TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Common Area]

I like the quirky beats at the beginning - the blissful-sounding lead, cutesy harmonies, and heavy bass actually work really well together. The texture sounds a tad thin for the first couple of minutes - some stronger drums and a little more room in the mix for the middle-range frequencies could help. The dissonance at 1:16 actually works really well to advance the progression of the piece, and I really enjoy the rhythmic content throughout. The fairly thin texture is a bit of a turn-off for me here, and at some point you could’ve balanced out the staccato-y synth lines and short-lived flourishes with some smoother pads or something. Still, I really like the sound design, progression, and beats here. Full credit for instrumentation and originality for sure. :D Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, xkatttt! Always a pleasure hearing your work. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

xkatttt responds:

Thanks for your review! Glad you enjoyed and super grateful to have made it this far in the contest :)

[X3ll3n - Bring Out the Flame (NGUAC Finals 2023)]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning, although the rhythm is a bit square. Reminds me of some of ErikMcClure’s stuff, actually. The buildup into :32 is nice, although the drums at the drop are very soft in the mix. The melodic breakdown at :54 is pretty cool, and I also like the energetic bridge at 1:18, although the lead synth there also sounded a bit distorted in the mix. The arrangement and chord progression here are pretty generic here, and I would’ve liked to hear more variety towards the end of the piece. The added harmonies at 2:13 are barely audible, and overall I felt like you could’ve done a lot more with the composition here. Still, I enjoyed the sound design, progression, and melodies, and it’s been an absolute pleasure having you in the NGUAC again this year, X3LL3N! Keep at it. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

X3LL3N responds:

Thanks ! I will try to do better next year if I qualify ^^

[Dragonslayer]

I like the suspenseful mood at the beginning and the crisp beats at :16. Feels very cinematic and apprehensive. Haha, I recognize SamuraiOwl’s downright demonic vocals from last year too. The heavy breaks at :48 sound delicious, and I also like when you go in a more atmospheric direction at 1:12. The vocals at 1:39 sound a bit over-processed IMO, but the uplifting and triumphant mood certainly fit the narrative arc of the piece well. The drop at 2:15 or so has some harsh-sounding tones in the upper register that I thought could’ve been smoothed out a bit, and the transition into 2:32 was a bit abrupt. The blissful part with the strong beat at the end hit the piece home nicely, but the transition into it at 2:58 also could’ve been smoother. Overall, I really like the production quality, mood, rhythmic content, and variety here, but the arrangement feels a tad disjointed and the sound design could use a tad more polish. Still, this is a really catchy track with some great storytelling attributes. Keep at it, VFG! Pleasure to have you in the NGUAC as always. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

SamuraiOwl responds:

im demonic :)

[xX FIND MY CURE Xx]

I like the graceful piano line at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The vocals at :20 blend into the texture well, but could also use a bit of a boost in the mix. The piece is a little slow to progress, and could use some drums or something to give it a sense of drive. I also think the lyrics are a bit generic and uninspired at times, but I really enjoyed the transition into the drop at 1:22 and the frantic energy there. The bass may be a tad loud, especially compared to the drums, and the transition back into the twinkly piano line at 2:01 was a bit abrupt. The vocals strike me as particularly heartfelt at the verse at 2:11, and I like the articulation and rhyme scheme too. The part at 2:33 is another one where I think the vocals needed to be more up-front. Scaling back on the reverb on the guitar might help a tad, but some compression and pushing up the upper-mid tones in the EQ might also do the trick. The second drop could’ve been switched up a little more compared to the first one, but it still helps hit the piece home nicely. Really solid work overall, TheNewAge! Congratulations on your success in this competition, too. Been a pleasure listening to all of your tracks these past couple of months. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

TheNewAge responds:

Thank you so much!! I cannot believe I made it this far, and the constructive criticism helps so much!

[FACUNDO GARDIOL - Summer Fan ( Glitch Hop )]

I like the glitchy effects at the beginning and the blissful synths at :08. The mix is really loud and punchy, and the texture feels nice and full and well-balanced at :17. The melodies at :34 are really cutesy and fun, and you use the vocal samples well too. The rhythmic content of the piece absolutely rocks throughout, and the progression is smooth too. Some parts sound a tad over-compressed, like at 1:45 - very heavy sidechaining there. I also think you could’ve done more to offer some contrast in the energy levels. Seems like everything here that doesn’t have a really strong beat is a build-up leading into one. Aspects of the sound design are a bit generic, and later on the main harmonic riffs could use some more variation as well. All of that said, you absolutely nailed the production quality, upbeat mood, melodies, and arrangement of the piece. Seriously catchy and well-mastered content here, Spirali. And thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year - been an absolute pleasure hearing your stuff. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

SPIRALi responds:

I love you!

