TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Nebulous - Paranoia (NGUAC 2020 | R3)]

I like the cutesy melodies at the beginning. The skipping beats at :16 threw me off a bit, and the “reset” at :27 was rather abrupt. The gritty, minimal drop at :53 works pretty well, but lasts a bit too long for my tastes. That said, the second iteration of that section (1:34) with the creepy vocal drone in the background at least brought some variety. I think you could’ve made better use of the treble range of the frequency spectrum throughout this piece, although the experimental flair of this piece does help keep things amusing. The sound design and production quality are both strong, and the rhythmic content is rather creative throughout. Overall, the arrangement seems a bit choppy at times between the gritty drop sections and the blissful synth riff at 3:44 (and other places), and the piece lacks a sense of resolve without a more well-integrated relationship between the two. Still, this is a neat track thematically (girl saying “don’t be afraid” actually gave me nightmares) with some strong mixing and mastering and engaging instrumentation. Keep it up, ShockblastDeluxe! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

[Happy people want to dance]

I like the quirky pads at the beginning and the build-up into :20. The white noise is a little heavy at :21, and the mix feels a little strained underneath all the reverb and compression there and at :41. The transition at 1:02 was pretty neat, and I’m enjoying the melodies and sound design there too. The filter on the main pads could’ve used some variation at some point, but I like the minimal approach you took to the re-intro and the build-up back into 2:19. The melodic variations at 2:19 are nice, but the instrument playing them sounded a bit generic. I’ll also note that the drums didn’t quite pop in the mix like I wanted them to here. Still, the catchy rhythmic content and blissful melodies are both plusses, and the cool transitions and other compositional details helped make up for the somewhat generic arrangement. Keep at it, Retrize! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Remembering the Fallen]

I like the emotional quality at the beginning. You’ve done a great job of playing up the somber mood in this piece, like with the descending line in the melody at :18. The entrance of the violin at :38 is absolutely haunting, and the somewhat predictable phrase pattern (i.e., every other measure has a significant number of moving notes) helps channel the emotion further. The percussion at 1:14 sounds a bit flat, but I’m liking the call-and-response action at 1:34 and the trumpet solo shortly thereafter. The piece comes together rather well by 2:20, and I think it was also a good choice to return to a more minimal piano line for the coda. Part of me would’ve liked the mix to be a bit fuller-sounding at times, or for the final climax to be a bit more of a point of arrival, but at the end of the day it’s hard to find fault with the solemn and languid tone of the piece. Probably your strongest work yet, Potato-stick! These are some truly moving melodies.

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.75/10

potato-stick responds:

Thank you for the incredible feedback and for taking the time to deeply listen to understand my artistic intentions! I agree that my percussion is a bit lacking. I am scoping out some percussion libraries to buy on Black Friday so I finally have more than the fairly limited options that Nucleus offers. I will make sure to take your advice and apply it towards future works :)

[NaNo - Happy pluck]

I like the quirky risers at the beginning and the cutesy, tranquil synths. The sound design and production quality are both really strong here, and the vocals at :45 work well. The refrain at :47 is catchy and cathartic, but the melody line sounds a bit strained in the mix, almost like it takes a backseat to the pads. The chord progression is a little cliche, but the melodies help keep me engaged, like at 1:36. The transition at 2:09 was a little bizarre, perhaps because of the bare texture during the transitory moment (it actually happens again at 2:33). The cheery pads during the outro were a nice touch too. Overall, solid piece! Some of the arrangement details are a bit generic, but the mixing is really good, and you’ve won me over with the upbeat melodies and catchy rhythmic content. Keep it up, NaNoOficcial! ^_^

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?)
1/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Be Gay Do Crime]

I like the quirky synths at the beginning and the pensive atmosphere. The percussion at :15 isn’t quite as strong in the mix as I wanted it to be, and there’s a bit of dissonance in the texture at :45. I like the spacey bridge with the guitar melodies at 1:05 or so, but by 1:14 the mix sounds pretty distorted again, although the combination of the creative beats and the ominous atmosphere works well. I might’ve liked to see you introduce some novel harmonic content at some point, as the piece was lacking an overarching sense of direction, but I like the quirky string line at the end. Overall, the mix feels a bit strained here, and perhaps that warrants getting a little stricter with your use of reverb and filtering. That said, the sound design and mood are really evocative and neat. Keep at it, Mooke! ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

zybor responds:

Thank you for your kind words :)

[10 Pieces of Bread]

