ChronoNomad's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Lavender Air Balloon]

And Finn bangs out yet another fantastic NGADM hit! How does he do it, folks?

You know, before this year's Audio Deathmatch, I hadn't even really encountered your talent much on the site. Obviously, that has changed quite a bit at this point, and you are now very much on my radar.

While The Afterlust is a truly fantastic track, you've really outdone yourself with Lavender Air Balloon. The overall song structure is excellent, it's catchy as hell, your instruments come together beautifully, the mix is the clearest it's been so far, and your vocals possess pure star power. To be honest, I'm going to have a hard time giving much in the way of actual useful feedback, but I shall do my best!

In all honesty, the first time I listened to this track, I found myself shaking my head when it all started out with drumsticks. Even when bands do it to get everyone on tempo, it tends to come off as more than a bit clichéd. But then the music started, big and bold, and I could at least understand your decision to kick things off that way. The more I listened, the more it grew on me, but since I know this is a one man show I'll probably always wonder if there wasn't a better option.

About the only other thing that I personally found to be less than stellar was the bridge. The purely instrumental part feels too long before moving into the vocals, and while I believe removing that entire second run-through would be too much, I think a well-made half phrase could have worked out nicely, which of course would require a fair amount of extra effort to meld into the flow.

Those first two instances of "Take a breath, breathe it in, believe in this feeling" are surprisingly deep, and since they don't possess your usual higher falsetto, it ends up sounding rather unlike you, which I found to be a bit jarring. But the real issue here is that these don't come through as well in the mix, and they get pretty well overshadowed by the instrumentation. Still, it adds to the dramatic ramp when you do go higher, which ultimately leads to that beautiful tension that you relieve so effortlessly as you enter the final chorus. While it all works out very nicely in the end, those low vocals need something more to make them more prevalent within the overall mix. I suppose boosting the volume would have worked to some degree, but I feel like using effects to enhance those vocal lines in some way could have served in a greater capacity.

And hey, that's pretty much all I've got! Clearly not a lot of constructive criticism that I can give since I mostly went super in-depth with just a few admittedly minor issues. The song itself has such an uplifting sense of joy that I can't possibly listen without smiling. Love you, love this track, and I cannot wait to hear what you come up with next time! Best of luck to you in the Round of 16, good sir.

9.79 out of 10

FinnMK responds:

So kind as always. Good tips though, thanks for the feedback.

[~SW~ Simpler Times]

This is so beautiful and melancholic, Skye. Nothing to be embarrassed about; you sound fine, and the voice sections are melded into the mix well. While it weighs in at an otherwise daunting eight and a half minutes, the decidedly chill and relaxing vibe makes the time go by like that! *snaps fingers*

I'm kind of right on the fence with that glock, but I can really appreciate the idea. There's just enough reverb to make it work, though I feel as though a soft panning echo or something would have helped it to fit in a bit better. But I also wonder how it would have sounded as an actual music box...

Regardless, I thank you for the ambient journey. All music is personal by nature, but when you start adding vocals or voice recordings like this, it becomes even more so. Big ups for stepping outside your comfort zone.

SkyeWint responds:

Aw, thank you, CHrono! I appreciate it :)

...and aw, damnit. You're totally right, a soft panning echo to the glock would have been perfect. Nice spot!

This was kinda a personal piece - it was personal in that I made it, but the story isn't exactly mine. Made by me, perhaps - but not mine. Either way, was a very fun thing to try, and I do want to try making more ambient stuff in the future. :)

[Seres]

Now, I know that you started out feeling a whole lot of pressure, first of all because Peaks earned you the highest scoring Audition track, and second because you were immediately matched up against the daunting team of bassfiddlejones & joshgawaldomusic. That much is perfectly understandable, and I cannot fault you for cursing the heavens over such a fate and unleashing the occasional primal yell. Regardless, you pulled yourself together and made another superb track for the Round of 64. I was just as sorry as anyone to see you exit the arena, but now that you're back in I am eager to hear what awaits us from here on out!

Okay, enough about that. On to the review!

Straight out of the gate, we have this very deep yet chill bass-y progression. While, at first listen, it sounds as though there's some sort of unintended popping going on at certain points, upon further inspection I believe that to be the introduction of percussion, due to its rhythmic nature. Next we have that high pan flute, which is quite beautiful, but does seem to have a little too much presence since those especially high frequencies come across as almost painful when listening through my headphones headphones. While switching over to speakers works a bit better, I still believe that there's an overabundance of loudness within the first 28 seconds. A softer combination could have made for a more dynamic and somewhat less harsh-sounding intro. After that, moving on to the fuller, more naturally louder section at :29 would have made an even bigger impact.

