TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Fish & Chips]

I like the crisp drums at :14 and the rhythmic content. The gritty synth bass at the beginning sounds a bit unpolished for my tastes, but the mixing and balance of the piece is really strong, and the quirky elements of the sound design really help keep me engaged. The breakdown lead at 1:15 with the ping-pong echo effects is awesome. Harmonically, the piece could be a tad more creative - despite the unique sound design, the foregrounded content of the piece is mostly outlining the chord progression, as opposed to giving the piece a stronger sense of melodic direction. The melody at 1:43 helps break that pattern, but also seems to lack dynamism itself after a while. That said, the instrumentation, rich texture, and strong production quality still have me sold on this piece. Going forward, working on melody writing and “storytelling” will help you turn the 8.75 I’m giving you into a 9.75. Until then, keep it up, Ackai! ^_^

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
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
8.75/10

[Wyoming]

I like the spacey pad at the beginning and the distorted bass. The lead synth at :20 is a bit cheesy, but I like the upbeat mood and quirky percussion. The pad that starts fading in at around 1:05 clashes a bit harmonically with the lead - it sounds like they’re competing for attention a bit too much there. The breakdown at 1:25 came on a bit suddenly, but I like the bright pads at 1:42 and the rhythmic content. The melodic variations later on are nice, and I’m usually not a huge fan of fade-outs, but I think this one works well here. Overall, this is a cute and well-structured piece. Sometimes, the reverb on the pads is a bit too much - I think that might be part of the reason why the harmonies clash a bit at times. Still, solid work all around. Keep at it, 50Steaks! ^_^

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
.5/1
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

50Steaks responds:

To be honest I couldn’t agree more. Back when I made this I was still putting extreme reverb on some instruments for some reason. An interesting point you said about the breakdown coming suddenly, it never occurred to me but yeah there’s no real indication that it would revert back to the intro. I think you hit the nail on the head with this, and I would rate it 3.5/5 as well.

[Canyon [NGUAC 2021]]

I love the energy and sound design right off the bat, especially that airy synth at :08 and the frantic percussion. The meter change at :41 was a pleasant surprise, and once the orchestral pads come back in at around 1:15 I get a good sense of just how well the mix holds up. The vocal samples later on aren't necessarily my favorite, nor is the pseudo-fadeout ending. That said, the evocative string solos at 1:20 and the fun synth at :16 that sounds like whistling are some stellar sound design choices, and as usual with you the overall composition is great. Keep at it, Scott! ^^

[Hehe]

Whimsical and full of variety! I love it. "Hehe" is a really fitting title, too. The instrumentation is top-notch, and the production is clean. Sounds like it should be the backing music for a montage in a movie. Take my 5 stars, and don't spend them all in one place! :D

[See You Never (Feat. Maderlin Weng)]

I really like the cutesy beat at the beginning and the bright mix. The sub-bass sits really well in the texture, and the trumpet solo at 1:48 really hits the spot. The multilingual lyrics are great, too. Maderlin has a really airy and crooning voice that fit the character of the song really well. I really like how the trumpet, vocal refrain, beat, and mallets all converge during the last 30-45 seconds or so, and the coda with the phone message was clever. The mastering sounds professional here, ACXLE, but I think my favorite part is the sound design. Keep up the great work! ^^

acxle responds:

thanks TL :)

[oof]

I like the beat, and the tempo automations were a creative idea. I think the mix sounds a little dry, and some reverb and other effects could help smooth over the dissonance and keep things interesting amid the minimalism. The sound design is really unique, although the vocal samples sound a little distorted and murky. The track is mastered really loud, but is in danger of clipping at a couple of points. The rhythmic content is pretty cool, especially during the last 45 seconds or so. I think the piece could've used a stronger sense of direction at times - it had a start/stop vibe in the structure, but little sense of overarching narrative or development. Either way, it's a cool beat with some clean production. I just think you could rein in the volume levels a tad and fill out the atmosphere a little more. Keep at it, Aoraz! ^^

Aoraz responds:

Thank you! I will keep this in mind for future projects. Even after 10 years I am still struggling with mastering my songs correctly haha

[Short plucky WIP]

Woah! Really different from some of your older stuff. I like the sound design and rhythmic elements. It's a bit slow to develop at times, but I'm really feeling the frantic harmonies that come in at around 1:05. The staccato-y texture really contributes to the danceability, even though there's also a ton of reverb in the texture. Looking forward to hearing the final product, Lockyn! ^^

[Aether]

I like the energy and the synths. The chord progression is a little cliche, and the filtering on the airy pad at :12 is a little wonky. I might suggest smoothing out that pad with some more reverb. The melodies at :50 are cute, and the glissando at 1:05 makes for an effective transition into the chill outro. Overall, it's a neat piece. A bit short and rough around the edges in places. It might've flowed a bit smoother with some more crashes/mixing effects to channel the energy. The composition could also be fleshed out more. Still, you won me over with the cute sound design and danceability. Keep it up, BrwGD! ^^

V1ZION responds:

Thanks a lot for your feedback, TL! You’re very helpful. :)

For some reason, I don’t know why GarageBand doesn’t smooth the pad out on its own. I noticed that too when I was making the song. I feel like I could’ve fixed the drum loop because of the inconsistency, specifically the end of it. There are three “eighth-notes” at the end of the drum loop, one for the third section, and two for the rest of it. For me, that seems inconsistent when looking back at this.

But again, thank you for your feedback!

[What God Believes]

I really like the angelic vocals at the beginning and the narrative form of the lyrics. The guitars sounds really pensive, and the vocal harmonies help fill out the texture well. Again, the vocals are really soulful and rich. The addition of the heavier guitar and stronger snare on the second chorus is a great choice. The use of phrasing and transitions in this piece is great. The solo at 3:15 really ties the piece together, offering a real point of arrival and release for a piece whose lyrics are kind of inherently inconclusive and filled with tension. I think this is your strongest work yet, Sloan! Kudos on an awesome track. ^_^