TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Rolling Waves - AIM 2021]

I like the bright ambiance at the beginning and the jangly percussion. Very pensive mood, with a nice dramatic flair at times with the church bells and suspenseful section at 1:00 or so. The piano riff at 1:10 struck me as a tad cliche, at least with the progression, but the beat at 1:40 keeps moving the piece moving along nicely, and the reverb helps fill out the texture a little more. Your production has also improved a lot in the last year or two. The pace of progression is a little slow towards the middle of the piece, but I like the evocative solo at 3:00ish. The turn toward the dramatic at the end was a nice touch too. Overall, really strong work here as always, WolfgangMiakoda! Good luck in the AIM. ^_^

[AIM - Eggstraordinary Garnish Grandiosa]

I like the spacey arpeggios at the beginning. The ghostly synth at :10 is really nice. The chord progression is a little cliche, and the rhythm is a little square. I like the ghostly melodies at :40 or so, but some of the effects in here are pretty repetitive (there's a synth effect that plays on the downbeat of every measure for most of the piece, for example). I like the flute-like synth at 2:27 - has a bit of a smoother sound than most of the quirky synths in here. The mixing is pretty solid too. Overall, fun piece! I like the melodies, flow, production, and sound design. Keep at it, Tebyricat. ^^

[AIM - Atlantean Arbitrium]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning. The guitars at :45 really help channel the intensity, although the piece is a bit slow to progress. The production quality is really solid - I love the crisp drums that start becoming prominent at around 1:45. The melodies at 2:20 really helped relieve the sense of apprehension in the first couple of minutes of the piece. That solo in the middle is so dynamic and well-executed. I like how the harmonies are momentarily tripping over each other at 4:40 - really adds to the sense of uncertainty in the texture. The piece really has a nice "slow burn," where it really grows on me after I get adjusted to the pace. Probably my favorite AIM piece I've listened to so far. Congrats on a baller track, Banana-head! ^^

Banana-head responds:

Thanks a lot man! The lead melodies were all improvised though haha, i had no main melody in mind when making this.

[AIM 2021 - open field skirmish]

The atmosphere at the beginning sets the mood nicely, and the crisp strings :20 and pads that come in later combine for a nice warm texture overall. Nice job with the percussion too, although you started overusing the crashes a bit at around 1:30. After that, the piece feels a tad repetitive. I would've liked to hear some stronger melodic content later on to drive the piece home, and also for you to develop some of the string riffs a little more beyond the initial patterns. Still, it has a nice bright tone, good sound design, and a crisp and clear mixdown. Keep at it, Yoshiii343! ^^

[AIM 2021- wadle chill]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning. The low string-like instrument and percussion sound a bit clunky together, but it grows on me as the piece goes on. I think my biggest problem with it is that it doesn't really change much over time - in terms of energy, harmonic pattern, or otherwise. The structure is really easy to figure out after listening to it just once (it's the same minute-long section played three times in a row), which is a telltale sign in my book that it could be more dynamic. Still, the sound design and cutesy mood of the piece are nice, and I like the syncopations and harmonies too. Keep at it, man! ^^

knah responds:

hey man thanks for the criticism :) i will be making a remastered version soon.

[Martian Mummies (GD Cut)]

The sound design is neat, but the attack on the synth at the beginning is a bit sharp for my tastes. I like the ominous tone and sense of build into :24. The mix is clean, if a tad over-compressed. The texture is a bit thin, and I think you could've done more to develop the harmonic content earlier on. I like the injection of energy at 1:29, but the clap sample there sounds really generic and dry. The transition into 2:01 was a bit awkward - I like the quirky chord progression there, but the way it flowed from the previous section could've been curated a little more carefully. Maybe a fade-in would've helped. The breakdown at 3:02 was a bit bland, but I liked the heavier breaks at 4:02. I think the arrangement of the piece feels a bit stale overall. Especially with such repetitive harmonies, I think it would help keep this piece more engaging if you had a more constant sense of evolution. There are long sections in this piece that have a similar energy and volume level - example, 3:02 - 3:57, and then a Band-Aid 5-second buildup to transition into the next section. It just feels a bit formulaic and stale. And maybe part of the reason it feels that way is because the overall texture in some parts of the piece is really minimal, but I think a stronger ebb and flow to the piece is especially important in a relatively long one like this. Still, the sound design, catchy rhythms and harmonies, and crisp mastering serve you well here. Keep at it, J-XVII! Looking forward to seeing you during "contest season" on NG!

Also, since you asked in your PM, the next NGUAC starts in June. But you should check out the audio forum - there are collabs and other events happening all the time. ^_^

[-Octagon Force-]

Ah, yes! I remember the original. I like the richer synths and heavier bass in this one. The lead at around :25 is also a big plus - has a really refined, '80s vibe. The drums do seem a bit soft at times, but I think you referenced that in the description. The fade-out into 2:05 is a nice break in the action, and I like the more blissful tone that becomes prominent by around 2:50. The modulation at 3:45 is good for some variety, too. As always with your upbeat VGM tracks, the flow, melodic content, and instrumentation are great here. The piece has a nice sense of climax into 5:30 before the arpeggiated synth pattern and exposed bass line there kick in. Comes together well as a cohesive whole overall. Honestly, I can absolutely tell you put a ton of work into this one. I'm not sure I could even recognize that this is a remake of Hexagon Force if you didn't mention. Keep it up, WF! ^^

[-Brain Damage-]

Experimental indeed. I like the crisp drums and generous use of bass. The pitch sliding effects sound really cool, and the texture sounds simultaneously distorted and minimal. The piano stabs at 1:30 work well to fill out the upper-mid frequency range, although I think you start to overuse the "brain damage" vocal sample after a while. The atmospheric flair at the breakdown at 2:20 is nice, although I think I would've liked to hear a little more of the harmonies later in the piece - without those riffs the piece sounds a tad bottom-heavy and thin in places. Still, really good work with the rhythmic content and instrumentation. Keep at it, WF! Here's to 2021. ^^

[-Feelin' Better-]

I like the catchy riffs right off the bat. Really quirky synths, and the busy percussion and high-pitched vocal samples fit in really well. There's a great call-and-response sort of vibe to the melody at around 1:30, and the energy and flow really help keep me engaged. The flute solo during the breakdown at 2:25 works really well too, and the descending brass line at 2:40 makes for a really effective transition back into the energetic section. The vocals at 3:40 are nice, and the anticipatory undertones in the texture at 4:30 flow really nicely into the final refrain at 4:40. I might've lied earlier - THIS is my favorite track of yours of 2020. Glad you're feeling better, WF! ^^

[-Supra Zone-]

I like the murky bass at the beginning. The vocal samples that come in at around :30 get a tad repetitive, but the texture is pretty rich and full to keep things moving. I also like the pads at 1:30. The rhythmic elements at around the 3-minute mark are especially nice, and the drum fills and guitars later on help keep things interesting. Still, I think it would've helped this piece to have some more atmospheric and/or melodic elements at some point, just to switch up the soundscape a bit. Bringing back the vocal samples at 4:35 was a good decision, though, and the mysterious vibes at the end are really nice. Keep at it, WF!