ChronoNomad's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Messing around with pebbles]

I like to give credit where credit is due, and you deserve mad props for this fantastic loop. Mad props for MadMath. Oh yeah, that's legit. Stay awesome, bro.

MadMath responds:

Aww my man ! Thanks a lot for dropping by. Reading from you is already making me happy, and I'm really glad you like this one. Our musics are really different now, but it's always a pleasure to listen to your tracks or have a little talk. Thank you my friend, you're the one awesome.

[you win!]

In a word: Exceptional. A winner is you!

johnfn responds:

Thanks dude! Glad to see you're still around. I want more music from you! :D

[Childhood Passing By]

It's your birthday and you gift us with a lovely improvisational piano session? Right generous of you, in my opinion. Zero bombers must be thoroughly unhappy people, but you've earned five stars from me, so I hope it helps to turn that score around.

Happy Birthday, Trevor! Here's to the next twenty-one years, and may your days overflow with music and joy.

BlazingDragon responds:

Zero-bombers are an unfortunate bunch, but they don't bother me much thanks to the wonderful support you guys give me. Thank you so much for the encouragement!

[unlit dancefloor]

Well...

This particular dancing alien enjoyed it very much. Thank you for the cool tunes, Earth man. ^__^

Honestly, I kind of love that you set out to do something, had no idea what to do with it to turn it into dance music, and it somehow morphed into this as it passed through your mind's eye. To me, that is the epitome of inspiration! Thanks for the funky ride.

johnfn responds:

Thank you dancing alien :D

One of the most exciting things about songwriting is when you're writing a song and then suddenly it takes on a life of it's own and wants to go in some direction you didn't expect at all. When I sat down I wasn't expecting it to sound like this at all, and it was really fun when it started going that way.

[Freddie Mercury - Living on my]

This is very fun, Sonic! The beat and harmonies are great and they make me wanna dance, just like the original. It can be really tough to pick just the right instrument for that vocal line, can't it? I think your choice here is pretty good; nice and synthy. Well done!

SonicYM2612 responds:

Thanks! I actually left the synth for the vocal part from my MegaDrive / Genesis remake of the song. You can hear that here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7yWKEwrDOM

;)

[wide world]

Okay, so the mixing needs more work. You know what? I don't even care. The judges can all worry about such technical aspects while I get lost in your masterful and completely gorgeous melodies. You've given this piece so much gentle soul it's almost not to be believed, and your climax idea is simple yet inspired, not to mention very well-executed. I'm actually kind of bummed that this is a truncated version, but I can certainly understand since song length ends up becoming something of a detrimental factor at some point. Deciding what to leave on the cutting room floor is a very difficult task indeed.

I have no idea if you've ever played the Shin Megami Tensei Persona games, but this makes me think of some of the music from that series; mainly the third and fourth installments. Your piece has that same kind of emotion-inducing appeal, and to me the emotion being portrayed is one of hope and discovery...as you say in your comments, the possibilities that exist within our world. Those are some fantastic qualities to extol through music, in my personal opinion.

The only thing that diminished the experience for me was the way that it cuts off abruptly at the end. I'm assuming that this is the result of hasty rendering and the need to submit this quickly before the deadline, but I am thoroughly pleased to know that you will continue to work on it in order to present the song as you intend; to complete your vision for this, your magnum opus.

Overall, I have enjoyed this thoroughly and am happy to say that it's my favorite of yours to date. I can sort of envision the endgame, and I look forward to listening again once you are truly finished with it. I wish you all the best! Good luck.

johnfn responds:

Oh man... I have been nervously anticipating the first review ever since I dropped the song a few hours ago. There is this crazy anticipation that builds up when you work on something for a long time without any feedback... It's scary!

Anyways I appreciate this review a lot, especially coming from you, because I feel like we're on the same page with our obsession over the perfect melody :) I'm glad all that works for you.

I've never played the Persona games, but I've heard enough about them to be intrigued. I will definitely check them out. I need a break from all this crazy NGADM work, phew!

Can't excuse the ending. Threw some jazz chords on it and tossed it out the door haha.

The one thing that worries me is calling it my magnum opus, because that implies it's all downhill from here ;)

A guy I really respect once said that he never considers anything he does to be his magnum opus but rather just practice for the next thing. And in that sense I really agree. This song isn't my magnum opus; when I was writing it I was feeling more like I was just opening the door into a whole new deeper world of more complex chords and melodies. There's so much out there to explore :)

Thanks again for the review.

[Graveyard Shenanigans]

Man, I'm not even sure what to say about this, but I love it! It's just so...you.

The music conjures up images of Halloween Town running completely amok; I mean like total and absolute chaos brought on by hallucinogenic drugs and whatnot, and not even Jack Skellington is immune.

Your musical style here is (once again) intensely frenetic and anything but somber, yet it still possesses that Halloween vibe. This reminds me a lot of your Real Life Absurdities track, actually. It has a crazy sort of Scoobie-Doo mystery monster chase scene feel, and hopefully that makes as much sense to you as it does me.

