ChronoNomad's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Flow]

I don't really know what "perfect" is even supposed to be, but it certainly doesn't exist anywhere within my purview. Far as I'm concerned, it's our imperfections that really make us who we are.

My two cents on that subject aside, this is a really cool, totally chill journey. I'm glad that you decided to share it with us, hereabouts. Really enjoyed the musical ride, so thank ya kindly.

I don't really have any problems with the length of the track, but I would suggest snipping off all that dead air in like the last thirty seconds or so. I personally try to consider each track as it would exist within a larger whole, so - in this case - as it would pertain to a full album. You'd never want so much silence between one track and the next.

Simply getting rid of all that extra silence just might get you a little bit closer to perfection. Whatever that is. :D Keep doing what you do, man! And keep being you.

GoToMyNewAccount responds:

Oh, yeah! Woops! Forgot to remove that. Thank you!

[Carol of the Bells-Trumpet Quartet]

Best all-trumpet version of Carol of the Bells that I've ever heard!

...Also the only all-trumpet version that I've ever heard, but that is quite beside the point. Brilliantly done! A very bright and brassy version of a holiday classic, and beautifully played in four parts and mixed together by the very talented you, I might add. It really brings out the spirit of the season. ^__^

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year into the bargain. Cheers!

sorohanro responds:

Thanks. I was working with my trumpet pupils, made an easy version for them, and then I felt like I have to do a more "serious" one for myself.
I'm glad that you like it. Thanks for review.

[Tethered to the Past]

There you go again...showing off! xD Honestly, I'm just overjoyed that I get to listen to another original piano piece by you, Alex. You really love to mix it up and keep us on our toes! And I absolutely love every minute of it.

Speaking of which, that was the shortest three minutes I've ever spent. From start to finish it felt like maybe one minute, and that's always the hallmark of a great piece of music. What can I do when it's over so quickly? There's nothing else to do but play it again! Despite how incredibly daring it is to go with a solo instrumental in the NGADM, if anyone can pull it off, you can.

I love the pacing, all the fantastic chord progressions and key changes, and quite simply the way you play and infuse the music with such raw energy. Even if you hadn't mentioned how much fun you had composing and playing this, it would still be evident in the sense of joy that it exudes.

The only thing that doesn't really resonate with me is the title, and that's probably just due to my own personal preconceived notions about the idea of being tethered to the past. C'est la vie. This is a gorgeous composition, and you play it masterfully. Best of luck in the competition! ^__^

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Haha, yeah. This piece was definitely a bit of a technical exploration. Surprisingly, I never really properly learned the left-hand pattern at 0:16, even though it's really common. I used this piece as a personal excuse to learn it, and now I can do it quite well! I learned a few other useful things from composing this track as well.

That is an incredible compliment indeed; one that I find to be very true when I listen to music I adore. I must thank you for listening not only once, but several times, and leaving a very uplifting review on top!
I think it's really fun to compose on the piano, despite the extra time I need to spend on learning to play the more tricky parts, as well as on memorisation.

I am also quite happy with the piano VST I used. Usually, piano VSTs aren't very great at conveying that raw power that real pianos have when you slam the keys dramatically. But this one does at least a decent job :3

I can see your point about the title, but that's exactly what I like about it! I have my own thoughts and reflections upon the meaning, but I feel like it's very much open for interpretation. This piece in general, I feel invites people to have their own take on it.

Thank you for your continued kindness!

[From the Dust You Whisper]

I've always found it fascinating how an artist can make many different styles of music, yet they all contain the signature of the one who made it in some way. Almost as though the music is somehow etched within their DNA. You've crafted myriad themes over the years, yet each one is distinctly you, giving listeners a multifaceted glimpse of the much larger whole.

I have always felt that sharing the music which pours out from one's soul is like offering up a piece of oneself, at least in some small way. That is what makes music so personal and intimate; the sharing of it with others so very profound. Our desire to put ourselves out there becomes stronger than any fear of rejection, and the artist is born. Not simply through the existence of his or her works, but by the acknowledgement of them by others. Why, to hoard them all to ourselves and not allow others to enjoy them would be tantamount to sin!

