TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Fighting Spirit]

I like the smooth pads at the beginning and the relaxed mood. The rhythm feels a bit square, but the sound design is engaging and the mix is full and loud. Some of the sound design choices are a bit cheesy, like the lead synth and strings. The balance in the texture also could use a little help at times - the strings feel pretty far back in the mix at times, despite playing some prominent melodic content at several points. You clearly have a good sense of harmony and progression, though, and the more hip hop-inspired beat at 1:45 is a great touch, and pairs well with the funky bass there too. The melodies during the second refrain seem copy-pasted from the first, but there’s so much variety in the texture along other parameters (sound design, rhythmically, etc.), that I’m fully engaged until the end. The jazzy chord at the end is just the cherry on top. Overall, this is really solid work, Dag0! My main concern is probably the mix - some elements of it could come through a lot clearer, especially the strings, and at times it’s on the verge of being overwhelmed by all the different elements of the texture. Still, sound design, melodies, and progression are all on point here. Keep it up! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Timeless]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning and the heavy sub-bass. The sound design is really murky and evocative, which fits the mood nicely, although the texture is a bit thin. I’m enjoying the rhythmic content, but the lack of harmonic depth becomes a turnoff after a while. The composition could’ve been a lot more dynamic here, and the main melody later on is really far back in the mix. Some vocals or a saxophone solo or something would really help get this piece to the next level. Until then, you’re clearly a talented producer with a knack for sound design and rhythm. Keep at it, CasperJoaca! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
6/10

[Horizon's Edge]

I like the funky pads at the beginning and the crisp hi-hats. The cutesy melodies at :12 works nicely, although the kick seems a tad heavy and over-compressed. The chord progression is a bit generic, but the texture is well-balanced and full. I also enjoyed the frantic riff at 1:03 and the atmospheric breakdown at 1:16. The transition into the main melody at 2:00 was smooth, and overall you’ve done a great job of combining a dreamy atmosphere with energetic beats here. I might’ve liked to hear more variety on that main melody by 2:30 or so. That said, the sound design (especially the mallets) is great here, and the production quality is solid as well. My main complaint is probably the lack of originality in the chord progression and arrangement, but clearly you’re a talented producer and melody writer. Keep at it, C0mc1ol! :)

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
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
8.5/10

[Catalytic Overdrive]

I like the drums at the beginning, but they’re really quiet in the mix. I think the synths overpower the mix a bit too much - I’d suggest bringing down the volume levels a tad, or otherwise filtering out the stereo clicks that play along with them. The frantic riffs and rhythmic flair of the piece are both really neat, but the composition doesn’t feel very dynamic here. The harmonies also pretty much copy the lead, which makes the progression a bit bland after a while. The sound design is good, and the mix is clean, but honestly the composition feels unfinished here. Also, the way you balance the frequencies between the melodic instruments and the drums here is a bit bizarre. That said, your melodic instruments blend well together, and you definitely get points for atmosphere and catchiness. Keep at it, Bradley-Pittman! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
6/10

[Bottom Kek- R. P. M.]

I like the riser at the beginning and the synths. That snare sample is really punchy, and helps give the piece a really energetic vibe. The chord progression is pretty generic, and the filtering/phasing on the pad that comes in every 4 or 8 bars is a nice touch. I like how the piece takes more of a melodic turn at 1:15, but even then the melodies there could’ve been a tad more dynamic. The composition here seems a bit overly formulaic, between the regular changes every 4-8 bars and the simplistic ABAC structure. Overall, my favorite elements of the piece are probably the mixing, instrumentation, and rhythmic content. More originality in the harmonic content and progression could really help take this piece to the next level. Keep at it, BottomKek! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.25/10

[Circuit Bored - Fair Dancin']

I like the relaxed vibe at the beginning and the smooth atmosphere. The mix could’ve been a bit punchier, especially since so many of the instruments have a languid vibe. The kick in particular doesn’t come through very well, and the overall volume levels are pretty quiet. Seems like you left yourself a lot of room to make use of compressors and other mixing effects, but didn’t necessarily capitalize. The funky guitar at :54 was a fun addition to the texture - I’m liking the jazzy sound design and progression. At times, the composition was a bit bland. The melodic content could’ve been a bit more dynamic, overall the piece lacks a strong sense of direction after a while. The additional guitar harmonies at 2:50 are very faint, giving the piece a sense of over-repetition towards the end. Overall, you nailed the instrumentation, atmosphere, and harmonies. The composition might need a bit more fleshing out, and the mix, while well-balanced and pretty clean, could also be louder and sharper in places. Otherwise, it’s going to be stuck in my head for a while. Keep at it, BoredMusic! :)

