TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[// TWEAKING //]

I like the eerie texture at the beginning and the lo-fi details. The distorted vocals at :15 sound a bit disorienting with the way they duck in and out of the mix, and the texture of the piece is rather thin throughout. The rhythmic content is good, and the sound design that’s here is enjoyable - kinda reminds me of “Hydrate” by Skrillex. The spacey outro at 2:08 is also a nice touch. Overall, a more dynamic composition and some more coherent vocals would really help take this piece to the next level. The texture sounds a bit experimental for my tastes right now, although I really like the scratchy shaker you have rocking the top end of the frequency range. Evocative work here, Monumia. Keep at it! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[Sunshine]

I like the majestic atmosphere at the beginning and the furtive vocals. The mix is nice and loud and crisp, and I love the upbeat tone of the piece and the bouncy sound design. The piece is a little slow to progress at times, and I can’t help but feel like you could’ve done a bit more with the melodic content and vocal refrains in the piece, cathartic though they were. The mellow breakdown at 1:37 is good for some variety. The arrangement and sound design of this piece are a little generic, and later on in the piece the main riffs and harmonies could use some shaking up. The production quality, sound design, and atmosphere of this piece are top-notch. Some bolder compositional details and a less generic arrangement would help take it to the next level. Keep at it, Mauxus! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
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

Mauxus responds:

Thank you so much for this review! I'm amazed by your ability to leave such detailed info.

[Without You]

I like the fade-in at the beginning and the rich, baritone vocals. The mix holds up quite well despite the plethora of reverb in the texture. The sound design is a bit generic, but also blends together well. The vocals get rather repetitive after a while, but I like the thick atmosphere of the middle third of the piece and the melodramatic transition into 2:09. The variations on the main melody at 2:33 are a nice way of wrapping up the piece, although the vocals are barely discernible in the mix during that section. Overall, this is a punchy and catchy track with some strong production quality and progression. Some more variety in the harmonic content and some more inventive sound design would help take it to the next level. Keep at it, JustTop! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
8/10

[Glimmer]

I like the splash sound effect at the beginning and the bright piano line shortly thereafter. The mix is very loud and clean here, and I really enjoy the build-up into :32. The drop there could’ve been a bit more dynamic, and also dragged on for a rather long time. I also wanted the hi-hats at 1:11 to be more prominent in the mix - maybe it would’ve helped to transpose them up an octave, and/or to push up the treble range on the equalizer. The mellow breakdown at 1:30 is enjoyable, although the bridge at 1:48 is a bit bland, with some square rhythms and not much of a strong sense of direction. I really like the filtering work at 2:40 and the added melody synth at 2:46 - the melody in particular really helps hit the piece home. That said, the piece could still use some more harmonic variety at some point, especially later on once the main riffs of the piece are well-established. Overall, this is an upbeat and enjoyable track with some seriously good production quality and sound design. My biggest problems with it are probably the generic arrangement and repetitive harmonies. Keep at it, JoeStasi! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[Darkness]

I like the airy texture at the beginning and the rich bass. The vocal samples sound good and blend in with the texture well, but one thing that bothers me is the lack of articulation at the ends of phrases. The singer is barely pronouncing the ‘s’ sound in “darkness,” “accomplice,” and “heartless.” But that’s a really nitpicky thing.

The drop at :40 is catchy. The claps starting at :43 come a tad bit before the off-beats, which is jarring at first but refreshing after I get used to them. The rest of the sound design is cool, although the one drop could’ve been a bit more dynamic considering it’s most of the length of the piece. I would’ve liked to see you flesh out the composition a bit more here, but this track is definitely a good start. Catchy beats, solid mixing, and fun sound design. Keep at it, Jekoer! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
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
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8/10

[HRT Theory]

I like the eerie atmosphere at the beginning and the blissful, chaotic riff at :10. The beat at :20 is catchy, but also sounds a bit grating on the treble end of the frequency range. The sudden transitions at :41, 1:01, 1:27, etc. are a bit jarring, and the harmonic content here could use some more variety at times. I have no idea what’s going on at 1:49 (cross-fading? Filtering/pitch-bending combo???), but it sounds really awesome, and the relatively mellow outro was a good way of hitting the piece home. Honestly, I really like the experimental texture of this, but I think you went a bit too far by having the arrangement be rather experimental too. It’s just hard to stay grounded and well-oriented as a listener with a piece that’s this…out there. Still, if you had dialed back the harsh percs in the treble end and implemented some more gradual transitions, I could seriously vibe to this. Keep at it, JarJarZoinks! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
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
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[thin layer of dust]

