Asandir's interviews with Newgrounds forum users
This week's interview features the user Troisnyx.
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When did you find Newgrounds and why did you join? Why did you choose the username TroisNyxEtienne and why did you change it to Troisnyx?
Troisnyx:
"I found Newgrounds in, if I remember correctly, 2009, when I was directed by a member of the Kingdom Hearts Wiki, ForbiddenMemory, to one of his songs that he uploaded here. (I doubt the song is still there — I recently did a search of it, but to no avail.) I then diverted my attentions to TheWeebl's animations, which this friend also linked me to, and that was what I did when I first found NG. I lurked, but never signed up.
I first signed up for NG in 2011 when Sorohanro invited me over. I joined a video game music competition on a site called Audiodraft — it's one of those sites where you make music for companies, and if your piece gets picked, you get paid for it. I submitted the earlier version of Westminster Tune ~ Preuve de foi, and won. This drew Sorohanro's attention, he invited me over to NG, and I signed up finally.
Now, on to the username. There's a bit of a long story behind it, but I'll explain it.
Trois is the French word for 'three,' and is intended to be my reference to the Christian concept of God as Holy Trinity. Nyx is the name of the Greek goddess of night, and I took it to signify darkness — the darkness in our hearts, for instance. Etienne is the closest proper name I got if I reversed my own first name.
I coined the username TroisNyxEtienne in 2004 as a replacement to a previous username I had (TrinityKHS), which never made it online. I wanted the 'Trinity' bit to subsist somewhere, and it survived as TroisNyxEtienne. In later years I took the 'Etienne' off my username because I thought that if anyone tried to figure out the reasoning behind it, they'd guess my actual name. And also, I still think ‘Troisnyx’ is good enough a juxtaposition between light and darkness. Easier to spell, easier to learn to pronounce, none of this Troissjnriwufgnfsgvh stuff."
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Do you think that you changed over the time you were here, as user, or also in real life?
Troisnyx:
"Aye. As a user and as a person, I've become a little (but just a little) less high-strung. That's one thing I still need work on. This being high-strung shows a lot when we are teenagers (or very young adults), but mellows as we grow older, and hopefully, wiser.
That being said, I still wouldn't want to change the things I ordinarily do — speak honestly, review honestly, be excited, dream big, keep giving and forgiving. I hope to continue doing these things."
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Are there any other users that you like, and how do they affect you?
Troisnyx:
"There are loads, to be honest! — and many of them are audio artists. I can't list all the names I can think of; there would just be too many. But let me at least put in a few names:
NekoMika has reviewed a few of my songs in the past and I've seen his posts here and there in the forums. Awesome reviewer; his membership in the Review Request Club made me investigate it, and learn how to give constructive reviews.
Then there are SkyeWinterest, Nimble and Samulis, and together, we form Versilian Studios, a collaborative music project. The three of have given me good mixing advice, and we've been having good banter between ourselves. It's fun. SkyeWinterest in particular has been one of the judges for the Newgrounds Audio Deathmatch 2012, and his advice really helped me. If judges noticed that I improved by leaps and bounds during that time, that was the reason why.
PotentApogee and AlbertStClare are the reviewer friends I'm closest to. The former, I believe I met first on YouTube... the latter was from Kingdom Hearts Wiki at first. Potent is one who always wants to see the good in someone's work, and brings it out. AlbertStClare gives a balance of both. I've known AlbertStClare for longer (in fact, since 2009), and he's very learned, he often goes deep in thought, and he's a skilled writer. I feel the Writing Portal should come soon, and that his work ought to feature there.
The friends I can have a girly get-together with, at the moment, are HalcyonicFalconX and headphoamz. I'm closer to HFX because I have known her for longer, and we shared a lot of things with each other over Skype conversations — our lives, our past, our aspirations as musicians...
Many of the people I mentioned above gave me specific pointers on how to improve on the production side of my work. There are a few others who did this, particularly Step and Buoy.
There are many other friends whom I have on here (you know who you are!) — I'm looking at my friends list on NG and it is very long. Just saying."
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What is your opinion about the forums? Is there one forum that you prefer? And is there another forum user that you want to see getting interviewed by me?
Troisnyx:
"The forums are nice, though they're like any other bulletin board: I feel the General board is often subject to Godwin's law (about mentioning Hitler or Nazism or anything along those lines....). There are some solid threads there, and then there are threads where we wonder why the original posters even bothered starting them.
I do hang about in the General, Gaming, Art and Audio boards. I once tried the Writing board but it somehow fell apart; I felt I wasn't ready to continue. My current favourite, of all the boards I'm on, is the Audio section: I'm at home with other musicians there, and that's largely where I truly get to give of my musical ability.
