one aspect that I don't think works very well are those quick hits in rapid succession. They're too close together, and could definitely sound more interesting with a bit more spacing, which could also help break up the monotony somewhat. The timing also sounds off, as in when they start or end, which isn't doing the rest of the percussion any favors because it's so obvious.

While the synth elements and bass all sound very nice, there's just not a lot of differentiation from one section to the next. The song rises and falls a little bit, slowly, over time. Those stabbing arpeggios are nice, but they never really change things up very much. Your bends are interesting, but while they make for a nice layer, none of these things really makes for a solid melody or theme that is ultimately very memorable.

In conclusion, while this is nice and relaxing to listen to as a background track, it's not honestly something that will stick in my mind and make me come back later. That's like the holy grail of musicality, along with emotional appeal, which is also lacking in this kind of track. And while that may sound rather harsh, it isn't meant to be. Making music that appeals to a wide audience is never an easy task. That said, I quite enjoyed listening to this several times over while writing this review. Nice job!

Hallow responds:

It was supposed to be pretty slow-moving and progressive and I guess I made it a little too much so. Even such this was my first ever attempt at anything house, so I think it turned out pretty well when I made it, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't change stuff now. Thanks for the review!

[Love and Adventure (Orchestral)]

Beautiful composition, Bosa! Thanks for sharing this on Newgrounds. If it weren't for a trailer, I would definitely be complaining about the length, but who wouldn't want to hear more? It's so full of emotion and mystery.

What this brings to my mind is a little boy, staring outside at the rain pouring down from the sky, sighing with his head in his hands because he wants to go outside and play. But then someone, maybe his dad, tells him about the power of imagination, and how it can transport you to distant lands without actually going anywhere.

And so, the little boy, eyes filled with new hope, embarks upon an epic journey within his mind's eye. He reads books and plays with his toys, but instead of the usual walls and floors, his home is transformed into distant shores, far away galaxies, and places so fascinating and bizarre that they could only come from his own imagination.

The only part that's hard to connect to this narrative is the deep, rather ominous-sounding bass at the end of the track. Although, now that I think on it and listen again, perhaps the father returns to tell his son that the rain has stopped and he can go outside. But when he opens the door to his son's room, he sees the boy playing happily, with a smile on his face. And so, without saying a word, a gentle smile of his own smoothing the careworn lines of his face, he closes the door and leaves the boy to his adventures. Fade to black.

Bosa responds:

Another great story to go along with the music. Yeah, I could've continued further and expanded my ideas a little more, but a good length for a trailer is around 1:30; however there is more music coming in the future. Thank you for always encouraging my work!

[AIM - Something Evil In The Forest]

This is a delightfully creepy track with a fantastic piece of artwork for its inspiration. You've nailed down the suspenseful vibe with your intense mixture of ambient sound effects; deep, throaty brass; and cinematic string ensemble. Your drum riffs are equally solid, and they serve to ramp up the tension even more.

That said, the main issue I found was that there was no real break from said tension. It ebbs and flows, but remains constant. A bit more harmonic work within the piece would be really effective, and I can easily imagine some equally creepy yet sparser sections where the main focus could be some kind of piano or, better still, music box progression. Oh, a bit of hellish music box would fit right in, especially since - in your version of the story - the woman is searching for her lost son.

Some variation in tempo could have really changed things up nicely, too. While the slower, more even tempo works well enough, slowing things down or speeding them up a bit can really spice up the storytelling. You clearly put a ton of time and effort into this, so I'd love to see it go the distance!

FateModified responds:

The music box is a great idea, I don't know why I didn't think about that, darn it! I think you're also right about the tempo change. I've thought about using tempo changes in my music before, but I'm not sure why I never have yet. I'll have to experiment with that next time. I can see how it could add dramatic intensity to the song.

