TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Timeless]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the cute vocals in the background. The build-up at :28 was well-done, and I like how you stripped away the beat at :41 to ease into the drop. The drop was catchy, although the rhythmic content was a bit square, and the mix sounds pretty over-compressed there. I also think the drop drags on for just a tad too long, although the more melodic elements at 1:37 help add some variety. The breakdown at 1:50 was a nice change-of-pace, but could also use a little more flair (maybe a secondary melody or other attention-grabbing element, especially since it lasts for a full 40 seconds). The piece flows smoothly into the second build-up/drop cycle, but I would’ve liked to hear a little more variety in the drop the second time around as well. Overall, this piece is really catchy and well-produced and has some neat sound design, but the arrangement is a bit generic and repetitive. Especially within some of these longer phrases (especially the breakdown), the composition just needs a stronger sense of ebb and flow. Still, the mixing and mastering are really strong, and the punchy synths and fat bass are big pluses. Keep at it, Axsou! ^_^

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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[Belong (NGUAC 2024 Version)]

I like the distorted crowd noises at the beginning, although the harsh mixing effects on the guitar at :04 are a little bit too much IMO. I really like the vocals - very smooth and conversational delivery. The lyrics are relatable, too. The chord progression is a bit cliche, but the rich atmosphere of the piece and the quirky distorted edge to the mix help add some uniqueness nonetheless. I think the piece would benefit from a more fleshed-out structure, even if that’s just adding a brief solo or atmospheric bridge or something. Still, you won me over with the polished production and introspection. Keep at it, AveragePhoe! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Lost My Way in an Ocean of Sulfur]

I like the glitchy intro and the airy synths at :07. The non-traditional meter was a nice touch too. The drums don’t quite sit far forward in the mix enough for my tastes, especially once the texture gets busier at around :40. The synth harmonies and the upbeat mood are great, and you also do a good job keeping things interesting with the rhythmic elements. After a while, the texture does begin to sound a bit repetitive, though, with a lot of melody lines that don’t quite feel dynamic enough to be constantly repeated for 5+ minutes. At some point, a bridge or new solo or something to break up the uniformity of the texture would’ve been welcome. That said, the atmosphere of this piece is great, and I also love the outro with the cute, echo-y synths. Overall, this is a catchy and evocative track. Keep at it, Aardvark04! ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[too long laces]

I like the quirky, distorted organ synth at the beginning and the refreshing beats that come in shortly thereafter. The mix starts sounding pretty distorted at around :16, with the higher-pitched clap that plays on consecutive off-beats at the end of every measure seriously ducking under the rest of the texture. I think you need to be stricter with the equalizers and balance the frequencies a bit better - there’s just a few too many instruments that have a lot of bass-range tones. Otherwise, the composition could be fleshed out a lot more, and the texture is a bit minimal for a lot of the piece. I’d encourage you to keep working on this, though - it’s seriously catchy, and the sound design is really cool. Keep at it, Aaexx! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6/10

[4KKoRD - "Illusion" (NGUAC 2024)]

I like the foreboding pads and punchy drums at the beginning. The sound design sounds pretty good, albeit a bit generic, especially with the drums and FL Keys presets. The drop at :40 is catchy, and the intricate rhythms there help add some flavor. The airy breakdown at 1:34 was a nice change-of-pace, but I thought the transition back into the eerie pads at 2:12 could’ve been a bit less abrupt. The variations during the second drop are also nice, but a bit too subtle to give the piece that ultimate sense of closure. The outro could’ve been a tad more creative, too.

