TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[We Take Flight]

I just remembered that you asked for a review on your NGUAC piece, and it seems like there aren't any judges biting yet, so here I am!

The cutesy sound design at the beginning is really nice, although it might've needed more of a proper intro. Throwing the listener right into the middle of the action with the frantic mallet riffs was a bold choice. There are a couple of moments where the instruments cut off pretty suddenly, like at :07, 2:32, and :55, that make the arrangement sound a tad choppy. The rich harmonies and orchestral textures in between sound really lovely, but the mix might sound more full with some reverb or other effects that round out the sound. Otherwise, the production quality is really good - well-balanced and clean mix, etc. I like the sense of build into 2:09, but I also think that section needed more of a dynamic melody to really sell it as an "emotional height." The melodies at 3:20 or so are especially lovely, but the multiple swells at around 3:45 felt a tad artificial and drawn-out. That might be another section that could benefit from some reverb to smooth things out. The piece comes together with the triumphant-sounding melodies at 4:25, although the sudden cut-off at 4:45 is again a bit of a turn-off for me. Overall, you took on a really ambitious compositional project here, and it's executed rather well. The sound design is good, although it's really hard to make high-pitched brass samples sound good "in box" (piano roll or midi or whatever). My main gripes are the somewhat missed opportunity for more atmosphere to shape the piece, as well as the abrupt transitions and choppy arrangement. Still, your melody-writing and production skills are clearly well-developed. Keep at it, SomeGuyMusic! ^_^

[Distortion]

I just remembered that you asked for a review on your NGUAC piece, and it seems like there aren't any judges biting yet, so here I am!

I like the gritty synth pattern at the beginning. Kinda reminds me of Darude. :D The crisp drums and sense of build into :30 help drive the energy of the piece too, and I like how the tone of the lead synth softens a tad by :31 or so too. The production quality is really good here, Stargame - loud, crisp, and clean mix, but also not over-compressed or too artificial-sounding. I like the build-up at around 1:20 too, but overall the texture is pretty minimal and bottom-heavy for a lot of this piece. The section with the atmospheric pads at 1:52 was a nice change-of-pace, and I like the catchy bass riff at 2:03 too. That said, at some point I wanted to hear some more dynamic melodic content. The glitches at 3:08 are a nice touch, and I'm enjoying the more blissful tone the piece is taking by this point. The piece's ability to maintain engagement over its duration is pretty dependent on the rhythmic content, though, and I would've liked to see more of a proper outro, as the piece ends pretty suddenly. That said, I think you nailed the sound design, mixing, atmosphere, progression, and rhythmic elements here. Congrats on a strong and catchy piece, Stargame, and good luck in the Knockout Round. ^_^

[Clash of Cass]

I just remembered that you asked for a review on your NGUAC piece, and it seems like there aren't any judges biting yet, so here I am!

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. The sound design goes through several abrupt changes in the first 30 seconds or so, from big 80s synths to new wave atmosphere to videogame-ish to hard rock. It seems like the hard rock won the battle at the end of the day, though, and I like the frantic guitar riffs and crisp drums for the rest of the first minute. There's another pretty abrupt transition at 1:02, but the warmer tones of the strumming there help provide some contrast to the more edgy tone of earlier. At this point, the piece seems like a call-and-response between the frantic and heavy electric guitar riffs to the more laid-back vibe of the strummed one. The breakdown at 2:20 was a nice moment of structural contrast to break up that cycle, and the transition back into 2:46 was smooth, albeit a bit cheesy. The piece comes together well towards the end, but at some point I might've liked to hear a more dynamic melody or solo - something to really hold onto, you know? The heavy guitar refrain seems to play more of a rhythmic role here than something that really drives the "narrative" aspect of the piece. The other main problem I have with the piece is the choppy arrangement, with a lot of rough transitions, especially early on, that feel a tad jarring in the grand scheme of things. That said, I think you nailed the sound design, rhythmic content, production, and atmosphere. Really creative piece overall, Thetageist! Good luck in the Knockout Round. ^_^

Thetageist responds:

Thanks for all that feedback! I see one of my directions to go in in the future should be how to write for rock guitar, so I don’t have to use preset patterns as a crutch anymore. And transitions. Transitions have always been my weak point.

[Contemplate]

I just remembered that you asked for a review on your NGUAC piece, and it seems like there aren't any judges biting yet, so here I am!