Thanks for your review, I really appreciate it! :D

[AIM - distance]

A truly lovely addition to the 2018 AIM offerings, indeed. Exceptional job, TroisNyx and EliteFerrex. The song itself has a very wistful, ethereal quality throughout. Something about it brings to mind "You Were There" from ICO, though much more on the lyrical side than the instrumental.

In my personal opinion, there are some fantastic opportunities for lyrical harmonies early on, but the solo line works very well, regardless. The harmonies later on are pretty hard to understand within the mix, but they sound stellar.

I did find the sudden removal of the bass at 3:17 to be rather jarring. A slower fade, beginning around 3:14, would have fit the atmosphere better and been less ostentatious. Creating an automation channel for volume could iron that right out.

Obviously, there is a lot of very delicate, softer singing in the mix here, and that's hard to accomplish. You've done a great job here, but there are ultimately going to be a few pitch issues, especially when switching back and forth from the lower and higher octaves. Similarly, it's hard to maintain a steady volume level when singing like this, but once again you've come through admirably.

Beautiful work, and best of luck to the both of you! AIM for greatness.

[As My Heart Beats (Remastered)]

This is simply gorgeous, Jon. Once you fix those moments where it hits the wall a little too hard, it will be perfect. Well, about as perfect as we're capable of achieving here on earth, at least.

Rather ironically, my initial thought was that the vocals were the tiniest touch too loud in the mix, but some of her notes are sung with such emotive softness that they would be almost washed out by the instruments if they were any lower.

Not ashamed to admit that the song got me a little choked up. Hitting an emotional chord is like the holy grail for any musician, so I would be remiss if I neglected to mention it.

Bosa responds:

Thank you SO MUCH! You don't know how much that means to me, and I really needed to hear that from somebody; but coming from you makes it even more special!

Yes, I do plan on cleaning up those few spots a bit and maybe editing the voice some more. Hopefully by the time I'm done we will have something worth the effort. Again, I am very thankful for your review and always appreciate your friendship.

Take care of yourself Chromo,
Jon

[A Peculiar Advent]

A very nice violin composition, BlueOceans! All of your instruments come together very nicely here, though I must admit that the overall mix feels strangely thin. This can tend to be an issue when there are mainly mid-range instruments and few in the lower register, so that's probably the root cause. Sometimes it can be blamed on a sparsely-utilized stereo field, but I believe you've made fairly good use of that here.

Like TaintedLogic mentioned previously, that dark Waltz-y vibe is really fantastic. It's a bit like Gypsy music, or some kind of twisted carnival. I can actually imagine this playing in a Tim Burton film, with that same kind of oddly fun and endearing darkness. One, two, three... one, two three... And I really love how you've filled in the space between the Waltz pacing with all those lovely staccato notes.

Violin VSTs don't usually sound particularly realistic, but this one's quite solid. I believe you've done a lot here to make it sound as organic and natural as possible, and as far as I'm concerned—mission accomplished!

Everratic responds:

Thanks for the review!

I think the main culprit of the overall mix feeling thin is the maximus preset I used. I never tried it before and I don't even recall why I decided to use it xD In addition to that, I think I high passed the piano too much. The low register of this particular piano sounded a bit messy with the sustain pedal, so I tried to cut it out with EQ but to no avail.

I'm really glad that the violin sounds realistic! It took a lot of effort; I spent several hours on the keyswitches alone.

[The Scent of Dew]

Hello, Lucid! I always kind of vanish for a while when I'm working on projects, and my schedule was fairly crazy during the beginning of Spring break, so my NG activity has been pretty sparse of late. Hoping to rectify that a bit, and this track seems like a great place to start! :D

This one instantly brought Clannad to my mind, and even as I was reminiscing, the tone shifted from the soft and delicate piano to something much bigger. Ultimately, this piece ended up reminding me of many familiar musical ideas, all wrapped up in one fantastically LSD-original package.

Some parts reminded me of Joe Hisaishi's style, a few different video game themes, and a couple of classic composers, but the music kept evolving and changing from moment to moment. I sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed my time spent here very much. I'll be watching you play this in just a moment, but I had to leave a review before getting lost in it all over again.