I don’t know if I have a user in particular for you to interview… I have a few names whose responses will be interesting to see, namely Bspendlove, deadlyfishes, and RealFaction."
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I guess that you have an opinion about the moderators of Newgrounds. Do you think that they do a great job or not?
Troisnyx:
"They do their best. My thoughts are that they have lives, like all of us. I used to be rather iffy about moderators in the past, but I've come to look past that. I frequently call upon mods in the Audio Cleanup thread, or sometimes to close stale threads. Sometimes these threads fall behind and don’t get much attention until several replies later, but sometimes there is very prompt action. They do what they can.
In hindsight, I don't remember having any major tussles with any mods — they've been quite friendly with me thus far. The ones whom I often call for help are Back-From-Purgatory and BrokenDeck (more so the former)."
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The last redesign happened 2012. Tell me what you think about it. What do you like and what is not so good?
Troisnyx:
"Do I like it? Yes and no. I found the redesign difficult at first because of the many bugs associated with uploading, editing, renaming and deleting audio. It was a struggle to get used to. Most of these bugs have since been fixed, but there's still something missing from the equation for me: for audio artists, there used to be a page where all your submissions were put in a list. On that list you could see the number of listens, downloads, reviews and favourites your pieces had. I would love to see the return of that page, if ever possible, on this site.
Aesthetically, this site looks more rugged and industrial than it did previously. I don't think I have a problem with that. I just think it a bit boxy sometimes. With regards to user page customisation, there used to be a feature on the previous design where we could put in our own banner on top of our page: I don’t miss that one all that much. It is sad that all the secrets from the previous redesign have disappeared with the exception of leaving a message on the front page, and even that doesn’t work the way it did previously. The message doesn’t stay on the front page for all that long anymore, at least the way I see it…
I like the aura changes, from Light/Dark/Neutral/Evil/Fab to Blank Slate, Audiophile, Musician, Gamer, Animator, Writer, Melancholy etc. The medals have rearranged themselves in the order presented to us in the games, and though this is a seemingly minor change, it works for games like Achievement Unlocked 2, where the medals form a specific picture. The staff also kept the Classic Flash Portal, which I do like visiting from time to time.
I would honestly have liked to see a Classic Audio Portal making a comeback, because there are only 8(?) new tracks on display each time, and with the volume of music and voices submitted to this site, only a fraction of these submissions get listened to each time. I want everyone to have a chance, not just the lucky eight, or even those with a strong following.
Also, in light of recent events: there have been a number of cases of audio theft, and many Newgrounds audio artists have been left victims. Many have been debating removing the download option entirely, or simply making it an option rather than making it mandatory. Regardless of the many suggestions made, I still think a consensus needs to be made about the Audio Portal here: it is too easily prone to abuse, particularly audio theft. We know who the thieves are.
I think the implications of the Creative Commons licence need to be made clear and more prominent. Creative Commons is legally binding as it is a licence with terms and conditions by which we upload our work, but a lot of people neglect that, or don’t think that it is legally binding. What’s more is that there is no means of redress via Newgrounds when its members are victims of audio theft. While it is not the fault of Newgrounds, it does bring up concerns about putting in safeguards for uploaded works. Some artists are reluctant to upload their works for fear of theft, and this needs to be addressed: I do not want this to be cause for the decline of Newgrounds."
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You are a great audio artist. When did you first feel the desire to make music of your own? Which other artists inspire you?
Troisnyx:
"I had a desire to make my own music at age 13 — in 2004. Three years prior to that, I underwent a mandatory composition project in my music class. Needless to say, I dug my heels in. It felt cumbersome. I didn't do particularly well. I started composing in 2004, because I wanted to put the knowledge I'd gained from that project to good use, and I never looked back since.
I started uploading music in 2010, after seeing the covers uploaded by katethegreat19 (later Erutan) on YouTube. I believed that I had the musical capability to do the same. I thought the same when listening to some video game composers, Yoko Shimomura and Nobuo Uematsu for instance.
Back when I started I had no mixing capability. I had the music, but not the oomph to go with it. I uploaded a phone-recorded cover of Drôle de Creepie by Lisa Gautier, and the rest is history really.
These days I take inspiration from Enya, Clannad, Akiko Shikata, Sarah Brightman, Skala and the Kolacny Brothers, Kokia, and a bit of Adiemus — considering their music is within the same genre of what I mostly do."
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It seems like you play a fair amount of instruments. Which was the first instrument that you learned to play? Do you think that some instruments can convey different emotions, like the double bass being associated with somber and sad pieces of music? Lastly, which instruments do you like to use the most for your projects?
