johnfn's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Hydroxygen]

Some thoughts

Even early on, I can tell that you really cared about making this song right.

The chord progression is a good one, but maybe switching it up every now and then would be good.

Around 2:30 the beat comes in with the pads and gated stuff and it really makes my ears confused (it keeps pulsing). That seems to be typical of technoey ravey music though, so maybe it's what you were going for, I dunno. I wont dock you.

It's really a shame that stuff like this gets nuked by 0 voters.

The lead is a great instrument, but maybe you should have worked on that melody a little more. I felt like it could have been more interesting. That was what was holding me back from really enjoying this song, I think. Maybe a build up would have been a good idea - it's kind of hard to keep a techno song interesting without changing something, be it dynamics, chord progression, etc.

My strategy (I'm not any sort of authority, though, my songs all suck) is that whenever I get a new idea I'll try to integrate it, even if it messes with my whole song structure. It kind of plays to my ADD tendencies ;)

Voted 5.

Heitoki responds:

I agree about the melody, it sounds empty. I was planning on releasing a version 2 for this song, including a piano interlude, with some background tie-in melodies.

I like the progression the way it is, but the dynamics was indeed faulty, and admittedly monotonous.

lol, i also like you, like to mess with songs "on the fly". Thats how i got the idea for the super saw, as well as the tec'ish square, which was inspired by Sonic and Knuckles boss battles.

I will work harder for dynamics though.

Ty for your input ^_^ !

[-Naive Again-]

Really good.

The instrumentation is so beautiful and so well rendered. You have truly mastered your craft, especially in comparison with the old version. And that melody, wow. At first I thought it was only decent, but the way that the second half compliments the first half, just excellent. And it stays very close to the center note (about an octave), which is technically impressive too...

The only criticism I can think of is that you used the I-IV-V chord progression, which is kind of tired by this point, but I don't even care.

[Inexistence]

Interesting.

This sounds pretty imaginative, but you seem restricted by production. A lot of the instruments should have wanted to burst through my headphones, but instead came off muted. I can tell that you have good ideas, though, which I appreciate. Work a bit on the melodies. I want your song to reach out and grab me.

Par0xysM responds:

Thank you very much, I appreciate the advice!

[Memoranda Fixed]

Ha.

I'm just going to mark this with a 10 so people know this is how all techno songs should be.

[[SD] Voyage]

Hmm...

You definitely have some smart melodies cropping up around 3:00 onwards, and the underlying chord progression is pretty smart as well. On the other hand, the song isn't really whacking me over the head and saying "I am an awesome song, RESPECT!". But maybe I'm just thinking that to be contrary? :) Oh well.

I thought that the melodies up until 3, on both the warbly high synth and the lower thing that sounds a little like a steel guitar, were kind of typical up until the 3 minute mark, as if at that point you suddenly had divine inspiration at that point about how to write good melodies. Heh, it's ok. You have like 6k listens, you must be doing something right :)

On second listen, divine inspiration occurs right at 2:55. That's when you get really smart melodically. Well hey, I enjoy it. So, nice job.

SupraDarky responds:

Thanks for the review! It seems like different people like different parts of this song. Some prefer the beginning, some the end!

[A Christmas Beat]

I will review as I listen.

Melody at :12. What the heck, this sounds nothing like christmas at all. Haha. Melody not very interesting, ok, maybe it's a 4/10 on the interest-o-meter. Dum de doo, it's :40 and nothing happened. Ok, bellish instrument at :50, but it's not very interesting either, it seems to be mimicing melody #1. Oh sweet banjo at 1:15, which then instantly died as apparently I scare off interesting sounding melodies and ideas. Aw :< No, it's ok. Hm.

Alright, 1:40 and I see what the idea is here. Not bad. Subtle and crap. My interest on the interest meter maybe improved a point. However I want to hear more ideas.

[.from the moon yours truly.]

I will review as I listen.

Glitchy and atmospheric, MY GOD I LOVE THIS OPENING. IT reminds me of the good parts of metroid prime. Absolutely beautiful. Reminds me of a rainy day.

Alright, really sounding like metroid with that high synth :20-:40.

1:20 and I am digging this hardcore. Beautiful noises. You can write a song!

Oh man 1:50 and the ambiance is getting louder. Oh I was expecting something to happen but no, it just faded away. That's cool though. I like it.

Wait no it's coming back... hmm, this is like the tides too. A rainy day at the beach is really what this song is making me think of. Awesome work.

VegetarianMeat responds:

Thanks, glad you liked it :)

[Free Days]

I'll review as I listen.

Hmm, rock? Hooray.

Start on one note, diversify on :17. Cool melody actually, props, it sounds almost familiar but I wont dock or anything. Oh, guitar solo on :41. Nice job. Kind of noodly from the :50- 1:00 part, you could make that more concise + powerful. Gets better 1:00 to 1:10, then noodles around again until around :30. Noodels more, gets better at :40, noodles at 50. Wow, this review is coming out really stupid. :D Sorry about that.

You're halfway to a good riff there, just make it more concise, hit the high notes, and make it stand out more as well (it almost seems like it's hiding - don't have your melody hide if it's a good one!)

2:10 and we're reminded of the opening riff, cool idea, and then we go into .. synth pads? Awesome choice!

JohnQ4 responds:

Hey thanks for your review, it's very objetive =), I'll take your advices and apply them on my next compositions =).

[SR - The Snowman]

I'll review as I listen.

OH MAN I LOVE THIS SONG. I PLAY IT ON PIANO ALL THE TIME.

Absolutely beautiful, I love acoustic guitar. So yummy. Wow, I want to go play this right now.. Too bad it's like 5AM (don't ask me why I'm up). Love the sliding noises on the guitar too. Only docking points on the review because it's not your own song.

I was really hoping for some harmony towards 1:50, but we never got there :( Also there is a second part of this song which I really desperately am missing now. Want want want with more beautiful acoustic guitar. Still, beautiful job here.