As of 27 November 2007, it has full instrumentation and is more-or-less final-mixed. It is still undergoing minor tweaks, but the uploaded version here is almost the final version.

Remixed it again (boosted instrument volumes and panning adjustment), and is on the NGAP Weekly Top Five starting 28 November 2007! Thank you to the 33 votes (average of 4.49) starting the 25th of November! ^_^

As of 4 December 2007, it has 220 votes (average of 4.33), 3,115 listens, and 655 downloads. Cool! The song is also "immortalized" in the NGAP (cannot be edited or deleted).

I haven't had a song copyrighted for the longest time (last was in 2003). That's how much I like this track. Yeah, it's pop-rock, and not NG staple... but I'd post it anyway. Don't care about the zero bombings anymore (they still suck, though).

This is, in essence, a light-hearted love song. 1 month and more than 100 work-hours in the making.

Link to NGAP .mp3 [128kbps]
Link to NGAP .mp3 [192kbps - Remastered]

All The Things You Said
[07 November 2007]
[J. Reynoso]

Hey, I told you that we'd make it.
So many times we tried, we failed, but, hey, we're here.
Don't care whatever that they tried to say to us
coz, hey, we just had to make it.

'Coz they didn't have the guts to chase
all their fallen hopes and shattered dreams.
And now we're here, we proved 'em wrong
we're standing strong, right here, right now...

and they're playing our song
on the radio,
and I remember all the things you said to me
like we won't make it,
but we're still
right here.

Hey, I told you that we'd make it.
They told me a hundred times to just find someone else.
But they don't know that you're not worth givin' up,
so I just kept on going.

'Coz they think that I am just insane,
and they would say and say just anything
to keep me away from you,
but now they're through. I got you right now...

and they're playing our song
on the radio,
and I remember all the things you said to me
like we won't make it,
but we're still
right here.
Yeah, they're playing our song
on the radio!
And I'm here telling you to stay with me
from now 'til later
'coz I'll be
right here.

Hey, told you we can make it.
(Can you turn on the radio?)

They're playing our song
on the radio,
and I remember all the things you said to me
like we won't make it,
but we're still
right here.
Yeah, they're playing our song
on the radio!
And I'm here telling you to stay with me
from now 'til later
'coz I'll be
right here.

Seven years ago
from the time I wrote this song,
I never thought I'd be with a girl like
you, you, you, yeah!

Disclaimer: As made clear in the guidelines, this is a LEGAL entry.

1. You are making the legal claim that it is your own original work.
- The parody is based on the melody of Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar On Me. Some elements have been altered to make it a "unique" work, but is still based on the late 80's Def Leppard hit.

2. Loops you made from existing copyrighted songs are not your own original work.
- All tracks from this song have been programmed/recorded from scratch.

3. If your submission is not your own original work, you will be placed on a rejection list and held responsible for any repercussions.
- I understand this condition very well (as I have my own copyrighted works).

4. You will remain the owner and credited author of the submission.
- Yey!

Should there be any conflict, please notify me via private messaging. Thank you and enjoy the song!

*******

Whore on Newgrounds Today
[12 November 2007]
[J. Reynoso]
[Basic melody based on Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me]

Woot! Blam! (3x)

I'm livin' like a bum, surfin' mornin' 'til night.
My momma just yelled, "Oh get a life!"
Locked up in my room, browser on an adult site,
and fappin' on Hentai just to be a man. (A man!)

And then I made a little Flash that is sure to kick some ass,
and made some Fruity Loops electronica.
I post them on the site, and vote 'em both five,
(and) zero all the crap that needs a blam. (A blam!)

Why do I
click the portals
and check 'em out,
(then) chat with @$$holes on the
BBS?

'Coz I'm a whore on Newgrounds today!
I'm gonna blam you up !
Whore on Newgrounds today!
And fap on Hentai, yeah!
Whore on Newgrounds today!
I can't get enough!

I'm hot, sticky and sweet
according to my forum sig, yeah!

Whore on Newgrounds today!
Gonna save and blam!
Whore on Newgrounds today!
They'll ban me now!
Whore on Newgrounds today!
Tom Fulp's the man!
Whore on Newgrounds today!
Just plug and play!

[Link to NGAP .mp3]

I now have my electric guitar and tuner with me here in my "studio" in Cebu.

It's game time!

I don't need a number. I need listeners, critics, and fans.

Dominimous pointed out GarageBand, and immediately I realized that I'm in the wrong playground. It's like I'm trying to force pop tracks into a techno society (which won't work).

So... next moves? Up song quality, then migrate. I'll be posting in the Audio Portal as always, but I'll stop criticizing and voting for the work here (unless it's really, really worth looking into).

So thank you, NG. I'll still be around, though. I just need to grow and go a higher level. After improving, I'll repost again. ^_^

To all you guys with helpful tips, many, many thanks!

