TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[nguac final submission]

I like the eerie atmosphere at the beginning and the crisp drums at :15. The piece is a bit slow to progress, and could use some more variety in the harmonies in particular. The creepy atmosphere is nice, although the mix sounds rather bottom-heavy overall, with not a lot of upper-mid-range frequencies to counterbalance the arpeggios, piano, bass, and kick. The production quality holds up pretty well, but with the fairly minimal texture that might not mean much. Overall, the composition is pretty bland and needs a stronger sense of progression, but the sound design and rhythmic content are cool. Keep at it, emersonkid! Pleasure having you in the NGUAC this year. ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[Gazing Ball]

I like the bouncy beat and dreamy atmosphere at the beginning. The subbass is a bit loud IMO - the mix feels a bit bottom-heavy between that and the kick rolls. The rest of the sound design is great, though. I especially like the church bells during the intro and the synth melody at :45 that sounds like a woodwind instrument. The tranquil breakdown at 1:28 was great, and the majestic synth guitar at 1:39 is yet another strong addition to the instrumental palette. The pace of the piece is a bit slow at times, especially during the middle section (1:39 - 2:23), and one thing you might consider is switching up the drum pattern more substantially at some point. After a while, the arrangement feels a tad formulaic, with the copy-paste atmospheric section at the end and a very rigid harmonic structure throughout. Still, you absolutely nailed the sound design, atmosphere, and production quality here. Thanks so much for coming out to the NGUAC, Ellie! ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[shopping at the mall]

Love the prominent bass and jazzy flair of this one. The drums are a bit flat, and could use some more compression or something to make them “pop” in the mix more. Otherwise, the production quality is fine, and the groovy synth melodies and slidey bass riffs seriously get my foot tapping. Overall, you’re right that the mixing isn’t perfect, but it’s hard to go overboard with synth melodies in my book. :D Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, Crysstal712! Been a pleasure having you.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

Crysstal712 responds:

thank you for the opportunity, i'll be here next year!

[Superior Magnetic]

I like the rich strings at the beginning and the robotic-sounding atmosphere. The synth bass at :22 is a nice touch, and the rhythmic content of this piece is especially creative. The guitar at :47 was a pleasant surprise. There’s a plethora of reverb in the texture, and the drums get rather lost in the mix for most of the piece. The softer tone of the strings at 1:30 comes on a bit suddenly, but the ensuing 30 seconds or so served as a nice breakdown to contrast with the heavy bass and dense texture beforehand. Love the synth melodies at 2:02 as well. The distortion at 2:12 sounds a bit harsh in the mix, but the atmosphere around it helps soften the blow. Overall, you’ve put together another ambient beauty, Cresince. Congratulations, and thanks for coming out to the NGUAC again this year! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
9.25/10

Cresince responds:

It's always a blast to compose for these competitions. I always learn so much from the wonderful judges, and I hope I can keep improving! Thank you for hosting such wonderful events!

[Une nuit proche des étoiles]

I like the dreamy atmosphere at the beginning, between the wind chimes, airy piano, and otherworldly synths. Not sure I liked the suddenly thinner texture at :53 - I think you could’ve filled out the atmosphere a bit more, especially given the rather slow pace of the piece. The emotional appeal of the sound design and composition is still really nice, and I also like the heavier bass at 2:15 and the sense of build-up into 2:40. The vocals at 2:47 were a nice idea, but I’m not sure I like the tone of the samples too much. Is this supposed to be a children’s choir? It just could’ve sounded…richer. Still, the outro is really majestic, and overall you absolutely nailed the cinematic appeal of the piece. Nice job with the production quality and sound design as well. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC again this year, BAOWZ! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

BAOWZ-Tobass responds:

Hey it scored quite well! Thanks! I had the same feeling about the choir and i think the problem comes from the legato : there is none and LABS don't have this option sadly. What i first had in mind was a solo soprano singer, but it wasn't free ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯. But hey i'm 12th! Almost 13th! Luck is on my side for next year!

