TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[-Train to Nowhere-]

I love your experimental tracks. The ominous beats fit in really well with the old-school movie samples. The piece is a bit minimalistic, but I'm enjoying the pulsing effect that the texture has at around 1:15 and the variations in the beat towards the end. Overall, it could've used a stronger sense of direction, but it's still really evocative and catchy. Perfect for a rainy Saturday. :)

[-Megalopolis-]

Really cute piece! I like the upbeat melodies and synth guitars at :25. The authentic-sounding drums are a nice touch, and the rhythmic elements and sound design are top-notch as usual with you. The jazzy breakdown at 1:35 is really refreshing, and the string melodies at 1:45 give a softer edge to the piece. It's really full of variety and fun riffs - I could envision this as a loop in a video game. Keep it up, WF! ^^

[searching for clues]

I like the rich strings and church bells at the beginning. The effect of the short phrases on the flow is effective at first, but it felt a bit choppy after a while, especially with the back-and-forth between the energetic/dramatic mini-phrases (:34, :51) and the more mellow and ominous ones. Still, the orchestral samples are really high-quality, and I like the brighter tone of some of the chords starting at around the 2-minute mark. Everything sounds really well-balanced and clean in the mix, too. You've been scouted, my friend. Welcome to Newgrounds! ^^

LudwigComposer responds:

Thank you for your thoughts and scout! The song is meant to be easy to rearrange to suit film, that is why there are gaps.

[Blackout Remix]

Certainly different style than what I'm used to hearing from you. I like the string pads, clap syncopations at around :43, and flashy synths. You might overuse the transitions with the tom-toms a bit, but I'm enjoying the flow and the minimalistic sections with the bare vocals. The piece feels like it could use a bit more variety towards the end, but perhaps the original didn't have much more vocal content to work with. A prominent solo or bridge wouldn't been a welcome change. Still, happy to see an upload from you. Happy New Year! ^^

dude2312 responds:

Hahah I genuinely felt like I was at the NGUAC2021! Great review, TaintedLogic. You know appreciate your criticism a lot.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my little piece.

[Chasing Parallels]

I like the eerie chimes at the beginning, and the breathy vocals contribute to the ominous tone of the piece overall. I like the echo effects at around :35 too, but I feel like the vocals at :42 were a bit dry by comparison. The lyrics have a strong narrative inclination, and the composition itself is also full of variety. The motif of "parallel lines" is really clever, too. Occasionally, the big pitch jumps in the melodies are a bit jarring, notably at :20 ("yard"). The mix sounds really good to my ears, and the dense and jazzy texture later on in the piece is just engrossing. The glitchy solo at 2:51 is awesome, and the vocal layering at around 2:30 is great too. The piece comes together really well as a cohesive thematic whole, even while the composition itself is full of surprises. Brilliant piece, Kor-Rune. Please upload more in 2021! Also, if you ever put this on an album, please PM me - I'd love to snag a DL. ^^

Kor-Rune responds:

Thank you so much for the shout and feedback !! I will absolutely let you know, there's several tracks im putting together for such a thing :')

[Modus Operandi]

Congrats on having the last NG song of 2020. I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the spacey beat at :25. The piece is a little slow to progress, but the lead at :45 was showing some promise before the piece sinks back into minimalism at 1:15. I like the mysterious mood at 1:18 - not my favorite sample, but it fits the piece. The bass line in this middle section is a big plus - really keeps the piece grounded. The lead riff at 2:20 is probably the most memorable part of the piece for me, and you tie it together well at the end. The composition could've been a bit bolder here, but you've certainly done enough to earn a scout. Looking forward to hearing more synthwave beauties like this from you in the future. Happy New Year! ^^

XORVUX responds:

Your review puts my intentions into words very well, and your feedback is noted. I am heavily drawn to atmospheric soundscapes, so I'm relieved to hear that part turned out well. I'm still learning how to build structure and impact, but I eagerly continue to learn that skill. Frankly, I'm surprised (and honored) to be approved this quickly. So thank you very very much for scouting me! ...also a little nervous, since I hope my other tracks fair well against this first impression. Nevertheless, a first review like this is oh-so relieving. Glad to hear your kind words, glad to finally contribute to NG!

[Chromatic]

I like the phasing pads at the beginning. The rhythm is a little hard to follow at first, but there's a good sense of climax into :24. I wasn't a huge fan of the chopped vocals that come in on the off-beats, but the sung vocals starting at :48 worked really well, especially once with the additional layering at :55. There are a couple brief moments of dissonance between the vocal harmonies and the synths at 1:08 or so, and the heavy compression/sidechaining in there makes the instrumental track sound a tad distorted. Later on, the piece gets a tad repetitive, but the melodic bridge at 2:47 helps tie things together. Overall solid work here, DJ-AfterBurnz. Those "dah-dah"s grow on me as the piece goes on, too. ^_^ Happy holidays!

[Think Positive OST (ADVENTure 2020)]

Oh man, I'm really behind in my reviews now lol. Really cute piece, Connor. I like the ghostly synths and somewhat melancholic progression. The mallets at 1:05 were a nice touch, and the drums keep things moving along despite the minimalism. I can tell it loops smoothly, too. Keep at it, CG! ^_^

[Never Alone]

I like the frantic arpeggios in the background at the beginning and the ghostly pads. The melodies at :26 are really neat, and I'm loving the vocals and energy in here too. The chord progression and beat are both a tad generic, and after a while you begin to overuse the transitions with the drum fills (example, 1:50). Otherwise, the flow is smooth and the production quality is solid. The piece might've used a bridge or solo that had some more harmonic variety, but overall strong work here, DJAB! I like the catchy melodies and upbeat mood here. ^_^