You, sir, are a madcap. If Steampunk were a music genre, I think you would have the corner market. Well played. I give this five Scoobie Snax out of five. Best of luck and...jeez, I don't know...just keep right on having fun, man! You're so bloody talented when it comes to this kind of craziness. :D

steampianist responds:

i actually keep forgetting that steampunk is more of a fashion thing haha
so yeah i hope i at least get a corner... :B

thanks for the review and its kinda like R.L.A. but this is different i swear :D
i was actually gona do some progressive rock/jazz or something that would be "worthy of kor-rune but i was like yknow what kor-rune is probably gona do what he does best.
and so i figured then im gonna do what i do best as well and this is what i do best ;)

"I give this five Scoobie Snax"
awesome i freakin love scoobie snax but next time im aiming for the whole box

[Your Flashlight Dies]

I totally dig it, chica! It has a deep, rumbling ambiance similar to Cthulu Surfaces, but still notably different and quite suitable to the style. Perfect for a Halloween jump scare! The only thing that could make it even creepier would be if some dreadfully out-of-tune music box would begin to play... xD

headphoamz responds:

Yay thank you! Aw man, if only I had put music box tunes in there... creeepy! Also, WTF?! I could have sworn I responded. Sometimes NG times out on me. Sorry about that Chrono! Thanks for the review ^__^

[Busy Feet]

The NGADM is finally nearing its terminus! And here we have another lovely Jordi Francis original that speaks to me on a number of levels. From the title alone I was expecting something a bit different, but the tone still fits the theme very well and I resonate with it as a bit of a people watcher, myself. Different lives and seemingly different worlds, all wrapped up in their own individual thoughts and responsibilities, yet surrounded by dozens of other people that they rarely - if ever - notice. But I digress...

Your vocal mixing levels are indeed improved, and I think you've pretty much nailed that spot on here. The instrumentals possess a decidedly ethereal quality that I associate with much of your music and the vocals complement that beautifully. The lyrics themselves are nice and poetic, expressing both a literal and symbolic natures of the human condition.

Everything just feels like it melds together very smoothly, and that includes the way that the vocals have been folded into the music. There is one brief moment at :54 where one of your instrumental elements sounds off, however. It might be the harp or that bell-like instrument, but I cannot be certain; there is admittedly a lot going on and I can't tell for certain even after several listens, but something comes off as being flat. Besides that singular moment I can find no other fault in the music, and perhaps it was purposefully meant to be atonal, but it just doesn't jive with me, musically. I won't be taking away half a star for it since I'm not some hard-ass nitpick of a judge. ;)

Overall, the song is positively lovely and possesses a kind of a lonely and melancholic air. Life continues on apace, even when we finally choose to stop for a minute and look at the hustle and bustle that exists all around us. Where are they going? Where have they been? Many curious and unanswerable questions, but - as a musician - it makes for excellent inspiration. Hang in there, Jordi! You've already managed to come this far, and I wish you all the best as the curtain begins to unravel.

etherealwinds responds:

It is indeed, how scary! It's been such a fun journey though. I'm glad to hear that my mixing levels have improved! I actually can't hear the flatness you mention at :54. Perhaps my ears are immune to it or your ears are picking up something entirely different, I'm not sure! ^_^ I'll continue to check it until I notice though.

Thank you for your kind comments! Hopefully I can get at least third place, not just for me, but for you and all of the other friends I made in NGADM along the way!!

[Mystic's Shore]

This has such a soothing vibe all throughout; ancient, mysterious, and otherworldly like the mystical lands of Shambala or Tír na nÓg. An excellent portrayal of that ultimate state of being and oneness, Nirvana. I suppose such levels of enlightenment can be like going to another location, a plane of existence both higher and further away, yet still tethered to the earthly domain if only for a little while. Some chills were definitely had, and I always love when that happens. And here you're singing beautifully in Mandarin, as well. Of course, because that's just how you roll. You ridiculously talented bugger, you. ;)

I would personally prefer a little less volume on that ethereal pad at the beginning of the song, but that's a purely personal preference. Possibly. Probably. Whoops, I got kind of carried away with words starting with the letter P. Pardon.

I apologize for the lateness of this review, and I won't toss some silly "I've been too busy" excuse out because those are always bullshit anyway. I suppose, in all honesty, I have felt more strongly about losing than I really thought I would. I have no regrets or anything like that, but you know...melancholy and whatnot. It's a thing. I still love you and your work just as much as ever, and I just want you to know that.

You have managed to create yet another thoroughly haunting song, and I congratulate you on such an incredible feat. You're like a runaway freight train of musical goodness, Jordi. Best of luck to you as this crazy contest continues! ^__^

etherealwinds responds:

Haha my instinct when it comes to leveling truly sucks. No level-ups for me anytime soon! ^_~ thank you for once again a lovely review. I do truly appreciate your words and I'm glad you liked it!