TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[-Serpentine Emotion-]

Gratz on the frontpage! ^_^

The mix is really clean - I think those multiband compressors really help add some clarity. The cute, pizzicato-y lead adds a lot to the atmosphere, although the string lines sometimes feel like they could've been shaped a bit better. For example, at :25 they oscillate pretty rapidly between full, rich chords and bass pedals, which comes across as a bit jarring. I'm also not sure the acid bass at 1:40 blends in well with the rest of the texture, and the bass is a bit too loud in general at 2:05. The bare-bones breakdown at around 3:00 is a nice touch, though.

At some point, I would've liked to hear some more dynamic melodic content from you. Most of the lead string and synth lines come in short, fleeting phrases that don't have a strong sense of continuity with the following one. I'd challenge you to come up with an extended melodic line that ends in a very different place (in pitch, intensity, etc.) than it began. It's an advanced skill to have really memorable melodies like that, but it would seriously take a longer piece like this to the next level IMO.

That said, you've done a good job creating this ambient tapestry of sound here. Certainly one of your stronger pieces, and like I mentioned at the beginning, the mixing is especially well-polished. Keep at it, CF24! ^_^

[-Gentle Eyes-]

I like the chill pads at the beginning. The chord progression is a bit fast-paced, though. The piano chords at :07 are a bit too loud and clunky - I would try spacing out the notes more (maybe by transposing some up or down an octave) so that they sound more open and full. The "reset" at :35 was nice, though - I like the walking mid-range pads, even if they were a bit quiet. The bassy wubs at :51 sounded glitchy and cool, but also could've been a bit more dynamic after a while (filtering automations or a wider pitch range might've helped). The wubs also get a bit grating and overly loud by 1:58.

I'll commend you for the non-traditional dubstep structure. Some of the transitions are a little abrupt (like 2:24), but overall you've avoided a lot of the structural cliches with dubstep. I also like the liberal use of hi-hats and frantic section (3:58) towards the end.

Overall, this might not be your best, but I definitely appreciate how much you experiment with new genres and sound designs. The rhythmic content here is also really cool. Keep at it, CF24! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

Yeah, this was definitely more experimental then anything. I don’t do dubstep much, and I might have been rushing a little doing this, but I thank you for your honesty.
And about it not being the “tradition Dubstep structure” yeah, I kinda don’t like to be “normal” or “ordinary” I always try and put something unique or weird into my tracks, whether it’s a scratch instrument, different EQ styles, or filtering such. I take pride in my unique style… and I hope to improve it soon :D.

[-The Siren-]

Congrats on the weekly third place, dude! ^_^

I like the rich atmosphere and sultry saxophone solo towards the beginning. The part at :40 was a good "reset" for the piece - very square rhythmically, like clockwork. There's a lot of dissonance in the texture by :52, but I really like the rich string chords at 1:12. The second half of the piece could use more of a "moment of arrival," a climactic or otherwise high-energy section that ties the piece together more. Otherwise, I really like the sound design and moodiness of this one. Keep at it, CF24! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

The reason I didn’t make it faster was because I wanted to keep it at a slow rate, either wise itd just copy the same speed structure as my song known as Odd House. And technically, there is a moment of arrival, the end with the halo game like vocals.

[Float (feat. Dry)]

Love the crisp beats and groovy synth bass at the beginning. The vocals sound powerful and defiant, but also not quite far forward enough in the mix IMO. The synth solo at 1:54 is baller. I also think this piece could use a bit of a break from the constant high-octane action after a time - a bridge or breakdown where you strip away the beat and focus on more atmospheric elements, perhaps. That said, I really like the squeaky-sounding rhythmic synth at 4:00 or so, as well as the melodies at 4:50 onward. Production is clean throughout, and I really like the sound design too. Keep it up, guys! ^_^

ConnorGrail responds:

Thank you for listening and the solid review :) good to see you pop up again!