On the whole, this track possesses a really relaxing, chill sort vibe. The exception, of course, comes in around 1:21 when the music takes a darker turn. While I found the glitch to be just a bit startling at first, upon subsequent listens I have grown quite used to it and ultimately enjoy the break. It works quite well as a transition, and while that isn't always the case and glitch can easily be overused to the point where it loses effect, that doesn't seem to be a problem here.

You yourself have already brought up the fact that this track is an amalgamation of ideas, ultimately sacrificing a certain level of cohesion, and while that isn't usually the best plan of action within a contest like you, I can't help but feel as though you've managed to pull it off...for the most part. Your transitions are the real workhorses here, tying together each individual section in surprisingly convincing ways. You are indeed to be commended for such a feat, but the fact remains that some parts feel more well-connected than others. You are obviously prepared to accept that reality completely, so I feel that no more need be said.

Moving on to a few more of the inherent issues, there's a whole bunch of popping going on from 3:15 to 3:23. While this is glaringly obvious with headphones, it's a bit more subtle coming out of my speakers. Either way, that is definitely a problem that needs to be addressed, and while the synth itself shouldn't cause that kind of anomaly, it seems to be more attached to the long release or echo/delay that was applied.

And that pretty much brings an end to the constructive feedback portion of our review! I hope that you haven't already heard all of this a dozen times over, but I try not to read and therefore bias my own reviews by looking at those of others. I also prefer to write them live, which gives me an opportunity to listen a few more times as I really dig into the material at hand. May you find this feedback helpful going forward, and best of luck to you in the Round of 32!

9.25 out of 10

Onefin responds:

> "Next we have that high pan flute, which is quite beautiful, but does seem to have a little too much presence since those especially high frequencies come across as almost painful when listening through my headphones headphones"

Headphones headphones? Am I supposed to need those to hear it shrieking like everyone insists it is instead of singing like I hear it is?

Lack of cohesion is generally more or less of an unavoidable accident for me, because it'll just be that I try to make the next sensible section of a track but then 30 minutes later it'll be completely different from how I originally envisioned it and welp no turning back now. Reprimanding it with transitions was all I could do - good thing it happens enough that I've had tons of practice :P Somehow I need to figure out how to avoid that

The culprit of 3:15 was the tempo change. I was waiting for someone to bring it up. I tried may things to get the popping to go away but unfortunately my synths reacted very strangely to tempo adjustments.

Hey thanks for the review and thanks for being awesome and stuff :) I'll see what I can do this next round, not sure what will happen

[[0003-DCOF] 血祭]

Despite your technical difficulties with this track, I find myself quite enjoying it until the abrupt and understandable cut-off. It's deep and dark with a rich tapestry of orchestral sound, an interesting mixture of electronic elements, and topped off with percussion that really fits the vibe.

There's a lot of popping that begins right around the 15-second mark, continues on for a while, then appears here and there throughout the track. I feel like you made solid use of the stereo field, and while I really enjoy the dynamics, what we have here mostly feels like build-up for whatever was coming next, so we never quite get there. I suppose I shall just have to wait for your next submission to the Audio Portal!

Elbows can be really willful, naughty little things, can't they? That kind of accident would probably wreck my ability to concentrate and successfully finish a piece of music, too. And at that point, it was probably too late to start something new even if you had been able to. Nevertheless, I am much more impressed by a greatly truncated track bravely entered into the NGADM than no track at all! Keep right on moving forward with that same sense of determination.

6.5 out of 10

DwightFalcon responds:

Hi ChronoNomad,

Yes indeed I plan on making a suspense into bombastic orchestration score however my attempt is unsuccessful. Perhaps I will remake this track once I find time to convert them into midi format.
Also thanks again for review and your hardwork in organizing this competition. :)

[Gottcha]

From reading your Author Comments, it seems like you didn't really have much time to work on this, which does explain the rather rushed feeling of the composition. There's just not a whole lot going on at one time, and while not every track needs a full-to-bursting sort of sound, this comes off as being much too sparse.

There's a lot of really high frequency synth happening, and then you add in some lower frequencies, but the mid-range feels incredibly empty pretty much from beginning to end. The bass does have a nice deep feel as I listen with headphones, and you've got some nice yet fairly basic dubs going on here and there, but I can really easily keep track of everything that's going on in a single listen. You can often tell a really solid track by the nuanced layers that are happening all throughout, and some of the best ones require at least two or three listens to really get a true grasp of everything that's going on.

