TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Madness]

I like the distorted texture at the beginning. The rhythmic content and sound design here are both really creative, although the texture sounds pretty thin and minimal for most of the piece. At some point, some stronger melodic content or structural contrast would’ve been welcome for some variety, but the atmospheric synth at 1:15 was a nice touch. There are a lot of creative ideas here, like the filtering at 1:50 and the drum fills towards the end of phrases. I think the composition might’ve been fleshed out a bit more, though. It seems like it could make a good loop, but as a stand-alone piece it doesn’t quite have a strong enough sense of ebb and flow over time for my tastes. The experimental texture and rhythmic content certainly get you full credit for originality and sound design, though. Also, the production quality is strong throughout, with a rather good balance of frequencies and a clean mix. Keep at it, deepfriedfiend! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
7/10

[Hell]

I like the gritty bass and ominous mood at the beginning. The synths sound a bit dry. Some more mixing effects might make the texture sound a bit more full and atmospheric - reverb, echo/delay, etc. The vocal samples work well, and I like the foreboding breaks at :58. The texture is still pretty minimal throughout, and the volume levels might need to be reined in a bit. At some point, I would’ve liked to hear a bit more balance in the frequency range of the piece. Right now, it’s very bottom-heavy and thin, and later on there isn’t much variety to keep me engaged. The second half of the piece seems like almost a carbon copy of the first half. A more melodic or atmospheric bridge or breakdown might’ve helped create that variety. Still, the sound design and mood of this were creative and fun. Keep at it, DeathPains! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.25/10

[Offline]

I like the crisp beats and rich texture at the beginning. The transition at :28 was a little abrupt, but I like the echo-y synth riff there and the injection of energy at :55. The melodies later in the piece have a nice, soulful quality that helps hit the piece home. The distorted synths and smooth pads blend really well together at the very end. This track is really short, yet has a strong narrative appeal, cool sound design, and solid production quality. Some of the compositional details could use some fine-tuning, like the odd sudden transition and somewhat dry mix, but overall this is really strong work, Deathincan! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

[Conspiracy]

I like the frantic percussion and quirky synths at the beginning. The piece is a tad slow to progress at first, but the bass at :30 and subsequent call-and-response action with the quirky percussion at :45 helps keep me engaged in the meantime. The rhythmic content at :56 is just awesome, and the squeaky effect that comes in every 2 bars made me laugh out loud. The sound design here is so unique and fun, and there’s a constant sense of evolution and variety. Towards the end, the arrangement seems to get a tad formulaic/repetitive, but within the part that repeats (up until 1:42), there’s so much variety that it’s hard to be mad at the later repetition. My only complaint with the mixing is that the percussion is distorting some of the background elements of the piece at 2:07 or so. Usually, my judging standards include things like “melodic content” and “structural contrast,” but honestly fuck my judging standards. This piece is delightful. Keep up the good work, DDI! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

DEATH-DANGER-INCOME responds:

Thank you very much! Appreciate it. <3
Had to use the heart one time, sorry.

[DatCat11 - Frozen Over]

I like the catchy riff at the beginning. The little fade-out at :10 threw me off a bit, but the synth guitar at :11 is cute, and plays a neat melody. I’m enjoying the sense of climax into :56 and the more prominent melodies that play there. I think the chord progression is a bit generic, though, and the drums fall a bit flat in the mix here. I’d suggest adding some compression to them to make them sound more punchy and sharp, especially the snare. At 2:51, the more stripped-down melodies were good for some structural contrast, and I enjoyed the transition back into the refrain at 4:05 too. I might’ve liked to see a little more variation on some of the main melodies later in the piece, but the piano outro was a good idea, and hits the piece home nicely. Overall, you clearly have a great sense of harmony, progression, and rhythm. Important next steps for you are tightening up the mix, especially with the rhythm section, and adding some more variety to the composition. Keep at it, DatCat11! :)

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Talking Tracy]

I like the quirky synth at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The synth guitar at :18 sounds a tad cheesy, but I’m enjoying the sense of climax into :35 and the minimal beat that comes in thereafter. The harmonies blend well together, and I like the more staccato-y texture that starts at :52. That said, I would’ve liked to hear a bit more variety in the composition later on, with some more dynamic melodic content and a stronger overarching sense of ebb and flow. That said, the production quality was enjoyable, and despite a few questionable sound design choices (including the synth at 1:53), I enjoyed the progression and apprehensive mood. Keep at it, damnhurt! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7/10

