TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[hullaballoo court]

Really quirky and engaging intro. It’s really catchy, with some super fun sound design, even if it occasionally sounds a bit harsh in the mix (example, :45). The texture is a bit minimal, but the beat keeps things moving along, and somehow the dreamy riff at 1:06 fits in seamlessly. The fade-out of the drums at 1:30 threw me off a bit, and admittedly I also thought the complete switch of the instrumental palette by 1:40 was a bit jarring. That middle section was pretty, if also a bit minimal, and the transition at 2:10 was even more sudden than 1:40. The really in-your-face synth at 2:28 didn’t quite work for me alongside the more mellow instruments, and honestly I’m not sure the transition at 3:02 quite worked for me either. There are a lot of creative harmonic and rhythmic ideas here, not least of which is the piano riff at 3:08. The experimental composition was just a bit too much for me by the end, to be honest. The sound design and atmosphere are both really cool, and the mixing and mastering is solid as well. Even if it was intentional, I think the arrangement was too choppy, and also that it would’ve worked better if you had consolidated some of your ideas here. The glitchy sound design and harmonic dissonance is all fine, but it also doesn’t have a very strong narrative function here as far as I can discern. That “narrative” bit might sound like a pretty subjective thing to say, but it definitely shapes my tolerance for the experimental texture of the piece. The main problem is that it sounds like 3 different pieces: 0:00 to 1:40, 1:40 to 2:45, and 3:00 to 4:04. Overall, I’d strongly encourage you to keep working on this piece. It’s got a lot of fun melodies and rhythmic quirks that just need a tad bit of repackaging to have me sold on this composition. I also think that, despite your author’s comments, the mixing is rather good. Keep at it, Lofiskyline15! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.25/1.5
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.75/10

lofiskyline15 responds:

from the head honcho himself haha

thanks so much! the harshness of the spazzy samples 30ish seconds in was definitely something that I went back and forth a ton on and it definitely veers into overly so at a lot of points. and there just ended up being too much brittle high end in the mellow solo synth so the extra perspective on everything (especially compositionally) is super helpful and encouraging!

I was kinda shooting for a suite of loosely connected ideas that quickly regroup around the 3 minute mark before shooting out on a triumphant outro but the overall connective tissue being harshness could definitely get pretty grating by the end.

thanks a ton for the detailed rundown!

[Street]

I like the ghostly arpeggios at the beginning and the mellow beats at :15. Really neat sound design here, although the chord progression is pretty cliche. I also think the mix could use a tad bit of cleaning up. There’s a lot of reverb in the texture, and the arpeggios get pretty drowned out once the mix gets more saturated (i.e., around :45). The section at 1:02 was catchy, although the transition at 1:35 was a little too drawn-out imo. I like the echo-y section at 1:36, which in turn flows nicely into the heavy breaks at 1:54. Harmonically, I would’ve liked to see you do a little more with the piece later on, but at the same time the lack of variety in the harmonies made the arrangement feel a little more grounded. By that I mean that there are a lot of distinct sections of the piece that never repeat in a cut-and-dry way. It’s a pretty risky approach to composition because it can easily come off as choppy and incoherent, but here it actually works pretty well. I still might’ve liked to see a more compelling conclusion than the minimal, rhythmic part from 2:40 on, and the very ending felt a bit sudden. Overall, some of the mixing details could use some tightening, but more importantly the piece is lacking in melodic content and, at times, is a bit too minimal imo. Still, the arrangement of this piece is really creative, and the instrumentation and atmosphere are also highlights for me. Keep at it, Lagiarathalos! :)

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

[Pressure]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning with the airy guitars and crisp drums. The fade-in of the more intense elements at :30 was a great touch, and the melodies at :33 sound really soulful. The panning is a little stronger than I’m used to, but I get accustomed more and more as the piece goes on. The sense of tension and suspense in the mood is really palpable - full credit for emotion/atmosphere for sure. The production quality is also really strong. If I had to criticize one thing, it might be that there isn’t a huge sense of structural contrast here. That is, after the mellow intro, the energy level seems pretty constant throughout, and it might help maximize the emotional impact of the piece to give it a little more shape in that regard. That said, you killed it with the melodies in that lead guitar and the mixing and sound design. Strong work here, Introverse! If there’s somewhere I can download this, shoot me a PM. ^_^

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

Introverse responds:

Hello. Thank you for great feedback !!! I'm very glad you liked it. I turned on the downlaod option. Cheers !

[Meaningless (NGUAC Submission)]

I like the distorted synths at the beginning and the rhythmic content. The compression at :24 is really heavy, though - it detracts from the smooth atmosphere a bit imo. That said, I like the quirky synth riffs at :48 and the cute melodic riff that comes at around 1:10. The transition at 1:31 was a bit sudden, but by 1:42 I’m really enjoying the syncopations. The riff at 2:16 takes up a bit too much space in the mix imo, but it leads well into the second drop at 3:00. I would’ve liked to see you do more with the final drop, as there wasn’t much in the way of novel harmonic content later on in this piece, and the intensity of the build-up didn’t seem mirrored in the last drop. I also think the ending is a bit sudden here, lacking a proper outro. Overall, the arrangement is a little choppy and there are a couple other compositional details that are rough around the edges, but I really like the sound design, atmosphere, and mixing of this one. Keep at it, IAmDeadOnTheInside! :)

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
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
7.75/10

[Mirror of lies]

