johnfn's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Lunar Event]

I take back what I said to skyewint the other day, which is that he had the most experimental and risky track in the NGADM. THIS is the most experimental and risky track in the NGADM. (Well, unless I hear an even more experimental one later...) It really stands out in the playlist against the backdrop of orchestral and more standard-fare edm stuff.

Of course, experimentalism is a double edged sword, and this song might lack a little in enjoyability that a more straightforward track wouldn't, but it is undeniably fascinating. I just wanted to tell you that.

Good luck in the NGADM!

[Solarex - Something Like This]

Ahh, really nice melody! I feel like maybe it should be an octave or so lower, it's a bit too high right now. But this is a really nice, sorta feelgood carefree song. Well done!

[Almost Home]

Something about your style resonates with me in the way that very few musicians do. The swelling strings, the beautiful melodies, the chip elements... I feel like your music has FEELING behind it.

Heck I even gave a (very subtle) shout out to "alone and adrift" by starting my NGADM track off with little sine bloops. :-)

[Pareidolic War]

Alright, the mixing is a little off. Alright, the VSTs are not so great. But I don't even care because the section starting around 3:00 may be the single best minute of music I've heard this NGADM, and it's not for lack of competition.

I do feel like the ending is a little off, like instead of building to this grand finale it kinda fizzles, but I do remember you saying you were rushed and out of time. I do hope you get to the next round though, because it sounds like the 2 week schedule is good for you :-)

Phonometrologist responds:

Well I never was big on endings (pun intended). You never know how much further the peak may be, and I'm not just talking about music here, and rarely does one get a climatic ending let alone even aware of when it will be the end. That being said, I did plan originally for at least 2 more minutes of music even with a different section. It also seems to fizzle at the end because I didn't really use a traditional way to end it as one would want to to get that feeling of completion. It ends with a diminished seven of five chord, and when I get to the fifth, I avoided emphasis on the third note and I didn't even add the seventh note to make it a dominant seventh chord. Maybe it wasn't the right choice, but my reason is stated. So the ending was a combination of time and the choice to make it that way because of a lack of time. See the symbolic nature in that, ha. The next two weeks should be better if given the opportunity as I won't have the excuse of going camping during one of those weekends. Also, PirateCrab is worthy to enter the next round so I wouldn't be surprised that this would be my last entry for this contest.
I appreciate the kind word in regards to minute 3:00--very encouraging.
I would be really interested to to read about which VSTs you have in mind. I think I might be a bit oblivious to which ones could be better. Initially, I thought about the synths that was used, but even the strings could be said for it too. So I would really be interested in knowing what I need to do as I'm not sure if it's more because of the libraries being used or rather my use of them. Send me a PM. Also, it takes me a long time to compose, so it's really hard to try and mix something in a relatively short time because my ears are so wet. This project was good for me obviously because of that purpose in meeting a deadline.

[No Worries]

This song is so insane it's hard even to assign it a score. You really melody'd (that's totally a verb now) the crap out of it. Sometimes the melodies work for me, and sometimes they don't, and the mixing is a little off at times, but I thought I would phone in to say the little run from 1:58 to 1:59 is the best thing here by far, do more like that! :D

Also, the transition around 1:00 is nuts!

[~SW and CS~ Cranial]

I consider this to be one of the riskiest pieces submitted to a contest where people normally stay the course and do what's proven. The wubz could be a bit more interesting, and it could have... a melody ... but that one transition makes up for it.

That one.

YOU KNOW WHICH ONE I'M TALKING ABOUT.

SkyeWint responds:

But. But. It does have a melody. It has two melodies, even. ;_;

Also yes, that transition that people like for some reason I don't understand.

[Talos]

Gorgeous track! Lovely sense of restraint.

TheBenjerman responds:

Thanks a lot!

[Sjaan the Flying Doctor]

These melodies are really beautiful. You've gotten quite a bit better since last NGADM! That guitar that comes in around 1:25 sounds super fake and I think a different instrument would have suited the song a bit better. Still... I really like this piece. It's very somber and pretty, kind of reminds me of an overworld view in some game when you're flying around.

SourJovis responds:

Thank you. I too think I've gotten a bit better since last year, but I don't think this song is the best example. The guitar is fake indeed. The sample pack I used should be pretty good, but perhaps I'm not using it right. Or it's the amplifier. A real guitar would undoubtedly sound better if I could find someone willing to play this part. I like the idea of a guitar as lead instrument for the second part. What other instruments do you think work better?

[Moving plates]

Ah, I really like that main motif, it has a really brooding feel. Nice work.

PascalPalomino responds:

Thanks