Troisnyx:
"I first learned to play the piano, at age 3, but it took me four years to get good foundations: I only started taking graded examinations when I was 7. The rest, I picked up in relatively recent years: I started handling a drum kit when I was 16, and the rest is history I suppose. I now also play the pipe organ, most drums and untuned percussion, the harmonica and the glockenspiel, and I can just about get a melody out of a recorder and a tin whistle.
As for instruments conveying different emotions, I think yes and no. It often depends on how the instrument is played. I often use the double bass as groundwork for orchestral pieces, happy or sad. Imagine this: you would play bouncy melodies on a piano and they would sound happy, or you could drag the melody on, play slowly, and it'd sound sad. The same applies for most other instruments.
Granted, there are some instruments that apply to certain pieces, because they convey emotions better within a specific range of pieces. For instance, I play the bodhrán (it's an Irish frame drum). I wouldn't use it in any and every piece I play. It fits folk and ethnic pieces a lot, and I can convey emotions in them quite well, happy or sad. It works surprisingly well with jazz, and it works if you're planning to introduce some primal energy by using more than just an ordinary drum kit.
I guess instrument use ultimately depends on what you are intending to use it for.
For my projects, I ground my pieces on the piano, since that has been my main instrument for years. I have recently gained access to a MIDI keyboard, which makes composing a whole lot easier (where I previously had to mouse-click every single note into a program). I enjoy drumming a lot, and so I occasionally use the bodhrán for recordings. And let's not forget the voice: I enjoy singing too. : )"
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Chant de l'Eveil is your cover of the Ballad of the Windfish of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Aside from this song, which other titles from the Zelda titles do you like? Could you imagine doing more Zelda covers in the future?
Troisnyx:
"I have watched (but not played) Wind Waker and Majora’s Mask, and I like what I see in those games — though I have a personal preference for Wind Waker; Majora’s Mask can be a bit depressing at times. I'm currently playing Twilight Princess — I'm in the relatively early stages of the game — and I like it so far, but I’m aware that this game is in the same timeline as Majora’s Mask, so my reactions to it are yet to be seen.
I would be glad to do more Zelda covers, though I would either do so if a song touches me, or if someone recommends a song to me. Some of you may have noticed from my Work in Progress and Reject Reels that I have two “rejected” Zelda covers. I’ve received a number of comments asking if I could perhaps revive them and post the finished works at some point. Time to get off my lazy hiney and un-reject those covers…"
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Aside from creating music, you also make great drawings. Do you prefer to work with a tablet or to draw completely from hand? What tips can you give aspiring new artists to get started?
Troisnyx:
"I prefer drawing by hand. I don't have a working tablet, and all my digital drawings up to this point have been done with a mouse or a touchpad. It is infernal, to say the least. It hurts my index finger, keeps it locked in a certain position... and detailed drawings, which I prefer doing, can take hours on end. I wouldn't mind working digitally if it involved touching up, or adding a second layer of colour to give my art a bit of vibrancy.
Now, some words for aspiring artists.
Firstly, don't be afraid to draw. This has often been my own downfall; I was often afraid because I didn't know what others would think about the work I've done. Don't be afraid of anything — comments (or lack thereof), views (or lack thereof), reviews (or lack thereof)! Draw, get it out there, rinse, repeat. I will do my best to follow this advice along with you.
Secondly, if someone gives you advice on proportions, colouring, or even composition, take it. Think also on how accomplished artists, animators and filmmakers use composition and colours to bring out emotions. Look at posters, look at pieces of art that others submit, and see what you can perhaps learn from it. I try to do the same myself.
Thirdly, there's no harm in gifting a drawing to someone you cherish, even if it isn't the best drawing out there. You'll be appreciated greatly for it. : ) Trust me, I know."
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You recently came back from your Lent. Tell my readers what Lent is and what you did in this time.
Troisnyx:
"Lent is a solemn Christian observance, covering approximately six weeks before Easter Sunday. It's meant to be a time of prayer, repentance of sins, giving alms, fasting and/or abstinence, self-denial. While I want to try and do these things all throughout the year, it's especially pronounced during Lent. Basically, we commemorate the 40 days that Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert before the beginning of his public ministry — and where he was tempted in many ways, but resisted.
With Lent being a season of pronounced self-denial, it's customary for Christians to give up something, or refrain from doing something throughout Lent, to help them become better persons, or perhaps direct the time elsewhere to something in service of others. It has to be something of a challenge, which makes it worthwhile. (Now, if we can't think of anything to give up, we could perhaps undertake to do something throughout the forty days of Lent, say, volunteer at a charity, or learn how to care for a sick person, something that fits the intention of getting ourselves out of our comfort zones and making us ready to serve others.)
