TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Beach Looks Pretty Today]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning, the smooth synth bass, and crisp drums. The progression seems a bit square and formulaic, though. Most of the variety in the piece comes from adding and subtracting instruments over time, as opposed to more advanced methods like changes in volume levels, filtering, automation, etc. Some more ebb-and-flow to the piece within individual phrases might give it a stronger narrative appeal. There could also be some more memorable melodic content here and variety in the harmonic framework. I would’ve liked to see some more compositional risk-taking. The injection of energy at 2:24 was a good step in that direction, but the section before could’ve led up to it a bit more. Overall, it’s a cute piece with some nice sound design and solid mixing. I think the composition felt a bit bland at times, but the busy drum pattern at the end and cutesy synths will be stuck in my head for a while. Keep at it, Amelia! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

[AlphezoPlay - Tesseract (Growls & Guitars)]

I like the ominous atmosphere and soulful guitar solos at the beginning. The texture is pretty heavy and indistinct at :28, with the drums falling a tad flat. Then the mood shifts rather abruptly at :56, although I like the laid-back jazzy harmonies and rhythmic elements there. The mid-range bass is a bit too prominent in the mix at around 1:30 onwards compared to the pads and guitar melodies, and eventually it got a little irksome and grating when you used it to trace out all of the chord changes. The isolated guitar solos at 2:48 work well to provide a bit of a break in the action, and the energetic section at the end helps hit the piece home. I applaud your compositional risk-taking and unique sound design here. I think the mix could benefit from reining in some of these volume levels and scaling back the reverb and effects during some of the transitions. The drums, guitar solos, and other melodies should probably be the loudest element in the texture for most of the piece, not the mid-range bass or sweeps. I also think that, while it helps smooth over the transitions, the thick wall of reverb (like at :27) probably shouldn’t completely overwhelm the rest of the instruments for 5 seconds at a time. Still, you get full credit for originality, and strong scores for both composition and instrumentation here. Solid work, AlphezGD! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Millnnium]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the choir samples. The filtering at :13 is a bit abrupt, and most of the first minute or so the mix seems a bit bottled-up, as if you really limited the frequency range of each instrument in the equalizer. The drop at :57 is nice melodically, but again the mix feels very strained there. The volume levels are appropriate overall, yet the drums don’t come through the mix very well. It’s very strange. Usually, when people have mixing problems, it’s either that they don’t use enough compression and equalizers and so things sound really distorted and muddy, or they use too many effects and so things sound really artificial and off-balance. Hypothetically, the good thing about using too much compression is that the mix will sound really punchy and full, but that’s not the case here. Maybe the problem is that you have too much filtering on the drums? I’d suggest leaving almost the whole frequency range of kicks and snares intact in the equalizer. Clearly, they’re sidechained with the synths or something, because I CAN hear them. It’s just that they seem a bit quiet and thin for most of the piece.

Anyway, I’ve spent enough time talking about that. The composition of the piece is pretty nice. The atmospheric bridge at 2:06 sounds really smooth and dreamy, and the transition into 2:48 was really cool. You’ve got some fun, glitchy, and dissonant effects at 3:10 that help keep the piece engaging later on, but the mix still needs to breathe a bit more there. The somewhat cutesy outro was a nice touch too. You cycle through a variety of moods and textures here, and I’m impressed with the results. The sound design is pretty good, too, perhaps with the exception of the drum samples. In sum, the mixing seriously detracts from my enjoyment of the piece, but the composition is well-executed and full of energy and dynamism. Keep at it, Aetherous! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[Hotline Miami : SHOGANAI - Rolling Punches]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning and the airy quality to the texture. The energetic drums and saxophone melodies blend into the texture really nicely, and the mix is pretty clean, despite the heavy use of reverb. I think the arrangement/phrasing of the piece might need some work, though. The transitions are a bit rough in general, and most of the variety in the piece comes from adding and subtracting instruments over time, as opposed to more advanced methods like changes in volume levels, filtering, automation, etc. Some more ebb-and-flow to the piece within individual phrases might give it a stronger narrative appeal. That said, I really like the sound design and rhythmic elements here, and overall the piece comes together really well. Keep up the good work, achair225! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

