johnfn's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[It Will Never Be The Same]

(Note - I review pretty harshly, so don't take a low score personally! I don't vote harshly.)

First, I don't think this is really ambient - it's closer to techno. But I won't dock you points for that.

It's very tough for me to give good critique about this song, for some reason. The honest truth is that it's not really clicking with me, for some reason. I wanted more out of the climax, for some reason.

I think that the main thing is that the melody at the climax of the song is not very strong, so the buildup is kind of a let down. You could also just make the build up a little stronger - that might help a little bit too, if you want to fake it ;-) (nothing wrong with that).

I do like the incorporation of the acoustic guitar into the song! Definitely keep that up :-) This song is a good start; keep working at it.

DamienFleisch responds:

Thanks for the input! I wasn't sure what genre to call it, I was thinking techno at first but because of the acoustic guitar I thought that would be a misrepresentation so I figured Ambient was more vague. I'll definitely take it back to the drawing board.

[For Now, Goodbye (Improv)]

Phew, that was really nice. Beautiful! I really like listening to improvisational pieces because they push my own improvisation in new and interesting ways.

It's funny because just yesterday or the day before I was wondering about the iii chord and I was thinking how I didn't use it all too much, so I was trying to figure out how it should work in a song. I thought you used it very well.

BlazingDragon responds:

Thanks for the thoughtful comments! I used to always wonder about the iii chord as well, but there are a couple of progressions it works really nice in. EX:

I iii IV I
I iii vi IV

One of my favorite things to do is replace the iii with a dominant seven starting on the same root. For a somewhat bluesy progression:

CMaj E7 FMaj F#Dim CMaj/G G7 CMaj
or
CMaj E7 Amin FMaj

Another good way to use it is as a passing chord. For example:

CMaj Emin/B Amin

Hope some of that is useful to you!

[Hollow]

(Note - I review pretty harshly, so don't take a low score personally! I don't vote harshly.)

The build up to the drop was kinda weak - those kicks need to come out a lot more. And in the drop you kept in those high pads that were there before, which messed up the otherwise dark aesthetic of the drop and take away a lot of the energy. If you would switch those out with some deep bass it would be a lot better I think.

I saw on audio advertisements that you just started using FL - this is really great for just starting out, so keep it up! I could see you being scouted, not immediately, but maybe soon if you keep working hard. :-)

iFate responds:

Thank you very much sir. ^^ i will work hard.

[Resistance {Dj-Abbic}]

Dangggg this is real nice, I was not expecting such quality on NG. The mastering is so crisp and clean, I'm way impressed. The glitchy lead instrument really caught my attention the first time I listened. I like the subtle dubby effects that crop up here and there. Plucks sound great too.

Nit picks-

The opening chord prog is a little generic (although I admit I use it a lot too). I did like how you changed it towards the end. I think this song would need a little bit more melodic interest for me to push up the score.

Build at 3:55 sounds real nice. However I am not totally convinced by it because what it drops into is not much different than how the previous bits of the song sounded. I feel like drops are most successful when they introduce a new instrument into the mix.

Regardless, I really liked this. Would love to have your suggestions on one of my latest tracks, if you have the time.

P.S. - you know you don't have to put your name in the title any more? ;-)

DjAbbic responds:

Thanks a lot for the detailed review! I'll be sure to write one back later.

Melodies have never been my strong suite, so you'll have to forgive me for that D:

Now that you say it, I can see you're right. Drops need to introduce new things. I have this habit where once I'm done making the first drop, I never try to make new sounds for the second drop, so I basically recycle what I have (not a good thing). Thanks a lot for pointing that out, I'm going to need to work on that.

Thanks a lot for the great review. I'm glad you enjoyed it for the most part. I keep my name in the title out of habit. Besides, it frees up a lot of titles that might already have been taken.

Expect your review sometime soon :)

[Jack Grey - Jungle]

I really like it actually, but why is the beat so weak? If you can resubmit this with a better beat, I'll probably scout you, because I feel like that's really holding the sound back.

Or do you disagree? (I guess I don't listen to much hip hop)

JacksProductions responds:

To be honest, this song was created in the heat of the moment. I agree, the beat may be a little bit weak but there are more songs coming with much better beat so I hope you'll like them :D

[Desert Market]

(Note - I review pretty harshly, so don't take a low score personally! I just want to show you how to improve.)