I like the edgy guitar riffs at the beginning. The echo effects are a little overwhelming, though, and that in turn causes the rhythms to trip over each other a bit. I also would've liked to hear more of the drums in the mix. Right now, they're clearly overwhelmed by the guitars. There also could be more structuring and ebb-and-flow over the course of this piece. I feel like that would help the listener warm up to the experimental texture and give the piece a stronger sense of development over time. The mix is loud and clean, but the weak drums and overuse of mixing effects detracts from my enjoyment of the production here. There are a lot of neat compositional ideas here, though, from the guitar riffs to echo-y syncopations. They just need to be arranged a bit more effectively to keep the listener grounded. Keep at it, BALDORF! :)

BALDORF responds:

My comment was more of a jab at my song being so mediocre that it didn't get a review, rather than asking for one, but thanks.

[Asshole (NGUAC)]

I just remembered that you asked for a review on your NGUAC piece, and it seems like there aren't any judges biting yet, so here I am!

I like the gritty guitars at the beginning. The drums could be a tad more up-front in the mix, but otherwise the production quality is solid here. The vocals sound pretty raw and passionate, but also a little dry in the mix, and I'm not sure the somewhat atonal nature of them works well for me. The solos at 1:49 are much more of my cup of tea, and I also think the "I must be fuckin' crazy" vocals later on work better because they fit nicely into the harmonic framework of the rest of the piece. Overall, I really like the energy, sound design, production, progression, and rhythmic content of the piece. The lyrics are a little cringey at times - seems like you're playing a one-dimensional character with them - but your raspy baritone fits the tone of the piece very well. Keep at it, KRB, and good luck in the next round. ^_^

guyfromKillerRAT responds:

haha, I had been so caught up trying to make my submission for the KO round that I forgot to ask larry and the other guys to review it, I'll probably do that now that you remind me, I especially am interested to hear what the judges other than larry would say since I think I already have an idea of what he might have to say, although his thoughts could surprise me too!

yeah, I've always been bad at knowing the right balance between guitars and drums lol. it's either that the drums are always too loud, or the guitars are always too loud. that's kinda something I'm still trying to get good at. as for the vocals, I really suck at like producing and mixing vocal tracks, I can do pretty good with guitar and bass but when it comes to mixing and mastering the vocals, idk, everything I do ends up sucking so I just kinda leave them dry lmao. The 1:49 solo was completely improvised, I kinda recorded it after just cherry picking a few notes and going from there, then after that I liked the solo so much I decided to practice it and re-record it before submitting to make it better lol. I suck at coming up with good vocal melodies, but I am getting better, so that is why I can sound a bit tonedeaf, singing-wise, in a lot of the song, although it is good to hear that someone appreciated my performance at the end there! that was the part where I was really trying haha.

I've always been a rhythmic kinda guy, never was too big into doing impressive melodies. I always hear the beat first, which is why I like a lot of hip hop and nu metal music, I love how complicated the rhythms and drum patterns are in those styles, and I always feel like good rhythms in music are the kind that aren't just "bootsncatsnbootsncatsn", you know? I like rhythms that are recognizable, ones that really drive a song forward to being picked out of a crowd. This song may not even show my rhythmic capabilities as much as it could have, when I really want to, I can sure make something that gets you bouncing even better than this, which I hope to be able to show more of soon.

As for the lyrics, yeah, they make me sound a bit one-dimensional cause I only sing about one aspect of my life and personality, and it's the part that makes me seem like, well, an asshole. There's a lot more to me than this, but I didn't think it made sense to make a song about literally every piece of my personality lol. One song at a time.

I really appreciate your feedback, man, and I hope to get further in the next round as well. I am admittedly a bit nervous cause I feel like I submitted something that could've been way better if I worked on it more, and I know I can keep working on it if I want to by the rules, but you know, I think I want to just see what happens. What if I work on it and end up making it worse instead? lol

Thank you for listening and thank you for your feedback.
ilyyyyy <3
-J

[Mount 511]

I just remembered that you asked for a review on your NGUAC piece, and it seems like there aren't any judges biting yet, so here I am!

I like the eerie whistling and pulsing atmospheric pads at the beginning. The harmonies are a bit dissonant, but the texture comes together well by 1:20 or so. The reverb is a tad thick, but otherwise the mix is well-balanced and rich-sounding. The piano solos help keep me engaged too. The synth bass sounds a tad generic, but otherwise the sound design is really nice overall. The orchestral flair of the piece at 3:00 or so was a nice touch, and the edgier tone at 3:17 was a good change-of-direction to the track. The vocals at 3:17 sound a bit indistinct in the mix - were they recorded specifically for this track, or are they sampled from somewhere? After a slow climb down from the emotional height at 3:17, the eerie church bell at 4:50 helps me refocus, and I like the more mysterious tone of the rest of the piece. The whispered vocals at around 5:35 fit the mood very well, and you've really made a great effort at making the piece come full-circle. This is really strong cinematic work here, BlighterProductions. Best of luck in the Knockout Round! ^_^

BlighterProductions responds:

Hey man, thanks for the review. TeraVex had also sent me some feedback, but he gave me some through PM’s.