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
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
7.5/10

[Hyper Birds - Super Competitive Song]

I like the spacey atmosphere and beat at the beginning. The production is solid, and the sound design, while a bit cheesy, fits the mood nicely. The melodies at :55 are great, although by around 1:30 they feel a tad repetitive. The active percussion line helps keep things moving, and the drum solo at 2:04 was a nice touch. Lots of rich crashes and hats in the top range to balance out the frequency range. The more frantic lead at 2:27 is good for some variety too, and it starts feeling more dynamic with the ascending line at around 2:55. The chord stab at 3:10 was a nice idea too. Overall, this piece gets a bit repetitive after a while - some more dynamic melodies or even a modulation would help give it more variety. That said, the production quality is strong, the sound design is fun, and the energy and upbeat mood enhance the catchy rhythmic content. I’m not a huge fan of fade-out endings, but that’s probably my only complaint with the arrangement. Overall strong work here, BasiatordeCoronatus! ^_^

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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

[stolthet]

I like the quirky percussion towards the beginning, although I’m not sure I like that the percussion gets so much blander when the guitar comes in at :22. The guitar riffs are nice and relaxed, and I’m enjoying the filtering and atmospheric details by :40 or so. The bass harmonies are a bit dissonant with the lead, but in a way that fits the experimental texture. The section from :37 to 1:36 could’ve been a tad more dynamic, and I also might’ve liked to see a smoother transition to the breakdown at 1:46 besides a fade-out/fade-in. That said, the ping pong echo effects are really nice during the final minute here, as are the cheesy synth brass pads. Overall, I have no complaints with the production quality or sound design either. Really evocative piece, Aweror. You won me over with the spacey mixdown, relaxed mood, and instrumentation. The composition could’ve been a tad bolder, but overall solid work! ^_^

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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
8.25/10

Aweror responds:

thanks so much! i hope everyone judging nguac knows that the feedback is really helpful!!

[ALGO - Attack (NGUAC 2021)]

I like the beat at the beginning and the funky white noise effect. The texture is pretty minimal and dry, and despite the cool rhythmic content the composition could’ve been a lot more engaging after a while. The production quality is solid, and once the bouncy piano at :46 comes in the piece starts to come together. That said, overall this track didn’t feel very dynamic, and also seriously lacked melodic content. The build-up into 1:31 was strong, but it ended up being a tad anticlimactic after reverting to the same piano riff at 1:33. The additional vocal samples during the second half were a nice touch, though. Overall, I’m really enjoying the sound design, mixing, and catchiness of the piece. The composition was a tad bland, though, and it would’ve helped to have a thicker texture and a stronger sense of progression throughout. Still, I can tell you’re a talented producer. Keep at it, ALGOfficial! ^^

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

[Cave Siren]

I like the water sound effects and relaxed atmosphere at the beginning. The drum beat and twittery synths at :34 come together nicely, and there's a good sense of climax into :44. There's a bit of dissonance in the harmonies by :45-:50 or so, and some of the riffs end up tripping over each other a bit. The drop was a little more straight-forward harmonically, and had some cool rhythmic syncopations to boot. The sound design and mixing are both pretty good here. The piano line at the breakdown at 2:05 or so seems a bit generic and stale, but the synth guitar thereafter helps thicken up the texture and make that section feel a tad more dynamic. The re-entry of the vocals at 3:15 or so was well done, and the added harmonies at the second drop at 4:03 fit in nicely. Overall, I'm enjoying the upbeat mood, instrumentation, and production quality here. Some of the compositional details could use some more fleshing out, especially the melodic elements. I also think that the structure felt a bit dragged-out at times. That said, overall it's a strong, memorable, and catchy piece! Keep at it, Ziondiac. ^_^

Ziondiac responds:

Thanks for the feedback and vote.