[My project (REMAKE)]

Hey! Sorry for the slow response. I like the gritty atmosphere at the beginning, but after a while I might suggest dialing back the grainy mid-range white noise (featured prominently at the very beginning) and using reverb or other "smoother" textures to fill the mix. The drums duck under the mix after a while, and it's especially noticeable after 1:09. The risers/sweeps give the piece a decent sense of ebb and flow despite the repetitive harmonic content, and in general I really like the ominous and foreboding mood. That said, I think the sound design is a bit unpolished too, and some of the instruments don't blend very well together. Adding some higher-pitched melodies or atmospheric elements might help balance out the frequency range and take the edge off some of the murkier sound design elements. Overall, not your best work, but you definitely got the thematic content right: it sounds like the beginning stages of a slow-burning robot takeover-themed horror movie. :) Keep at it, Mesage!

Mesage responds:

thanks for your feedback on this song!

Anyways, I've updated this track right now and fixed some mixing issues, please check it if you want to

[-Velocity-]

I like the mysterious mood at the beginning. The sound design and melodic contour remind me of the soundtrack to Deca Sports (OLD Wii game that came out before you were born lol). The synth that comes in at :52 takes up a bit too much of the mix in my opinion, but the transition to the string part at 1:35 was nice. At times, the piece could use a stronger sense of ebb and flow, maybe with some more filter automations or atmospheric details to maintain interest.

At 2:35, the mix gets a little muddy - it's hard to hear the drums, and there's a lot of reverb in the texture with some overlap in the frequency ranges of the instruments. There's also a bit of dissonance in there, especially when the strings come back in at 3:04. The minimal section at 3:52 served as a nice breakdown, and I like the more energetic section that starts at 4:40ish too. For a piece this long, sometimes the individual riffs could use some more variation, or at least be more melodious from the get-go. That said, you definitely have captured the classic 2000s techno feel here. ^_^

Overall, the piece has a really nice sense of atmosphere, and I also like how the energy level gradually winds down towards the end over the course of the last minute or so. Keep at it, CF24!

Creeperforce24 responds:

The only thing I hate about this comment was the fact that now I’m out of the 4.9s rating XD!

Glad you like it though! And yeah, I guess the mix did get a little muddy in some areas, I gotta work on it! Thanks for your honesty :D

[-Mustard Gas-]

Catchy stuff! The eerie, low-pitched drone at the beginning sets the scene nicely, and the fade-in with the drums was a nice transition. I think the drums could've been a bit louder relative to the bass and other synths, and also the synths could've used some more "pizzazz" with some additional mixing effects or layering. The texture sounds pretty thin right now for most of the piece, although I do like how you switch up the lead riff pretty regularly. The busy drum patterns give the piece a pleasing sense of continuity despite all the variety. I still think the composition could've been a bit bolder with some more melodic elements, or maybe some mid-range pads to balance out the thin, staccato-y synths. But overall, this is a solid track. Some gritty, danceable beats that you bookend nicely with strong atmospheric content. Keep it up, CF24! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

I can understand all your critiques, but I was sorta going for a less melodic tune and a more atmospheric song! In fact! @Waterflame has actually made some songs that don’t really have a specific melody and mainly focus on breakbeat and rhythm! A good example? Heavy machine rhythm(rythm)

https://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/304891

[Gvprtskvni]

Cute! I like the waltzy meter and how the pitch range changes a lot over the course of the song. You should do a full-length version of this.

[-Along The Waves-]

Sorry for the slow response!

I like the tranquil pads and groovy percussion. The 3/4 time signature is a great touch - without a strong off-beat, the meter feels...well, wave-like.

The atmosphere is great, but sometimes some of the melodic elements are a bit understated. The synth that comes in at :55 is WAY in the back of the mix, and it feels like it should've been a bit more prominent, especially at around 1:09. In general, the mix feels a tad bottled-up, with pretty narrow ranges for the pitches. Maybe you overused the equalizers a bit? Or otherwise it needs some more mixing effects on the back-end: reverb and filter automation on the synths, with a bit more compression to add some punch.

One thing I really like about this piece compared to some of your other recent work is how smooth-flowing it is. You didn't try to do too much to increase the pace or anything, and when instruments are added/subtracted, it's usually subtle. The transition to the bass-y groove at 1:50 is a good example of this, and the percussion roll before the new melody comes in at 2:05 is also really smoothly done.

Overall, I really like this piece. A bit more compression on the lead and a fuller mix in places would help take it to the next level, but the composition is strong throughout. ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

I was trying to use less compressors lol, seems I might need to use a little more. Thanks for the honest review!