TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Temporal]

Right off the bat, I’m liking the energy and the rhythmic elements of the vocals. The production quality is great, although the lyrics are a bit cheesy. The pitch-shifted vocals at :37 work really well, but that section also felt a tad over-compressed. By 1:22, the vocals seem a bit repetitive, but the synth melodies at the second drop at 1:50ish are really refreshing. The arrangement and some of the chord progressions are a little generic, but I also like the change-of-pace to the beat at 2:50. Overall, you nailed the mixing, sound design, atmosphere, melodies, and arrangement. A little more variety and originality would’ve been ideal, but this is a strong effort. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, Veryfakeguest! It’s been a blast. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Sleepmarching]

I like the twittering synth at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The sound design is great, perhaps with the exception of the vocaloid. It sounds pretty realistic for a vocoder output, but admittedly that’s a pretty low bar. The production is strong, and I especially like the rhythmic “t’s” toward the end starting at around 1:45. It’s a great subtle way of using the vocoder that makes it impossible to tell it’s a vocoder. The lyrics themselves are also really good, and the theremin melodies at :45 hit the spot too. The composition could have a little more ebb-and-flow over time - right now the energy level is pretty constant, although the piece flows smoothly and seems really cohesive, but also well-varied harmonically. Overall, I’m really enjoying the bright mood, mixing, and rhythmic elements here. The vocaloid strikes me as low-hanging fruit for improvement, but I like the other vocal samples you included here at around 1:30. Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year, Vermeen! It’s been a blast. ^_^

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
.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
9/10

vermeen responds:

It's been quite the ride! Yeah, I defs agree with the voice, didn't mold it out enough and the arrangement was done in one go (I made it on the same day the song got published lmao)! This song went through so many drafts like it was making me lose my mind but I'm glad I still finished it and didn't tap out. I've learned so much through participating. Thank you so much for your invaluable words and for setting up the contest!

[Crown of Grace]

I like the tranquil mood at the beginning. The instruments don’t sound entirely authentic, but the phrasing and tasteful use of dissonance (like at :57) are appealing here. The emotional appeal of the piano at 1:32 is really nice, although the beat that starts fading in at 1:43 or so seems a little too regular and energetic for a piece like this. The build-up into 2:41 was well-done, but the section at 2:41 itself felt a little bland and chordal. Some stronger melodic content at some point would’ve really helped tie this piece together. The meandering mallet riff at 3:24 seems a bit square and aimless to quite serve the “strong melodic content” purpose here. That said, I really like the rich, well-balanced texture and progression here. Some of the compositional details could use a bit more fleshing out imo, but the production, arrangement, and atmosphere are all very well-crafted here. Keep at it, Undervania, and thanks for coming out to this year’s NGUAC! ^_^ It’s been a blast.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
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
7.75/10

uvimusic responds:

Glad you liked it! Thanks a lot for the criticism:)

[Under Frost]

I like the heavy guitars at the beginning and the energy. The throaty vocals are great, but sometimes their delivery is a tad awkward - “behind...your eyes” at :34, for example. The lyrics themselves are good, though. The mix holds up incredibly well here despite the busy texture, and I’m enjoying the more melodic flair to the guitar riffs at 1:12. After a time, the structure of the piece feels a tad cyclical and formulaic, and I was waiting for a bit more variety in the energy level and tone of the piece to help keep me engaged. The section at 2:38 helps scratch that itch a bit, but the section itself is pretty bland and short-lived. The extra low-register vocal layers at 3:25 really give an extra edge to the end of the piece, and the guitar solo at 3:48 seems to have an added sense of urgency to it that adds a sense of arrival towards the end. Still, the end felt a tad abrupt somehow. I think it’s hard to convey much in the way of phrasing when the intensity and instrumentation of the piece is so uniform throughout. That said, the ominous, foreboding tone and dense rhythmic content of the piece are really engrossing here, and I continue to be impressed with the production quality throughout. Strong work, TSRBand! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year. ^_^

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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.25/10

TSRBand responds:

Thanks so much for hosting the comp and the detailed review! I'm glad you liked it :)

[Dreams in Scarlet Reverb [II. Hollow]]

I like the nature sound effects at the beginning and beeping/heavy breathing. That said, the transition at :37 was a little abrupt, and didn’t end up crafting the sound design at the beginning into a very coherent direction. The tone of the piece after around the 1-minute mark is much brighter and even adventuresome-sounding. The pacing is a bit slow, but I’m enjoying the more prominent vocals at 1:45 and the gradual climax into 2:09. The texture is pretty minimal at 2:10, but the use of compression and variety across phrases helps keep things interesting. The production quality and sound design are both really strong here, although I wonder if the arrangement could be a bit more cohesive - there are a couple of sudden transitions, such as at 3:50, 4:16, and 5:32 - and the instrumentation and mood change so frequently that it’s hard to keep tabs on the overarching sense of direction here. A lot of the melodic motifs and rhythmic elements are really enjoyable - I especially like the cutesy vocals at around 4:30. The piece didn’t quite come together by the end for me, though. The arrangement is a tad choppy at times, and I didn’t quite get a strong sense of narrative arc or development from the piece. It might help if you had consolidated some of your ideas a bit more, as I feel like the complicated orchestration pattern and phrase structure here are a bit disorienting sometimes. That said, the sound design is pretty unique, and the texture feels well-balanced and full for much of the piece. The rhythmic content, atmosphere, and mixing were also strengths. Overall, solid work here, TheVodouQueen, and thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
8.25/10

