TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[ALWS feat. ANANASIK - BLEAH]

I like the sitar and other ethnic instruments at the beginning. The vocal samples and airy beats work well together, and the rhythmic content is really cool too. You overuse the vocal samples after a while, and I would’ve liked to hear some more harmonic development to the piece. The most dynamic element of the texture here is probably the bass line, and most of that dynamism comes from the rhythmic aspects. You’re clearly a talented producer, but I’d like to see a more structurally complete and well-rounded composition here. The sound design, atmosphere, and mixing are all highlights, though. Keep at it, TomWillson! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[The Doctor Is In (Short Edit Radio Mix)]

I like the creepy, echo-y riff at the beginning. The bass at :07 is a little overpowering, but the rest of the atmosphere comes together nicely. The vocal samples help tie things together nicely, although otherwise the piece is a little slow to progress. You also have a habit of adding and subtracting a lot of instruments without warning, which comes across as a bit jarring sometimes. Even a brief sweep or crash could help smooth things over, like at :45. It also threw me off a bit that the breaks at 1:04 had a different harmonic pattern than the build-up immediately preceding them. The section at 2:37 was also pretty minimal and underwhelming. You start to overuse the vocal samples a bit in there, too - where are they from, btw? When you chopped them up and added some atmosphere at 3:30, I was getting back into it, and I’ll also say I really like the production quality throughout. Some of the main riffs could vary more at some point, and I also would’ve liked to hear some more prominent melodic content later on. The section at 5:20 was also too stripped-down and dragged-out for my tastes, and after a while the vocal samples seemed to add more comedic value than musical value. Overall, I appreciate the mastering quality, rhythmic content, and atmosphere of the piece. The composition feels a bit too dragged-out and minimal, and the lack of melodic content or novel harmonic patterns made it hard to stay engaged after a while. Still, you’re clearly a talented producer. Good luck with your future projects. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.75/10

[Fade in]

I like the drum samples at the beginning. The piece is a little slow to develop, and the samples also sound a bit dry. A little reverb and maybe some other mixing effects might make the texture sound a bit fuller while the rest of the instruments are fading in. The mix is pretty quiet, although also pretty well-balanced. The vocal track in the back is a nice touch, although I was a bit confused whether it was supposed to be an atmospheric element or more of a foregrounded element of the mix. Given the minimal texture of the piece, my attention tends to gravitate towards it, especially after the vocals get more rhythmic in character after 1:40 or so. I’d suggest giving them a boost in the mix, including some compression and reverb at the very least. At 3:30 or so, the harmonies start tripping over each other a bit, if just briefly. That might be because the vocal recording doesn’t line up perfectly with the beat. At the same time, the more energetic nature of the last 45 seconds or so helps give the piece a nice sense of closure. Overall, I enjoyed the sound design, progression, and mellow mood of this one. The mixing might need a tad more work, but the piece has a ton of character and some solid composition. Keep at it, Thetakis! :)

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

[EmeraldX - Feral]

I like the quirky synths and energy at the beginning. There’s a good sense of build-up into :24, too. Some of the drum samples are a bit generic, especially the snare, but you did a good job with the mixing effects and filtering. The texture feels a tad over-compressed at times, but otherwise the production quality is strong. I like the progression and harmonies too, but I also would’ve liked to hear some more dynamic melodic content after a while. The more furtive pads at 2:07 were good for some structural contrast, and I’m liking the sense of build throughout the bridge into 2:46. You finally scratched that melodic itch of mine at 2:57, and I like how you closed out the piece with that major chord and door slam-like sound effect. Overall, my biggest concern is probably with the generic elements of the sound design and arrangement. That said, the production quality is rather strong here, and the composition is full of variety, catchy riffs, a strong sense of direction, and, later on, a cool and memorable melody too. Solid effort all around, EmeraldX! Keep it up. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

EmeraldXMusic responds:

Hi! I'm really thankful for the feedback and glad you enjoyed the piece! I'll keep the feedback in mind for future projects for sure!