I like the cutesy oom-pah action at the beginning and the string melodies. Sounds like the beginning of a musical - I envision the quieter parts go along with the dialogue, and then there’s a lot of choreography that goes with the busier parts. I also like the rather granular structure of the piece, with similar-sounding string melodies repeating in relatively short succession and fun “diversions” in between. Admittedly, the more sultry and melancholic part at 1:25 threw me off a bit, but by 1:50 I’m sold on the wild melodrama of the piece’s arrangement. Still, it’s a nice touch to return to some version of the main melody at 2:08. I might’ve liked to hear a more creative conclusion than the repetition of the “oom-pahs” at the end, but perhaps it’s meant to be a loop. I also might’ve liked to see you do a bit more with the drums at some point. Still, super fun piece overall! It’s a bit difficult to imagine as a stand-alone piece at times, but the colorful sound design and catchy motifs make it easy to envision a piece of media (musical, video game, or otherwise) to go along with it. Oh, and the mixing is fantastic. Strong work, Michael! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9.25/10

[A Journeys End [NGUAC 2020 Final]]

I like the feeling of suspense at the beginning between the tremolo and the emotional piano chords. The piece is a little slow to progress at first, but there’s a good injection of energy at 1:05, and the crisp percussion and majestic melodies thereafter help move things along nicely. The melodies at 1:10 could’ve been a little more dynamic and memorable imo, but you did a good job of channeling the emotional quality of the piece with the return to the furtive, taciturn part at 1:57. Since so much of this piece is so minimal in texture, I would’ve liked to see a little more humanization at times. For example, the piano chords at 2:21 feel a bit square rhythmically, although I recognize the descending line thereafter has some nice little “anti-quantization” details going on. I’d also push you to do even more with dynamics, especially within the quiet sections. The ending was a bit cheesy, and I sort of expected the piece to end at 3:21 upon hearing it for the first time, although it does give a nice sense of resolve to a piece that otherwise has a subtle note of tension in the string drones. Overall, stellar work with the sound design, atmosphere, progression, and mixing. Despite my nitpicking on some of the compositional details, you really told a story with this piece (or, at least the end of one). Keep it up, Lazerwing! ^_^

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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

[Ataraxia]

I like the plucked synths at the beginning. The pause at :13 threw me off of the flow a bit, but the beats at :14 are super catchy and refreshing. The combination of the airy lead at :27 and the hard-hitting bass are great, although the chord progression is a bit cliche. The texture also feels like it’s missing some mid-range instruments, although the mix is rather clean and crisp. I like the cutesy riff and delicious hi-hats you introduce during the bridge at 1:55 and the subsequent variations on the bass at 2:10. There are a lot of fun rhythmic details in this piece, which help keep things engaging despite the minimalism at certain points. I would’ve liked to hear a little more variation on the refrain the second time around (at 2:37), and overall the melodic content in this piece could’ve been a bit more dynamic and memorable. Still, I really enjoy the sound design, rhythmic content, mastering, atmosphere, and progression of this one. Keep at it, Lagiarathalos! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
8.75/10

[The Concept of Time]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the dark brass at :15. The harmonic content is a little bare, but the texture is still rich. I might’ve liked to hear a little more of the vocals at :48 in the mix, just because their part seemed a bit more mobile than the strings and brass, but the gorgeous melody at 1:14 helps keep me engaged shortly thereafter. The middle section of the piece has a really nice sense of triumph and direction to it, and the string riff at 2:24 was a fun play on the more legato version of the same riff at :32. I might have asked for a little more melodic flair and harmonic depth in the more energetic sections of the piece, but that’s being nitpicky. The production quality, sound design, atmosphere, phrasing, and melodies are all wonderful here. Keep up the good work, Kevin! ^_^

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?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

KevinMueller responds:

Thanks for the review and the kind words! :)
And thank you very much for hosting the NGUAC! Your patience with some of the contestants was amazing and inspiring. You did a really great job!

[Alabaster]

I like the eerie ambient sound effects at the beginning, but the rhythm of their delivery felt a bit square, so as to render them cheesy. The creepy riser thing at :31 was a neat idea, but could’ve worked a tad better with some more atmosphere. I also had a little trouble squaring it with the blissful mood at :40. Still, I’m enjoying the thicker texture and quirky beats at :43. The instrumental hierarchy undergoes a lot of sudden changes during the energetic part of this piece, notably at 1:04, 1:11, and other places. The composition strikes me as a bit experimental, but I’m really loving the rhythmic content and sound design. I love the percussion at 1:59 - super danceable and fun, and it also sits really well in the mix. And that reminds me: the production quality is superb here, even if the pads at :58 didn’t quite pop like I wanted them to. There’s a lot of potential in this piece, and I highly encourage you to keep working on it after the competition. With a little more cohesion and a less choppy arrangement (and also much less of the experimental granulizer thing starting at 2:42), this track would be a total bop. It already has the engrossing instrumentation, neat rhythmic content, and just generally oozes creativity. Keep it up, ISMCataclism! Good luck with both school and your album. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.75/10

Zerisan responds:

Thank you so much!