It seemed very disjointed, like it lacked coherence. One way to improve this would be to add some backing strings, like a string ensemble. The lead violin line clashes with the chord progression that you're trying to establish under it. The percussion should be more present (add some high hats and shakers in there while you're at it!).

I would also encourage you to learn some music theory, because I hear a lot of dissonance.

Anyway keep it up and work hard and I'm sure you can uncover the good song here. It's gonna be good when you finish, I can tell!

CDMusic responds:

Where do you hear dissonance? Honest question, seeing as it's all in key and transposes to the natural minor. I also don't understand where the lead violin line clashes with the chord progression.

I know music theory, I studied music for 4 years at university :).

[Not Forgotten]

The snare at 1:55 is really working for me.

Piano chords at 2:08 is a little dense and dominates the soundscape. (I don't know what I'm saying - I do that all the time lol).

Actually I have a suggestion. The bass that comes in at 1:40 is kinda electronic and I don't think it meshes well with the organic feel of the rest of the song. What if you swapped it out with some sort of jazz bass/bass guitar? I think that might add a lot to the song.

This is a pretty chill song and I like the sound choices. You say that you were aiming for a light mysterious sound, which I think you totally nail in the first 30 seconds.

I really like the section around 3:30 with the echoey high piano and the subtle strings.

I like the aesthetic of this song a lot. If I was going to give you a suggestion for what to work on next, it would be melody. I think this song needs a strong melody to pull it together.

Nice work!

geniebmusic responds:

As always, thank you for such a thorough review :D I will work harder to make a better song next time!

Melody, you continue to defeat me u___u LOL!

[Cubix Skyland]

Yes! I LOVE electroacoustic. I really enjoyed the production and your instrument choices. Is that you playing the guitar?

Like the last reviewer said I was taken aback by the strings(?) at 1:37 or so. I also thought they were voices. I think they can work, but they should be more distant - try adding some reverb onto them and turning up the wet maybe?

However I really like the strings that come in at 2:04. They add an extra dimension to the song that really works. My suggestion would be that they should come in a little earlier.

My biggest suggestion is that I think this piece could really benefit from a beat. A good beat can really add a lot in terms of atmosphere, and this is a really atmospheric piece.

Anyway keep up the good work!

geniebmusic responds:

Ah! I'm glad you enjoyed this song. It means a lot.

Actually, that guitar is from Reason 5. I messed around with sample until I got that sound. I wish I could play guitar though. Still trying to get a grasp on piano lol!

Ohhh you guys are talking about THAT instrument at 1:37. That's not a voice. That's a vinyl scratch sample from Reason. I tried to tweak it where it would have a more digital sound. I'll play with the reverb for it and see what I can come up with.

A beat, eh? I was holding back on that because I thought it would take away from the atmosphere. I'll try it though.

Thank you so much for listening and commenting! I will work harder!

[Lost of Warmth]

(Note - I review pretty harshly, so don't take a low score personally! I don't vote harshly.)

I wanted to review you back as thanks for checking out some of my stuff. But then I found out that reviewing this song is a little tricky. This is one of those times where it's not very meaningful to assign music a number.

I really like your sound design here. The instruments are smooth and organic. The percussion is mechanical but in a good way and makes good use of panning. it all works together well to form a cohesive whole.

My main suggestion for improvement would be the melodies. I feel like they are almost atonal in that they don't necessarily stay rooted to any chord progression. I'm not sure how much you know about music theory, but you might want to consider writing more melodic songs.

Like I said at the beginning I don't think the score is very meaningful because I can see how this would be a comforting piece. it's also quite unique. Keep up the good work!

geniebmusic responds:

Thank you so much! It means a lot that you took the time to review my song.

I know what you mean. Writing melodies is my biggest challenge and something I am struggling with these days. I have no music education background whatsoever, so I know that puts me at a disadvantage. I am trying to work more and more on melodies though.

I'm glad you find this song unique though. I thought it was very comforting, so I'm super happy you felt the same way :) I will work harder for sure. Again, thank you!