The drop was honestly more than a little bit lackluster, and didn't really feel like a drop at all. Where was the tell-tale pause in the moment just before the heavy bass and Dubstep wubs take over? That preceding long, descending note felt uninspired and came off as being more than a little cheesy.

You certainly have potential, and the only way for any of us unlock it further is through experience. Keep on listening to those guys you admire without trying to emulate their styles too much. Be your own man and discover your own road. Let's see where your musical journey leads you...

6.8 out of 10

JaThu responds:

Thanks! most of this was based on other songs and is not personal at all, I'll expand it later when I feel more inspired to do so, for now, thanks for taking the time to point weak spots (not sarcasm), I appreciate it, specially coming from you! next year is going to be different ;)

[Funkotron Zone]

I love the fact that so many musicians lately have been willing to step outside their comfort zones, but I'm sure that I'll be stating this a lot in future reviews as well: contests like the NGADM may not actually be the best place to experiment with something that you're unused to. This is not the only instance within the Deathmatch, however it did end up being the one with the lowest average score.

I personally enjoy this track quite a bit, but the fact remains that it's just not on par with your Audition entry. It's got a fun and funky vibe to it, and while it usually gets cited for being a less-than-good transition, I nevertheless enjoy musical breaks like the one at 3:12. The mix itself comes of as being relatively spare most of the time, and while the instrumentation is pretty clear, it just doesn't have that feeling of fullness that makes a song feel truly complete. The almost complete lack of mid-range frequencies within the first couple of minutes also doesn't help.

There aren't really a lot of little touches to focus on, but I do want to say that your delay/echo effect you added works well to round things out a bit. There just isn't much in the way of variety here, and that comes across as feeling rather repetitive. Also, that low chord at 3:09 possesses a decidedly unpleasant dissonance that makes me think you didn't quite nail the notes that you were aiming for.

Take all your NGADM feedback and learn from it. That's how we all grow as musicians, after all. This is not an ending, despite not moving on to the Round of 32, and I shall be looking forward to hearing what comes next from you! I hope to see you dauntlessly enter the fray again in 2018.

7.09 out of 10

[The Afterlust]

Man, full disclosure, this track is so catchy that it's earwormed itself straight into my heart. It pops up in my head on a daily basis, which prompts me to find my way back to the track here, and now I'm giving it yet another listen as I write up your requested review. It simply does not get old, and is of such obvious professional quality that I am proud to offer you the courtesy of feedback.

Every time I listen to that intro, I feel as though I'm about to listen to the newest Coldplay hit! Hopefully you view that as a good thing, and I personally enjoy their music quite a bit despite all the crap that folks tend to give the group. But for the most part, that's where any similarities to preexisting tracks end.

All those live instruments sound so good, and you manage to combine each one together so that it has its own presence within the overall mix. That selfsame mix is quite clear, and your particularly well-sung vocals, which are also very well written, are loud enough to be understood even without the addition of lyrics. However, as I find to be the case quite often when such elements are mixed together, the music is a little on the loud side, while the vocals themselves could use just a little bit more volume to really give them all the presence they deserve.

You harmonize beautifully with yourself, Finn! And I know how very hard that can be to do. Your drumming is excellent, and I love that sparseness at 1:42 that leads up to the "...but it still hurts" where you drop everything, even the piano before coming in again with a full clash of instrumental brilliance at 2:07. Good heavens, what a hook! And then there's this section of marching snares that creates a wholly different kind of vibe that really gives me the feeling of walking with real purpose down that very road of which you speak.

What more can I even say? I'm already gushing way too much. Your bass playing should also be noted, not only because it's so good and probably one of the more overlooked facets of the music, but also because there's so much personality to it as you work the strings, especially with all those low fret sounds.

There are in fact a couple more elements that just don't quite come together for me, so I might as well get those out of the way. As I listen with headphones, there's a bit of sound left at the tail end that not only doesn't fade completely, it actually gets louder. Interestingly enough, while it feels a bit odd to me as it is, if it were still louder I feel that it would be a really interesting way to loop back to the beginning, should the listener desire. I've already mentioned the levels between the vocals and instrumentation, but since that's such a common occurrence, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that it's a much more subtle issue here than in most vocal tracks. I also feel like the level of reverb on the vocals could be turned down just a touch more to help compensate. And every once in a while I hear a vocal echo that feels like it lingers too far beyond the melody note being sung.

Finally, while sharing the lyrics with your listeners is never a prerequisite, you offer those up so that we can all follow - or heck, even sing - along! And while that doesn't actually add or subtract from your overall score, it is always thoroughly appreciated.