Armed with a guitar, a bass guitar, a grand piano, a kick-@ss set of drums, and spontaneous thought, I managed to compose and record this piece in two days. Not bad... not bad at all.

It all began with a thought of a kid running a field with a kite. At first, the kid struggles to get his kite up in the air. After some time, he gets the hang of it, and is overjoyed with his kite in the air. Happy thought, ain't it? ^_^

This is my first instrumental piece (and of course, the first gets uploaded to NGAP). Enjoy listening! Comments and reviews are highly appreciated. ^_^

Update 10/27/2007: #1 at the Classical Rock NGAP charts with an average vote rating of 4.68 from 12 voters.

Update 11/02/2007: Best of the Week for 10/30/2007. 4.41 from 98 voters. Cool! ^_^

Journey of a Kite MP3

Disclaimer: This is very emo. If you have suicidal tendencies or the like, please stay away from this page. Also, do stay away from the song if you are experiencing depression, extreme loneliness, and the like. I will not be responsible for any suicide attempts.

The song was written just yesterday as an outlet of depression (long-term projects really take a toll on consultants that work far away from home). It depicts a man who wants to commit suicide, but does not want to be exiled to hell.

Recorded with an acoustic guitar (which I bought in Cebu for Php1600 -- roughly US$40) and a strained out voice. This is my first entry to NGAP with all live instruments.

Update 10/26/2007: I've decided to pull out the draft until I have come up with the full version. Ratings were bad (2.44 from 7 votes); not a good way to build up my reputation. ^_^

Spare Keys to Heaven
[22 October 2007]
[J. Reynoso]

What a life.
what a lie.
Every second of it
is wasted time.

And I am tired
of makin' things
'coz I know by tomorrow,
they'd all be gone.

So goodbye,
citizens of Planet Earth. Goodbye.
I'll be gone for a while.
But I don't want to get locked out,
so I asked
from Peter up there

Hand me down
the spare keys to heaven.
Oh I'm tired
of this thing we call living.
I want to fly.
I want to fly...
fly away from here.

Should I take
another step
knowing that I'll never be remembered?

Do I still need to see
everything fallin' down on me?
Oh I don't need that.

So goodbye,
citizens of Planet Earth. Goodbye.
I'll be gone for a while.
But I don't want to get locked out,
so I asked
from Peter up there

Hand me down
the spare keys to heaven.
And I'm tired
of this thing we call living.
I want to fly.
I want to fly...
fly away from here.

I don't want to ever see tomorrow.
All I went through's just a waste of time,
and I am tired of shedding all those tears.
So can you just please

hand me down
the spare keys to heaven.
I am tired
of this thing we call living.
I want to fly.
I want to fly...
fly away from here.
Fly away from here.

...or my home away from home. I live in Quezon City, but a project requires me to be in Cebu City.

Here's my room. It's my low-budget studio. Yeah... I tidied it up a bit before taking this pic. I'll be here until December 2007.

Before I go home, I hope to have 12 songs posted in the AP. Doesn't need to be hits; I just want an audience that will listen, vote, and criticize. Bonus points if it tops rankings, even for a short period of time. ^_^

Just wanted to celebrate the moment while it lasts. ^_^

The punk charts, as of 2356hrs Manila Time, have Dontoktumi! at the #1 spot. Nice! This is to consider that it got zero-bombed early on. 4.58 with 11 votes. Awesome!

Half-Awake is also doing well in the General Rock section. Having a vote score of 4.42 with 30 votes (and 16 downloads!), it has secured the #9 spot. (It also reached the #1 spot for like, an hour, then went crashing down again.)

I Shouldn't Fall In Love (With You), as of 22 October 2007, is at #2 in the Jazz charts. 4.41 with 22 votes. The Audio Advertisements does work!

Recording project updates:

I'm currently working on 5 songs that'll hopefully make it to NG by late November. One track, to be named "Jupiter or Mars" is next up. It'll be a fusion of jazz, rock and electronica (but more on the jazz side), and it's now on the high priority list (since it is very, very promising). Right now, there are two tracks, with seven more to go, plus two or three vocal tracks.

I'm also working with ArisingFlame on a collaborative project. More updates on that soon. ^_^

"Find My Way To You" is also in the making. Final production of lyrics in progress. Drum tracks are also in the works.

Fun track! Plot is simple: DON'T TALK TO ME in in-your-face Filipino-English lyrical fusion. Hah!

Two vocal tracks, a guitar, a bass guitar, and a drumkit were the only instruments used. Most of my compositions range from 3 to 5 minutes; this one's way short (only 1:37).