[Tempest]

I like the frantic synth arpeggios at the beginning and the rhythmic content. The drums fall a bit flat in the mix, though, especially the kick. I’d suggest some compression, sidechaining, and/or other mixing effects to make them sound punchier. The synths have a fun retro vibe, and also blend in nicely with the piano at 1:00. There’s a bit of dissonance in the harmonies at 1:22, but otherwise I’m loving the variety of the solos in this piece, from the piano and guitar early on to the moody riffs during the breakdowns to the synth melodies later on.

Production-wise, I think there’s some room for better balancing some of the instruments in the mix. The guitar is really overwhelming the harmonies at 1:40. I’d double-check the equalizer there to make sure you’re cutting off the bass frequencies in the guitar (and if you don’t know what I mean, PM me and I’ll explain further). Other mixing effects, like reverb and filtering, could also help spice up your piece at times. The breakdown at 2:24 provided some much-needed structural variety in the piece, and was also rather melodious and flowing, like the rest of the piece. Your transitions are all really smooth here, and you make great use of drum fills and such, as opposed to typical EDM build-ups. And despite my complaints about how the drums are mixed, the drum patterns themselves are really creative too.

The modulation at 4:00 was also good for some variety, and you transitioned into and out of it seamlessly. Toward the end, the piece does tend to sound a tad repetitive, although I like how you brought back the guitar for a last hurrah at 5:30. The bridge at 6:00 was a bit bizarre, though - it didn’t quite fit the flow of the piece in my opinion. That said, you’re clearly a really talented composer. Your melody-writing is one of the best I’ve seen in the competition so far. Cleaning up the mixing and smoothing over a couple small nicks is all you need to make this a top-tier piece, my friend. This track reminds me of video game music from the 90s and early 2000s, which is always a good thing. ^_^ Keep it up, Aardvark04!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Daze]

I like the ghostly atmosphere at the beginning. The synth bass at :17 is pretty neat, too, and the build-up into :36 was also enjoyable. The drums sound a tad dry, and the drop is pretty minimal. I think my biggest problem here is with the mixing, though. The compression is very heavy here, to the extent that the texture sounds pretty distorted and off-balance. The re-intro and second build-up work well, and you did a good job of varying the drop the second time around. Transposing that harmony synth up the octave was a good idea - it almost sounds like a human voice that’s been pitch-shifted. I also liked your idea of putting the kick and clap slightly before the beat here. It gives the entire piece this wonky emphasis that meshes well with the quirky synths. The sound design is probably my favorite element of the piece. The composition remains pretty minimal throughout, although the compression does help to fill in some space in the mix. Some elements of the piece are a little generic - notably the arrangement with the two cycles of intro/build-up/chorus. I also think the piece could’ve used a more proper outro and a stronger sense of variety within the phrases, especially during the drops. Even punctuating the drops with a vocal sample or drum fill would’ve helped. That said, the piece is really catchy, energetic, and as I mentioned has some killer instrumentation. Keep at it, AALKARAZZ! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7/10

[Insert title here. Song made with computer]

I like the quirky, eastern-sounding instrument at the beginning. I think the ping-pong echo effects on it are a little too heavy, though. They sound a bit harsh in my earphones. The texture is pretty minimal, but the rhythmic elements of the pads and percussion help keep me engaged. The piece has a pretty straightforward ABACA sort of structure, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I feel like the “B” (at :31) and “C” (at 1:00) don’t add much to the piece. You’re dropping some new chords, with a slightly different rhythm, but it’s unclear how those sections are supposed to fit in with the wonky, blissful vibe of the “A” (at :12 and other places). There’s not much of a transition between A and its counterparts either time. As a result, the piece doesn’t really feel complete. It feels like the seed of a cool idea that’s a little half-baked. The ping-pong effects grow on me as I listen to the piece for a second and third time, but if you’re going for the “minimal EDM that stays engaging because of its cool sound design” vibe, I’d suggest at least having some more filtering/reverb automations to keep the piece sounding dynamic and fresh. I do really like the sound design, though. The percussion is very out-of-the-way, which makes that echo-y synth feel even more wonky and flamboyant. It’s a cool idea for a piece. I just wanted to see you do more with it. Keep at it, Aalasteir! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.5/10