[Angels Voice "NGUAC Final"]

I like the beats at the beginning and the creative use of sweeps. The piece is a little slow to progress, and I would’ve liked to hear some more creative drum patterns at some point. The production quality is strong, and the sound design fits well in context, even if it is a bit cliche at times. The snare was a bit far back in the mix for most of the piece, but otherwise the mastering holds up well. The piece flows really smoothly, and by around the 3-minute mark the meaning of the theme of the “angel’s voice” is clear to me. I was itching for some more dynamic melodic content at some point, and I think the climax into 5:23 was a bit of a missed opportunity for that. The second half of the piece is quite repetitive, and much of the foregrounded content is rhythmic/chordal in nature. That said, I really like the atmosphere and rich texture here. The composition could’ve been a bit bolder in places, but the production makes up for that imo. Keep at it, TerraNation, and thanks for coming out to the NGUAC! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[after the world ended - NGUAC 2021]

Very creative and experimental approach here. The vocals at the beginning have a few mic pops and crackles, but that may be on purpose. The dense rhythmic content at :14 reminds me of György Ligeti, and I do like the jazzy e-piano pads that pop in occasionally - they help ground the listener in some moving notes amidst the chaos of the rhythmic and vocal sections. The section at 1:15 was probably my favorite part - the light, airy tone and rich atmospheric texture at 1:30 are really nice, and I like how the vocals continue throughout that section. The dramatic pause right after the curse at 2:00 is a clever way of transitioning back into the frantic percussion riffs. The heavy and somewhat exotic-sounding texture at 3:05 is probably my second-favorite part of the piece. I feel like you could’ve used a conclusion that wrapped up the “narrative” element of the track. The vocals are the main thing giving this piece a sense of “story line,” so I would’ve liked to see them tie the piece together a bit more at the end. I also think the piece could’ve used some smoother transitions in places, at least between the vocals and rhythmic/staticky noise. As an experimental piece, I really enjoyed it for the variety and creative thematic elements. As a stand-alone track, I might’ve liked to see you integrate the various motifs better and also find some way of resolving the tension in the piece. Still, this is a stand-out track for me in a lot of ways. The sound design is superb, and the production and balance on the rhythmic sections is really well-done. Really creative and evocative work, SnaresWorks! Thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year. It’s been a blast. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

SnaresWorks responds:

thank you for your review! a lot of people have been saying that this track stood out to them, which makes me really happy! i tried doing something different than what everyone was going for, and i agree with most of the points that you made, i definitely could've sat a little more and changed up some things to make it have a better overall narrative :)

im definitely joining the nguac again next year, thank you for the review!

[Fake it to make it]

I like the quirky sound design and angsty vocals. Some of the instruments sound a tad harsh in my headphones, especially the kick and the bass - maybe the panning/stereo enhancing is a tad too strong? It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s going on without seeing your mixer, but that’s my hunch. Anyway, once the texture starts filling in more the harshness bothers me less, and I’m captivated by the well-balanced frequencies and rhythmic content. The chorus at :55 is a bit bland, though - some more melodic interest or dynamic instrumental harmonies would’ve been nice there. You use a lot of stop-start transitions (:53, 1:56, 2:26, etc.) which gives the arrangement a bit of a choppy feel. The “I’m going to win this” at 2:30 was a fun variation on the chorus, but overall the lyrics could’ve been a bit more creative in places. “Fake it to make it” is kind of a trite saying, and there’s a lot of repetition in the vocal lines. The synth solo at 3:24 was probably my favorite part of the piece, but even then it had a bit of a square rhythm, and didn’t introduce any particularly new contour or sense of development in the piece. Overall, I really like the sound design, and the execution on the vocals themselves was quite good. Some of the compositional details might’ve needed to marinate a bit more - the melodic patterns and lyrics both seemed a bit stale. That said, besides my minor complaint early on, the production quality is really good, and I also enjoyed the atmosphere and texture of this one a lot. Solid work overall, Shifterhead, and thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year! ^_^

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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Sunrise]

I like the melancholic mood at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The percussion isn’t my favorite, though - the snare-equivalent sounds like you’re hitting an iron pipe with a drumstick in a tunnel, and overall the drums are a little too loud compared to the atmospheric tracks. I enjoyed the build-up at :42, and the drop had a nice, open and expansive vibe, but also could’ve been a tad more dynamic. The bridge at 1:50 was nice for some variety, but also feels a tad over-compressed. Otherwise, the production quality is solid here, with crisp drums and clear instruments throughout. There are a lot of stop-start transitions in this piece that break up the flow a bit, but I do like how you brought back the furtive atmospheric part for the outro, giving the piece a nice full-circle feel (much like the sun; I get it). Overall, the mixing and mastering are good, and the atmosphere and mood are easily my favorite elements of the piece, but the composition feels a tad formulaic, and I wasn’t a huge fan of some of your sound design choices. You’re clearly a talented producer, though, and thanks for coming out to the NGUAC this year! It’s been a blast. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10