TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Abstrack - Meteor Impact]

I like the thematic content and the dark mood. The bass bomb at the beginning is a bit excessive, but I like the gradual fade-in with the filtering on that bouncy synth (:18). I think you overdid the harshness at :17, and I think the drums could be a bit more creative in general. Once the progression starts taking shape at :28, things are looking up. I like the build-up into :46, and the melodic content at :46 is pretty sweet. The harsh, high-pitched synth at :46 was pretty unnecessary, though. I also like the glitch-y, distorted content at around 1:10. The transition at 1:24 was pretty sudden. The pace of the track just changes quite abruptly there. The part at 1:52 serves as a nice counter-theme, and you certainly keep me engaged with all of these build-ups and intense riffs. I thought the middle section (1:52-2:57) drags on for a bit long, though. You also seem to be a big fan of these booming walls of sound that serve as transitions (2:57, for example). I think that’s okay to do 1 or 2 times in a piece, but you overused it here. I think the mix could be quite a bit tighter. It’s mostly the high-pitched punctures (like :17), but some of the distortion (like 1:24) could stand to be reigned in a bit. The other big thing is transitions. You use a lot of filtering and risers to smooth things over, but at the end of the day there’s little on the other side of these transitions to complete the process (take a listen to 2:01, for example). Even the occasional crash would go a long way. Generally the instrumentation is good, but I thought the drums could’ve been a bit more polished at times (like 1:53). Overall, this is still strong work. You’ve clearly put a lot of effort into the automation, arrangement, and sound design. Keep at it, Abstrack!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Chaos Snakes - 8LayneTech8]

I like the catchy pizzicato-y synth riff at the beginning and the energetic texture. I thought the fade-in at the beginning was a bit lazy, and I also thought the piece has a very fast pace that made it hard to follow all the changes. I think there are quite a few moments of dissonance, like :23 for example. Whatever instrument you have sidechained at :33 (almost sounds like a bass that’s out-of-range) came across as a bit harsh. Overall, the mix is both clear and loud. It just needs a bit of tweaking to facilitate blending and eliminate some excessive high-frequency tones. I thought your instrumentation was pretty good overall, too. My main area of concern is the composition. Like I said, the pace of progression is jarringly quick. It also doesn’t feel structurally complete by the end. I’d suggest thinking more carefully about the arrangement of your track. As a listener, it’s hard to discern where your piece is going at any given time. There was some nice filtering work and some sweeps, but I don’t think you fleshed out the structure enough to give the piece an overarching sense of directionality, shape, or conclusiveness. Overall, I’d say that you’re totally on the right track along most parameters, but you really undersold the composition here. Keep at it, 8LayneTech8!

5.75/10

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.75/10

[Jewels & Sweat]

I like the hard-hitting guitar riffs at the beginning. The progression is very slow for a while, but I enjoyed all the distortion and gritty texture. I like how the guitars find a new niche in the back of the mix as the vocals come in. The injection of passion at 1:32 was really nice, too. The vocal editing isn’t perfect. Don’t be afraid to use pitch correction, even if you’re going for a more organic vibe. Talented producers can mask autotune effects pretty well with slow correction times and more humanized pitch tweaks. I think my main complaint with this piece is that it has very little harmonic variety. I think the track needs some kind of breakdown or other dynamism in the refrain to keep it engaging. The solo at 2:03 was definitely a great start towards that goal, but I can’t help but feel that you really beat the listener over the head with that main riff at :04. In general, the mix is pretty clear and loud, but it also felt like there was some sort of panning effect that made it feel a little too wide. It just sounded harsh at times, regardless of the edgy texture. Still, overall this is strong work. There’s a lot of intensity in both the vocals and in the guitars. It’s catchy and engaging throughout. Well done!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[The Elvenking’s Prayer]

I love the bassy intro and ambiance. The Middle Eastern flavor is really cool, and the dissonant layering at 1:16 really considerably to the texture. I love the lyrics, too. Your description of "haunting" fits this piece in many respects. The drone-like quality of the piece limits the ebb and flow of the composition, but you did a good job of incorporating melodic content between the vocal phrases that filled in the texture. Nice job with the production, too. What exactly is the language you're using, btw? Google Translate tells me it's Kurdish, but I don't trust Google Translate. XD Anyway, keep up the great work and good luck in the ADM!

etherealwinds responds:

Thanks for your review TL! It's in Sindarin, a language created by Tolkien used in the world of Lord of the Rings. :)

[Memento]