Overall, this is a catchy, smooth-flowing, and well-produced track with some solid sound design. I think the composition could be a bit bolder in places, and the arrangement and some of the instruments are pretty cliche. Still, the mixing and mastering are really strong, and the ominous mood is captivating. Keep at it, 4KKoRD! ^_^

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
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Midwest]

Hey KurtisKong! Sorry for the delay - I know I told you I'd give this a review like 2 weeks ago. I like the groovy guitar riffs towards the beginning. The drums struggle to stay on top of the mix a bit - maybe a boost in the upper-mids in the EQ would help. The big leaps in pitch in the lead at :51 are pretty cool, and overall the piece is smooth-flowing and catchy. I think it could use some more dynamic melodic content, though - probably either vocals or a more prominent solo somewhere. Otherwise, it just gets a tad repetitive after a while. Still, I like the new riff at 2:35 and the slight slowdown just before the final chord. Overall, solid work! Keep it up. ^_^

["Glorious Morning" .remix_]

I think the hardstyle sound design actually fits the tune really well. The transitions at :54 and 1:20 are a bit sudden, and much of the piece is pretty minimal. The synth bass is a little too quiet in the mix relative to the lead and drums, but otherwise the production quality is solid. I feel like you could've added more onto the original and really made it your own - fleshing out the structure more and adding a countermelody might help. Still, you really captured the triumphant and upbeat feel of the original, and I like the instrumentation, especially the dreamy bells at :54. Keep it up, X-500! ^_^

X-500 responds:

you know, there was an idea to add something else here, but I could never fully achieve it. As for the bass in the mix, everything seems to me that it seemed normal on my part and this time I wanted everything to be in harmony, but in any case, thanks for noticing this and for this great review, TaintedLogic! =-)

[-Ghost Tower-]

I like the eerie atmosphere at the beginning. Some wet reverb and other mixing effects could help enhance that effect even more. The ghostly pads and fat bass at :23 are really nice, but at :49 or so the piece loses its ominous feel. It would help thread the ghost theme of the piece through the different sections a bit better if you had maintained the atmospheric drone from the beginning as a backdrop during the more rhythmic sections. I still think you're overemphasizing variety over coherence with this track - there are a lot of pretty abrupt transitions here, and also end-of-phrase filler content (like at 1:26) that makes the structure feel pretty disjointed. I like the breakdown at 1:53 - you're really returning this piece to its ghostly roots there. :D Also, the atmospheric outro is wonderful - thread that sort of content throughout the piece with some more gradual transitions, and I think this would feel a lot more like a cohesive story. The sound design and production quality are strong here, though. Keep at it, CF24! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

Sorry for replying so late! Thank you for the advice! I (tried to) put better transitions in my latest song actually

[-Deep Water Henge-]

I like the quirky melody at :15, but the synths sound a bit unpolished and dry in the mix - some more reverb and filtering could add some interest there. By :30, the texture comes together nicely, and the rhythmic content here is super catchy. For most of the piece, the texture is still pretty minimal, though, and the piece often feels like it's missing some higher-pitched tones and some depth in the middle range. At 1:30, there's also a bit of harmonic dissonance between the bass and the pads, and I would've liked to see you vary some of the lead riffs by the end of the piece. Otherwise, the arrangement sounds a bit formulaic, with regular changes in the texture but not much of an overarching sense of direction and storytelling. Overall, not your best, but there are some seriously catchy individual riffs here, and the mixing is solid. I'm impressed you made this in 50 minutes. Keep at it, CF24! ^_^

Creeperforce24 responds:

Yeah, I never expected this to be my best, this was mainly a test in msking FM Sega beats, I’ve never done it before lol!

[Ways of Remembering]

I like the smooth guitar and crisp drums at the beginning. The piece has a bright tone and some good syncopations, and the sound design is probably my favorite element of it overall. The drums get a little buried in the mix at :33. I like the choir at :33, but I agree that some more "foregrounded" vocals would add a lot to the piece. The heavier guitar solo at 1:31 was a nice change-of-direction, but in general the composition could've been a tad bolder here, especially in the first half or so. I always admire the use of creative meters like 13/8, and the extended solos towards the end tie the piece together nicely. Overall, solid work, Possibly! Best of luck in the 13/8 compo. ^_^

Possibly responds:

Thanks for taking the time to review when you've got so much other stuff on with the other comp - appreciate it!

Yeah, sometimes I just need an excuse to make something to mess around- so it's just a thing I made with no good home really.