I like the atmosphere at the beginning and the sub-bass. The pensive rolled guitar chords at :15 provide some nice set-up, and I like the distorted melodies at :44 and subsequent build-up. The drop at :55 is pretty minimal, and also a pretty sudden change instrumentation-wise, but the quirky mood and sound design are still engaging. I like the filtering on the drums at 1:50 and the variety in the sound design during the second drop at 2:17. The texture could still use a bit more fill at some point here, and I especially wanted to see a second major climax that resolves what I see as the underlying tension of this piece. I think the atmospheric outro was a wise choice, though. Overall, I think you could’ve had a couple of bolder choices with the composition, especially later on in the piece where there was a lack of harmonic depth. That said, the mixing is solid and the sound design and atmosphere are big highlights for me. Keep at it, GooseTronics! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
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
7.75/10

GooseTronics responds:

awesome review... i shall take this advice and apply it to my next few tracks... thanks for taking the time to do NGUAC

[Knock Out]

I like the catchy synths at the beginning. The piece throws the listener right into the middle of the action without much of a proper intro, but I’m enjoying the progression and rhythmic content. There’s a tad too much reverb in the texture imo, which might detract from the distinctness of some of the synths in the mix, but otherwise the production quality is pretty solid here. The drums would ideally be a little more present, but the frequencies are well-balanced and the melodic instruments all come through clearly. The synth pattern at the breakdown at 2:47 is nice, but the vocoder gets a little cheesy after a while. I think this piece could also use some more variety in the harmonic content, and also some more memorable melodies later on. The piece flows nicely, and there are some cool automations and mixing effects throughout, especially during transitory moments. I think a lot of the compositional details are pretty cliche, especially the chord progression and beat. That said, I like the full texture, rich atmosphere, and rhythmic content of the piece. Keep at it, EppuJoloZ!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

[Endeavor (old/bad production)]

I like the dark atmosphere at the beginning and the cute synth riff at :12. The heavy compression sounds a bit bizarre when paired with the authentic guitar, but the drop at :25 was catchy, if a bit minimal. The mixing is solid, with crisp and well-balanced frequencies throughout. The synth-heavy part at 1:21 has a much richer sound than :25, and also some more engaging rhythmic content. The entire piece could use more fill in the treble range of the frequency spectrum, though, and towards the end of the cutesy breakdown at 2:23 is one of the few places where the texture seems like it really bridges the frequency spectrum. I also would’ve liked to see a bit more harmonic complexity after a time, as the chord progression here was a tad cliche. I like the variations on the second drop, but the piece could do with more of a proper outro. Overall, the production and sound design are probably my favorite elements of the piece. Despite my complaints with some of the compositional details, the eerie mood and gritty synths really won me over here. Keep at it, Entropicvoxels! :)

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

entropicvoxels responds:

thanks!

[Far - Progress]

I like the airy pads at the beginning and the cool chord progression. The arpeggios in the background are a nice touch, too. I like the sense of climax into 1:15 or so, but the drums get a little drowned out in the mix once the texture gets busier. I also think the synth bass at 1:17 is a bit too loud, although that’s more of a volume levels problem than a sound design problem. You’re right that it’s not structurally complete, but you’ve also done a good job of creating a sense of direction over the course of these 2 minutes. With a little more humanization, the pads at the beginning could really have a strong emotional quality. Sometimes, the pace of the chord progression is a tad fast, notably at :19, but by the time it repeats for the third time or so I’m used to it. Really strong work with the instrumentation and atmosphere here, though. Send me a PM if you ever get around to expanding on this one. Keep at it, Electronox! :)

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

Electronox responds:

As always, thank you for your detailed response! A lot of what you have said I am already working on, especially the balancing and structure. I will definitely keep working on it, and I will send it your way when I have finished! Thank you again for your help and I look forward to attending next years music jam!

[Mi Sueño]

I like the cute riser at the beginning and the airy texture with the E-piano and guitar. The vocals are beautiful, and the lyrics have an empowering bent. I like how you mixed English and Spanish - it makes the piece sound more authentic in a way, as a lot of bilingual people I know go back and forth seamlessly. I also like the “phrase overlap” thing you did at 1:23 (and again at 2:42). The piece ends a tad suddenly, and there could’ve been a tad more variety in the instrumental hierarchy throughout. At some point, an instrumental solo or a more prominent return of the E-piano would’ve been a welcome change. Still, the production quality is professional-grade, and I really like seeing your softer side after being more familiar with works like “Guilt” and “You’ll Get Yours” from past years. Keep it up, Dude2312! ^_^

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
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
9.25/10

dude2312 responds:

Thank you, TaintedLogic! I am right there with you when you say the song could've been a little bit longer. I was a bit hurried to write something good! But no excuses.

Thank you so much!

[Badge and Trenchcoat]

I like the dark mood and pulsing bass line at the beginning. The piece is a little slow to progress, but the rhythmic content and atmosphere help keep things engaging. I like the furtive-sounding riff at :50 and the subsequent injection of energy at 1:07. The mixing effects are used really well in this piece, from the phasing and filtering to the rich reverb. The composition gets a little bland after a while, though, with not a lot of harmonic depth. The breakdown at 2:00 or so was a nice change-of-pace, but I think you went a tad overboard with the reverb during the final climactic section at 2:48. The mix is still pretty clean, though, and overall the sound design and atmosphere are some of the strongest elements of this piece. I think you could stand to have a little more ebb-and-flow over the course of some of these longer sections (like 2:48 to 3:55), although that last section did help hit the piece home after a rather mellow middle section. Solid work overall! Keep at it, Ditchy. :)

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
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

Ditchy responds:

Im glad the atmosphere stuck throughout as I try my best to push that area in these sort of tracks! Mixing compliments mean a lot and is a big achievement for me (as you know its the hardest part).

As ever @TaintedLogic, thanks mate - as busy as you are, your feed back is really appreciated.