ChronoNomad's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[the traveller]

While I really applaud your courage at going outside of your comfort zones, I came to the conclusion early on that this would not really be a good time or place to stray off the beaten path. That seems to have proven true on several occasions throughout the competition, and therein lies my concern.

Nevertheless, there's a lot here that I really enjoy, even though it was anything but business as usual for you. The intro feels a bit lackluster, but that first transition and hometown itself really make up for it. I think that having each section tell its own story within a story is a nice touch, so that seems like a good takeaway from Skye's lack-of-originality pronouncements. I really enjoy the unique way that you musically depicted a train ride.

Oh man, that ending is godawful. Knowing the story behind it did totally crack me up, though! I guess that's just how you...troll. :3 Ah, kitsch. Anyway, it was thoroughly fun to listen to. Best of luck!

johnfn responds:

Lol. See, this is my problem. I have dumb ideas and then I CANT SHAKE THEM OFF.

Maybe by NGADM14 I'll learn not to do dumb stuff. Until then...

DOWN WITH THE SHIP!!!

[Lying to a Stranger]

Man, this is just really cool and gets me moving. Always a good thing when it comes to EDM, to be sure. It does kind of get into one solid mode and more or less stays there, but there's a lot going on in the background to keep things fluid and variegated. Yeah, it just keeps me moving right from the start all the way through to the end. Makes it kind of hard to review effectively, but whatever! Love it.

You've got some really funky shit going on in the intro that just hooks the listener (in this case, me) straightaway. The finale comes really suddenly and I'm sorry to see it end, but that's always how it is with the best jams. Fantastic work and good luck in Round 3!

InvisibleObserver responds:

An extended version will make a lot more sense with its outro/arrangement, but I'm psyched that the quick punchy intro seems to be generally a good hook to most listeners.

Thanks for the words!

[Wolftacular NGADM Round 3]

I found this to be quite pleasant to listen to, but it really lacks the dynamics that would serve to polish it up and truly make it shine. You've got a lot of fun and interesting elements working together here, but it seems like it was maybe a touch too ambitious for the very brief deadline of this contest. Without the inclusion of vocals it kind of lacks the musical glue that would serve to bring it all together, so I hope you'll be able to finish this as you desire at some point. I'd love to give it another listen then! :D

What? It doesn't even have a proper title! But I suppose that's what happens when something isn't really completed to the artist's satisfaction. Compared to the music itself that's a pretty unimportant aspect, in my opinion. I just like to get a sense of what the artist's vision is for his or her body of work.

Overall, this is really good but feels a bit aimless. One of my favorite nuances is your transition to a more ethnic percussive style at 3:49, but the distinct lack of dynamics doesn't do you any favors. Nevertheless, you came to the party on time regardless of your dissatisfaction, and for that I give you mad props. Here's hoping that you get a chance to work on it some more and add those vocals so you can finally be satisfied. Best of luck!

Wolftacular responds:

I completely see all your points, and I'd like to mention that the changes the song takes go hand in hand with the lyrics and story I wrote for it. But yeah, as it is, I understand why it would feel like such. Audio production has always been one of my greatest weaknesses, so I guess that's where the dynamics thing falls. I've improved but I guess there's still a lot to learn :U

Thanks a bunch for listening and offering your feedback!

[Whiteout]

To me, this feels like Kefka and the Dancing Calcobrena had a baby! I don't know if that means anything to you or not, but suffice to say it reminds me of the music from various 16-bit-era Final Fantasy titles.

It's got a very interesting mix that both reminds me of traversing the wintry expanse and attending a carnival, all at the same time. There's a dark undercurrent to the piece that I really enjoy. The looping is rather stilted, but I imagine that trying to loop those wind sounds is pretty beastly and all but impossible. A very enjoyable track, overall. Best of luck in Round 3, SJ!

SourJovis responds:

Yeah, I've got all of the early Final Fantasy games in one form or the other. Many re-releases. I like them a lot. You give me too much credit. Kefka's and the dancing calcobrena's themes are much more interesting than this song. The wind effect and the reverb made it really hard to loop yes. No it doesn't loop very well because of it. Btw, I made the wind sound by filtering white noise, much like they made wind sounds in the 16-bit FF games. or some other games of that era. Good luck to you too.

[Mote Prime]

Oh my lord, this is eargasmic. So cool and chill for the first half, I just closed my eyes and got lost in the jam. You've described that alien, otherworldly feel so perfectly through music that it gave me shivers. Your percussion remains tight throughout, and the final quarter just plain rocks before slipping back into a chill and mysterious vibe for the outro.

The overall length of the piece is also impressive, especially considering that you did it all in just three days. You've just made seven and a half minutes pass by in an instant for me...twice. As a lover of all things piano, your ivory arpeggios from 6:41 to 6:45 were a very pleasant surprise. You're a force to be reckoned with, and it's easy to see how you took the top spot last year. Best of luck, man. Thanks for the ride.

Kor-Rune responds:

Thank you! I'm happy I could pull off a vibe I wanted for once, thanks for the review!

To be fair, I did kill myself and work on the track for about 12-13 hours per day I spent on it, so the project totaled around 35-40 hours of work. Glad you enjoyed it! Good luck this round!

[Bajo el sol, sobre las rocas]

Wow, this is a pretty unique fusion you've got going on here! I really dig the various cultural and ethnic juxtapositions, and I felt that your transitions were solid and quite fluid. You can certainly be forgiven for not incorporating Arabic, as well. I was just starting to feel like the melody from 1:50~ was getting a little too monotonous when you threw in a sweet percussive transition and switched gears, so that was some good timing.

I am admittedly a little disappointed in the rather sudden ending. I get what you're going for, but it feels like it needs a little extra something to really sell it. It could be as simple as a cymbal crash, but there are plenty of options. Well, that's just my opinion, anyway.

Excellent job, man! Just like you, I absolutely love that Peruvian guitar. Best of luck in Round 3!

InYourDreams responds:

Hey C-dog! :P
Thanks for the nice words ^_^... I wanted to experiment, but I think it could have been better... I still need to practice theory and my playing a little more... I used to do that, but now I only play and barf some music out of my sistem xD... this contest is really pushing me though.

I'm sorry I disappointed you with my ending... I think I know what went wrong there, but now it's to late to change it... maybe after the judging.

Good luck to you, too! :)