My Lenten fast was from Newgrounds; I gave it up for the season. I did this because I felt that I was going on NG a lot without actually being inspired to do anything productive; I was merely browsing, and so it began to take up my time in a way I did not want. Other things got added to the observance too: my boyfriend gave up meaty sandwiches, crisps, Dandelion & Burdock — a sweet drink which is a bit like sarsaparilla — and a few other things, and I observed some of it along with him. I had no crisps or D&B throughout the season.
I also spent these forty days writing, contemplating and praying through song, particularly through the church choir. Other than that, my days were normal, I guess.
During the last three days of my absence from NG — Thursday 17 April to Saturday 19 April — we had what is known as the Triduum, the three days leading up to Easter Sunday. It's a three-part commemoration/celebration: we remember Christ’s Last Supper with his followers on Maundy Thursday, the crucifixion and death of Christ on Good Friday, and the resurrection of Christ on Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil. It's going to take too much space to explain all these in full to everyone, so I've put in explanatory links. Do read them to see what happens on these three days. Yes, I participated in these three days.
I sang at Masses and services during these three days, and played the timpani on Easter Vigil. Also on Easter Vigil, I sang while dehydrated, and I had no water to wet my throat. Arg. Needless to say, I am tuckered out and need my rest!"
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You took part in the NG London Meet 2013. Whom did you met there? What was the funniest experience of the meet up?
Troisnyx:
"I met Luis, Wonchop, Kreid, StupidHumorKing and cjbouchermedia, among others. There were at least 30-odd people there. CJ was talking to many others about his then upcoming animation, Battle for Great Britron, and he was showing us sketches for the series. I listened and recorded with great interest. That Friday, if I recall correctly, was Luis' birthday, but I joined him the day after and for him, I suppose, it was a belated birthday celebration.
The funniest moment from that day was when we all put these many Namco Arcade tickets we had collected on the table where Luis was sitting, and someone remarked that they looked like roses on his table!
I remember also that Luis had a sketchbook, and he passed it round and everyone drew a birthday message for him. I didn't find that bit funny, I found it disturbing that nearly all the birthday messages involved a certain bodily appendage, and I was one of very few who kept our greetings clean…
Other funny moments could be found through socialising with everyone present there. There was even an instance where I got to wear Wonchop’s trademark red goggles… Everyone said I looked like some kind of comic book or video game character, though people were debating whether I looked like Jubilee from some Marvel(?) comics, or Rikku from Final Fantasy X…"
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Every person has secrets. Can you tell one of yours or something else that we didn't know about you yet?
Troisnyx:
"I recently got back into one of my old childhood hobbies, reading. Currently on my reading list are A Canticle for Liebowitz, Dune, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and an anthology of poems by Seamus Heaney."
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What can we expect from you in the future, Troisnyx?
Troisnyx:
"Hopefully more poignant music, and more cheery drawings. I’m currently working on a lyrical cover of Sacred Moon, one of the background themes from Kingdom Hearts II. Part of the lyrical input to this cover has been given by AlbertStClare, and I’m really looking forward to hearing the finished work myself.
One day, I don’t know when, I would like to share a series of drum-and-voice recordings. There are a number of songs, most of them hymns, that I sing while accompanying myself on the bodhrán, and it just sounds powerful at times. I say I want to share these songs, and I’ve been saying so for a long time, but I hadn’t had the opportunity to sit down in peace and record them just yet. Ideally, I would like some of these to be in video format too.
With regards to drawings, I’m working on a series of big posters with childlike themes. Journey at the Speed of Light is the first in this series.
I’m now in the midst of colouring the second picture in this series, a drawing with a sweetshop theme. Feel free to view the work in progress here. I would like this and the rest of the pictures in this series to be calendar pieces, but we’ll see where this goes.
Also to hype up some excitement: I have received word that NG will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on 6 July 2015. Yes, the site’s been in existence for that long! Some time ago, on a number of threads, I discussed this with a number of Audio Portal friends, and we were all thinking along the lines of some massive art, animation and audio collaboration. I’m not sure what it’d look like or how it’d turn out, but allow me to put in some sort of shameless plug for this event: I only have this drawing to share, as a sort of contribution to the prospective collab. But goodness knows what marvels could come out of this if all of us put our heads together and did something spectacular for it!"
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Now you are filled with more knowledge about Troisnyx, dear reader.Feel free to leave a comment here, saying what you think about the interview, requesting users to get interviews is also appreciated. Tune in next week :3
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