Absolutely haunting beauty. The emotional appeal of the strings and piano at the beginning is amazing, and the melodic content is really good. The sense of climax as the piece goes on is subtle but quite powerful. Then the first real cathartic moment of the track at 1:25 really capitalizes on the emotional set-up at the beginning. I also really like the solo at 2:05 - sounds like it was some sort of Celtic instrument too. The rhythm of the percussion at 2:45 is a little hard-to-follow, but I really like the injection of energy at 2:48. It ties the piece together really nicely. This track really puts an image in my head - of cameras panning through a gorgeous mountain expanse to find a lonely rural home and a young heart that is just as lonely. By the end, I think the protagonist learns to balance the humbleness instilled in him by an isolated youth with the confidence of having the world open up to him for the first time. The piece really did put all those images in my head, guys. Utterly fantastic work. I will be rooting for you in future rounds. By all means, keep it up! :')

[in time // rewind]

I like the airy guitar guitar and breathy vocals at the beginning. The mixing is really loud and clear, and the bouncy piano at :20 is great. Nice job with the drums too. Super catchy content, and the breakdown at 1:07 is a nice change-of-pace. The harmonic elements are a tad repetitive after a while, but I appreciate the variations at 2:07 and the glitchiness. The panning was a little strong at times, especially at around 2:35, where there was little else in the texture to justify the heavy panning of the vocals. I really liked the part at 3:31. That's when the piece finally starts to come together imo. I think my main complaint here is the lack of harmonic variety. The piece is a little long to not have much of a change in the underlying harmonic framework. Otherwise, stellar piece, Johnfn! Jazzy chord at the end is a plus too. ^_^ Good luck in the ADM. ;)

[32 North 120 East]

I like the tranquil strings at the beginning and the eastern-sounding instrumentation. The melodic content is beautiful, and the percussion (while used sparingly) is a nice touch. The progression is a bit slow, but the mix is nice, clear, and well-balanced (if a bit quiet). The drum roll at the 2-minute mark was a nice detail. Great sense of tranquility and atmosphere, though. The climactic bit at 2:51 is a huge highlight, naturally. Up to that point, I would've liked to see a bit more variety in the texture, though. Instrumentation and mood are huge highlights here, and the mix gives the piece a really full, lush sound. The flute solo towards the end is beautiful too, and serves as a proper coda. Overall really nice work as always! Good luck in the ADM. ^_^

[Saruz - Violin Master]

Hey man. I'm not judging your group, but I've heard this track is pretty stellar from the other judges. I was not disappointed. The violin is beautiful, and you integrate so well with the heavy breaks. The piece is well-structured and smooth-flowing, and has a great amount of structural variety, too. The frantic solo at 2:03 was probably my favorite part of the piece. This track has a ton of melodic content and dynamic contrast, and overall the production, sound design, and composition are all very strong. You talk about how you're unsatisfied with the quiet mix, but I think that's a negligible detail in the context of such amazing musicianship. The only thing that's really worth complaining about imo is the abrupt ending. You really sold the drama with this piece. Keep up the great work!

Saruz responds:

wow, thank you for all of these nice words! I personally didn't expect that this thing will get such attention, although this is definitely the best one I have ever created. and well, I think there are many more revelant technical details to work at though, 'cause I always compare my work to reference tracks and it doesn't sound fully satisfying yet. But I have big bunch of time to achieve this, actually this is only the second year of my music production. thanks once again!

[Origins]

Catchy piece. The drum samples at the beginning sound a little generic, but I'm really loving melodic content at :17. The climax into :44 is great, and the refrain there is really cathartic. The panning is a bit heavy at times, but the production quality is really clean overall. Well-structured and smooth-flowing content too. I appreciated the structural variety offered by the breakdown in the middle, and the climax into the second refrain was well-done. I wish you had varied the melody a tad more the second time around, and the ending is a tad abrupt. Otherwise, not much to complain about here. I can totally tell you were influenced by EnV, too! Keep up the good work, Sylux03, and gl in the ADM! ^_^

Sylux03 responds:

THANK YOU SO MUCH! OMG <3

[Frigice (Topaz Version)]

Good to hear from you, TV! I like the groovy dance pads and automations/filtering into :30. Smooth flow and progression. The hi-hats at the 1-minute mark or so are really quiet. Nice sense of climax into 1:30. The melodic content there was quite enjoyable. Kick could've been a little stronger there. Overall, the mix is really loud and pretty well-balanced. I think the pads are taking up a bit too much room after a while. Overall, it's a really catchy track with some cool sound design. Might function better as a longer piece with a couple of verse/refrain cycles. Looking forward to hearing the rest of the stuff from the album! ^_^

TeraVex responds:

Thanks man! Always look forward to your reviews!