Update 10/18/2007: After receiving an average of 1.42 from 3 voters, I figured that there's something wrong, and no one had the balls to tell me. Apparently, after rest and relistening to the track, the vocal tracks were waaaaay too loud. Dropped 4.5dBs on both lead and backing vocals. Damn... I really need to rest my ears before mixing, and rest again prior to remixing...

Update 10/20/2007: #1 at the Punk Charts with a vote rating of 4.58 from 11 voters.

Update 10/24/2007: Remixed to give the guitar and bass more grunt.

Link to Audio Portal: http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen /101294

Dontoktumi!
[15 February 2007]
[J. Reynoso]

Oh no, you're here,
you're back again.
Hwag ka ngang makulit. (Stop bugging me.)
Don't talk to me!

Hwag ka nang sumabat, (Don't you protest,)
just talk to my hand.
Umalis ka na dyan! (Go away!)
Don't talk to me!

Don't talk to me,
shattap ka na lang. (Just shut up.)
Di rin naman ako (I won't)
makikinig sayo! O! (listen to you! Oh!)

I don't care what you say,
just go far away.
Whaddidyasey? (What did you say?)
Don't talk to me!

Feeling mo ba (Do you feel that)
close tayo? (we're close?)
@#$%^&*!!!
Don't talk to me!

Don't talk to me!
Noli me tangere! (Don't touch me!)
Di rin naman ako (I won't)
makikinig sayo! O! (listen to you! Oh!)

Umuwi ka na lang. (Just go home.)
Hwag ka nang magtangka. (Don't you dare even try.)
Hwag ka ngang makulit!!! (Stop bugging me!!!)
Don't talk to me!

Ayan na naman, (Here you go again,)
di na nadala. (never did learn.)
Hwag ka ngang makulit!!! (Stop bugging me!!!)
Don't talk to me!

Don't talk to,
Don't talk to,
Don't talk to,
Don't talk to me!

It all started with a chick flick. The plot of it was a man and a woman finding themselves suddenly in love. The problem was that both of them had significant others.

Music, lyrics, arrangements, and recordings were done on a laptop running Windows Vista. I really hope Service Pack 1, which will come out by January 2008 according to Microsoft, will fix some issues. For instance, there were multiple instances of dropouts during my vocal recordings. Ruins the feel. Good news is that I still managed to get this out. :)

I'm not expecting this track to be a hit in NG. It's a techno/dance playground. But I know a set of ears that want to hear stuff like this. (Note: Told ya. Someone dunked a zero for a second vote. *Sigh* Sad people.)

Update 10/15/2007: It got zeroes not because it's a ballad, but because the vocal recording S-U-C-K-E-D. And a ballad lives upon the vocals. Sure, the instruments were excellent, but if the vocals are too thin and unbalanced, it's a pain in the ears. Renamed the first version; it's now the draft. Next steps: get well-rested, re-record the vocals, don't forget reverb, and make sure that it'll sound 100 times better than before. For now, tweaking the instruments and re-tuning the current vocals should "remedy" the song for now.

Update 10/22/2007: I decided not to re-record the vocals (they were in tune... and I was lazy, hehe...). Instead, I remixed every instrument in the song. The result was 3dBs dropped from the vocals, plus chorus effects (to thicken the voice) at the loud parts. The guitar was also tweaked (more bass and midrange), as well as the bass guitar (add 5dBs). Also boosted the bass levels of the piano. Advertising time! ^_^

Update 10/22/2007: #2 at the NGAP Jazz Charts with a vote rating of 4.41 from 22 votes.

MP3 Link to Audio Portal

Lyrics:

I Shouldn't Fall In Love With You
[J. Reynoso]
[28 January 2007]

First time that I saw you,
I have to say I really liked you.
Well, maybe everybody does.

And so I wanted to know you,
and wanted to see you
every single day and night.

But I know you have a lover,
and I have a love myself.
So why am I thinking of you?

And so when I see your face,
I tell myself
I shouldn't fall in love with you.
It's just infatuation,
but it's just the same
I shouldn't fall in love,
I shouldn't fall in love with you.

I asked you to go out with me,
you said, "yes," and I was glad.
I want to do it again, but no, no, no.

I have to stop my mind from thinking,
and stop my heart from shaking.
I have to stop myself from seeing you,

'coz I know you have a lover,
and I have a love myself,
but you're driving me crazy.
You're driving me crazy

when I see your face,
I tell myself
I shouldn't fall in love with you.
It's just infatuation,
but it's just the same
I shouldn't fall in love,
I shouldn't fall in love with you.

'Coz I know your guy;
he really does love you,
and my girl can't live without me.
That is why I should not feel
or even think of you
anymore,

'coz when I see your face,
I tell myself
I shouldn't fall in love with you.
It's just infatuation,
but it's just the same
I shouldn't fall in love,
I shouldn't fall in love,
I shouldn't fall in love,
I shouldn't fall in love
with you.