Suffice to say, I am really looking forward to hearing what you come up with next in the Round of 32! I hope you don't mind reading this daunting wall of text too much, but one thing is for certain: you earned your score with blood, sweet, tears, and sour milk. Rock on.

9.14 out of 10

FinnMK responds:

Your words are very kind, and thank you for the tips. I'll work them in to the firecracker I'm cooking up for next round!

[Cloud Caravan]

Sounds pretty nice, I must say! It's cute and light, and definitely possesses that old school charm. You've got a very interesting mixture of sounds here, but it seems to work pretty well in the overall mix. The simple yet effective chords that start the whole journey off taper off in an interesting way before moving on into the next, much more layered sections. The entire journey seems to be over so quickly that I've listened a couple times already, but that isn't simply because the track itself is only a little over 2 minutes in length. The simple fact of the matter is that it's a fun and energetic piece of music that easily holds one's attention from start to finish--several times over!

The one thing that seems to be a bit off at times is your bass progression, and with chip instruments those moments of dissonance between the bass and synth melody become even more pronounced. I kind of love that slightly broken-sounding retro piano you use, though. Between that slight out-of-tune quality and the fact that it's chippy makes it really fun to me.

I am admittedly rather curious as to what inspired the section at the end that sounds somewhat like a telegraph transmission, but it's incorporated well and serves to add to the mystique. I'm thinking that you should take more early morning car rides with your dad! It really seems to get your creative juices flowing. :D

GoToMyNewAccount responds:

I completely over-looked this when I updated the second time, but the glide option was checked on the bass instrument and that's the reason why the notes sounded like shit. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

It's been fixed now.

Thank you for the advice and encouragement.

[Peaks]

This track is simply fantastic, and one of my favorite aspects is that you have a central theme that grows and evolves in different ways. The fact that it came out of the NGCHIPS competition just shows how important having these ways to challenge ourselves really are. The palette that you use to paint this musical masterpiece is wonderfully vivid, from the instruments to the story that is being told. Even though it's just shy of 4 minutes in length, it seems like it's over in less than half that time, which is always a telltale sign of music that absorbs the listener.

There is really just one thing that retracts from the beauty of this piece, and that's a series of low clicks that start around :32 and last for a few seconds. They seem to be caused by that lower, arpeggiated synth which otherwise sounds so mysterious and ethereal. Actually, upon closer inspection, I can hear an occasional click here and there even after the hats come in. But man, that's it.

Your mixing is really nice and clear, and I can listen repeatedly without losing any interest. There's always some new piece of the overall puzzle to focus on, and each of your ambient effects serve to only increase the level of depth. Your combination of sustained pads and more staccato hits is a beautiful thing, and I have nothing but praise for the percussion! So many different elements, from the nice punchy kicks to your snares that make fantastic use of the stereo field, it all just comes together and sounds right. Of special note are the snaps, which you only make occasional use of, but to great effect.

Suffice to say, this is absolutely one of the best tracks submitted to the NGADM Auditions, and you have definitely earned your spot. Best of luck in the Round of 64!

9.55 out of 10

Onefin responds:

Hey Chrono thanks for dropping by

Oh I hear those clicks now what the crud never heard those before

Thanks for all the kind words man <3 If I'm going to top this in this round of 64, I'd be really anxious to hear it. I don't know how I'll come close :P

It'll be a challenge but I'll certainly try

[War [NGADM AUDITION]]

Your track has some serious energy going on, and while it ends up being a little repetitive at times, you manage to break things up with new ideas and sounds occasionally, which helps to keep interest up. The kicks are nice and punchy, which is definitely one of the main ingredients in a good DnB track. The combination of strings and electronic elements works really well, and you manage to mix the whole thing into a very tight, enjoyable package.

The bells that enter around 3:34 end up sounding particularly harsh on the high end, but it doesn't last very long before moving on to the next section. As I'm sure you already know, this is a pretty lengthy track, and the ending becomes something of a drawn out affair, but for all that it's a really fun track to listen to. Can't say I'm honestly in love with the way it ends, but as fade-outs go it's certainly better than some.

8.21 out of 10

Adjeye responds:

The general idea was to build up tension during the track to release it all back again at the breakdown around the 3-minute mark.

The mixing fuckup at around 3:34 was totally by accident. On both my speakers and headphones nothing bothered me about the part, but when I now grab anything other than those 2 I can hear the harsh sound too. I will not let this happen in the future!

The ending I have to admit is a bit long, but I didn't want to end it all too sudden. Guess I should've cut it off earlier.

Thank you very much ChronoNomad :), this gives me a lot to work on again!