I enjoyed making this one because I was discovering some new possibilities in the software that I was using, and I wanted to experiment with sound more. In my opinion, I think the mix sounds a bit muffled, but that would also add to the isolation that the piece is based around.

The whistling was inspired by the music that director Quentin Tarantino uses in some of his movies, and they always kinda have an isolated or tense feeling for me, so that is why the whistling is in there.

The vocals were synthesized, so there was no audio recording or sample involved. They sound a bit hollow because it is supposed to illustrate the aforementioned isolated vibe. Only the whistle and the “lie down and close your eyes” part were vocalized by me personally.

With the piano, I took an effect which made it sound like it was surrounded by brick walls, and you’re listening from the other side. It illustrates that feeling of being stuck in an enclosure, with the outside world on the other side of the wall.

The piece for me overall revolves around the confusion of being abducted and being taken somewhere unknown, hence the strange pacing and instrumentation. The growth in energy represents the increasing clarity of the lead character as he becomes more and more aware of his surroundings as his consciousness kicks in. I leave it up to the listener to interpret whether the place where he/she was taken to is good or not. To me, the tone of the song is a bit moody, but also kind of hopeful.

The part where the orchestrals come in is where the character conceives a plan to escape the place, which is why there is a tense energy in that particular part of the song. Then again, I let the listener interpret or theorize whether or not the escape plan had worked. The ending can mean one of two things:

1-The character has escaped, and now takes a well deserved rest from his breakout, or…
2-He/she was caught in the attempt, and thrown back into his/her cell, to spend the rest of his/her life pondering his/her fate, until he/she is old and unable to escape.

Anyways, thanks for the review, and I hope to be able to put out a track in time.

Greetings

[Fusion]

I like the wistful mood at the beginning and the cutesy melodies. The crisp beats at :25 are nice too, although the snare might be a tad heavy given the mellow vibes during the first 45 seconds or so of the piece. The refrain at :51 was also a pleasant experience, and I’m thoroughly convinced that your melody-writing skills are quite strong now. The breakdown at 1:42 was good for some structural contrast, but a bit minimal and uninspired. I also think a lot of the synths here are a bit cheesy, but I enjoyed the build-up into 2:55 and the more melodic flair the second drop takes on. The texture has a great languid feel to it, which fits the nostalgic melodies really well. Stripping away the beat for the outro was also a good idea; it really sold the emotional quality of the piece. Overall, I really like the composition and production quality here! The instrumentation, while a tad corny, seems fitting in context. The arrangement was a tad generic too, but the progression was also effective at giving this piece a strong sense of narrative. A memorable piece for sure! Keep at it, Zephpopli. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Z3rky - 4019]

I like the catchy beats and quirky synth riffs at the beginning. The mix is loud and clear, if maybe a tad over-compressed. The rhythmic content here is fantastic, but I would’ve liked to hear some more variety in the harmonic content over time - structural contrast, dynamic melodies, etc. You’re clearly a talented producer, though. The mixing effects, sound design, production quality, and defiant mood of the whole piece are really compelling. Keep at it, Z3RKON! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.75/10

[Ye Olde Potion Seller]

I like the tranquil mood and medieval theme at the beginning. The hip-hop beat pairs really nicely with the majestic strings and harps. The bass might be a tad loud, but overall the mixing and mastering is really strong here. I like the flute solo at 1:14 a lot too, and the string solo at the end hits the piece home nicely. I also like how the piece comes full circle by the end with the distinguished-sounding harpsichord - makes the piece more loopable that way. :) The composition here could’ve been a tad bolder and more dynamic in places, but overall this is really strong work, Young-Kingler! Keep it up. ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[SuperCynical]

You have some really creative rhythmic ideas in this piece, and the instruments are cute and feel fitting for a video game. It is a bit hard to follow some of the rhythms before the rest of the texture fills in, and the composition feels pretty disjointed here. You have a lot of different riffs that play one after the other without much interconnectivity between them, from :07 to :11 to :17 to :30 (which was an especially rough transition) to :38, etc. There’s some repetition later on, but the content is still pretty minimal and choppy. I think one of the most difficult aspects of writing music is layering different harmonies on top of each other, but I think until you find a way to either make that layering work or transition more gradually between these different harmonic ideas, this piece will be a bit jarring to listen to. I’d suggest trying to consolidate your ideas and working on having multiple harmonies playing at once, rather than creating variety by lining up all your harmonic riffs back-to-back. When you feel like you’ve done that, PM me and I’ll leave you another review. And to be clear, a lot of the isolated ideas here are good. The organ-sounding synth at :48 is really catchy and fun, for example. It’s just that the transitions between the ideas are a bit abrupt. Keep at it, YingYong215! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
0/1
Composite score
3/10