[The Octagon - NGUAC 2023]

I like the apprehensive mood at the beginning. There’s a bit too much reverb in the texture IMO, and the drums sound rather thin in the mix. There’s a good sense of build-up into :41, and the quirky synth melodies there are nice, but could also use a bit of a boost in the mix. I would take a second look at the EQs and cut some more in the low (<200 Hertz) and low-mid (200-600ish) range - the bass and harmonies are the elements of the mix that “pop” the most right now, and I think it should really be the melodies and drums that stand out the most. The composition here is really fun, though. Love the dynamic and memorable melodies and the ghostly sound design. The chord progression and arrangement are a bit generic, but otherwise I have few complaints on the composition. Overall, the production could use a bit of tightening, but this is a really fun and upbeat track, AmishPimp! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC again this year. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Different Shapes (NGUAC 2023)]

I like the tranquil, dreamy synth pattern at the beginning and the rhythmic content. The texture is a bit thin for a while, but it helps when you introduce the bass at :32. The production is clean and loud, and I love the prominent hi-hat in the drum kit. The piece is a little slow to progress at times, but the transitions are smooth and the sound design is great. The composition could’ve been a tad more ambitious at times - not much melodic content here. The breakdown at 1:56 has a great atmospheric appeal, though, and I like the guitars and vocals you introduce there as well. You balance creating variety with structural cohesion really nicely here - I love when the dreamy pads come back in at 3:28, and the energetic section towards the end hits the piece home nicely. Overall, strong work, ALG! It’s been a pleasure to have you in the NGUAC again this year. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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
9/10

[Jules O - Who Will Protect (The Mox)]

Sweet track, Jules! Love the edgy guitars and Lizzie Borden lyrical theme. The vocals are powerful and sit really nicely in the mix, but also seem a tad off-key at times, like at :28. I also thought the drums could've been more punchy in some places. I think my favorite part of the piece is the "if you care at all" bridge at 2:06 - much more conversational and defeatist tone. I also enjoyed the spoken-word "PSA" vocals and the eerie compositional details (like the distorted guitar riff at the very end). Really nice work overall! It's getting me in a Halloween mood 6 weeks early. :D

dude2312 responds:

Hey TaintedLogic! Thank you so much for the review, this is pretty cool. I need to get more active on here for sure. Been a while since I posted something.

[Because We Miss You]

Alex, I’m so sorry to hear about your grandmother. I’ve heard from both you and Everratic that she was a rather special person. You’ve indeed done her a great honor by writing this beautiful piece.

—

I really like the heartfelt piano riff at the beginning and how the “body” of the sound gradually gets lower in pitch and stronger in conviction until 1:20. The bridge at 1:20 sounds a bit heavy but also strangely celebratory, a sharp contrast to the graceful and thin-sounding lines of earlier. The subtle ritardando into the shimmering line at 2:27 is haunting, although the very end doesn’t feel quite as conclusive as it could’ve been. You’ve packed a ton of emotion into this piece, though - it’s incredibly well-phrased and well-paced. Not to be cheesy, but your piece has all of the narrative appeal of life itself - the blissful glow of childhood, the difficult but fulfilling work of adulthood, and the dignified contentment of retirement. Fantastic work, Alex. I feel truly inspired to extend more kindness and patience to the older people in my life now.

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

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you. She was very special indeed, so I tried to make this song special, for her. It actually has a sister (husband?) -piece I wrote a couple of years ago when my grandpa passed. That one is "Villavslutning". I didn't mention anything in the description, since I didn't feel like it at the time. But I like to see them both as belonging together.

There is actually a reason that the end isn't necessarily very conclusive! Before the very end, the section points back to the beginning of the piece; like you said, almost going from childhood to retirement. There's a hint that there is not long left, and then, it suddenly ends, on an ambiguous tone. That's often how it is and feels, I suppose! It's sad, but it's not all bad either. She was old, and definitely had her fair share of pains. I think in a way, it was also nice to be able to let go.

Thank you again!

[Tear Through The Sky (NGADM 2023)]

I like the high-octane guitar riffs at the beginning and the punchy drums that come in shortly thereafter. The drone-like vocals at :22 are nice, although at times (:32, 1:10, 1:58, etc.) the lyrical vocals sound a tad over-processed. That may have been intentional, but it comes across as a bit cheesy. That said, I like the outer space theme and compositional details, like the way the guitar mimics the melodic contour of the vocals at 1:51. The piece might’ve used some more structural variety at some point to break up the constantly frantic and energetic texture, but the rhythmic bridge at 2:41 at least gets you part of the way there with a relatively thin texture. The extended countdown at 3:02 was a little bit drawn-out, but the guitar solo at 3:15 absolutely shreds. It’s a great way of hitting the piece home, although the drums get a tad buried during the last minute or so when the guitar is really dominating the texture. Still, I love the melodies, sound design, progression, and rhythmic content here. Keep it up, CrossCarrasco! ^_^

Also, really sorry to hear about your uncle passing. Hope he had a long and happy life.

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
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
8.75/10

CrossCarrasco responds:

Thank you for the feedback!