SteveMaddenFootball responds:

Thank you for your message, I find your input and insight valuable.

[Goam]

Really creative sound design and rhythmic elements here. I think the texture gets a tad too busy at around :16, though. There are a lot of heavy, distorted, bass-range synths in here, and they’re stepping over each other a bit too much. It might help to transpose one or two of these instruments up the octave so that you have more of a balance of higher and lower pitches. Part of the problem is that there doesn’t seem to be a lot of mixing and mastering work here. The synths don’t blend particularly well together, and the entire texture sounds pretty indistinct and bottom-heavy, especially at the busier parts. There’s also very little melodic content or creative transitions to give the piece a sense of narrative. I like a lot of the isolated riffs, especially the quirky eastern-sounding one at :56, and I think the structure of the piece makes for a good loop. I just wanted to see you do a bit more with the composition of this one. It’s a catchy beat, but it doesn’t progress much beyond a gritty rhythm section and abrupt, 10-second bridge. Sorry if this review comes off as too negative. I think if you took a few more compositional risks in this track, they would be rewarded - more variety in the harmonies, a fuller palette of instruments beyond bass synths, etc. Let me know if you have any questions about my feedback, and thanks for coming out for the NGUAC! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
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
.75/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
3.5/10

AVKid4 responds:

Definitely appreciate the feedback, I'm pretty new at this stuff/kinda pick it up as I go. so any advice is constructive

[Liquid Lullaby]

I like the cutesy mood at the beginning and the creative variety of instruments. The bass feels pretty heavy to contrast the mallet-like synths and smooth pads. The pacing of the piece felt a little slow at times, but you kept it interesting with the bridge at 1:30. The strings at 1:30 sound a bit inauthentic, and some other elements were a little generic (like the drum samples), but overall I appreciate the variety in the texture here, driven by some strong transitions and fun melodic content. The mix feels a bit strained at times, but that’s probably at least in part because there’s a lot going on at a given time. The strings sound particularly indistinct at 1:45 when the bass comes in. It might be a good idea to check the equalizer there to make sure you’re cutting off the bass frequencies in the strings (and if you don’t know what I mean, PM me and I’ll explain further). I also like how you began and ended the piece with the piano recordings. The recording quality isn’t perfect, though. I’d suggest cutting out the little pops and background noise you can hear at 2:12 to 2:15 or so. Also, if you aren’t already, I’d suggest downloading a metronome app and listening to it with headphones while you’re recording. That might help you keep the meter a tad straighter at :14 or so. So, in sum, the production is a tad rough around the edges, but I really like the composition. The piece feels whimsical and light-hearted, full of variety and yet very smooth-flowing. Solid work, 314leafcutterant! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Trenches]

I'm not judging your group, Kurtiskong, but I'm thoroughly impressed with this one. The atmosphere pulls me in right away, and the powerful vocals and ominous guitars are really compelling. If one word needs to be re-recorded, it might be "needed" at 1:18, and I also think the autotune briefly poops out at 1:08, but otherwise the vocal performance was really strong. The ending cuts off a tad suddenly, and I might've asked for some additional variety/layering during the second chorus, just to up the emotion to hit the piece home. But I really like how you stuck with your hip-hop roots for the beat while taking on a new genre with such gusto. Overall, fantastic work here, dude. Well-deserved frontpage! ^_^

Kurtiskong responds:

Thank you. I appreciate the feedback and kind words! :)