I think that my only real regret is that there doesn't seem to be as much variation to the velocities as there could be. A softer attack in the sparser sections, mostly at the front and back of the piece, would have had an even greater impact, I think. But the warmth is very nice, regardless. Oh! And I just noticed that you mentioned certain parts being inspired by Joe Hisaishi in your Author Comments. Guess I called that one. xD

An absolutely beautiful composition, overall. I may not be completely in love with the title, but that's more a personal preference than anything, and your ideas come across just fine through the music. Besides, coming up with a title that sums up the feel of an entire track is far from easy.

May you never stop composing from the heart, my friend. I hope that 2008 has been, and continues to be, very good to you.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Hello Chrono!
I wasn't expecting this review, but it was a nice surprise!
I've been both busy, and not. Like, I thought I wouldn't be busy the past few weeks... But they've called me into work as a substitute teacher whenever I happened to have free time xD (I think they're psychic)!

I can certainly see some of the resemblance to Clannad in this, though it wasn't intentional! I agree that the whole piece is reminiscent of other tracks; I just don't know exactly which ones :D
I'm glad if you caught the Joe Hisaishi likeness without reading about it in the author comments first! His style is so magical!!
I think that most of what I compose almost automatically has elements inspired by video games, as I love so many game OSTs and composers :3

I agree with your note about the velocities! I was actually aware of that from the start, but I didn't have much time for producing this. I wanted the warm piano sound, while I also wanted to retain the power. It ended up making the higher register a bit harsh. I think my actual playing was softer, while the VST with my settings makde it sound less dynamic.

As for the title, it's multi-layered! I like it, and I wouldn't change it regardless. That's about all I have to say about that though :p

Thanks a lot for all the nice words! 2008 was a pretty good year, if I recall. What was I, 13? I must've started high school in the fall and all xD
May you have a good 2018 as well!!! ^________^

[Come Down]

Man, this one has a very cool vibe. I actually missed the initial version since I was either away from home or otherwise occupied pretty much all weekend, so I find this secondary release to be rather fortuitous. I'm sure that I would have found my way back to it at some point, but having it at the top of my Friends & Favorites gives me a fantastic place to start my Newgrounds day!

My first listen was just over my little Logitech speakers, and it already sounded great, but now I'm giving your track the attention it deserves by listening again through my Skullcandy headphones. All I can say is, color me impressed...all over again! And apparently I've missed out on a few mixing issues, not that I'd have ever known if you hadn't told me.

Suffice to say, having this track grace my synapses is a true pleasure. I quite simply love everything about it. Nice tempo, solid length, beautiful harmonies, and some stellar vocoder work, especially considering that this was your first time out. Not that I can actually understand what's being sung half the time, mind you. Might you consider adding lyrics within the Author Comments? Just a thought.

Thanks for another epic ride, McG! You da bes.

McGorilla42 responds:

Hey, Chrono!

Thank you so much for the great review! The mixing issue that forced me to re-upload was mostly to do with the vocoders after moving it over to Pro Tools to limit and compress the mix, which made them piercingly loud for some reason. I prefer the metering in PT for some reason, but after a lot of issues there, I decided to just stick to Cubase for that.

I'm so happy you enjoyed it and that it sounded good on your speakers! :) I'm going to seriously look at getting monitors SOON because I feel like it's the next step I need to take.

As for lyrics -- I had a conversation with Skye about this because she said that I often sing unintelligibly and should enunciate, but I actually like unclear lyrics that aren't initially obvious or obvious at all. My conversation with her made me realise that I needed to commit to being either entirely understandable or not, so I decided to go with the "not". The lyrics in this aren't particularly amazing because I didn't have too much time to write any, but they sorta fit the melody and mood! :) The one lyric is "Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii'm coming down" which is probably only intelligible because it's the name of the song.

Thank you again for the review and for listening! I really appreciate it. I'll try make another song before the end of the week!