afliXion's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Rush Atmosphere]

awesome again.

I rarely here techno/trance music that I like, but yours is really good. You should be proud. :)

pyroguy-37 responds:

I am proud! Proud to have a fan like you out there! It's always nice to have a confidence boost every now and then to help me continue working on my music. Thanks, again man!

[Underground Rythm]

meh......

Its not really my kind of song... It did have a nice groove feel to it.. and I'm sure anyone whos listens to this genre would enjoy it.

pyroguy-37 responds:

Yeah, this one reminded me of James Bond or something like that. Thanks a lot!

[Get Loose]

lol

You know what this reminds me of?? UNIRACERS!
I was expecting this to be lame... but its actually pretty cool. ;)

pyroguy-37 responds:

Hmm..haven't heard of Uniracers, but I'll take that as a compliment! I love the beat in this song!

[Defying Eternity]

Pretty good!

The only thing I didn't like about the song was that instrument at the beginning. Kind of sounded like a dying giraffe. But I loved the strings and the beat and the synths. This song got more and more interesting as it went. Good job!

pyroguy-37 responds:

Thanks a lot, I will be sure to take note of the instrument, and try to change it..
I had a different idea for an instrument..but I couldn't find the sounds I liked..

[Your'e Not Alone (Remix)]

alittle off the mark

I don't think the instruments mixed well at all. The intro material was just barely heard when the strings come in, cause the strings were way to loud!
Then the electric guitar comes in, and the intro material is just an annoying little beat in the backgroud.

NSysc responds:

i know it was one bad thing i made when it was too loud

[Guiles Theme Another Keyboard]

Good but....

it needs harmony. Just a simple bass line would do wonders.

longtoniko responds:

Thanks for the review! :). The problems with bass lines on my keyboard is that it can`t play more than the sound of 4 notes at the same time.
And even if it could, the volume level would be the same as the the main line of notes because it doesn`t have a hammer technique...
But i will try to make a better version of guiles theme on my digitalpiano ones i get it.
I will listen to your version and try to get some ideas on how i will make the bass line.
I just dont think it`s worth the effort to begin the work at the keyboards that i have.. They`re not that good

[Rondo for Strings and Alto]

Very cool.

First of all, this isn't really a rondo. Rondo form is A, B, A, C, A.... usually with cadenzas. And they are never in this style. But all that aside....
This was a great listen I thought. I loved the voice, very ethereal sounding. What program do you use?

Scarlatti responds:

I don't pay very close attention to forms. They distract me. I apologize for my response to your review of my piano concerto movement, but it really made me feel bad. I wish I could remove the pontificating tone, but I stand by most of it. I realize your review wasn't meant as a carefully debated piece of journalism, but I take reviews quite seriously. I guess I'm oversensitive because of the many thoughtless blood sacks that vote zero because I'm not ParagonX9. But you're not one of them, I see. Forgive me my moment of weakness.

This piece is one of my best ones. But it's one of my least noticed. Your review is the first, after seven months exactly.

On reflection, I think perhaps you're not particularly hasty, just very honest. That's admirable.

[Maestoso Suite]

no....

This is certainly not a 'maestoso' suite. Maestoso means majestically, and 'suite' implies lots of movements. This sounded like... a skitzophrinic... and the bass in the beginning didn't mix well with the other voices, way to muddy.
In the fanfare section it was just the opposite, needed more of a bass, and I don't know why the drums suddenly stopped! They should have kept on going. Try to make your music more.... pleasing to the ear.

Scarlatti responds:

My God, how condescending can you be? I can only assume you practice, because you're very good at it.

I am very well aware of the meaning of the title. And I don't care one whit about its accuracy. Maestoso means majestically, yes. Clearly the beginning of the piece falls outside what you're willing to accept as 'majestic'. I don't care. Also, a suite can have as few as two movements.

I understand that you're trying to help, but a supercilious attitude mixed with mediocre knowledge, severe ratings, and vague jabs don't help. "Pleasing to the ear" is nothing.

I can see why Winterwind decided to quit this place. One person can come along, drop a vicious rating like this one, and drop one's music from the top ten into the morass of 4.00 and below. It would be a good system if votes were steady and thoughtful. But any piece not near the top is neglected.

My aesthetic is not soundtrack music, but self-expressive music. It is what I want it to be. That requires more attention than most Newgrounds users are willing to pay, I've learned.

As far as making my music more pleasant to inattentive listeners: no. I refuse.

[Piano Concerto, I]

gah....

All modern piano concertos sound the same. Just abunch of arpeggios in an attempt to make it sound virtuostic. This came across as an ugly sound with no melody. I've always thought that the piano concertos are best left to the greats of classical music, cause no one else has been able to write a good one.

Scarlatti responds:

I am tempted to respond either with an attempt to communicate how awful this review made me feel, or angry declamations againt you. But that won't help anything. I remind myself that Newgrounds is not a bastion of thoughtful reviewers. I cannot believe anyone writing a review like this has thought about it, or considered the emotions of the composer. I hesitate to ascribe it to jealousy, but I know this piece is far better than you have made it out to be.

To begin with, classical music is the least melodic of the general genres. Melody is not a concern of mine. That aside, there is not just one, but several melodies in this piece.

"Just a bunch of arpeggios" was published in a review as a critique of one of Rachmaninoff's concertos, and I've always found those rather good. What do you make of the chordal section, the violin break, the string interlude, and the tutti chords, in light of your arpeggio-based view?

The statement "piano concertos are best left to the greats of classical music" is deeply offensive. It dismisses the bravery of artists in one ill-conceived phrase. I can ascribe it to one of three things: 1)a lack of knowledge; 2)a lack of thought; or 3)a lack of intelligence. However offensive your review is, it's written in intelligible sentences, so I'll wager it's a lack of thought. I do not think of myself as a great artist, but I do think of myself as an artist.

"All modern piano concertos sound the same". Here is the heart of the matter. Listening to classical music is not like listening to Skid Row. It's like the difference between glancing at graffiti as you walk by and carefully examining a van Gogh painting. There are deeper levels of understanding. Because you find no subtelties in my music does not mean they aren't there.

I have restrained my anger fairly well. It's all I can do not to end with some acid-tongued insult.