[Phase - Corruption Part II (Paradox LP)]

I like the ominous atmosphere at the beginning and the rather jazzy vibe I’m getting from the pads there. The drum samples at :35 sounded a tad dry and generic, but the pianos and atmospheric instruments continue to be enjoyable. By the 1-minute mark or so, the bass completely takes over the texture, with the heavy compression being a bit distracting and the mix starting to sound a little bottom-heavy. I’d suggest reining in the volume levels on the bass and giving a bit more space to the pads and other effects. I also think the last two thirds or so of the piece gets pretty repetitive, although the change in the instrumental palette at 2:20 was a nice touch. Overall, the composition falls a bit flat here despite a really strong intro and solid sound design. I also would’ve liked to hear a bit more of a creative ending than a fade-out. You’ve certainly won me over on the production quality, rhythmic elements, and atmosphere, though. Keep at it, CubiksPlus! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[rain.]

I like the piano riff at the beginning and the quirky textures in the background. The distorted saxophone riff at :16 is a nice touch, and the ocean sound effects complement the instrumental palette well. The production quality is strong here, with a booming sub-bass that sits perfectly in the mix to boot. I kinda wish the melodies at 1:07 were a bit more prominent in the texture, and in general I think some more prominent melodic content would’ve given this piece a more well-rounded character, but the rich piano at the end helped scratch a bit of that itch for me. I think the piece would make a great loop, too given the abrupt ending. Overall, this is strong work! The composition could’ve used a tad more fleshing out in my opinion, but other than that my complaints are all nitpicks. Keep at it, Crysstal712! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
8.5/10

Crysstal712 responds:

Thanks for the feedback :)

[Thistle]

I like the moody, pensive vibe at the beginning and the melancholy and dissonant harmonies. The rhythm is also rather compelling, although sometimes the progression here is a bit disorienting. Once the texture starts filling out at :48, you immediately start scaling it back and take the piece in an entirely different direction by 1:00. Your oscillation between moody and jazzy on the one hand, and blissful and orchestral on the other make it feel like part of a rich and complex narrative. The production quality is also fantastic, btw. And the more full-textured section at 3:00 helps hit the piece home. I think it’s rather ironic that you uploaded this in July, as there’s something distinctly wintery about the jazzy and ominous harmonies. The entire piece sounds like I’m watching an old man struggle to shovel his driveway on a snowy Sunday afternoon. Overall, this is a really unique piece - in terms of sound design, rhythm, and otherwise. Honestly, let me know if there’s somewhere I can download this. Keep up the good work, Cresince! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
9.5/10

Cresince responds:

Thank you so much for the thoughtful response! I love your wintery viewpoint on the song, it definitely has that vibe now that you point it out.

I made a private link so you or anyone can download the wav file here:
https://soundcloud.com/user-132925677/thistle/s-fgVV76fM00G?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

I'll be trying my best for this contest! Thanks again for hosting a great event. <3

[Gorgeous Fantasy]

I like the upbeat mood and airy piano riffs at the beginning. When the beat comes in at :23, it seems to really distort the melodies, though. The mix seems a bit more well-balanced during the climactic section at :45, and I appreciate the variations in the beat and the instrumental palette at 1:30. That said, the harmonic content feels pretty stagnant after a while. I think the breakdown at 1:51 was a missed opportunity to do something different in that regard, although I do like the addition of the strings at 2:15. In that same vein, some more variation on the main melody later on in the piece would’ve been welcome. Even a modulation of transposition up the octave would’ve helped keep things sounding fresh towards the end. That said, I think you nailed the atmosphere, sound design, and progression of this one, and my complaints with the mixing are minor. Adding some more memorable and dynamic melodic content, as well as variety in the composition later on, are important steps for turning this into a top-tier piece. Keep at it, CrazyKryz13! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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

CrazyKryz13 responds:

Thank you for your review! I'll try and learn more to make my music better! Next year of NGUAC I'll try to remember to come back to show off ;)
Thank you.