[Desperate Dreamer [Instrumental]]

I like the murky atmosphere at the beginning, although there’s a bit of harmonic dissonance in the texture. The crisp drums add a nice sense of drive to the piece, although the fade-out and pause at :55 threw me off a bit. I like the riffs at :59 too, but ideally you would’ve found a way to smooth over the transition in between instead of fading out the one line and then fading in another. The distorted texture at 1:30 is cool, but by this point it seems like most of the guitar riffs mostly serve to just outline the chord progression, as opposed to having a more dynamic pattern or melody. I’m enjoying the mix, though, which is crisp, clear, and well-balanced. There’s another awkward fade-out transition at 2:45. It seems like you know how to structure a piece pretty well. It’s just the transitions that need a little help. The mellow piano at 3:50 was a nice way of switching up the texture. It would’ve been nice if you had switched up the last gritty-sounding chorus at 4:40, just to give the piece more of a sense of overarching direction. Otherwise, I like the atmosphere, harmonies, and mood here. The choppy arrangement and lack of structural variety are my main concerns with the piece. Still, you’ve certainly made up some ground with the production quality and sound design here. Keep at it, TentotheC! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

[Silver Lining]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The crisp percussion at breathy synths at :40 are great, although the compression is a bit heavy for my tastes at times. I like the injection of energy at 1:15, although that section felt a little rhythmically square and repetitive. The creepy breakdown at 1:52 with the pitch bending and airy harmonies. The more blissful tone at around 2:50 is also a nice touch, and the stop-start transition at 3:25 works quite well. I would’ve liked to hear some more prominent and dynamic melodic content at some point, especially during the “emotional height” at 3:26. The quirky synth riff at 4:21 helps keep me engaged, though, and there’s also a decent amount of variety in the middle section of the piece. Overall, this is solid work, Solize! Nice job with the progression, harmonies, instrumentation, and atmosphere. ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Technocosm - Poison Gauntlet (Snare Remix)]

The pulsing orchestral chords and atmospheric details at the beginning are really cool, and the rhythmic content is really compelling here. The compression is a bit over-the-top starting at :31, but the vocal samples work well. The somber piano and atmosphere serves as a nice element of contrast to the gritty breaks. At some point, I would’ve liked to hear a bit more fill in the texture, especially towards the top end of the frequency range. The breakdown with the airy vocals at 1:36 was a good idea, but some more prominent melodic content would probably do more to flesh out the composition here. The pause at 2:24 really threw me off, especially with no reverb or other effects to “carry over” into the next section. The final energetic section at 3:40 helps add some closure to the piece, and the atmospheric and melancholy piano and vocal riffs at the very end help cement the emotional appeal of the piece. Overall, you certainly nailed the mood, atmosphere, and sound design here. The production is also pretty good, although you might need to rein in some of these volume levels at times, like at 3:33, for example. The overwhelmed mix and lack of fill and/or harmonic depth are my main concerns here. Keep at it, SnaresWorks! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
7.5/10

SnaresWorks responds:

thank you so much for the review! i agree with pretty much everything :') the track for the next section of the nguac will definitely build on what this one didnt do well enough

yet again, thank you for the review ^^

[Kavez - Left in the Dust]

I like the sharp piano chords at :05 and the funky bass at :14. The little mic pop at :03 could stand to be eliminated, though. Otherwise, the mix is really clean and distinct. The piece is a little slow to progress, but I like the injection of energy at 1:03. The rhythm feels a tad square, but the airy harmonies at 1:26 help keep me engaged. The sudden change of pace at 1:38 was a little jarring, but I appreciate the switch-up to the chord progression. Overall, the arrangement of the piece feels a tad disjointed, but the additional harmonies during the last refrain help tie it together nicely. The sound design and mixing are quite good overall, and the rhythmic content is a highlight for sure. Solid work, SlyFrost! :)

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

[And Life Goes On...]

I like the frantic bass riffs at the beginning. The texture sounds a bit muddy starting at :15, and the drums could come through the mix a bit cleaner. I like the melodies at :36, but the guitars sound a tad inauthentic. The kick drum also sounds like it has a lot of mid-tones in it, which makes it pretty conspicuous at the breakdown at 1:36. After that, the piece gets a tad repetitive, and I would’ve liked to see some more variation on the melodies in particular. The tempo change towards the end of the last melodic section was a nice touch, and the mellow solo at 2:40 helped give the piece a sense of closure. Overall, the composition of this piece is pretty strong, although the sound design is a bit cheesy, and the mix could be sharper in places. In particular, I’d recommend some stricter equalizing and more compression on the drums to make them pop a bit more. That said, you clearly have a good sense of harmony, progression, and melody. Keep at it, SkullyHop! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.75/10