I like the funky bass riff at the beginning and the acoustic drum kit. The mix could be a lot sharper, though, with a lot of reverb clogging up the texture and the pads getting a bit lost during the busier sections. Some stereo widening on the pads could help clear out the center of the mix for the lead instruments and drums, but honestly I’m not sure that’s available in GarageBand. Panning may be an acceptable alternative in that case.

Anyway, I like the ghostly synth melodies and the rhythmic content here a lot. The harmonic framework for most of the piece is pretty generic, but you do a good job of switching it up at 1:22. The glitchy outro at 1:38 is really cool, but I’m not sure I like how the very end cuts off so suddenly at 1:56. Overall, this is a short-but-fun piece with some catchy, danceable melodies and some sound design that reminds me of a cute, Halloween-themed video game. Keep at it, JA4Y! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[Jau nupliko Stalino pakaušis]

I like the moody guitar at the beginning and the crisp drums at :10. The furtive vocals at :20 are nice, too, although at times I feel like they could use a bit of a boost in the mix. The refrain at :45 sounds refreshing, as does the creepy bridge at 1:41. The breakdown at 2:01 sounds a little unpolished, though, and also out-of-place stylistically from the rest of the piece. The solo at 2:21 is awesome - very dynamic and cathartic. The chant-like section at 2:42 was a good idea, but that’s one section where I needed the vocals to be thicker and more up-front in the mix. They could be way more hard-hitting and punchy than they are right now. I also thought that section was a bit of an odd way to end the piece (although maybe I just don’t understand the lyrical themes because I don’t speak Lithuanian). Still, overall, this piece is really enjoyable between the smooth guitars, passionate vocals, rhythmic content, and solos. Keep at it, Introverse! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
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
8/10

[Suddenly Came Brightness]

I like the bassy atmosphere at the beginning. I think it’s a little awkward how the bass keeps fading in and out over the first 25 seconds or so - kinda disrupts the flow IMO. The texture remains a bit thin for the rest of the first minute, and the extended pause at 1:04 was a bit long. The choir at 1:08 sounds a bit indistinct in the mix, and I’m not sure I like how it suddenly cuts out at 1:24. I like a lot of the spacey sound design in the middle of the piece, as well as the crisp string riff at 1:57. The piece could use a bit more harmonic variety at times, and I also think the piece needed a strong sense of overarching direction to it. The energy level waxes and wanes, but the arrangement feels a bit formulaic (regular changes to the texture every 8 bars but not a lot of motion in between) and lacking in narrative appeal. Overall, the atmosphere, mood, and instruments are my favorite aspects of the piece. The mix could be punchier at times, and the composition doesn’t quite live up to its potential here. Still, the instrumentation and chord progression give the piece a nice, melancholic feel, and certainly help you play up the cinematic flair. Keep at it, GeminiGemini! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

GeminiGemini responds:

Thanks for the review.:)

[Legends of the Black Sea]

I like the dramatic string swells at the beginning and the eerie atmosphere around them. The part at :39 is catchy, but I think the percussion is missing some bass frequencies there. I love the rhythmic content and string melodies at :57, and the choir at 1:15 is a nice touch. At around 1:30, the mix becomes a bit strained, with the drums and choir not coming through quite as clearly as earlier. Scaling back the reverb might help with that. The accordion (?) at 1:33 sounds a bit inauthentic and unnatural, both the sample itself and the way it suddenly fades out at 1:51. I like the mellow section that follows, as well as the melodies at 2:12. I also like the injection of energy at 2:30 and more bottom-heavy mix at 2:57. The synth guitar at 3:16 was a pleasant surprise, and also a good way of hitting the piece home, but the mix also sounds a bit muddy there. I’d try doing more with stereo widening, especially on the choir, so that the lead stays front-and-center there.

Overall, this is an enjoyable piece with some fun sound design, a strong cinematic flair, and some memorable melodies. Keep at it, GDRH1988. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.25/10