And so I thank you for each and every time you share, have shared, and will share a piece of yourself with us. The music takes you away from your friends and loved ones, if only for a little while, but that is the sacrifice we make for our art. I acknowledge and truly appreciate what you, and all artists, do. After all, I consider myself to be among your ranks.

I guess that I was feeling textually talkative, so hopefully I can be forgiven for the loquaciousness of my review. All I'm really trying to say is that I very much enjoyed listening to this, your newest musical offering. It is quite different from your usual fare, yet remains innately Phonometrologist-esque at its core. Thank you for the experience, and I wish you and yours all the best.

Phonometrologist responds:

Hey Chrono. Thanks for the cool review. It's really interesting that you say that through the different styles, an artist may still contain their signature in some way. I really don't know what my signature would be. I suppose that's because it's not my focus and I the write music the way I hear it. Philip Glass said in one interview that young composers will seek to find their voice, but the hard part is getting rid of it. As if to say that our own voice is flawed and the true beauty is in the music itself. To capture butterflies in order to analyze them within a case is taking away the essence of what they were created for. As beautiful it may be displayed, it is lifeless. Or in another example, Lord Tennyson wrote in the Lady of Shallot that as soon as the Lady interacted with the outside world, she died. This was a representation to his belief that an artist ought merely to observe the world. When humans try to capture the world's beauty, it immediately gets tainted as we are an imperfect and cursed creature.
On to your next point, I've always taken that view so I cannot agree more with your sentiment. Music is meant to be shared, and I find it to be the job of an artist to let go of any feelings one might have to possess it. And yes, these pieces of music are our babies. It can be awkward to share something that is personal and intimate, but as I previously mentioned, our children cannot be coddled away from others.
And finally, mentioning how we sacrifice time to explore music away from friends and loved ones really touched me, because I really haven't thought about it that way as a sacrifice for me. But it is a sacrifice. My wife sacrifices her desire to spend time with me so I can do this. Staying up late and away from family to do music has been bittersweet. I simply cannot stay away from it for long, and so I am grateful that I have my family to graciously accept that. Even when they don't fully understand it.
Thank you

[Crystal Winter]

So incredibly pretty. The highs are so delicate, like the frozen petals of a flower. It would have been a shame to let this musical composition fade into the mists of obscurity, and while I know that that can happen at whiles for one reason or another, I'm really glad that you and Jordi were inspired to finish this together.

I've done several Winter-themed tracks myself, so I have no trouble understanding the appeal. This piece truly embodies that feeling of gentle beauty that exists within a glistening blanket of snow and ice. A sense of calmness and serenity in the hush it brings to the outside world. Thank you for sharing.

etherealwinds responds:

Thank you so much for a lovely review! You're always so kind and it really means a lot, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Thank you for listening and always being so supportive, from the both of us :)

[Till ett träd]

This piece kept me enthralled from start to finish. So many rare and wonderful chord variations, it was like being in a hall of mirrors that shows something different depending on where you look, but it was instead crafted for the sense of hearing rather than sight.

As always, your fingers dance with seeming effortlessness across the keys. So graceful, yet commanding, as you coax the music into being. I am reminded why the piano is, was, and will forever be my favorite instrument, as I get lost within the shifting chords and melodies. What else is there to say, but "thank you."

I am sorry to hear about your computer issues, and I can certainly relate. May they be resolved for you in short order, and I wish you all the best. It truly does nothing to mar your masterful performance.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for the listen, the love, and the review!
I'm glad that you can't really tell about the computer issues. I hope I get them sorted out quickly too. Basically, I'm changing some hardware in my laptop, and I basically had to reset everything. I'm lucky I am able to compose on my piano, so that I only had to do minimal work in (my newly reinstalled) Cubase. I literally only had one piano library available for this project, and one reverb (+ EQ and such in Cubase; the production).

Even so, I spent quite some time on this piece, since I wanted it to be pretty, intricate and unique. For my live performance, however, just in case... I think I'll simplify the part around 2:30, as it's a bit risky (fun, but very disorienting to play). We shall see!

