Everratic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[To Feel Loved]

The song elegantly captures the many feelings that love entails. I sense moments of doubt and hesitation as well as moments that are clearly blissful. I find the chord progression to be excellent at depicting the theme of love because I sense moments of stagnation followed by a sense of rising, which represents a couple in a relationship transcending their doubts and worries and ultimately moving forward together. I like the way you executed that sense of rising; this part of the song seems to consist of two similar phrases that blissfully resolve into a higher chord, but with the first chord of the second phrase being more pronounced. From my perspective, this first phrase represents the suppression of doubts, whereas the second phrase represents a newly found commitment to the relationship.

The production and sound design are solid. The piano playing sounds very real (because it is), and the use of sustain is excellent. This is a solid choice of a piano, and it’s reverbed in a way that solidifies the feeling that the song represents someone’s stream of thoughts.

Although short and lighthearted, this is surprisingly deep composition with an excellent chord progression.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you for the kind review! I didn't intend for the piece to display any doubt or hesitation outright, but it's free for interpretation. To me, even though there is some ambiguity, the composition mainly portrays the feeling of calm. That is, after a period of either struggle, or uncertainty. So perhaps that is why you felt such a touch, listening to the piece. The way I see it, this piece reflects a "now", instead of telling a story per se. In that sense, to me, there is little in terms of emotional progress throughout the song; it reflects how it feels to live in the present. Not just any present, but one specifically influenced by the aforementioned feeling of peace.

This composition definitely repeats itself somewhat after the halfway point, with more expression. That may indeed be a hint towards some stronger feelings, though still of a positive nature.

[For Love is strong as Death]

LucidShadowDreamer just introduced me to this track. I just want to say that I truly believe this is a masterpiece. I'm blown away by the incredible amount of emotion this evokes throughout the entire duration.

Phonometrologist responds:

LucidShadowDreamer is such a kind soul. And I want to thank you for leaving a comment of your thoughts about this piece since you allowed me to remember and reflect of the mind I was in while writing this. I haven't thought about this piece in a long while. This was written for my wife at a time when I was only dating her for a month. Sometimes in the busyness of life one forgets how far one has travelled and I appreciate that your comment allowed me to pause for a moment.

You mentioning emotion in the music made me get into a train of thought on the purposes of music to begin with. At first I think of Shakespeare when he wrote for one of his characters:
"If music be the food of love, play on,
Give me excess of it; that surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die."
And then in attempt to find the unity between music and emotion, I remember of what Philip Glass said in an interview on his definition of music:
"Music is an eloquent speech."

Homo sapiens is latin for the wise man, and I've heard that some rather ought to think the species as the spiritual man in terms of how searching man is since the beginning of what is beyond. I would go even further and say that the human species could also be accurately described as the music man. The very nature of our languages are to communicate our thoughts and emotions to one another. Moreover, it serves to connect one soul to another. Music really is meant to be a form of communication that transcends what can ever be spoken.

Beethoven once said, "Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy."
I think it's quite interesting that most composers feel that the effects of music and the search for certain sound waves to reach others could be the closest thing to the spiritual than anything else a man could do on this earth. And if I were to imagine communicating in an afterlife, it would be that our ears would be so tuned-in to one another's sound that the atoms in us make, that we can actually hear each other by merely looking at each other's heavenly bodies. To feel another's soul without ever having to say anything and to never be misunderstood. As composers, we merely organize sound as a form of communication, and we are constantly striving to practice our ability to listen to the sound of the sound so we can effectively communicate that emotion. While our vocal cords vibrate and our tongues act as a rudder to come up with words, music is no different. Every physical form is made up of atoms that vibrate and Keith Richards agrees that, “Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones.”

Finally, my thoughts turn to Arvo Pärt; a very spiritual man that also treats each sound in his compositions with equal weight to any other. "The biggest treasures, they're all hidden... And the greatest miracles happen in secret." Is he talking about music or the spiritual? I think he so brilliantly speaks in a way where that question becomes indistinguishable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xU1Gusdn_o0
As a Christian man, I see so many analogies to Christ in there.
That's probably more than you what you wanted to read, but your comment got me thinking once more about the subject.

[Once Upon a Time]

it's better than bad mayo

Miyolophone responds:

et tu BO

[Christmastide Memories]

I love this song :'D
Remember that track that I made for the imitation compo? it was inspired by a version of this song.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you! I'm glad you like it, I do too! It's a shame I didn't have time to do anything more special for this year, but I'm sure you know why ^___^
Merry Xmas, and good night :D!!!

P.S. I do :3

[Insomnolence]

These are really nice chords. The white noise makes the atmosphere sound very rich.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

I like the chords too! I think they are (if I recall)...

D minor (going upwards: D, A, F, D)

F Major 7 (F, C, A, E)

G7 (G, D, F, B)

C Major 7 (C, G, E, B)

A minor 7 (A, E, C, G)

Usually I'd just write the chords, but for this piece the way you play the notes actually make a difference :)
Thanks for checking it out here too!

[Road To Redemption]

<33333333

zybor responds:

(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞

[Adventure Awaits!]

This is one of your best songs imo :D
It's so catchy and joyous!

LunacyEcho responds:

Thanks!! I really do agree—I'm pretty proud of this one :)

Thanks for listening!

[LSD Melodica (Free Kontakt VST)]

I forgot to use this :O
I wonder if I could make a cool, unique sound by adding some distortion.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Go ahead and try! :D
Good luck ;)

[Summer Days]

The melodies are lovely :D I love how different leads play different parts of it. The sound design is indeed great. With that said, I'm not so fond of how you've been compressing your songs lately; it's mostly subjective, because I can acknowledge that the compression is well executed. I just find it to be too noticeable and distracting, and I feel like it detracts from the liveliness from the music. The leads don't get a chance to shine; they sound glued to the rest of the track.

johnfn responds:

thanks, definitely something to contemplate....... i think i love the big warm sound of the bass and it makes me ignore how the rest of the song sounds lol