[DEMONIC SAVIOUR]

I like the quirky synths and pads at the beginning. There’s a lot of overlap in the frequencies between the two main riffs at the beginning - maybe some stereo widening would help keep them more distinct in the mix? You could also just transpose one of them up or down the octave, respectively. You also go in a very different direction with this piece with the heavy guitars at :21. I like the solo at :42, and the transition at 1:00 was really neat. The way the crash cuts off at 1:05 sounds a bit unnatural, and then you transition pretty abruptly into the more downtempo section at 1:06. Overall, I think the pacing of this piece is way too fast. It’s just very jarring when the texture shifts so dramatically every 10 seconds or so. I think this piece would make for a nice, longer piece with some more gradual transitions and a better integration of all of these thematic elements and motifs, but right now it sounds like you just tried to cram way too many ideas into 2 minutes. Other than the choppy arrangement, I like the sound design and a lot of the individual riffs, including the cutesy pad/arpeggio combo at 1:43. This piece has a lot of potential, and I hope you’ll keep working on it! In the meantime, thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, recme! Been an absolute pleasure having you. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7/10

recme responds:

thank you for the critiques!!

i agree, the pacing was probably too fast. lately, i've been trying to avoid repeating parts too much in my compositions, and its very noticeable in this track, which i think actually damages it a bit. had i repeat some parts more, things wouldve most likely felt more normal.

i'd like to come back to this in the future! probably for another album idk. for now though, time is better spent on newer projects... though this was a great learning experience! thanks for your review!

[A Fighter's Song]

I like the edgy guitar riff at the beginning - that glissando on the high note is especially nice. The vocals are soulful and powerful, but also a bit dry in the mix - some more reverb and other effects might help give them a bit more presence and help with the blending on the different vocal layers. I was a little thrown off that the vocals seem to be so much more up-front in the texture during some of the verses than they are at the chorus (compare :55 and 1:33, for example). The drums could also use more presence in the mix at times. The lyrics themselves are really good - love the dark and cryptic feel of the piece in general. The passion in the vocals at 1:33 was especially nice, though. Love the conversational tone they have too. The short-lived breakdown/hook combo at 2:07 was another highlight - that struck me as a really creative way of speeding up the pacing on an otherwise pretty traditional arrangement. The solo at 3:01 is awesome, as is the spacey riff at 3:36. Overall, there’s a lot to like here, Mischa. All of my complaints are minor, but as always you’re doing some major shredding on this track, with some heartfelt vocals and a nice progression to boot. It’s been a pleasure having you in the NGUAC this year! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

Mischa-head responds:

Thanks for the feedback! And thanks for hosting the audio contests! I've had so much fun participating, definitely keen for next time!

[Listen]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The dense percussion pattern is a nice touch too. Really lovely harmonies, and strong production quality here. I think the composition could’ve been fleshed out a bit more, though - I wanted to hear some more dynamic melodic content and some more “twists and turns” in the structure. Still, you nailed the sound design, atmosphere, and mood here. This is a really soothing piece, and I hope you’ll consider making a full-length version sometime! Also, thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, Kassich - it’s been a pleasure having you. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

Kassich responds:

Thank you for the review, and thank you for hosting/organizing the NGUAC. I love this competition, it gives me an opportunity to just write music for fun and listen to other fellow composers!

[Shiza]

I like the crisp drums and furtive atmosphere at the beginning. The plucked, staccato-y guitar riff at :09 is haunting, as are the vocals. The lyrics themselves really help play up the apprehensive mood. The pacing of the piece is a bit slow, and I also think the transition into the refrain at 1:25 was a bit abrupt. The mixing is also good, although at times I wanted the drums to be a bit punchier. I really like the heavy contrast between the verses and refrains here, but I also would’ve liked to see more variety in the instrumental tracks during the verses to help keep me engaged. The melancholy solo at 3:52 is really nice, although I also would’ve liked to see a section towards the end of the piece that releases some of the pent-up tension here a little more. Overall, though, this is an evocative, moody, and well-produced track with some excellent guitar work. It’s been a pleasure having you in the competition this year, Introverse! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

Introverse responds:

Thank you. It was fun to be in this competition. See you next year!

[Drawing the Curtain (NGUAC FINAL ENTRY)]

I like the emotional appeal of the piano at the beginning. There’s a bit of a stereo blip at the very beginning - not sure if that’s a recording issue, or what? The first 20 seconds feel a bit furtive and understated, but you really open things up at :28, which is rather effective. The piece is slow to progress and a tad minimal, but I really like the sound design and melodies. You also have a couple of abrupt transitions in here - the entry of the guitar at 1:17 in particular caught me off guard. The mix is also very quiet, and overall I think you could do more with dynamic contrast to fully capitalize on the emotional appeal of this piece. After a while, the main melody gets a tad repetitive - adding some variations on it later in the piece might help keep the listener engaged. I like the outro a lot, though - it’s both dreamy and sad at the same time. Really beautiful piece overall, GlowBoy. You’ve done your Nonna a great honor by making it.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

GlowBoyMusic responds:

Thank you so mich for your review, and for having me in this years NGUAC! I am so proud of everyone who participated, and I cannot wait for next year.

As for the slight audio glitch at the beginning…I have no idea what this is either! It happened upon upload OR during MP3 conversion, since it is not present in the main project file :o maybe someone with a knack in music tech can explain here?

Oversll, thank you for this incredible opportunity, and for giving us all the chance to show our potential!

Mad love, Glow.