Thanks again for the support ^____^

[endK - Resonance]

Everything about this is dead sexy, endK. Your mix is so crisp, I want to eat it with salsa. So glad that you decided to dip your toe in the Synthwave pool, man. I felt the same kind of weird ambivalence before finally making "Pulse of the Mind's Eye," but I'm ultimately really glad that I did. Now there's an itch to do it again sometime.

That key change at 3:47 is so simple, but it gives me goosebumps every time. Dropping everything else and focusing on your Toms right beforehand is highly effective. Your instrumentation is vividly appropriate and totally on point throughout the track, and that's half the battle right there. But man, you've crafted some truly fantastic melodic content over the course of four and a half minutes. Huzzah!

endKmusic responds:

Yeah, this was kinda new for me. Genre as well as 'sudden-back-to-chorus-half-step-key-change', no matter how cliche the concept is.
The goosebumps and are what matters. (planting the itch also) ;p
Damn those salsa compliments. I can't even. <3
Thanks for your kind words, always appreciate your insight Chrono!
Now I'm off to listen to Pulse.
Cheers!

[RPG Boss Battle]

Hey, McG! This sounds really good to me, man. Tons of tension, which certainly fits the Boss Battle theme. A bit more on the creepy side of things, which brings to mind such titles as Parasite Eve and Resident Evil. I'm not sure if you've already adjusted the distortion on that bass or not, but the amount of fuzziness sounds good to me.

Lots of subtle stuff going on within the mix, and your percussive elements are quite effective at creating the right kind of atmosphere. While there may not be a ton of melodic variance, you've broken things up every so often with different sorts of transitions, which helps to both ramp up and maintain the overall level of tension.

I'd be curious to know just what kind of boss is actually being battled here, but since it's an ongoing VG project you probably can't say. The music brings to mind something dangerous and dire; a true threat that needs to be vanquished. The previous suggestion of a Lich doesn't seem too far off the mark, especially since I was personally thinking it would work well for some kind of powerful undead fiend, too. That said, it could be for just about anything or anyone who's gone full dark, no stars.

It's always great to hear new music from you, Dan! May the RPG music gig be kind to you, and I look forward to hearing more. Cheers!

McGorilla42 responds:

Hey, Chrono! :) :)

Thank you as always for your long and detailed responses and feedback - I really appreciate it hugely!

As for the boss: I'm not entirely sure which boss it is for specifically (he wanted generic tracks for the time being), but I played his game and the first boss I encountered and was thinking of when writing this was a big, disgusting undead monster, so I'm glad that came across!

I haven't gone back to adjust the mix yet, but I'm working on a whole lot of tracks which I'll mix later (I like to write while in a writing mood, then return to mix them fully later when I've had some time away).

Thank you <3 I will have more to upload before too long! Excited to share the rest of the tracks because they're totally different to what you might expect from me :)

[Fallen Gods]

This is a pretty nice remix of the two Godcat themes! It's really cool to see you jumping into this contest, and I hope that you'll keep making more music in the future.

The panning that starts around 1:48 is a little too extreme for my tastes, at least while wearing my headphones. Since that's the only thing going on at the time it feels a little disorienting.

Although none of the instruments are really high quality, you've done a solid job putting this track together. The cymbal really doesn't do the track justice, but I like how you've applied the organ and choir.

TheFirel responds:

Thank you! I put together most of the instruments myself from scratch, and it was my first time trying, so I'm glad they at least came together well.

[Nolegs' Ringtone]

Really cool medley you've constructed here, man! It does indeed have that classic ringtone feel, and the overall vibe reminds me - oddly enough - of early Castlevania games.

I feel like some of the instruments have a bit too much presence within the mix (like that marimba or xylophone the song kicks off with); and that booming ending feels oddly timed and rather out of place to me, like it was just kind of tossed on there to wrap things up.

Manderby responds:

Thanks! Fair points about the mixing. I find the booming ending actually to be very fitting, but maybe it is just my personal taste. Or maybe it sounds unpleasant on certain speakers.